cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Edge detection and feature extraction by non-orthogonal image expansion for optimal discriminative SNR

Expansion matching (EXM) optimizes a novel matching criterion called discriminative signal-to-noise ratio (DSNR) and robustly recognizes templates under conditions of noise, severe occlusion and superposition. A family of optimal DSNR edge detectors is introduced based on the expansion filter for any given edge model. Experimental comparisons show that the authors' step expansion filter (SEF) yields better results than the Canny edge detector (CED) in terms of DSNR, even under adverse noise conditions. As for segmentation quality, the SEF also yields higher figures of merit than the CED over a wide range of noise levels. Experiments on real images reveal that the SEF yields less noisy edge elements and preserves structural details accurately. EXM is also effective for feature extraction. >
Bump-bonded back-illuminated CCDs

We have developed a thinning and packaging process which allows the conversion of front-illuminated charge-coupled devices (CCDs) into back illuminated sensors. This process does not depend on any special processing by the manufacturer and can therefore be used with any type of CCD. The process consists of several major steps which include: 1) making a silicon substrate with conductive traces and indium bumps which mate to the CCD wire bonding pads 2) placing indium bumps on the CCD wire bonding pads 3) bump bonding the substrate and CCD together 4) thinning 5)packaging 6) oxidizing the backside surface 7) applying antireflection coatings and 8) backside charging. Using this process with Loral 1200x800 and 3072x1024 CCDs we have produced devices with quantum efficiency in excess of 80 in the near-UV and visible wavelength regions. The surface flatness of these devices has been measured interferometrically to deviate from a plane by less than 1 um rms for the 1200x800 pixel sensors. 2.
Anti‐Metaphysicalism, Necessity, and Temporal Ontology

This paper argues for a certain kind of anti-metaphysicalism about the temporal ontology debate, i.e., the debate between presentists and eternalists over the existence of past and future objects. Three different kinds of anti-metaphysicalism are defined—namely, non-factualism, physical-empiricism, and trivialism. The paper argues for the disjunction of these three views. It is then argued that trivialism is false, so that either non-factualism or physical-empiricism is true. Finally, the paper ends with a discussion of whether we should endorse non-factualism or physical-empiricism. An initial reason is provided for thinking that non-factualism might be true, but in the end, the paper leaves this question open. The paper also argues against a certain kind of necessitarianism about the temporal ontology debate; but this isn't an extra job—the falsity of this necessitarian view falls out of the other arguments as a sort of corollary.
Penicillin V-conjugated PEG-PAMAM star polymers.

Starburst® PAMAM dendrimers are potential carriers for drug delivery due to their unique structure. Drug-delivery scaffolds were designed and built up based on the polyethylene glycolpolyamidoamine (PEG-PAMAM) star polymer. Penicillin V was used as a model carboxylic group containing drug to conjugate with full- and half-generation PAMAM dendrimers. G2.5 PAMAM (with 32 carboxylic groups on the surface) dendrimers and G3.0 (with 32 primary amine groups on the surface) were typically chosen. There are two strategies given in the paper where a drug carrying a carboxylic group (e.g. penicillin V) was coupled to star polymer via amide and ester bonds, respectively. FT-IR, UV-Vis and 1H-NMR were used to characterize the intermediates and drug-star polymer conjugates. A single-strain bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, was grown up for penicillin-conjugated PEG-PAMAM (G3.0) star polymer activity test. The result verified the bioavailability of modified penicillin after the ester bond was cleaved.
Mental Status Changes in Children Receiving Glucocorticoids Review of the Literature

Glucocorticoid preparations are used commonly in the treatment of many diseases in children and adolescents. Although their physiologic side of effects have been described well, the psychiatric side effects of these medications have received little attention. Limited data suggest that disturbances of affect and behavior may occur in 25-50% of children receiving glucocorticoid. These steroid-induced mental changes may be underrecognized in children, and yet these changes can have considerable impact on social and psychological functioning and treatment outcome. An enhanced awareness and reporting of this phenomenon by clinicians, parents, and teachers would likely lead to better compliance with treatment, improved outcomes, and greater understanding of emotional concomitants of illness.
Stabilization of chemostats using feedback linearization and reduction of dimension

Stabilization via feedback linearization of models of competition between two species of microroganisms for two essential resources based in the chemostat is considered, extending previous work recently done by the authors; see [1], [14] and references therein. We show that though the full four-dimensional system is not stabilizable due to the dynamical properties of the system, it is possible to achieve the goal in modified form by pursuing a process of dimensional reduction prior to feedback linearization that results in replacing the four dimensional analysis with one in three dimensions. This technique has appeared in the literature applied to a similar system in the seminal papers of Hoo and Kantor [7]. However, in that case it appears that the authors thought of the method as a matter of convenience, and apparently did not realize that their original (higher dimensional) system was not stabilizable without utilizing the reduction procedure. (That is, that the reduction process was necessary in order to achieve the stabilization goal.) In this paper we show how the problem and its solution are very similar for both our model and that of Hoo and Kantor. This suggests that the dimensional reduction method could be rather generally applicable.
How Private Is the Internet

