cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population and Geographic Variation of Peromyscus leucopus in Relation to Climatic Factors

Variation of nine cranial characters in the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus , from 38 localities in the state of Texas, was studied. Significant age effects were detected for each character, but no sexual dimorphism and no sex-by-age interaction. Mean locality scores on the first morphological principal component, a size vector, revealed a statewide trend for larger mice to occur in the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos and for smaller specimens to occur in southern and southeastern Texas. A projection of the locality centroids onto the first two morphological principal components did not exhibit a pattern that indicated subspecific differentiation. This interpretation was reinforced by the large overlap among 95% confidence ellipses for locality populations about their means and by chromosomal studies in the literature. Mantel's test indicated that populations morphologically more different also occupy geographic areas climatically more different. The first two climatic principal components, derived from four climatic variables that measure mean annual temperature, mean July and January temperature, and mean annual precipitation, were interpreted as vectors representing temperature and precipitation, respectively. A multiple-regression analysis of size against the first two climatic principal components indicated that trends in size of white-footed mice follow Bergmann's Rule. There were significant inverse correlations between the first climatic principal component and seasonality of temperature, and between the second climatic component and seasonality of precipitation. This indicates that the traditional interpretation of Bergmann's Rule as a thermoregulatory response to cooler climates is confounded with adaptations to increased seasonality. Size allometry in white-footed mice may be a morphological response to harsh periods of low resource availability in seasonal climates. Seed productivity, a primary source of food for P. leucopus in Texas, may be correlated positively with size, and serve as an adaptive basis for selection of larger mice, with higher nutritional needs, in areas of higher seed resource availability.
Inhaled Alpha 1-Antitrypsin: Gauging Patient Interest in a New Treatment

AbstractBackground: Given the high cost of plasma derived intravenous alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT), a more efficient method of delivery to the lungs is desirable. Inhaled AAT has been shown feasible for the treatment of alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and is currently in clinical trials. To better understand patient preferences about possible inhaled AAT therapy, a survey was conducted to explore patient attitudes. Methods: We conducted an email based survey of patients in the Alpha-1 Foundation Research Registry with AATD on intravenous AAT replacement. Respondents were asked to rate their interest in hypothetical nebulized or dry powder inhaled AAT. Results: Respondents reported high levels of interest in both dried powder inhaler and nebulizer delivered inhaled AAT. The interest in dried powder inhaled was higher than interest in nebulized AAT (71% vs 64%, p = 0.0001). The interest in dried powder inhaled AAT was particularly high in respondents currently on bronchodilator therapy (p = 0.0053). Pati...
The prodomain of BMP-7 targets the BMP-7 complex to the extracellular matrix.

Biochemical and biophysical methods are used to show that BMP-7 is secreted as a stable complex consisting of the processed growth factor dimer noncovalently associated with its two prodomain propeptide chains and that the BMP-7 complex is structurally similar to the small transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) complex. Because the prodomain of TGFβ interacts with latent TGFβ-binding proteins, a family of molecules homologous to the fibrillins, the prodomain of BMP-7 was tested for binding to fibrillin-1 or to LTBP-1. The BMP-7 prodomain and BMP-7 complex, but not the separated growth factor dimer, interact with N-terminal regions of fibrillin-1. This interaction may target the BMP-7 complex to fibrillin microfibrils in the extracellular matrix. Immunolocalization of BMP-7 in tissues like the kidney capsule and skin reveals co-localization with fibrillin. However, BMP-7 immunolocalization in other tissues known to be active sites for BMP-7 signaling is not apparent, suggesting that immunolocalization of BMP-7 in certain tissues represents specific extracellular storage sites. These studies suggest that the prodomains of TGFβ-like growth factors are important for positioning and concentrating growth factors in the extracellular matrix. In addition, they raise the possibility that prodomains of other TGFβ-like growth factors interact with fibrillins and/or LTBPs and are also targeted to the extracellular matrix.
Optimal FDMA over wireless fading mobile ad-hoc networks

We formulate a frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) networking problem for wireless mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETS) to jointly optimize end-to-end user rates, routes, link capacities, transmitted power, frequency and power allocation across subcarriers and fading states. We show that the resulting non-convex optimization problem has zero duality gap. For some types of FDMA networks this result is exploited to reformulate the original problem into a (computationally tractable) convex optimization problem. We further exploit the lack of duality gap to show that conventional layering can be optimal in FDMA wireless MANETS. Specifically, if we select Lagrange multipliers appropriately, we can decompose the original problem in smaller sub-problems associated with the conventional networking layers. The solution of these per-layer optimization problems coincides with the solution of the originally formulated cross-layer optimization problem.
Quantum contributions to cosmological correlations. II. Can these corrections become large

