cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clemson Engineering Design—Applications and Research (CEDAR) Group—Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

In this chapter, the authors summarize many years of design research at Clemson University and the subsequent impact on industrial practice, particularly in the evolution and transition of disparate ideas into cohesive concepts that were eventually transitioned to industry. In design research, a broad area of endeavor, design theories take the longest to develop and are the slowest to transition to industry. However, the development of methods, practices, and their applications to industrial problems are much quicker to transfer, since industry professionals see the immediate potential benefits or shortcomings of the methods and issues of interest to them. Finally, the training of students at all levels in design practice certainly affects industry as many assume positions in, and affect the practices of their companies.
Form and Function in the Evolution of Grammar

This article focuses on claims about the origin and evolution of language from the point of view of the formalist-functionalist debate in linguistics. In linguistics, an account of a grammatical phenomenon is considered "formal" if it accords center stage to the structural properties of that phenomenon, and "functional" if it appeals to the language user's communicative needs or to domain-general human capacities. The gulf between formalism and functionalism has been bridged in language evolution research, in that some leading formalists, Ray Jackendoff for one, appeal to functional mechanisms such as natural selection. In Jackendoff's view, the biological evolution of language has proceeded in stages, each stage improving communicative efficiency. This article calls into question that idea, pointing to the fact that well-understood purely historical processes suffice to explain the emergence of many grammatical properties. However, one central aspect of formalist linguistic theorizing-the idea of the autonomy of syntax-poses a challenge to the idea, central to most functionalist approaches, that the nature of grammar is a product of purely historical (as opposed to biological) evolution. The article concludes with a discussion of the origins of the autonomy of syntax, speculating that it may well have arisen over evolutionary (as opposed to historical) time.
Efficacy of a Required Preoperative Weight Loss Program for Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery.

The efficacy of mandatory medically supervised preoperative weight loss (MPWL) prior to bariatric surgery continues to be a controversial topic. The purpose of this observational study was to assess the efficacy of a MPWL program in a single institution, which mandated at least 10 % excess body weight loss before surgery, by comparing outcomes of patients undergoing primary bariatric surgery with and without a compulsory preoperative weight loss regimen. We analyzed our database of 757 patients who underwent primary bariatric surgery between March 2008 and January 2015. Patients were placed into two cohorts based on their participation in a MPWL program requiring at least 10 % excess weight loss (EWL) prior to surgery. Patients were evaluated at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery for weight loss, comorbidity resolution, and the occurrences of hospital readmissions. A total of 717 patients met the inclusion criteria of whom 465 underwent surgery without a preoperative weight loss requirement and 252 participated in the MPWL program. One year after surgery, 67.1 % of non-participants and 62.5 % of MPWL participants showed a resolution of at least one of five associated comorbidities (p = 0.45). Non-participants showed an average of 58.6 % EWL, while MPWL participants showed 59.1 % EWL at 1 year postoperatively (p = 0.84). Readmission rates, excluding those which were ulcer-related, at 30 days (3.4 vs. 6.40 %, p = 0.11) and 90 days (9.9 vs. 7.5 %, p = 0.29) postoperatively were not significantly different between the non-participants and MPWL patients, respectively. A mandatory preoperative weight loss program prior to bariatric surgery did not result in significantly greater %EWL or comorbidity resolution 1 year after surgery compared to patients not required to lose weight preoperatively. Additionally, the program did not result in significantly lower 30- or 90-day readmission rates for these patients. The value of a MPWL program must be weighed against the potential loss of bariatric surgery candidates. Patients who fail to lose 10 % excess weight preoperatively are thus ineligible for a procedure from which they would otherwise benefit. Our data suggest these patients will have similar positive outcomes.
The location of the citation: changing practices in how publications cite original data in the Dryad Digital Repository

While stakeholders in scholarly communication generally agree on the importance of data citation, there is not consensus on where those citations should be placed within the publication – particularly when the publication is citing original data. Recently, CrossRef and the Digital Curation Center (DCC) have recommended as a best practice that original data citations appear in the works cited sections of the article. In some fields, such as the life sciences, this contrasts with the common practice of only listing data identifier(s) within the article body (intratextually). We inquired whether data citation practice has been changing in light of the guidance from CrossRef and the DCC. We examined data citation practices from 2011 to 2014 in a corpus of 1,125 articles associated with original data in the Dryad Digital Repository. The percentage of articles that include no reference to the original data has declined each year, from 31% in 2011 to 15% in 2014. The percentage of articles that include data identifiers intratextually has grown from 69% to 83%, while the percentage that cite data in the works cited section has grown from 5% to 8%. If the proportions continue to grow at the current rate of 19-20% annually, the proportion of articles with data citations in the works cited section will not exceed 90% until 2030.
Noncontingent Reinforcement to Improve Classroom Behavior of a Student With Developmental Disability

