cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LORELEI Language Packs: Data, Tools, and Resources for Technology Development in Low Resource Languages

In this paper, we describe the textual linguistic resources in nearly 3 dozen languages being produced by Linguistic Data Consortium for DARPA’s LORELEI (Low Resource Languages for Emergent Incidents) Program. The goal of LORELEI is to improve the performance of human language technologies for low-resource languages and enable rapid re-training of such technologies for new languages, with a focus on the use case of deployment of resources in sudden emergencies such as natural disasters. Representative languages have been selected to provide broad typological coverage for training, and surprise incident languages for testing will be selected over the course of the program. Our approach treats the full set of language packs as a coherent whole, maintaining LORELEI-wide specifications, tagsets, and guidelines, while allowing for adaptation to the specific needs created by each language. Each representative language corpus, therefore, both stands on its own as a resource for the specific language and forms part of a large multilingual resource for broader cross-language technology development.
Objectification in Sport Media: Influences on a Future Women’s Sporting Event

Gendered processes in the sport industry often perpetuate male dominance and female inferiority. While these gendered occurrences have been well documented, the outcomes of such processes are underexplored. Under the guidance of objectification theory and the production–reception relationship, the authors investigated the influence of objectification in sports-media outlets’ coverage of a female sporting event for a national sample of U.S. consumers (N = 225). In addition, given the lack of coverage directed toward female sporting events, the current study investigated the influence of previous viewership on consumer behaviors for a future women’s sporting event. Findings suggest that processes of objectification influence both men’s and women’s consumer behaviors and that previous viewership influences future consumer-behavior motives. Furthermore, objectified images and language did not adversely affect future consumer behaviors for those who had previously viewed a similar women’s sporting event. Sport...
Metamaterials for novel energy applications (Conference Presentation)

The union of mico / nano electromechanical systems with metamaterials offers a new route to achieve reconfigurable devices which control the emission of energy. Here we propose and demonstrate the idea of metamaterial MEMS capable of modifying the emitted energy without changing the temperature. Rather our device only alters the spectral emissivity, thus realize a differential emissivity equivalent to a nearly 20-degree Celsius temperature change across the thermal infrared. We pixelate our device and thereby achieve a spatio-temporal emitter capable of displaying thermal infrared patterns up to speeds of 110 kHz. Our results are not limited to the thermal infrared band, but may be scaled to nearly any sub-optical range of the electromagnetic spectrum, and verify the potential of MEMS metamaterials to operate as reconfigurable multifunctional devices with unprecedented energy control capabilities.
Intramolecular Vibrational Relaxation and Photochemistry in Weakly Bound Organic Dimers

We have prepared the weakly bound dimer of stetrazine in a supersonic free jet expansion. Laser–induced fluorescence spectroscopy has been used to study the structure and dynamics of this dimer. The dimer has two stable conformations, planar and T-shaped. Analysis of the emission spectrum of the dimer has allowed us to identify three dynamical processes in addition to resonance fluorescence. Vibrational relaxation occurs when vibrational energy in a ring mode is transferred to the low frequency dimer modes. Electronic relaxation, either with or without vibrational relaxation, involves energy transfer from one monomer unit to the other. Photochemistry, the breaking of the dimer bond, is also observed.
Actual and Potential Harm is Central to Perceptions of Greed

Despite its centrality to public discourse and everyday ethical judgment and behavior, a robust conceptual understanding of greed has been lacking from the management literature (Wang & Murninghan, 2011). This paper focuses on the factors that shape ordinary perceptions of greedy actions and business practices. Supplementing existing accounts that conceptualize greed as a sin of acquisitiveness or insatiability (always wanting more), we find in five studies that real or potential harm to other parties is an additional important determinant of whether actions are seen as greedy. People are sensitive to both the degree and victims of harm, and use both acquisitiveness and harm to evaluate the amount of greed reflected in real-world business practices. Results are discussed in terms of both theoretical and applied implications.
Closed-loop control of impedance control network resonant DC-DC converter

This paper introduces a closed-loop control architecture for an impedance control network (ICN) resonant dc-dc converter that regulates the converter's output voltage while achieving soft-switching across wide operating ranges. This architecture is based on enhanced phase-shift control of the ICN converter, in which the inverter and rectifier phase-shifts are simultaneously controlled to regulate the converter's output voltage, while operating the inverters with zero-voltage and near-zero current switching. A new small-signal dynamic model for the ICN converter is introduced to facilitate the design of the closed-loop controller. An additional state-feedback component is incorporated in the control architecture to guarantee stability and achieve good dynamic performance across wide variations in input voltage and output power. This closed-loop control architecture successfully regulates the output voltage of a prototype step-down ICN converter that operates over an input voltage range of 18 V to 75 V, an output voltage of 12 V, and a 10:1 output power range. The prototype closed-loop controlled ICN converter achieves a peak efficiency of 95.7%, and maintains efficiencies above 91.7% across its 4:1 input voltage range.
Welcome to the Dirty South

This article incorporates R. Murray Schafer's concept of soundscape analysis into "Welcome to the Dirty South," a class offered in Spring 2016 at Rider University. Thinking through ecomusicology as a discipline that can prompt questions about the sounds that shape and are shaped by built environments, I highlight three case studies from the course that span New Orleans bounce, Miami bass, Atlanta trap, and the car-oriented sub-bass of Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. In each case study, I demonstrate how my students and I used earwitness accounts of urban and rural spaces to better understand the music that emanates from these regions, coupling popular music analysis with socio-political approaches to regional histories. I include a sample syllabus from the class, as well.
Experimental Design, Randomization, and Validation.

Featured Article: Baggerly KA, Morris JS, Coombes KR. Reproducibility of SELDI-TOF protein patterns in serum: comparing datasets from different experiments. Bioinformatics 2004;20:777–85.2 Before our article discussed here appeared in 2004, one might have thought a golden age in proteomic diagnostics was at hand. The good news began in 2002 (1), when National Cancer Institute (NCI)3/Food and Drug Administration (FDA) researchers claimed to have processed high-throughput measurements of easy-to-get samples with machine learning algorithms to extract previously elusive diagnoses. The high-throughput measurements were from mass spectrometry, specifically surface-enhanced laser desorption and ionization (SELDI) assays. The samples were minimally processed serum. The machine learning algorithms were, broadly, black boxes taking peak intensities (nominally peptide abundances) and producing categorical calls: “disease,” “no disease,” or “something else.” The diagnosis was whether a woman had ovarian cancer. The numbers looked impressive. Starting with 216 samples (100 women with ovarian cancer, 100 healthy controls, and 16 women with …
Analysis of Compounds Containing Multiple Valence and/or Coordination Using X-Ray Absorption Spectra

Interpretation of x-ray absorption spectra when an element exists in a compound in more than one valence and/or coordination is difficult. The observed spectrum is a statistical average of the spectra of all species present. This combination of spectra modifies, and in some cases wipes out, absorption peaks. In order to analyze such compounds, it is first necessary to obtain reference spectra of species potentially present. A regression analysis is then performed an the spectra in order to simulate the unknown spectrum. This paper describes the details of this mathematical analysis of absorption data and demonstrates the solution of some interesting structural problems.
Structure Sensitive Deactivation of Supported Palladium Catalysts: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning of Methylcyclopropane Hydrogenolysis

Abstract The hydrogenolysis of methyloyclopropane has been used as a probe reaction to investigate the structure sensitivity of the deactivation of a series of well characterized Pd/SiO 2 catalysts by carbon monoxide. Catalysts ranging from 5 to 75 percent metal exposed have been characterized as to CO and H 2 chemisorption, and the hydrogenolysis turnover frequency determined at 298°C as a function of CO coverage and percent exposed. It is found that CO chemisorption is structure sensitive on the lower percentage exposed materials, and that relatively low levels of CO on the catalyst alter the structure sensitivity of the hydrogenolysis reaction.
GPU-based List-mode Direct Parametric Reconstruction for Dynamic Cardiac SPECT

Noninvasive quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) using Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) is an important clinical tool for the diagnosis and characterization of coronary artery disease. Current indirect MBF estimation approach using SPECT suffers from inaccurate quantification due to substantial image noise. Existing direct parametric reconstruction methods for conventional parallel-hole rotational scanners estimate kinetic parameters only for specific ROIs. In this paper we developed an innovative voxel-by-voxel based direct parametric image reconstruction algorithm to substantially reduce noise in MBF quantification using dynamic SPECT/CT and allow for patient radiation dose reduction. GPU-based parallel computing was used to achieve >2000-fold acceleration. The proposed method was evaluated in both simulation and in-vivo studies. Compared with the indirect method, the direct method achieved substantially lower image noise, particularly at high iterations and with low count levels.
Cognitive dissonance, ego-involvement, and motivated reasoning

One of the enduring topics for persuasion research is motivated reasoning, when people respond to persuasive messages in ways other than seeking to form an accurate attitude. This essay advances th...
The Economic Climate

Economic Climate touches upon long-term economic condition prevailing in the economy and its predictable patterns of growth, decline, potential, and movement. The term explains how generally countries economic condition varies widely. This chapter sheds more light on the economic climate of Chile and Peru particularly monetary, fiscal, and commercial systems. Each subtopic will be discussed for better precision and consideration.
Terminal Syringomyelia and Occult Spinal Dysraphism