This is a sequel to a previous detailed study of quantum corrections to cosmological correlations. It was found there that except in special cases these corrections depend on the whole history of inflation, not just on the behavior of fields at horizon exit. It is shown here that at least in perturbation theory these corrections can nevertheless not be proportional to positive powers of the Robertson-Walker scale factor, but only at most to powers of its logarithm, and are therefore never large.
Fabrication of high quality, low bandgap amorphous Silicon & amorphous Silicon Germanium alloy solar cell by Chemical Annealing

Amorphous Silicon (a-Si:H) has been extensively used as a solar cell material because of its low cost and ease of fabrication. However, the material suffers from generally poorer quality and increase in defect states in response to illumination (Staebler-Wronski effect). For best devices, one also needs to control the bandgap of the material, which depends strongly upon localized Si-H bonding. Although many techniques have been developed to fabricate lower bandgap materials in a-Si:H, most of them lead to the lowering of bandgap at the expense of device /film quality. In this research, we pursue Chemical Annealing (or layer-by-layer growth followed by controlled Ar ion bombardment) as a technique which for fabricating low bandgap, amorphous Silicon materials and devices without adversely affecting the quality of the material. We explore the growth and properties of both a-Si:H and its alloy, a-(Si,Ge):H using chemical annealing. In this work, chemical annealed (CA) and non chemical annealed (NON CA) A-Si:H and A-(Si,Ge):H devices were fabricated at VHF (48MHz) which leads to lower ion damage by Ar. Systematic experiments were carried out to produce high quality devices to study the role of chemical annealing in lowering the bandgap of the solar cells. Films were also fabricated to study electronic properties for various annealing conditions and also to highlight the relationship between hydrogen content and bandgap. Detailed measurements of fundamental properties of the materials and devices were made under various chemical annealing conditions. We also performed light soaking experiments to study the photo-induced instability of normal and chemically annealed devices. The results indicate that the stability of chemical annealed samples is better than continuously grown samples. All the studies convincingly prove that chemical annealing helps reduce the bandgap without adversely affecting material properties.
IR imaging of cracks excited by an ultrasonic pulse

We describe a new hybrid ultrasonic/infrared technology in which ha short single pulse of ultrasound is used to cause cracks to heat up and become visible in the infrared. A low frequency (say 10's of kHz) ultrasonic transducer infuses the sample with sound. Where cracks, disbonds, delaminations or other defects are present, the sound field causes the defect to heat locally. The technique is applicable to large and irregularly shaped objects. We present a variety of images to show the capability for this technique to image cracks and other defects in metals as well as other materials. Both surface-interrupting and subsurface cracks are imaged. The technique can utilize hand-held ultrasonic sources, is insensitive to the position of the source on the sample, and yields wide-area images, with the defects showing as bright (higher temperature) regions against a dark (lower temperature) background. It can be used for inspection of relatively inaccessible complex part geometries.
Triphenylphosphinegold(I) chloride

[14243-64-2] AuCIP(C6H5)3 (MW 494.71) InChI = 1S/C18H15P.Au.ClH/c1-4-10-16(11-5-1)19(17-12-6-2-7-13-17)18-14-8-3-9-15-18;;/h1-15H;;1H/q;+1;/p-1 InChIKey = IFPWCRBNZXUWGC-UHFFFAOYSA-M (reagent is used with cocatalytic halide abstraction agent to activate π-systems toward addition by heteroatom and carbon nucleophiles) Physical Data: mp 242–243 °C Solubility Data: soluble in methylene chloride, acetonitrile, benzene, and acetone. Insoluble in EtOH. Form Supplied in: white solid; widely available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: elemental analysis: calcd C, 43.70; H, 3.06; Au, 39.81; Cl, 7.17; P, 6.26. 31P NMR: 33.15 ppm. Preparative Methods: commonly prepared by treatment of HAuCl4 with excess triphenylphosphine.4 Also accessible via ligand substitution from (DMS)AuCl.5 Triphenylphosphinegold chloride is generally a precatalyst — treatment with silver salts (i.e., AgOTf, AgBF4) containing noncoordinating counterions generates the cationic complex by abstraction of chloride.6 The cationic complex (PPh3)AuNTf2, prepared from (PPh3)AuCl and AgNTf2, is isolable.7 The cationic catalysts are also available by protonolysis of methylgold chloride with strong acid containing a non-coordinating counterion.8 Methylgold chloride is prepared by methylation of triphenylphosphinegold chloride with MeLi9 or MeMgI.10 Purification: can be purchased or synthesized without need for further purification. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: triphenylphosphinegold chloride is an eye, skin, and respiratory irritant. Consequently, proper protective equipment should be used and operations involving this reagent should be conducted within a well-ventilated fume hood. The compound is stable to air and moisture and thus can be stored for many months without special precaution. Generally, the corresponding cationic complexes are not isolable, with the exception of (Ph3P)AuNTf2, which can be stored without special precautions to exclude air and water.7
Integration of multiple contextual information for image segmentation using a Bayesian Network

