cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of bale moisture and bale diameter on spontaneous heating, dry matter recovery, in vitro true digestibility, and in situ disappearance kinetics of alfalfa-orchardgrass hays.

Abstract Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.)-orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L.) hay was made in 96 large-round bales over 3 harvests during 2006 and 2007 to assess the effects of spontaneous heating on dry matter (DM) recovery, in vitro true digestibility (IVTD), and in situ disappearance kinetics of DM. Throughout these harvests, bales were made at preset diameters of 0.9, 1.2, or 1.5m and at moisture concentrations ranging from 9.3 to 46.6%. Internal bale temperatures were monitored daily during an outdoor storage period, reaching maxima of 77.2°C (MAX) and 1,997 heating degree days >30°C (HDD) for one specific combination of bale moisture, bale diameter, and harvest. Following storage, regressions of DM recovery on HDD and MAX indicated that DM recovery declined linearly in close association with measures of spontaneous heating. For HDD, slopes and intercepts differed across bale diameters, probably because the greater surface area per kilogram of DM for 0.9-m bales facilitated more rapid dissipation of heat than occurred from 1.2- or 1.5-m-diameter bales. Regardless of bale diameter, coefficients of determination were high (r 2 ≥0.872) when HDD was used as the independent variable. Regressions of DM recovery on MAX also exhibited high r 2 statistics (≥ 0.833) and a common slope across bale diameters (−0.32 percentage units of DM/°C). Changes in concentrations of IVTD during storage (poststorage – prestorage; ΔIVTD) also were regressed on HDD and MAX. For HDD, the data were best fit with a nonlinear model in which ΔIVTD became rapidly negative at 2 or r 2 ≥0.820). Changes (poststorage – prestorage) in ruminal DM degradation rate (ΔK d ) and effective ruminal degradability of DM (ΔDEG) were assessed similarly. Although the most appropriate statistical model varied, ΔK d and ΔDEG both became increasingly negative at low to moderate levels of heating, but generally stabilized thereafter. Both HDD and MAX were excellent predictor variables for both ΔK d and ΔDEG; r 2 or R 2 statistics ranged from 0.788 to 0.921. Measures of spontaneous heating are consistently effective indicators of DM recovery following storage, as well as good indicators of concurrent changes in IVTD or in situ disappearance of DM for heated alfalfa-orchardgrass hays.
A wavelet-based combustion noise meter

The combustion noise of diesel engines can be assessed by filtering in-cylinder pressure traces. In this paper, two wavelet-based methods are discussed. It is shown that the statistical properties of a noise meter based on shift-invariant wavelet transforms are improved compared to one that is based on traditional (shift-variant) wavelet transforms. The application of noise metering for pilot injection detection is also presented.
Comparing hormone therapy effects in two RCTs and two large observational studies that used similar methods for comprehensive data collection and outcome assessment

Objectives Prospective observational studies (OSs) that collect adequate information about confounders can validly assess treatment consequences. However, what constitutes adequate information is unknown. This study investigated whether the extensive information collected by the Women9s Health Initiative (WHI) in two OSs and two randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was adequate. Design Secondary analysis of WHI data. Cox regression was used to select from all baseline risk factors those that best predicted outcome. Cox regression that included these risk factors was used for two types of analyses: (1) comparing RCT and OS assessments of the effects of hormone therapy on outcome for participants with specific characteristics and (2) evaluating whether adjustment for measured confounders could eliminate outcome differences among datasets. Setting The WHI included more than 800 baseline risk factors and outcomes during a median follow-up of 8 years. Participants 151 870 postmenopausal women ages 50–79. Primary and secondary outcome measures Myocardial infarction and stroke. Results RCT and OS results differed for the association of hormone therapy with outcome after adjusting for confounding factors and stratifying on factors that were hypothesised to modulate the effects of hormone therapy (eg, age and time since menopause) or that empirically modulated the effects of hormone therapy in this dataset (eg, blood pressure, previous coronary revascularisation and private medical insurance). Some of the four WHI datasets had significantly worse outcomes than others even after adjusting for risk and stratifying by type of hormone therapy, for example, the risk-adjusted HR for myocardial infarction was 1.37 (p Conclusions Apparently the WHI did not collect sufficient information to give reliable assessments of treatment effects. If the WHI did not collect sufficient data, it is likely that few OSs collect sufficient information.
The Apicoplast: A Parasite’s Symbiont

The endosymbiotic capture of a red alga brought photosynthesis to a previously heterotrophic protist, and marked the birth of a now very diverse new branch of the eukaryotic tree of life. Among the many plastid-bearing descendants of this event are the Apicomplexa, a phylum of obligate animal parasites. These include the causative agents of important diseases like malaria and toxoplasmosis. The apicomplexan plastid, or apicoplast, has experienced dramatic changes in function, organization and protein content as Apicomplexa adapted from photosynthesis to parasitism. In this chapter we outline the broad strokes of the organelle’s remarkable evolutionary history and follow how these changes shaped its biology and metabolism.
View-dependent real-time 3d video compression for mobile devices

