cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calibrating a J2 plasticity material model using a 2D inverse finite element procedure

Abstract Material models are the key ingredients to accurately capture the global mechanical response of structural systems. The use of finite element analysis has proven to be effective in simulating nonlinear engineering applications. However, the choice of the appropriate material model plays a big role in the value of the numerical predictions. Such models are not expected to exactly reproduce global experimental response in all cases. Alternatively, the measured global response at specific domain or surface points can be used to guide the nonlinear analysis to successively extract a representative material model. By selecting an initial set of stress–strain data points, the load–displacement response at the monitoring points is computed in a forward incremental analysis without iterations. This analysis retains the stresses at the integration points. The corresponding strains are not accurate since the computed displacements are not anticipated to match the measured displacements at the monitoring points. Therefore, a corrective incremental displacement analysis is performed at the same load steps to adjust for displacements and strains everywhere by matching the measured displacements at the monitoring points. The stress–strain vectors at the most highly stressed integration point are found to establish an improved material model. This model is used within a multi-pass incremental nonlinear finite element analysis until the discrepancy between the measured and the predicted structural response at the monitoring points vanishes. The J2 flow theory of plasticity is used as a constitutive framework to build the tangent elastic–plastic matrices. The applicability of the proposed approach is demonstrated by solving 2D inverse continuum problems. The comparisons presented support the effectiveness of the proposed approach in accurately calibrating the J2 plasticity material model for such problems.
Kinetics of Steady-state Differentiation and Mapping of Intrathymic-signaling Environments by Stem Cell Transplantation in Nonirradiated Mice

Upon thymus entry, thymic-homing progenitors undergo distinct phases of differentiation as they migrate through the cortex to the capsule, suggesting that the signals that induce these differentiation steps may be stratified in corresponding cortical regions. To better define these regions, we transplanted purified stem cells into nonirradiated congenic recipients and followed their differentiation with respect to both tissue location and time. The earliest progenitors (DN1) remained confined to a very narrow region of the cortex for about the first 10 d of intrathymic residence; this region virtually overlaps the sites of thymic entry, suggesting that DN1 cells move very little during this lengthy period of proliferation and lineage commitment. Movement out of this region into the deeper cortex is asynchronous, and corresponds to the appearance of DN2 cells. Differentiation to the DN3 stage correlates with movement across the midpoint of the cortex, indicating that stromal signals that induce functions such as TCR gene rearrangement reside mainly in the outer half of the cortex. The minimum time to reach the capsule, and thus transit to the DP stage, is ∼13 d, with the average time a few days longer. These findings reveal for the first time the kinetics of steady-state progenitor differentiation in the thymus, as well as defining the boundaries of cortical regions that support different phases of the differentiation process. We also show that the first lineage-positive progeny of transplanted stem cells to appear in the thymus are dendritic cells in the medulla, suggesting that each new wave of new T cell production is preceded by a wave of regulatory cells that home to the medulla and ensure efficient tolerance and selection.
On-line preemptive scheduling of real-time services with profit and penalty

In this paper, we propose a new preemptive scheduling algorithm which belongs to a new family of real-time service oriented scheduling problems. As the complementarity of our previous non-preemptive algorithm [1], real time tasks are scheduled preemptively with the objective of maximizing the total utility this time. Different from the traditional utility accrual scheduling problem that each task is associated with only a single time utility function (TUF), two different TUFs—a profit TUF and a penalty TUF— are associated with each task, to model the real-time services that not only need to reward the early completions but also need to penalize the abortions or deadline misses. We present a preemptive scheduling heuristics to judiciously accept, schedule, and abort real-time services when necessary to maximize the accrued utility. The new scheduling algorithm has a much better performance than an earlier scheduling approach based on a similar model does. Our extensive experimental results show that our proposed preemptive algorithms can outperform the related non-preemptive counterpart, which is a significant improvement compared with the scheduling pair proposed by Yu et al. [2].
High alcohol consumption and the risk of renal damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The risk of renal damage in patients with high alcohol consumption is controversial. The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the associations between high alcohol consumption and progression of kidney damage including chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and proteinuria. Methods: A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Databases from inception through August 2014 to identify studies investigating the association between high alcohol consumption and CKD, ESRD or proteinuria. Studies that reported odds ratios, relative risks or hazard ratios comparing the risk of CKD, ESRD or proteinuria in patients consuming high amount of alcohol versus those who did not consume alcohol were included. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method. Results: Twenty studies with 292 431 patients were included in our analysis to assess the associations between high alcohol consumption and progression of kidney damage. The pooled RRs of CKD, proteinuria and ESRD in patients with high alcohol consumption were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.71–0.98), 0.85 (95% CI: 0.62–1.17) and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.55–1.82), respectively. Post hoc analysis assessing the sex-specific association between high alcohol consumption and CKD demonstrated pooled RRs of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.57–0.90) in males and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.58–1.03) in females. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates an inverse association between high alcohol consumption and risk for developing CKD in males. There is no significant association between high alcohol consumption and the risk for developing proteinuria or ESRD.
Concurrent Dual-Frequency Oscillators and Phase-Locked Loops

A dual-frequency oscillator employing a fourth-order tank is shown to have the ability to generate simultaneous oscillations at two frequencies. A nonlinear analysis to determine the steady-state and transient behavior of this oscillator is presented. Further, the phase-noise expression for the dual-frequency oscillator is derived and compared with that of a single-frequency oscillator. A dual-loop phase-locked loop (PLL) is designed to lock the frequencies of the dual-frequency oscillator to two external references independently. A prototype of a dual-frequency voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) along with the dual-loop PLL is implemented in a BiCMOS SiGe technology. The dual-frequency VCO oscillates simultaneously at 2.33 and 4.98 GHz with 12.5% and 10.3% tuning ranges, respectively. The PLL has locking ranges of 4.2% and 3.6% for 2.33 and 4.98 GHz, respectively. Potential applications of concurrent multifrequency oscillators in multifunctional communication systems and multiband beam forming are discussed.
Using Sensor Web Processes and Protocols to Assimilate Satellite Data into a Forecast Model

Working closely with atmospheric scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center, researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville are applying Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) technologies to the real world problem of efficiently assimilating NASA satellite data into weather forecast models in near real time. By implementing SWE protocols and services into our Data Assimilation System we expect to realize a processing framework that is distributed, interoperable and plug-and-play, thereby increasing access to scientific products in a more efficient, autonomous, and affordable way.
Narrative and ideology: 50 years of film-making in Zimbabwe:

This article reviews film-making in Zimbabwe over the period 1948-2000. During this time, the country made the transition from British colony to independent nation in 1980. The dominant source of f...
Pharmacology of nicotinic receptor‐mediated inhibition in rat dorsolateral septal neurones.

1. Intracellular electrophysiological techniques were employed to investigate the effects of nicotinic receptor stimulation on rat dorsolateral septal nucleus (DLSN) neurones in a submerged rat brain slice preparation. 2. Acetylcholine (in the presence of the muscarinic antagonist, atropine), nicotine or dimethylphenylpiperazinium (DMPP), applied either by pressure ejection or superfusion, produced predominantly a membrane potential hyperpolarization. 3. Following concentration-response comparisons, DMPP appeared to exhibit fewer desensitizing properties and greater efficacy than nicotine with half-maximal hyperpolarizing responses attainable at 3 and 10 microM, respectively. 4. Pharmacological analyses revealed that the agonist-induced membrane hyperpolarization was sensitive to antagonism by mecamylamine (50-100 microM) and neuronal bungarotoxin (0.2-0.3 microM), but not alpha-bungarotoxin (0.5-1.0 microM), curare (10-50 microM) or dihydro-beta-erythroidine (50-100 microM). 5. Hyperpolarizing responses to DMPP were found to reverse near the equilibrium potential for potassium and were sensitive to changes in extracellular potassium concentration as predicted by the Nernst equation. Under single-electrode voltage clamp, application of DMPP produced an outward current (75-100 pA) which approached reversal at around -88 mV. These findings indicated that the hyperpolarizing response to nicotinic receptor stimulation was mediated by changes in membrane permeability to potassium. 6. DMPP-induced membrane hyperpolarization resulted from a direct action on postsynaptic DLSN neurones since the response persisted under conditions of superfusion with calcium-free/high-magnesium media or tetrodotoxin; both conditions blocked orthodromically induced neurotransmission. The hyperpolarizing response remained unaltered in TTX but was diminished in calcium-free/high-magnesium media. Further studies revealed blockade of the DMPP response following intracellular injection of EGTA. This response was also sensitive to antagonism by various calcium-dependent potassium channel blockers including apamin, barium and tetraethylammonium. 7. Our studies reveal a novel class of CNS nicotinic receptor whose action upon stimulation by an agonist results in a membrane hyperpolarization via a calcium-dependent increase in potassium ion conductance.
High frequency of TERT promoter mutation in small cell carcinoma of bladder, but not in small cell carcinoma of other origins