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a noncontingent reinforcement intervention package implemented by an interning teacher in a special education classroom to address disruptive behavior and task engagement for a third-grade, 8-year-old boy with developmental disability. Using a within-subject reversal design (A-B-A-B), a teacher interning in Max's classroom delivered 3-min breaks (i.e., escape) from classroom tasks on a fixed-time 2-min interval schedule for five daily sessions during the first intervention phase and for five daily sessions during the reimplementation phase; breaks were not contingent on his behavior. The intervention package also included a reinforcement menu for the student to select daily from escape activities (i.e., preferred activities including swinging and taking a walk) and a picture prompt to provide a continuous, visual reminder of the upcoming reinforcer. Results indicated increases in task engagement and decreases in disruptive behavior during phases when the intervention was applied. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Etiologic mastitis agents of high somatic cell count dairy herds in Tennessee

The objective of the study was to determine etiologic agent(s) of intramammary infections (IMI) in high somatic cell count (SCC) dairies in Tennessee. This was a prospective study utilizing 2,444 dairy cows from 20 high SCC dairy herds. Composite milk samples were aseptically collected from lactating cows in 20 dairy herds with a rolling herd average SCC >400,000 cells/mL. Milk samples were cultured and mastitis pathogens identified following procedures recommended by the National Mastitis Council. The average herd percentage (average of the 20 herd averages) of culture-negative cows was 49%. The average herd percentages of positive-culture cows were 28% for coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), 15% for Staphylococcus aureus, 10% for environmental streptococci (ES), and ?2% for gram-negative organisms. Among cows with individual SCC >1 million cells/mL, 30% of cultures yielded Staph. aureus, 23% CNS, 26% no growth, 26% ES, and 5% gram-negative organisms. Among cows with individual SCC >400,000 cells/mL, cultures yielded 26% CNS, 30% no growth, 28% Staph. aureus, 21% ES, and 4% gram-negative organisms. Staph. aureus was the most common major pathogen, or equally common major pathogen, in 75% of high SCC herds. Environmental streptococci were the most common major pathogen, or equally common major pathogen, in 45% of high SCC herds. Staph. aureus is the major pathogen, followed by ES, among Tennessee dairy herds with high SCC. Coagulase-negative staphylococci are common, but their significance needs to be determined. Gram-negative organisms do not appear to be significant pathogens of Tennessee dairy herds with persistently high SCC.
Prospection d'uranium en Mongolie : découverte majeure dans le désert de Gobi

Les efforts de prospection de cette derniere decennie ont permis de decouvrir deux gisements en Mongolie, dans le bassin de Sainshand dans le desert de Gobi : Dulaan Uul et Zoovch Ovoo. C'est une nouvelle approche de prospection qui a permis de localiser plus de 60 000 tonnes d'uranium et d'ouvrir d'autres perspectives de decouvertes.La technologie ISR (recuperation in situ) a ete deployee avec succes pendant six mois sur le gisement de Dulaan Uul. D'autres essais sont prevus pour evaluer les possibilites d'extraction du minerai de Zoovch Ovoo. Les travaux se poursuivent et pourraient mener a une production des 2020, avec une capacite de rendement qui placerait la Mongolie parmi les premiers grands producteurs d'uranium dans le monde.
Effects of polyvalent cations on stimulus-coupled secretion of (14C)-gamma-aminobutyric acid from isolated brain synaptosomes.

The alkaline earths Ca++, Sr++, and Ba++ stimulated the secretion of [14C]γ-aminobutyric acid from isolated brain synaptosomes at various K+ and veratridine concentrations. K+ and veratridine produced different orderings of alkaline earth secretion-stimulation efficacy. In addition, La+++ stimulated release in the presence of either K+ or veratridine. Ca++ concentrations above physiological levels inhibited secretion in the presence of moderately elevated K+ concentrations, but not in Na+-free veratridine solutions. Tetrodotoxin inhibited Ca++-stimulated secretion only when veratridine was present. Mn++ inhibited secretion in the presence of either K+ or veratridine. These results agree well with comparable data from the neuromuscular junction and the adrenal medulla. Consideration of differential membrane permeability to divalent cations and differential interaction of the ions with intracellular binding sites provides a rationale for the relatives efficacies of the alkaline earths.
Comparative analysis of design flow and pressure calculation of sprinkler systems

The article uses characteristic coefficients+equivalent length method,characteristic coefficients+percentage method and estimation method to calculate the design flow and pressure in the same automatic sprinkler system respectively.The results show:the result calculated by the characteristic coefficients+equivalent length method is closest to the actual working condition;the result by characteristic coefficients+percentage method of calculation is slightly smaller than that by characteristic coefficients+equivalent length method;the result by estimation method is smallest and can not meet the design requirements.The characteristic coefficients+equivalent length method must be used for serious dangerous and warehouse risk grade places.The characteristic coefficients+percentage method are recommended at light or intermediate dangerous places.
Extraction procedures for oilseeds and related high fat-low moisture products

