cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combinatorics of Maximal Minors

We continue the study of the Newton polytope ∏m,n of the product of all maximal minors of an m × n-matrix of indeterminates. The vertices of ∏m,n are encoded by coherent matching fields Λ e (Λσ), where σ runs over all m-element subsets of columns, and each Λσ is a bijection σ → lmr. We show that coherent matching fields satisfy some axioms analogous to the basis exchange axiom in the matroid theory. Their analysis implies that maximal minors form a universal Grobner basis for the ideal generated by them in the polynomial ring. We study also another way of encoding vertices of ∏m,n for m ≤ n by means of “generalized permutations”, which are bijections between (n − m + 1)–element subsets of columns and (n − m + 1)–element submultisets of rows.
Sucrose replacement in high ratio white layer cakes.

Several commercially available alternative sweeteners have potential in reducing the caloric content of baked products. Sugar alcohols and natural sweeteners have similar bulk as sucrose and can replace sucrose directly. High intensity sweeteners have high potency but light weight so bulking agents are often added. This study determined alternative sweeteners and combinations of alternative sweetener and a bulking agent that produced good quality white layer cakes.; Results: Cakes made with maltitol were acceptable but erythritol and fructose produced undesirable cakes. Maltodextrin and polydextrose were acceptable bulking agents, producing cakes that were similar to control cakes. The flavor of cakes sweetened with sucralose was acceptable but those with stevia had a disagreeable metallic aftertaste. Cakes made with sucralose plus maltodextrin were preferred over those containing sucralose plus polydextrose. Consumer acceptance of flavor, texture and overall liking of cakes containing maltitol was similar to sucrose and both were preferred over cakes containing maltodextrin plus sucralose.; Conclusion: Replacing sucrose with maltitol in white layer cakes reduced the caloric content by 16% with no loss in quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients Exhibit Expanded Functional Granulocyte-like Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells

Abstract Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease commonly associated with an immune disturbance. These alterations of the immune system have been generally considered due to the direct effects of CLL cells. In the last years, myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have been found to be expanded in several cancers and to play a major role in helping tumor cells escape from immune surveillance. MDSCs represent a heterogeneous population of HLA-DRlo/CD11b+/CD33+ cells that are subdivided into monocyte-like (CD14+, m-) or granulocyte-like (CD15+, g-) subsets. Here we have investigated the extent that patients with CLL have expansions of MDSCs, their types and functions, and how these correlate with clinical and laboratory characteristics. Using flow cytometry on cryopreserved PBMCs, we did not observe differences in the percentages of HLA-DRlo/CD11b+/CD33+ cells between 17 untreated CLL patients and 10 healthy controls (HC) (3.3% vs. 3.1%). However, the distribution between m-MDSCs and g-MDSCs was dramatically different, with CLL patients exhibiting significantly higher levels of g-MDSCs (79.7% vs. 4.1%, p In summary, CLL patients demonstrate an altered HLA-DRlo/CD11b+/CD33+ population with significantly more g-MDSCs than m-MDSCs. CLL g-MDSCs are functional suppressors, whereas m-MDSCs are not, even though they exhibit increased levels of inhibitory molecules and can perform this function when induced from CD33+ cells. The latter suggest that that the poor suppressor activity of patient derived m-MDSCs is induced in vivo. Finally, different clinicobiological characteristics associate with the phenotype of MDSCs, especially an increase in suppressor molecules and need to treat. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Valvular Heart Disease Other Than Significant Mitral Stenosis and Mechanical Valves: A Meta-Analysis.

The introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) transformed the approach to thromboembolic prophylaxis in atrial fibrillation (AF), but uncertainty remains about the use of these medications in patients with valvular heart disease (VHD). The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that established the favorable clinical profile of DOACs excluded patients with valvular AF, referring to hemodynamically significant mitral stenosis and mechanical valves. However, the definition of this term is inconsistent in the literature. Although other forms of VHD were included in the trials, many clinicians are hesitant to prescribe DOACs in patients with some degree of VHD. Limited data pertain specifically to this population, mostly from post hoc analyses of RCTs. Therefore, we sought to address the effectiveness and safety of DOACs in patients with VHD by synthesizing all available RCT data. We searched the Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Embase databases (accessed November 9, 2016) and presentations in major cardiology meetings within the last year (American Heart Assocation, American College of Cardiology, European Society of Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society) for RCTs (or secondary analyses thereof) comparing the currently approved DOACs to warfarin and reporting outcomes for patients with AF and VHD other than hemodynamically significant mitral stenosis and mechanical valves. We documented hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding, adhering to the VHD and outcome definitions of each individual study. Meta-analysis estimates were calculated with random-effects DerSimonian-Laird model for …
Bandwidth-Aware Data Filtering in Edge-Assisted Wireless Sensor Systems

