cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Covariance recovery from a square root information matrix for data association

Data association is one of the core problems of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), and it requires knowledge about the uncertainties of the estimation problem in the form of marginal covariances. However, it is often difficult to access these quantities without calculating the full and dense covariance matrix, which is prohibitively expensive. We present a dynamic programming algorithm for efficient recovery of the marginal covariances needed for data association. As input we use a square root information matrix as maintained by our incremental smoothing and mapping (iSAM) algorithm. The contributions beyond our previous work are an improved algorithm for recovering the marginal covariances and a more thorough treatment of data association, now including the joint compatibility branch and bound (JCBB) algorithm. We further show how to make information theoretic decisions about measurements before actually taking the measurement, therefore allowing a reduction in estimation complexity by omitting uninformative measurements. We evaluate our work on simulated and real-world data.
A liposome-based nanodevice for sequestering siderophore-bound Fe

Nanometer-scale engineered liposomes provide a powerful platform for developing chemical sensors of trace metals in marine systems. We present here preliminary findings on liposome-based nanodevices designed to sequester iron that is complexed by the siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFB). Previous work shows that iron availability to eukaryotic phytoplankton can vary inversely with DFB additions, so quantifying DFB-Fe concentrations might provide key insights to the scenario of iron nutrition facing these organisms. The liposome-based devices are selective for DFB-Fe and form chemically and coagulation stable suspensions in synthetic buffers and full seawater for at least several weeks. Iron uptake was measured when the ionophore carrier molecule lasalocid was incorporated into the liposome membranes, although uptake efficiencies decreased with increasing seawater salt concentrations. Liposome devices fabricated from only natural phosphatidyl choline proved to be fragile but incorporating polymerizable diacetylene phospholipids increased their robustness markedly. These preliminary findings serve as a foundation for developing self-reporting iron acquisition devices that, in turn, could be calibrated to provide analytical measures of Fe availability in seawater.
Theoretical aspects of light meson spectroscopy

In this pedagogical review we discuss the theoretical understanding of light hadron spectroscopy in terms of QCD and the quark model. We begin with a summary of the known and surmised properties of QCD and confinement. Following this we review the nonrelativistic quark potential model for qq mesons and discuss the quarkonium spectrum and methods for identifying qq states. Finally we review theoretical expectations for non-qq states (glueballs, hybrids and multiquark systems) and the status of experimental candidates for these states.
Trust as a Mediator Between Affection and Relational Maintenance in the Grandparent- Grandchild Relationship

The purpose of this study was to test a mediated model of affection, trust, and relational maintenance behaviors in the grandparent-grandchild relationship. The participants (N = 227) were young adult (i.e., 18–25 years old) grandchildren who completed a series of instruments in reference to their relationship with a specific grandparent. The results of Pearson correlation and regression analyses provided support for the hypothesized positive relationships among grandchildren's received affection from their grandparents, grandchildren's trust in their grandparents, and grandchildren's use of relational maintenance behaviors with their grandparents. Moreover, nonparametric bootstrap analyses indicated that trust is, in most cases, a partial mediator between grandchildren's received affection from their grandparents and grandchildren's use of relational maintenance behaviors with their grandparents. These findings bolster the argument that trust is a central feature of interpersonal relationships.
The far-field of a spherical array of point dipoles

In this paper, the far-field of a spherical array of point dipoles is related to the array currents in an elegant manner by invoking the properties of the associated Legendre functions. The inverse problem, viz., determining the array currents from the far-field data is solved in a recursive manner thereby precluding the need for a matrix inversion. >
Androgenic regulation of gap junctions between motoneurons in the rat spinal cord

Gap junctional plaques were found between androgen-sensitive motoneurons of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB), using thin-section and freeze-fracture techniques. The somata and proximal dendrites of SNB motoneurons were studied after retrograde labeling with cholera toxin conjugated to HRP. Of the gap junctions observed, 45% were somatodendritic, 35% were dendrodendritic, and 20% were somatosomatic. The removal of testosterone by castration dramatically reduced the number and diameter of the junctional plaques, and these changes were prevented by testosterone treatment. The results are the first demonstration of hormonal regulation of morphologically identified gap junctions in the CNS. The occurrence and hormonal dependence of gap junctional plaques between motoneurons of the lumbar spinal cord indicate that androgens regulate the degree of coupling between these cells, which may allow for the synchronization and amplification of the electrical activity in the nucleus.
Hydration and percolation at the setting point

