cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TBLT INSTRUCTIONAL EFFECTS ON TONAL ALIGNMENT AND PITCH RANGE IN L2 SPANISH IMPERATIVES VERSUS DECLARATIVES

The present study investigates the prosody/pragmatics interface in TBLT by extending the traditional morphological focus-on-form to a focus on intonational forms, with Spanish declaratives and imperatives. Twenty-eight intermediate L2 Spanish learners were assigned to one of two conditions that differed in the type of focus-on-form present during the pre- and posttask phases of a focused, task-based intervention: focus on grammar (FOG) or focus on grammar + intonation (FOG + I). All participants were administered an oral discourse completion task in a pre- and a posttest that elicited Spanish imperatives and declaratives to measure gains. Results show that participants, regardless of condition, did not distinguish imperatives from declaratives using intonation in the pretest. However, participants in the FOG + I condition modified their pitch range and pitch accents in the posttest to signal a difference between imperatives and declaratives, though their use was different from the input provided by a native speaker instructor.
A Closer Look at Payment Cards

This essay takes a closer look at the U.S. payment card system, primarily debit cards. I examine the bundle of transactional services this and other types of payment cards provide. My goal, in large part, is to assess the competitive effects of the debit card interchange fee cap under the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act (2011). In addition to a binding fee cap, it mandated a change in the way the fee is metered. A maximum per transaction fee of 20 cents, binding for most transactions, replaced a typical two-percent negotiated fee. I test hypothesis that the cap caused or contributed to a decline in the willingness of payment card intermediaries to invest in security, possibly increasing the system’s vulnerabilities to the kind of data breaches that have become ever more commonplace.
Whither WHO? Our Global Health Leadership.

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses a special section in the journal which addresses the World Health Organization (WHO) and global public health leadership, and it mentions the electoral process for the WHO's director-general and WHO reform efforts.
High precision localization for autonomous vehicles via multiple sensors, data fusion and novel wireless technologies

The modern day car navigation systems have three main tasks: 1) Positioning, 2) Routing and 3) Navigation, where GPS has become the standard Technology that is being used. However GPS has some limitations when it comes to precision of the data presented. This paper presents the development of a new system hat deploys numerous novel wireless technologies to assist high precision localization and reliable navigation thereby ensuring a paradigm shift to smarter Transportation Systems. They serve the necessity for each car to communicate with the other cars in the vicinity and the system in order to acquire real-time knowledge of the environment. To this aim, the MS project proposes an idea of intelligent vehicular communication and positioning systems, that would ensure more safety, security, driver assistance, traffic efficiency, infotainment and sharing the knowledge about environmental conditions and warnings with other participants.
Abstract 97: Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Prevents Cardiac Remodeling in Mice Carrying the Disruption of Guanylyl Cyclase/natriuretic Peptide Receptor-A Gene

Regulation of gene expression plays an obligatorily role in the modification of chromatin structure that dynamically attenuates cardiac hypertrophy. In order to culminate the role of epigenetic regulators in the heart tissue, the current study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, sodium butyrate (SB) in cardiac remodeling process of Npr1 (coding for GC-A/NPRA) gene-targeted mice. Wild type ( Npr1 +/+ , 2-copy), gene-disrupted ( Npr1 +/- , 1-copy), and gene-duplicated ( Npr1 ++/+- , 3-copy) mice were administered intraperitoneally with SB (0.5 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks (8 mice/group). Mice with gene-disruption ( Npr1 +/- , 1-copy) exhibited the increase in cardiac hypertrophy, heart weight/body weight (HW/BW) ratio (6.9 ± 0.2), and systolic blood pressure (SBP, 121.5 ± 4 mmHg) compared with 2-copy (HW/BW, 5.1 ± 0.2; SBP; 100.9 ± 6 mmHg) and 3-copy (HW/BW, 4.7 ± 0.1; SBP, 89.4 ± 2 mmHg) mice. In addition, an increased activity of HDAC (3-fold, p Npr1 +/- mice showed a significant increase in the expression of hypertrophic marker genes such as β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC, 2-fold), α-skeletal actin (α-SK, 2-fold), c-fos (2.5-fold), and c-jun (3-fold) compared to untreated 2-copy and 3-copy mice. A substantial attenuation in the expression of hypertrophic markers (β-MHC, 2.5-fold; α-SK, 2.4-fold) and matrix genes (MMP-2, p Npr1 +/- mice. The basal expression levels of matrix proteins were also significantly reduced in 2-copy and 3-copy mice hearts. The results show that sodium butyrate-dependent inhibition of HDAC activity attenuates cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by improving HAT activity suggesting that chromatin modification can prevent cardiac remodeling process in a Npr1 gene-dose-dependent manner.
ADC Spectral Testing with Signal Amplitude Drift and Simultaneous Non-coherent Sampling