By placing processing-capable devices at the edge of local wireless access networks, Edge Computing architectures have been recently proposed to connect mobile devices to computational power through a one-hop low-latency wireless link. In this paper, we propose a new design where edge assistance is used to control local data filtering at the mobile devices in bandwidth and energy constrained systems. We focus on real-time monitoring applications, where the video input from mobile devices is processed to centrally detect and recognize objects. The edge processor controls the activation and deactivation of local classifiers implemented by the mobile devices to remove useless portions of video frames. The objective is to adapt the video stream to time-varying bandwidth constraints, while minimizing the additional energy consumption introduced by local processing. To this end, an optimization problem is formulated for a loss function embodying the balance between the risk of violating the available bandwidth and the cost of overly-conservative data filtering. The edge assists the local decision by extracting parameters of the video, such as density of objects of interest in a frame, which influence the output of the sensor. Numerical results, obtained by performing a measurement campaign based on a real implementation, illustrate the tension between energy and bandwidth use for a Haar-feature based cascade classifier.
Radiation from a ring source around a compressible plasma column

The electromagnetic waves and plasma oscillations excited by a magnetic current ring source around an infinitely long compressible plasma column are studied. The governing partial differential equations for the electromagnetic and plasma modes are first formulated. They are then converted to ordinary differential equations by means of the Fourier transformation. The fields outside the plasma column are composed of a surface wave part contributed by the poles on the path of integration and a radiated part arising from branch points. The far zone radiation field is evaluated by the method of steepest descent through a saddle point. The presence of the plasma column modifies the radiated electromagnetic field of the ring source, and the radiation pattern depends on the plasma parameters in a complicated way.
Development and Implementation of a Tool to Assess Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROM) in Preoperative Setting.

Traditional preoperative assessment tools use patients’ comorbidities to predict surgical outcomes, however, some functional, social and behavioral factors are known to predict surgical outcomes. Capturing functional, social and behavioral factors by incorporating patient reported measures (PROMs) into preoperative practice may be responsive to perioperative management and contribute to improved outcomes.
Solely Calcine Controlled Ferroelectricity and Resistivity of Barium Titanate Thin Films and Their Advanced Memory Applications

Thin films of barium titanate (BTO) are controllably grown to produce two different memory applications: ferroelectric Schottky diodes and resistive switching cells. The entire structure and fabrication of the two cells are identical, except for a slight adjustment to the calcination temperature for the BTO films. Films calcined at 800°C were ferroelectric and were used to create the ferroelectric Schottky diode. Conversely, films calcined at 700°C displayed resistive switching behavior and were used to create memristor cells. The ferroelectric Schottky diodes showed an ON/OFF ratio of over three orders of magnitude and the resistive switching cells showed an ON/OFF ratio of nearly two orders of magnitude, though both can likely be improved through electrode optimization. The identification of the critical process parameter shows that both memory cells can be fabricated on the same die with nearly identical processes, which would reduce process complexity for creating multiple advanced memories on a single die.
Comparative Evaluation of Conducted Common-Mode EMI in Voltage-Source and Current-Source Inverters using Wide-Bandgap Switches

Common-mode (CM) voltage and related conducted CM electromagnetic interference (EMI) can cause ground leakage current, motor bearing failures, and audio susceptibility issues in pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) voltage-source inverter (VSI) motor drive applications. When using wide-bandgap (WBG) devices to build motor drive inverters operating at higher switching frequencies, the problems caused by a VSI’s CM EMI become more serious. As an alternative, the current-source inverter (CSI) delivers more sinusoidal output voltage waveforms and its dc-link inductor helps to suppress the CM current, making it a promising topology that inherently reduces the motor drive’s CM EMI. The conducted EMI generation mechanisms of two-level VSIs and CSIs are evaluated, with detailed discussion of their conducted CM EMI voltage sources and resultant current paths. CM equivalent circuits of both inverters are derived, and the resulting CM EMI transfer functions are employed to assist fast CM EMI estimation and evaluation of means for its suppression. Additionally, the impact of WBG devices and alternative space- vector PWM (SVPWM) strategies on CM EMI are examined.
Neutrophils, NETs, and immunothrombosis.

In this issue of Blood, Yago et al1 describe the mechanism by which neutrophils adhere to activated endothelium and enhance murine venous thrombosis through formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).
Impaired voice processing in reward and salience circuits predicts social communication in children with autism.