3D video is an emerging technology that promises immersive experiences in a truly seamless environment. Currently, 3D video systems still require excessive bandwidth and computation power provided by gigabit switches and multi-core workstations machines. In order to extend the experience to mobile devices, we present a view-dependent compression methodology that shows great promise in making 3D video a reality on resource-constrained mobile devices. Using our technology, we are able to achieve a software-only rendering on a Nokia N800 PDA with only wireless network transmission. We believe that with the use of newer handhelds and improvements to our compression techniques, we will be able to deliver full-motion 3D video soon.
A method for pseudo-exhaustive test pattern generation

In order for pseudo-exhaustive test pattern generation to be practical (time requirement less than 2/sup /spl omega//, /spl omega//spl les/20), two conditions must be satisfied: 1). The function of every element in the circuit must be controllable from no more than /spl omega/ inputs, and 2). The overall time to exercise all elements in the circuit must not exceed 2/sup /spl omega//. We address both these requirements by inserting a small number of bypass storage cells in the circuit under test and constructing appropriate Linear Feedback Shift Registers (LFSRs) to serve as built-in test pattern generators. Our method is applicable to both the gate-level and the module-level and achieves low hardware overhead by using a new graph model for the representation of the circuit and a metric quantity that couples requirements 1 and 2 above. >
Partial colloid starch replacement for therapeutic plasma exchange.

Traditionally protein solutions have been used as the replacement solution of choice during therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). Treatment protocols vary, but neurology patients, who exhibit autonomic instability, are typically replaced entirely with 5% protein solution. Due to sporadic product shortages and the increasing cost of protein solutions, we evaluated the use of 6% and 3% hetastarch (HES) as partial replacement during TPE. All adult neurology patients with normal liver, heart, and kidney function were evaluated for HES replacement. The first seven patients (33 procedures) received 1000 ml of 6% hetastarch as part of their replacement fluid and the next 42 patients (289 procedures) received 1,000 ml of 3% HES as part of their replacement fluid. Three patients crossed over into both groups. Patients were evaluated for signs of peripheral edema, evidence of bleeding, skin rash, and any subjective changes. Total protein, albumin, osmolality, PT, and aPTT were measured prior to each procedure in the first five patients in each group. In both groups there was a drop in total protein, but all other lab values returned to normal limits within 48 hours of treatment. One patient reported slight peripheral edema after two procedures. In the 3% HES group the BP and P remained stable in 97.3% (280) procedures. Two patients receiving 6% HES and 1 patient receiving 3% HES complained of severe transient back and head pain during HES infusion. There was no evidence of bleeding or subjective changes. Three percent HES is a safe and cost-effective partial replacement for albumin during TPE.
Partial cross training in call centers with uncertain arrivals and global service level agreements

Inbound call center operations are challenging to manage; there is considerable uncertainty in estimates of arrival rates, and the operation is often subject to strict service level constraints. This paper is motivated by work with a provider of outsourced technical support services in which most projects (client specific support operations) include an inbound tier one help desk subject to a monthly service level agreement (SLA). Support services are highly specialized and a significant training investment is required, an investment that is not transferable to other projects. We investigate the option of cross training a subset of agents so that they may serve calls from two separate projects, a process we refer to as partial pooling. Our paper seeks to quantity the benefits of partial pooling and characterize the conditions under which pooling is most beneficial. We find that low levels of cross training yield significant benefit.
Immunotherapy of breast cancer: a review of the development of cell-specific therapy.

A brief history of immunotherapy for breast cancer is presented, with emphasis on how theories developed as the field of immunology became more sophisticated. Non-specific therapies, such as Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, levamisole, interferon, interleukin, and others are reviewed. A form of cell-specific immunotherapy is then presented, and some current results are summarized. Problems and proposals for the future development of immunotherapy for breast cancer are then presented.
A Review of Fracture Mechanics in Compact Bone

A review of the literature of the past twenty years on the measurements of fracture properties of compact bone, including measurements of critical stress intensity factors, critical strain energy release rates, measurements of “surface free energies” by impact tests, work of fracture tests and other methods, with an emphasis on the relation of fracture measurements to microstructure is presented. Recent results from the author’s laboratory on the relation of work of fracture measurements to specimen size and microstructure are presented.
In-home daily walking variability: A marker of mild cognitive impairment

