cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ineffectiveness of factor 3-active selenium compounds in resorption-gestation bioassay for vit. E.

SummaryFactor 3-active selenium compounds, (selenocystine, sodium selenite and selenious acid) were bioassayed for Vit. E activity using standard rat resorption-gestation technic. These substances, administered in excess either orally or intraperitoneally, do not affect the bioassay of Vit. E even though they are highly effective against a variety of other deficiencies preventable by tocopherol, such as dietary necrotic liver degeneration and exudative diathesis.
Ars Expositionis: Euler as Writer and Teacher

In a recent article by Harold M. Edwards, we are exhorted to "read the masters!" [2]. While we can all agree that in general this is good advice, we may still be reluctant to go to Newton's Principia in search of a lucid treatment of the calculus or to Gauss' Disquisitiones Arithmeticae for an account of some famous theorems of number theory and how they came to be proved. One need have no such reluctance, however, about reading Euler. Among the masters he stands out for the clarity of his writing, his willingness to show how he came to his discoveries, and his open admission of failure to prove a conjecture for which he had convincing evidence. George P6lya sums it up when he writes (italics ours):
Autonomous Multiagent Space Exploration with High-Level Human Feedback

Robotic space-exploration missions have always pushed the limits of science and technology, and will continue to do so by their very nature. Such missions are particularly challenging, as they operate in environments with high uncertainty, light-time delays, and high mission costs. Artificial-intelligence-based multiagent systems can alleviate these concerns by 1) creating autonomous multirobot teams that can function in uncertain environments, 2) navigating and operating without time-sensitive commands from Earth-bound scientists, and 3) spreading the mission cost across multiple platforms that will eliminate the danger of total mission loss in the case of a malfunctioning robot. In this work, a novel human in-the-loop cooperative coevolutionary algorithm is presented to train a multirobot system exploring an unknown environment. Autonomous robots learn to make low-level control decisions to maximize scientific data acquisition, whereas human scientists on Earth learn the changing mission profiles and pr...
Localization in the Parking Lot by Parked-Vehicle Assistance

Vehicular ad hoc networks represent a promising solution to vehicle navigation in parking lots. Many proposed architectures so far rely upon the roadside units (RSUs) around the parking lot for localization purposes. In this paper, we present a parked-vehicle assistance (PVA)-based position estimation scheme. The many PVA links we exploit significantly increase the number of communication links and range measurements used for localization. This way, we alleviate the constraint imposed by the usually limited number of RSUs. While the proposed method serves as a promising candidate to achieve accurate vehicle localization particularly in parking lots, the range measurements from the parked vehicles may suffer from severe non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions native to the parking lot topologies. In response, we propose a two-step algorithm to efficiently detect the NLOS links. This way, we can exploit the benefits offered by PVA, while keeping a reasonable computational load by efficiently differentiating the range measurements. Indeed, our simulation results demonstrate a significant increase in terms of the position accuracy compared with the RSU-based scheme.
EXPRESSION OF THE OPIOID GENES

Opioid peptides are small peptides which exert a morphine-like activity when injected into animals. These peptides contain a met- or leu-enkephalin sequence at their amino terminus and are synthesized in the form of large polypeptide precursors.
Book Review: Carvalho, L,. Goodyear, P (2014) The Architecture of Productive Learning Networks

Review of The Architecture of Productive Learning Networks edited by Lucila Carvalho and Peter Goodyear. Published by Routledge in 2014.
Development and Evaluation of a Short Adverse Childhood Experiences Measure.

Introduction Clinicians require tools to rapidly identify individuals with significant childhood adversity as part of routine primary care. The goal of this study was to shorten the 11-item Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) measure and evaluate the feasibility and validity of this shortened measure as a screener to identify adults who have experienced significant childhood adversity. Methods Statistical analysis was conducted in 2015. ACE item responses obtained from 2011–2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were combined to form a sample of 71,413 adults aged ≥18 years. The 11-item Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ACE measure was subsequently reduced to a two-item screener by maintaining the two dimensions of abuse and household stressors and selecting the most prevalent item within each dimension. Results The screener included household alcohol and childhood emotional abuse items. Overall, 42% of respondents and at least 75% of the individuals with four or more ACEs endorsed one or both of these experiences. Using the 11-item ACE measure as the standard, a cut off of one or more ACEs yielded a sensitivity of 99%, but specificity was low (66%). Specificity improved to 94% when using a cut off of two ACEs, but sensitivity diminished (70%). There was no substantive difference between the 11-and two-item ACE measures in their strength of association with an array of health outcomes. Conclusions A two-item ACE screener appropriate for rapid identification of adults who have experienced significant childhood adversity was developed.
General exceptions in the Indian model BIT: Is the “necessity” test workable?