We propose a Bayesian network (BN) model to integrate multiple contextual information and the image measurements for image segmentation. The BN model systematically encodes the contextual relationships between regions, edges and vertices, as well as their image measurements with uncertainties. It allows a principled probabilistic inference to be performed so that image segmentation can be achieved through a most probable explanation (MPE) inference in the BN model. We have achieved encouraging results on the horse images from the Weizmann dataset. We have also demonstrated the possible ways to extend the BN model so as to incorporate other contextual information such as the global object shape and human intervention for improving image segmentation. Human intervention is encoded as new evidence in the BN model. Its impact is propagated through belief propagation to update the states of the whole model. From the updated BN model, new image segmentation is produced.
Test vector chains for increased targeted and untargeted fault coverage

We introduce the concept of test vector chains, which allows us to obtain new test vectors from existing ones through single-bit changes without any test generation effort. We demonstrate that a test set T 0 has a significant number of test vector chains that are effective in increasing the numbers of detections of target faults, i.e., faults targeted during the generation of T 0, as well as untargeted faults, i.e., faults that were not targeted during the generation of T 0.
Racial differences in cortical bone and their relationship to biochemical variables in black and white children in the early stages of puberty

Summary Osteoporotic fracture rates differ according to race with Blacks having up to half the rate of Whites. The current study demonstrates that racial divergence in cortical bone properties develops in early childhood despite lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Blacks.
Multiple changes in sialic acid biology during human evolution

Humans are genetically very similar to “great apes”, (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans), our closest evolutionary relatives. We have discovered multiple genetic and biochemical differences between humans and these other hominids, in relation to sialic acids and in Siglecs (Sia-recognizing Ig superfamily lectins). An inactivating mutation in the CMAH gene eliminated human expression of N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) a major sialic acid in “great apes”. Additional human-specific changes have been found, affecting at least 10 of the <60 genes known to be involved in the biology of sialic acids. There are potential implications for unique features of humans, as well as for human susceptibility or resistance to disease. Additionally, metabolic incorporation of Neu5Gc from animal-derived materials occurs into biotherapeutic molecules and cellular preparations - and into human tissues from dietary sources, particularly red meat and milk products. As humans also have varying and sometime high levels of circulating anti-Neu5Gc antibodies, there are implications for biotechnology products, and for some human diseases associated with chronic inflammation.
Concepts and Measurement in Multimethod Research

This article argues that concept misformation and conceptual stretching undermine efforts to combine qualitative and quantitative methods in multimethod research (MMR). Two related problems result ...
The L 1 -version of the Cramér-von mises test for two-sample comparisons in microarray data analysis

Distribution-free statistical tests offer clear advantages in situations where the exact unadjusted p-values are required as input for multiple testing procedures. Such situations prevail when testing for differential expression of genes in microarray studies. The Cramer-von Mises two-sample test, based on a certain L2-distance between two empirical distribution functions, is a distribution-free test that has proven itself as a good choice. A numerical algorithm is available for computing quantiles of the sampling distribution of the Cramer-von Mises test statistic in finite samples. However, the computation is very time-and space-consuming. An L1 counterpart of the Cramer-von Mises test represents an appealing alternative. In this work, we present an efficient algorithm for computing exact quantiles of the L1-distance test statistic. The performance and power of the L1-distance test are compared with those of the Cramer-von Mises and two other classical tests, using both simulated data and a large set of microarray data on childhood leukemia. The L1-distance test appears to be nearly as powerful as its L2 counterpart. The lower computational intensity of the L1-distance test allows computation of exact quantiles of the null distribution for larger sample sizes than is possible for the Cramer-von Mises test.
ACTION CURVES WITH SINGLE PEAKS IN NITELLA IN RELATION TO THE MOVEMENT OF POTASSIUM.