Terminal syringomyelia is traditionally defined as a cystic dilatation in the caudal third of the spinal cord. It is commonly associated with occult spinal dysraphism (OSD), with its incidence better recognized since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging. While the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism is not fully understood, several theories exist regarding the development of terminal syrinx in patients with OSD. The independent clinical significance of OSD-associated terminal syringomyelia and the role for direct surgical treatment of the syrinx beyond standard detethering of the OSD remains controversial. Isolated terminal syrinx is almost always a benign, nonprogressive clinical entity and typically requires no treatment. Terminal myelocystocele may represent an extreme version of terminal syrinx and should be repaired in a timely manner to avoid neurological worsening secondary to cord tethering.
Prolactinomas in Children and Adolescents

Prolactinomas are uncommon in young children but are the most common pituitary adenoma in adolescents. Compared to adults, pediatric patients (particularly males) with prolactinomas are more likely to present with macroprolactinomas. Pediatric patients are also more likely to have an identifiable genetic etiology including mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) or multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MENIN) genes. Unique presenting signs and symptoms of pediatric prolactinomas include delayed puberty and decreased growth. The approach to diagnosis and evaluation of possible prolactinoma is similar in children and adults. Exclusion of other causes of hyperprolactinemia, including medication use, is the first step in the diagnostic process. Children with confirmed hyperprolactinemia should undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The treatment approach for prolactinomas is similar to that in adults, with dopamine agonists generally serving as first-line therapy. Available data using modern treatment approaches suggest that outcomes are generally favorable.
High and Low Dielectric Constant Materials

Silicon-based dielectrics (SiO2, Si3N4, SiOxNy etc.) have been widely used as the key dielectrics in the manufacturing of silicon integrated circuits (ICs) and virtually all other semiconductor devices. Dielectrics having a value of dielectric constant k × 8.854 F/cm more than that of silicon nitride (k > 7) are classified as high dielectric constant materials, while those with a value of k less than the dielectric constant of silicon dioxide (k < 3.9) are classified as the low dielectric constant materials. The minimum value of (k) is one for air. The highest value of k has been reported for relaxor ferroelectric (k = 24,700 at 1 kHz).
Low accuracy of self-reported family history of melanoma in high-risk patients

Family history of melanoma is a major melanoma risk factor. However, self-reported family histories for some cancers, including melanoma, are commonly inaccurate. We used a unique database, the Utah Population Database (UPDB), as well as the Utah Cancer Registry to determine the accuracy of self-reported family history of melanoma in a large cohort of high-risk patients. Patient charts were reviewed and compared to records in the UPDB and the UCR to confirm personal and family history of melanoma in 1780 patients enrolled in a total body photography monitoring program. Self-reported family history of melanoma in first-degree relatives had an overall sensitivity of 71%, specificity of 79%, PPV of 31%, and NPV of 95%, with decreased accuracy (PPV) for second-degree relatives. A personal history of melanoma was the only factor significantly associated with accuracy in self-reported family history of melanoma. Patient age, sex, estimated nevus count, and number of prior personal melanomas were not significant predictors. Dermatologists should educate patients on the differences between melanomas, keratinocyte carcinomas, and pre-cancers. Confirming self-reported family history of melanoma may improve risk assessment for patients undergoing screening.
An analysis on drug resistance of 108 staphylococcus aureus strains

Objective To instruct clinicians to prescribe medications more logically by investigating the antibiotic resistance and current infection status of staphylococcus aureus isolates.Methods Drug sensitivity testing was conducted in 108 staphylococcus aureus stains isolated from our hospital during the period of November 2009 to September 2011.Results 76 of 108 (70.4％) strains were methicillin-resistant staphylo-coccus aureus,while 32 (29.6％) were methicillin- sensitive.The strains (43A％) were mainly isolated from sputum or throat swab,and 35.9％ from pus or wound.21.7％ of the strains were isolated from vaginal discharges,blood,urine,and semen.The highest rate of staphylococcus aureus MRSA to 16 kinds of antimicrobial resistance was penicillin and oxacillin both acounted for 100.0％,and penicillin-resistant MSSA only the high rate for 83.2％,other 15 drug resistance rates were low at 50％.Vancomycin,nitrofurantoin,teicoplanin resistance rates in both were 0.Conclusions methieillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus have good sensitivity for most of the antibiotics in addition to penicillin,and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus detection rate is still high and more for multi-drug resistance. Key words: Staphylococcus aureus; Antibacterial drugs; Drug resistance; Sensitive; Reasonable drug use
Visual Diagnosis: Soft Tissue Swellings and Congenital Great Toe Malformations in a 12-year-old Girl.

1. Alison Payson, MD* 2. Paula Prieto, MD* 3. Gabriel Salinas Cisneros, MD* 4. Beatriz Franyie Ladd, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL A previously healthy 12-year-old girl presents to the emergency department with a 1-week history of painful swelling of her right upper back. The swelling started as a tennis-ball-sized mass, which progressively enlarged over 1 week and is currently causing discomfort during movement of her neck and right arm. She denies any numbness, tingling, or decreased range of motion. She denies any trauma but after further questioning admits to recently wearing a heavy purse on her right shoulder. She denies any fevers, rashes, recent viral illnesses, or changes in skin color or temperature of the area. Her mother has given her nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and applied warm compresses to the area with no improvement. Her medical history is remarkable for a neurosurgical intervention at 5 months old for a subcutaneous scalp mass that was removed and diagnosed as a cranial myofibroma, with no further recurrences or sequelae. She also had a significantly swollen right quadriceps muscle after receiving a routine 6-month vaccination in that location. At 10 years old, her mother self-referred the patient to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon for evaluation of bilateral shortened big toes. She was referred to genetics, at which time the results of karyotype, microarray, and fragile X DNA testing were negative. Physical examination reveals an asymmetrical swelling of her right posterior hemithorax with loss of landmarks of the right scapula. The mass is firm and mildly tender to …
Environmental equity and the distribution of toxic release inventory and other environmentally undesirable sites in metropolitan New York City

We study the question of environmental equity via generalized linear modeling for the metropolitan New York City region and ask whether, after accounting for socioeconomic status, particular racial/ethnic populations bear a disproportionate burden of hosting environmentally undesirable sites. Our data consist of population demographics for 2216 census tracts linked to 354 environmentally undesirable facilities, including toxic release inventory sites, hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, and other common urban problem sites such as landfills, incinerators, bus garages and sewage treatment plants. Using generalized linear and additive modeling techniques, we find that racial/ethnic demographics, in particular the Hispanic percentage of a tract's population, are significantly associated with the presence of potentially environmentally adverse sites. This leads us to the conclusion that, over the whole metropolitan New York City area, the Hispanic population is proximate to more sites than other populations. At the same time, we find that both Hispanics and African-Americans are more proximate to these sites in the Bronx and Queens. However, we also find indications that Hispanics and African-Americans are less likely to be proximate to the sites in Manhattan. We establish an empirical relationship that warrants additional study in order to establish the causes for the population distribution and whether a basis for a claim of discrimination exists.
Effect of Progression of Valvular Calcification on Left Ventricular Structure and Frequency of Incident Heart Failure (from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis)

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity. Strategies for preventing HF are paramount. Prevalent extracoronary calcification is associated with HF risk but less is known about progression of mitral annular (MAC) and aortic valve calcification (AVC) and HF risk. Progression of valvular calcification (VC) [interval change of >0 units/yr] was assessed by 2 cardiac computed tomography scans over a median of 2.4 years. We used Cox regression to determine the risk of adjudicated HF and linear mixed effects models to determine 10-year change in left ventricular (LV) parameters measured by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging associated with VC progression. We studied 5,591 MESA participants free of baseline cardiovascular disease. Mean ± SD age was 62 ± 10 years; 53% women; 83% had no VC progression, 15% progressed at 1 site (AVC or MAC) and 3% at both sites. There were 251 incident HF over 15 years. After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of HF associated with VC progression at 1 and 2 sites were 1.62 (1.21 to 2.17) and 1.88 (1.14 to 3.09), respectively, compared with no progression (p-for-trend <0.001). Hazard ratios were higher for HFpEF (2.52 [1.63 to 3.90] and 2.49 [1.19 to 5.25]) but nonsignificant for HFrEF. Both AVC (1.61 [1.19 to 2.19]) and MAC (1.50 [1.09 to 2.07]) progression were associated with HF. VC was associated with worsening of some LV parameters over 10 years. In conclusion, VC progression was associated with increased risk of HF and change in LV function. Interventions targeted at reducing VC progression may also impact HF risk, particularly HFpEF.
Dysrhythmia in traumatic RIB Fixation

Introduction The fixation of traumatic rib fractures with metallic plates has multiple benefits, especially in flail segments. These include reducing the number of ventilated and ICU days, the need for a tracheostomy, reduced incidence of pneumonia, and overall improvement in pain [1]. While the benefits have been defined, there have been a paucity of data in the reported medical risks of the procedure. At our institution, an anecdotally observed complication following the procedure included cardiac arrhythmia. Methods A retrospective review of all patients sustaining acutely traumatic rib fractures undergoing operative fixation over a five-year period from March of 2015 to March of 2020 were included. A total of fifteen patients met criteria. All patients were confirmed to be in normal sinus rhythm preoperatively. Postoperatively, all patients were sent to the surgical ICU and continuously monitored for arrhythmia via telemetry. All arrhythmias identified were confirmed via twelve-lead electrocardiograms (EKG). Results No patients had a history of arrhythmia preoperatively. Of the 15 patients, 11 (73%) [95% CI: 45-92%] were confirmed to have any arrhythmia postoperatively [Table 1]. Excluding sinus tachycardia, which may be attributable to a number of other perioperative factors, 8 (53%) patients [95% CI: 26-78%] were found to have experienced another arrhythmia as described above [Table 1]. Discussion These results show that rib fixation carries a significant risk for perioperative cardiac dysrhythmia. Historical controls show the incidence of arrhythmia in non-cardiac, thoracic surgery to be between 17-30%, with atrial fibrillation accounting for the majority [2,3,4,5]. The total incidence of any arrhythmia after rib plating was 73%, which is significantly higher than the upper boundary (30%) of historical norms (p=0.0003) [Table 2]. Excluding sinus tachycardia, the incidence drops to 53% for rib plating, which still remains elevated above historical controls (p=0.05) [Table 2]. Multiple studies in cardiac surgery have proven preoperative antiarrhythmics effective in providing arrhythmia prophylaxis. Further investigation should be performed in arrhythmia prophylaxis in rib fixation.
Paresthesia Predicts Increased Risk of Distal Neuropathic Pain in Older People with HIV-Associated Sensory Polyneuropathy.

Objective Distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) is a disabling consequence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), leading to poor quality of life and more frequent falls in older age. Neuropathic pain and paresthesia are prevalent symptoms; however, there are currently no known curative treatments and the longitudinal course of pain in HIV-associated DSP is poorly characterized. Methods This was a prospective longitudinal study of 265 people with HIV (PWH) enrolled in the CNS HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) study with baseline and 12-year follow-up evaluations. Since pain and paresthesia are highly correlated, statistical decomposition was used to separate the two symptoms at baseline. Multivariable logistic regression analyses of decomposed variables were used to determine the effects of neuropathy symptoms at baseline on presence and worsening of distal neuropathic pain at 12-year follow-up, adjusted for covariates. Results Mean age was 56 ± 8 years, and 21% were female at follow-up. Nearly the entire cohort (96%) was on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 82% had suppressed (≤50 copies/mL) plasma viral loads at follow-up. Of those with pain at follow-up (n = 100), 23% had paresthesia at the initial visit. Decomposed paresthesia at baseline increased the risk of pain at follow-up (odds ratio [OR] 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18, 2.07), and decomposed pain at baseline predicted a higher frequency of pain at follow-up (OR 1.96 [95% CI 1.51, 2.58]). Conclusions Paresthesias are a clinically significant predictor of incident pain at follow-up among aging PWH with DSP. Development of new therapies to encourage neuroregeneration might take advantage of this finding to choose individuals likely to benefit from treatment preventing incident pain.
Late-stage pregnancy reduces upper thermal tolerance in a live-bearing fish

Upper thermal limits are considered a key determinant of a population's ability to persist in the face of extreme heat events. However, these limits differ considerably among individuals within a population, and the mechanisms underlying this differential sensitivity are not well understood. Upper thermal tolerance in aquatic ectotherms is thought to be determined by a mismatch between oxygen supply and the increased metabolic demands associated with warmer waters. As such, tolerance is expected to decline during reproduction given the heightened oxygen demand for gamete production and maintenance. Among live-bearing species, upper thermal tolerance of reproductive adults may decline even further after fertilization due to the cost of meeting the increasing oxygen demands of developing embryos. We examined the upper thermal tolerance of live-bearing female Trinidadian guppies at different stages of reproduction and found that critical thermal maximum was similar during the egg yolking and early embryos stage but then declined by almost 0.5 °C during late pregnancy when oxygen demands are the greatest. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that oxygen limitation sets thermal limits and show that reproduction is associated with a decline in upper thermal tolerance.
Evaluation of urine electrolytes for the diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism in dogs

BACKGROUND Most dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism (HA) have a mineralocorticoid deficiency, which decreases renal tubular sodium reabsorption and potassium excretion. Limited information is available concerning the clinical value of measuring urine electrolytes to aid in an HA diagnosis. OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of urine electrolyte measurements in dogs with HA. METHODS Urine sodium and potassium concentrations were measured in 89 dogs, including 39 dogs with HA and 50 controls with nonadrenal illness. Fractional excretions of sodium (FENa ) and potassium (FEK ) were also calculated. Urine electrolytes and fractional excretion values were compared between the groups. Sensitivities and specificities were determined for various cut-points. RESULTS The median urine sodium to potassium (Na:K) ratio was twofold greater (P 90% sensitivity or specificity provided a corresponding specificity or sensitivity of >50%. When only dogs with abnormal serum or plasma electrolytes were included in the analyses, absolute urine electrolyte concentrations and FENa were not different between study populations (P > .05 for all comparisons), but the FEK was increased (P = .005) and the urine potassium:creatinine ratio was decreased (P < .001) in the control dogs compared with the dogs with HA. CONCLUSIONS Urine electrolyte concentrations and fractional excretions are altered in dogs with HA. However, substantial overlap exists with control dogs with nonadrenal illness. Therefore, these values are unlikely to have diagnostic utility for dogs with HA.
Wideband Acoustic Data Transmission Through Staircase Piezoelectric Transducers

Ultrasounds have been investigated for data communication to transmit data across enclosed metallic structures affected by Faraday shielding. A typical channel consists in two piezoelectric transducers bonded across the structure, communicating through elastic mechanical waves. The rate of data communication is proportional to the transmission bandwidth, which can be widened by reducing the thickness of the transducers. However, thin transducers become brittle, difficult to bond and have a high capacitance that would draw a high electric current from function generators. This work focuses on investigating novel transducer shapes that would allow to provide a constant transmission across a large bandwidth while maintaining large-enough thickness to avoid brittleness and electrical impedance constraints. The transducers are shaped according to a staircase thickness distribution, whose geometry has been designed through an analytical model describing its electro-mechanical behavior formulated for this purpose.
Effects of Panax ginseng, zearalenol, and estradiol on sperm function

Abstract Background Estrogen signaling pathways are modulated by exogenous factors. Panax ginseng exerts multiple activities in biological systems and is classified as an adaptogen. Zearalenol is a potent mycoestrogen that may be present in herbs and crops arising from contamination or endophytic association. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of P. ginseng , zearalenol and estradiol in tests on spermatozoal function. Methods The affinity of these compounds for estrogen receptor (ER)—alpha and beta (ERα and ERβ)—was assessed in receptor binding assays. Functional tests on boar spermatozoa motility, movement and kinematic parameters were conducted using a computer-assisted sperm analyzer. Tests for capacitation, acrosome reaction (AR), and chromatin decondensation in spermatozoa were performed using microscopic analysis. Results Zearalenol—but not estradiol (E 2 )- or ginseng-treated spermatozoa—decreased the percentage of overall, progressive, and rapid motile cells. Zearalenol also decreased spontaneous AR and increased chromatin decondensation. Ginseng decreased chromatin decondensation in response to calcium ionophore and decreased AR in response to progesterone (P 4 ) and ionophore. Conclusion Zearalenol has adverse effects on sperm motility and function by targeting multiple signaling cascades, including P 4 , E 2 , and calcium pathways. Ginseng protects against chromatin damage and thus may be beneficial to reproductive fitness.
Sign-Patterns and Stability

This is a survey of recent results and problems concerning the relationship between the stability properties of a linear system and the sign-pattern of its coefficients.
Pioneers in the history of orbital decompression for Graves’ ophthalmopathy

Orbital decompression for Graves’ ophthalmopathy began in 1890 when Dollinger adapted Kroenlein’s technique for removal of an orbital dermoid cyst to decompress into the subtemporal fossa. Modifications occurred over the years to decompress the orbit into the paranasal sinuses and/or the anterior cranial fossa. The lives of three surgeons who initially performed these operative procedures are reported.1
Glycoproteins: Roles in Cellular Homeostasis and Disease

Modification of proteins through the addition of carbohydrates is one of the most significant alterations that occurs to these biological molecules and serves multiple purposes. Quite striking is the fact the protein glycosylation is controlled by factors that do not depend upon the information encoded in our genes. Sugar attachment is necessary in many proteins to ensure that they attain the proper folded state (i.e. structure) and thus, can carry out their intended functional roles. Equally important is the role glycosylation plays in the context of information. Cell surface glycoproteins are necessary for accurate and efficient cell–cell adhesion and cell–cell communication. The ability of certain families of proteins (lectins) to properly recognize the context of glycosylation on other structures (primarily proteins) is also critically important in cellular “information exchange.” In order to control the regulatory effects of glycosylation, the process can be in a constant state of flux, changing as cells differentiate. Probably, most telling is that many examples are known where disruptions in the pattern of glycosylation, as well as in the degradation of glycosylated proteins, lead to pathological conditions. Keywords: Glycoconjugate; Glycosidase; Glycosyltransferase; Glycosidic; Glycan; Oligosaccharide; Lectin; Interleukin; Cytokine; Chemokine; Proteosome; N-glycosidic; O-glycosidic
Brownian dynamics of polymers at high strain rates

We tackle the problem of viscoelastic break‐up in high speed flow by employing a mesoscopic bead‐spring model for the polymer chains, and by performing Brownian dynamics computations for a variety of extensional flows with high strain rates. The results inform about the level of elastic stresses during elongation, and allow inferences about the scaling of the necking process during rupture. Moreover, the findings clarify the mechanism of chain stretching, informing about the times required for full extension and the role of polymer geometry during elongation.
Discovering Novel Attack Strategies from Infosec Alerts

Correlating security alerts and discovering attack strategies are important and challenging tasks for security analysts. Recently, there have been several proposed techniques to analyze attack scenarios from security alerts. However, most of these approaches depend on a priori and hard-coded domain knowledge that lead to their limited capabilities of detecting new attack strategies. In this paper, we propose an approach to discover novel attack strategies. Our approach includes two complementary correlation mechanisms based on two hypotheses of attack step relationship. The first hypothesis is that attack steps are directly related because an earlier attack enables or positively affects the later one. For this type of attack relationship, we develop a Bayesian-based correlation engine to correlate attack steps based on security states of systems and networks. The second hypothesis is that for some related attack steps, even though they do not have obvious and direct relationship in terms of security and performance measures, they still have temporal and statistical patterns. For this category of relationship, we apply time series and statistical analysis to correlate attack steps. The security analysts are presented with aggregated information on attack strategies from these two correlation engines. We evaluate our approach using DARPA’s Grand Challenge Problem (GCP) data sets. The results show that our approach can discover novel attack strategies and provide a quantitative analysis of attack scenarios.
Successive time courses of strength development and steroid hormone responses to heavy-resistance training

Subjects (5 males, 5 females) performed heavy-resistance exercise at a constant stimulus 3 days/wk for 8 wk. Work rates were then increased to higher but constant levels for an additional 8 wk. Half times of the first training period were 14 and 10 days for the bench press and parallel squat, respectively. The second time course resulted in only one-third of the overall magnitude of strength increases for both exercises as the first, and the kinetics were slower in the parallel squat but similar in the bench press (half time 13 days). Skeletal muscle fiber area was significantly increased (19%) in fast-twitch fibers by the end of the second training period. Postexercise elevations in serum cortisol and prolactin were seen only in the male subjects. Because the males trained at considerably higher work loads than the females, these results imply that absolute amounts of resistance may be an essential requirement for inducing certain hormonal responses. Serum cortisol levels in males after exercise were blunted by the 5th wk of the first time course. For serum testosterone, neither resting nor higher post-exercise concentrations were different at any point of the training periods for either sex. We conclude that the strength time course results are not inconsistent with current thought on factors contributing to strength accumulation. The absence of a specific serum androgenic response with strength development may be related to the fact that the constant exercise stimulus is not conducive to establishing clear-cut hormone-strength relationships.
A mathematical model for the verification of systolic networks

A mathematical model for systolic architectures is suggested and used to verify the operation of certain systolic networks. The data items appearing on the communication links of such a network at successive time units are represented by data sequences and the computations performed by the network cells are modeled by a system of difference equations involving operations on the various data sequences. The input/output descriptions, which describe the global effect of the computations performed by the network, are obtained by solving this system of difference equations. This input/output description can then be used to verify the operation of the network. The suggested verification technique is applied to four different systolic networks proposed in the literature.
An Operational Approach to Multiple Objective Decision Making for Public Water Resources Projects Using Integer Goal Programming

Traditional decision-making techniques, such as linear programming, can only optimize one criterion. A variation of linear programming called integer goal programming is proposed as a quantitative approach to integrate multiple objectives in the selection and scheduling of federally funded water resources projects. The deviations from target levels of both economic and environmental objectives may be minimized by using integer goal programming in the evaluation of projects under the proposed multiple objectives. Integer goal programming has the added advantages of permitting decision makers to specify and to change the priorities given each goal and to select only complete rather than partial projects in multiple period funding of multiple objective projects.
Optimizing job reliability via contention-free, distributed scheduling of vm checkpointing

Checkpointing a virtual machine (VM) is a proven technique to improve the reliability in modern datacenters. Inspired by the CSMA protocol in wireless congestion control, we propose a novel framework for distributed and contention-free scheduling of VM checkpointing to offer reliability as a transparent, elastic service in datacenters. In this work, we quantify the reliability in closed form by studying system stationary behaviors, and maximize the job reliability through utility optimization. We implement a proof-of-concept prototype based on our design. Evaluation results show that the proposed checkpoint scheduling can significantly reduce the performance interference from checkpointing and improve reliability by as much as one order of magnitude over contention-oblivious scheme.
September 2004 Flood Event in Southwestern Bangladesh: A Study of its Nature, Causes, and Human Perception and Adjustments to a New Hazard

This paper examines the nature and causes of September 2004 hazardous flood that affected the dry and drought prone southwestern region of Bangladesh. It also examines human perception of this new hazard and their methods of adjustments to its negative impacts. Field research for this study includes personal interviews of 453 victim families living in four thanas (lowest administrative units) in Jessore and Satkhira districts of southwestern Bangladesh. Findings of the study suggest that all victim respondents viewed this flood event as a natural hazard, which has caused severe damage to standing crops, fish ponds, permanent trees and homesteads, and deteriorated human health and sanitation conditions. Its long-term impacts on fish farming, soil quality degradation, as well as changing land use/land coverage are also noteworthy but yet to be adequately explored. Both perceived and scientific causes of this flood event include high rainfall for a week before the flood, unusual movement of low pressure system into the affected area, cloudy weather and low evaporation, siltation of the regional riverbeds, and rolling back of the Ganges River water through the Ichamati and Bhagirati rivers. These factors also caused hazardous flooding at the same time in the Ichamati and Bhagirati Rivers and their floodplains in the West Bengal province of India. To release the overflow of flood water inside India, the Indian border patrol breached the Ichamati river embankment in several places along Satkhira and Jessore international border which had aggravated the flood situation in the study area.
Epitope spreading occurs in active but not passive EAE induced by myelin basic protein

