cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population-based learning: a method for learning from examples under resource constraints

A learning model for designing heuristics automatically under resource constraints is studied. The focus is on improving performance-related heuristic methods (HMs) in knowledge-lean application domains. It is assumed that learning is episodic, that the performance measures of an episode are dependent only on the final state reached in evaluating the corresponding test case, and that the aggregate performance measures of the HMs involved are independent of the order of evaluation of test cases. The learning model is based on testing a population of competing HMs for an application problem, and switches from one to another dynamically, depending on the outcome of previous tests. Its goal is to find a good HM within the resource constraints, with proper tradeoff between cost and quality. It extends existing work on classifier systems by addressing issues related to delays in feedback, scheduling of tests of HMs under limited resources, anomalies in performance evaluation, and scalability of HMs. Experience in applying the learning method is described. >
Epitifibatide in the Treatment of Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Thrombosis: A Case Series

Purpose Continuous flow left ventricular assist device (cfLVAD) thrombosis remains one of the most difficult complications to diagnose and treat. There is limited evidence for anticoagulation strategies after failure of heparin/warfarin. We present a single-center case series of suspected cfLVAD thrombosis treated with eptifibatide (EPT) after failing conventional therapy. Methods and Materials We reviewed all cfLVAD implants (n=83) from 1/2010 to present. Diagnostic evidence of cfLVAD thrombosis evaluated included 1) echo evidence of thrombosis, 2) evidence of hemolysis, and 3) changes in cfLVAD parameters. Successful treatment was defined as discharge from hospital and freedom from 30-day readmission without treatment with an alternative anticoagulant, cfLVAD explant/exchange, or heart transplant. Results Eleven patients (16 infusions) were treated with EPT. The majority were male (73%) with a mean age of 46 (21-67) years. All patients were on warfarin and an antiplatelet regimen. The mean time from cfLVAD implant to thrombosis was 201 (5-856) days. Most patients presented with evidence of hemolysis and changes in cfLVAD parameters. Fifty percent of patients were successfully treated with EPT infused for an average of 71 (22-119) hours. Blood transfusions occurred in 6/16 EPT infusions and minor bleeding occurred in 2/16 EPT infusions. Conclusions This review failed to identify a single surrogate marker of cfLVAD thrombosis that may predict response to EPT. For patients with suspected thrombosis failing standard anticoagulation the use of EPT appears safe and effective. This approach warrants further study. Baseline characteristics and outcome after EPT treatment Patient cfLVAD generation Echo evidence of thrombosis Peak LDH (U/L) Δ in cfLVAD parameters EPT success A-1 2nd + 939 + + A-2 2nd − -- + + B 2nd − 3065 + + C-1 2nd − 860 + − C-2 2nd + -- + + D-1 2nd + 5666 + − D-2 2nd − 815 + − E 2nd − 766 + + F 3rd − 4860 + − G 3rd − 1751 + + H 2nd + 889 + − I-1 2nd + 1035 + − I-2 2nd − 900 + − J 2nd − 1018 + + K-1 2nd − 3714 − + K-2 2nd − 1014 − −
Japan's Bifurcated Modernity: Writing and Calligraphy in Japanese Public Schools, 1872—1943

Interwar Japan saw the rise of a generation of intellectuals, bureaucrats, and educators who were uneasy about modern life. One expression of this malaise was the introduction of calligraphy in the 1941 and 1943 school curricula. Calligraphy injected aesthetics into writing education. Yet it also compromised the speed and efficiency of writing, which lay at the core of Japan's system of modern education. The solution was to teach writing twice, once as an art in the `art section' and once as a functional skill in the `language section'. As an art, writing was a means to cultivate the spirit, discipline the body, escape from the calculated logic of linear time and produce an aesthetic epiphany. As a functional tool, it was a skill for keeping pace with the demands of the modern world by communicating meaning quickly and efficiently. Bureaucrats and educators from 1941 were thus simultaneously engaged in the task of overcoming modernity on the one hand and of instilling proficiency in modern life on the oth...
Identification of a central DNA flap in feline immunodeficiency virus.