Most common uses of the Internet are email, Web surfing, and transactions ranging from e-commerce to bill paying. This paper discussed on how to prevent eavesdropping and eliminate possible attack modalities. HTTPS allows for the growing work of e-commerce, online banking and bill paying, and other activities requiring secure information exchange.
Construct Validity of Reading Measures in Adults With Significant Reading Difficulties

The four studies of adult literacy in this special issue of the Journal of Learning Disabilities address measurement issues in adult populations and the relation (by comparison) of similar studies of childhood literacy. Despite differences in selection criteria, tests, and research questions, there is some convergence across studies, especially on construct validity issues. It is reassuring to see evidence of construct invariance across children and adults. The examples of lack of convergence relative to childhood literacy studies are instructive, and investigators should be careful not to extrapolate directly from child to adult models.
Synchronous splenectomy during cholecystectomy for hereditary spherocytosis: is it really necessary?

Abstract Background/Purpose Expert guidelines recommend performing synchronous splenectomy in patients with mild hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and symptoms of gallstone disease. This recommendation has not been widely explored in the literature. The aim of this study is to determine if our data support expert opinion and if different practice patterns should exist. Methods This is an IRB-approved retrospective study. All HS patients under 18years of age who underwent cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstones at a single institution between 1981 and 2009 were identified. Patients who underwent cholecystectomy without concurrent splenectomy were reviewed retrospectively for future need for splenectomy and evidence of recurrent gallstone disease. Results Of the 32 patients identified, 27 underwent synchronous splenectomy. The remaining 5 patients underwent cholecystectomy without splenectomy and had a mean age of 9.4years. One of the 5 patients eventually required splenectomy for left upper quadrant pain. None of the remaining 4 required hospitalization for symptoms related to hemolysis or hepatobiliary disease. Median follow-up is 15.6years. Conclusion The need for splenectomy in patients with mild HS and symptomatic cholelithiasis should be assessed on a case by case basis. Our recommendation is to not perform synchronous splenectomy in conjunction with cholecystectomy for these patients if no indication for splenectomy exists.
Comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of prison-based computerized vs. counselor-administered substance abuse treatment interventions

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) operates the nation's largest integrated health care system with ongoing challenges to improve access to and quality of care for alcohol use disorders and other mental health conditions. A recent report requested by Congress challenged VHA to develop an improved approach to tracking timely access to care as well as other indicators of treatment quality. VHA also has learned lessons about unintended consequences of quality measures related to alcohol misuse and other high profile mental health conditions. In the context of moving VHA addiction treatment toward measurement-based care, this session will identify the challenges posed for more comprehensive quality measurement across the six Institute of Medicine dimensions of quality. We will present some of the evolving strategies to address these challenges in a national system with an electronic health record and an emphasis on “no wrong door” for seeking services.
The MicroBooNE Experiment and the Impact of Space Charge Effects

MicroBooNE is an experiment designed to both probe neutrino physics phenomena and develop the LArTPC (Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber) detector technology. The MicroBooNE experiment, which began taking data this year, is the first large LArTPC detector in the U.S. This experiment is the beginning of a path of detectors (both on the surface and underground) envisioned for the U.S. SBL (Short-BaseLine) and LBL (Long-BaseLine) programs. In order to interpret the data from the experiments on the surface, the impact of space charge effects must be simulated and calibrated. The space charge effect is the build-up of slow-moving positive ions in a detector due to, for instance, ionization from cosmic rays, leading to a distortion of the electric field within the detector. This effect leads to a displacement in the reconstructed position of signal ionization electrons in LArTPC detectors. The LArTPC utilized in the MicroBooNE experiment is expected to be modestly impacted from the space charge effect, with the electric field magnitude changing by roughly 5\% (at a drift field of 500 V/cm) in some locations within the TPC. We discuss the simulation of the space charge effect at MicroBooNE as well as calibration techniques that make use of a UV laser system and cosmic muon events. A successful calibration of the space charge effect is imperative both to the success of the MicroBooNE physics program as well as to the development of LArTPC technology for future experiments.
Biology of ultramafic rocks and soils: research goals for the future