Engaging with vocal sounds is critical for children's social-emotional learning, and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often 'tune out' voices in their environment. Little is known regarding the neurobiological basis of voice processing and its link to social impairments in ASD. Here, we perform the first comprehensive brain network analysis of voice processing in children with ASD. We examined neural responses elicited by unfamiliar voices and mother's voice, a biologically salient voice for social learning, and identified a striking relationship between social communication abilities in children with ASD and activation in key structures of reward and salience processing regions. Functional connectivity between voice-selective and reward regions during voice processing predicted social communication in children with ASD and distinguished them from typically developing children. Results support the Social Motivation Theory of ASD by showing reward system deficits associated with the processing of a critical social stimulus, mother's voice, in children with ASD. Editorial note This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that minor issues remain unresolved (see decision letter).
The namthar in Khalkha Dzaya Paṇḍita Lobsang Trinle (1642–1715)'s Clear Mirror

The Clear Mirror: A Records of Teachings received (Thob yig gsal ba’i me long) was written by Dzaya Paṇḍita Lobsang Trinle (Dza ya Paṇḍita Blo bzang ’phrin las, 1642–1715) between 1698 and 1702. It...
Comparison of Temperature-Phased, Two Phase and Single Stage Anaerobic Codigestion of Municipal Solid Waste and Primary Wastewater Solids

The objective of this research was to evaluate the application of the temperature-phased process for the codigestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and primary wastewater solids (PS) and to compare the process performance with both two phase and single stage anaerobic digestion. The temperature-phased (TP) and two phase (2P) processes both consisted of a thermophilic reactor operated at 55 C followed by a mesophilic reactor operated at 35 C. The pH of the thermophilic stage of the 2P system was controlled at 5.6, while the thermophilic stage of the TP system was operated at a neutral pH range. The single stage system (SS) was a single reactor operated at 35 C. Performance of temperature-phased, two phase and single stage processes were evaluated on the basis of system operational parameters, including chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile solids (VS) destruction, methane production, and volatile fatty acid production. The temperature-phased system outperformed both systems at all conditions. The superior performance of the temperature-phased system was most evident at higher OFMSW fractions.
Revisiting the brown-utility heuristic: a comparison of Latino linked fate in 2006 and 2016

In one of the first quantitative articles published on Latino linked fate, Sanchez and Masuoka (2010) found that immigrants and those with lower incomes are those with the strongest levels of linke...
Ricercare la politica. Oggi

Review article of Stefano Portelli, La citta orizzontale: Etnografia di un quartiere ribelle di Barcellona, Napoli, Monitor, 2017, pp. 317; Pietro Saitta, Prendere le case: Fantasmi del sindacalismo di una citta ribelle, Verona, Ombre Corte, 2018, pp. 205.
Commercial Real Estate as an Asset Class

We survey the properties of commercial real estate (CRE) as an asset class. We first illustrate its importance relative to the US economy and to other asset classes. We then discuss CRE ownership p...
pH-dependent RNA isolation from cells encapsulated in chitosan-based biomaterials

Chitosan has emerged as a useful biomaterial employed in tissue engineering and drug delivery applications due to its tunable and interesting properties. However, chitosan is protonated at biological pH and thus carries positive charges, which renders chitosan incompatible with conventional methods of RNA extraction. RNA extraction is an important step in investigating cell responses and behavior through studying their gene expression transcriptional profiles. While some researchers have tried different techniques to improve the yield and purity of RNA extracted from cells encapsulated in chitosan-based biomaterials, no single study has investigated the effects of manipulating pH of the homogenate during RNA extraction on the yield and quality of total RNA. This study confirms the release and binding of RNA from chitosan to be pH dependent while analyzing the impact of pH changes during the tissue disruption and homogenization step of extraction on the resulting yield and quality of isolated RNA. This concept was applied to three commonly used methods of RNA extraction, using adult neural stem/progenitor cells (aNSPCs) encapsulated within methacrylamide chitosan (MAC) as a model chitosan-based bioscaffold. High pH conditions resulted in high yields with good quality using both TRIzol and CTAB. pH of the homogenate did not affect RNeasy spin columns, which worked best in neutral conditions with good quality, however, the overall yield was low. Results in total show that pH affected RNA interaction with a chitosan-based bioscaffold, and thus altered the concentration, purity, and integrity of isolated RNA, dependent on the method used.
Delta Temporalities: Choked and Tangled Futures in the Sundarbans

This paper offers an ethnographic engagement with the present and futures of Bangladesh’s southwest delta. The southwest – which houses the Sundarbans, the world’s largest remaining mangrove forest...
The Socio-Economics of Roman Storage: Agriculture, Trade, and Family

In a pre-industrial world, storage could make or break farmers and empires alike. How did it shape the Roman empire? The Socio-Economics of Roman Storage cuts across the scales of farmer and state to trace the practical and moral reverberations of storage from villas in Italy to silos in Gaul, and from houses in Pompeii to warehouses in Ostia. Following on from the material turn, an abstract notion of 'surplus' makes way for an emphasis on storage's material transformations (e.g. wine fermenting; grain degrading; assemblages forming), which actively shuffle social relations and economic possibilities, and are a sensitive indicator of changing mentalities. This archaeological study tackles key topics, including the moral resonance of agricultural storage; storage as both a shared and a contested concern during and after conquest; the geography of knowledge in domestic settings; the supply of the metropolis of Rome; and the question of how empires scale up. It will be of interest to scholars and students of Roman archaeology and history, as well as anthropologists who study the links between the scales of farmer and state.
Probing a relevance-driven account of the functional matching process for utilitarian and value-expressive attitudes