A duplication of the polypurine tract (PPT) at the center of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome (the cPPT) has been shown to prime a separate plus-strand initiation and to result in a plus-strand displacement (DNA flap) that plays a role in nuclear import of the viral preintegration complex. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus that infects nondividing cells, causes progressive CD4+ T-cell depletion, and has been used as a substrate for lentiviral vectors. However, the PPT sequence is not duplicated elsewhere in the FIV genome and a central plus-strand initiation or strand displacement has not been identified. Using Southern blotting of S1 nuclease-digested FIV preintegration complexes isolated from infected cells, we detected a single-strand discontinuity at the approximate center of the reverse-transcribed genome. Primer extension analyses assigned the gap to the plus strand, and mapped the 5′ terminus of the downstream (D+) segment to a guanine residue in a purine-rich tract in pol (AAAAGAAGAGGTAGGA). RACE experiments then mapped the 3′ terminus of the upstream plus (U+)-strand segment to a T nucleotide located 88 nucleotides downstream of the D+ strand 5′ terminus, thereby identifying the extent of D+ strand displacement and the central termination sequence of this virus. Unlike HIV, the FIV cPPT is significantly divergent in sequence from its 3′ counterpart (AAAAAAGAAAAAAGGGTGG) and contains one and in some cases two pyrimidines. An invariant thymidine located −2 to the D+ strand origin is neither required nor optimal for codon usage at this position. Although the mapped cPPTs of FIV and HIV-1 act in cis, they encode homologous amino acids in integrase.
Doping effect on carrier occupation and transport in InAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetectors: A capacitance-voltage spectroscopy study

Impurity centers induced by dopants in InAs/GaAs quantum-dot systems affect energy level occupation and carrier transport in multi-layer QDIPs. In order to better understand doping effects and to optimize device performance, capacitance-voltage spectra are investigated.
Theoretical Expectations for Mass Scales of the Fourth Generation and Higgs Bosons

We discuss two classes of theories that have something to say about fourth generation quark and lepton masses (as well as Higgs). One is based upon universality of low energy parameters as determined by the renormalization group: infra-red fixed points. The other is a toy model of geometric heirarchy which may arise in a novel scheme of dimensional reduction without compactification.
Scalable culture of human pluripotent stem cells in 3D.

The promise of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) therapies is ever-increasing, with the rapid proliferation of reports over the past several years demonstrating homogeneous and efficient differentiation of hPSCs to clinically relevant cell types (1⇓–3). Such discoveries have renewed the enthusiasm and motivation for the acceleration of clinical trials using hPSC-derived cells to treat nervous system injuries and ocular degeneration, as well as diabetes and cardiac diseases in the near future. On the path to clinical implementation of hPSC therapies, the need for scalable culture technologies capable of producing sufficient quantities of cells becomes of paramount importance, as the proposed therapies demonstrate efficacy in human patients. However, despite several significant advances in recent years establishing defined, xeno-free conditions for hPSC culture (4⇓–6), numerous challenges still remain to be overcome, including advanced 3D platforms capable of efficient, facile, and robust expansion, differentiation, and retrieval of hPSCs.
Instructional Behavior of Teachers when Teaching Different Learning Tasks

This study investigated whether special education teachers exhibit different instructional behaviors when teaching concepts, teaching facts, or having children practice what has been learned. The instructional behaviors of teachers were recorded while they taught reading, mathematics, written expression, and spelling. Teachers did not present uniform behaviors across subjects. When teaching concepts in all subject areas, they consistently exhibited the teaching behaviors suggested by the literature as appropriate. An exception to this was the failure to present positive and negative examples when teaching concepts. Teachers did display some uniform behaviors across learning tasks, attempting to motivate students and elicit responses, and using feedback and reinforcement. Implications for teacher evaluation procedures for merit pay, as well as for teacher education, are discussed.
Dependency, Urban Slums, and the Forgotten Plagues: Tuberculosis and Malaria Prevalence in Less Developed Nations

Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria remain leading causes of death in certain areas of the world system and directly contribute to persistent patterns in global inequality. I employ structural equation modeling for a sample of 135 nations to appropriately test for indirect and complex relationships among economic, social, and environmental indicators. The results demonstrate that economic dependency and environmental decline lead to increased urban slum populations in less developed nations, and that nations with larger urban slum populations have higher rates of TB and malaria. Important interrelationships also are evidenced among additional predictors, such as socio-health characteristics, economic development, and location in Sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, this research demonstrates that current epidemiological patterns in TB and malaria prevalence have important sociological underpinnings. Public policy should be directed toward addressing the social causes of these diseases, including improved access to scho...
Kappa‐casein polymorphisms among cattle breeds and bison herds

Summary We identified the HindIII restriction site polymorphism of K-casein in cattle reported by Pinder et al. (Animal Genetics 22, 11, 1991) and found an additonal polymorphism (RsaI) in cattle and bison. The HindIII and RsaI restriction sites were mapped and three haplotypes (alleles) were identified. Preliminary screening of 39 cattle and 71 bison revealed one allele restricted to cattle, one restricted to bison, and one shared by the species. No fixed allelic differences were observed among cattle breeds or among bison herds or subspecies.
Environmental-mediated intestinal homeostasis in neonatal mice.