Background: Increased cognitive andmotor test-to-test variability are associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Home-based, unobtrusive and continuous assessment of walking speed may provide a means of capturing early changes in the real-world trajectory of activity variance characterizing MCI. We examined whether long-term in-home assessment of walking speed and its variability can distinguish MCI from those who are cognitively intact.Methods: Participants enrolled in the Intelligent Systems for Assessing Aging Change (ISSAC) study, a longitudinal study of unobtrusive in-home technologies to detect cognitive and motor decline in independently living seniors, were defined as MCI or normal at baseline using neuropsychological test data and pre-defined algorithms. Walking speed was assessed using passive infra-red sensors fixed in series on the ceiling of the homes of seniors. The weekly median speed and coefficient of variation (CoV) were analyzed using latent trajectory and mixed effects models. Results:Data from 111 ISAAC subjects living alone (35 with MCI) was acquired for a mean of 271.9 6 175.2 days. Mean cohort age was 84.9 6 4.8 yrs. Latent trajectory models identified 3 and 4 distinct trajectories for median speed and CoV, respectively. MCI was not associated with any of the trajectory patterns of weekly median walking speed, but was more likely to be in the group where CoV was high at baseline and remained high over time (OR 1⁄4 7.0; p 1⁄4 0.03), as opposed to be in the group with lower CoVovertime. The mixed effects model controlling for age and gender confirmed these findings showing that MCI was associated with a high CoVof walking speed (p 1⁄4 0.02) that remained high over time (no interaction of time*MCI). Absolute walking speed over time (i.e., weekly median speed) or speed obtained during annual in-person assessments with a stopwatch over the same approximate two year period were not significantly different between the MCI and cognitively intact groups. Conclusions: Unobtrusive home-based assessment of variability in walking speed provides an indicator of individuals with MCI. These and other real-time measures of function may be used to detect transition phases representing presymptomatic or latent disease leading to dementia and to assess treatment outcomes overtime.
FTIR measurements of functional groups and organic mass in aerosol samples over the Caribbean

Abstract An aircraft-based aerosol concentrator consisting of three virtual impactors in series has been used to collect particles for Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) transmission spectroscopy on stretched Teflon filters. Submicron atmospheric aerosol samples were collected near St. Croix aboard the National Center for Atmospheric Research C-130 aircraft during the passing efficiency of a low-turbulence inlet project. FTIR identified sulfate, ammonium, silicate, and organic functional groups, and a four-solvent rinsing procedure separated these functional groups into fractions of increasing hygroscopicity. The Caribbean aerosols contained 0.01– 1.6 μg m −3 of Si, indicative of African mineral dust at all altitudes, with higher Al/Ca ratios in the boundary layer. Organic compounds were present in high and low dust conditions with estimated total organic mass varying from 0.8– 4 μg m −3 during the project. Aliphatic carbon and carbonyl carbon were quantified at concentrations of up to 4 and 0.8 μg m −3 , respectively, and were summed to calculate organic carbon and organic mass (OM) concentrations. Sequential solvent rinsing with repeated FTIR analysis revealed that 60–90% of OM in the free troposphere was hygroscopic, with hydrophobic organic compounds accounting for 20–50% of OM in the marine boundary layer.
Electrospinning Growth Factor Releasing Microspheres into Fibrous Scaffolds

This procedure describes a method to fabricate a multifaceted substrate to direct nerve cell growth. This system incorporates mechanical, topographical, adhesive and chemical signals. Mechanical properties are controlled by the type of material used to fabricate the electrospun fibers. In this protocol we use 30% methacrylated Hyaluronic Acid (HA), which has a tensile modulus of ~500 Pa, to produce a soft fibrous scaffold. Electrospinning on to a rotating mandrel produces aligned fibers to create a topographical cue. Adhesion is achieved by coating the scaffold with fibronectin. The primary challenge addressed herein is providing a chemical signal throughout the depth of the scaffold for extended periods. This procedure describes fabricating poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres that contain Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and directly impregnating the scaffold with these microspheres during the electrospinning process. Due to the harsh production environment, including high sheer forces and electrical charges, protein viability is measured after production. The system provides protein release for over 60 days and has been shown to promote primary nerve cell growth.
Isolated tricuspid valvular stenosis

Abstract The seventh case of isolated tricuspid valvular stenosis is reported. Despite the rarity of this lesion, a number of distinguishing clinical features warrant emphasis. The patient is generally a woman who has had a known heart murmur since childhood and who complains of fatigue, dyspnea and edema. Helpful physical signs include a prominent jugular venous a wave, left parasternal presystolic rumble with little if any mid-diastolic component, and generally no opening snap. Both the a wave and the rumble are accentuated during inspiration. Signs of pulmonary vascular congestion are absent, and both the electrocardiogram and the chest roentgenogram reveal only right atrial enlargement. Cardiac catheterization demonstrates a tricuspid diastolic mean gradient of 4 to 8 mm Hg and a valve area ranging from 0.8 to 1.5 cm 2 . The clinical course is variable. In some cases tricuspid valvulotomy or valvuloplasty has resulted in considerable improvement.
AGS-Booster orbit and resonance correction