In Nitella the action curve has two peaks, apparently because both protoplasmic surfaces (inner and outer) are sensitive to K+. Leaching in distilled water makes the outer surface insensitive to K+. We may therefore expect the action curve to have only one peak. This expectation is realized. The action curve thus obtained resembles that of Chara which has an outer protoplasmic surface that is normally insensitive to K+. The facts indicate that the movement of K+ plays an important part in determining the shape of the action curve.
Patients’ Perceptions of Interpersonal Continuity of Care

Purpose: The health system shift from doctor-patient continuity of care to team-based continuity may not match patients’ preferences. This article reviews the existing medical literature regarding patients’ perceptions of interpersonal continuity of care to determine which patients value interpersonal continuity and in what context. Methods: A search of the ISI Web of Knowledge database from 1970 to April 2005 and the MEDLINE database from 1966 through April 2005 was performed to find articles that elicited patients’ preferences or value for continuity of care. Thirty six articles were used for this synthesis. Results: Interpersonal continuity of care is important to a majority of patients, particularly those from vulnerable groups. Patients value the relationship with their physician, their physician’s knowledge about them, and the ability to communicate their concerns. Over time, contact with a physician seems to lead to the development of trust and confidence. However, continuity of care is not valued by all patients or across all settings. Conclusions: Future research should continue to explore the importance of interpersonal continuity to patients. In particular, are there medical consequences when those whom desire continuity do not receive it? Clinicians should consider incorporating patients’ preference for continuity into their office scheduling procedures.
The politics of love Women's liberation and feeling differently

Contemporary queer interrogations of heteronormativity are fraught with the traces of feminist contestations of the intimate domains of women's `ordinary' lives during the era of the women's liberation movement. These traces remain enigmatic within contemporary theories of public affect and emotion rather than incorporated into their critiques of the present political moment. This essay argues that the work of the early women's liberationists — their attempts to bring the personal into view as the dense, affect laden, site of social reproduction — can offer us a countermemory to the enduring and alluring force of the `private' domains of love and ordinary feeling in the contemporary US national public sphere. In order to hear the echoes of that moment — the time of women's liberation — in this one, the essay stages a comparative reading between two novels, Doris Lessing's A Ripple from the Storm (1958) and June Arnold's The Cook and the Carpenter: A Novel by the Carpenter (1973). Although the two novels w...
Clinical research fails to support more aggressive management of pediatric upper extremity fractures.

Background: Recent years have seen a trend toward more operative treatment of upper extremity fractures in children. The current study examines clinical research regarding pediatric upper extremity fracture treatment over the past twenty years in an attempt to identify research-based support for the increasingly aggressive treatment of these fractures. Methods: Accepted abstracts on pediatric upper extremity fracture treatment presented at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meetings from 1993 through 2012 were reviewed. Abstracts were chosen rather than publications because of the larger number of abstracts that are available and because abstracts offer a more global representation of the research being performed by and presented to the members of these societies. The treatment recommendations of authors were classified as more aggressive, less aggressive, or neutral by two attending surgeons on the basis of which treatment was favored in comparative studies or how treatments in single-group studies compared with the standard of care at the time. Abstracts without treatment recommendations were excluded. Relationships between level of evidence, fracture location, and treatment recommendation were statistically evaluated with use of Spearman correlations and logistic regression analysis. Results: Overall, a higher proportion of studies gave less aggressive (47%, ninety of 190) or neutral (27%, fifty-one of 190) recommendations than more aggressive treatment recommendations (26%, forty-nine of 190). Only 24% of operative studies and 11% of nonoperative studies recommended more aggressive treatment (p = 0.001). Case series were more likely to recommend more aggressive treatments than comparative studies (30% versus 17%, p = 0.025). Also, studies with a smaller sample size were more likely to recommend more aggressive treatments (p = 0.006). The great majority of Level-I and Level-II (91%, ten of eleven), Level-III (81%, thirty-nine of forty-eight), and Level-IV (70%, ninety-two of 131) studies, however, provided either neutral or less-aggressive treatment recommendations. Conclusions: The majority of research presented at POSNA and AAOS meetings over the past two decades fails to support the trend toward increasingly aggressive treatment of pediatric upper extremity fractures. This dichotomy between clinical research and the direction of clinical treatment must be explored in our efforts to provide evidence-based care of pediatric upper extremity fractures.
Controversies in Management of Patent Ductus Arterious in the PretermInfant

The management of patent ductus arteriosus in the preterm infant is one of the areas of clinical care that is subjected to great practice variation. This is sadly one of the consequences of widespread adoption of closure of the patent ductus arteriosus by pharmacological or surgical means without subjecting the treatment approaches to rigorous randomized control trials. The diverse approaches to treatment currently range from early and aggressive closure of the ductus arteriosus to a conservative approach of watchful waiting for spontaneous closure. This review reviews the complex management strategies of the ductus arteriosus highlighting the areas of greatest controversy that need to be addressed in future trials to provide greatest benefit to the vulnerable preterm infant.
Testicular Microlithiasis: What Should You Recommend?