A combined sample preparation/extraction procedure is presented for pesticide residue analysis of oilseeds and related high fat-low moisture products. The procedure utilizes high-speed milling to prepare the sample and high-speed homogenization in the extraction step to achieve what is apparently quantitative isolation of both incurred residues and natural oils. A separate, simple, oil determination step allows findings to be reported on either the fat or whole product basis. Petroleum ether, ethyl ether-petroleum ether (1 + 1), and ethanol are used serially as the extractants. Usual fatty food cleanup procedures and multiresidue gas chromatographic detection techniques are utilized. The procedure presented in this paper is a refinement of earlier work which used a homogenizer both to grind and to extract samples of unground seeds and which demonstrated essentially complete extraction of endrin residues in soybeans and DDT residues in mustard seed. Identical samples analyzed by the currently recommended shakeout procedure, 29.012, gave recoveries of approximately 50% of the total residues. The procedure presented in this paper was satisfactorily tested on 13 different oilseed types and one sample of soda crackers. Oil content for these samples ranged from 5 to 69%.
Bone Marrow Microenvironment Niche Regulates miR-221/222 in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has many features in common with normal B-cell progenitors, including their ability to respond to diverse signals from the bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) resulting in regulation of cell-cycle progression and survival. Bone marrow–derived cues influence many elements of both steady state hematopoiesis and hematopoietic tumor cell phenotypes through modulation of gene expression. miRNAs are one regulatory class of small noncoding RNAs that have been shown to be increasingly important in diverse settings of malignancy. In the current study, miRNA profiles were globally altered in ALL cells following exposure to primary human bone marrow niche cells, including bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) and primary human osteoblasts (HOB). Specifically, mature miR-221 and miR-222 transcripts were decreased in ALL cells cocultured with BMSC or HOB, coincident with increased p27 (CDKN1B), a previously validated target. Increased p27 protein in ALL cells exposed to BMSC or HOB is consistent with accumulation of tumor cells in the G0 phase of the cell cycle and resistance to chemotherapy-induced death. Overexpression of miR-221 in ALL cells during BMSC or HOB coculture prompted cell-cycle progression and sensitization of ALL cells to cytotoxic agents, blunting the protective influence of the BMM. These novel observations indicate that BMM regulation of miR-221/222 contributes to marrow niche-supported tumor cell quiescence and survival of residual cells. Implications: Niche-influenced miR-221/222 may define a novel therapeutic target in ALL to be combined with existing cytotoxic agents to more effectively eradicate refractory disease that contributes to relapse. Mol Cancer Res; 14(10); 909–19. ©2016 AACR.
Data and Safety Monitoring

All clinical studies that involve risk should have a process for monitoring data and safety during the study. The method and frequency of monitoring will depend on the nature of the study. The reasons for monitoring are to maximize participant safety, ensure study integrity, and provide for timely dissemination of study results if the data warrant. Often, the study investigator, study sponsor and the institutional ethics review committee can conduct monitoring. Sometimes, however, an independent committee is needed, for example, for clinical trials that are multicenter, blinded, or involve vulnerable populations or harmful interventions. Data and safety monitoring has implications for tests of significance, requiring adjustments so that the type I error is not inappropriately increased. Data and safety monitoring can lead to several kinds of recommendations: to continue without change; to make changes to the protocol; to extend the study; or to stop the study early. Early stopping may occur because of greater than expected benefit, unanticipated serious harm, unlikelihood of arriving at a clear answer, or a judgment that the question being addressed is no longer important. Examples of data and safety monitoring are provided.
Marxism in Contemporary Sociology

Marxism has a presence in contemporary sociology in three principle forms: assimilating Marxism, usingMarxism, and building Marxism. The first of these is identified with the way Marxism is incorporated into mainstream sociology, the second with Marxist sociology, and the third with what might be called ‘sociological Marxism.’ The Marxist tradition of social theory as a whole is built around three theoretical clusters. (a) A theory of the trajectory and destiny of capitalism. (b) A theory of the contradictory reproduction of capitalism. (c) A normative theory of socialism and communism. Sociological Marxism is most firmly grounded in the second of these. It is built around three central theses. Thesis a The social reproduction of class relations thesis, which argues that class structures are inherently unstable forms of social relations and require active institutional arrangements for their reproduction. Thesis b The contradictions of capitalism thesis, which argues that the institutional solutions to the problems reproducing capitalist class relations have a systematic tendency to erode and become less functional over time. Thesis c The institutional crisis and renovation thesis, which argues that because of theses (a) and (b), the institutions of social reproduction in capitalist societies will tend to encounter crises and be periodically renovated.
The Golden Leash and the Fiduciary Duty of Loyalty