At this, the 6th International Conference on Serpentine Ecology, it seems timely to review briefly the present status of the field and to project the needs for future research. Although a great deal of serpentine research was done prior to 1960, as summarized by Krause (1958) and discussed briefly by Brooks (1987), much of our progress in learning how serpentine geology affects plant and animal life occurred in the midto late 20th century. In that era, it was the landmark studies of several scientists worldwide that initiated a meteoric increase in published serpentine research. Key players in setting the stage for this burgeoning output included pioneers in Europe (e.g., John Proctor, Stan Woodell, Ornella Vergnano, and Olof Rune), North America (e.g., Herbert Mason, Robert Whittaker, Hans Jenny, Richard Walker, and Arthur Kruckeberg); and elsewhere (e.g., Robert Brooks, Alan Baker, Roger Reeves, and Tanguy Jaffre). All made notable contributions to understanding the "serpentine syndrome." Despite the flourishing of serpentine studies in recent years, there is much "unfinished business." After all, an axiom of science is that there is an unending quest for answers. In the many subdisciplines of geology and the soil and plant sciences, serpentine areas still hold mysteries unsolved questions and challenges for the future. We now examine some of them, organized by the five major topic areas covered by the conference (Geology and Soils, Biota, Ecology and Evolution, Physiology and Genetics, and Applied Ecology), and point out how some of the contributions at the conference, and some that are included in this Proceedings Special Issue, address them.
Expressed protein ligation: A new tool for studying protein structure and function

We are interested in using chemistry-driven protein engineering approaches to study the structure and function of the protein tyrosine kinase, c-Abl, oncogenic forms of which are implicated in the pathogenesis of virtually all chronic myelogenous leukemias, as well as some acute lymphocytic leukemias. Recently, we introduced a biosynthetic technology, Expressed Protein Ligation (EPL), which allows unnatural amino acids and biochemical/biophysical probes to be site-specifically incorporated into large proteins such as Abl and its substrates [1]. Using this protein semi-synthesis approach, we have incorporated fluorescent probes at key positions in both the c-Abl regulatory apparatus and the adapter protein c-Crk (which is phosphorylated on a single tyrosine by c-Abl). Preliminary studies indicate that these protein biosensors are useful tools for studying Abl structure and function [2].
Muonic resonance excitation of /sup 188/Os and /sup 172/Yb

"Anomalous" lines of significant intensity have been observed in the muonic spectra of $^{188}\mathrm{Os}$ and $^{172}\mathrm{Yb}$. These anomalous lines are interpreted as $3d\ensuremath{-}2p$ muonic-nuclear resonances involving ${1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ nuclear states at about 2-MeV excitation energy. Electric multipole moments and isomer shifts of the resonant nuclear states have been determined. Such accidental resonances, which presumably occur in other heavy muonic atoms, can provide an opportunity to obtain otherwise unavailable nuclear structure information.
Relationships between Water Wettability and Ice Adhesion

Ice formation and accretion may hinder the operation of many systems critical to national infrastructure, including airplanes, power lines, windmills, ships, and telecommunications equipment. Yet despite the pervasiveness of the icing problem, the fundamentals of ice adhesion have received relatively little attention in the scientific literature and it is not widely understood which attributes must be tuned to systematically design “icephobic” surfaces that are resistant to icing. Here we probe the relationships between advancing/receding water contact angles and the strength of ice adhesion to bare steel and twenty-one different test coatings (∼200−300 nm thick) applied to the nominally smooth steel discs. Contact angles are measured using a commercially available goniometer, whereas the average strengths of ice adhesion are evaluated with a custom-built laboratory-scale adhesion apparatus. The coatings investigated comprise commercially available polymers and fluorinated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquio...
Design of Variable Vehicle Handling Characteristics Using Four-Wheel Steer-by-Wire

This paper presents a vehicle handling modification approach that tracks the dynamics of a general nonlinear planar reference model. The control structure is a combination of linear and nonlinear state feedback with feedforward of reference model yaw moment, lateral force, and longitudinal force at the vehicle center of gravity. The modified closed-loop system is demonstrated to be stable and has robust tracking performance to reasonable levels of model uncertainty. The handling modification method is applied to the task of emulating the dynamics of a reference vehicle on a low friction surface, with particular attention to actuator constraints. Experimental results demonstrate successful emulation of the low friction reference model’s planar dynamics for a variety of driving maneuvers and reference friction coefficients. This handling emulation technique enables further investigation of vehicle handling performance improvements and use as a variable dynamic testbed for human factors studies.
A comparative study of Chinese and European shipbuilding and navigating technologies in the 15th century

Zheng He's seven voyages to western countries and the Atlantic expeditions led by Henry, the prince of Portugal, were great events in the world in the 15th century. A lot of research had been done respectively by Chinese and foreign scholars. But due to the lack of academic exchanges and differences in the cultural tradition, Chinese and foreign scholars could not reach agreement in their research in some areas. In order to remedy the gap, the comparative study of the Chinese and the western shipbuilding navigating technologies will be helpful and this research mode can also be applied to other research areas concerning the technological history.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant-related airflow obstruction.