In an attempt to preserve regulatory space, India’s 2015 Model BIT includes a list of General Exceptions. These provisions appear to be inspired by General Exceptions under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of the WTO. These exceptions apply where the measure is “necessary” to achieve certain specified objectives, and is accompanied by a footnote that clarifies that the “necessity” test should be driven by the availability of less restrictive alternatives. This article argues that the necessity test, the concept of restrictiveness and the search for less restrictive alternatives may not be as workable in the investment context as they might in the trade context. In particular, a WTO-style necessity test may impair the ability of the state to ex ante predict whether a course of action would benefit from the General Exceptions, in situations where a large number of foreign investors are likely to be affected by the measure.
On recognizing and positioning curved 3D objects from image contours

The authors present an approach for explicitly relating the shape of image contours to models of curved three-dimensional objects. This relationship is used for object recognition and positioning. Object models consist of collections of parametric surface patches and their intersection curves; this includes nearly all representations used in computer-aided geometric design and computer vision. The image contours considered are the projections of surface discontinuities and occluding contours. Elimination theory provides a method for constructing the implicity equation of the image contours of an object observed under orthographic or perspective projection. This equation is parameterized by the object's position and orientation with respect to the observer. Determining these parameters is reduced to a fitting problem between the theoretical contour and the observed data points. The approach readily extends to parameterized models. It has been implemented for a simple world composed of various surfaces of revolution and successfully tested on several real images. >
Abstract P103: Cellular Stretch Induces Higher Intracellular Calcium Increases in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Than Salt-Resistant Rat Thick Ascending Limbs: Role of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4

The thick ascending limb (TAL) reabsorbs 30 % of the filtered NaCl playing a pivotal role in the regulation of salt homeostasis. Abnormal reabsorption of NaCl in this segment causes salt-sensitive hypertension. We showed that flow-induced cellular stretch stimulates superoxide production in epithelial cells from TALs. Dahl salt-sensitive rat (DSS) TALs produce more superoxide than those from salt-resistant rats (DSR). Mechanical stimulation exerted by cellular stretch increases intracellular calcium (Cai) in several types of cells. We have shown that luminal flow-induced increases in Cai is mediated by Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV4). Therefore, we hypothesized that cellular stretch increases Cai in TALs from DSS rats more than those from DSR rats due to elevated TRPV4 activity. We measured Cai using the calcium-sensitive dye Fura-2 in isolated, perfused DSR and DSS TALs. Cellular stretch increased Cai by 243 ± 51 nM in DSS TALs (n=9; p<0.0008 vs. no stretch conditions) and by 124 ± 27 nM in DSR TALs (n=10; p<0.0005 vs no stretch conditions). Cellular stretch-induced Cai increases were significantly higher in the DSS group (p<0.05 vs DSR). When these animals were fed a high-salt diet (4% NaCl) similar responses were obtained. Cellular stretch increased Cai by 236 ± 58 nM in DSS TALs (n=7; p<0.004 vs no stretch conditions) and by 92 ± 15 nM in DSR TALs (n=6; p<0.0008 vs no stretch conditions). To study whether DSS and DSR TALs express different amounts of TRPV4 we performed Western blots. We found that TRPV4 protein expression was similar in TALs lysates from both strains fed either a control standard or a high-salt diet. We then tested the effects of transfecting DSS TALs with TRPV4-small hairpin (sh) RNA on stretch-induced Cai increases. Under these circumstances, the difference in stretch-induced Cai increases between DSS and DSR TALs was not significant (75 ± 15 nM in DSS vs 56 ± 28 nM vs DSR, n=4 for each group) . We conclude that DSS TALs are more sensitive to increases in cellular stretch than DSR TALs possibly due to enhanced TRPV4 activity.
TNFR25 Expression on CD4+CD25+ T Cells: Down Modulation of Regulatory Activity.