Abstract Background Immunoglobulin A (IgA) plays a key role in coating luminal antigens and preventing translocation of harmful bacteria. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that when stimulated activates factors important for barrier function and intestinal homeostasis. We hypothesize that AhR signaling is critical for establishment of intestinal homeostasis in neonates. Material and methods Mice: C57BL/6 (B6) AhR+/+ wild type (WT), B6.AhR−/− Aryl-hydrocarbon receptor knockout (KO), and B6.AhR+/+ raised on an AhR ligand-free diet (AhR LF). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure fecal and serum IgA levels. Bacterial translocation was measured by culturing the mesenteric lymph nodes. Results Two week old KO mice had significantly less fecal IgA compared with WT (and AhR LF, P value = 0.0393. The amount of IgA from the gastric contents of 2-wk-old mice was not significantly different. At age 8 wk, AhR LF mice had significantly less fecal IgA than WT and KO P value = 0.0077. At 2 wk, KO mice had significantly higher levels of bacterial translocation and at 8 wk AhR LF had significantly higher levels of bacterial translocation compared with WT. Conclusions In neonatal mice, the lack of AhR signaling is associated with loss of intestinal homeostasis, evidenced by decreased levels of IgA and increased bacterial translocation. In adult mice, exogenous AhR ligand and not receptor signaling is necessary for maintenance of intestinal integrity.
Lateritization and Bauxitization Events

Laterites and bauxites are produced in tropical soils by weathering, which enriches iron (of laterites) and alu- mina (of bauxites)—as well as trace elements such as nickel, gold, phosphorus, and niobium—to ore grade. La- terites and bauxites can be redeposited into sedimentary sequences, and remain as ores if not transported far and diluted with other materials. The age of redeposited laterites and bauxites, and of bauxitic and lateritic pa- leosols, can be established from the geologic age of overlying rocks, an approach especially effective in pale- osols within sequences of isotopically datable volcanic rocks. Lateritic profiles can also be dated by paleomag- netic inclination in special cases in which land masses such as in Australia and India drifted long distances northward during Cenozoic time. In addition, cryptomelane and other K-Mn oxides can be dated by K-Ar and 40Ar-39Ar techniques to obtain multiple ages from different crystals in a single relict paleosol. Compilation of new and more accurate laterite and bauxite ages reveals unusually widespread and intense laterite and bauxite formation during events of less than 100 k.y. duration at 2, 12, 16, 35, 48, 55, 65 and 100 Ma. Such events can also be inferred at times older than 100 Ma from paleolatitudinal distribution of laterites and bauxites, but these are poorly sampled. Laterite and bauxite peaks were coeval with times of global high warmth and pre- cipitation, elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, oceanic anoxia, exceptional fossil preservation, and mass ex- tinction. These CO2 greenhouse events and attendant titration of carbonic acid with soils are interpreted as transient fluctuations in the atmosphere produced by meteorite impact, flood basalt volcanism, and methane outbursts. Concentration of bauxite and laterite resources, in particular stratigraphic horizons formed during greenhouse crises, suggests the usefulness of an event stratigraphic approach to exploration and exploitation of these and related ores.
Life Trajectories of Female Child Abuse Survivors Thriving in Adulthood

A narrative study of thriving adult female survivors of childhood maltreatment was undertaken to discover how they had achieved success. Life trajectory patterns, turning points, and setbacks were identified. Data consisted of 81 interview transcripts derived from a series of three interviews, spaced over 6 to 12 months, with 27 survivors. The childhood abuse was intrafamilial, beginning as early as infancy and continuing, in most cases, until participants left home. The onset and pace of the healing trajectory were quite variable, including a roller-coaster pattern as well as patterns of slow, steady progress and continued struggle. Four types of redemption narratives were delineated. Survivors had not been spared depression but had made achievements in work and education and displayed remarkable generativity, parenting their own children well, and mentoring other young girls, especially victims of abuse.
Partitioning of molecular systems and subsystem replacement by single‐centered perturbations: I. A partitioning theorem and the pseudo substituent technique

Molecular systems are partitioned into subsystems. A general theorem is developed which relates the total molecular secular equation to the characteristic polynomials of these molecular subsystems. To selectively study subsystems of chemical interest, the linked substituents are approximated by a perturbing single-centered atomic-like substituent called a pseudo substituent. A criterion for replacement by pseudo substituent representations is developed. The transferability of pseudo substituent representations to different molecules facilitates complete molecular studies. A perturbing potential for the pseudo substituent replacement is proposed.
Measurement of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide in beverage headspace

Description et mise en oeuvre d'un appareillage de prelevement et de dosage des constituants gazeux dans l'espace mort boissons gazeuses et de boissons alcoolisees (vin) conditionnees dans differents types de recipients
Application of the MELTS algorithm to Martian compositions and implications for magma crystallization