Purpose of review Airflow obstruction is a rare but fatal complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. It is noninfectious, relatively late, and primarily affects small airways, ultimately leading to their obliteration. If airflow obstruction is consistent with obliteration histologically, the condition is often called bronchiolitis obliterans. This review of literature published recently evaluates progress made in this field. Recent findings Changes reported in analysis of pulmonary function test results and their follow-up might be helpful to better manage bronchiolitis obliterans and to detect and treat it earlier. Graft-versus-host reaction possibly underlies the development of this fatal disease. Findings from high-resolution computed tomography might aid in the diagnostic process. Anti-inflammatory therapy, azithromycin and lung transplant might be an option to treat bronchiolitis obliterans. Summary The pathomechanism of bronchiolitis obliterans remains unclear and it remains a fatal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. An appropriate model to study hematopoietic stem cell transplantation-related airflow obstruction, consensus diagnostic criteria, and prospective trials for treatment are necessary to overcome the challenge presented by bronchiolitis obliterans.
A statistical property of fly odor responses is conserved across odors

I have reanalyzed the data presented by Hallem and Carlson [Hallem EA, Carlson JR (2006) Cell 125(1):143-160] and shown that the combinatorial odor code supplied by the fruit fly antenna is a very simple one in which nearly all odors produce, statistically, the same neuronal response; i.e., the probability distribution of sensory neuron firing rates across the population of odorant sensory neurons is an exponential for nearly all odors and odor mixtures, with the mean rate dependent on the odor concentration. Between odors, then, the response differs according to which sensory neurons are firing at what individual rates and with what mean population rate, but not in the probability distribution of firing rates. This conclusion is independent of adjustable parameters, and holds both for monomolecular odors and complex mixtures. Because the circuitry in the antennal lobe constrains the mean firing rate to be the same for all odors and concentrations, the odor code is what is known as maximum entropy.
["Mini-invasive" surgery of the abdomen in 1996].

L'acte chirurgical intra-abdominal, intra-thoracique et a l'interieur d'organes creux, guide par video-endoscopie a travers des ouvertures limitees, peut avoir les objectifs suivants : le diagnostic, l'exerese simple, l'exerese suivie de retablissement, la restauration d'une imperfection. L'indication pour diagnostic est bien etablie depuis les travaux de Kelling et Jacobaeus. Les operations modeles des trois autres categories sont representees par la cholecystectomie, la resection colique suivie d'anastomose, la cure de hernie inguinale. Pour illustrer l'importance grandissante de cette nouvelle technologie en chirurgie, l'auteur presente des recommandations basees sur l'experience personnelle et du service, realisee avec ces trois operations depuis 1990, ainsi que d'autres techniques operatoires dont l'utilite et l'efficacite sont probables ou meme deja bien etablies.
The Keldysh Theory of Strong Field Ionization and its Extensions

This paper starts with a concise history of the development of the Keldysh approximation and an overview of its more important general properties, and then a number of new developments are reported as well. These developments include the examination of an exhaustive list of possible S-matrix theories that may be applied to photoionization, and the identification of those among them that are suitable for the strong-field case. Emphasis is placed on the general distinctions between phenomena in different intensity regimes. Intensity limits are given for: the convergence of perturbation theory; the applicability of the electric dipole approximation; the utility of one-dimensional models; the validity of non-relativistic theories; and the separability of the equations of motion. A relativistic version of the Keldysh theory is introduced.
Presidents’ visual presentations in their official photos: A cross-cultural analysis of the US and South Korea

AbstractWhile the ways heads of states are visually portrayed in their official photos may differ depending on their cultures, particularly whether they have an individualistic culture or a collectivistic culture, little scholarly attention has been paid to examining such differences. The present study investigates how US and South Korean presidents, Barack Obama and Myung-bak Lee, strategically presented themselves during their first year of presidency. Analysis of White House and Blue House photos (N = 467) reveals significant differences between the individualistic country (US) and the collectivistic country (South Korea). While the US uses a variety of techniques to frame Obama as a compassionate family man supported by ordinary citizens, South Korea relies heavily on the statesmanship frame to portray Lee as a world-class leader. Overall, the two administrations had different approaches to photos: one as storytelling, and the other as a ritual.
Modal Identification of Golden Gate Bridge Using Pseudo Mobile Sensing Data with STRIDE

This paper presents an application of a novel data collection method: mobile sensing. Mobile sensor networks can provide extensive information similar to dense fixed sensor networks while conserving the ease of smaller networks. However, mobile sensing data is expected to have missing observations in time and space, leaving data matrices incompatible with common identification techniques. STRIDE is an algorithm implemented for modal identification using this class of sensor data, which includes missing observations. Although mobile sensing devices are not widely available and large-scale mobile sensors networks have yet to be implemented, pseudo mobile sensing data is extracted from a dense sensor network using a simulated mobile sensor network. In this paper, ambient vibrations of Golden Gate Bridge are considered and pseudo (simulated) mobile sensing data are populated from a subset that shares the paths of simulated mobile sensors. The paper provides promising results to encourage the implementation of large-scale mobile sensor networks in future SHM endeavors.
The Generation and Propagation of Ship Internal Waves in a Generally Stratified Ocean at High Densimetric Froude Numbers, Including Nonlinear Effects