Abstract The setting of cement paste is widely understood to be caused by percolation of the links that are created by overlap of hydration products on the surfaces of reacting grains of clinker. Percolation theory predicts that the elastic modulus will increase with a certain functional form, but few attempts have been made to demonstrate this behavior quantitatively. We discuss the appropriate variables to use for this test of the theory, and show that the percolation probability is proportional to time only over a narrow time interval. We compare the measured and predicted degree of hydration at the percolation threshold, and show that the hard-core/soft-shell model strongly over-estimates the amount of hydration at the setting point. The discrepancy is attributed to agglomeration of particles in the paste, which reduces the amount of hydration needed to link the particles into an elastic network.
Pharmacy resident publication success: Factors of success based on abstracts from a regional meeting

Abstract Objective To determine the publication rate among pharmacy resident research projects in a region of the United States and to compare characteristics of published and unpublished projects. Methods Research project abstracts from the Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Conference in 2003, 2005, and 2007 were reviewed. Two independent investigators collected all study data. Data on residency year, state, institution, study design, and whether results were reported were extracted from available abstracts. Publication rate was determined systematically using a search algorithm within the following databases: Scopus, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), and MEDLINE (PubMed). Kappa-statistic was used to determine inter-rater variability. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze nominal and continuous data. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to determine characteristics of publication success. Sensitivity analysis was performed on projects that were successfully published. Results Information was extracted from 655 abstracts in which 76 abstracts were published (11.4%). Publication rate trended down over the three years analyzed (2003 = 12.9%, 2005=12.2%, 2007=9.9%; p = 0.57). Study design (interventional, observational, cross-sectional, or service development, p = 0.115), direction of inquiry (prospective or retrospective; p = 0.146), intervention of interest (drug, human, or other; p = 0.096), results in abstract ( p = 0.096), and institution type (university-affiliated, veterans affairs, community-hospital, or retail; p = 0.001) were entered into the multivariate model. Cross-sectional design [odds ratio (OR) = 3.6], human (OR = 1.9) and other (OR = 2.1) interventions, as well as university-affiliated residency (OR = 2.6) remained significant for publication success. The mean time to publication from abstract to presentation was 24.5 months, and 83% of projects were published within pharmacy journals. Conclusion Publication rate of pharmacy resident research projects presented at the Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Conference is low, but it is consistent with other regions of the United States. Study design and study outcomes may influence chance of project publication as well as institution-type, which may have unique research resources, training, and mentorship.
Calibration methods for division-of-focal-plane polarimeters

Division-of-focal plane (DoFP) imaging polarimeters are useful instruments for measuring polarization information for a variety of applications. Recent advances in nanofabrication have enabled the practical manufacture of DoFP sensors for the visible spectrum. These sensors are made by integrating nanowire polarization filters directly with an imaging array, and size variations of the nanowires due to fabrication can cause the optical properties of the filters to vary up to 20% across the imaging array. If left unchecked, these variations introduce significant errors when reconstructing the polarization image. Calibration methods offer a means to correct these errors. This work evaluates a scalar and matrix calibration derived from a mathematical model of the polarimeter behavior. The methods are evaluated quantitatively with an existing DoFP polarimeter under varying illumination intensity and angle of linear polarization.
Women in Age-Discrepant Marriages:

This research seeks to identify salient sociodemographic correlates of women's likelihood of marrying outside the normative age patterns. The data were drawn from the Public Use Sample of the 1980 Census. Logistic regression analyses show that Black women are significantly more likely than White women to be in age-heterogamous marriages. Marital history appears to be the strongest predictor of age-discrepant marriages - remarried subjects exhibit the highest probability of entering such unions. The analysis also suggests that wives who are heterogamous on other dimensions vis-a-vis their husbands are also more likely to be in age-heterogamous marriages.
Extreme Values of Queue Lengths in M/G/1 and GI/M/1 Systems

We study the limiting behavior of maximum queue lengths in the M/G/1 and GI/M/1 service systems. When the systems are positive recurrent, the distributions of their maximum queue lengths, under standard linear normalizations, either do not converge or they converge to degenerate limits. Consequently, one cannot use classical extreme value theory to characterize their limiting behavior. We show, however, that by varying the system parameters in a certain way as the time interval grows, these maxima do indeed have three possible limit distributions. Two of them are classical extreme value distributions and the third one is a new distribution. The latter distribution is the best one for practical approximations.
Faster multiple emulsification with drop splitting

Microfluidic devices can form emulsions in which the drops have an intricate, controlled structure; however, a challenge is that the droplets are produced slowly, typically only a few millilitres per hour. Here, we present a simple technique to increase the production rate. Using a large drop maker, we produce large drops at a fast volumetric rate; by splitting these drops several times in a splitting array, we create drops of the desired small size. The advantage of this over forming the small drops directly using a small drop maker is that the drops can be formed at much faster rates. This can be applied to the production of single and multiple emulsions.
Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis in a university medical center ophthalmology clinic; need for re-evaluation of the design and disinfection of instruments.