[1] The MELTS algorithm, the most commonly used tool for calculating crystallization of basaltic magmas, uses thermodynamic parameters calibrated by experiments on select compositions, and thus, its use on newly discovered extraterrestrial compositions requires extrapolation across ranges where its applicability has not been evaluated in detail. To apply MELTS to Martian compositions, we undertook a systematic examination of the original MELTS calibration and the pMELTS revision as applied to Martian magmas. We find that the algorithm is effective in predicting the crystallization paths and conditions of Martian magmas, with some issues. The algorithm consistently overestimates the stability of spinel and underestimates pressures of multiple saturation compared to experiments. The pMELTS calibration comes close to fitting multiple-saturation pressures but cannot be used at low pressures. Both calibrations model crystallization temperatures with similar variances to those observed for terrestrial compositions. Both calibrations reproduce important compositional details of crystallizing magmas and coexisting minerals with errors similar to those observed on terrestrial compositions. We calculate several crystallization paths which predict high-FeO, high-density magma compositions that could be a mechanism for cumulate formation. Low-FeO compositions in recent Mars volcanism may be an expression of this density barrier. However, the composition of a high-FeO rock called “Et-Then” discovered by the rover Curiosity is strikingly similar to compositions calculated by the MELTS algorithm and could represent one of these high-FeO volcanic rocks.
PHOSPHATE GLASS: PbO‐WO3‐P2O5 SYSTEM

The glass-formation region has been determined for the PbO–WO3–P2O5 system ‡ and certain physical properties of representative glasses have been measured. Glasses of the system show an unusually high X-ray and gamma-ray absorption and are not readily discolored when exposed to X rays. Equations have been developed from which specific volumes and lead equivalents may be calculated from composition. Because of their high index of refraction and relatively low dispersion these glasses are also useful for optical purposes.
Trafficking of Postsynaptic GABAA Receptors by Receptor-Associated Proteins

γ-Aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAA Rs) are the principal receptors that mediate neural inhibition in the brain. Changes in the function of GABAergic transmission are implicated in activity-dependent adaptation of neural excitability. Of particular interest are mechanisms that control the size of the postsynaptic GABAA-receptor pool, a major determinant of synaptic strength. Mechanisms of trafficking of postsynaptic GABAA Rs contribute to regulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission in response to changes in neural activity and extracellular stimuli. This review summarizes current information available on the receptor structures relevant for trafficking of GABAA Rs, the molecular composition of the submembrane cytoskeleton of inhibitory synapses, and the receptor interacting proteins that regulate the localization and trafficking of postsynaptic GABAA Rs during exocytosis, lateral diffusion and endocytic recycling, and degradative pathways.
P53 gene mutations: Case study of a clinical marker for solid tumors

P53 is a tumor-suppressor gene that codes for a multifunctional DNA-binding protein involved in cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, differentiation, and apoptosis. The P53 gene is mutated in approximately 50% of human cancers and in germline DNA of families with inherited cancer syndromes. The role of P53 mutations in the program of carcinogenic genetic alterations differs among tumor sites ranging from the earliest mutations that can be detected in premalignant cells to mutations that trigger malignant transformation of a benign neoplasm. P53 mutations can cause expression of abnormal proteins or result in complete absence of P53 expression. For these reasons the role of P53 genetic disruption has different implications in different tumor types and may vary depending on the effect of the mutation on P53 protein function. Immunohistochemical detection of P53, commonly used as a surrogate for identification of a mutant gene, has imperfect sensitivity and specificity, further complicating correlations between P53 gene status and clinical outcomes. The presence of P53 mutations has been shown to affect prognosis of some cancers. The identity of P53 mutations can be used to determine tumor clonality. The detection of P53 mutations suggests the severity of premalignant lesions. Evolving technology for more accurate identification of P53 mutations, better understanding of the function of mutant P53 protein, and more detailed analysis of individual tumor types may expand the relevance of P53 gene analysis for clinical outcomes and therapeutic response.
The influence of seasons and lunar cycle on hospital outcomes following ascending aortic dissection repair