A nonlinear theory for internal wave generation and propagation is derived here for slender ships traveling at high densimetric Froude number (F h >>1) in water of small density variation. It is based on an asymptotic equation for the evolution of the internal wave vorticity generated under the ship by a known inviscid ship flow and then self-propagating in the wake. In its numerical implementation, arbitrary pycnoclines and slender ship hulls may be used, and boundary conditions on the ship hull are satisfied; the free surface is treated here as rigid, although this may be relaxed. The theory has been implemented by a suitable numerical method and numerous simulations have been carried out. The results have been compared with earlier OEL experiments. In the near field, emphasis is given to a triple-lobe pattern in the pycnocline, an upwelling along the centerline of motion with a trough on either side, forming close behind the ship. Two distinct types of triple lobes are identified: (a) dominant central lobe and very weak troughs, and; (b) weak central lobe and dominant troughs. The former (a) is shown to result in linear propagation into the far field. The latter (b) results in far-field patterns preceded by a deep trough whose propagation is nonlinear. The comparisons of both simulated trends and actual amplitudes with measurements are good, surprisingly so considering the small scale of the experiment and the asymptotic nature of the theory. The effect of the turbulent wake on the internal waves in the experiments is restricted to a very narrow region behind the ship; the bulk of the wave pattern including the leading waves seem unaffected. Simulations show that under certain conditions of stratification, triple-lobe patterns with abnormally large troughs are generated and lead to strong nonlinear effects; these deep troughs propagate sidewards to large distances aft (over 40 ship lengths) with slow decay, and result in much larger surface currents and strain rates than in the normal case. Correspondingly, fast waves of depression, which decay slowly, were discovered through the simulation of two-dimensional initial value problems, where the initial area of depression was significantly less than required of a true soliton; these quasi-solitons are briefly studied here.
Theory of charge carrier production in photoconducting molecular crystals

Many of the crystals of organic compounds are molecular crystals, which are aggregates of a large number of perturbed molecules (perturbed by the neighboring molecules). In such crystalline states molecules keep their identity while bound to each other through weak attractive forces. Among such crystals are the pure crystals of aromatic compounds, typically polyacenes, Even though these molecular crystals are essentially insulators, the electrical current can be increased a thousandfold by irradiating with ultra violet light in the fundamental absorption region.
Jacob Burckhardt, Briefe: Vollständige und kritische Ausgabe mit Benutzung des handschriftlichen Nachlasses bearbeitet von Max Burckhardt, Band VII. Basel/Stuttgart: Schwabe, 1969. Pp. 560, 16 pl.

(1971). Jacob Burckhardt, Briefe. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 237-239.
Evolution of the magnetization response of magneto-active elastomers made with hard-magnetic M-type barium hexaferrite particles

Magneto active elastomers (MAE), particulate filled magneto-sensitive composites, were made with increasing volume contents of 325 mesh M-type barium hexaferrite (BAM) particles within a silicone elastomer matrix. The volume contents of BAM ranged from 10% to 35% v/v. Vibrating sample magnetometery measurements showed that the remanence and saturation, both per unit magnetic material, increased by 50% from 10%v/v to 20%v/v before slowing decreasing as v/v increased to 35%. The results clearly show in peak in the effectiveness of the embedded particles to produce bulk magnetization near 20% v/v. One possible means for the increase stems from alignment of the magnetization of the particles and hence of the magnetic domains within particles. To assess this possible alignment, Gaussian probability distribution of magnetization orientations was fit to the experimental data to ascertain the change in the distribution as a function of v/v. Results showed 20% v/v had the highest degree of alignment. The results highlight, at a bulk scale, the possible evolution of microstructure within the composite. Similar results have been seen in image analysis of physical particle distribution of other magneto-sensitive particulate composites. The results suggest that effective processing techniques can be used to greatly enhance the bulk magnetization of these and similar composites, paving the way for decreasing required magnetic content to achieve target response specification and possibly resulting miniaturization.
Holographic techniques for cellular fluorescence microscopy

We have constructed a prototype instrument for holographic fluorescence microscopy (HFM) based on self-interference incoherent digital holography (SIDH) and demonstrate novel imaging capabilities such as differential 3D fluorescence microscopy and optical sectioning by compressive sensing.
Yorkie regulates epidermal wound healing in Drosophila larvae independently of cell proliferation and apoptosis