Activist hedge funds have begun experimenting with a novel practice in corporate governance: offering their candidates for the board of directors millions of dollars in bonus pay through a device known as a “golden leash.” Such arrangements, which are highly controversial, award directors for accomplishing activist objectives. An emerging body of work views the golden leash through the same polarized lens as activism itself: either the leash locks directors in to a self-serving, “short-termist” agenda, or it creates incentives for them to be better advocates for shareholders. This binary framing obscures some of the golden leash’s most promising qualities.Though associated with shareholder activists, the golden leash belongs to a larger class of well-established, mainstream legal structures that reduce agency costs and increase expertise at individual firms by, paradoxically, tying directors to multiple firms. These structures include corporate governance innovations in two other areas of the capital markets, the venture capital ecosystem and the practice of corporate directors sharing information with outside entities. Like the golden leash, both of these models create overlapping obligations for directors. Yet these arrangements are welcomed by scholars, courts, and firms on the grounds that they improve enterprise value and corporate governance by quietly blending loyalties, notwithstanding the fact that they also make conflicts of interest more likely.The golden leash thus follows in a coherent, if unheralded, tradition of structures that forge ultraclose bonds between directors and outside shareholders. This Article argues that the risks posed by this blending of duties should be discounted by the availability of mechanisms to manage the resulting conflicts and by advantages conferred in capital formation and governance. Properly designed and disclosed, the golden leash can promote not only superior returns but consensus-building, dialogue, and other values important to sound procedural corporate governance.
MINIMIZING MORTALITY OF MOOSE NEONATES FROM CAPTURE-INDUCED ABANDONMENT

Neonatal moose ( Alces alces ) may be prone to maternal abandonment induced by capture activities. We observed unexpectedly high levels of abandonment during the first year of our study of calf survival and cause-specific mortality in northeastern Minnesota. In response, we crafted a capture-induced abandonment contingency plan to reduce calf deaths caused by such abandonment. Locations and movements of dams relative to calves were used to gauge whether abandonment was occurring and to trigger retrieval of live calves. The Minnesota Zoo and a private facility accepted abandoned calves in viable condition. As undesirable as it is to remove calves from the population and landscape, we found it preferable to leaving them to succumb to starvation, hypothermia, or predation. We believe variations of this plan may be used in other study areas to mitigate neonate mortality due to capture-induced abandonment.
Dermatologic Simulation of Neglected Tropical Diseases for Medical Professionals.

Abstract Introduction While patients with neglected tropical diseases may present for care in the United States, they are encountered so infrequently that medical professionals may have little chan...
College Students and Alcohol: Consumption, Perceptions, and Administrators' Prevention Efforts

This study examined students (n = 496) to determine their alcohol consumption per week, their perceptions regarding their peers' consumption, and their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of administrators' efforts to clarify misperceptions. Overall, students reported drinking 3.57 drinks per week. Male students reported drinking 4.09 drinks per week and female students reported drinking 2.89 drinks per week. Students inaccurately perceived the number of drinks their peers consumed per occasion. Students perceived that the typical male student consumed 6.89 drinks and the typical female student consumed 4.48 drinks per occasion. Students did not perceive administrators' efforts to clarify students' misperceptions to be effective. However, the results indicate efforts to clarify students' misperceptions are defensible.
Demo: Unsupervised Fill-level Estimation for Smart Trash Removal Systems

In this demo, we show an unsupervised, non-intrusive fill level estimation system, called Smartbin, which can be easily installed on the outside surface of waste bins to measure their occupancy levels. Smartbin uses a cheap mini-motor that exploits the physical nature of vibration resonance by learning forced vibration characteristics of the bin at different fill-levels over a small number of garbage collection cycles. This learning process occurs in a completely automated fashion ultimately enabling accurate fill level estimation that can serve as a component of smart (e.g., demand-based) trash removal services. A preliminary evaluation on six different waste bins demonstrates ability of the system to accurately measure empty, half-full, and full bin states. This physical system will be demonstrated to illustrate unsupervised learning and fill level estimation.
Service Learning in Adapted Physical Education: Connecting the Classroom to the Community

The purpose of the study was to explore PETE undergraduate students’ perceptions and beliefs about working with children and adults with disabilities in two community-based settings. The undergraduate participants completed 20 hours of community service at two community-based sites as part of their Adapted Physical Education (APE) course requirements. The researchers identified five themes including: (a) social emotional climate, (b) prior preparation, (c) delivery of instruction, (d) career readiness, and (e) developing leadership.
Neuropathic Pain and Other Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions

The objective of this chapter is to review the pathophysiology and treatment approach in various chronic pain conditions, such as neuropathic pain and other chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions. Postherpetic neuralgia will be used as a model of neuropathic pain. Discussion on fibromyalgia as a model of pain amplification and other musculoskeletal conditions will be included. Pharmacologic management will include an overview of approved medications and other agents proven to be effective based on consensus expert opinion and validated clinical trials.
Management of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Toxicities: A Review and Clinical Guideline for Emergency Physicians.