TNFR25 (“DR3”) is a member of the TNF receptor family that is expressed by activated CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. To determine if activated CD4 + CD25 + T cells also expressed this TNFR family molecule, B6 CD4 + CD25 + T cells were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 coated beads (kind gift of Dr. B. Blazar, U. Minn.) and expanded for 3–4 days. TNFR25 expression was readily detected on CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + T cells. Since other members of the TNF receptor family (GITR, OX40, 4–1BB) are known to influence T regulatory cell function, we investigated whether TNFR25 signaling can regulate CD4 + CD25 + T cell activity. TNFR25 triggering in B6-wt T regulatory CD4 + CD25 + cells with the recombinant TNFR25 ligand TL1A or agonistic anti-TNFR25 antibody (4C12) resulted in reduction of their ability to suppress anti-CD3 induced ex-vivo proliferation of CD4 + CD25 − cells. 4C12 mediated TNFR25 signaling also reduced B6-wt Treg mediated inhibition of peptide induced proliferation of OVA-specific B6 CD8 + (OT-I) cells. To further investigate a role for TNFR25 in Treg cell regulation, TNFR25 (full length) transgenic mice were generated and bred onto the BL/6 background. CD4 + CD25 + cells from these TNFR25 tg mice were found to possess diminished T regulatory activity in vitro as determined by their diminished inability to regulate proliferation by B6-wt CD4 + and OT-I CD8 + T cells. To assess their in vivo regulatory activity, B6-wt and B6 TNFR25 tg Treg cells were examined for their ability to inhibit graft vs. host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic MHC class I/II mismatched BMT. In contrast to B6-wt Treg cells, TNFR25 tg Treg cells exhibited significantly diminished ability to regulate the onset of GVHD in vivo as assessed by weight loss and clinical symptoms. Using agonistic antibody, stimulation of TNFR25 on transgenic Treg cells was also found to effectively remove the ex-vivo regulatory activity expressed by this population. To exclude any possible direct co-stimulatory effects of 4C12 antibody on the responding proliferating cells, CD4 + CD25 − T cells from TNFR25 dominant negative transgenic mice were employed. 4C12 mab again abolished Treg cell inhibitory activity. The effect of TNFR25 agonists on T reg cell activity in vivo is being further investigated in both mouse models of GVHD and IBD diseases. Initial observations administering 4C12 post-allogeneic BMT together with B6-wt Treg cells indicate a reduction in their ability to regulate GVHD. In total, these studies identify TNFR25 as a new potential target for augmenting CD4 + and CD8 + responses by concomitant direct co-stimulation of effecter cells and inhibition of T regulatory cell function.
Cluster Randomized Clinical Trials

This chapter discusses the design and analysis of cluster randomized clinical trials (CRCTs). These trials are useful when the intervention is most appropriately applied at a group level (e.g., provider, clinic, hospital). Since patients within a provider, clinic, or hospital are more likely to be similar than patients from another provider, clinic, or hospital, this correlation, called the intraclass correlation (ICC), must be accounted for in the design and analysis of the trial. Other unique features of the CRCT, including ethical and regulatory issues, data monitoring, and trial reporting, are also discussed. Stepped wedge cluster randomized trials are a special case of CRCTs that are useful when it is desirable to have all clusters eventually receive the experimental intervention.
Why do blacks have smaller social networks than whites? The mechanism of racial identity strength

ABSTRACTThis manuscript develops a theoretical view of racial identity as a variable symbolic resource and uses that approach to explain a rarely addressed finding within the social network literature – why whites have larger social networks and more weak ties than do blacks. Regression modelling of General Social Survey data reveals that the variability of racial identity at the individual and category levels provides a mechanism for explaining the racial gap in social networks. Racial identities act as symbolic tools that allow actors to establish divergent quantities of social ties. For whites, a weaker racial identity increases network size and weak ties, but for blacks, it decreases both outcomes.
Drone-Aided Border Surveillance with an Electrification Line Battery Charging System

This paper proposes to develop a drone-aided border surveillance system with electrification line battery charging systems (DABS-E). Currently, mobile and fixed border surveillance systems such as truck-mounted video recording units, agent portable surveillance units, aerostats, and fixed towers are often used to enhance the comprehensive situational awareness along the U.S. border lines. However, a few drawbacks of the existing systems include limited operating capability, blind spots, physical fatigue of field agents, and lack of fast-responding situational awareness capability. The use of drones and mobile technologies are an ideal way to overcome these issues in border patrol activities. Even though drones bring numerous technical advantages (i.e., short response time, being able to access dangerous areas, and no on-board pilot required) for the border patrol mission, a relatively short flight duration is the main concern for the full implementation for patrol at this time. Therefore, this paper proposes a new concept that is built on electrification line (E-line) systems to wirelessly charge drones during the flight to extend flight duration. As a result, extra power can be provided for drones without the need of landing, stopping or returning back to ground control centers. To accomplish our goal, this paper proposes an optimization model and algorithm to schedule drone flights for a DABS-E. Through a numerical example, this paper shows the feasibility of our proposed method and corresponding economic benefits.
Distributed adaptive fault-tolerant formation control of second-order multi-agent systems with actuator faults

This paper presents an adaptive fault-tolerant control (FTC) scheme for leader-follower formation of uncertain secondorder mobile agents with actuator faults. A local FTC component is designed for each agent in the distributed system by using local measurements and suitable information exchanged between neighboring agents. Each local FTC component consists of a fault detection module and a reconfigurable controller module comprised of a baseline controller and an adaptive fault-tolerant controller activated after fault detection. Under certain assumptions, the closed-loop system stability and leader-follower formation properties of the distributed system are rigorously established under different modes of behavior of the FTC system. A simulation example is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the FTC method.
Quantifying the thermal damping effect in underground vertical shafts using the nonlinear autoregressive with external input (NARX) algorithm