OBJECTIVE. Ultrasound surveillance of patients with testicular microlithiasis (TM) has been recommended because of the reported association between TM and testicular cancer (TC). The purpose of this review is to summarize what is known about TM and discuss recent recommendations. CONCLUSION. The most recent recommendations do not support the use of routine ultrasound surveillance for patients with TM who are at low risk for TC. A template for possible use in reporting TM is also provided.
Global Navigation Satellite System Design Exploration Using a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm

Global navigation systems (GNSS) rely on satellite constellations due to the large viewing area for each satellite and the lack of installing infrastructure. This paper looks at the tradeoff of cost to navigation precision for using different orbits. First monolithic constellations are considered. Then hybrid constellations are formed using satellites in different orbit regimes. The design tradeoffs are created using a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA), coupled with high-fidelity coverage simulations and a cost model based on Satellite Mission Engineering-Space Mission Analysis and Design (SME-SMAD). For this paper, results are shown based on circular orbits. Results show that the MOGA is able to help explore the design space, and may not be needed. LEO constellations are presented as a cost efficient GNSS option for average global Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP) in the 13 range, but require an extensive number of satellites. Hybrid constellations can typically achieve PDOP less than one for the same cost as MEO constellations.
Characterization of the nanostructure of complexes formed by single- or double-stranded oligonucleotides with a cationic surfactant.

We report the use of dynamic light scattering (DLS), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to characterize the nanostructure of complexes formed by either single- or double-stranded oligonucleotides with a cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) in aqueous solution (1 mM Li(2)SO(4)). For single-stranded oligonucleotides 5'-A(20)-3' and 5'-CCCCATTCTAGCAGCCCGGG-3', both the appearance of two Bragg peaks (at 0.14 and 0.28 A(-1)) in SAXS spectra with a spacing of 1:2 and form factor fits to SANS spectra are consistent with the presence of multilamellar vesicles (with, on average, 6-9 layers with a periodicity of 45-48 A). Some samples showed evidence of an additional Bragg peak (at 0.20 A(-1)) associated with periodic packing (with a periodicity of 31 A) of the oligonucleotides within the lamellae of the nanostructure. The nucleotide composition of the single-stranded oligonucleotides was also found to impact the number and size of the complexes formed with CTAB. In contrast to 5'-A(20)-3' and 5'-CCCCATTCTAGCAGCCCGGG-3', 5'-T(20)-3' did not change the state of aggregation of CTAB (globular micelles) over a wide range of oligonucleotide:CTAB charge ratios. These results support the proposition that hydrophobic interactions, as well as electrostatics, play a central role in the formation of complexes between cationic amphiphiles and single-stranded oligonucleotides and thus give rise to nanostructures that depend on nucleotide composition. In contrast to the single-stranded oligonucleotides, for double-stranded oligonucleotides mixed with CTAB, three Bragg peaks (0.13, 0.23, and 0.25 A(-1)) in SAXS spectra with a spacing ratio of 1:√3:√4 and characteristic changes in SANS spectra indicate formation of a hexagonal nanostructure. Also, the composition of the double-stranded oligonucleotides did not measurably impact the nanostructure of complexes formed with CTAB, suggesting that electrostatic interactions dominate the formation of these complexes. Overall, these results provide insights into the intermolecular interactions that occur between cationic amphiphiles and oligonucleotides and establish that single and double-stranded oligonucleotides form complexes with cationic surfactants that differ in nanostructure. The results also provide guidance for the design of oligonucleotide complexes with cationic amphiphiles.
Correlating Li+ Solvation Sheath Structure with Interphasial Chemistry on Graphite

In electrolytes with unique electrochemical signature, the structure of Li+ solvation sheath was quantitatively analyzed in correlation with its electrochemical behavior on graphitic anodes. For th...
Effect of Matching or Overconstraining Knee Laxity During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction on Knee Osteoarthritis and Clinical Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 84-Month Follow-up

Background:The “initial graft tension” applied at the time of graft fixation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery modulates joint contact mechanics, which in turn may promote posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA).Purpose/Hypotheses:The study objectives were to compare clinical, functional, patient-reported, and OA imaging outcomes between 2 different initial laxity-based graft tension cohorts and a matched uninjured control group as well as to evaluate the effects of laxity-based graft tension on OA development at 84-month follow-up. The 2 laxity-based tension protocols were (1) to restore normal anteroposterior (AP) laxity at the time of surgery relative to the contralateral uninjured knee (low-tension group) or (2) to overconstrain AP laxity by 2 mm relative to the contralateral uninjured knee (high-tension group). The hypotheses were that (1) the high-tension group would have improved outcomes and decreased OA compared with the low-tension group after 84 months, and (2) the outcom...
Epidemiological analysis of adolescent AIDS patients receiving HAART in Beijing from 2005 to 2012