During the period from early December 1987 to late January 1988, an outbreak of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKG) caused by adenovirus type 8 occurred at a university medical center eye clinic. A telephone survey of patients revealed an attack rate of 17% among patients seen during the epidemic period. A case-control study demonstrated that development of EKC was associated with exposure to pneumotonometry and to three caregivers. After controlling for exposure to pneumo-tonometry, however, only exposure to one caregiver was significantly associated with risk of the disease. On January 19, 1988, after recognition of the outbreak, the eye clinic instituted additional infection control measures. A survey of patients seen the following week showed a substantial decrease in the attack rate (1.9%). Before these control measures were implemented, clinic personnel had followed the manufacturer's recommendations and disinfected pneumotonometer tips with 70% isopropyl alcohol, fearing that other disinfectants would corrode the instrument metal. Isopropyl alcohol, shown to have limited activity against adenovirus in vitro, also was being used to “disinfect” pneumotonometer tips between uses at six other area eye clinics polled by telephone. The results of this study demonstrate the need for changes in the design and manufacture of equipment used in the eye clinic.
Geriatric nursing home falls: A single institution cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury in geriatric patients. Nursing home falls occur at twice the rate of community falls, yet few studies have compared these groups. We hypothesized that nursing home residents admitted for fall would be sicker than their community counterparts on presentation and have worse outcomes. Methods Records of 1708 patients, age 65 years and older with a documented nursing home status, admitted to our center between 2008 and 2012 were reviewed. Clinical data including injury severity score (ISS), admission Glasgow coma scale (GCS), in-hospital complications, length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality were collected. Continuous data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney tests and categorical data using Fisher exact tests. Variables in the univariate tests were analyzed in a multivariate logistic regression. Results Nursing home patients were older than community patients, presented with lower GCS, lower hemoglobin, higher international normalized ratio (INR) and a higher percentage of patients with body mass index (BMI) Conclusions In comparison to their community counterparts, nursing home patients presenting after fall are more debilitated and have increased morbidity as evidenced by more in-house complications and increased LOS. However, nursing home residency was not a significant predictor of mortality.
India's new globalization strategy and its consequences for urban development: the impact of the 2010 Commonwealth Games on Delhi's transport system

Developing nations increasingly seek mega-events in the pursuit of globalization. India has recently renewed such aspirations by hosting the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010. The purpose of the paper is to assess Delhi's urban transport development through a sporting mega-event as a globalization strategy for a developing country. Therefore, the authors comparatively analyse the transport plans pre-bid (2003) and transport legacies (2013). The authors argue that the alignment of the mega-event needs with Delhi's urban master plan was partially fulfilled as many infrastructural projects were catalysed. However, the Games also compelled the city to invest in developments that were required for the successful delivery of the Games. This paper contributes to the discussion on how mega-events influence urban planning and points out significant challenges and opportunities developing cities face when preparing for a sporting mega-event.
The Relaxin Insulin-Like Motif in Protein Structures

At least one of the authors is old enough to remember how puzzled protein chemists were to see a distinct insulin structure in lieu of any of a other possible cross-link isomers. At that time students would also think about such problems and one of them actually presented a hypothesis concerning this phenomenon plus experiments as a research proposal to his examination committee. This was several years before Steiner and his colleagues discovered a single-chain proinsulin.1 The student’s rationale was that a monomolecular reaction (single chain) is always faster than a bimolecular one and that the folding of the single chain could force the disulfide bonds always into the same parallel direction as they are found in insulin and relaxin (which was not known at that time). This proposal hit the examining committee like Jason’s stone hit the dragon man. They were fighting among each other until they realized about an hour later that the candidate was off the hook. Diffusion-controlled folding of a single chain molecule was many orders of magnitude faster (1011 per second) than the actual process of protein synthesis which occurs at a rate of approximately one or two residues per minute in mammalian cells and up to 4 residues per second in prokaryotes. In either case a growing chain can sample all possible energy conformations in the time it takes to add another residue and can select momentarily the lowest energy valley at any stage of chain growth. This means that the product may not necessarily be in the lowest cumulative energy valley at the end of the folding process which becomes apparent as the molecule rearranges itself slightly after connecting peptides are split from the chain. The physical chemist on the committee suggested that this idea be published in one of the highly visible journals but the thesis advisor, a great person in every respect, had grown up with the standards of the Lutherans in Lake Wobegone, i.e., “publishing ideas is immodest; stick to experiments.” In retrospect this is a peculiar attitude since science is primarily about ideas.
An Approach to Take Multi-Word Expressions