Messages that “match” a target’s underlying attitude function(s) tend to produce stronger attitude modification than messages that do not. The biased processing account suggests that functional mat...
Teaching robots to perform quasi-repetitive construction tasks through human demonstration

Abstract Robots can assist workers in performing physically-demanding construction tasks, which are typically quasi-repetitive, wherein the geometry of the workspace is dissimilar despite similar tasks. As a result, robots must determine motion trajectories based on the encountered workspace geometry. Learning from Demonstration (LfD) methods have the potential to be used in teaching robots specific tasks through human demonstration, such that robots can then perform learned tasks under different conditions. In this paper, the LfD method is investigated to teach robots how to perform quasi-repetitive construction tasks. Considering ceiling tile installation as the experimental process, the tasks of maneuvering and positioning tiles in a ceiling grid are defined as the target knowledge to be learned. Using a set of human demonstration videos, the designed approach first translates the physical work context, e.g., the pose of the tile, to the target digital twin, i.e., the workspace as-perceived by the robot. The Reinforcement Learning method is then applied to generate the control policy for the robot to perform the subsequent tasks. The proposed method is evaluated in the Robot Operating System (ROS) Gazebo simulator using a KUKA mobile industrial robotic arm emulator and 60 different scenes as test cases. The results show a 78% success rate in installing ceiling tiles based on 3000 virtual and 85 real demonstration videos. The success rate tends to continually rise with an increase in the number of real demonstration videos, confirming the promise and applicability of the LfD method in teaching robot apprentices to perform quasi-repetitive tasks on construction sites.
Carceral protectionism and the perpetually (in)vulnerable

The United States relies on carceralism—mass incarceration and institutionalization, surveillance and control—for its continued operation. The criminalization of difference, particularly in relatio...
The Indirect Effects of Thinspiration and Fitspiration Images on Young Women’s Sexual Attitudes:

Applying the sociocultural theory and the objectification theory, this experiment examined the indirect effects of inspirational Instagram images (i.e., fitspiration and thinspiration) on young wom...
The Origins of Social Knowledge in Altricial Species

Human infants are altricial, born relatively helpless and dependent on parental care for an extended period of time. This protracted time to maturity is typically regarded as a necessary epiphenome...
COVID-19 Devastation of African American Families: Impact on Mental Health and the Consequence of Systemic Racism

African Americans are bearing a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 pandemic. To our knowledge, no previous study has delineated inequities potentially incentivized by systemic racism, and whether synergistic effects impose an abnormally high burden of social determinants of mental health on African American families in the era of COVID-19 pandemic. We applied the social ecological model (SEM) to portray inequities induced by systemic racism that impact the mental health of African American families. In our model, we identified systemic racism to be the primary operator of mental health disparity, which disproportionately affects African American families at all levels of the SEM. Programs tailored towards reducing the disproportionate detrimental effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of African Americans need to be culturally appropriate and consider the nuances of systemic racism, discrimination, and other institutionalized biases.
'The Invention, The Patent, and The Claim' in Patent Law: An Open-Access Casebook

This is a draft chapter, "The Invention, The Patent, and The Claim," from the forthcoming book, Patent Law: An Open-Access Casebook. In this chapter, we introduce students to different ways in which the contribution that an inventor has made to the art relates to the claims that grant her some legal rights, as mediated by the patent document. We begin with The Incandescent Lamp Patent Case, which we use to illustrate the nature of the inventive process. We then show how the role of the claim has changed over time, from Winans v. Denmead to Merrill v. Yeomans to Liebel-Flarsheim v. Medrad. That history demonstrates the range of possible roles that claims might play, and serves as a basis for class discussions arising from the still unsettled relationship between the invention, the patent, and the claim.
Low energy experiments on π-π scattering

General interest in a precise determination of the threshold π-π amplitudes has recently increased markedly due to a controversy regarding the size of \(\left\langle {0\left| {\bar qq} \right|0} \right\rangle \), the scalar quark condensate. This paper examines the current experimental information on the π-π scattering lengths, in particular the recent low energy πN → ππN data from several laboratories and the related application of the Chew-Low-Goebel technique well below 1 GeV/c momentum. It appears that uncertainties related to the treatment of non-pion-exchange backgrounds in these studies do not yet allow an unambiguous resolution of the \(\left\langle {0\left| {\bar qq} \right|0} \right\rangle \) size. However, near-term prospects for new model-independent results of improved precision are very good.
Management of syringomyelia associated with tuberculous meningitis: A case report and systematic review of the literature.