Abstract Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a novel class of drugs used in cancer immunotherapy that are becoming more commonly used among advanced-stage cancers. Unfortunately, these therapies are sometimes associated with often subtle, potentially fatal immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Objectives We conducted a review of relevant primary research and clinical guidelines in oncology, pharmacology, and other literature, and synthesized this information to address the needs of the emergency physician in the acute management of irAEs. Discussion Although the antitumor effects of immunotherapies are desirable, the inhibition of immune checkpoints may also lead to loss of peripheral tolerance and a subsequent unleashing of the immune system on nontumor cells, leading to unintended tissue damage, which manifests as multisystem organ dysfunction. This tissue damage can affect nearly every organ system, with the dermatologic, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and pulmonary systems being the most commonly affected. Treatment may range drastically, depending on the severity of the irAE, starting with supportive care and moving toward high-dose steroids and additional immune modulators such as infliximab or intravenous immunoglobulin. Conclusion With the increasing success and popularity of ICIs, emergency physicians will inevitably encounter increasing numbers of patients on these medications as well as the associated side effects. It is important that emergency physicians become aware of these irAEs and improve the detection of these processes to prevent inappropriate discharges, emergency department revisits, and downstream complications.
Unexpected reactions of chromium hydrides with a diazoalkane

Abstract The reaction of dinuclear chromium hydride [(2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnacCr(µ-H)]2 ((2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnac = N,N′-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2,4-pentanediiminato) with trimethylsilyl-diazomethane did not yield the desired, known alkyl hydride [(2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnacCr]2(μ-H)(μ-CH2SiMe3). Rather, it resulted in an unexpected mixture of novel chromium complexes, which have been structurally characterized. They include macrocyclic dinitrogen complexes, namely [(2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnacCr(THF)(µ-N2)]3 (4) and [(2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnacCr(µ-N2)]4 (5). Other products containing various fragments of the diazo-reagent were [(2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnacCr]2(µ-N)(µ-H) (6), [(2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnacCr]2(µ-NSiMe3)(µ-H) (7) and [(2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnacCr]2(µ-N CH2)(µ-NH) (8). An analogous reaction of the sterically more encumbered [(2,6-iPr2Ph)2nacnacCr(µ-H)]2 ((2,6-Me2Ph)2nacnac = N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2,4-pentanediiminato) produced [(2,6-iPr2Ph)2nacnacCr(µ-N)(µ-N(H)NC(H)SiMe3)]2 (9).
Risk and outcomes for second primary human papillomavirus-related and -unrelated head and neck malignancy.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To 1) examine the characteristics of patients who develop second primary malignancies (SPMs) from an index human papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and HPV-unrelated HNSCC and to 2) compare overall survival between those with HPV-related and HPV-unrelated index HNSCC among patients who develop SPM. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort analysis. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted of 113,259 patients who were diagnosed with HNSCC from 2000 to 2014. SPM was defined as the first subsequent primary cancer occurring at least 2 months after index cancer diagnosis, and HPV-relatedness was based on whether patients' index HNSCC was potentially HPV-related or HPV-unrelated. Multivariable Fine and Gray (FG) competing-risks regression models were used to estimate factors associated with risk of SPM by HPV-relatedness. Among patients with SPM, an adjusted Cox proportional hazards (PH) regression model was used to assess the association between HPV-relatedness and survival. RESULTS Approximately 13,900 patients (12.3%) developed SPM. In the FG model, patients with HPV-unrelated HNSCC had a 15% higher risk of developing SPM (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.20) than those with potentially HPV-related HNSCC, but the same characteristics were associated with SPM development. In the Cox PH model, patients with SPM whose index HNSCC was HPV-unrelated had higher risk of death than those whose index HNSCC was potentially HPV-related (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.06; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.11). CONCLUSIONS Patients with HPV-unrelated HNSCC have a higher risk of SPM development than do those with HPV-related HNSCC. Effective secondary disease-prevention strategies should be established to improve long-term patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 129:1828-1835, 2019.
$B\to D^\ast\ell\nu$ at non-zero recoil

The current status of the lattice-QCD calculations of the form factors of the $B\to D^\ast\ell\nu$ semileptonic decay is reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to the most mature calculation at non-zero recoil coming from the Fermilab Lattice and MILC collaborations. Blinded, preliminary results for the form factors are shown, including a preliminary, but detailed error budget. The lattice results seem to favor a large slope at small recoil, in contrast to the latest untagged results coming from the Belle collaboration. A comprehensive comparison between the latest BGL $z$ expansions of Belle, Babar, the lattice and a joint BGL fit including lattice and Belle data is presented, and a roadmap to improve the current calculation is discussed. The current implications for $V_{cb}$ and $R(D^\ast)$ are discussed.
SEMANTIC PHOTOGRAMMETRY – BOOSTING IMAGE-BASED 3D RECONSTRUCTION WITH SEMANTIC LABELING