Using experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, EAE, as a model for the study of autoimmune demyelinating disease in the CNS, previous studies have indicated that spread may occur with respect to the specificity of T cell responses during disease. This phenomenon, known as epitope spreading, is central to therapeutic strategies in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, in EAE, the clinical course, neuropathology and immunopathogenesis vary depending upon host factors and the method of disease induction. Since passive EAE in SJL/J mice resembles MS clinically and neuropathologically, this model was chosen to study the immune phenomenon of epitope spreading. T cells specific for whole 18.5 kDa MBP were used to initiate disease since MBP or one of its naturally occurring cleavage fragments may initiate a more physiological immune response than one generated to an artificially designed synthetic peptide. While a progressive increase in T cell responsiveness specific for the immunodominant MBP 87-106 region was observed during disease, there was no evidence of either intermolecular epitope spreading to the immunodominant region of proteolipid protein (PLP) 139-151 or of intramolecular epitope spreading to the exon 2 encoded region of MBP, which is spliced out of 18.5 kDa MBP. In addition there was no shift in immunodominance toward the subdominant MBP 16-35 region during disease. In contrast during active EAE induced by MBP, epitope spreading to the immunodominant epitope of PLP, 139-151, was observed. These data demonstrate that immune responses generated during passive versus active EAE may differ, and suggest that significant epitope spreading does not occur in chronic relapsing demyelinating disease initiated with T cells specific for whole MBP in the absence of exogenous antigen, complete Freund's adjuvant and pertussis. Implications of these findings with regard to epitope spreading in MS are discussed.
Graph-Based Optimization Algorithm and Software on Kidney Exchanges

Kidney transplantation is typically the most effective treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the supply of kidneys is far short of the fast-growing demand. Kidney paired donation (KPD) programs provide an innovative approach for increasing the number of available kidneys. In a KPD program, willing but incompatible donor-candidate pairs may exchange donor organs to achieve mutual benefit. Recently, research on exchanges initiated by altruistic donors (ADs) has attracted great attention because the resultant organ exchange mechanisms offer advantages that increase the effectiveness of KPD programs. Currently, most KPD programs focus on rule-based strategies of prioritizing kidney donation. In this paper, we consider and compare two graph-based organ allocation algorithms to optimize an outcome-based strategy defined by the overall expected utility of kidney exchanges in a KPD program with both incompatible pairs and ADs. We develop an interactive software-based decision support system to model, monitor, and visualize a conceptual KPD program, which aims to assist clinicians in the evaluation of different kidney allocation strategies. Using this system, we demonstrate empirically that an outcome-based strategy for kidney exchanges leads to improvement in both the quantity and quality of kidney transplantation through comprehensive simulation experiments.
Precipitating Antibodies Against Organic Dust Antigens in Human Sera by Counterimmunoelectrophoresis

Serum precipitating antibodies against certain organic dusts and fungi are thought to play a role in pathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, and possibly “late onset” bronchial asthma by means of complement mediated hypersensitivity reactions, but nothing is known concerning their possible presence in the population at large. We employed the technique of counterimmunoelectrophoresis to determine their incidence in groups of “atopic” asthmatic and “nonatopic” normal individuals. A high incidence of precipitins was demonstrated in all subject categories against ubiquitous organic dust antigens which included several house dust preparations, a locally prevalent vegetable dust, a thermophilic actinomycete and human dandruff. Precipitins against a seasonal pollen antigen (giant ragweed) were only occasionally detected. These data provide the first evidence that antiorganic dust IgG serum precipitins are frequently present in the population at large. Our findings likely reflect the normal host response to prolonged environmental inhalant organic dust exposure. The biologic significance of antiorganic dust serum precipitins is unknown but their presence per se cannot be considered as evidence of pulmonary disease.
Computational and experimental roof corner pressures on the Texas Tech Building

Abstract The roof corner pressures on the Texas Tech building are computed using k-ϵ turbulence model on a nonstaggered grid system. The computed pressures and rms pressures are compared with field and wind-tunnel results.
Complications of external condom drainage

As a result of recent advancements in urodynamic evaluation of male patients with spinal cord injury and improvement in medico-surgical treatment of bladder and sphincter, a high percentage of SCI patients are catheter free and on external condom drainage. However, the improper application of a condom in more than 15 per cent of these patients has caused a variety of complications, some of them very serious. Therefore, the common complications of condom application are described and illustrated. Also, the treatment of those complications are discussed and in particular the preventive measures are presented, and the importance of the stressed.