Abstract Determinants of tuberculosis (TB) syringomyelia, its management options and outcomes are still under investigation. The aim of this study is to present a case of TB syringomyelia with markedly improved symptoms status-post surgery and to understand the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 33 TB syringomyelia cases reported in the literature. Specifically, we examined the differences between patients who were managed medically and those who underwent surgical intervention. Inclusion criteria for the cases were (1) syringomyelia caused by TB infection rather than co-occurrence of these conditions, (2) management protocol described, and (3) post-treatment outcome described. The median age was 30 years (interquartile range (IQR): 23–40) with 55% males. The median time between TB onset to syringomyelia diagnosis was 2 years. Nineteen patients were surgically treated, 11 were medically treated, and 3 received no treatment. Twenty-one patients showed improvement in at least one prior symptom, but no patient experienced a full recovery. Those that underwent surgical intervention were more likely to have TB meningitis (95% vs. 64%, p
Early Operative Versus Delayed Operative Versus Nonoperative Treatment of Pediatric and Adolescent Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background:Treatment options for pediatric and adolescent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries include early operative, delayed operative, and nonoperative management. Currently, there is a la...
A hidden Markov model for the estimation of correlated queues in probe vehicle environments

Abstract Queue length estimation is critical for traffic signal control and performance measures. With the development of connected vehicle technologies and the popularization of ride-hailing services, probe vehicle data are now being collected on a large scale. Some studies have shown that queue lengths can be estimated using only probe vehicle data. The relevant literature usually assumes the queue lengths in different traffic signal cycles are independent and identically distributed or treats the queues independently. However, in the real world, the queue lengths in different cycles might be correlated. For instance, when there exists an overflow queue, the queue length in the following cycle is correlated with the queue length in the previous cycle. In fact, the correlation of different cycles can provide additional information and thus improve the queue length estimation accuracy. In this paper, we model such queueing processes in probe vehicle environments using a hidden Markov model (HMM), where the queue length in each cycle is a hidden state, and the observed pattern of probe vehicles is an observation. Based on the HMM, we propose two novel cycle-by-cycle queue length estimation methods. In the case where the parameters of the HMM are unknown, we also provide an algorithm that can estimate the parameters from historical probe vehicle data. Validation results show that the proposed cycle-by-cycle queue length estimation methods outperform the existing methods, and the parameter learning algorithm can estimate the parameters adequately.
Cellular stress signaling activates type-I IFN response through FOXO3-regulated lamin posttranslational modification

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) persist over the lifespan while encountering constant challenges from age or injury related brain environmental changes like elevated oxidative stress. But how oxidative stress regulates NSPC and its neurogenic differentiation is less clear. Here we report that acutely elevated cellular oxidative stress in NSPCs modulates neurogenic differentiation through induction of Forkhead box protein O3 (FOXO3)-mediated cGAS/STING and type I interferon (IFN-I) responses. We show that oxidative stress activates FOXO3 and its transcriptional target glycine-N-methyltransferase (GNMT) whose upregulation triggers depletion of s-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a key co-substrate involved in methyl group transfer reactions. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that reduced intracellular SAM availability disrupts carboxymethylation and maturation of nuclear lamin, which induce cytosolic release of chromatin fragments and subsequent activation of the cGAS/STING-IFN-I cascade to suppress neurogenic differentiation. Together, our findings suggest the FOXO3-GNMT/SAM-lamin-cGAS/STING-IFN-I signaling cascade as a critical stress response program that regulates long-term regenerative potential.
Single Pass Tangential Flow Filtration (SPTFF) of monoclonal antibodies: Experimental studies and theoretical analysis

Abstract Single Pass Tangential Flow Filtration (SPTFF) enables continuous ultrafiltration and diafiltration for inline concentration and buffer exchange in downstream bioprocessing of monoclonal antibody (mAb) products. However, the high conversion in SPTFF modules leads to large variations in local flow rate, protein concentration, and transmembrane pressure drop, significantly complicating the design of effective SPTFF modules/processes. In this study, a recent concentration polarization model for the filtrate flux in protein ultrafiltration that accounts for protein-protein interactions has been extended to the analysis of SPTFF, specifically including the effects of the mAb and membrane properties as well as the long path-length. Model calculations are in good agreement with experimental data for the filtrate flux and pressure drop in two commercial SPTFF systems with very different module geometries. The model was then used to analyze the design of SPTFF processes for inline mAb concentration, providing additional insights into the underlying physical phenomena governing the performance and optimization of SPTFF modules for bioprocessing.
Correlation between complexity and mechanical recovery of metallic nanoarchitecture structures

We investigated the effect of complexity on the mechanical behavior and recovery of metallic nanoarchitecture structures. We studied four different suggested geometries with various levels of complexity using molecular dynamics simulations. The structures exhibited multiple degrees of self-recovery under compressive loading conditions at three temperatures, 300 K, 400 K, and 500 K. A methodology to qualitatively measure the geometric complexity was used. The results revealed correlations between the complexity of the structures and their recovery ability and strength, and the geometric cell size and temperature. These findings can guide the design of novel nanoarchitecture geometries for specific applications with tailored properties.
The F1 ledge: density, height and slope