OBJECTIVES: The effect of the lunar cycle and seasonal variation on ascending aortic dissection surgery outcomes is unknown. We investigated these temporal effects on risk-adjusted hospital mortality and then on the length of stay (LOS) following surgery for survivors. METHODS: We examined prospectively collected data from cardiac operations at two major centres within a single state between January 1996 and December 2011. We first examined the relationship between the lunar cycle and seasonal variation, along with demographic and risk profile covariates, with mortality using univariate analyses, followed by multiple logistic regression modelling that controlled for demographic and patient risk variables including age, gender, risk profile (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and renal failure), and two surgical groups: Group A, consisting of patients having repair of ascending aorta dissection repair only, and Group B, with those having ascending aorta repair plus aortic valve surgery or coronary bypass surgery or both. We further examined the relationship with LOS using both univariate and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: There were 210 patients who had repair of dissection in the study period, with 109 patients in Group A and 101 in Group B. The average age of this sample was 59.5 (standard deviation = 16.0), 65.7% were male and 18.1% died prior to discharge following repair. The greatest percentage of deaths occurred in winter (31.6%, n= 12), while the least were in summer (21.1%, n= 8) and fall (21.1%, n= 8). An overall χ 2 test found there was no difference in mortality for season (P= 0.55). Univariate analyses also found the age of patients who died vs lived was significantly higher (65.9 vs 58.1 years; P= 0.001), and a significantly greater (P= 0.029) percentage of patients with diabetes vs without diabetes died (41.7 vs 16.7%). Univariate analyses found all other covariates were not significantly related to mortality. In the multiple logistic regression model, there was no significant effect for season, while the odds of dying increased with age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.01–1.07, P= 0.012), and the odds of dying in the full-moon cycle vs the new moon cycle was significantly reduced (OR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.05–0.81, P= 0.024). No other covariate significantly increased or decreased the odds of death, including diabetes risk, which had been significantly related to death in the univariate analysis. Within a linear regression model that examined the relationship with LOS, Group B (P= 0.020), male sex (P= 0.036) and the full-moon lunar phase (P= 0.001) were significantly related to shorter LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Season had no effect on mortality or LOS following aortic dissection repair, while patient age significantly increased the odds of death. The full-moon cycle appeared to reduce the odds of death, and the full-moon cycle, along with being male and requiring a concomitant cardiac procedure, was associated with shorter LOS.
Meeting Differing Learning Styles Of Non-traditional Students In The Second Language Classroom

In every classroom a range of learning styles exist. The foreign language classroom at the postsecondary level is no different, with the added component of having students who are traditional (i.e., those just graduated from high school) to those who are non-traditional (i.e., those who have been out of high school for at least a couple of years). The proposed study will discuss ways in which student-centered, active and collaborative learning activities, including the use of technology, can meet different learning styles for both traditional and non-traditional students and provide a successful experience for all.
Genome-wide analysis and expression profiling of the PIN auxin transporter gene family in soybean (Glycine max)

The plant phytohormone auxin controls many aspects of plant growth and development, which largely depends on its uneven distribution in plant tissues. Transmembrane proteins of the PIN family are auxin efflux facilitators. They play a key role in polar auxin transport and are associated with auxin asymmetrical distribution in plants. PIN genes have been characterized in several plant species, while comprehensive analysis of this gene family in soybean has not been reported yet. In this study, twenty-three members of the PIN gene family were identified in the soybean genome through homology searches. Analysis of chromosome distribution and phylogenetic relationships of the soybean PIN genes indicated nine pairs of duplicated genes and a legume specific subfamily. Organ/tissue expression patterns and promoter activity assays of the soybean PINs suggested redundant functions for most duplicated genes and complementary and tissue-specific functions during development for non-duplicated genes. The soybean PIN genes were differentially regulated by various abiotic stresses and phytohormone stimuli, implying crosstalk between auxin and abiotic stress signaling pathways. This was further supported by the altered auxin distribution under these conditions as revealed by DR5::GUS transgenic soybean hairy root. Our data indicates that GmPIN9, a legume-specific PIN gene, which was responsive to several abiotic stresses, might play a role in auxin re-distribution in soybean root under abiotic stress conditions. This study provided the first comprehensive analysis of the soybean PIN gene family. Information on phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, protein profiles and expression profiles of the soybean PIN genes in different tissues and under various abiotic stress treatments helps to identity candidates with potential roles in specific developmental processes and/or environmental stress conditions. Our study advances our understanding of plant responses to abiotic stresses and serves as a basis for uncovering the biological role of PIN genes in soybean development and adaption to adverse environments.
Protein disulfide isomerases in the endoplasmic reticulum promote anchorage-independent growth of breast cancer cells

Metastatic breast cancer cells are exposed to stress of detachment from the extracellular matrix (ECM). Cultured breast cancer cells that survive this stress and are capable of anchorage-independent proliferation form mammospheres. The purpose of this study was to explore a link between mammosphere growth, ECM gene expression, and the protein quality control system in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We compared the mRNA and protein levels of ER folding factors in SUM159PT and MCF10DCIS.com breast cancer cells grown as mammospheres versus adherent conditions. Publicly available gene expression data for mammospheres formed by primary breast cancer cells and for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were analyzed to assess the status of ECM/ER folding factor genes in clinically relevant samples. Knock-down of selected protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family members was performed to examine their roles in SUM159PT mammosphere growth. We found that cells grown as mammospheres had elevated expression of ECM genes and ER folding quality control genes. CTC gene expression data for an index patient indicated that upregulation of ECM and ER folding factor genes occurred at the time of acquired therapy resistance and disease progression. Knock-down of PDI, ERp44, or ERp57, three members of the PDI family with elevated protein levels in mammospheres, in SUM159PT cells partially inhibited the mammosphere growth. Thus, breast cancer cell survival and growth under detachment conditions require enhanced assistance of the ER protein folding machinery. Targeting ER folding factors, in particular members of the PDI family, may improve the therapeutic outcomes in metastatic breast cancer.
Evaluating method of uncertainty in measurement about composite error of electric energy at the power exchange point