Spectral testing is a vital category in modern measurement industry. The challenge is to cost-effectively test the ADCs accurately. Among many test requirements, maintaining input test signal stability and achieving coherent sampling are one of the bottlenecks for accurate testing of the ADC. If these stringent test requirements are not met, accurate spectral test results of the ADC cannot be obtained. This paper presents a method that simultaneously relaxes the requirements of precise control over source amplitude, and of the need for coherent sampling. By dividing the output data into segments, accurate estimation of the drift fundamental in each segment can be obtained, by removing the estimated drift fundamental and replacing with a coherent, non-drift fundamental in time domain, accurate spectral results can be achieved. Extensive simulation results have validated the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method. Furthermore, measurement results have verified the proposed method by accurately obtain spectral results of the ADC under test.
The influence of building geometry on street canyon air flow: Validation of large eddy simulations against wind tunnel experiments

Abstract This study investigates the effect of roof and facade geometry on the mean wind flow and turbulence in street canyons, as well as the ability of numerical simulation techniques in capturing the flow features. Numerical experiments, using the large eddy simulation FLUENT code, have been conducted under neutral stability conditions to test 5 building geometries: i) flat roof, ii) pitched roof, iii) round roof, iv) terraced building and v) building with balconies. Wind tunnel experiments were also conducted for the first three geometries. The simulation and experimental setups were closely matched and both featured configurations consisting of seven building arrays. The results from the physical and numerical experiments concur that (i) in-canyon vortex dynamics and over-canopy flow conditions, are strongly dependent on the geometric features of the buildings, and (ii) pitched and round roof geometries increase in-canyon mean and turbulent velocities, as well as the depth of the shear layer. The findings provide novel insight on the sensitivity of the flow and turbulence fields, as well as the simulation quality, to urban topography, inflow conditions, and the Reynolds number. They also underline the influence on the flow of small-scale features such as balconies, which are often ignored in prior literature.
Examination of Chronic Smoking Behavior and Eligibility for Low-Dose Computed Tomography for Lung Cancer Screening Among Older Chinese Male Smokers.

Background Low-dose computed tomography lung cancer (LDCT) screening is an effective way to decrease lung cancer mortality. Both Medicare and private insurers offer coverage of LDCT screening to beneficiaries who are at high risk of developing lung cancer. In this study, we examined rates and predictors of chronic smoking behavior and eligibility for coverage of LDCT screening among older Chinese men living in the greater Chicago area. Methods Data were obtained from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago, a population-based survey of community-dwelling, older Chinese adults in the Chicago metropolitan area. Eligibility criteria according to Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for LDCT screening were used. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors of chronic smoking behavior which was operationalized as meeting criteria for LDCT screening. Results A quarter of the sample were current smokers and 42.5% reported a prior history of smoking. Eighteen percent and 22% of older Chinese men met the eligibility criteria for appropriateness for CMS and USPSTF LDCT screening, respectively. Furthermore, education, marital status, and number of children were significantly associated with chronic smoking behavior. Conclusion Older Chinese men with chronic smoking behavior are at high risk of developing lung cancer and nearly one in five meet eligibility for LDCT screening. Increased outreach and education regarding early detection of lung cancer and smoking cessation are needed for this vulnerable and high-risk population.
Registration of ‘Sunshine’ Hard White Winter Wheat

‘Sunshine’ (Reg. No. CV-1129, PI 674741) hard white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed by the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station and released in August 2014 through a marketing agreement with the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation. In addition to researchers at Colorado State University, USDA-ARS researchers at Manhattan, KS, St. Paul, MN, and Pullman, WA participated in its development. Sunshine was developed with the objective of making available a hard white winter wheat cultivar with improved grain yield and straw strength and similar milling and baking qualities to ‘Snowmass’ hard white winter wheat. Both Snowmass and Sunshine are grown in Colorado and adjacent areas of the west-central Great Plains in an identity-preserved marketing system whereby a grower premium is paid through a contract with a flour milling company. Sunshine was developed with a modified-bulk breeding method from the cross KS01HW152-6/HV9W02-267W made in 2005 at Fort Collins, CO. Following two generations (F₂ and F₃) of bulk-population evaluation, Sunshine was selected as an F₃:₄ line in July 2009, assigned experimental line number CO09W293, and evaluated in replicated yield trials from 2012 to 2014 in eastern Colorado.
Innovation and Technology Management

Innovation is an essential driver for profitable growth and the key to our future. It enables us to meet future challenges and ensure sustainable development. In order to turn new ideas into market success, innovation management needs to balance two decisive factors: room for creativity on the one hand, and clearly structured processes on the other. Selecting the right key performance indicators is a crucial basis for evaluating performance achievement. As innovation issues become more complex, companies are becoming more receptive to open innovation processes and cooperating with academia as well as with customers. To enhance their innovative strength, companies need to establish a culture of innovation within their organizations. They also need to contribute to an innovation-friendly climate in society.
Integration of 3.4 nm HfO 2 into the gate stack of MOS 2 and WSe 2 top-gate field-effect transistors