Diurnal variations of the F1 region ionization at 170 km altitude and the slope ?170 = dN/dh at this height are analyzed for mid-latitude and equatorial stations: Millstone Hill, Ramey, Puerto Madryn and Jicamarca. Both the density N(t) and the slope ?(t)at 170 km show well defined diurnal variations with day-to-day variabilities of less than 10%. The heights of the F1 ledge, hmF1, are spread over ± 20 km and are therefore of limited value for modeling purposes.
Surveying Lactation Professionals Regarding Marijuana Use and Breastfeeding

Abstract Background: Breastfeeding is associated with substantial benefits for both the child and mother. Most guidelines state that women who use illicit drugs should not breastfeed. Although this recommendation has traditionally included marijuana, this drug's changing legal status and the limited scientific research regarding marijuana's effect on breastfeeding and the nursing child may lead to varying recommendations made by lactation professionals to clients who use marijuana. Additionally, to our knowledge, there are no data estimating the prevalence of marijuana use among breastfeeding women, making it unclear how common it is. This study assessed recommendations around breastfeeding and marijuana use and estimated the prevalence of marijuana use among breastfeeding women. Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of lactation professionals who practice throughout New England and were attending the 2014 Vermont Lactation Consultant Association conference was offered the opportunity to complete a ...
Ranking database queries with user feedback: a neural network approach

Currently, websites on the Internet serving structured data allow users to perform search based on simple equality or range constraints on data attributes. However, to begin with, users may not know what is desirable to them precisely, to be able to express it accurately in terms of primitive equality or range constraints. Additionally, in most websites, the results provided to users can be sorted with respect to values of any one particular attribute at a time. For the user, this is like searching for a needle in a haystack because the user's notion of interesting objects is generally a function of multiple attributes. In this paper, we develop an approach to (i) support a family of functions involving multiple attributes to rank the tuples, and (ii) improve the ranking of results returned to the user by incorporating user feedback (to learn user's notion of interestingness) with the help of a neural network. The user feedback driven approach is effective in modeling a user's intuitive sense of desirability of a tuple, a notion that is otherwise near impossible to quantify mathematically. To prove the effectiveness of our approach, we have built a middleware for an application domain that implements and evaluates these ideas.
Femtosecond Coherent Spectroscopy at 800nm: MI-FROG Measures High-Field Ionization Rates in Gases

We report the first quantitative phase-sensitive measurement of ultrafast ionization rates in gases. Ultrafast probe depletion via frequency mixing in the ionization front is observed.
Thin film atomic hydrogen detectors

Thin film and bead thermistor atomic surface recombination hydrogen detectors were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Devices were constructed on a thin Mylar film substrate. Using suitable Wheatstone bridge techniques sensitivities of 80 microvolts/2x10 to the 13th power atoms/sec are attainable with response time constants on the order of 5 seconds.
Resonant Collision Broadening of the ( 6 s 2 6 p 7 s ) P 1 3 ∘ State in Lead

Orientation and alignment depolarization cross sections have been measured for the $(6{s}^{2}6p7s){^{3}P_{1}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ excited state of lead. The cross sections are characteristic of resonance collision broadening; ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{al}}=7.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ for ${v}_{\mathrm{rel}}=5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{4}$ cm/sec. The ratio of orientation broadening to alignment broadening was found to be $\frac{{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}}{{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{2}}=1.21(5)$. Expressions are derived for the signal shapes in Hanle-effect, optical-double-resonance, and light-beat experiments that show which components of the signals depend on orientation and alignment relaxation times, respectively.
Anticipating Credit Events Using Credit Default Swaps: An Application to Sovereign Debt Crises

In reduced-form pricing models, it is usual to assume a fixed recovery rate to obtain the probability of default from credit default swap prices. An alternative credit risk measure is proposed here: the maximum recovery rate compatible with observed prices. The analysis of the recent debt crisis in Argentina using this methodology shows that the correlation between the maximum recovery rate and implied default probabilities turns negative in advance of the credit event realization. This empirical finding suggests that the maximum recovery rate can be used for constructing early warning indicators of financial distress.
Consumer mending and online retailer fit-uncertainty mitigating strategies