This research discusses preliminary efforts to expand the coverage of the PropBank lexicon to multi-word and idiomatic expressions, such as take one for the team. Given overwhelming numbers of such expressions, an efficient way for increasing coverage is needed. This research discusses an approach to adding multiword expressions to the PropBank lexicon in an effective yet semantically rich fashion. The pilot discussed here uses double annotation of take multi-word expressions, where annotations provide information on the best strategy for adding the multi-word expression to the lexicon. This work represents an important step for enriching the semantic information included in the PropBank corpus, which is a valuable and comprehensive resource for the field of Natural Language Processing.
Feature selection with applications to text classification

Application of a feature selection algorithm to a textual data set can improve the performance of some classifiers. Due to the characteristics, specifically the size, of textual data sets researchers have traditionally relied on a family of simple heuristics to perform feature selection. These heuristics, which in practice are quite effective, use functions of individual feature statistics, that we refer to as feature ranking functions, to order the feature set. We are interested in identifying the most effective feature ranking functions. To do this we begin by defining a feature set evaluation methodology. Traditionally the performance of feature selection algorithms has been measured by comparing the performance of classification algorithms before and after feature selection. Instead, we measure various criteria of the selected feature set itself, including measures of separation, noise, size, and robustness. We demonstrate that many of these criteria are competing, and show how the tools of multicriteria optimization can be employed to rank the performance of feature selection algorithms. Using this methodology we evaluate the performance of a large set of feature ranking functions, including a function that measures the rareness of a feature assuming that relevant and irrelevant documents are generated by two independent stochastic processes. Motivated by the results, we identify the defining characteristics of the functions that are most successful, noting that many of these can be written as ratios of measures of separation to measures of noise. Next we introduce a set of axioms which we believe that feature ranking functions should satisfy, and study the set of these functions that can be represented as a linear combination of some finite set of basis functions. We demonstrate that many of the functions or approximations to the functions that we studied are members of this set. Next consider the set of coefficient vectors of this set and show that it is convex, bounded, and not empty. We conclude by investigating the performance of other approaches to feature selection including greedy and ensemble algorithms that use feature ranking functions.
A critique of Koh’s (2014) ‘Doing class analysis in Singapore’s elite education’

ABSTRACTAaron Koh contributed to a collection of multi-site global ethnographic articles published here (2014, Vol. 12, No. 2) that present class reproduction as operationalised in elite education. While the collection adds to the current international critique of meritocracy, a close look at Koh's contribution reveals that critical ethnography can lose its representational and persuasive power if muddled by theoretical and methodological haziness and if it fails to forefront participants' voices. This response is meant to encourage Koh to re-present his data and position so as to sure up his comment on this important issue.
Lower Gut Contents of Broiler Chickens Withdrawn from Feed and Held in Cages

Abstract The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of feed withdrawal on the amount and condition of lower gut contents in broiler chickens. A total of 168 birds was used; there were seven treatments of feed withdrawal before slaughter. Data were combined into the following periods (hours of withdrawal) for statistical analysis: Period 1 = 0 and 4 h; Period 2 = 8 and 12 h; and Period 3 = 16, 20, and 24 h. Birds were killed by ether inhalation. Results indicated an increased production of excreta DM and greater loss of BW for birds subjected to the longer periods of withdrawal. The amounts of gross contents in the small intestine, ceca, colon, and cloaca were greater for Period 1 than for Periods 2 and 3. Percentages of moisture in the contents of these segments differed, as follows: in the small intestine, no differences were detected among periods; in the colon and cloaca, moisture content was lower for Period 1 than for Period 3, and no difference was detected between Periods 2 and 3; in the ceca, moisture content was higher for Period 1 than for Period 3, but, again, no difference was detected between Periods 2 and 3. Cecal material was observed in the colon only 15 times, and the numbers in each period were about equal. Ether inhalation almost entirely eliminated peri-mortem excretion. In conclusion, the scheduling of feed withdrawal to occur within Period 2 (withdrawal 8 and 12 h before slaughter) seemed adequate for minimizing the potential of fecal contamination during preslaughter handling.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Primers for Amplifying and Sequencing Nuclear 18S rDNA from Lichenized Fungi