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of adolescent AIDS patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy(HAART) in Beijing, and to provide evidence for the formulation of the strategies for AIDS prevention and control. Methods The data from the China Information System for AIDS Control and Prevention were collected to analyze the demographic characteristics, routes of transmission, average baseline CD4+T lymphocyte counts, and the median interval between diagnosis and treatment. Results In Beijing, 390 AIDS patients aged 15-24 received HAART from Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2012, and the number was increasing rapidly every year. Sexual contacts continued to be the major route of transmission, with the increasing proportion of homosexual transmission. Males and the unmarried accounted for the largest proportion(91.0% and 93.1%), with higher level of education. The average baseline CD4+T lymphocyte counts was 219 ±111 cells/mm3, and the median interval between diagnosis and treatment was 3.1 months. Conclusions The number of adolescent AIDS patients receiving HAART has been rising rapidly in recent years in Beijing. Sexual contact is the major route of transmission. Measures should be taken to diagnose and give HAART as earlier as possible.
WADL 2016: Third International Workshop on Web Archiving and Digital Libraries

This workshop will explore integration of Web archiving and digital libraries, so the complete life cycle involved is covered: creation/authoring, uploading/publishing in the Web (2.0), (focused) crawling, indexing, exploration (searching, browsing), archiving (of events), etc. It will include particular coverage of current topics of interest, like: big data, mobile web archiving, and systems (e.g., Memento, SiteStory, Hadoop processing).
Distress-triggered liabilities and the agency costs of debt

This chapter discusses distress-triggered liabilities: contingent obligations of a corporate debtor that are likely to be triggered by the debtor’s own financial distress. Three common examples of such liabilities are loan default penalties, loan prepayment fees such as make-whole premiums, and intragroup guarantees. Because the risk that a distress-triggered liability will become payable correlates positively with the debtor’s insolvency risk, the incurring of the liability shifts expected losses onto the debtor’s general creditors. The result is an incentive-distorting value transfer from creditors to shareholders that generates the agency costs of debt. Bankruptcy courts could prevent these costs by subordinating distress-triggered claims to general creditor claims. Subordination would preserve the positive economic functions of distress-triggered claims, which in most instances require only that the claims be enforceable to the extent the debtor is solvent. A subordination rule would be consistent with both the purpose and the text of the Bankruptcy Code.
Capacitive sensors for measuring complex permittivity of planar and cylindrical structures

With the increasing use of low-conductivity structural and functional materials, there has been a greater need for the efficient and reliable nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of these materials. One approach to evaluate low-conductivity structural and functional materials is to characterize the material dielectric property. In this thesis, capacitive sensors are developed for measuring complex permittivity of planar and cylindrical materials. For each sensor configuration, models are developed to allow for inverse determination of material permittivity from measured capacitance, therefore realizing quantitative characterization of material dielectric properties. In the first half of the thesis, coplanar concentric capacitive sensors are developed to meet the need of detecting water or excessive inhomogeneities caused by repairs in aircraft radome structures. Another important motivation is the absolute dielectric property characterization of laminar structures. Three coplanar sensor configurations are designed: the simple two-electrode concentric configuration, the interdigital spiral and the interdigital concentric configurations. Corresponding numerical models are developed to predict the sensor capacitance for given test-piece structures. The validity of the models is verified by comparing numerical predictions and measurement results. The advantage and disadvantage of each sensor configuration is discussed. For the two-electrode concentric configuration, a prototype handheld probe is also fabricated, and has detected successfully 1 cc of low contrast liquid in a simulated radome structure. Curved patch capacitive sensors, presented in the second half of the thesis, are developed with the motivation of accurate and convenient permittivity measurement of cylindrical structures. It is demonstrated that the permittivity of homogeneous dielectric rods is inferred easily from measured sensor capacitance, based on analytical and numerical models developed here. Another practical application of the curved patch capacitive sensors is the quantitative evaluation of aircraft wiring insulation condition. In this work, wires are modeled as cylindrical dielectrics with a conductive core. A numerical relationship between the complex permittivity of the insulation and the sensor capacitance and dissipation factor is established. A prototype probe, developed based on this model, has distinguished successfully degraded wires from the control ones. The feasibility of utilizing the presented capacitive approach for quantitative evaluation of aircraft wiring insulation condition is demonstrated. Although the development of the capacitive sensors in this thesis is motivated by aerospace engineering related applications, results presented in this work have the potential to be applied to other engineering fields. Potential sensor applications and recommended future research are suggested at the end of the thesis.
The Relationship of Lid Wiper Epitheliopathy to Ocular Surface Signs and Symptoms

Purpose:There has been interest in determining whether lid wiper epitheliopathy (LWE) plays a key role in causing ocular discomfort. Conflicting reports have made it difficult to discern whether LWE is more prevalent in certain populations, what characteristics are associated with its severity, and what its role is in symptomology. This cross-sectional study on a large and diverse population attempts to answer these questions. Methods:Subjects were asked to complete questionnaires related to dry eye and to ocular discomfort. A comprehensive set of ocular surface parameters were assessed, including LWE length and width, tear-film lipid layer thickness, fluorescein tear breakup time (FTBUT), lid-parallel conjunctival folds (LIPCOF), and corneal staining. Results:A total of 287 subjects participated in the study. LWE was observed in 45% of the study cohort and was twice as prevalent in Asians than non-Asians (P < 0.005). LWE was more likely to present in contact lens wearers than non-contact lens wearers (P = 0.03). Decreased FTBUT was associated with increased LWE length and width (P < 0.005 and P = 0.01, respectively), although only a small effect size was noted. Presence of LIPCOF was linked with a 0.25-grade increase in LWE width (P = 0.01). Only LWE width was associated with greater symptoms in contact lens wearers. Conclusions:LWE was associated with decreased tear-film stability, contact lens wear, lid anatomy, and LIPCOF. LWE was not associated with symptoms in non-contact lens wearers. LWE width was associated with greater symptoms in contact lens wearers but was only clinically significant with moderate to severe LWE width.
Transcripts of immune cell surface proteins from tumor samples to predict patient clinical outcome.

32Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide, and its incidence and mortality are rapidly increasing in the US. Treatments for advanced HCC...
Play and Emotion

The most important feature in interpreting observed emotions in both humans and animals is the context in which the assumed emotion occurs. The same can be said for play. Wrestling between two individuals can be interpreted as either aggressive or playful depending on the amount of self-handicapping, mutual pauses, and damaging fighting tactics that occur during the wrestling bout. Play and emotion are intimately intertwined, and this relationship provides an invaluable context in which to study emotions. In this chapter, we discuss the inherent difficulties in the investigation of play and emotion. We also consider the roles of solitary and social play behavior in individuals’ acquisition of both physical and mental skills, including the manner in which play may facilitate the manipulation of one’s own emotions in pretense and the ability to correctly interpret and respond to a play partner’s emotions.
Customizable Computing—From Single Chip to Datacenters

Since its establishment in 2009, the Center for Domain-Specific Computing (CDSC) has focused on customizable computing. We believe that future computing systems will be customizable with extensive use of accelerators, as custom-designed accelerators often provide 10–100X performance/energy efficiency over the general-purpose processors. Such an accelerator-rich architecture presents a fundamental departure from the classical von Neumann architecture, which emphasizes efficient sharing of the executions of different instructions on a common pipeline, providing an elegant solution when the computing resource is scarce. In contrast, the accelerator-rich architecture features heterogeneity and customization for energy efficiency; this is better suited for energy-constrained designs where the silicon resource is abundant and spatial computing is favored—which has been the case with the end of Dennard scaling. Currently, customizable computing has garnered great interest; for example, this is evident by Intel’s $17 billion acquisition of Altera in 2015 and Amazon’s introduction of field-programmable gate-arrays (FPGAs) in its AWS public cloud. In this paper, we present an overview of the research programs and accomplishments of CDSC on customizable computing, from single chip to server node and to datacenters, with extensive use of composable accelerators and FPGAs. We highlight our successes in several application domains, such as medical imaging, machine learning, and computational genomics. In addition to architecture innovations, an equally important research dimension enables automation for customized computing. This includes automated compilation for combining source-code-level transformation for high-level synthesis with efficient parameterized architecture template generations, and efficient runtime support for scheduling and transparent resource management for integration of FPGAs for datacenter-scale acceleration with support to the existing programming interfaces, such as MapReduce, Hadoop, and Spark, for large-scale distributed computation. We will present the latest progress in these areas, and also discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Alterations in Striatal microRNA-mRNA Networks Contribute to Neuroinflammation in Multiple System Atrophy.

Multiple systems atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein in glial cells and neurodegeneration in the striatum, substantia nigra, and cerebellum. Aberrant miRNA regulation has been associated with neurodegeneration, including alterations of specific miRNAs in brain tissue, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid from MSA patients. Still, a causal link between deregulation of miRNA networks and pathological changes in the transcriptome remains elusive. We profiled ~ 800 miRNAs in the striatum of MSA patients in comparison to healthy individuals to identify specific miRNAs altered in MSA. In addition, we performed a parallel screening of 700 transcripts associated with neurodegeneration to determine the impact of miRNA deregulation on the transcriptome. We identified 60 miRNAs with abnormal levels in MSA brains that are involved in extracellular matrix receptor interactions, prion disease, inflammation, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and addiction pathways. Using the correlation between miRNA expression and the abundance of their known targets, miR-124-3p, miR-19a-3p, miR-27b-3p, and miR-29c-3p were identified as key regulators altered in MSA, mainly contributing to neuroinflammation. Finally, our study also uncovered a potential link between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and MSA pathologies that involves miRNAs and deregulation of BACE1. Our results provide a comprehensive appraisal of miRNA alterations in MSA and their effect on the striatal transcriptome, supporting that aberrant miRNA expression is highly correlated with changes in gene transcription associated with MSA neuropathology, in particular those driving inflammation, disrupting myelination, and potentially impacting α-synuclein accumulation via deregulation of autophagy and prion mechanisms.
History and practice: a commentary on play history as a lens for pedagogical reflection

In this commentary, pedagogical reflection is examined through the lens of a practitioners’ personal memories of childhood play. The telling of these stories uncovers and describes the ways in whic...
Presidential Power to Protect Dreamers: Abusive or Proper?

Many young undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, affectionately known as “Dreamers,” enjoy substantial protection from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. President Trump’s administration is attempting to withdraw this protection, purportedly in an effort to promote the rule of law by limiting executive overreach into matters of congressional concern. This Essay argues that the attempted rescission of DACA is not only out of step with broadly held American values, but premised on a flawed vision of the relationship between the legislative and executive branches. Our constitutional tradition wisely grants the President flexibility to make social policy through enforcement discretion, within the broad legal contours drawn by Congress. DACA is a legitimate exercise of that presidential power.
Monocular-Based Pose Determination of Uncooperative Space Objects

Abstract Vision-based methods to determine the relative pose of an uncooperative orbiting object are investigated in applications to spacecraft proximity operations, such as on-orbit servicing, spacecraft formation flying, and small bodies exploration. Depending on whether the object is known or unknown, a shape model of the orbiting target object may have to be constructed autonomously in real-time by making use of only optical measurements. The Simultaneous Estimation of Pose and Shape (SEPS) algorithm that does not require a priori knowledge of the pose and shape of the target is presented. This makes use of a novel measurement equation and filter that can efficiently use optical flow information along with a star tracker to estimate the target's angular rotational and translational relative velocity as well as its center of gravity. Depending on the mission constraints, SEPS can be augmented by a more accurate offline, on-board 3D reconstruction of the target shape, which allows for the estimation of the pose as a known target. The use of Structure from Motion (SfM) for this purpose is discussed. A model-based approach for pose estimation of known targets is also presented. The architecture and implementation of both the proposed approaches are elucidated and their performance metrics are evaluated through numerical simulations by using a dataset of images that are synthetically generated according to a chaser/target relative motion in Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO).
Migrant Communities and Participatory Research Partnerships in the Neoliberal University

Participatory research holds the potential to decolonize knowledge production and put research into action to advance social justice aims and the concerns of participant communities. Participatory approaches are becoming more accepted, yet the output and impact demands researchers must fulfil remain mismatched to participatory work, driven instead by a neoliberal academic model. In this context, I see a cautionary tale in the history of participatory practices among international development institutions, where participation was brought into the mainstream but in the process hollowed out and de-radicalized. Reflecting on my experiences with two participatory research projects over the course of my PhD studies, I ask whether the incomplete opening for participatory research could similarly push research in particular directions. Specifically, I consider whether participatory work with strong organizational partners will be structurally favored over potential partnerships with non-organized or highly marginalized communities and groups.
Regulatory focus and social reconnection following social exclusion

Promotion- and prevention-focused people are differentially sensitive to situational gains and losses, thus we reasoned that people's state regulatory focus following social exclusion should influence whether a social reconnection opportunity is perceived as safe (i.e., will exclusion persist or abate). To create an exclusion condition, all participants believed that other ostensible participants read their personal essay and chose not to work with them (i.e., all participants were excluded). Following the exclusion, participants rated how much they wanted to work with a new partner whose personality was depicted as a safe or unsafe reconnection opportunity. We expected and found that participants who held a prevention focus were willing to work with the partner, but only when the opportunity was perceived as safe. By comparison, participants who held a promotion focus were willing to work with the partner regardless of the opportunity's safety. The relationship between social reconnection safety and regulatory focus and its effect on social reconnection efforts is discussed.
Hegemonic instability: complex interdependence and the dynamics of financial crisis in the contemporary international system:

International Relations scholars have long recognized the need to study the complex interdependencies of the international economy in order to understand the economic sources of national power and ...