Abstract As air descends the intake shaft, its infrastructure, lining and the strata will emit heat during the night when the intake air is cool and, on the contrary, will absorb heat during the day when the temperature of the air becomes greater than that of the strata. This cyclic phenomenon, also known as the “thermal damping effect” will continue throughout the year reducing the effect of surface air temperature variation. The objective of this paper is to quantify the thermal damping effect in vertical underground airways. A nonlinear autoregressive time series with external input (NARX) algorithm was used as a novel method to predict the dry-bulb temperature (Td) at the bottom of intake shafts as a function of surface air temperature. Analyses demonstrated that the artificial neural network (ANN) model could accurately predict the temperature at the bottom of a shaft. Furthermore, an attempt was made to quantify typical “damping coefficient” for both production and ventilation shafts through simple linear regression models. Comparisons between the collected climatic data and the regression-based predictions show that a simple linear regression model provides an acceptable accuracy when predicting the Td at the bottom of intake shafts.
‘Inner City,’ The: Cultural Concerns

This article begins by describing the formation of inner-city ghettoes in US metropolises. It then turns to the recent social transformation of the inner city, a transformation characterized by a growing concentration of joblessness and poverty. The factors that account for this trend are presented, as are the social and cultural consequences for inner-city neighborhoods and families. The article concludes with a discussion of the social policy implications.
Maximal Subgroups of Finite Exceptional Groups

In this note we discuss some recent results on the subgroup structure of exceptional groups obtained jointly with Martin Liebeck and some related projects in progress.
Detection of hidden additivity and inference under model uncertainty for unreplicated factorial studies via Bayesian model selection and averaging

The two-way unreplicated layout remains a popular study design in the physical sciences. However, detection of statistical interaction and subsequent inference has been problematic in this class of designs. First, lack of replication precludes inclusion..
Risk Factors Associated With Failure to Reach Minimal Clinically Important Difference in Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

ABSTRACT Background: The minimum clinically importance difference (MCID) represents a threshold for improvements in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) that patients deem important. No previous study has comprehensively examined risk factors for failure to achieve MCID after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures for radiculopathic symptomatology. The purpose of this study is to determine risk factors for failure to reach MCID for Neck Disability Index (NDI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) neck pain, and VAS arm pain in patients undergoing 1- or 2-level ACDF procedures. Methods: A surgical registry of patients who underwent primary, 1- or 2-level ACDF from 2014 to 2016 was reviewed. Rates of MCID achievement for NDI, VAS neck pain, and VAS arm pain at final follow-up were calculated based on published MCID values. Patients were then categorized into demographic and procedural categories. Bivariate regression was used to test for association of demographic and procedural characteristics with failure to reach MCID for each PRO. The final multivariate model including all demographic and procedural categories as controls was created using backward stepwise regression. Results: Eighty-three, 84, and 77 patients were included in the analysis for VAS neck, VAS arm, and NDI, respectively. Rates of MCID achievement for VAS neck, VAS arm, and NDI were 55.4%, 36.9%, and 76.6%, respectively. On bivariate analysis, patients with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥ 2 were less likely to achieve MCID for NDI than patients with CCI Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the majority of patients do not reach MCID for arm pain. Additionally, higher comorbidity burden as evidenced by higher CCI scores is a negative predictive factor for the achievement of MCID in neck disability following ACDF. Level of Evidence: 3
Evaluating Reinforcement Learning Methods for Bundle Routing Control

Cognitive networking applications continuously adapt actions according to observations of the environment and assigned performance goals. In this paper, one such cognitive networking application is evaluated where the aim is to route bundles over parallel links of different characteristics. Several machine learning algorithms may be suitable for the task. This research tested different reinforcement learning methods as potential enablers for this application: Q-Routing, Double Q-Learning, an actor-critic Learning Automata implementing the S-model, and the Cognitive Network Controller (CNC), which uses on a spiking neural network for Q-value prediction. All cases are evaluated under the same experimental conditions. Working with either a stable or time-varying environment with respect to the quality of the links, each routing method was evaluated with an identical number of bundle transmissions generated at a common rate. The measurements indicate that in general, the Cognitive Network Controller (CNC) produces better performance than the other methods followed by the Learning Automata. In the presented tests, the performance of Q-Routing and Double Q-Learning achieved similar performance to a non-learning round-robin approach. It is expect that these results will help to guide and improve the design of this and future cognitive networking applications.
Integrating safety and mobility for pathfinding using big data generated by connected vehicles

With the emergence of the internet of things, pathfinding problems have recently received a significant amount of attention. Various commercial applications provide automated routing by considering...
Presence and predictors of anxiety disorder onset following cancer diagnosis among anxious cancer survivors.

Despite cancer survivors’ frequent endorsement of anxiety symptoms, assessing the full range of anxiety disorders (AD), their timing of onset relative to cancer diagnosis, co-morbidity with mood disorder, and predictors of post-cancer onset, is rare or absent to date. This study provides a step toward addressing these gaps. Cancer survivors at re-entry after primary treatment completion who screened positively for anxiety symptoms (N = 133) and sought care through an intervention trial completed standardized diagnostic interviews, dimensional assessment of disorder severity, and timing of disorder onset relative to cancer diagnosis. We evaluated sociodemographic and medical predictors of developing a first AD after cancer diagnosis. Most ADs began after cancer diagnosis (58%); for 68% of affected patients, this represented their first AD episode. The most common was generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; 41%), where “cancer-focused GAD” was distinguished from “typical GAD”; the next most common were specific phobia (14%) and social anxiety disorder (13%). A minority (31%) of ADs were comorbid with major depression. Relative to having no AD, experiencing more lingering treatment side effects predicted developing a first AD after cancer diagnosis. Relative to having an AD that began before cancer diagnosis, reporting a higher cancer stage predicted developing a first AD after diagnosis. Cancer survivors at re-entry seeking care for anxiety symptoms manifested a broad range of ADs which most commonly developed after cancer diagnosis and were prompted by the experience of cancer. Such disorders represent an unusually late-life, cancer-linked etiology that warrants further investigation and clinical attention.
Transplanted LDL and mannose-6-phosphate receptor internalization signals promote high-efficiency endocytosis of the transferrin receptor.

Abstract The internalization signals of several constitutively recycling receptors have recently been identified as regions of four or six amino acids that include an aromatic residue, usually tyrosine. Here, we show that transplanted signals from the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (Man-6-PR) promote rapid internalization of the transferrin receptor (TR), directly establishing that recognition signals are interchangeable, self-determined structural motifs and that signals from type I membrane proteins are active in a type II receptor. We also show that the chemical and spatial patterns of critical residues in both four- and six-residue internalization motifs are consistent with a tight turn structure. A six-residue LDLR signal is needed for activity in TR, suggesting that an amino-terminal aromatic side chain is obligatory. In contrast, the carboxy-terminal aromatic side chain in the TR signal can be replaced by a large hydrophobic residue. Thus, internalization signals apparently require an aromatic amino-terminal residue and either an aromatic or large hydrophobic carboxy-terminal residue rather than a conserved tyrosine per se. Consistent with this conclusion, predicted internalization signals from the poly-Ig receptor, YSAF, and asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) subunit H1, YQDL, also promote internalization of TR.
SEROLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF RECOMBINANT STRAIN A.TFR5

Recombinant strain A.TFR5 carries an H-2 k derived locus which controls lymphocyte determinants detectable by the dye exclusion cytotoxic assay. This locus maps between the Ia-4 and H-2D loci. Since products of loci mapping in the S and G regions have not been detected by cytolytic treatment monitored by uptake of vital dyes, the crossover in A.TFR5 can tentatively be localized in the I region.
Holographic wavefront sensor

In this talk we will present a new zonal wavefront sensor. The device consists of a multiplexed hologram which can reconstruct multiple diffracted beams to an image plane with the input of a single object beam. In operation, a wavefront incident on the hologram is divided up into various output beams according to the presence and strength of particular aberrations present in the input. The Zernike terms are then simply read out according to the location of the foci on the image plane CCD. The wavefront information is thus derived without the need for any computations; in effect representing an all-optical, massively parallel processing method with virtually limitless bandwidth. Furthermore, because of the minimal computing electronics required this type of sensor is compact and permits active wavefront sensing for very small imaging devices.
Lessons Learned in Network and Memory-Based Moving Target Defenses

Moving-Target Defenses seek to introduce dynamism, randomness, and diversity into computer systems in an effort to make these systems harder to explore, predict, and exploit. Over the past decade a variety of work has explored applying these kinds of defenses to applications? runtime environments, to the operating systems and architectures running the applications, and to networks. In this paper, we report on lessons learned from seven years of building and evaluating moving-target defenses, primarily for process memory layouts and networks. We identify six major lessons learned from our experience that we believe to be broadly applicable to moving-target defenses, focusing around the importance and impact of threat models and characteristics of effective moving-target defenses. We then offer suggestions for the future direction of the field based on our experience.
Local Well-posedness of the Free-Boundary Problem in Compressible Resistive Magnetohydrodynamics

We prove the local well-posedness in Sobolev spaces of the free-boundary problem for compressible inviscid resistive isentropic MHD system under the Rayleigh-Taylor physical sign condition, which describes the motion of a free-boundary compressible plasma in an electro-magnetic field with magnetic diffusion. We use Lagrangian coordinates and apply the tangential smoothing method introduced by Coutand-Shkoller to construct the approximation solutions. One of the key observations is that the Christodoulou-Lindblad type elliptic estimate together with magnetic diffusion not only gives the common control of magnetic field and fluid pressure directly, but also controls the Lorentz force which is a higher order term in the energy functional.
Shrub encroachment affects tundra ecosystem properties through their living canopy rather than increased litter inputs

Abstract Deciduous shrub encroachment in tundra ecosystems affects the soil microclimate and, in turn, could affect soil nutrients and microbial processes. Although numerous effects of shrubs on tundra ecosystem properties have been described, there has been little focus on the mechanisms through which they impact tundra functioning. In alpine tundra of northern Canada, we examined 1) the effects of the living shrub canopy and separated them from 2) the effects of increases in litter quantity and quality. In this 4-year study we experimentally manipulated shrub presence (shrub present or removed) and litter quantity (none, natural abundance, and 2x natural abundance) in a fully factorial design. Shrub presence affected soil temperatures by increasing winter and decreased summer soil surface temperatures by about 0.8 °C and 0.6 °C respectively, and also decreased mid-summer soil moisture. Shrub presence also affected both nutrient cycling and microbial processes including decreased summer available nitrogen (N), increased N-immobilization, increased microbial biomass as well as variable effects on potential exoenzyme activity. Increased litter inputs had few significant effects on tundra ecosystems, although additional litter increased both soil C:N ratios and microbial biomass. Our results indicate that shrub encroachment is likely to affect tundra soil properties primarily through mechanisms associated with the presence of the living shrub rather than from the accompanied changing litter quality and quantity. Because of opposing effects of shrubs between seasons and years, we encourage an increased focus on the mechanisms through which shrubs may affect tundra ecosystem functions and year round assessments of these processes.
Teaching Election Law

Abstract In the last couple years, new editions of the two most prominent election law casebooks have been released, and one entirely new casebook has been published. This is an opportune moment, then, both to review the volumes and to assess the state of the field. Fortunately, both are strong. All of the casebooks are well-organized, thorough in their coverage, and full of insightful commentary. And the field, at least as presented by the volumes, is impressively confident in its substantive and methodological choices. There is a high level of consensus as to both the subject areas that election law should include and the analytical methods that it should employ. Instructors looking to select a casebook thus are faced with an embarrassment of riches. Because all of the volumes are excellent, my suggestion is that instructors make their choice based on their own substantive and methodological inclinations. Those who are most interested in representational issues and in doctrinal context should select Iss...
A Theory of Fermat Paths for 3D Imaging Sonar Reconstruction

In this work, we present a novel method for reconstructing particular 3D surface points using an imaging sonar sensor. We derive the two-dimensional Fermat flow equation, which may be applied to the planes defined by each discrete azimuth angle in the sonar image. We show that the Fermat flow equation applies to boundary points and surface points which correspond to specular reflections within the 2D plane defined by their azimuth angle measurement. The Fermat flow equation can be used to resolve the 2D location of these surface points within the plane, and therefore also their full 3D location. This is achieved by translating the sensor to estimate the spatial gradient of the range measurement. This method does not rely on the precise image intensity values or the reflectivity of the imaged surface to solve for the surface point locations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method by reconstructing 3D object points on both simulated and real-world datasets.
The Mosaic Theory of Materiality - Does the Illusion Have a Future?

The mosaic theory of materiality provides that a corporate insider who discloses inconsequential information to an outsider who in turn uses that information to complete a material mosaic about the corporation does not violate Rule 10b-5 when trading based on that mosaic. The SEC and commentators support variants of the theory; the concept has never been directly applied in a reported case. Developing insider trading law tends to support the SEC’s qualification that Rule 10b-5 is implicated if the insider knows that the information that is inconsequential standing alone will complete the outsider-tippee’s material mosaic. Commentators who read enforcement actions taken by the SEC and judicial decisions as undermining or even rejecting the theory have misread those developments?the theory has vitality and the SEC has not backed off from its recognition of it.In practice, however, any insider tempted to provide an outsider with what the insider thinks is immaterial nonpublic information runs a substantial risk that he will be charged with tipping and may have an uphill battle defending the charge. Similarly, the resourceful analyst or investor who seeks to obtain trifling scraps of information from an insider must take into account what the insider knows about what the interlocutor already knows about the company and thus whether any disclosure will be an unlawful tip. What in theory appears to afford a viable means to fend off a charge of unlawful insider trading may be illusory in application.
Use of Bibliometrics Data to Understand the Citation Advantages of Different Open Access Categories in Covid-19 Related Studies