Represent definition,function and development process about the electric energy metering device at the exchange point between the electric plant and the electric company.Seeing about the constitution of the electric energy metering device at the power exchange point,the source of composite error and calculating method about it are talked about.Based on these,the evaluating method of uncertainty in measurement of the composite error is also discussed.Associating an testing example of electric energy metering device at the power exchange point between the electric power plant and the electric power company,various component compositions of electric energy error are calculated.Further more,complete scheme for calculating and evaluating of uncertainty in measurement is supplied,extended uncertainty of composite error is obtained,and full representation of composite error is also offered.Finally the significance of compositing error calculating and evaluating of uncertainty in measurement is pointed out,and warrant to evaluate comprehensive performance of the electric energy device by quantity is supplied accordingly.
Terrorist Assassinations and Target Selection

ABSTRACTThis research note examines political institutional changes in the aftermath of terrorist assassinations. Contemporary assassinations are more often a component of wider campaigns of political violence rather than a singular attack on a head of state. The Global Terrorism Database counts 16,831 terrorist assassinations from 1970–2014, indicating significant frequency of these events and includes a wide range of targets from law enforcement officials to foreign diplomats. Utilizing survival analysis, the span of time from a terrorist assassination event to a change in political institutions within states is measured between target types. Outcome differences between target types are identified.
Engineering effective nanoscale nutrient carriers

Abstract The encapsulation of active compounds such as nutraceuticals, flavors, or antimicrobial agents in nanoparticle carriers addresses multiple issues in food and beverage applications. It can increase the effective concentration of compounds with limited solubility, and protect them from environmental degradation agents such as pH, enzymes, or free radicals. Nanocarriers can increase the bioavailability of nutrients, and be engineered to release their cargo in a manner that suits specific applications. This review examines the structure and properties of different nanoparticles appropriate for foods, including emulsions, Pickering emulsions, and microemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), liposomes, polymersomes, colloidosomes, and nanogels.
Sovereignty Considerations and Social Change in the Wake of India's Recent Sodomy Cases

American constitutional law scholars have long questioned whether courts can really drive social reform, and this position remains largely unchallenged even in the wake of recent landmark decisions affecting the LGBT community. In contrast, court watchers in India—spurred by developments in a special type of legal action developed in the late 1970s known as “public interest litigation,” or “PIL”—have only recently begun questioning the judiciary’s ability to promote progressive social change. Indian scholarship on this point has veered between despair that PIL cases no longer reliably produce good outcomes for India’s most disadvantaged, and optimism that public interest litigation can be returned to its glory days of heroic judicial intervention. And no pair of cases so nicely captures this dichotomy as the 2009 decision in Naz Foundation, which decriminalized sodomy, and the 2012 decision in Suresh Kumar Koushal, which overruled Naz. This paper uses public interest litigation and India’s recent sodomy cases to demonstrate that the relationship between state actors (like courts) and society is often far less stable than the democratic ideal of “citizen sovereignty” would suggest. I argue, first, that supporters of public interest litigation should neither give up on PIL suits as a means of effecting social reform nor imagine that PIL suits can ever reliably produce desirable outcomes. As a type of legal action, public interest litigation simply cannot be reverse engineered in this way. But second, I reinterpret the documented and widely critiqued shift in PIL cases from protecting fundamental rights during the 1970s and ‘80s to protecting the interests of advantaged litigants in the 1990s and 2000s. While earlier PIL cases reflect the Indian Constitution’s commitment to government-led social reform and the sharing of sovereignty between citizens and the state, contemporary PIL cases reflect the Constitution’s commitment to an agency theory of sovereignty whereby government merely acts on behalf of citizens. Because neither vision of sovereignty is paramount over the long run, shifts in public interest litigation reflect the productive and dynamic equilibrium between the two.
Multiple strong postmating and intrinsic postzygotic reproductive barriers isolate florally diverse species of Jaltomata (Solanaceae)

Divergence in phenotypic traits often contributes to premating isolation between lineages, but could also promote isolation at postmating stages. Phenotypic differences could directly result in mechanical isolation or hybrids with maladapted traits; alternatively, when alleles controlling these trait differences pleiotropically affect other components of development, differentiation could indirectly produce genetic incompatibilities in hybrids. Here, we determined the strength of nine postmating and intrinsic postzygotic reproductive barriers among 10 species of Jaltomata (Solanaceae), including species with highly divergent floral traits. To evaluate the relative importance of floral trait diversification for the strength of these postmating barriers, we assessed their relationship to floral divergence, genetic distance, geographical context, and ecological differences, using conventional tests and a new linear-mixed modeling approach. Despite close evolutionary relationships, all species pairs showed moderate to strong isolation. Nonetheless, floral trait divergence was not a consistent predictor of the strength of isolation; instead this was best explained by genetic distance, although we found evidence for mechanical isolation in one species, and a positive relationship between floral trait divergence and fruit set isolation across species pairs. Overall, our data indicate that intrinsic postzygotic isolation is more strongly associated with genome-wide genetic differentiation, rather than floral divergence.
Weed Establishment and Persistence after Water Pipeline Installation and Reclamation in the Mixed Grass Prairie of Western North Dakota

Weeds in reclamations interfere with success by: 1) competing with desirable species seeded during revegetation; 2) preventing recolonization of reclamations by native species; and 3) reducing the integrity of landscapes by expanding from reclamations into adjacent, intact areas. In the Bakken oilfield of western North Dakota, dispersed reclamation activity and increased traffic may provide many opportunities for weeds to spread. To determine the potential for disturbance and reclamation to increase resident weed populations and introduce new weed species, we tracked twenty-one weed (non-native/ruderal/invasive) species over a four-year period after the installation of a 1.8 km livestock water pipeline and subsequent land reclamation on a historic ranch in western North Dakota. We included areas of historic (early 20th century homestead) and recent (prairie dog town) landscape disturbances and tracked weed frequency and density in the disturbed pipeline and in the directly adjacent intact prairie. Most of the weeds in the pipeline were non-persistent populations of naturalized species. Our data show that although naturalized weeds may respond positively to disturbance, they can quickly return to pre-disturbance levels. However, disturbance may have resulted in the introduction of one new noxious weed, Hyoscyamus niger (black henbane). Agropyron cristatum (crested wheatgrass), an invasive, non-native perennial grass that reduces native plant diversity and forage value, was also introduced. This study demonstrates the importance of prevention of weed dispersal during disturbance and reclamation, contamination-free seed sources, and post-reclamation follow up to control any weeds that may have been introduced as a result of pipeline development.
Scalable Spatiotemporal Crowdsourcing for Smart Cities based on Particle Filtering

In mobile crowdsourcing, workers are financially motivated to perform as many self-selected tasks as possible to maximize their revenue. Unfortunately, the existing task scheduling approaches in mobile crowdsourcing fail to consider task execution duration and do not scale for massive tasks and large geographic areas (e.g., a whole city). In this paper, we study on the geo-task scheduling problem (GTS) under the various spatial and temporal constraints in real-world mobile crowdsourcing applications, including task execution duration and task expiration time. Given the location of a worker, the goal of our study is to find an optimal task execution sequence that maximizes the number of tasks that could be finished. Since the exact solution to the maximum task scheduling is computationally intractable, we propose two sub-optimal approaches (LCPF and NUD-IC) based on the particle filtering and the DBSCAN clustering.
Comment on “The origin of methane in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf unraveled with triple isotope analysis” by Sapart et al. (2017)

Abstract. In this comment, we outline two major concerns regarding some of the key data presented in this paper. Both of these concerns are associated with the natural abundance radiocarbon-methane ( 14C - CH4 ) data. First, no systematic methodology is presented, nor previous peer-reviewed publication referenced, for how these samples were collected, prepared, and ultimately analyzed for 14C - CH4 . Not only are these procedural details missing, but the critical evaluation of them using gaseous and aqueous blanks and standards was omitted although these details are essential for any reader to evaluate the quality of data and subsequent interpretations. Second, due to the lack of methodological details, the source of the sporadic anthropogenic contamination cannot be determined and thus it is premature for the authors to suggest it was in the natural environment prior to sample collection. As the natural 14C - CH4 data are necessary for the authors' stated scientific objectives of understanding the origin of methane in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, our comment serves to highlight that the study's objectives have not been met.
Model-Based Force Control of Pneumatic Actuators With Long Transmission Lines

Pneumatic systems with long transmission lines have recently gained popularity in teleoperated robotic applications, such as medical robots designed for operations in magnetic resonance rooms, mobile transportation robots, or pneumatically actuated humanoids. These teleoperated systems typically suffer from time delay and mass flow attenuation between the actuator and the drivers. The conventional paradigm in pneumatic system control is to employ standardized pneumatic system models that present large errors in characterizing the pressure dynamics of teleoperated actuators. The use of more accurate modeling approaches has been limited to flow simulations for their complexity. This study introduces a methodology that adapts an accurate nonlinear line model to nonlinear controllers. The proposed method utilizes the line model to formulate a virtual input that brings the system to the desired state. The contribution of the proposed method in the force control accuracy was experimentally validated for systems that involve 5–10 m long transmission lines. The introduced method achieved up to 75% reduction in the error compared to a standard sliding-mode-based force control at reference frequencies between 0.5–2 Hz.
Treatment of hypertension: insights from the JNC-VI report

The sixth report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-VI) provides updated guidelines for the treatment of hypertension. Antihypertensive drug therapy may be initiated either after a trial of lifestyle modifications or immediately after the diagnosis is made, depending on the patient's other cardiovascular risk factors and the presence of clinical cardiovascular disease. In general, therapy may begin with diuretics or beta-adrenergic blockers in patients under age 65, unless a concomitant condition warrants another, more tailored choice. Low dosages should be used initially, but if the blood pressure is not successfully reduced to 140/90 mm Hg or below, another drug should be added or should replace the initial choice. General principles of therapy include the use of once-a-day formulations and combination drugs as well as cost considerations.
Materiality, Sociomateriality, and Socio-Technical Systems: What Do These Terms Mean? How are They Related? Do We Need Them?

This chapter reviews the history of three terms increasingly used by researchers in the fields of organization studies and information systems: “materiality,” “sociomateriality” and “socio-technical systems.” After this review, I explore ways in which these terms overlap and depart in meaning from one another in scholars’ writings. I suggest that materiality might be viewed as a concept that refers to properties of a technology that transcend space and time, while sociomateriality may be used to refer to the collective spaces in which people come into contact with the materiality of an artifact and produce various functions. I suggest that the concept of a sociomaterial practice is akin to what socio-technical systems theorists referred to as the “technical subsystem” of an organization, or the way that people’s tasks shape and are shaped by their use of machines. This technical subsystem is recursively organized alongside the social subsystem of an organization, which is characterized by an abstract set of roles, communication patterns, and so on.
COVERING AND SEPARATION PROPERTIES OF BOX PRODUCTS

ABSTRACT We give a fairly complete survey, including proofs, of what is known about the question of when a box product of compact spaces is paracompact, and show how badly a box product of compact or metrizable spaces can fail to be normal. A side result is that the Tychonoff product of uncountably many infinite discrete spaces is not countably orthocompact. 1980 Math. Subj. Class.: 54B10, 54D15, 54D18, 54A35; 54E35, 54E65
Imaging of iris lesions with high-speed optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To image and measure iris tumors with optical coherence tomography (OCT). PATIENTS AND METHODS High-speed (2,000-4,000 axial-scan/sec and 4-16 frames/sec) 1.3-micron wavelength anterior segment OCT prototypes were used to image 6 eyes of 6 patients with a variety of iris lesions, including focal iris nevus, diffuse iris nevus, amelanotic iris nevus, iris melanocytosis, and iris melanoma. OCT images were compared with slit-lamp photography and ultrasound biomicroscopy. RESULTS OCT at 1.3-micron wavelength could penetrate the full thickness of the iris lesions and allow three-dimensional measurement of lesion size. Internal reflectivity is correlated with pigmentation. OCT is a convenient non-contact method that provides imaging of the clinically important angle structures (scleral spur and angle recess). CONCLUSIONS OCT is a new imaging modality that complements slit-lamp photography and ultrasound biomicroscopy for serial evaluation of iris
Induction of Plasmacytomas in Genetically Susceptible Mice with Silicon Gels

Silicone gels injected intraperitoneally into strains of mice related to BALB/c develop plasmacytomas in approximately the same numbers and with similar phenotypes as previously obtained with pristane. Silicone gels produce few side effects and are well tolerated for long periods. Silicone gels contain several components that are potentially biologically active: residual vinyl groups and platinum. Microscopic and histological evidence suggests the silicone gel is degraded over a long period of time. Preliminary studies with long chain liquid dimethylpolysiloxanes with viscosities of 1000 cSt and 12,500 cSt have not produced plasmacytomas as yet. The plasmacytomagenic action of the gel appears to be due to the release of liquids from the gel matrix.
Rainfall from tropical cyclones: high-resolution simulations and seasonal forecasts

This study examines the performance of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution version of CM2.5 (FLOR; ~ 50-km mesh) and high-resolution FLOR (HiFLOR; ~ 25-km mesh) in reproducing the climatology and interannual variability in rainfall associated with tropical cyclones (TCs) in both sea surface temperature (SST)-nudging and seasonal-forecast experiments. Overall, HiFLOR outperforms FLOR in capturing the observed climatology of TC rainfall, particularly in East Asia, North America and Australia. In general, both FLOR and HiFLOR underestimate the observed TC rainfall in the coastal regions along the Bay of Bengal, connected to their failure to accurately simulate the bimodal structure of the TC genesis seasonality. A crucial factor in capturing the climatology of TC rainfall by the models is the simulation of the climatology of spatial TC density. Overall, while HiFLOR leads to a better characterization of the areas affected by TC rainfall, the SST-nudging and seasonal-forecast experiments with both models show limited skill in reproducing the year-to-year variation in TC rainfall. Ensemble-based estimates from these models indicate low potential skill for year-to-year variations in TC rainfall, yet the models show lower skill than this. Therefore, the low skill for interannual TC rainfall in these models reflects both a fundamental limit on predictability/reproducibility of seasonal TC rainfall as well as shortcomings in the models.