Abstract. Automatic semantic segmentation of images is becoming a very prominent research field with many promising and reliable solutions already available. Labelled images as input for the photogrammetric pipeline have enormous potential to improve the 3D reconstruction results. To support this argument, in this work we discuss the contribution of image semantic labelling towards image-based 3D reconstruction in photogrammetry. We experiment semantic information in various steps starting from feature matching to dense 3D reconstruction. Labelling in 2D is considered as an easier task in terms of data availability and algorithm maturity. However, since semantic labelling of all the images involved in the reconstruction may be a costly, laborious and time consuming task, we propose to use a deep learning architecture to automatically generate semantically segmented images. To this end, we have trained a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) on historic building facade images that will be further enriched in the future. The first results of this study are promising, with an improved performance on the quality of the 3D reconstruction and the possibility to transfer the labelling results from 2D to 3D.
Toward a Black (and Diverse) Psychology: The Scholarly Legacy of Joseph White:

Dr. Joseph White was affectionately referred to as “the father of Black psychology.” His seminal article “Toward a Black Psychology” articulated a strengths-based conceptual description toward unde...
A zooarchaeological study of Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Croxton site in Brooks Range, Alaska, and implications for utility analysis

This paper focuses on the identification and interpretation of a sample of vertebrate faunal remains from the Croxton archaeological site, located at Tukuto Lake, on the north slope of the Brooks Mountain Range, Alaska, in which caribou (Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)) dominate. Bone modifications are assessed to inform selection and processing, and skeletal part frequencies are analyzed with utility indices developed for this species among the Nunamiut at Anaktuvuk Pass. Results confirm the accumulation of faunal remains resulted primarily from human subsistence activities in the middle to late Holocene that included nutritional uses for meat, marrow and grease as well as technology manufacturing. Statistical utility analyses point to a deposit of marrow and grease processing debris at an activity area and support these as enduring subsistence practices in this region. A previous study on a larger faunal sample from the site also indicated a range of economic uses of caribou but did not find significant results with utility indices. To explain this difference it is suggested that the faunal aggregates chosen for analysis in this and the previous study have influenced statistical outcomes. The results of this study hold implications for utility analysis as well as for interpretations of caribou use at archaeological sites in arctic, sub-arctic, and alpine tundra areas of the Northern Hemisphere where this species has been abundant.
Experience Influences Affordance Perception for Low Crawling Under Barriers With Altered Body Dimensions

We examined the role of experience in affordance perception for low crawling with altered body dimensions under barriers of different heights. Adults decided which of five backpacks (10–30 cm thick...
Pond-In-Pond: An alternative system for wastewater treatment for reuse

Abstract When treating municipal wastewater, there are two choices to be made that determine which treatment system will be utilized; will the effluent be discharged to a stream or will it be reused for beneficial purposes such as growing agricultural crops by land application. For land application systems, the effluent quality is less stringent, usually 2-3 times higher than that required for stream discharge. In addition, the public tends to be more supportive when it comes to the reuse of wastewater in irrigation rather than the reuse in households. A simple, low cost, low energy pond treatment system has been widely used for reuse systems. However, there is a lack of specific design guidelines for pond treatment systems, and selection of a design procedure is difficult to ascertain. This study examines various pond design approaches and recommends the use of a Pond-In-Pond (PIP) approach as the more appropriate design layout for reuse purposes, where PIP is the integration of two types of ponds—anaerobic and aerobic. The results from the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of a flow-diversion mechanism in recent studies and performance data from existing PIP systems show that the PIP is a promising concept for wastewater reuse systems. The PIP system under study produced an average annual effluent BOD of approximately 40 mg/L.
Basic Properties of Turbulent Flows

Turbulent flows possess several properties observed in and deduced from experiments and direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the Navier–Stokes equations, which set them apart from three-dimensional and unsteady laminar flows. They will be compiled for later reference and a brief discussion will be given. At the end of the section, a working definition of turbulence is proposed, which is deduced from these properties. Only Newtonian fluids and the idealization of an inviscid fluid will be considered. The spatial description is used throughout this section.
Activity coefficient of hydrochloric acid in HCl/MgCl2 mixtures and HCl/NaCl/MgCl2 mixtures from 5 to 45°C

Magnesium, the dominant bivalent cation in natural seawater, exerts a substantial influence on the patterns of ion interactions in this saline medium. Mean activity coefficients of hydrochloric acid in mixtures of this acid with magnesium chloride at four ionic strengths, namelyI=0.1, 0.3809, 0.6729, and 0.8720 mole-kg−1, were obtained from emf measurements of cells without liquid junction at nine temperatures from 5 to 45°C. The three highest ionic strengths correspond to seawater of salinities 20, 35, and 45‰, respectively. In addition, mixtures of HCl, NaCl, and MgCl2 were studied atI=0.6729, the molal ratio of NaCl to MgCl2 being maintained at 7.202 as in natural seawater. The Harned coefficients α1 2 were found to decrease slowly with increase in temperature. The trace activity coefficient of HCl in solutions of MgCl2 as well as in NaCl MgCl2 mixtures was found to be nearly identical with that measured earlier in synthetic seawater of the same ionic strength but containing NaCl, MgCl2, KCl, and CaCl2.
Min-max time efficient inspection of ground vehicles by a UAV team