Abstract The number of Open Access (OA) research articles is trending upward. This research aims to understand the correlations between different OA types and the impact of OA research articles evaluated based on the citation numbers. To avoid bias caused by the publication year, we chose to use COVID-19 studies in different fields to take advantage of this topic's quick turnaround of data. We analyzed the bibliometrics data and citation numbers (excluding self-citations) of around 42,000 English language articles published in 2020 related to COVID-19. We evaluated different types of OA categories such as Gold, Bronze, and Hybrid articles separately. Results show that amongst all OA categories, Hybrid/Green and Bronze/Green OA articles had significant citation advantages. Green OA articles returned more citations than articles with the other OA status. Gold OA articles have no citation advantages compared to non-OA articles. Gold/Green OA articles had the highest self-citation rates, followed by Non-OA articles. The results of the study can be used in understanding different OA categories and the reasons for OA choices. Certain strategies can be made accordingly to improve the awareness of OA in different fields and help OA publishers to improve the OA services.
A Balanced and Vertically Stacked Multilevel Power Converter Topology with Linear Component Scaling

This paper proposes a novel multi-level power converter topology that is an adaptation of existing topologies. This topology is fully balanced, can function bidirectionally for both DC/AC and DC/DC modes of operation, and can be expanded to an unrestricted N levels. It is comprised of discrete switching cells across which the input voltage can be arbitrarily distributed. Each switching cell can operate as a standalone unit and is individually controllable. Fundamental equations for each cell and the converter as a whole are derived alongside methods for expanding to N levels. Validation of this topology and its fundamental equations are shown through high-fidelity simulation of a 7-level converter that is comprised of five individual switching cells. Two example methods of determining duty cycle combinations are explored, one basic and one optimized, and the characteristics are discussed. Converter performance as N approaches ∞ are provided.
Transfer learning for fluence map prediction in adrenal stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Objective To design a deep transfer learning framework for modeling fluence map predictions for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of adrenal cancer and similar sites that usually have a small number of cases. Approach We developed a transfer learning framework for adrenal SBRT planning that leverages knowledge in a pancreas SBRT planning model. Treatment plans from the two sites had different dose prescriptions and beam settings but both prioritized gastrointestinal sparing. A base framework was first trained with 100 pancreas cases. This framework consists of two convolutional neural networks (CNN), which predict individual beam doses (BD-CNN) and fluence maps (FM-CNN) sequentially for 9-beam intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans. Forty-five adrenal plans were split into training/validation/test sets with the ratio of 20/10/15. The base BD-CNN was re-trained with transfer learning using 5/10/15/20 adrenal training cases to produce multiple candidate adrenal BD-CNN models. The base FM-CNN was directly used for adrenal cases. The deep learning (DL) plans were evaluated by several clinically relevant dosimetric endpoints, producing a percentage score relative to the clinical plans. Main results Transfer learning significantly reduced the number of training cases and training time needed to train such a DL framework. The adrenal transfer learning model trained with 5/10/15/20 cases achieved validation plan scores of 85.4/91.2/90.7/89.4, suggesting that model performance saturated with 10 training cases. Meanwhile, a model using all 20 adrenal training cases without transfer learning only scored 80.5. For the final test set, the 5/10/15/20-case models achieved scores of 73.5/75.3/78.9/83.3. Significance It is feasible to use deep transfer learning to train an IMRT fluence prediction framework. This technique could adapt to different dose prescriptions and beam configurations. This framework potentially enables DL modeling for clinical sites that have a limited dataset, either due to few cases or due to rapid technology evolution.
States can play, too: constructing a typology of state participation in illicit flows

The prominent growth in “illicit globalization” has been broadly construed as an anti-state phenomenon, and criminological literature has largely reflected this focus on nonstate actors. However, states too have used and will continue to rely on illicit globalization for their own ends. A state or states may be driving demand, providing supply, or facilitating the transport of any given illicit flow (or perhaps all of the above simultaneously). This article establishes a motive-based typology of state participation in international illicit flows, illustrated with current and historical examples. By focusing on why states may engage in illicit flows, I argue that there are four broad archetypes of state participation: direct revenue generation, indirect revenue generation, procurement, and territorial control. While the risks can be significant, state participation can drastically improve an illicit transaction’s chance of succeeding. Furthermore, many states that are heavily involved in illicit flows have little to lose even if their involvement is uncovered. This typology provides differentiation meant to enhance the study of state participation in illicit flows.
Out-of-plane displacements and stresses in a torus.