One of the main challenges inhibiting the integration of 2D crystals into top-gate field-effect transistors (FETs) is deposition of a uniform, scalable, high-quality dielectric. The most common and controlled method of deposition of thin dielectric films is atomic layer deposition (ALD); however, the inert surface of 2D materials offers no nucleation sites for the ALD precursors, resulting in non-uniform island growth [1-2]. While ALD can be used to grow thick high-k films on 2D crystals such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) [3-4], ultrathin films ( 2 and WSe 2 , using plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD). Furthermore, we analyze the impact of the PEALD process on the 2D crystals and demonstrate the utility of the sub-5 nm films by fabricating top-gate FETs.
Pop-cultural Mobilization: Deploying Game of Thrones to Shift US Climate Change Politics

Over the last two decades, scholars have developed an increasingly sophisticated range of approaches to studying the complex relationship between popular culture and politics. This article addresses three major weakness in this expanding body of research: (1) the analytic focus on the pop-cultural artifact itself rather than political actors and scholars doing the causal-political or pedagogical work, (2) a lack of attention to the question whether different culture consumers’ interpretations and experiences of a pop-cultural artifact match those of scholars, and (3) the dearth of empirical studies verifying theoretical claims. I address these weaknesses by introducing the concept of pop-cultural mobilization to capture the active and deliberate appropriation of pop-cultural resources for a specific political purpose by political actors. I support my conceptual argument with empirical data for a case study on the TV show Game of Thrones (GOT): a qualitative content analysis of 55 political commentaries published between 2013 and 2016. The authors of these political commentaries purposefully contributed to a process of meaning-making among the American public by publishing their own interpretations of the TV show, especially what they perceived as strong parallels between the GOT narratives and climate change politics in the real world. The analysis demonstrates the interpretive openness of the pop-cultural artifact GOT, challenging the often-assumed interpretive authority of scholars’ readings of a cultural narrative. There is even the potential for political opponents to make use of the same pop-cultural material to advance different policy agendas.
Balancing Aggradation and Progradation on a Vegetated Delta: The Importance of Fluctuating Discharge in Depositional Systems

Vegetation is an important component of constructional landscapes, as plants enhance deposition and provide organic sediment that can increase aggradation rates to combat land loss. We conducted two sets of laboratory experiments using alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to determine the effects of plants on channel organization and large-scale delta dynamics. In the first set, we found that rapid vegetation colonization enhanced deposition but inhibited channelization via increased form drag that reduced the shear stress available for sediment entrainment and transport. A second set of experiments used discharge fluctuations between flood and base flow (or interflood). Interfloods were critical for reworking the topset via channel incision and lateral migration to create channel relief and prevent rapid plant colonization. These low flow periods also greatly reduced the topset slope in the absence of vegetation by removing topset sediment and delivering it to the shoreline. Floods decreased relief by filling channels with sediment, resulting in periods of rapid progradation and enhanced aggradation over the topset surface, which was amplified by vegetation. The combination of discharge fluctuations and vegetation thus provided a balance of vertical aggradation and lateral progradation. We conclude that plants can inhibit channelization in depositional systems, and that discharge fluctuations encourage channel network organization to naturally balance against aggradation. Thus, variations in discharge are an important aspect of understanding the ecomorphodynamics of aggrading surfaces and modeling vegetated deltaic systems, and the combined influences of plants and discharge variations can act to balance vertical and lateral delta growth.
Fecundity Estimates for Rainbow Darters, Etheostoma caeruleum, in Southwestern Michigan

Author Institution: Michigan State University, Department of Zoology, Kellogg Biological Station
Supercritical Helium Cooling of Hollow Superconductors

A research program is currently in progress to examine the physical characteristics of hollow composite superconductors cooled by an internal flow of supercritical helium. This type of superconducting device has been proposed for producing the high magnetic field intensity in a large cryogenic bubble chamber [1]. The principal thermal problem associated with the design of a hollow-conductor superconducting magnet is to provide total refrigeration sufficient to maintain an equilibrium temperature below the critical throughout the coil. This refrigerant capacity must also have sufficient built-in margin to combat thermal instabilities caused by flux jumping [2].
A Rapid and Cost-Effective Device for Testing Minimal Erythema Dose

We describe a novel device for rapid and economical minimal erythema dose testing in patients undergoing ultraviolet (UV) light phototherapy for treatment of skin diseases. A minimal erythema testing device was designed and created using transparent plastic sheeting and printed patterns with increasing ink density, allowing for graded UV transmission of 100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, and 10% energy through six 10-mm square apertures. The plastic sheet was placed in a UV-impenetrable and Velcro-fitted adjustable sleeve, designed to fit easily onto a patient’s arm. A pilot validation study was performed, comparing this device with a commercially available windowed device in which the dose is controlled by varying the UV exposure time through sequential opening of each window. The pilot was conducted on healthy skin of two human subjects with different Fitzpatrick skin types. In our subjects, tested with one device on each forearm, the minimal erythema dose (MED), judged visually, was identical. However, the test device allowed MED testing in 3 min compared with 15 min for the traditional device. The test device is equally effective for use with ultraviolet-A (UVA), narrowband ultraviolet-B (NB-UVB) and broadband ultraviolet-B (BB-UVB) wavelengths. The test device is economical, with manufacturing cost of less than US $2. We designed an MED testing device that is quick, accurate, cost-effective, and easy to use in the setting of a busy phototherapy practice. This device therefore has many advantages over existing MED testing approaches.
Should Credit Card Issuers Reissue Cards in Response to a Data Breach?: Uncertainty and Transparency in Metrics for Data Security Policymaking

When card data is exposed in a data breach but has not yet been used to attempt fraud, the overall social costs of that breach depend on whether the financial institutions that issued those cards immediately cancel them and issue new cards or instead wait until fraud is attempted. This article empirically investigates the social costs and benefits of those options. We use a parameterized model and Monte Carlo simulation to compare the cost of reissuing cards to the total expected cost of fraud if cards are not reissued. The ranges and distributions in our model are informed by publicly available information, from which we extrapolate estimates of the number of credit card records historically exposed in data breaches, the probability that a card exposed in a breach will be used for fraud, and the associated expected cost of existing-account credit card fraud. We find that automatically reissuing cards may have lower social costs than the costs of waiting until fraud is attempted, although the range of results is considerably broad.
Sedentary Behaviors in Children and Adolescents: What Is the Influence on Bone Strength?

Whether driving to work, sitting in the classroom or office, or watching TV, sedentary behavior is commonplace in modern society. This is especially true for children and adolescents who, behind older adults, spend the largest proportion of their day being sedentary. Evidence linking excess sedentary behavior to increased adiposity and cardiometabolic risk in youth has contributed to the adoption of guidelines advising the restriction of behaviors such as TV viewing in several countries. However, evidence is limited concerning the effects of sedentary behaviors on bone strength, especially during adolescent growth, the period of peak bone mineral accrual. A recent review concluded that a negative association exists between sedentary behavior and bone mineral accrual in the lower extremities. In contrast, longitudinal data in adolescents highlighted positive relationships between sedentary behaviors and some aspects of bone microarchitecture. Regardless of the direction of the relationship, findings appear to be independent of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). While it is premature to generate public health recommendations with respect to sedentary behaviors and bone, it is clear that MVPA remains the most influential activity-related behavior for optimal bone accrual. Future guidelines should continue to promote activity while examining its interaction with sedentary behaviors.
Hybrid surgery for bilateral lower extremity inflow revascularization

Abstract Objective Aortobifemoral (ABF) bypass is the preferred method of bilateral inflow revascularization, with axillobifemoral (AXBF) bypass reserved for high-risk patients. Hybrid (HYB) surgery in the form of femorofemoral bypass and retrograde endovascular aortoiliac intervention is increasingly being used to achieve the same goal. This study compared the perioperative outcomes of HYB surgery with traditional surgery for bilateral inflow revascularization. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program files for the years 2012 to 2015 were reviewed, and all patients undergoing ABF bypass, AXBF bypass, and HYB surgery (femoral-femoral bypass and retrograde endovascular intervention) were included. Patients' demographics, comorbidities, and outcomes were compared between the three groups. A propensity-matched analysis was subsequently performed to compare HYB surgery with ABF bypass only. The χ2 test and analysis of variance with post hoc analysis were conducted to evaluate between-group differences in risk factors and outcomes. SPSS statistical software (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY) was used. Results There were 1426 patients (ABF bypass, 976; AXBF bypass, 257; HYB surgery, 193). There were significant differences in the three populations of patients, with ABF bypass patients significantly more likely to have age Conclusions ABF bypass is the most common surgery for bilateral lower extremity revascularization in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database and continues to have good outcomes. In selected patients, HYB surgery was associated with improved perioperative, 30-day outcomes compared with ABF bypass.
The Impact of Improvisation on Creativity: A Fractal Approach

This is an investigation of musical creativity. Improvisation is a complex system for understanding musical creativity. Improvisation is often expressed through jazz music. This chapter focuses on the measurement of jazz improvisation in order to better understand musical creativity. The science and art of music analysis are discussed. Improvisation can be a measure for musical creativity; however, there are limitations with existing measurement methods. Instead, fractal analysis offers an approach that addresses such limitations. In a case study approach, the work of John Coltrane and his relevant biographical events are discussed along with a fractal analysis examining the sequential structure of pitches in his saxophone solos. Saxophone solos were transcribed from sheet music into a format that represents an absolute pitch numerically. The pitch sequences were examined using power spectral analysis. Results indicate that all 18 Coltrane saxophone solos display sequences of successive pitches that are consistent with anti-persistent fractional Brownian motion having 1/f α power spectra with scaling exponent α between 1.6 and 1.8. Brownian motion is a type of statistical pattern that is symptomatic of self-similar or fractal patterning across time (Mandelbrot 1998). In addition, average mutual information analyses revealed various dominant regular rhythmic patterns in several of the pieces. Eighth-note patterns were dominant in his earlier work, while greater irregularity was present in rhythmic patterns of his later work. Thus, Coltrane’s improvised solos, including his later avant-garde compositions, are comprised of Brownian fractal patterns, which others using a different pitch encoding technique have previously identified in performances of both classical and jazz music (e.g., Boon and Delcroly 1995). These fractal patterns quantify the concepts of order and complexity addressed in the Birkhoff’s Theory of Aesthetic Value. Fractal analysis offers another approach toward understanding the dynamics of improvisation and musical creativity.
A 7.3 M Output Non-Zeros/J, 11.7 M Output Non-Zeros/GB Reconfigurable Sparse Matrix–Matrix Multiplication Accelerator

A sparse matrix–matrix multiplication (SpMM) accelerator with 48 heterogeneous cores and a reconfigurable memory hierarchy is fabricated in 40-nm CMOS. The compute fabric consists of dedicated floating-point multiplication units, and general-purpose Arm Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M4 cores. The on-chip memory reconfigures scratchpad or cache, depending on the phase of the algorithm. The memory and compute units are interconnected with synthesizable coalescing crossbars for efficient memory access. The 2.0-mm $\times $ 2.6-mm chip exhibits 12.6 $\times $ (8.4 $\times $ ) energy efficiency gain, 11.7 $\times $ (77.6 $\times $ ) off-chip bandwidth efficiency gain, and 17.1 $\times $ (36.9 $\times $ ) compute density gain s against a high-end CPU (GPU) across a diverse set of synthetic and real-world power-law graph-based sparse matrices.
New Conflicts in the Briefing Room: Using Sentiment Analysis to Evaluate Administration-press Relations from Clinton through Trump

Journalists have argued that the high levels of hostility between President Trump and numerous media outlets have marked a critical juncture in presidential-press relations. This perceived conflict...
Minimal supersymmetric standard model with gauged baryon and lepton numbers

A simple extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in which baryon and lepton numbers are local gauge symmetries spontaneously broken at the supersymmetry scale is reported. This theory provides a natural explanation for proton stability. Despite violating R-parity, it contains a dark matter candidate carrying baryon number that can be searched for in direct detection experiments. The model accommodates a light active neutrino spectrum and predicts one heavy and two light sterile neutrinos. It also allows for lepton number violating processes testable at the Large Hadron Collider.
Understanding the physiological functions of the host xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptors PXR and CAR on the gut microbiome using genetically modified mice

Abstract Pharmacological activation of the xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptors pregnane X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is well-known to increase drug metabolism and reduce inflammation. Little is known regarding their physiological functions on the gut microbiome. In this study, we discovered bivalent hormetic functions of PXR/CAR modulating the richness of the gut microbiome using genetically engineered mice. The absence of PXR or CAR increased microbial richness, and absence of both receptors synergistically increased microbial richness. PXR and CAR deficiency increased the pro-inflammatory bacteria Helicobacteraceae and Helicobacter. Deficiency in both PXR and CAR increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, which has bile salt hydrolase activity, corresponding to decreased primary taurine-conjugated bile acids (BAs) in feces, which may lead to higher internal burden of taurine and unconjugated BAs, both of which are linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, and cytotoxicity. The basal effect of PXR/CAR on the gut microbiome was distinct from pharmacological and toxicological activation of these receptors. Common PXR/CAR-targeted bacteria were identified, the majority of which were suppressed by these receptors. hPXR-TG mice had a distinct microbial profile as compared to wild-type mice. This study is the first to unveil the basal functions of PXR and CAR on the gut microbiome.
Impact of high school curriculum on student performance at university

Performance of students in universities is an important aspect to success in their future life and career. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), undergraduate students are diverse not only in their nationalities but also in the high school curriculum they have followed. This paper describes a pilot study conducted at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Dubai on identifying the influence different high school curricula have on student performance in universities. Academic and non-cognitive measures of 213 undergraduate student records were studied. Performance patterns of students based on their high school curricula were studied. Indian curriculum students were found to fare better in university than other students. American curriculum in UAE was found to be a modified version of UAE’s national curriculum, MOE. College readiness of these students was found to be the lowest in the population studied. American curriculum students displayed a prominent gap between the self-perception of their abilities and the reality of their performance, Grade Point Average. Scaling this study with more records will enable results and insights to be applicable to a wider population. Educators and accreditation authorities can use these insights to provide customized support to improve the college readiness and future success of students.
Evaluation of the Self-Cooling Performance of a Flux-Switching Permanent Magnet Machine With Airfoil-Shaped Rotor

The objective of this article is to evaluate the self-cooling performance of a novel integrated flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPM) machine with an airfoil-shaped rotor. The rotor of the proposed integrated machine is functioning as both a rotor of the motor as well as an axial fan. It rotates to draw air from the ambient into the rotor and accelerate the flow through the rotor stage. The high-speed flow provides forced convection to the rotor, stator, windings, and magnets. Therefore, self-cooling is achieved. Accounting for manufacturing challenges of the airfoil blades, three-dimensional (3-D) printed blade caps are designed and assembled over the laminated rotor poles for the airfoil-shaped rotor. The electromagnetic performance of the continuous-skewed stator slot is compared with the step-skewed stator slot. Three housing configurations are proposed in terms of housing with radial inlets, housing with axial inlets, and no housing. The electromagnetic performance is verified by 3-D finite element analysis (FEA). The convective heat transfer coefficients of the three housing configurations are calculated by analytical methods and numerical simulations by 3-D computational fluid dynamics. The effect of encapsulations on the windings is also evaluated by FEA. A prototype machine is built and tested. Experimental results of measured temperature distributions on the stator and windings are included to validate the numerical simulation results.
Developmental Considerations in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Comparing Pediatric and Adult-Onset Cases

There appear to be two peaks of incidence of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), one with a pre-adolescent onset and another in early adulthood. As new cases are added, the cumulative prevalence of OCD increases, but the great majority of cases have an onset in youth. The notion that early onset OCD represents a unique developmental subtype of the disorder has been considered by many researchers based on several specific age-related factors. Ascertainment and early intervention in affected youth is critical to abbreviate the functional impairments associated with untreated illness. In this paper we review the clinical, familial and translational biomarker correlates seen in early onset OCD that support the notion of a developmental subtype and discuss implications for research and treatment aimed at this cohort. The importance of cognitive, academic and social development tasks of childhood and adolescence, illness-specific and familial factors, and immune-mediated inflammatory factors are discussed, with their implications for management.
Jesus as a Transformational Leader

This chapter explores Jesus’ relationship with Nicodemus, and identifies four principles of transformational leadership. The four principles follow. First, transformational leaders provide the necessary influence to be strong role models for their followers (Arunima et al., in Advances in Management 7(10):37–45, 2014). Second, transformational leaders demonstrate the inspirational motivation that communicates high expectations to their followers to embrace and commit to the organization’s shared vision (Dialoke & Edeh, in International Journal on Leadership 6(2):14–22, 2018). Third, transformational leaders stimulate followers’ creativity and innovative capacity to challenge their values and beliefs (Alexander et al., in Evidence-Based HRM 6(1):39–53, 2018). Fourth, transformational leaders provide such a supportive climate of careful listening to their followers’ individual needs (Anthony, in Journal of Management Development 36(7):930–939, 2017).
Biophysical and Architectural Mechanisms of Subthalamic Theta under Response Conflict

The cortico-basal ganglia circuit is needed to suppress prepotent actions and to facilitate controlled behavior. Under conditions of response conflict, the frontal cortex and subthalamic nucleus [STN] exhibit increased spiking and theta band power, which are linked to adaptive regulation of behavioral output. The electrophysiological mechanisms underlying these neural signatures of impulse control remain poorly understood. To address this lacuna, we constructed a novel large-scale, biophysically principled model of the subthalamopallidal [STN-Globus Pallidus externus (GPe)] network, and examined the mechanisms that modulate theta power and spiking in response to cortical input. Simulations confirmed that theta power does not emerge from intrinsic network dynamics but is robustly elicited in response to cortical input as burst events representing action selection dynamics. Rhythmic burst events of multiple cortical populations, representing a state of conflict where cortical motor plans vacillate in the theta range, led to prolonged STN theta and increased spiking, consistent with empirical literature. Notably, theta band signaling required NMDA, but not AMPA, currents, which were in turn related to a triphasic STN response characterized by spiking, silence and bursting periods. Finally, theta band resonance was also strongly modulated by architectural connectivity, with maximal theta arising when multiple cortical populations project to individual STN "conflict detector" units, due to an NMDA-dependent supralinear response. Our results provide insights into the biophysical principles and architectural constraints that give rise to STN dynamics during response conflict, and how their disruption can lead to impulsivity and compulsivity.
Chemical and physical properties of carbonated hydroxyapatite affect breast cancer cell behavior

Abstract Breast microcalcifications are routinely explored for mammographic detection of breast cancer and are primarily composed of non-stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (Ca10−x(PO4)6−x(CO3)x(OH)2−x) (HA). Interestingly, HA morphology and carbonate substitution vary in malignant vs. benign lesions. However, whether or not these changes (i) are functionally linked and (ii) impact malignancy remains unclear due in part to lack of model systems that permit evaluating these possibilities. Here, we have adapted a 96 well-based mineralized culture platform to investigate breast cancer cell behavior in response to systematic changes in the chemical and physical properties of HA. By adjusting the carbonate content of the simulated body fluid (SBF) solutions used during growth, we can control the morphology and carbonate substitution of the deposited HA. Our results suggest that both the combined and individual effects of these differences alter breast cancer cell growth and secretion of tumorigenic interleukin-8 (IL-8). Consequently, changes in both HA carbonate incorporation and morphology impact the behavior of breast cancer cells. Collectively, our data underline the importance of biomineralized culture platforms to evaluate the functional contribution of HA material properties to the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Statement of Significance Breast microcalcifications are small mineral deposits primarily composed of hydroxyapatite (HA). HA physicochemical properties have been of considerable interest, as these are often altered during breast cancer progression and linked to malignancy. However, the functional relationship between these changes and malignancy remains unclear due in part to lack of model systems. Here, we have adapted a previously developed a 96 well-based culture platform to evaluate breast cancer cell behavior in response to systematic changes in HA properties. Our results demonstrate that changes in HA morphology and carbonate content influence breast cancer cell growth and interleukin-8 secretion, and suggest that characterizing the effect of HA properties on breast cancer cells may improve our understanding of breast cancer development and progression.
Teaching School Psychology Students About Teen Dating Violence: A Snapshot of Training Practices Across the USA

Teen dating violence is an important issue facing adolescents because of its alarming rates as well as its associated negative physical and mental health outcomes. School psychologists should be trained to recognize teen dating violence and intervene appropriately to offset risk. This is the first study of teen dating violence curriculum coverage in a national sample of school psychology training programs (N = 62 faculty members and N = 79 graduate interns). Faculty and graduate interns reported low levels of training in the area of teen dating violence. Over half of programs (54.8 %) reported no coverage of teen dating violence training, and the majority of graduate students (86.5 %) identified their lack of training as the most common barrier to appropriately dealing with teen dating violence in school settings. Logistic regression results indicated that graduate students with higher rates of self-efficacy and stronger beliefs about the importance of the role of the school psychologist in dealing with teen dating violence were more likely to respond to teen dating violence in their internship setting. Study findings indicated a critical need for educating school psychologists about teen dating violence.
Contributions of TRPV4 to altered pulmonary vasoreactivity in mice with pulmonary hypertension

Chronic hypoxia pulmonary hypertension (CHPH) is a complex progressive disease and the underlying mechanism is still not fully understood. The hallmarks of CHPH include enhanced vasomotor tone, altered vasoreactivity to agonists and profound vascular remodeling. We have previously shown that the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is upregulated in CH rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), contributing to the enhanced vasomotor tone and vascular remodeling. TRPV4 plays pivotal roles in modulating endothelium (EC) dependent and independent vasodilatation in systemic arteries. However, little is known about its contribution to the altered pulmonary vascular reactivity in CHPH. Here, we found that deletion of TRPV4 gene in mice (trpv4-/-) significantly attenuated CH induced-increase in right ventricle systolic pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. Serotonin (5-HT) at 10-8 to 10-6 M caused concentration-dependent contraction of endothelium intact (EC+) and denuded (EC-) PAs of wildtype (WT) mice, and the maximal 5-HT induced contraction was significantly enhanced by CH. Similar enhancement in 5-HT induced response was observed in EC- PA of CH trpv4-/- mice, but it was significantly attenuated when endothelium was intact. In contrast, maximal contraction and EC50 of phenylephrine-induced contraction was minimally affected by CH in EC- PAs of WT mice. But, the EC50 was significantly increased in EC- PAs of CH trpv4-/- mice. These results suggest that TRPV4 contributes to CH-altered pulmonary vasoreactivity in both EC dependent and independent manner, depending on the specific vasoactive agonists.
Exploring the Shavellian Boundary: Violations from Judgment-Proofing, Minority Rights, and Signalling

Shavell compared redistribution by tax to redistribution by the alteration of a rule. The comparison shows that altering an optimal rule for redistribution is inferior. The additional redistribution, whether by tax or by rule alteration, induces some loss of productivity by pushing individuals toward more leisure. The rule alteration has the additional drawback of inducing suboptimal conduct. The present paper explores the contours of this thesis by exploring three exceptions. The first exception is excessive liability on a leisure activity. Conventional analysis finds it equivalent to a use tax or tariff. To the extent this is focused on a leisure activity, it can be synergistic with, and improve on, an optimal income tax regime by deterring leisure. However, the fact that the liability of poor individuals can be judgment proof indicates that the altered rule may be superior to a tariff because its effect of deterring leisure and inducing work would be felt most by the more productive individuals. The second exception is minority rights that produce redistribution and are not subject to a paretian exchange. If the minority beneficiaries cannot compensate the majority, the right appears undesirable whereas a deeper analysis may justify it because of its redistributive effect. The analysis is applied to the example of a right to abortion. Finally, the third exception is that some redistributive rules may produce signaling equilibria that produce further gains. The analysis is applied to a housing subsidy (which is visible, as opposed to an unverifiable tax subsidy).
Low-level haskell code: measurements and optimization techniques

Haskell is a lazy functional language with a strong static type system and excellent support for parallel programming. The language features of Haskell make it easier to write correct and maintainable programs, but execution speed often suffers from the high levels of abstraction. While much past research focuses on high-level optimizations that take advantage of the functional properties of Haskell, relatively little attention has been paid to the optimization opportunities in the low-level imperative code generated during translation to machine code. One problem with current low-level optimizations is that their effectiveness is limited by the obscured control flow caused by Haskell’s high-level abstractions. My thesis is that trace-based optimization techniques can be used to improve the effectiveness of low-level optimizations for Haskell programs. I claim three unique contributions in this work. The first contribution is to expose some properties of low-level Haskell codes by looking at the mix of operations performed by the selected benchmark codes and comparing them to the low-level codes coming from traditional programming languages. The low-level measurements reveal that the control flow is obscured by indirect jumps caused by the implementation of lazy evaluation, higher-order functions, and the separately managed stacks used by Haskell programs. My second contribution is a study on the effectiveness of a dynamic binary trace-based optimizer running on Haskell programs. My results show that while viable program traces frequently occur in Haskell programs the overhead associated with maintaining the traces in a dynamic optimization system outweigh the benefits we get from running the traces. To reduce the runtime overheads, I explore a way to find traces in a separate profiling step. My final contribution is to build and evaluate a static trace-based optimizer for Haskell programs. The static optimizer uses profiling data to find traces in a Haskell program and then restructures the code around the traces to increase the scope available to the low-level optimizer. My results show that we can successfully build traces in Haskell programs, and the optimized code yields a speedup over existing low-level optimizers of up to 86% with an average speedup of 5% across 32 benchmarks.
Biphasic decline of β‐cell function with age in euglycemic nonobese diabetic mice parallels diabetes onset

A gradual decline in insulin response is known to precede the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D). To track age-related changes in the β-cell function of nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, the most commonly used animal model for T1D, and to establish differences between those who do and do not become hyperglycemic, we performed a long-term longitudinal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) study (10-42 weeks) in combination with immunofluorescence imaging of islet morphology and cell proliferation. We observed a clear biphasic decline in insulin secretion (AUC0-30 min ) even in euglycemic animals. A first phase (10-28 weeks) consisted of a relatively rapid decline and paralleled diabetes development in the same cohort of animals. This was followed by a second phase (29-42 weeks) during which insulin secretion declined much slower while no additional animals became diabetic. Blood glucose profiles showed a corresponding, but less pronounced change: the area under the concentration curve (AUC0-150 min ) increased with age, and fit with a bilinear model indicated a rate-change in the trendline around 28 weeks. In control NOD scids, no such changes were observed. Islet morphology also changed with age as islets become surrounded by mononuclear infiltrates, and, in all mice, islets with immune cell infiltration around them showed increased β-cell proliferation. In conclusion, insulin secretion declines in a biphasic manner in all NOD mice. This trend, as well as increased β-cell proliferation, is present even in the NODs that never become diabetic, whereas, it is absent in control NOD scid mice.
Matching bags of regions in RGBD images

We study the new problem of matching regions between a pair of RGBD images given a large set of overlapping region proposals. These region proposals do not have a tree hierarchy and are treated as bags of regions. Matching RGBD images using bags of region candidates with unstructured relations is a challenging combinatorial problem. We propose a linear formulation, which optimizes the region selection and matching simultaneously so that the matched regions have similar color histogram, shape, and small overlaps, the selected regions have a small number and overall low concavity, and they tend to cover both of the images. We efficiently compute the lower bound by solving a sequence of min-cost bipartite matching problems via Lagrangian relaxation and we obtain the global optimum using branch and bound. Our experiments show that the proposed method is fast, accurate, and robust against cluttered scenes.