(1992). Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Primers for Amplifying and Sequencing Nuclear 18S rDNA from Lichenized Fungi. Mycologia: Vol. 84, No. 4, pp. 589-592.
Petrology of the regional sillimanite zone, west-central New Hampshire, U.S.A., with implications for the development of inverted isograds

ABSTRAcr Sillimanite from the regional sillimanite zone in west-central New Hampshire is fibrolitic and overprints F2 folds (nappe stage) of earlier mica foliation. Regional sillimanite zone samples show no evidence for earlier staurolite parageneses, despite the fact that staurolite is abundant at lower grade, because sillimanite was produced directly from garnet + chlorite by the prograde (heating) reaction garnet + chlorite + muscovite + quartz = sillimanite + biotite + H20. The pressure at which this reaction occurs is sensitive to the MnO and CaO contents of garnet, and phase-equilibrium arguments reveal that at the regional pressures of west-central New Hampshire (2-4 kbar), staurolite parageneses are only possible in rocks with low MnO + CaO. The inferred P- T path is counterclockwise with nearly isobaric initial heating at 2 kbar, followed by loading (:t heating) to a peak metamorphic temperature of 600 :t 25 "C at 4 kbar, followed by nearly isobaric cooling. Garnets were compositionally homogenized near the metamorphic peak, but subsequent cooling was rapid (> 100 °C/m.y.). These data argue against the folded isotherm model of Chamberlain (1986). Instead, the present distribution of metamorphic grades is interpreted to be the result of regional stacking of high-grade thrust sheets on lower grade rocks, followed by depression of high-grade rocks to lower structural levels.
Radical Prostatectomy for Carcinoma of the Prostate: 1951–1976. A Review of 329 Patients

AbstractSurgical therapy for early adenocarcinoma of the prostate has been an effective mode of cure since it was described by Young in 1905. The retropubic and perinea! approaches of radical prostatectomy have been used at our hospitals for 25 years. Herein we examine 329 cases at the 2 hospitals. Although there were only 2 deaths (0.61 per cent) immediately attributable to the operation the surgical morbidity was significant. Patients of the attending staff had a 46 per cent complication rate while that of patients of the resident staff was 59 per cent. The 5 and 10-year survival rates of patients with stages A and B prostatic adenocarcinoma were 82 and 63 per cent, respectively, and the 5 and 10-year survival rates of patients who had stage C prostaticadenocarcinoma were 67 and 29 per cent, respectively. Our survival rates compare favorably to the national average survival for patients of all ages with localized or regional adenocarcinoma of the prostate. We believe that these data support the position...
Factors associated with pelvic organ prolapse: a prospective study in a tertiary care hospital in Northern India

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common health problem affecting the multiparous women. Various demographic and social factors are the underlying cause for POP. Methods: This is a prospective study on 100 patients of pelvic organ prolapse attending the gynecological OPD of a tertiary care institute in Northern India. A thorough history was taken and a complete examination was done. The data was collected and analyzed. Results: The findings of the study revealed that the mean age of the patient was 49.45 years with 84% of the patient above 35 years. Illiteracy was present in 54% of the patients. The mean age of marriage was 20.02 years and 63% of the women in the study group had their first pregnancy before 20 years of age. Majority of patients (72%) had 2 or more deliveries at home, attended by untrained birth attendant. Parity of more than four was present in 70% patients. A large percentage of patients (78%) resumed their work within one month of delivery. Mean age of onset of POP was 47.79 years and mean duration of POP was 7.2 years before consulting a doctor. Conclusions: Early marriage, pregnancy at an early age, deliveries at home, multiple childbirth, and inadequate rest and nutrition in the postpartum period is the key underlying factors leading to pelvic organ prolapse.
Chronic rejection in renal transplant recipients--risk factors and correlates.