Abstract We present a control design for N unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) tasked with an inspection of M ground moving vehicles. The location of each ground vehicle is known to each UAV, but the navigation and intent of each ground vehicle are unknown, therefore, this uncertainty has to be anticipated in each UAV’s navigation. We use the minimum time stochastic optimal control to navigate each UAV towards the inspection of each ground vehicle. Based on this control, we formulate assignments of ground vehicles to be inspected by UAVs as an optimization problem to inspect all ground vehicles in the minimum expected time. Accounting for ground vehicle uncertain trajectories, we update the optimal assignment by a Markov inequality rule. The rule prevents the possibility of indefinite updating of assignments without finishing the inspection of all vehicles. On the other hand, it updates an assignment if it leads to a statistically significant improvement of the inspection expected time. The presented approach is illustrated with numerical examples.
The MUC6/AP2A2 Locus and Its Relevance to Alzheimer's Disease: A Review.

We recently reported evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-linked genetic variation within the mucin 6 (MUC6) gene on chromosome 11p, nearby the adaptor-related protein complex 2 subunit alpha 2 (AP2A2) gene. This locus has interesting features related to human genomics and clinical research. MUC6 gene variants have been reported to potentially influence viral-including herpesvirus-immunity and the gut microbiome. Within the MUC6 gene is a unique variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) region. We discovered an association between MUC6 VNTR repeat expansion and AD pathologic severity, particularly tau proteinopathy. Here, we review the relevant literature. The AD-linked VNTR polymorphism may also influence AP2A2 gene expression. AP2A2 encodes a polypeptide component of the adaptor protein complex, AP-2, which is involved in clathrin-coated vesicle function and was previously implicated in AD pathogenesis. To provide background information, we describe some key knowledge gaps in AD genetics research. The "missing/hidden heritability problem" of AD is highlighted. Extensive portions of the human genome, including the MUC6 VNTR, have not been thoroughly evaluated due to limitations of existing high-throughput sequencing technology. We present and discuss additional data, along with cautionary considerations, relevant to the hypothesis that MUC6 repeat expansion influences AD pathogenesis.
Distinct carbon fractions drive a generalisable two-pool model of fungal necromass decomposition

Fungi represent a rapidly cycling pool of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soils. Understanding of how this pool impacts soil nutrient availability and organic matter fluxes is hindered by uncertainty regarding the dynamics and drivers of fungal necromass decomposition. Here we assessed the generality of common models for predicting mass loss during fungal necromass decomposition and linked the resulting parameters to necromass substrate chemistry. We decomposed 28 different types of fungal necromass in laboratory microcosms over a 90-day period, measuring mass loss on all types, and N release on a subset of types. We characterised the initial chemistry of each necromass type using: (a) fibre analysis methods commonly used for plant tissues, (b) initial melanin and nitrogen (N) concentrations and (c) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to assess the presence of bonds associated with common biomolecules. We found universal support for an asymptotic model of decomposition, which assumes that fungal necromass consists of an exponentially decomposing 'fast' pool, and a 'slow' pool that decomposes at a rate approaching zero. The strongest predictor of the fast pool decay rate (k) was the proportion of cell soluble components, though initial N concentration also predicted k, albeit more weakly. The size of the slow pool was best predicted by the acid non-hydrolysable fraction, which was positively correlated with melanin-associated aromatics. Nitrogen dynamics varied by necromass type, ranging from net N release to net immobilisation. The maximum quantity of N immobilised was inversely related to cell soluble contents and k, as positively related to FTIR spectra associated with cell wall polysaccharides. Collectively, our results indicate that the decomposition of fungal necromass in soils can be described as having two distinct stages that are driven by different components of substrate C chemistry, with implications for rates of N availability and organic matter accumulation in soils.
Gut Microbiomes of Freshwater Mussels (Unionidae) Are Taxonomically and Phylogenetically Variable across Years but Remain Functionally Stable

Freshwater mussels perform essential ecosystem functions, yet we have no information on how their microbiomes fluctuate over time. In this study, we examined temporal variation in the microbiome of six mussel species (Lampsilis ornata, Obovaria unicolor, Elliptio arca, Fusconaia cerina, Cyclonaias asperata, and Tritogonia verrucosa) sampled from the same river in 2016 and 2019. We examined the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and inferred functional (from 16S rRNA sequences) facets of their microbiome diversity. Significant differences between the two years were identified in five of the six species sampled. However, not all species that exhibited a temporally variable microbiome were functionally distinct across years, indicating functional redundancy within the mussel gut microbiome. Inferred biosynthesis pathways showed temporal variation in pathways involved in degradation, while pathways involved in cellular metabolism were stable. There was no evidence for phylosymbiosis across any facet of microbiome biodiversity. These results indicate that temporal variation is an important factor in the assembly of the gut microbiomes of freshwater mussels and provides further support that the mussel gut microbiome is involved in host development and activity.
Rad24-RFC loads the 9-1-1 clamp by inserting DNA from the top of a wide-open ring, opposite the mechanism of RFC/PCNA

ABSTRACT In response to DNA damage, the ring-shaped 9-1-1 clamp is loaded onto 5’ recessed DNA to arrest the cell cycle and activate the DNA damage checkpoint. The 9-1-1 clamp is a heterotrimeric ring that is loaded in S. cerevisiae by Rad24-RFC, an alternative clamp loader in which Rad24 replaces the Rfc1 subunit in the RFC1-5 clamp loader of PCNA. Unlike RFC that loads the PCNA ring onto a 3’-ss/ds DNA junction, Rad24-RFC loads the 9-1-1 ring onto a 5’-ss/ds DNA junction, a consequence of DNA damage. The underlying 9-1-1 clamp loading mechanism has been a mystery. Here we report two 3.2-A cryo-EM structures of Rad24-RFC bound to DNA and either a closed or 27 A open 9-1-1 clamp. The structures reveal a completely unexpected mechanism by which a clamp can be loaded onto DNA. The Rad24 subunit specifically recognizes the 5’-DNA junction and holds ds DNA outside the clamp loader and above the plane of the 9-1-1 ring, rather than holding DNA inside and below the clamp as in RFC. The 3’ ssDNA overhang is required to obtain the structure, and thus confers a second DNA binding site. The bipartite DNA binding by Rad24-RFC suggests that ssDNA may be flipped into the open 9-1-1 ring, similar to ORC-Cdc6 that loads the Mcm2-7 ring on DNA. We propose that entry of ssDNA through the 9-1-1 ring triggers the ATP hydrolysis and release of the Rad24-RFC. The key DNA binding residues are conserved in higher eukaryotes, and thus the 9-1-1 clamp loading mechanism likely generalizes.
When to retrieve and encode episodic memories: a neural network model of hippocampal-cortical interaction

Recent human behavioral and neuroimaging results suggest that people are selective in when they encode and retrieve episodic memories. To explain these findings, we trained a memory-augmented neural network to use its episodic memory to support prediction of upcoming states in an environment where past situations sometimes reoccur. We found that the network learned to retrieve selectively as a function of several factors, including its uncertainty about the upcoming state. Additionally, we found that selectively encoding episodic memories at the end of an event (but not mid-event) led to better subsequent prediction performance. In all of these cases, the benefits of selective retrieval and encoding can be explained in terms of reducing the risk of retrieving irrelevant memories. Overall, these modeling results provide a resource-rational account of why episodic retrieval and encoding should be selective and lead to several testable predictions.
Acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography for ocular biomechanics

The mechanical properties of the cornea, limbus, and sclera provide important information regarding eye health. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is highly suitable for assessing ocular tissues' mechanical properties due to its high resolution and superior displacement sensitivity. Typically, elastography involves an external mechanical excitation of the tissue. We recently adopted a method of Air-Coupled Acoustic Radiation Force for the generation of elastic waves in ocular tissues. This method shows several clear advantages other than the traditionally used air-puff excitation. However, the safety of this method needs to be studied before its clinical applications. Also, there is increased interest in passive elastography, where the mechanical response to natural physiological forces like heartbeat and respiration is measured. I will also demonstrate examples of using heartbeat for quantification of tissues' mechanical properties in vivo.
How to Cope With Digital Stress

There is considerable interest in ways to support adolescents in their digital lives, particularly related to the relational challenges they face. While researchers have explored coping with cyberbullying, the scope of relevant digital issues is considerably broader. Through the lens of online peer responses to personal accounts posted by adolescents, this study explores recommended strategies for coping with different experiences of socio-digital stress, including both hostility-oriented issues and digital challenges related to navigating close relationships. A content analysis of 628 comments posted in response to 180 stories of digital stress reveals five common recommendations: Get Help from others, Communicate Directly, Cut Ties with the person involved, Ignore the situation, and Utilize Digital Solutions. The most common recommendation for hostility-oriented issues is to Get Help, while Cut Ties is most common for issues that arise in close relationships. Variations in the pattern of recommendations...
The Macro Polity

The Macro Polity, first published in 2002, provides a comprehensive model of American politics at the system level. Focusing on the interactions between citizen evaluations and preferences, government activity and policy, and how the combined acts of citizens and governments influence one another over time, it integrates understandings of matters such as economic outcomes, presidential approval, partisanship, elections, and government policy-making into a single model. Borrowing from the perspective of macroeconomics, it treats electorates, politicians, and governments as unitary actors, making decisions in response to the behavior of other actors. The macro and longitudinal focus makes it possible to directly connect the behaviors of electorate and government. The surprise of macro-level analysis, emerging anew in every chapter, is that order and rationality dominate explanations. This book argues that the electorates and governments that emerge from these analyses respond to one another in orderly and predictable ways.