Yorkie (Yki), the transcriptional co-activator of the Hippo signaling pathway, has well-characterized roles in balancing apoptosis and cell division during organ growth control. Yki is also required in diverse tissue regenerative contexts. In most cases this requirement reflects its well-characterized roles in balancing apoptosis and cell division. Whether Yki has repair functions outside of the control of cell proliferation, death, and growth is not clear. Here we show that Yki and Scalloped (Sd) are required for epidermal wound closure in the Drosophila larval epidermis. Using a GFP-tagged Yki transgene we show that Yki transiently translocates to some epidermal nuclei upon wounding. Genetic analysis strongly suggests that Yki interacts with the known wound healing pathway, Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), but not with Platelet Derived Growth Factor/Vascular-Endothelial Growth Factor receptor (Pvr). Yki likely acts downstream of or parallel to JNK signaling and does not appear to regulate either proliferation or apoptosis in the larval epidermis during wound repair. Analysis of actin structures after wounding suggests that Yki and Sd promote wound closure through actin regulation. In sum, we found that Yki regulates an epithelial tissue repair process independently of its previously documented roles in balancing proliferation and apoptosis.
Opportunities lost and gained: Changes in progenitor competence during nervous system development.

During development of the central nervous system, a small pool of stem cells and progenitors generate the vast neural diversity required for neural circuit formation and behavior. Neural stem and progenitor cells often generate different progeny in response to the same signaling cue (e.g. Notch or Hedgehog), including no response at all. How does stem cell competence to respond to signaling cues change over time? Recently, epigenetics particularly chromatin remodeling – has emerged as a powerful mechanism to control stem cell competence. Here we review recent Drosophila and vertebrate literature describing the effect of epigenetic changes on neural stem cell competence.
Perspectives On DNA Looping

DNA looping is a ubiquitous regulatorymechanism which can be involved in DNA transcription, ecombination, repair, etc. Here, I will focus on protein-mediated DNA looping as a mechanism of tran-scriptional regulation. Indeed, such topological change in DNA is known to repress and/or activate many prokaryotic and viral genes [1–4] and is believed to mediate interaction between promoters and enhancers as well as insulate them in eukaryotes [5–9].
An Evaluation of Constituency-Based Hyponymy Extraction from Privacy Policies

Requirements analysts can model regulated data practices to identify and reason about risks of non-compliance. If terminology is inconsistent or ambiguous, however, these models and their conclusions will be unreliable. To study this problem, we investigated an approach to automatically construct an information type ontology by identifying information type hyponymy in privacy policies using Tregex patterns. Tregex is a utility to match regular expressions against constituency parse trees, which are hierarchical expressions of natural language clauses, including noun and verb phrases. We discovered the Tregex patterns by applying content analysis to 30 privacy policies from six domains (shopping, telecommunication, social networks, employment, health, and news.) From this dataset, three semantic and four lexical categories of hyponymy emerged based on category completeness and word-order. Among these, we identified and empirically evaluated 72 Tregex patterns to automate the extraction of hyponyms from privacy policies. The patterns match information type hyponyms with an average precision of 0.72 and recall of 0.74.
The Impact of Seller Transaction Unreliability: Evidence from Airbnb

A seller's transactional reliability refers to the seller's reputation for successfully completing a contracted future transaction. We model how information about transactional reliability impacts sellers, and show that the effect depends on the search process that consumers endogenously follow. We empirically test our model's predictions using data from Airbnb listings in Manhattan, one of the most active short-term rental housing markets. We demonstrate evidence suggesting that consumers search for redeeming information about sellers who are perceived as transactionally unreliable, and that such sellers face significant consequences in terms of reduced sales and prices.
The Weakness of Cumulative Voting

Cumulative Voting is an electoral system in which each voter is allowed to cast multiple votes — some or all of which may be duplicate votes for a single candidate. It is sometimes used to elect members to a legislative body such as a parliament or city council, and its purpose is to achieve a more proportional representation than that which results from many other voting systems. Cumulative voting is most commonly used in municipal elections in the United States and Europe, but it has also been used for larger elections and is often used by corporations to elect their directors.
The Potential Effects on Design of Increased Prevalence of Obesity in US Children

The objective of this study is to identify potential consequences for design of the increased prevalence of obesity in children in the US. Data on stature and mass of children in the US have been collected since the 1960s. These data confirm an increased prevalence of obesity, particularly since the early 2000s. Many design tools and standards that inform the design process for this market are based on data collected in the 1970s. The design implications of these changes are examined in the context of a case study on vehicle safety (i.e., “booster”) seats. This study concludes that trends of increased prevalence of obesity in children can lead to higher than expected rates of disaccommodation on measures of breadth in some situations.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Multifunctional Biochar for Highly Efficient Capture, Identification, and Removal of Toxic Metals and Superbugs from Water Samples.