TERT promoter mutations were recently discovered in melanoma by next generation sequencing. Subsequently, several malignancies including urothelial carcinoma were also found to be associated with the same TERT promoter mutations. Small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is a rare subtype with an aggressive clinical course. Despite the frequent occurrence of TERT promoter mutations in urothelial carcinoma, the incidence of the mutations in SCC of the urinary bladder is unknown. In addition, as a potential molecular marker to distinguish SCC of the urinary bladder from SCC of the prostate, lung (SCLC) and other origins, this information may be clinically useful. We collected a total of 11 cases of SCC of the urinary bladder (10 cases are primary SCC of the urinary bladder; 1 case has primary SCC of the urinary bladder and liver metastasis). We also included 20 cases of SCLC, 2 cases of SCC of the prostate, 5 cases of Merkel cell carcinoma, and 6 cases of SCC from other sites (cervical, GE junction, breast, and soft tissue). In addition, 3 cases of non-neoplastic tissue from the matched SCC of bladder patient and 14 cases of benign urinary bladder were also included. All tumor sections have been examined to confirm the diagnosis and to make sure more than 20% are of tumor content. Genomic DNA was isolated from FFPE tissue and a fragment of the TERT promoter (145 bp) was amplified by PCR. The TERT promoter mutations are determined by bi-directional Sanger sequencing. All (11/11) SCC of the urinary bladder bear TERT promoter mutation C228T. Neither of SCC from all other origins nor matched non-neoplastic tissue contains the TERT promoter mutations. We demonstrated a high frequency TERT promoter mutation in SCC of the urinary bladder, but not in SCC of other origin, such as the prostate. The findings further illustrate molecular differences between SCC of the urinary bladder and SCC of other origins, despite their shared morphologic and immunophenotypic similarities. The TERT promoter mutation may be a biomarker differentiating SCC of the urinary bladder from SCC of other origins.
Local-Level Predictors of Household Food Insecurity

Food security - the assured access of all people to enough food for a healthy and active life - is the focus of considerable policy and research attention. This paper examines the relationship between both household and contextual characteristics and food security among households with elementary school children in Wisconsin, using new data from a self-administered survey sent home to parents. We find that food insecurity is linked to an array of household characteristics that are consistent with findings from existing research, thus providing external validation of the self-administered measure. We also find that a broad array of local attributes, related to housing costs, transportation, retail food outlets, and strength of the local labor market, have significant and in some cases large impacts on food security. Overall, results lend strong support to the view that food insecurity results from a complex interplay among personal resources, public resources, and the economic and social contexts in which a household resides.
Atorvastatin Decreases the Coenzyme Q10 Level in the Blood of Patients at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke

Background: Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) are widely used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease and for the prevention of stroke. There have been various adverse effects, most commonly affecting muscle and ranging from myalgia to rhabdomyolysis. These adverse effects may be due to a coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency because inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis also inhibits the synthesis of CoQ10. Objective: To measure CoQ10 levels in blood from hypercholesterolemic subjects before and after exposure to atorvastatin calcium, 80 mg/d, for 14 and 30 days. Design: Prospective blinded study of the effects of shortterm exposure to atorvastatin on blood levels of CoQ10.
Data security in the computer communication environment

Data security is the protection of data against unauthorized disclosure, modification, restriction, or destruction. Recognition1 that data in a computer system must be protected was a development brought on by three factors which caused a significant increase in the vulnerability of computer systems.
Photochemistry of 2-vinylstilbenes: importance of the ground state conformation for the type of photoreaction

Abstract Previous studies on the photochemistry of 2-vinylstilbenes have been extended to β substitution products. β-Methyl-2-vinylstilbene yields 1-(1-indanyl)-1-phenylethene via a radical mechanism which is related to the photochemical behaviour of the parent compound. β-Chloro-2-vinylstilbene undergoes dehydrohalogenation. Other β substitution products in apolar solution do not undergo any other photoreaction than cis-trans isomerization. The varying photochemical behaviour of a large number of 2-vinylstilbenes could be related to the difference between the chemical shifts of the methylene protons in the vinyl residue, especially for the cis isomers. This has been explained by a predominant influence of the ground state conformation on the course of the photoreactions in this type of compound.
EMPIRICAL COMPARISON OF DIRECT TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING ATTITUDES TOWARD RISK

The purpose of this study was to compare various direct techniques of measuring attitudes toward risk. The Equally Likely Certainty Equivalent with a Purely Hypothetical Risky prospect (ELCE-PH), The Equally Likely Certainty Equivalent with a Hypothetical but Realistic Risky prospect (ELCE-R) and Probability of Winning Demanded (PWD) models were used to elicit the risk attitude of a sample of farmers. These methods were then compared and evaluated. The criteria employed were (1) sample respondent capability in answering questions, (2) means and corresponding risk attitudes classification and (3) distribution of risk attitudes. According to the first criterion, the results showed PWD technique is the best one. While there are no differences among the three direct techniques on the basis of the second criterion. Also, the findings indicate that respondent education and age, family education, level of hypothetical income and a greater explanation by other people during interview have an influence on respondent capability in answering questions. These characteristics should therefore be considered when choosing the appropriate technique.
Digital evidence obfuscation: recovery techniques