A large tune-spread due to space charge and strong random eddy current sextupoles exists at injection in the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) Booster. As a result, particles in the beam may cross several imperfection resonances that can be caused by random magnet errors. The correction scheme proposed deals with four half-integer stopband resonances, four third-order sextupole induced resonances, and both the sum and difference linear coupling resonances. All of these resonances can have a chance to be swept through by the beam during injection, bunching, and the early stage of acceleration. A system of correctors involving skew quadrupoles, trim quadrupoles, and sextupoles is described with the capability of simultaneously correcting all the major resonances involved. Also, a closed-orbit correction scheme is described which requires, to be effective, a cascade of local three-magnet bumps. Several magnet imperfections and survey misalignment errors are investigated. Preliminary simulations show that the corrector strengths required for the quadrupole and skew quadrupole correctors are less than 1% of the main quadrupole strengths, and the strengths of the sextupole correctors are less than 2% of the main sextupole strengths. >
Mineralizable Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics in Corn-Soybean Rotations in Glaciated Derived Landscapes of Northern Indiana

The concerns about climate change have increased interest in understanding differences in soil carbon pools and availability. The objective of this study was to assess total Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and mineralizable SOC (Cmin) dynamics and spatial distribution as controlled by slope position, in glaciated northern Indiana. We collected 210 soil samples from the 0 to 25 cm surface layer along 10-point transects along a soil catena. Total SOC was determined by dry combustion and Cmin by incubation. The spatial distribution of total SOC followed patterns related to soil wetness. Overall, the depression areas stored between 50 and 141 Mg C ha−1 or between 50 and 68 % more total SOC when compared to the drier areas. After 28 days of incubation (Cmin), depressions released 1.2 Mg C ha−1, which was significantly more than the drier areas at 0.8 Mg ha−1. These differences indicate the potential of wetter areas, to store C if converted to C accruing management practices. The mean daily rate of C-CO2 evolved decreased exponentially during the first 28 days from 1.5 to 0.2 μg g−1 h−1. The management of these targeted areas can potentially increase soil C stock in arable lands and assist managers in developing systems that will sequester soil carbon.
Understanding the effects of exposure to humor expressing affiliative and aggressive motivations

Using humor, being funny, and having a good sense of humor are often reported as desirable qualities. However, little attention has been paid to possible differences in responses to humor reflecting affiliative as opposed to aggressive motivations. In evaluating a stranger, when examples of affiliative and aggressive humor were presented as the stranger’s preferred humor, aggressive humor led to more negative impressions (Study 1). To further explore the impact of humor reflecting affiliative versus aggressive motivations, participants were exposed to equally funny videotapes representing the two humor styles (Study 2). Women’s reported affective experiences varied across the humor styles, but men’s did not. Women and men rated the affiliative video as being more positive than negative, but no differences in the qualities were found for the aggressive video. Results across the two studies demonstrate the importance of considering not just the funniness of humor efforts, but also the social motives conveyed by the humor. Given the complexity of responses to humor, additional research is needed to better understand the contexts within which being funny might have social benefits versus social costs.
Needs and Usability Assessment of a New User Interface for Lower Extremity Medical Exoskeleton Robots

This paper presents an evaluation and recommendations for the improvement of the user interface (UI) of medical exoskeleton robots for people with mobility disorders. Existing UIs of currently available medical exoskeletons lack the flexibility to serve a diverse user group who require more customization. A UI prototype consisting of a glove with buttons attached on fingertips, and a display module for user feedback and/or instruction was developed and evaluated. For the evaluation of this UI prototype, multiple usability tests, guerrilla tests, interviews, and surveys were conducted with several crutch and manual wheelchair users. Finally, a set of final Glove UI design recommendations is illustrated based on the test subjects and interviewees' feedback; finger glove, two buttons, singleton walking method, and adjustable display position. A more thorough evaluation on this improved UI with more potential users of medical exoskeletons with various physical abilities remains as future work.
The Problem of Reading, Phenomenologically or Otherwise

In speaking about Eugene Kaelin’s speaking about Samuel Beckett’s speaking about and creating a world or worlds of human self-examination,1 we are too easily distracted from the difficulty of the undertaking and too easily persuaded of its presumption. Beckett’s fictions are peculiarly definite but indeterminately located, conveyed by a cadenced language that remembers older formalities in a contemporary voice, and focused, one cannot doubt, on the drama of human resolution and irresolution and doubt and confidence and reflexive questioning and answering and awareness of same. It is easy to say that Beckett is occupied in this sense in a notably pure and persistent way with the human condition — not necessarily with its essential condition if the existential theme cannot be thus reduced, but at least with indefinitely many strands of puzzling about purposing without puzzling about purposes. In this regard, Beckett baffles by being banal — banal, that is, not in the second-order sense. So saying, we are ourselves launched almost without deliberate effort into extending the critic’s labors. If it is true that Beckett’s oeuvre is thus absorbed, then it is reasonable to suppose that all competent speakers of the language are already suitably attuned to the family of selfinvestigative efforts that his central characters betray and display.
The Experimentation of Matrix for Product Emotion

Abstract This study dealt with emotional responses elicited by certain products, which helped to understand the attributes of the product leading to emotional responses. Emotional Design is a way of design that is using emotions generated by people as reference and measurement. Making good use of emotional design could let the user discover resonance in the interaction between user and product, which could help the product to be more attractive to users. This research proposes to apply qualitative research method to uncover the secrets of emotional bonds between users and products This study also offered an useful tool to examine the strength and weakness of a certain product from perspective of emotion, and the insights could help designers to refine the product to become emotional attractive, thus create better user experience and bigger opportunity for the product on the market in the future.
Causal reasoning mining approach to analog circuit verification

Functional errors in analog portion of mixed signal circuits become more severe and improvements in verification methods are increasingly important. Current verification methods fall into two categories, simulation-based verification and formal verification (Barke et al. [1]), focusing on verifying analog circuit function/performance. This paper proposes a novel approach verifying analog circuit design using causal reasoning. Causal reasoning is the inductive reasoning process to create a new design. The flow begins with mining the causal reasoning steps (design plan) that produced the circuit, including starting ideas, design step sequence, and their justifications (Jiao et al., 2015 [2]). Then, topological features corresponding to the starting ideas and design step sequence are verified individually by replacing the related devices with ideal behavior model. Performance is evaluated through Cadence Spectre simulation. Comparison with new circuit performance reveals incorrect functional issues and/or performance potentials for improvement. They are negative causes of certain starting ideas or design steps, which might have been omitted during the design process. The paper discusses three operational amplifier designs realized in 0.2-m CMOS technology to illustrate the verification approach.
Invasion situation of main pests at ships in Xiamen port in 2009-2011

Objective To understand pests infringement conditions at predominate ships in Xiamen port,several practicable suggestions for the future relation research are put forward and provide scientific basis for preventing and controlling vectors diseases by four pests transmission.Methods Using cage night law to monitor rodent density,mosquito lamp to monitor mosquito density,cage trap to monitor density of flies,boxes night to monitor cockroach density.Results The average positive rates of 4 vectors in 89 ships were 7.9%(rat),33.7%(cockroach),25.8%(mosquito) and 19.1%(fly) respectively.Conclusion The shipping companies establishes perfect health and safety system,completing protective facilities of vector biological,the rational use of insecticidal mouse proof equipments,effecting protection against vector biological.
Conflict, Peace and Social Development

This chapter discusses the global phenomenon of conflict contending that it undermines the social development efforts of governments, nonprofits and communities. Although violence is ubiquitous and has characterized the human condition since ancient times, it has been accompanied by organized efforts to promote peace. These efforts accelerated during the nineteenth century when the first peace movements emerged and the writings of scholarly advocates of peace became more widely known. Since then, the struggle for peace has continued and it has been accompanied by systematic social science research that has gathered extensive empirical data and provided a theoretical basis for understanding peace and conflict. This research has also facilitated various proposals for how governments and other organizations can promote peace not only among states but among people everywhere. To fight institutionalized violence, it calls for social development scholars and practitioners to contribute to peace building in practical ways that are compatible with their expertise and professional experience.
Cutting Edge: Helicobacter pylori Induces Nuclear Hypersegmentation and Subtype Differentiation of Human Neutrophils In Vitro

Helicobacter pylori infects the human stomach and causes a spectrum of disease that includes gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric adenocarcinoma. A chronic, neutrophil-rich inflammatory response characterizes this infection. It is established that H. pylori stimulates neutrophil chemotaxis and a robust respiratory burst, but other aspects of this interaction are incompletely defined. We demonstrate here that H. pylori induces N1-like subtype differentiation of human neutrophils as indicated by profound nuclear hypersegmentation, a CD62Ldim, CD16bright, CD11bbright, CD66bbright, CD63bright surface phenotype, proinflammatory cytokine secretion, and cytotoxicity. Hypersegmentation requires direct neutrophil-H. pylori contact as well as transcription and both host and bacterial protein synthesis, but not urease, NapA, VacA, CagA, or CagT. The concept of neutrophil plasticity is new and, to our knowledge, these data are the first evidence that neutrophils can undergo subtype differentiation in vitro in response to bacterial pathogen infection. We hypothesize that these changes favor H. pylori persistence and disease.
Japanese TNC–SME Linkages Through Industrial Subcontracting

The key issues in the industrialisation of developing countries faced with a globalising economy increasingly concern new directions for development, such as partnerships, linkages, networks, and stakeholder participation. United Nations organisations, for example, are seeking further collaboration with private sector and non-governmental organisations. Renewed attention is being given to the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI), which could most effectively enhance the technology and human resources of recipient countries. United Nations (CCPOQ/DESA, 1999) pointed out that the new emphasis on FDI coincided with current advocacy on behalf of ‘capacity building’ as a development strategy throughout the international community.
An International Framework of Children's Rights

It is widely perceived that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Committee established to monitor the Convention's national implementations are key parts of globally supported norms and processes. The Committee has established procedures that national governments are expected to follow as they enforce the Convention. Rather than accept this vision prima facie, this review critically asks whether the world society surrounding children's rights is organized to ensure that these rights are limited in scope and effectiveness.
Spintronic logic: from switching devices to computing systems

Though numerous spintronic switching devices have been proposed or demonstrated, there has been significant difficulty in translating these advances into practical computing systems. The challenge of cascading has impeded the integration of multiple devices into a logic family, and several proposed solutions potentially overcome these challenges. Here, the cascading techniques by which the output of each spintronic device can drive the input of another device are described for several logic families, including spin-diode logic (in particular, all-carbon spin logic), complementary magnetic tunnel junction logic (CMAT), and emitter-coupled spin-transistor logic (ECSTL).
Discrete field stability analysis of ribbed plates

A discrete field analysis is used to derive formulas from which the elastic buckling behavior of ribbed-plate structures can be determined. The analysis includes complete interaction between plate and ribs, consideration of both membrane and flexural plate action, and flexible beam boundary rib supports on two opposite sides. A relatively simple transcendental equation is developed which can be numerically solved for critical buckling loads. The form and complexity of this equation is independent of the number of ribs in the system. Results show effects of various parameters on ribbed-plate stability.
Task-oriented grasping with semantic and geometric scene understanding

We present a task-oriented grasp model, that encodes grasps that are configurationally compatible with a given task. For instance, if the task is to pour liquid from a container, the model encodes grasps that leave the opening of the container unobstructed. The model consists of two independent agents: First, a geometric grasp model that computes, from a depth image, a distribution of 6D grasp poses for which the shape of the gripper matches the shape of the underlying surface. The model relies on a dictionary of geometric object parts annotated with workable gripper poses and preshape parameters. It is learned from experience via kinesthetic teaching. The second agent is a CNN-based semantic model that identifies grasp-suitable regions in a depth image: regions where a grasp will not impede the execution of the task. The semantic model allows us to encode relationships such as “grasp from the handle.” A key element of this work is to use a deep network to integrate contextual task cues, and defer the structured-output problem of gripper pose computation to an explicit (learned) geometric model. Jointly, these two models generate grasps that are mechanically fit, and that grip on the object in a way that enables the intended task.
Food and Class

The act of eating, while simply defined as the consumption of food, has many social and cultural factors tied to it. These factors include how societies define what is edible or not and by whom, how and when to eat, and how the foods are acquired, among other things. Therefore, while eating is an everyday action necessary for survival, it requires a multidisciplinary approach for its understanding. This entry explores the relationship between food, eating, and class. Social class refers to the hierarchical organization of individuals in a particular society. It may refer to a caste system based on family social standing, but most commonly, nowadays, class is determined by the amount of wealth and income one possesses. The topic at hand can be tied to different social dimensions depending on the context it is being addressed. Following the emphasis of this encyclopedia, the entry will focus on developed or resource-rich countries. In such context, the understanding of food and class is increasingly more essential to address health disparities in chronic, diet-related diseases which increasingly affect the poor disproportionately. In addressing this issue, the following entry will begin with an overview of key concepts associated with the study of food and class, followed by an overview of current issues associated with the topic. The study of food and class can be addressed through disciplines such as nutrition, economics, history, sociology, and anthropology, to name a few. Through these disciples, various concepts emerge that are important in understanding the issue at hand. This entry will begin by addressing the key concepts of social class, eating, and taste. After the expansion of these key concepts, the entry will discuss the current issues associated and affected by the study of food and class.
Comparison of Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels to Simultaneously Obtained Right Heart Hemodynamics in Stable Outpatients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease that requires validated biomarkers of disease severity. While PAH is defined hemodynamically by right heart catheterization (RHC), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is recommended by guidelines to assess disease status. Retrospectively collected data in 138 group 1 PAH patients were examined for the correlation of BNP levels to simultaneously obtained right heart catheterization (RHC). Patients were mostly Caucasian women, with functional class III symptoms, mean BNP of 406 ± 443 pg/mL, and an average right atrial pressure (RAP) of 9.9 ± 5.7 mm Hg and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of 47.3 ± 14.7 mm Hg. Significant correlation was demonstrated between BNP and RAP (p = 0.021) and mPAP (p = 0.003). Additional correlation was seen with right heart size on echocardiography: right atrial (RAE; p = 0.04) and right ventricular enlargement (p = 0.03). An increased BNP level was an independent predictor of mortality (p < 0.0001), along with RAP (p = 0.039) and RAE (p = 0.018). Simultaneous collection of BNP at the time of RHC confirmed the correlation of BNP with right heart hemodynamics. The current results reinforce the use of BNP level as a continuous variable to assess disease severity in group 1 PAH.
Les rentes et leurs conséquences en matière de gouvernance des entreprises

Product markets are weaker in some nations than they are in oth- ers. Weaker product markets, and the concomitant monopoly rents, can af- fect corporate governance. They can do so directly by loosening a co n- straint on managers, thereby increas- ing managerial agency costs to share- holders. The monopoly profits can also affect corporate governance structures indirectly by setting up a fertile field for conflict inside the firm as the corporate players seek to grab those monopoly profits for them- selves. One would expect corporate governance structures, laws, and practices to differ in nations with mo- nopoly-induced high agency costs from those prevailing in nations with more competition, fewer monopolies, and lower agency costs. And we might speculate that these rents when large and widespread could affect democratic politics and law-making.
MUSE: Minimum Uncertainty and Sample Elimination Based Binary Feature Selection

This paper presents a novel incremental feature selection method based on minimum uncertainty and feature sample elimination (referred as MUSE). Feature selection is an important step in machine learning. In an incremental feature selection approach, past approaches have attempted to increase class relevance while simultaneously minimizing redundancy with previously selected features. One example of such an approach is the feature selection method of minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR). The proposed approach differs from prior mRMR approach in how the redundancy of the current feature with previously selected features is reduced. In the proposed approach, the feature samples are divided into a pre-specified number of bins; this step is referred to as feature quantization. A novel uncertainty score for each feature is computed by summing the conditional entropies of the bins, and the feature with the lowest uncertainty score is selected. For each bin, its impurity is computed by taking the minimum of the probability of Class 1 and of Class 2. The feature samples corresponding to the bins with impurities below a threshold are discarded and are not used for selection of the subsequent features. The significance of the MUSE feature selection method is demonstrated using the two datasets: arrhythmia and hand digit recognition (Gisette), and datasets for seizure prediction from five dogs and two humans. It is shown that the proposed method outperforms the prior mRMR feature selection method for most cases. For the arrhythmia dataset, the proposed method achieves 30 percent higher sensitivity at the expense of 7 percent loss of specificity. For the Gisette dataset, the proposed method achieves 15 percent higher accuracy for Class 2, at the expense of 3 percent lower accuracy for Class 1. With respect to seizure prediction among 5 dogs and 2 humans, the proposed method achieves higher area-under-curve (AUC) for all subjects.
The prognostic significance of PSA as an indicator of age standardized relative survival: An analysis of the SEER database 2004-2014.

e18768Background: With unbridled use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, prostate cancer (CA) is commonly diagnosed as localized disease with serum PSA values > 10 ng/mL. Historically tou...
Extreme ultrafast pulsation in Tm/Ho mode-locked linear cavity fiber lasers

In a Tm/Ho-doped ultrafast linear cavity fiber laser, extreme optical pulsation is demonstrated. Single-pulsing behavior at the fundamental repetition rate is maintained while the level of chaotic pulsation is adjusted by an intracavity polarization controller.
In vitro and in vivo hemocompatibility assessment of ultrathin sulfobetaine polymer coatings for silicon-based implants.

Highly uniform silicon nanopore membranes were developed for applications in implantable bioartificial organs. A robust, readily scalable, non-fouling surface coating is required to enhance silicon...
An Assessment of the IMF’s Unemployment Forecasts

This paper assesses the performance of the IMF’s unemployment forecasts for 84 countries, both advanced and emerging market economies, between 1990 and 2015. The forecasts are reported in the World Economic Outlook, a leading IMF publication. The forecasts display a small amount of bias—they tend to predict lower unemployment outcomes than occur—which arises because the forecasters fail to predict accurately the sharp increase in unemployment during downturns. Forecasts are characterized by inefficiency (errors of the past are repeated in the present) and rigidity (forecast revisions are serially correlated). There is little to choose between IMF and Consensus Forecasts, a source of private sector forecasts, for the small subset of 12 countries for which both sets of forecasts are available.
Electromyographic Assessment of a Shoulder Support Exoskeleton During on-Site Job Tasks

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSWe performed an ergonomic assessment of a passive upper body exoskeleton at on-site job tasks, using surface electromyography (EMG) to quantify muscular demands at the shou...
Cancer treatment is associated with a measurable decrease in live births in a large, population-based study

Objective To define the live birth rates in a large, population-based study of the most common reproductive-age cancers in women. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Population-based study. Patients Female cancer patients diagnosed with cancer at age 18 years old or older between 1952–2014 (n = 17,952) were compared to fertility of non-cancer controls (n = 89,436). Interventions Live births in cancer survivors were compared with those in healthy, age-matched controls. Cases and controls were matched in the ratio of 5:1 for birth year, birthplace (Utah, yes/no), and follow-up time in Utah. Main Outcome Measure Rate of at least one live birth, reported as an incidence rate ratio (IRR). Results Of all cancer survivors, 3,127 (17.4%) had at least 1 live birth after treatment in comparison to 19,405 healthy, age-matched controls (21.7%) with the same amount of time exposure for attempting pregnancy. Breast cancer was the most common cancer type (23.1% of patients in cohort). Compared with age-matched, healthy controls, IRR of live birth was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67–0.70) for all cancer types, 0.25 (95% CI, 0.20–0.33) for leukemia, 0.40 (95% CI, 0.28–0.59) for gastrointestinal cancers, 0.44 (95% CI, 0.41–0.48) for breast cancer, 0.53 (95% CI, 0.47–0.59) for central nervous system cancers, and 0.57 (95% CI, 0.44–0.73) for soft tissue cancers. With all cancer types stratified by age at diagnosis, IRR for live births in cancer survivors aged >41 years at diagnosis was 0.48 (95% CI, 0.44–0.52); IRR was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.61–0.67) in the group aged 31–40 years and 0.71 (95% CI, 0.69–0.74) in the group aged 18–30 years after their cancer treatment. Conclusions Cancer and its treatment were associated with lower live birth rates when comparing women with cancer vs. age-matched, healthy controls.
Comparison of mineral oil and non-mineral oil placebo on coronary plaque progression by coronary computed tomography angiography.

Light liquid paraffin (pharmaceutical grade mineral oil) has been used as a placebo in clinical trials of icosapent ethyl including MARINE, ANCHOR, and REDUCE-IT. Pharmaceutical grade mineral oil (distinct from technical/industrial or food grade mineral oils) was chosen as a suitable placebo to mimic the consistency, colour, and odourless properties of icosapent ethyl capsules. Since the results of REDUCE-IT, a few have raised questions regarding possible biological activity of mineral oil placebo due to small changes in some cardiac biomarkers including lipid levels and inflammatory markers in placebo arm patients, asking whether the mineral oil utilized in placebo capsules was physiologically inert or not.1 Mineral oil has been utilized in humans as a laxative for decades (typically in doses of 15–45 g/day), and the general safety has been inferred from clinical utilization. The ∼2 g twice per day of light liquid mineral oil taken by placebo group patients in clinical trials equates to less than a teaspoon per day. EVAPORATE is an ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled trial that evaluates the effect of icosapent ethyl 4 g daily in statin-treated patients with elevated triglycerides on coronary plaque progression by coronary computed tomography angiography (coronary CTA) compared with mineral oil placebo to provide important imaging-derived mechanistic information that can add insight to clinical outcomes from REDUCE-IT.2 Coronary plaque volumes, including total plaque and total non-calcified plaque derived by coronary CTA, have been measured and are known to be associated with myocardial ischaemia and adverse cardiac outcomes.3–5 In the present observational study, we sought to compare differences in progression of total plaque and total non-calcified plaque volumes on coronary CTA in mineral oil placebo patients from EVAPORATE vs. the non-mineral oil placebo arm from another randomized clinical trial, Garlic 5.6 We hypothesized that progression of total plaque and total non-calcified plaque volumes on coronary CTA is independent of consumption of mineral oil placebo capsules.
Extending Postcolonial Sovereignty Games: The Multilevel Negotiation of Autonomy and Integration in the 2010 Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles and Dutch Kingdom Relations

This paper analyzes ‘post-colonial sovereignty games’ by focusing on the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles within the context of the Netherlands and its Caribbean dependent territories. The K...
Enticing the Maoist Guerrilla – India’s Coin Strategy and Evolving Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy

Debates about the utility of different COIN models in the Indian scenario continue to evoke extreme reactions. Experts believe that Indian COIN efforts have invariably preferred trading “hearts and minds” approach with highly kinetic enemy centric tactics. It is argued that Indian security leadership feels that an enemy centric approach is best suited for Maoist insurgency, where the fear of population seceding from India is remote. India is blamed for not having a focused or a formal COIN strategy against the Maoist insurgency. It is only in the last decade that individual states have begun to harmonize their COIN responses with one another and with the Government of India (GoI) policies. A national surrender and rehabilitation policy were formulated in 2014; considered to be an important component of the new approach. Following federal guidelines, states have formulated their surrender policies. It may be myopic to assess these policies in isolation and these need to be evaluated in whole as a part of comprehensive COIN approach. The verdict till now is a mixed bag, while some states have tasted success with the scrupulous implementation of the new surrender policies, others have resorted to sham surrenders to shore up the numbers. Policies like surrender and rehabilitation can give a representative sense to the rebels that the government cares for them if they(rebels) are willing to shun the violent path. Proper implementation and timely disbursal of benefits add to the credibility of the policy and the government too. The multi-pronged approach of sustained military pressure, robust economic development program and a sensitive surrender cum rehabilitation policy stand to deliver favourable results in India’s fight against Maoist insurgency.