According to the World Health Organization, more than two billion people in our world use drinking water sources which are not free from pathogens and heavy metal contamination. Unsafe drinking water is responsible for the death of several millions in the 21st century. To find facile and cost-effective routes for developing multifunctional materials, which has the capability to resolve many of the challenges associated with drinking water problem, here, we report the novel design of multifunctional fluorescence-magnetic biochar with the capability for highly efficient separation, identification, and removal of pathogenic superbugs and toxic metals from environmental water samples. Details of synthesis and characterization of multifunctional biochar that exhibits very good magnetic properties and emits bright blue light owing to the quantum confinement effect are reported. In our design, biochar, a carbon-rich low-cost byproduct of naturally abundant biomass, which exhibits heterogeneous surface chemistry ...
Who Truly Benefits From Pre-Publishing and Rushing Publishing?: Not Patients, nor Clinicians

![Figure][1] “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”—Jean-Jacques Rousseau [(1)][2] Contemporary Western culture is breeding impatience and instant gratification. In most American metropolitan areas, shoppers can place an order on Amazon by 11:00 am and, for a small fee, have
Celebrating the Legacy of Mark Williams from the Oconee Valley to Far Beyond

ABSTRACTThis issue brings together former students of Mark Williams to celebrate his legacy to the archaeology and ethnohistory of the Southeast in honor of his retirement from the University of Georgia. Although best known for his work in his native Oconee Valley of Georgia, Mark has had a wide-ranging career, as briefly summarized in this introductory article. His field schools and classes, true to his often-repeated adage “archaeology is fun or it is nothing,” have inspired many of us to career paths in the field. In the spirit of Mark, participants were encouraged to think creatively about datasets close to their hearts; the articles that follow speak to this passion and to Mark’s enduring legacy.
No Reliable Association Between Recreational Noise Exposure and Threshold Sensitivity, Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission Amplitude, or Word-in-Noise Performance in a College Student Population.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between recreational sound exposure and potentially undiagnosed or subclinical hearing loss by assessing sound exposure history, threshold sensitivity, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) amplitudes, and performance on the words-in-noise (WIN) test. DESIGN Survey data were collected from 74 adult participants (14 male and 60 female), 18 to 27 years of age, recruited via advertisements posted throughout the University of Florida campus. Of these participants, 70 completed both the survey and the additional functional test battery, and their preferred listening level was measured in a laboratory setting. RESULTS There were statistically significant relationships between hearing thresholds and DPOAE amplitude. In contrast, performance on the WIN was not reliably related to threshold sensitivity within this cohort with largely normal hearing. The two most common exposures included bars or dance clubs, followed by music player use. There were no statistically significant relationships between individual or composite measures of recreational sound exposure, including preferred listening level, years of music player use, number of reported sound exposures, previous impulse noise exposure, or previous noise-induced change in hearing, and functional measures including threshold, DPOAE amplitude, and WIN measures. Some subjects were highly consistent in listening level preferences, while others were more variable from song to song. CONCLUSIONS No reliable relationships between common recreational sound exposure or previous noise-induced changes in hearing were found during analysis of threshold sensitivity, DPOAE amplitude, or WIN performance in this cohort. However, the study sample was predominantly female and Caucasian, which limits generalizability of the results.
Two-Phase Bioconversion of Greek-Yogurt Waste Into Medium-Chain Carboxylic Acid Oil via Lactic Acid Without External Electron Donor Addition

Acid whey is a Greek-yogurt waste stream and should be considered a resource to produce chemicals that can be used as biofuel precursors. Our objective was to convert acid whey into valuable medium-chain carboxylic acid (MCCA) oil with the open-culture carboxylate platform. Here, we developed a two-phase bioprocess with different anaerobic reactor microbiomes, performing thermophilic acidogenesis and mesophilic chain elongation, to produce MCCAs from acid whey via lactic acid as an intermediate. We achieved an MCCA production rate of 4.8 g chemical oxygen demand (COD) Lreactor-1 day-1 based on the volume of the chain-elongating bioreactor. The overall COD conversion efficiency for acid whey to MCCAs (C6-C9) was 53.1% with an MCCA specificity of 68.5% based on COD. n-Caproic acid (n-hexanoic acid [C6]) was the main product with a COD specificity of 49.8%. We converted a real waste stream into mainly MCCAs by chain elongation without the addition of electron donors.
Modeling Social Opinion in Online Society

social networks Online provide a globally available, large-scale infrastructure for people to exchange information and ideas. A topic of great interest in internet research is how to model this information exchange and, in particular, how to model and analyze the effects of interpersonal influence on processes such as information diffusion, influence propagation, and opinion formation. Recent empirical studies indicate that, in order to accurately model communication in online social networks, it is important to consider not just relationships between individuals, but also the frequency with which these individuals interact. We study a model of opinion formation in social networks proposed by De Groot and Lehrer and show how this model can be extended to include interaction frequency. We prove that, for the purposes of analysis and design, the opinion formation process with probabilistic interactions can be accurately approximated by a deterministic system where edge weights are adjusted for the probability of interaction. We also present simulations that illustrate the effects of different interaction frequencies on the opinion dynamics using real-world social network graphs.
Suppressing Chaotic and Hyperchaotic Dynamics of Smart Valves Network Using A Centralized Adaptive Approach