This study examines how online retailers operating in consumer markets characterized by consumer fit uncertainty such as apparel and accessories can mitigate such uncertainty through effective designs of return policies. We find that when consumers have the option to self-mend a product to assure a proper fit, an online retailer can devise its return policy to encourage or suppress consumer mending as a fit-uncertainty mitigating mechanism. First, our analysis shows that an online retailer benefits from easing the return policy and lowering the consumer return cost if the value of a good fit product is low, but benefits from tightening the return policy and maintaining a reasonable return cost for consumers if the value of a good fit product is high. Second, we find that in the parameter region where the value of a good fit product is high but not too high, a tightened return policy leads to a greater consumer surplus in addition to an increased retailer profit, suggesting a win-win situation and improved social efficiency. And even beyond this win-win region, the social welfare may still increase with tightened return policy when the gains in retailer profit or consumer surplus exceeds the loss of the other party. Finally, we show that when the value of a good fit product is sufficiently high, the capability of manipulating consumer mending as a fit-uncertainty mitigating mechanism allows a pure online retailer to earn a greater profit than a dual channel retailer that sells the product through both the online and the offline channels. Our theoretical insights provide explanations to many interesting practices in the online retailing industry.
Thermal stability of active/inactive nanocomposite anodes based on Cu2Sb in lithium-ion batteries

Abstract Various active/inactive nanocomposites of Cu 2 Sb–Al 2 O 3 @C, Cu 2 Sb–TiC, and Cu 2 Sb–TiC@C have been synthesized by high energy mechanical milling and investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine the lithiated phase stability and heat generation arising from these electrodes. The milling process reduces the Li 3 Sb phase stability, relative to the un-milled samples, to below ∼200 °C. However, the incorporation of the reinforcing, inactive phases Al 2 O 3 , TiC, and carbon black offer a slight improvement. DSC curves also show that the low-temperature heat generation in the SEI-layer reaction range is not noticeably altered by either the milling process or the addition of the inactive phases. A strong exothermic peak is observed at ∼200 °C for the 0% state of charge electrodes of Cu 2 Sb–Al 2 O 3 @C and Cu 2 Sb–TiC@C that was caused by the incorporation of carbon black into the composite. This peak was not present in the electrodes of milled Cu 2 Sb or Cu 2 Sb–TiC, suggesting that efforts to extend the cycle life of alloy anodes should avoid carbon black due to its destabilizing effects on delithiated electrodes. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicates that the reaction arising from the incorporation of carbon black is tied to a low-temperature breakdown of the lithium salt LiPF 6 .
Neosporosis—the first decade of research

This paper reviews the history of Neospora caninum for the past decade, and provides a prospective for research for the next decade.
The globulin seed storage proteins of flowering plants are derived from two ancestral genes

The cDNA and/or genomic DNA sequences of 13 globulin storage proteins from flowering plants (angiosperms) are now known. They represent 8 genera, 5 families and 5 orders of plants and include one monocotyledonous species. Here, the coding nucleotide and amino acid sequences of these proteins are compared by dot matrix analysis and gross protein domains visualized by hydropathy analyses. The vestigial homologies visualized by these means indicate that all of the globulin storage proteins of flowering plants have emanated from 2 genes that existed at the beginning of angiosperm evolution.A curious polypeptide domain of 150-200 amino acids located near the N terminus is found in a globulin subgroup of 2 genera widely separated phylogenetically. The domain appears to have resulted from an ancient insertion that has been deleted in most of its descendant genes.
High frequency approximations to the physical optics scattering integral

Discusses two high frequency (HF) approximations to the physical optics (PO) scattering integral for the far field radar backscatter from a general curved edged reflecting surface viewed at arbitary aspect. The PO scattering integral is first approximated as the sum of a specular effect and an edge effect, where the latter is represented explicitly as a certain line integral evaluated over the boundary edge of the reflector. A closed form result is then obtained by applying the method of stationary phase to the line integral. With the exception of singularities that can occur at caustics, or when the specular point falls on the boundary edge, these HF approximations are found to work reasonably well for smooth surfaces whose Gaussian curvatures have constant sign (positive or negative, but never zero). >
Modeling droplet dispersion and interphase turbulent kinetic energy transfer using a new dual-timescale Langevin model

Abstract Dispersion of spray droplets and the modulation of turbulence in the ambient gas by the dispersing droplets are two coupled phenomena that are closely linked to the evolution of global spray characteristics, such as the spreading rate of the spray and the spray cone angle. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent gas flows laden with sub-Kolmogorov size particles, in the absence of gravity, report that dispersion statistics and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) evolve on different timescales. Furthermore, each timescale behaves differently with Stokes number, a non-dimensional flow parameter (defined in this context as the ratio of the particle response time to the Kolmogorov timescale of turbulence) that characterizes how quickly a particle responds to turbulent fluctuations in the carrier or gas phase. A new dual-timescale Langevin model (DLM) composed of two coupled Langevin equations for the fluctuating velocities, one for each phase, is proposed. This model possesses a unique feature that the implied TKE and velocity autocorrelation in each phase evolve on different timescales. Consequently, this model has the capability of simultaneously predicting the disparate Stokes number trends in the evolution of dispersion statistics, such as velocity autocorrelations, and TKE in each phase. Predictions of dispersion statistics and TKE from the new model show good agreement with published DNS of non-evaporating and evaporating droplet-laden turbulent flow.
Role of the low-affinity binding site in electron transfer from cytochrome C to cytochrome C peroxidase.

The interaction of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c (yCc) with the high- and low-affinity binding sites on cytochrome c peroxidase compound I (CMPI) was studied by stopped-flow spectroscopy. When 3 microM reduced yCc(II) was mixed with 0.5 microM CMPI at 10 mM ionic strength, the Trp-191 radical cation was reduced from the high-affinity site with an apparent rate constant >3000 s(-1), followed by slow reduction of the oxyferryl heme with a rate constant of only 10 s(-1). In contrast, mixing 3 microM reduced yCc(II) with 0.5 microM preformed CMPI *yCc(III) complex led to reduction of the radical cation with a rate constant of 10 s(-1), followed by reduction of the oxyferryl heme in compound II with the same rate constant. The rate constants for reduction of the radical cation and the oxyferryl heme both increased with increasing concentrations of yCc(II) and remained equal to each other. These results are consistent with a mechanism in which both the Trp-191 radical cation and the oxyferryl heme are reduced by yCc(II) in the high-affinity binding site, and the reaction is rate-limited by product dissociation of yCc(III) from the high-affinity site with apparent rate constant k(d). Binding yCc(II) to the low-affinity site is proposed to increase the rate constant for dissociation of yCc(III) from the high-affinity site in a substrate-assisted product dissociation mechanism. The value of k(d) is 2000 s(-1) for the 2:1 complex at 10 mM ionic strength. The reaction of horse Cc(II) with CMPI was greatly inhibited by binding 1 equiv of yCc(III) to the high-affinity site, providing evidence that reduction of the oxyferryl heme involves electron transfer from the high-affinity binding site rather than the low-affinity site. The effects of CcP surface mutations on the dissociation rate constant indicate that the high-affinity binding site used for the reaction in solution is the same as the one identified in the yCc*CcP crystal structure.
Assessment of 3D Codes for Predicting Liner Attenuation in Flow Ducts

This paper presents comparisons of seven propagation codes for predicting liner attenuation in ducts with flow. The selected codes span the spectrum of methods available (finite element, parabolic approximation, and pseudo-time domain) and are collectively representative of the state-of-art in the liner industry. These codes are included because they have two-dimensional and three-dimensional versions and can be exported to NASA's Columbia Supercomputer. The basic assumptions, governing differential equations, boundary conditions, and numerical methods underlying each code are briefly reviewed and an assessment is performed based on two predefined metrics. The two metrics used in the assessment are the accuracy of the predicted attenuation and the amount of wall clock time to predict the attenuation. The assessment is performed over a range of frequencies, mean flow rates, and grazing flow liner impedances commonly used in the liner industry. The primary conclusions of the study are (1) predicted attenuations are in good agreement for rigid wall ducts, (2) the majority of codes compare well to each other and to approximate results from mode theory for soft wall ducts, (3) most codes compare well to measured data on a statistical basis, (4) only the finite element codes with cubic Hermite polynomials capture extremely large attenuations, and (5) wall clock time increases by an order of magnitude or more are observed for a three-dimensional code relative to the corresponding two-dimensional version of the same code.
Fibrosin: a novel lymphokine in wound healing.

Abstract Several growth factors are actively synthesized during wound repair and function to stimulate different cell types involved in the process of healing. Fibrosin is a novel fibrogenic lymphokine that stimulates several biological activities that relate to in vivo scarring. To investigate the role of fibrosin, we used “punch biopsy” and linear wounding procedures in a murine model of wound healing. Histological examination showed that recombinant fibrosin stimulated epithelialization of wounds and accelerated healing of both punch biopsy and linear wounds. Fibrosin enhanced healing of linear wounds by reducing the time for healing by approximately 30–40%. From our data we estimated the healing time of control wounds to be 22–24 days; wounds treated with fibrosin appeared to heal in 14–16 days. Our observations suggest that fibrosin enhances wound healing and may be involved in accelerating epithelialization, collagen matrix formation, and also remodeling of the extracellular matrix in vivo . Thus fibrosin may function during different phases of wound healing and act as a potent inducer of scar formation and wound healing. This finding may have direct clinical applications.
Full length article: Topological properties of reflectionless Jacobi matrices

Abstract We study the topological properties of spaces of reflectionless Jacobi matrices.
An effect of diet on homovanillic acid excretion.

Reine Glukose-Diat fuhrt zur Abnahme der Ausscheidung von Homovanillinsaure im Rattenharn. Die Abnahme trat auch dann ein, wenn keinerlei praformierte Homovanillinsaure im Rattenfutter nachgewiesen werden konnte.
Barriers and Opportunities A Community-Based Participatory Research Study of Health Beliefs Related to Diabetes in a US Marshallese Community

PurposeThis study investigates the beliefs and perceptions related to type 2 diabetes that influence diabetes self-management behaviors for Marshallese in the United States. Using the health belief...