Criminals who use computers to commit crimes often hide the fruits of the commission of those crimes. Hiding files on a computer can take on many forms, from file names and extensions to more technical methods such as encryption and steganography. Encryption and steganography have the potential to severely impede the recovery of digital evidence. We discuss encryption and steganography below and describe potential methods of coping with each. The techniques we discuss require no special knowledge or advanced hardware or software; however, the use of these techniques does not guarantee the recovery of obfuscated information.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Metastasis of Breast Tumor Cells to Brain Is Suppressed by Phenethyl Isothiocyanate in a Novel In Vivo Metastasis Model

Breast tumor metastasis is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Breast tumor cells frequently metastasize to brain and initiate severe therapeutic complications. The chances of brain metastasis are further elevated in patients with HER2 overexpression. In the current study, we evaluated the anti-metastatic effects of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) in a novel murine model of breast tumor metastasis. The MDA-MB-231-BR (BR-brain seeking) breast tumor cells stably transfected with luciferase were injected into the left ventricle of mouse heart and the migration of cells to brain was monitored using a non-invasive IVIS bio-luminescent imaging system. In order to study the efficacy of PEITC in preventing the number of tumor cells migrating to brain, mice were given 10 µmol PEITC by oral gavage for ten days prior to intra-cardiac injection of tumor cells labeled with quantum dots. To evaluate the tumor growth suppressive effects, 10 µmol PEITC was given to mice every day starting 14th day after intra-cardiac cell injection. Based on the presence of quantum dots in the brain section of control and treated mice, our results reveal that PEITC significantly prevented the metastasis of breast cancer cells to brain. Our results demonstrate that the growth of metastatic brain tumors in PEITC treated mice was about 50% less than that of control. According to Kaplan Meir’s curve, median survival of tumor bearing mice treated with PEITC was prolonged by 20.5%. Furthermore as compared to controls, we observed reduced HER2, EGFR and VEGF expression in the brain sections of PEITC treated mice. To the best of our knowledge, our study for the first time demonstrates the anti-metastatic effects of PEITC in vivo in a novel breast tumor metastasis model and provides the rationale for further clinical investigation.
Partial parallel factorization in soft-decision Reed-Solomon decoding

Reed-Solomon (RS) codes have very broad applications in communications and data storage systems. The recently developed Koetter-Vardy (KV) soft-decision decoding algorithm of RS codes can achieve substantial coding gain, while has a complexity polynomial with respect to the codeword length. One of the major steps of the KV algorithm is the factorization step. A prediction-based architecture is developed in prior efforts to reduce the latency and silicon area of this step. However, the speedup can be achieved by this approach is limited by the serial nature of the factorization algorithm. The computations involved in multiple iteration levels can not be carried out simultaneously. In this work, a novel partial parallel architecture is proposed for the factorization step. The partial 2-parallel architecture can achieve a speedup of 19% over prior works.
Orthology Inference in Nonmodel Organisms Using Transcriptomes and Low-Coverage Genomes: Improving Accuracy and Matrix Occupancy for Phylogenomics

Orthology inference is central to phylogenomic analyses. Phylogenomic data sets commonly include transcriptomes and low-coverage genomes that are incomplete and contain errors and isoforms. These properties can severely violate the underlying assumptions of orthology inference with existing heuristics. We present a procedure that uses phylogenies for both homology and orthology assignment. The procedure first uses similarity scores to infer putative homologs that are then aligned, constructed into phylogenies, and pruned of spurious branches caused by deep paralogs, misassembly, frameshifts, or recombination. These final homologs are then used to identify orthologs. We explore four alternative tree-based orthology inference approaches, of which two are new. These accommodate gene and genome duplications as well as gene tree discordance. We demonstrate these methods in three published data sets including the grape family, Hymenoptera, and millipedes with divergence times ranging from approximately 100 to over 400 Ma. The procedure significantly increased the completeness and accuracy of the inferred homologs and orthologs. We also found that data sets that are more recently diverged and/or include more high-coverage genomes had more complete sets of orthologs. To explicitly evaluate sources of conflicting phylogenetic signals, we applied serial jackknife analyses of gene regions keeping each locus intact. The methods described here can scale to over 100 taxa. They have been implemented in python with independent scripts for each step, making it easy to modify or incorporate them into existing pipelines. All scripts are available from https://bitbucket.org/yangya/phylogenomic_dataset_construction.
On the notion of the normal form register-level structures and its applications in design-space exploration

The notion of the normal form structural (NFS) implementation of an algorithmic behavioral specification is introduced. The NFS implementation of a behavioral specification is shown to be unique among all the register transfer (RT) level structures implementing the specification. An algorithm to transform a given structure into the equivalent normal form structure is presented. The notion of the NFS implementations is used in proving the completeness of a set of RT-level transformations. On the practical side, the NFS is used as a reference structure with respect to which the performance of other behaviorally equivalent structures is measured. >
A PRESUMPTIVE CASE OF TOXOCARIASIS ASSOCIATED WITH EOSINOPHILIC PLEURAL EFFUSION: CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW

Human toxocariasis is a helminthozoonosis caused by Toxocara sp. Larval migration of the organism through the tissues can result in eosinophila associated with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. We report a case of eosinophilic pleural effusion and CD8 cell deficiency associated with Toxocara sp. The symptoms of this patient responded promptly to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (naproxen). This is only the fourth reported case of a pleural effusion associated with Toxocara.
Habeas corpus and the Politics of Freedom: Slavery and Romantic Suicide

This essay sets Thomas Day and John Bicknell's poem The Dying Negro (1773) against the 1772 trial Somerset v. Stewart, which won a slave his freedom through a successful appeal for a writ of habeas corpus. Day and Bicknell, the essay argues, transform the triumph of habeas corpus into the tragedy of suicide in order to draw attention to paradoxes in Enlightenment liberalism's conception of freedom—paradoxes largely rooted in Lockean notions of property and personhood. Such a reading enables us to view The Dying Negro as central to ongoing reassessments not only of slavery, but also of the cultural meaning of suicide, which takes on a political tenor largely by way of Day and Bicknell's poem. By tracing how the law is made to echo through poetry, the essay finally suggests that sentimentalist abolitionism offers an important context within which to interpret Romanticism's fascination with the subject of suicide.
Echocardiography induced tachycardia in a patient with a minute ventilation rate responsive pacemaker

We report a case of a 57 year-old man with a minute ventilation rate-response pacemaker and an inappropriate increase in his heart rate during a transthoracic echocardiography study. The increase in heart rate was due to interference between echocardiography and minute ventilation sensor. This was confirmed by a repeat echocardiogram, which reproduced the same effect and turning off the minute ventilation sensor stopped the tachycardia. We suggest that deactivating the minute ventilation sensor would avoid this interaction and electrophysiologists should be aware of this unusual electromagnetic interference phenomenon.
Hurricane Sandy: Impact on Emergency Department and Hospital Utilization by Older Adults in Lower Manhattan, New York (USA).

BACKGROUND: On October 29th, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused a storm surge interrupting electricity with disruption to Manhattan's (New York, USA) health care infrastructure. Beth Israel Medical Center (BIMC) was the only fully functioning major hospital in lower Manhattan during and after Hurricane Sandy. The impact on emergency department (ED) and hospital use by geriatric patients in lower Manhattan was studied. METHODS: The trends of ED visits and hospitalizations in the immediate post-Sandy phase (IPS) during the actual blackout (October 29 through November 4, 2012), and the extended post-Sandy phase (EPS), when neighboring hospitals were still incapacitated (November 5, 2012 through February 10, 2013), were analyzed with baseline. The analysis was broken down by age groups (18-64, 65-79, and 80+ years old) and included the reasons for ED visits and admissions. RESULTS: During the IPS, there was a significant increase in geriatric visits (from 11% to 16.5% in the 65-79 age group, and from 6.5% to 13% in the 80+ age group) as well as in hospitalizations (from 22.7% to 25.2% in the 65-79 age group, and from 17.6% to 33.8% in the 80+ age group). However, these proportions returned to baseline during the EPS. The proportions of the categories "dialysis," "respiratory device," "social," and "syncope" in geriatric patients in ED visits were significantly higher than younger patients. The increases of the categories "medication," "dialysis," "respiratory device," and "social" represented two-thirds of absolute increase in both ED visits and admissions for the 65-79 age group, and half of the absolute increase in ED visits for the 80+ age group. The categories "social" and "respiratory device" peaked one day after the disaster, "dialysis" peaked two days after, and "medication" peaked three days after in ED visit analysis. CONCLUSIONS: There was a disproportionate increase in ED visits and hospitalizations in the geriatric population compared with the younger population during the IPS. The primary factor of the disproportionate impact on the geriatric population appears to be from indirect effects of the hurricane, mainly due to the subsequent power outages, such as "dialysis," "respiratory device," and "social." Further investigation by chart review may provide more insights to better aid with future disaster preparedness. Gotanda H , Fogel J , Husk G , Levine JM , Peterson M , Baumlin K , Habboushe J. Hurricane Sandy: impact on emergency department and hospital utilization by older adults in Lower Manhattan, New York (USA). Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(5):1-7. Language: en
Gas Accumulation Detection in a Water Tank Using Lamb Waves

According to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Generic Letter 2008, the gas accumulation in the nuclear emergency core cooling systems is concerned since it may critically damage pipes, pumps and valves. There is a need to detect the inside gas accumulation including the quantification of gas location and volume. In this paper, we propose a in-situ technique for gas detection in a gas tank by using Lamb waves. Lamb wave propagation in a plate-like structure is affected by the boundary conditions. For structures in air or submerged in liquid, wave propagations are different. When the structure is in contact with liquid such as water, wave energy leaks into it from the solid material. Therefore, the way of gas detection is related to the detection of change in wave propagation characteristics. Experimental tests in a steel water tank were conducted and shown the Lamb wave’s response to the water presence. Theoretical study of Lamb waves propagation on a free plate in air and on a plate with one surface submerged in liquid were then conducted and compared. Further investigation to understand the change in Lamb wave propagation when water is present was conducted with frequency-wavenumber analysis. In the frequency-wavenumber space, it was found that a new plate wave mode, quasi-Scholte wave showed up. A0 Lamb mode showed a decreased propagation while S0 Lamb wave showed no changes. The change in the Lamb wave propagation is found to be frequency dependent.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
When the pulse of the song goes on: Fade-out in popular music and the pulse continuity phenomenon

This exploratory study investigated the effect of different types of song closure in popular music on pulse continuation behaviour. We compared the perceptual effects of the so-called “fade-out” song closure with the so-called “cold end” (arranged end). We assumed that fading could result in the listeners’ imagining that the song continues past the actual ending. Three versions of the same pop song were presented to N = 80 listeners: first, with an arranged end (“cold end”); second, with a gradual decrease in the sound level of the audio signal (“fade-out”); third, with a “cold end” but without a final ritardando (rit.). Participants tapped along to the pulse of the music on the interface sentograph as long as they felt entrained. The tap-along behaviour differed significantly among the three versions: (a) in the fade-out condition the tapping along was continued after the song’s end; (b) in the cold end condition participants stopped tapping along to the pulse before the last beat of the music, (c) in th...
Erratum to: A Uniform Sobolev Inequality Under Ricci Flow

In the paper [3], the constants in Theorem 1.1 (a) should depend on time in general. Here, we provide the corrected statement and proof. “A uniform Sobolev inequality under Ricci flow”, the constants A and B of Theorem 1.1 (a) are correct only for finite time. For large time t, they should depend on time t via the controlling constants in the log Sobolev inequality of the metric t g(0), which is finite only sometimes. Step 2 of the proof should follow the method outlined at the end of the introduction instead. Here is the corrected statement for that theorem.
Low-dose growth hormone-releasing factor may enhance folliculogenesis in regularly menstruating women: a preliminary study

Objective To evaluate the effect of low-dose GH-releasing factor (GRF) on folliculogenesis in regularly menstruating women. Design Prospective clinical trial where individual patients served as their own control. Setting Outpatient Reproductive Endocrine/Infertility Clinic of the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Patients Seven regularly menstruating women. Intervention During treatment cycles, subjects received 100 μ g SC GRF on cycle days 2 to 11 and were observed during a control cycle. Main Outcome Measures Follicle number and diameter, as well as endometrial thickness were all assessed by vaginal ultrasound and blood was obtained for serum FSH, LH, E 2 , P, GH, insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3. Results During cycles treated with GRF, GH, and IGF-1 levels were normal. However, follicular growth rates and E 2 to FSH ratios were significantly higher. The day of the peak E 2 to follicular diameter ratio after GRF was earlier than in control cycles. Endometrial growth rates were also greater with GRF. Conclusions Our data, although preliminary, support the hypothesis that low doses of GRF may independently stimulate the ovary and enhance folliculogenesis.
On Rational Principle of Criminal Legislation

On the basis of necessary mala in se of criminal law, it achieves its ideality and its ultimate intents of freedom protecting and order ensuring. So the rationality must be paid attention to in the creating criminal law. The rationality of criminal legislation means the criminal legal created by criminal legislative activities must accord with the demands of its ideals that belong to essential rationality, and the elemental rules of criminal legislation that belong to formal rationality.
Conflict and Political Violence in Black African States

In the previous chapter we have presented an introductory discussion of the methodology of cross-national research, which gave some indication of the limits and objectives of the systematic comparative analysis of aggregate data describing countries. The discussion focused on the variety of competing and complementary formulations of empirical tests of generalizations about political life in countries. Although we emphasized the importance of theory as the basis of meaningful generalization and explanation in cross-national research, we gave little indication of the difficulty involved in constructing such theory.
Therapeutisch werk als faciliterende factor voor werkhervatting in betaald werk

Voor veel mensen die vanwege kanker in de Ziektewet of de WIA terechtkomen is de afstand naar de arbeidsmarkt groot. In eerder kwalitatief onderzoek werd door verzekeringsartsen en door vangnetters met kanker gerapporteerd dat therapeutisch werk een belangrijke faciliterende factor kan zijn voor werkhervatting in betaald werk. Hierbij werd ook aangegeven dat de mogelijkheden voor participatie in therapeutisch werk voor de vangnetpopulatie de laatste jaren zijn afgenomen, en dat nu vooral werknemers met kanker nog toegang tot therapeutisch werk hebben. Het doel van dit onderzoek was om te bepalen of participatie in therapeutisch werk geassocieerd is met werkhervatting in betaald werk, in een populatie van vangnetters en werknemers met kanker.
Design Sensitivity Analysis for Potential Problems by the Derivative Boundary Element Method

The subject of this paper is the determination of solutions of two-dimensional potential problems, and their sensitivities with respect to change of shape of a body, by the derivative boundary element method (DBEM). Modelling of multiple zones and corners in the body, by the DBEM, is carried out here. Numerical results are presented for a few sample problems.
Cooling and exhumation of the southern Idaho batholith

We conducted a (U-Th)/He zircon thermochronology study of the southern part of the Idaho batholith (central Idaho, USA) to constrain cooling through ∼200 °C and exhumation of the batholith. Samples were collected adjacent to the Idaho-Oregon (IDOR) seismic transect and at localities where U-Pb zircon, geochemical, and fabric analyses were conducted. The rocks affected by the western Idaho shear zone and associated border zone suite of the batholith cooled through the closure temperature for He in zircon prior to ca. 60 Ma, before or during emplacement of the voluminous Atlanta lobe. In contrast, the Atlanta lobe (Atlanta peraluminous suite) records a relatively constant cooling rate, in which the (U-Th)/He zircon ages are systematically ∼30 m.y. younger than the U-Pb zircon ages. We interpret this data to reflect post-magmatic isobaric cooling with little or no unroofing. The only deviation from a smooth regional cooling pattern occurs near Sawtooth Valley, where samples from the Sawtooth Range on the west side of the valley show distinctly younger ages than those from the White Cloud Peaks to the east. We interpret this difference to reflect recent cooling and exhumation associated with extensional deformation. The regionally consistent pattern of cooling and hence exhumation indicates that the current exposure level of the Idaho batholith was <5 km deep (assuming a geothermal gradient of 40 °C/km) at 50 Ma during the initiation of Challis magmatism. Our data are consistent with the existence of a crustal plateau during formation of the Atlanta lobe of the Idaho batholith.
Physical Activity and Cognitive Training: Impact on Hippocampal Structure and Function

This chapter will review the current state of knowledge on the effects of physical and mental (cognitive) training on hippocampal structure and function. We will primarily focus on normal aging and patient populations, though some relevant examples with young adults will also be described. Where possible, we will briefly review relevant research with animal models, in order to discuss potential mechanisms for beneficial effects of physical activity and cognitive training on hippocampal health.
Writing in Real Time : Emergent Poetics from Whitman to the Digital

From Walt Whitman to the contemporary period, the long poem has been one of the more dynamic, intricate, and yet challenging literary practices of modernity. Addressing those challenges, Writing in Real Time combines systems theory, literary history, and recent debates in poetics to interpret a broad range of American long poems as emergent systems, capable of adaptation and transformation in response to environmental change. Due to these emergent properties, the long poem performs essential cultural work, offering a unique experience of history that remains valuable for our rapidly transforming digital age. Moving across a broad range of literary and theoretical texts, Writing in Real Time demonstrates that the study of emergence can enhance literary scholarship, just as literature provides unique insights into emergent properties, making this book a key resource for scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate students alike.
Big data and student engagement among vulnerable youth: A review

Vulnerable (e.g., LGBTQ, homeless, disabled, racial/ethnic minority, and/or poor) youth disproportionally report challenges at school compared to their majority counterparts, but we are not always sure of the best ways to support these students. How might big data help to ameliorate experiences for vulnerable students who are not part of the majority (e.g., White, middle class, straight)? We review current ways that using big data can promote student engagement specific to school experiences where vulnerable youth share a disproportional amount of burden. We review extant uses of big data to track, involve, and monitor student progress and attendance. Additionally, we review the potential privacy implications and threats to students’ civil liberties.
Theoretical Phase Diagram for the Room-Temperature Electron–Hole Liquid in Photoexcited Quasi-Two-Dimensional Monolayer MoS2

Strong correlations between electrons and holes can drive the existence of an electron–hole liquid (EHL) state, typically at high carrier densities and low temperatures. The recent emergence of quasi-two-dimensional (2D) monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) provides ideal systems to explore the EHL state since ineffective screening of the out-of-plane field lines in these quasi-2D systems allows for stronger charge carrier correlations in contrast to conventional 3D bulk semiconductors and enables the existence of the EHL at high temperatures. Here we construct the phase diagram for the photoinduced first-order phase transition from a plasma of electron–hole pairs to a correlated EHL state in suspended monolayer MoS2. We show that the quasi-2D nature of monolayer TMDCs and the ineffective screening of the out-of-plane field lines allow for this phase transition to occur at and above room temperature, thereby opening avenues for studying many-body phenomena without the constraint of cryogenics.
Solution of fully-coupled shallow water equations and contaminant transport using a primitive-variable Riemann method

A Riemann-solver scheme, using primitive variables rather than conserved variables, is configured and tuned for the solution of the fully-coupled two-dimensional shallow water and contaminant transport equations. This scheme is based on the unstructured finite volume discretization using primitive-variable Roe-flux approximation with an entropy fix. The primitive-variable flux associated with the exact source-term balancing is well-behaved and well-balanced for both still-water and dry regions with arbitrary bed topography. Second-order accuracy is used in space and time. The present study uses a nonlinear implicit scheme based on Newton-iterative algorithm for the time integration. In order to show the accuracy of the scheme, numerical results are verified by different test cases for contaminant advection and diffusion. A scenario of contaminant transport in a complex geometry with wet and dry elements is also simulated to demonstrate that the present work can be implemented on practical applications involving flooding and contaminant transport.
Assessing residential front yards using Google Street View and geospatial video: a virtual survey approach for urban pollinator conservation.

Abstract Google Street View and geospatial video mapping have been successfully employed to inventory neighborhood environments in a variety of disciplines. However, virtual survey approaches have yet to be leveraged fully for fine-scale auditing of ecological characteristics in urban contexts. Here we propose a method combining Google Street View and geospatial video mapping to virtually inventory vegetation composition over time in residential front yards to assess habitat for native pollinator conservation. As a proof of concept, it bolsters the feasibility and effectiveness of virtual approaches to conduct fine-scale street-level audits of neighborhood environments. Additionally, the findings inform future science-based education and outreach interventions at two study sites.
Fire and Climate Suitability for Woody Vegetation Communities in the South Central United States

Climate and fire are primary drivers of plant species distributions. Long-term management of south central United States woody vegetation communities can benefit from information on potential changes in climate and fire frequencies, and how these changes might affect plant communities. We used historical (1900 to 1929) and future (2040 to 2069 and 2070 to 2099) projected climate data for the conterminous US to estimate reference and future fire probabilities using a physical chemistry fire frequency model. We then used the fire probability data with additional climate parameters to construct maximum entropy environmental suitability models for three south central US vegetation communities. The modeled communities included an oak type (dominated by post oak, Quercus stellata Wangenh., and blackjack oak, Q. marilandica Munchh.), a mesquite type (dominated by honey mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa Torr., and velvet mesquite, P. velutina Wooton), and a pinyon-juniper type (dominated by pinyon pine, Pinus edulis Engelm., and Utah juniper, Juniperus osteosperma [Torr.] Little). We mapped baseline and future mean fire-climate suitability using data from three global climate models for 2040 to 2069 and 2070 to 2099; we also mapped future locations of threshold conditions for which all three models agreed on suitability for each community. Future projections included northward, southward, and eastward shifts in suitable conditions for the oaks along a broad path of fire-climate stability; an overall reduction in suitable area for historic mesquite communities coupled with potential expansion to new areas; and constriction and isolation of suitable conditions for pinyon-juniper communities. The inclusion of fire probability adds an important driver of vegetation distribution to climate envelope modeling. The simple models showed good fit, but future projections failed to account for future management activities or land use changes. Results provided information on potential future de-coupling and spatial re-arrangement of environmental conditions under which these communities have historically persisted and been managed. In particular, consensus threshold maps can inform long-term planning for maintenance or restoration of these communities, and they can be used as a potential tool for other communities in fire-prone environments within the study area and beyond its borders.
GABA A dysregulation as an explanatory model for late-onset postpartum depression associated with weaning and resumption of menstruation

It is well established that a subgroup of women are particularly vulnerable to affective dysregulation during times of hormonal fluctuation. One underrecognized reproductive transition may be late-onset postpartum depression (PPD) in the context of weaning from breastfeeding and the resumption of menstruation. The goal of this review is to propose a biologically plausible mechanism for affective dysregulation during these transitions. The relationship between affective symptoms and neurohormonal changes associated with weaning will be investigated through a hypothesis-driven review of relevant literature. Neurosteroids, like allopregnanolone (ALLO), are widely recognized for augmenting GABAergic inhibition and having a powerful anxiolytic effect (Belelli D and Lambert JL, Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6:565-575, 2005). However, when ALLO is administered after prolonged withdrawal, there may be a paradoxical anxiogenic effect (Smith et al., Psychopharmacology 186:323–333, 2006; Shen et al., Nat Neurosci 10:469–477, 2007). Weaning from breastfeeding is a physiologic example of fluctuating levels of ALLO after prolonged withdrawal. We propose that the complex hormonal milieu during weaning and resumption of menstruation may modify GABAA receptors such that ALLO may contribute to rather than ameliorate depressive symptoms in vulnerable individuals. The proposed model provides an initial step for understanding the mechanisms by which the changing hormonal environment during weaning and resumption of menstruation may contribute to an increased risk of depression in a subgroup of women who are hormonally sensitive. Future research investigating this model would be valuable both to identify women at increased risk for developing mood symptoms late in postpartum and to inform treatment for this and related reproductive depressive disorders.