Circumferential displacement and shearing stresses in out-of-plane elasticity problem for solid torus
Silicon-Based Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries

Silicon is environmentally benign and ubiquitous. Because of its high specific capacity, it is considered one of the most promising candidates to replace the conventional graphite negative electrode used in today’s Li-ion batteries. The theoretical specific capacity of silicon is 4,212 mAh/g (Li22Si5) [1], which is 10 times greater than the specific capacity of graphite (LiC6, 372 mAh/g). However, the high specific capacity of silicon is associated with large volume changes (more than 300%) when alloyed with lithium. These extreme volume changes can cause severe cracking and disintegration of the electrode and lead to significant capacity loss. Significant scientific research has been conducted to circumvent the deterioration of silicon-based anode materials during cycling. Various strategies, such as reduction of particle size, generation of active/inactive composites, fabrication of silicon-based thin films, use of alternative binders, and the synthesis of one-dimensional silicon nanostructures, have been implemented by a number of research groups. Fundamental mechanistic research also has been performed to better understand the electrochemical lithiation and delithiation processes during cycling in terms of crystal structure, phase transitions, morphological changes, and reaction kinetics. Although efforts to date have not attained a commercially viable silicon anode, further development is expected to produce anodes with three to five times the capacity of graphite. In this entry, an overview of research on silicon-based anodes used for lithium-ion battery applications is presented. The overview covers electrochemical alloying of the silicon with lithium, mechanisms responsible for capacity fade, and methodologies adapted to overcome capacity degradation observed during cycling. The recent development of silicon nanowires and nanoparticles with significantly improved electrochemical performance also is discussed relative to the mechanistic understanding. Finally, future directions on the development of silicon-based anodes are considered.
Low latency sequential decoding

Sequential decoding has traditionally been considered for applications where large buffers are permitted, but the speed factor is low. However, there is a need for coding techniques which achieve relatively large gain (on the order of 6 dB) with relatively low latency (a few hundred symbols). While the very name suggests serial operations, sequential decoders have potential for high speed and efficient parallel decoding operations. We consider the desirable algorithmic features for high speed factor operations using the stack and Fano algorithm families as the point of reference.
Electrolyte changes in aortas of hypertensive pregnant and nonpregnant animals

Abstract The water, sodium, and potassium content of aortas from 21 hypertensive rats (11 pregnant and 10 nonpregnant) and 21 normotensive rats was measured. There was no significant change in water content of the vessels, but the sodium and potassium content of the vessels in both the hypertensive pregnant rats and the hypertensive nonpregnant rats was significantly elevated. Thirty hypertensive rats (10 pregnant and 20 nonpregnant) and 30 normotensive rats were used for tissue calcium determinations. The vessels from the hypertensive animals showed a normal amount of calcium with the exception of the group of hypertensive males which showed a decreased amount. We have concluded that these findings bear directly on the problem of hypertension since vessels are more responsive to circulating vasoconstrictors in the presence of high tissue sodium levels and since a normal tissue calcium level in hypertensive animals may represent a practical excess of calcium. Further, we feel that these studies provide rationale for sodium restriction and catecholamine blockade for the treatment of hypertension.
Biomechanical Comparison of 2 Methods of Intramedullary K-Wire Fixation of Transverse Metacarpal Shaft Fractures

Purpose To determine the relative importance of intramedullary wire (IMW) diameter and IMW number in conferring stability to a metacarpal fracture fixation construct. Our research hypothesis was that the stiffness of IMW fixation for metacarpal shaft fractures using a single 1.6-mm-diameter (0.062-in) wire would be greater than three 0.8-mm-diameter (0.031-in) wires. Methods Our study compared the biomechanical stiffness between one 1.6-mm K-wire and three 0.8-mm K-wires in a composite, fourth-generation, biomechanical metacarpal construct under cantilever testing to treat transverse metacarpal shaft fractures. Six composite bone-wire constructs were tested in each group using constant-rate, nondestructive testing. Stiffness (load/displacement) was measured for each construct. Results All constructs demonstrated a linear load-displacement relationship. Wires were all tested in their elastic zone. The mean stiffness of the 1-wire construct was 3.20 N/mm and the mean stiffness of the 3-wire construct was 0.76 N/mm. These differences were statistically significant with a large effect size. Conclusions The stiffness of IMW fixation for metacarpal shaft fractures using a single 1.6-mm-diameter wire was significantly greater than using three 0.8-mm-diameter wires. Clinical relevance When IMW fixation is clinically indicated for the treatment of metacarpal fractures, the increased stiffness of a single large-diameter construct provides more stability in the plane of finger flexion-extension.
High-energy physics. Neutrinos reveal split personalities.

For more than 30 years scientists have puzzled over the mystery of the missing neutrinos emitted from the Sun. Data from underground detectors in Canada and Japan combine to provide the answer.
Business process interoperability: extended abstract

A primary challenge for Computer Science is devising suitable abstractions for a given application domain so that solutions may be assembled and analyzed at the level of the domain, that is, by using primitives of the domain. For example, in personal finance, deposit and withdraw are primitives, not add and subtract. Our interest lies in the domain of business processes. In the most general sense, a business process may be thought of as multiple organizations interacting with each other to obtain their respective business goals. Supporting autonomy and compliance checking are key for business processes: each organization in a process is free to act as it pleases within the constraints of the contracts it enters into with others; violation of a contract typically means additional penalties.