Catastrophic chaotic and hyperchaotic dynamical behavior have been experimentally observed in the so-called “Smart Valves” network, given certain critical parameters and initial conditions. The centralized network-based control of these coupled systems may effectively mitigate the harmful dynamics of the valve-actuator configuration which can be potentially caused by a remote set and would gradually affect the whole network. In this work, we address the centralized control of two bi-directional solenoid actuated butterfly valves dynamically coupled in series subject to the chaotic and hyperchaotic dynamics. An interconnected adaptive scheme is developed and examined to vanish both the chaotic and hyperchaotic dynamics and return the coupled network to its safe domain of operation.
Freud’s Rejection of Hypnosis: Perspectives Old and New:Part III of III—Toward Healing the Rift: Enriching Both Hypnosis and Psychoanalysis

As Freud developed his own ideas, he abandoned the use of hypnosis. This change led to more than a century of disengagement between hypnosis and psychoanalysis, characterized, with notable exceptio...
Design and Control of a Cable-Driven Articulated Modular Snake Robot

This paper presents the design and control of a cable-actuated mobile snake robot composed of modular coupled linkages. The goal of this research is to reduce the size of snake robots and improve their locomotive efficiency by simultaneously actuating groups of links to fit optimized curvature profiles. The basic functional unit of the snake is a four-link, single degree of freedom module that bends using an antagonistic cable-routing scheme. The mechanical and electrical designs of the module are first presented, with emphasis on the cable-routing scheme, key optimizations, and the use of elastic elements. A simplified model of serpentine locomotion is then presented and used to derive some properties of this locomotion gait. Control strategies for snake robots with coupled joints are also developed, including a feedback linearization of the pulley dynamics using the coupled cable equations. Experiments using a fully integrated prototype are presented and compared with simulated results.
Developmental Interactions Between Clavicipitaleans and Their Host Plants

Clavicipitalean fungi have evolved to survive as saprophytes, degrading organic material, as well as biotrophs of plants, fungi, nematodes, and insects. They have become particularly successful as epibionts and endophytes of grasses. We believe that the associations between clavicipitalean fungi and their hosts constitute unique biotrophic symbioses where the stages of physiological adaptation to the plant host may be examined to gain an understanding of how evolution among these fungi has progressed.
Cellular consequences of arginine methylation

Arginine methylation is a ubiquitous post-translational modification. Three predominant types of arginine-guanidino methylation occur in Eukarya: mono (Rme1/MMA), symmetric (Rme2s/SDMA), and asymmetric (Rme2a/ADMA). Arginine methylation frequently occurs at sites of protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions, providing specificity for binding partners and stabilization of important biological interactions in diverse cellular processes. Each methylarginine isoform-catalyzed by members of the protein arginine methyltransferase family, Type I (PRMT1-4,6,8) and Type II (PRMT5,9)-has unique downstream consequences. Methylarginines are found in ordered domains, domains of low complexity, and in intrinsically disordered regions of proteins-the latter two of which are intimately connected with biological liquid-liquid phase separation. This review highlights discoveries illuminating how arginine methylation affects genome integrity, gene transcription, mRNA splicing and mRNP biology, protein translation and stability, and phase separation. As more proteins and processes are found to be regulated by arginine methylation, its importance for understanding cellular physiology will continue to grow.
Detection of Cracks in Ceramics Used in Electronic Devices Using Light Scattering

Ceramic materials are used in electronic applications as microcircuit packages and substrates which carry signals and power between microcircuits. Fine cracks in ceramic materials can result in mechanical failures, electrical failures, and loss of hermeticity. Often, fine cracks are difficult or impossible to detect using standard nondestructive inspection techniques such as visual inspection, ultrasonic inspection, or vapor crack detection. Dye penetrant inspection is usually effective, but contaminates the part, which is unacceptable for space flight hardware.
The Role and Efficacy of Laboratories in the Diagnosis of Pediatric Appendicitis

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common pediatric surgical emergencies; however, making a timely diagnosis can be a difficult challenge. White blood cell, differential counts, and C-reactive protein have been considered standard diagnostic tools for many years and continue to carry a much higher diagnostic value for acute appendicitis among other laboratory markers. Several studies have examined the diagnostic values of history and physical examination, combined with multiple routine laboratory tests and imaging studies, in the evaluation of patients with suspected acute appendicitis. Newer studies have advocated inflammatory markers, such as interleukin (IL)-6, to be promising in detection of acute appendicitis, especially with perforation, but their diagnostic value remains controversial. This chapter aims to describe the role and efficacy of common laboratory markers in the diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis.