cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast sparse 2-D DFT computation using sparse-graph alias codes

We present a novel algorithm, named the 2D-FFAST (Two-dimensional Fast Fourier Aliasing-based Sparse Transform), to compute a sparse 2D-Discrete Fourier Transform (2D-DFT) featuring both low sample and computational complexity. The proposed algorithm is based on diverse concepts from signal processing (sub-sampling and aliasing), coding theory (sparse-graph codes) and number theory (Chinese-remainder-theorem) and generalizes the 1D-FFAST algorithm recently proposed by Pawar and Ramchandran [1, 2] to the 2D setting. Concretely, our proposed 2D-FFAST algorithm computes a k-sparse 2D-DFT, with a uniformly random support, of size N = Nx × Ny using O(k) noiseless spatial-domain measurements in O(k log k) computational time. Our results are attractive when the sparsity is sub-linear with respect to the signal dimension, that is, when k _ ∞ and k/N → 0. For the case when the spatial-domain measurements are corrupted by additive noise, our 2D-FFAST framework extends to a noise-robust version of computing a 2D-DFT using O(k log3 N) measurements in sub-linear time of O(klog4 N). Empirically, we show that the 2D-FFAST can compute a k = 3509 sparse 2D-DFT of a 508 × 508-size phantom image using only 4.75k measurements. We also empirically evaluate the 2D-FFAST algorithm on a real-world magnetic resonance brain image using a total of 60.18% of Fourier measurements to provide an almost instant reconstruction with SNR=4.5 dB. This provides empirical evidence that the 2D-FFAST architecture is applicable to a wider class of input signals than analyzed theoretically in the paper.
Gender specificity of resting anterior electroencephalographic asymmetry and defensiveness in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE It has been reported that defensiveness in women is associated with relative left-frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) activation, while defensiveness in men is associated with relative right-frontal EEG activation. The present study examined whether this result generalized to men and women between the ages of 58 and 70. DESIGN The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSD) and EEG testing were used to examine relationships between gender, defensiveness, and anterior asymmetry. PARTICIPANTS Men (n = 18) and women (n = 54) between the ages of 58 and 70 (mean age = 64.22, standard deviation = 3.003) were recruited from Tucson and surrounding areas of Pima County, Arizona. They were selected from among participants in an integrative health sciences study of aging that took place between 1991 and 1993. METHOD Subjects were divided into high-defensive and low-defensive groups based on a median split on the MCSD. EEGs were recorded from 19 channels (standard 10-20 montage), referenced to linked ears, and digitalized on-line at 128 Hz (band pass 2-32 Hz) during consecutive 60-second eyes-open and eyes-closed baselines. Two-second epochs containing bioelectric artifacts > 50 microvolts were eliminated from analyses. Average alpha (8-13 Hz) power (microV2)) was computed by Fast Fourier Transform and natural log (ln) transformed for normalization. Asymmetry scores were computed (log[right]-log[left]) for F4-F3, Fp2-Fp1, F8-F7, C4-C3, T4-T3, T6-T5, P4-P3, and O2-O1 for aggregated eyes-open and eyes-closed baselines. R-L asymmetry scores were analyzed for the aggregate frontal lead pairs, as well as for each pair separately. RESULTS Findings were similar to those previously reported in that the direction of the relationship in men and women was the same. The results differed in that we found left-frontal activation in low-defensive men, whereas the previous study found right-frontal activation in high-defensive men. Furthermore, although in the same direction, the relationship for women was nonsignificant. CONCLUSION These differences may have been due to the age of the participants, a lax impedence criterion, or the use of the MCSD rather than the L scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, as in the earlier study. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that gender differences in the relationship between resting anterior EEG asymmetry and defensiveness may persist throughout the life span.
Running on Empty: Fuel Cells to the Rescue?

A fuel cell is an electrochemical power source with advantages of both the combustion engine and the battery. Like a combustion engine, a fuel cell will run as long as it is provided fuel; and like a battery, fuel cells convert chemical energy directly to electrical energy. As an electrochemical power source, fuel cells are not subject to the Carnot limitations of combustion (heat) engines.
Fuzzy Lines: Using the Best-Selling Novel to Illustrate the Blurring Boundaries of “Public”

Privatization, contracting out, and a host of other current trends blur the line between public and private—they create what at best is a fuzzy line. This study examines yet one additional area where the lines between public and private have gotten even fuzzier—the best selling novel. It uses the writings of Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler,two authors whose names on a novel guarantee best-seller status. It will do so in the context of what a civic community and civil society are, and how they relate to the public-private question, a question that has renewed life in public administration.
Transparent, conductive solution processed spincast 2D Ti2CTx (MXene) films

ABSTRACTHerein, we spincast aqueous colloidal Ti2CTx (MXene) solutions into conductive, transparent films with figures of merit (FOM), that are as good as Ti3C2Tx or un-doped chemically vapor-deposited graphene. When normalized by the number of transition metal atoms, the FOM is the highest ever reported for a MXene film. At about 2.7 × 105 cm–1 the absorbance coefficient of Ti2CTx is quite comparable to that of Ti3C2Tx. Quantitative relationships between film properties—conductance and transparency—and colloidal solution concentration and spin speeds are developed providing a road map for future work.
Fish communities and juvenile habitat associated with non-native Rhizophora mangle L. in Hawai‘i

There are many well-documented ecosystem services for which mangroves have received protection globally; however, in Hawai‘i, where no species of mangroves are native, these services have not been thoroughly evaluated. Twelve permanently open stream mouth estuaries on O‘ahu were sampled from September to October 2014. Abiotic factors and fish community data were correlated with percent mangrove cover and the Landscape Development Intensity Index to examine potential relationships among mangroves, humans, and fish communities. The three most abundant species, of 20 species caught, were Kuhlia xenura, Mugil cephalus, and Mulloidichthys flavolineatus. Of these three native species, 99% of the individuals caught were juveniles indicating the overall importance of stream mouth estuaries as juvenile habitat. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis of fish community data showed that K. xenura, M. cephalus, and Lutjanus fulvus were more abundant in shallower sites with lower salinity and higher percent mangrove cover. Stream mouth estuaries with mangroves are important juvenile habitats for the native K. xenura and M. cephalus and the non-native Osteomugil engeli. These species, two of which are important in recreational and subsistence fisheries, will be most likely affected by mangrove removal based on abundance and distribution in mangrove-dominated stream mouth estuaries.
Translating the 2-dimensional mammogram into a 3-dimensional breast: Identifying factors that influence the movement of pre-operatively placed wire.

Background: Pre-operative measurements from the skin to a wire-localized breast lesion can differ from operating room measurements. This study was designed to measure the discrepancies and study factors that may contribute to wire movement. Methods: Prospective data were collected on patients who underwent wire localization lumpectomy. Clip and hook location, breast size, density, and direction of wire placement were the main focus of the analysis. Results: Wire movement was more likely with longer distance from skin to hook or clip, larger breast size (especially if “fatty”), longer time between wire placement and surgery start time, and medial wire placement in larger breast. Age, body mass index, presence of mass, malignant diagnosis, tumor grade, and clip distance to the chest wall were not associated with wire movement. A longer distance from skin to hook correlated with larger specimen volume. Conclusions: Translation of the lesion location from a 2-dimensional mammogram into 3-dimensional breasts is sometimes discrepant because of movement of the localizing wire. Breast size, distance of skin to clip or hook, and wire exit site in larger breasts have a significant impact on wire movement. This information may guide the surgeon's skin incision and extent of excision.
Bone Marrow Transplantation: A Review:

The indications for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) continue to expand as supportive care improves and alternative stem cell sources have been exploited. The application of allogeneic BMT has exp...
Life Cycle Inventory Analysis of the Wood Pallet Repair Process in the United States

Summary This study developed gate-to-gate life cycle inventory (LCI) data for the repair of 48 by 40 inch (1,219 by 1,016 millimeter [mm]) stringer-class wood pallets in the United States. Data were collected from seven wood pallet repair facilities. Approximately 1.98 FBM (foot, board measure) (4.67E-03 cubic meters) of lumber were used for repairing each 48 by 40 inch (1,219 by 1,016 mm) stringer-class wood pallet, the majority (97%) recovered from damaged pallets received by the pallet repair facilities. Repair equipment powered by electricity made the largest contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Steel nails used for the pallet repair had the largest contribution to GHG emissions among the material inputs, while use of recovered lumber yielded the largest GHG emissions credits. Overall, the repair process for a 48 by 40 inch (1,219 by 1,016 mm) stringer-class wood pallet had GHG credits rather than a positive GHG emission due to the GHG offsets from co-products.
Modeling protein structural transitions as a multiobjective optimization problem

Proteins of importance to human biology can populate significantly different three-dimensional (3d) structures at equilibrium. By doing so, a protein is able to interface with different molecules in the cell and so modulate its function. A structure-by-structure characterization of a protein's transition between two structures is central to elucidate the role of structural dynamics in regulating molecular interactions, understand the impact of sequence mutations on function, and design molecular therapeutics. Much wet- and dry-laboratory research is devoted to characterizing structural transitions. Computational approaches rely on constructing a full or partial, structured representation of the energy landscape that organizes structures by potential energy. The representation readily yields one or more paths that consist of series of structures connecting start and goal structures of interest. In this paper, we propose instead to cast the problem of computing transition paths as a multiobjective optimization one. We identify two desired characteristics of computed paths, energetic cost and structural resolution, and propose a novel evolutionary algorithm (EA) to compute low-cost and highresolution paths. The EA evolves paths representing a specific structural excursion without a priori constructing the energy landscape. Preliminary applications suggest the EA is effective while operating under a reasonable computational budget.
Physiologic responses to electrically assisted and frame-supported standing in persons with paraplegia.

Background: Systems of functional electrical stimulation (FES) have been demonstrated to enable some persons with paraplegia to stand and ambulate limited distances. However, the energy costs and a...
Physiological studies on Phymatotrichum omnivorum X. Influence of nitrogen sources on free and bound amino acid pools

The effect of nitrogen source on the free and bound amino acids of mycelium of Phymatotrichum omnivorum (Shear) Dugg was investigated. The largest free amino acid pool was present in the natural medium and the smallest in the synthetic medium. Phymatotrichum omnivorum was able to utilize different nitrogen sources with the best growth occurring with NH4NO3. The ratio of glycine to alanine and aspartic to glutamic was around 0.25 in the free amino acid pool and around 1 in the bound amino acid pool. The free pool of glutamic acid ranged from 5.6 % to 27.2 % depending upon the nitrogen source in the media. The free pool of alanine ranged from 35.7 % to 17.2 % in relation to the nitrogen source. Most other amino acid ratios did not vary significantly between the free amino acids and the bound amino acids.
OUTCOMES AFTER TRANSTHORACIC, PERIPHERAL VASCULAR AND TRANSFEMORAL TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE IMPLANTATION: A PROPENSITY ANALYSIS FROM FRANCE TAVI REGISTRY

According to PARTNER 2 (2016), Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is non inferior to surgery in intermediate risk patient. Furthermore, TAVR through a transfemoral access might be superior to surgery (second cohort, not designed for superiority) while TAVR through other access sites,
Advances in neutronic capability for fusion reactor design optimization

Three advances in neutronic computational capability are described: (1) conception of `equal system cost material effectiveness functions`; (2) derivation of nuclide inventory perturbation theory; and (3) development of multi-constraint optimization method. These advances provide insightful information on the design; open possibilities for improving the effectiveness of fusion reactor design process; and may lead to improved designs. 22 refs.
Transgenic creeping bentgrass with delayed dollar spot symptoms

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds) is animportant turfgrass used on golf course greens and fairways. It is susceptibleto a number of fungal pathogens and requires considerable fungicide use fordisease control. Transgenic approaches may be useful in improving the level ofdisease resistance. We have generated transgenic creeping bentgrass plantsexpressing PR5K from Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Henyh. PR5Kis a receptor protein kinase whose extracellular domain is homologous to thePR5family of pathogenesis-related proteins. In a field test of plants inoculatedwith the fungal pathogen dollar spot (Sclerotiniahomoeocarpa F.T. Bennett) four of the eight transgenic lines showeddelays in disease expression of 29 to 45 days, relative to the control plants.
A Thematic Approach to User Similarity Built on Geosocial Check-ins

Computing user similarity is key for personalized location-based recommender systems and geographic information retrieval. So far, most existing work has focused on structured or semi-structured data to establish such measures. In this work, we propose topic modeling to exploit sparse, unstructured data, e.g., tips and reviews, as an additional feature to compute user similarity. Our model employs diagnosticity weighting based on the entropy of topics in order to assess the role of commonalities and variabilities between similar users. Finally, we offer a validation technique and results using data from the location-based social network Foursquare.
Integrating planning and reacting in a heterogeneous asynchronous architecture for controlling real-world mobile robots

This paper presents a heterogeneous, asynchronous architecture for controlling autonomous mobile robots which is capable of controlling a robot performing multiple tasks in real time in noisy, unpredictable environments. The architecture produces behavior which is reliable, task-directed (and taskable), and reactive to contingencies. Experiments on real and simulated realworld robots are described. The architecture smoothly integrates planning and reacting by performing these two functions asynchronously using heterogeneous architectural elements, and using the results of planning to guide the robot's actions but not to control them directly. The architecture can thus be viewed as a concrete implementation of Agre and Chapman's plans-ascommunications theory. The central result of this work is to show that completely unmodified classical AI programming methodologies using centralized world models can be usefully incorporated into real-world embedded reactive systems.
Multi-view augmented reality with a drone

This paper presents some early results from an exploration into Augmented Reality (AR) applications where users have access to controllable alternative viewing positions based on a camera mounted unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). These results include a system specification that defines and identifies the requirements of multi-view AR; and a demo application where the user can switch between the traditional first person and third person view. While being an initial step in the investigation, the results do illustrate practical applications for multi-view AR functionality. The paper concludes with a discussion on the next steps for the investigation.
A gel phase promotes condensation of liquid P granules in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos

RNA granules are subcellular compartments that are proposed to form by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a thermodynamic process that partitions molecules between dilute liquid phases and condensed liquid phases. The mechanisms that localize liquid phases in cells, however, are not fully understood. P granules are RNA granules that form in the posterior of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Theoretical studies have suggested that spontaneous LLPS of the RNA-binding protein PGL-3 with RNA drives the assembly of P granules. We find that the PGL-3 phase is intrinsically labile and requires a second phase for stabilization in embryos. The second phase is formed by gel-like assemblies of the disordered protein MEG-3 that associate with liquid PGL-3 droplets in the embryo posterior. Co-assembly of gel phases and liquid phases confers local stability and long-range dynamics, both of which contribute to localized assembly of P granules. Our findings suggest that condensation of RNA granules can be regulated spatially by gel-like polymers that stimulate LLPS locally in the cytoplasm.
Insights in public health: Promoting healthy snack and beverage choices in Hawai'i worksites: the Choose Healthy Now! pilot project.

Over half of the adults in Hawai‘i are overweight or obese, exposing them to increased risk for chronic diseases and resulting in higher health care expenses. Poor dietary habits and physical inactivity are important contributors to obesity and overweight. Because adults spend most of their waking hours at work, the workplace is an important setting for interventions to solve this growing problem. Changing the nutrition environment to support healthy eating is a recommended practice for worksite wellness interventions. Following this recommendation, the Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) launched the Choose Healthy Now! Healthy Vending Pilot Project to increase access to healthy options in worksites. Choose Healthy Now! utilized an education campaign and a traffic light nutrition coding system (green = go, yellow = slow, red = uh-oh), based on federal nutrition guidelines, to help employees identify the healthier options in their worksite snack shops. Inventory of healthy items was increased and product placement techniques were used to help make the healthy choice the easy choice. DOH partnered with the Department of Human Services' Ho‘opono Vending Program to pilot the project in six government buildings on O‘ahu between May and September of 2014. Vendors added new green (healthy) and yellow (intermediate) options to their snack shop and cafeteria inventories, and labeled their snacks and beverages with green and yellow point-of-decision stickers. The following article outlines background and preliminary findings from the Choose Healthy Now! pilot.
Guillaume Grumsel and the Poetics of Eucharistic Desire

In this article, I examine a collection of eucharistic elegies entitled Iucundi sacrae synaxeos amores (The Delightful Loves of the Sacred Synaxis, 1659) by the seventeenth-century Neo-Latin poet a...
Abstract 3697: Optimization of human cancer cell xenografts into zebrafish larvae for high-throughput drug screening

The use of zebrafish in cancer xenograft models has grown rapidly in recent years. This is primarily due to the fact that this model takes advantage of the ease of in vivo imaging and the high-throughput screening capabilities that zebrafish have to offer. However, researchers have yet to come to a consensus on standardized procedure to utilize zebrafish for xenograft of human cells. This study aims to optimize a zebrafish xenografting protocol for various human cancers with the intention of performing high-throughput drug screening. We tested the survival of 3 different zebrafish strains when incubated at 28°C, 34°C and 37°C. There was no difference in survival between the AB, SAT, and Casper strains of zebrafish at any temperature. Human leukemia, breast, lung, colon, and brain cancer cell lines were fluorescently labelled with Vybrant DiI cell staining dye and injected at a concentration of 100, 250, 500, or 1000 cells per 2nL droplet volume into dechorionated 2-day-old zebrafish embryos. The injection sites used were the brain, caudal vein, duct of Cuvier (DC), eye, pericardium, perivitelline space (PVS), and yolk sac. As expected, injections became more difficult and time consuming when using higher cell counts as the injector needle clogged more often. Similarly, injection sites that required more precision like the caudal vein or eye took the longest to inject successfully and had lower engraftment rates than sites like the yolk or DC. We determined that using 500 cells per injection was optimal as engraftment level was comparable to 1,000 cell injections but had improved survival and reduced injection time. Optimal injection site varied between cell lines, but overall, injections into the duct of Cuvier resulted in consistently high survival and engraftment rates with one of the lowest injection times. We are in the process of determining the extent to which the injection site affects chemotherapy response on human cells implanted into zebrafish. We are also preforming a high-throughput drug screen on human leukemia cells implanted into zebrafish to provide proof-of-principle that these methods are useful in identifying novel anti-cancer compounds. In total, this work will establish standard operating procedures for use of xenograft in zebrafish, providing new opportunities in personalized medicine and drug discovery. Citation Format: Stephen R. Dockins, Jessica S. Blackburn, Meghan G. Haney, Bradley Wilson. Optimization of human cancer cell xenografts into zebrafish larvae for high-throughput drug screening [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3697.
Performance of controlled release dispensers for grandlure, the pheromone of the boll weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Comparison of laboratory-measured release rates with boll weevil captures showed that dispensers containing 10 mg of grandlure with a release rate of 10 μg/hr or higher generally produced weevil ca...
Contributions of Sintering and Coarsening to Densification: A Thermodynamic Approach

Past sintering concepts detailed the mass transport for two particles, but because two particles cannot define a pore, they ignored the void phase within the powder compact defined by the network of touching particles. Recent thermodynamic treatments of particle networks have shown that densification is not only limited by mass-transport kinetics, but is also limited by thermodynamic considerations. Specifically, these treatments show that the network can only disappear as the configuration changes through coarsening phenomena. That is, coarsening phenomena reinitiate sintering and lead to densification. These new concepts predict that densification is predictably related to grain growth.
Specifics of the Mn2(CO)10 photomediated synthesis of PVDF block copolymers

Abstract Main chain fluorinated alkenes such as vinylidene fluoride (VDF) afford a very important class of specialty, high-end polymeric materials. However, their iodine degenerative transfer (IDT) controlled radical polymerization and their block copolymer synthesis still suffer from the unavailability of functionalized X-RF-I initiators for couplings, a poor mechanistic understanding of the PVDF-I chain ends dependence on conversion, as well as from the lack of appropriate activating systems. Thus, the study and applications of complex fluorinated assemblies still lag behind those associated with conventional monomers. Metal mediated photopolymerizations offer fast optimization and novel chemistry toward complex fluorinated structures. Thus, although the fraction of the reactive PVDF-CH2-CF2-I decreases, and that of the unreactive PVDF-CF2-CH2-I IDT-derived PVDF chain ends increases with VDF conversion, the total iodine PVDF chain end functionality remains > 90 % for difunctional I-RF-I initiators. As such, stoichiometric use of photoactive complexes including Mn2(CO)10, Re2(CO)10, Cp2W2(CO)6, Cp2Mo(CO)6, and Cp2Fe2(CO)4 afford quantitative activation of both iodine termini toward the synthesis of well-defined PVDF block copolymers with styrenes, acrylates, dienes, etc. via a free radical polymerization. Conversely, at low Mn2(CO)10 loadings, the IDT of the second monomer can occur from the PVDF-CH2-CF2-I chain end, leading to a certain increase in the block molecular weight with time, but the blocks are not well-defined.
Potential roles of nitrate and nitrite in nitric oxide metabolism in the eye

Nitric oxide (NO) signaling has been studied in the eye, including in the pathophysiology of some eye diseases. While NO production by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes in the eye has been characterized, the more recently described pathways of NO generation by nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) ions reduction has received much less attention. To elucidate the potential roles of these pathways, we analyzed nitrate and nitrite levels in components of the eye and lacrimal glands, primarily in porcine samples. Nitrate and nitrite levels were higher in cornea than in other eye parts, while lens contained the least amounts. Lacrimal glands exhibited much higher levels of both ions compared to other organs, such as liver and skeletal muscle, and even to salivary glands which are known to concentrate these ions. Western blotting showed expression of sialin, a known nitrate transporter, in the lacrimal glands and other eye components, and also xanthine oxidoreductase, a nitrate and nitrite reductase, in cornea and sclera. Cornea and sclera homogenates possessed a measurable amount of nitrate reduction activity. These results suggest that nitrate ions are concentrated in the lacrimal glands by sialin and can be secreted into eye components via tears and then reduced to nitrite and NO, thereby being an important source of NO in the eye.
Healthy Choices Intervention is Associated with Reductions in Stigma Among Youth Living with HIV in the United States (ATN 129)

Considering the lack of validated stigma reduction interventions for youth living with HIV (YLWH), we evaluated effects of the Healthy Choices intervention on HIV-related stigma among YLWH. We analyzed data from the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network protocol 129, multi-site randomized controlled trial, applying latent growth curve modeling with two linear slopes estimating changes in Berger’s Stigma Scale pre-intervention, 16, 28, and 52 weeks post-intervention, as well as the trajectory of stigma scores over the follow-up period (N = 183). Expected value for the growth intercept was statistically significant (Bintercept = 2.53; 95% CI 2.32, 2.73; p < 0.001), as were differences in the change from baseline to 16-week follow-up (Bintercept slope1 = − 0.02; 95% CI − 0.04, 0.01; p = 0.034). Expected value of the slope factor measuring growth over the follow-up period was non-significant suggesting that stigma scores were stable from 28 to 52 weeks. Our findings warrant replication and additional research comparing effects of this intervention to counterfactual controls.
Rural-urban gap in academic performance at a highly selective Chinese university: variations and determinants

Rural students’ academic performance is of critical importance for college success and later life outcomes. Prior literature on the rural-urban gap in academic performance has produced mixed result...
The chemotherapeutic efficacy of imidocarb dihydrochloride on concurrent bovine anaplasmosis and babesiosis

The chemotherapeutic efficacy of imidocarb dihydrochloride (3,3′-bis(2-imidazolin-2 yl) carbanilide dihydrochloride) administered as single intramuscular doses of 1·0, 2·0 and 2·5 mg/kg, against concurrent bovine anaplasmosis and babesiosis, is reported. Dosages of 2·0 and 2·5 mg/kg of imidocarb dihydrochloride rapidly inhibited acute ascending concurrent parasitaemias ofAnaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina andBabesia argentina; however, 1·0 mg/kg had a minimal effect onA. marginale but was very effective againstB. bigemina andB. argentina. Imidocarb dihydrochloride at 1·0, 2·0 and 2·5 mg/kg inhibited the development of immunity of the acuteBabesia spp. infections, making the calves more susceptible to babesiosis upon challenge. The inhibition ofA. marginale parasitaemias was directly related to increasing doses of imidocarb dihydrochloride; however, recrudescing and persisting post-treatment parasitaemias also occurred more frequently at higher doses.
Predictors of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized patients with inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer: A retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Introduction Venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colon cancer (CC) increases morbidity and mortality. Risk of thrombosis in IBD and CC is well established. Still, it remains unclear how interaction of thrombotic properties in patients with both diseases predict development of VTE. Materials and methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was sourced (2005–2014) for data on patients admitted with IBD-CC who developed VTE. The main outcome was predictors of VTE. Secondary outcomes were length of stay and total charge of admission. Results 7625 adults were admitted from 2005 to 2014 with a co-diagnosis of IBD and CC. 197 (2.6%) were coded to have VTE as a top three diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression showed that black patients (11.9% vs 6.0%; aOR 2.04, 95% CI = 1.26–3.31, P Conclusions Patients with IBD and CC likely have unique procoagulant properties that differ from patients with IBD or CC alone. Knowledge of these predictors can assist efforts to risk stratify IBC-CC patients, and can aid development of an individualized approach to DVT prophylaxis in this population.
Calculating likelihoods and likelihood ratios at SNPs-based mixtures. A reappraisal of the binomial inference, as applied to forensic identity tests

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are useful forensic markers. When a SNPs-based forensic protocol targets a body fluid stain, it returns elementary evidence regardless of the number of individuals that might have contributed to the stain deposition. Therefore, drawing inference from a mixed stain with SNPs is different than drawing it while using multinomial polymorphisms. We here revisit this subject, with a view to contribute to a fresher insight into it. First, we manage to model conditional semi-continuous likelihoods in terms of matrices of genotype permutations vs number of contributors (NTZsc). Secondly, we redefine some algebraic formulas to approach the semi-continuous calculation. To address allelic dropouts, we introduce a peak height ratio index (‘h’, or: the minor read divided by the major read at any NGS-based typing result) into the semi-continuous formulas, for they to act as an acceptable proxy of the ‘split drop’ (Haned et al, 2012) model of calculation. Secondly, we introduce a new, empirical method to deduct the expected quantitative ratio at which the contributors of a mixture have originally mixed and the observed ratio generated by each genotype combination at each locus. Compliance between observed and expected quantity ratios is measured in terms of (1-χ2 ) values at each state of a locus deconvolution. These probability values are multiplied, along with the h index, to the relevant population probabilities to weigh the overall plausibility of each combination according to the quantitative perspective. We compare calculation performances of our empirical procedure (NITZq) with those of the EUROFORMIX software ver. 3.0.3. NITZq generates LR values a few orders of magnitude lower than EUROFORMIX when true contributors are used as POIs, but much lower LR values when false contributors are used as POIs. NITZ calculation routines may be useful, especially in combination with mass genomics typing protocols.
A New Facility for Studying Shock-Wave Passage Over Dust Layers

To predict dust layer entrainment into the post shock gas flow, it is important to understand the initial motion of the particles. Previous work has been performed to enrich the dust dispersion knowledge
Nanotechnology in cancer therapeutics: cerium oxide nanomaterials as cancer therapeutic agents

Abstract In recent years, nanotechnology has played a significant role in biomedical research especially in the therapeutics arena. Numerous nanomaterials have been developed for a variety of applications from medical imaging to drug delivery and nanotherapeutics. Herein, we describe a few different methods for the synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles to be used in cancer therapeutics. Cerium oxide nanoparticles' diverse behavior in the biological environment has encouraged the researcher to explore it as therapeutic agents especially in cancer therapeutics. Cerium oxide nanoparticles display antioxidant behavior similar to the biological antioxidant molecules due to their unique redox capabilities present onto their nanoparticle surface. This antioxidative potential has been explored in a variety of ways and in combination with other potential drugs for application in cancer therapeutics. The different procedures discussed are dextran, folic acid, and citrate-based synthesis of cerium oxide nanomaterials.
Heteroscedastic Temporal Variational Autoencoder For Irregularly Sampled Time Series.

Irregularly sampled time series commonly occur in several domains where they present a significant challenge to standard deep learning models. In this paper, we propose a new deep learning framework for probabilistic interpolation of irregularly sampled time series that we call the Heteroscedastic Temporal Variational Autoencoder (HeTVAE). HeTVAE includes a novel input layer to encode information about input observation sparsity, a temporal VAE architecture to propagate uncertainty due to input sparsity, and a heteroscedastic output layer to enable variable uncertainty in output interpolations. Our results show that the proposed architecture is better able to reflect variable uncertainty through time due to sparse and irregular sampling than a range of baseline and traditional models, as well as recently proposed deep latent variable models that use homoscedastic output layers.
Justice Across Borders: The Struggle for Human Rights in U.S. Courts

This book studies the struggle to enforce international human rights law in federal courts. In 1980, a federal appeals court ruled that a Paraguayan family could sue a Paraguayan official under the Alien Tort Statute – a dormant provision of the 1789 Judiciary Act – for torture committed in Paraguay. Since then, courts have been wrestling with this step toward a universal approach to human rights law. Davis examines attempts by human rights groups to use the law to enforce human rights norms. He explains the separation of powers issues arising when victims sue the United States or when the United States intervenes to urge dismissal of a claim and analyses the controversies arising from attempts to hold foreign nations, foreign officials, and corporations liable under international human rights law. While Davis's analysis is driven by social science methods, its foundation is the dramatic human story from which these cases arise.
Class Actions, Legal

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by G.C. Hazard, Jr., volume 3, pp. 1924–1927, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Mexican American Adolescents' Emotional Support to the Family in Response to Parental Stress.

In this two-wave longitudinal, daily diary study that followed up with 421 Mexican American parent-adolescent dyads (adolescents: Mage = 15 years, 50% males) after 1 year, we investigated the contingency between parental stressors and adolescents' emotional support to family members. Adolescents provided support to their parents and other family members at similar rates, but adolescents were more likely to provide support to other family members than to their parents on days when parents experienced a family stressor. This pattern was especially pronounced in families with parents who reported physical symptoms and adolescents with a strong sense of family obligation. Adolescents' provision of emotional support was associated with same-day feelings of role fulfillment, but not to their concurrent or long-term psychological distress.
Relation of Physical Activity and Incident Atrial Fibrillation (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis)

Previous studies have raised the question of whether an association exists between physical activity and atrial fibrillation (AF). We used the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) database to examine the association between physical activity and AF in a diverse population without clinically recognized cardiovascular disease (CVD). MESA participants (n = 5,793) with complete baseline physical activity and covariate data were included. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for incident AF by levels of total intentional exercise and vigorous physical activity, independently and in combination. Multivariate models were adjusted for demographics and CVD risk factors. During a mean follow-up of 7.7 ± 1.9 years, 199 AF cases occurred. In the overall MESA population, neither vigorous physical activity nor total intentional exercise was independently associated with incident AF after adjusting for covariates. However, within the group that reported any vigorous physical activity, there was a statistically significant inverse association between total intentional exercise (modeled as a continuous variable) and incident AF. In those who reported any vigorous physical activity, the top tertile of total intentional exercise was associated with a significantly lower risk of incident AF compared with the group with no total intentional exercise in the fully adjusted model (HR 0.46, 95% confidence interval 0.22 to 0.98). In conclusion, neither total intentional exercise nor vigorous physical activity alone was associated with incident AF, but greater total intentional exercise was associated with a lower risk of incident AF in those who participated in any vigorous physical activity. As importantly, no subgroup of participants demonstrated an increased risk of incident AF with greater physical activity. The results re-emphasize the beneficial role of physical activity for cardiovascular health.
Unsupervised Riemannian clustering of probability density functions

We present an algorithm for grouping families of probability density functions (pdfs). We exploit the fact that under the square-root re-parametrization, the space of pdfs forms a Riemannian manifold, namely the unit Hilbert sphere. An immediate consequence of this re-parametrization is that different families of pdfs form different submanifolds of the unit Hilbert sphere. Therefore, the problem of clustering pdfs reduces to the problem of clustering multiple submanifolds on the unit Hilbert sphere. We solve this problem by first learning a low-dimensional representation of the pdfs using generalizations of local nonlinear dimensionality reduction algorithms from Euclidean to Riemannian spaces. Then, by assuming that the pdfs from different groups are separated, we show that the null space of a matrix built from the local representation gives the segmentation of the pdfs. We also apply of our approach to the texture segmentation problem in computer vision.
Broadcasting with hard deadlines in wireless multihop networks using network coding

Broadcasting with network coding mixes packets to minimize the number of transmissions, which improves the energy efficiency of wireless networks. On the other hand, delaying the transmissions increases coding opportunities at intermediate nodes, but increases the delay of packets. In this paper, we consider these two contradicting factors and study the problem of minimizing the number of transmissions in wireless networks while meeting the deadline constraints. We show that this problem is NP-complete; therefore, we provide a heuristic to solve it. First, we construct broadcasting trees, each of them rooted at one source. We then specify overlapping conditions based on the constructed trees, to determine the number of transmissions each node has to perform without the deadline constraints. Then, we partition the set of packets such that coding is performed among the packets of the same partition, which does not result in deadline misses. Linear coding may not be applicable in some wireless networks because of its computational complexity. For these networks, we propose three XOR coding approaches, which rely only on local neighborhood information. Simulation results show that our techniques not only reduce the number of transmissions but also allow the majority of nodes to receive the packets on time. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Modified Burrows-Wheeler Transform for Highly Scalable Example-Based Translation

The Burrows-Wheeler Transform (BWT) was originally developed for data compression, but can also be applied to indexing text. In this paper, an adaptation of the BWT to word-based indexing of the training corpus for an example-based machine translation (EBMT) system is presented. The adapted BWT embeds the necessary information to retrieve matched training instances without requiring any additional space and can be instantiated in a compressed form which reduces disk space and memory requirements by about 40% while still remaining searchable without decompression.
Exploiting the infrared: IRAS observations of the main sequence

We examined coadded IRAS survey data on samples of nearby main sequence stars in search of far-IR excesses similar to examples attributed to clouds of orbiting grains. Of 134 systems, 25 (19%) show significant excesses at 25, 60, or 100 μm with color temperatures greater than 35 K. Approximately 15% of the stars have excess more luminous than 2×10−5L*, roughly independent of spectral type. Several stars with excesses appear to be older than 2×109 yrs, indicating that the particle cloud phenomenon is not solely a feature of young objects. Models of three prominent clouds that have been spatially resolved (β Pic, α PsA, and α Lyr) imply central depleted regions with radii of order 20 AU. One possible explanation for maintenance of the depleted regions is that a planet orbits at and defines each cloud's inner boundary, sweeping up particles entering that region. The sun could have a cloud with similar geometry and somewhat smaller optical depth than these examples which would be difficult to detect from earth because of bright zodiacal and galactic emission.
Properties of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) made with low density hardwood species: effect of the pressure duration

Cross-linked polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) adhesive and thin veneers of three low density wood species, namely silver maple, yellow poplar and aspen, were used to produce LVL engineered wood products using different press durations. Density, water absorption, thickness swelling, flexural strength and surface hardness were evaluated. Internal bond strength, tensile shear and block shear strengths were tested in dry, accelerated (boiling and dry) and cyclic (wet and dry) conditions. LVL made using cross-linked polyvinyl acetate and silver maple with a platen temperature of 38 °C for 5 minutes exhibited the best properties. LVL of silver maple veneers showed improved properties as compared to yellow poplar and aspen. Silver maple can be used suitably in laminated veneer flooring.
Pork Bellies and Public Company Audits: Have Audits Once Again Become Just Another Commodity?

Prior research has established that from 2000 to 2007, auditors incorporated clients’ financial reporting risk in their pricing of audit engagements (Charles et al. 2010; Doogar et al. 2010, 2013). However, regulators have expressed concern that the economic downturn and pressure from clients to reduce audit fees has had a negative impact on auditor effort. Our evidence suggests a marked decline in the pricing of financial reporting risk during the 2006-2010 period, further suggesting a reduced focus on the risk of misreporting during that period. This decline is particularly evident among non-industry expert auditors. Connecting these findings to audit quality, we observe a higher likelihood of subsequent accounting restatements among clients whose financial reporting risk appears to be insufficiently incorporated in audit fees, particularly among clients of small audit firm offices. Our results are consistent with a return to the commoditization of financial statement audits and its negative impact on audit quality.
Teaching High-Accuracy Global Positioning System to Undergraduates Using Online Processing Services.

High-accuracy Global Positioning System (GPS) has become an important geoscientific tool used to measure ground motions associated with plate movements, glacial movements, volcanoes, active faults, landslides, subsidence, slow earthquake events, as well as large earthquakes. Complex calculations are required in order to achieve high-precision positions and thereby highaccuracy displacement measurements. It is difficult to familiarize undergraduates with the complex data processing within a period of one semester. Several national organizations offer free online GPS processing services. Using these online services, a GPS beginner can bypass the complex aspect of data processing and focus on applications of the high-accuracy GPS technology. This paper introduces the author’s experience using Online Positioning User Service, provided by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and Automatic Precise Positioning Service, provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in teaching two undergraduate courses, Applications of GPS in Geosciences and Geological Hazards, at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Two class projects, ‘‘Where is My House?’’ and ‘‘GPS Landslide Monitoring,’’ were designed to practice GPS data collection, processing, and analysis. The enrollments of the two courses were about 10 senior undergraduate students. Online GPS data processing helped both the instructor and students in teaching and learning the intricacies of GPS data processing, understanding different reference frames and coordinate systems, and familiarizing local permanent reference stations. Students who had taken the GPS classes often help professors in the geology department and other departments to survey field sites with centimeter-level accuracy. 2013 National Association of Geoscience Teachers. [DOI: 10.5408/12-295.1]