To effectively study risk factors, a uniform definition of chronic rejection must be agreed upon. The definition must describe a typical clinical course--e.g., gradual deterioration in graft function starting at least 3 months post-transplant and lasting at least 6 months--in combination with a characteristic biopsy. Numerous kidney transplant studies indicate that an acute rejection episode is an important predictor of 1-year graft survival and half-life (the time it takes for half the grafts that survive the 1st year to subsequently fail). However, in each of these studies there are multiple potential causes of graft loss--acute rejection, chronic rejection, patient death, and recurrent disease. We have tried to eliminate this problem by studying patients with biopsy- or nephrectomy-proven chronic rejection. In a univariate analysis we found that an acute rejection episode significantly increased the risk of developing biopsy-proven chronic rejection (p < 0.001). Risk was higher in patients with more than one acute rejection episode and in patients whose rejection episode occurred more than 60 days after transplant. In a separate multivariate analysis, we studied the impact of the following variables on the incidence of biopsy-proven chronic rejection: transplant number (first or retransplant), age at transplant (over 18, 18 to 50 years old, under 50), gender, HLA-ABDR match, peak and transplant panel reactive antibody, number of acute rejection episodes, infection, donor age, and cyclosporine (CsA) dose at 1 year (less than 5 mg/kg versus more than 5 mg/kg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Longitudinal mode structure, polarization, and temporal characteristics of the flavin mononucleotide biolaser as probes of local chemical environment

The influence on a biolaser by its chemical environment has been detected by analyzing spectral, temporal, and polarization properties. Such detailed characterizations are fundamental for biolasers to realize their potential as biomedical diagnostics.
Architecture and implementation of microgrid controller

A microgrid controller, the Complete System-level Efficient and Interoperable Solution for Microgrid Integrated Controls (CSEISMIC), is presented in this paper. The architecture and major components of the microgrid are introduced, followed by a discussion of the functions and implementation of the microgrid controller, including the Energy Management System (EMS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). Testing results are provided to validate and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed microgrid controller.
A comparison of four approaches to photonic integration

We present a techno-economic analysis of four different platforms for photonic integration: pure III-V/InP, pure SOI (monolithic silicon photonics), III-V heterogeneously integrated on SOI (heterogeneous integration), and III-V epitaxially grown on silicon.
Changes in metabolic risk factors over 10 years and their associations with late-life cognitive performance: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Abstract Background We examined whether changes in metabolic factors over 10 years were associated with cognitive performance. Methods Participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis were followed since baseline (2000–2002) with five clinical examinations. At exam 5 (2010–2012), they received a short cognitive battery (Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument [CASI], Digit Symbol Coding [DSC], and Digit Span [DS]). We examined associations between baseline metabolic factors and their changes over time before cognitive testing. Results Among 4392 participants, baseline metabolic disorders (fasting glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressures) were significantly associated with poorer CASI, DSC, and DS scores measured 10 years later. Increases in blood pressure were associated with lower cognitive performance. Results did not differ by race/ethnicity and were stronger among those without the APOE e4 allele. Conclusions Cognitive performance was associated with antecedent abnormalities in glucose metabolism and blood pressure increases. Findings appeared stronger among APOE e4-negative participants.
Fastener Coating Developments

(2003). Fastener Coating Developments. Transactions of the IMF: Vol. 81, No. 1, pp. B16-B18.
Eccentricity Dependent Deep Neural Networks: Modeling Invariance in Human Vision

Humans can recognize objects in a way that is invariant to scale, translation, and clutter. We use invariance theory as a conceptual basis, to computationally model this phenomenon. This theory discusses the role of eccentricity in human visual processing, and is a generalization of feedforward convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Our model explains some key psychophysical observations relating to invariant perception, while maintaining important similarities with biological neural architectures. To our knowledge, this work is the first to unify explanations of all three types of invariance, all while leveraging the power and neurological grounding of CNNs.
Ultra-fast SRAM using spatial wave-function switched FET (SWSFET)

Spatial wave-function switched field effect transistor (SWSFET) conducts through different channels within its structure. A successful model can explain the switching of charge population in differ...
Targeting Tissue Factor for Immunotherapy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Using a Second-Generation ICON

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a leading cause of breast cancer death and is often associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation. Due to the lack of validated target molecules, no targeted therapy for TNBC is approved. Tissue factor (TF) is a common yet specific surface target receptor for cancer cells, tumor vascular endothelial cells, and cancer stem cells in several types of solid cancers, including breast cancer. Here, we report evidence supporting the idea that TF is a surface target in TNBC. We used in vitro cancer lines and in vivo tumor xenografts in mice, all with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, derived from patients' tumors. We showed that TF is overexpressed on TNBC cells and tumor neovasculature in 50% to 85% of TNBC patients (n = 161) and in TNBC cell line-derived xenografts (CDX) and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from mice, but was not detected in adjacent normal breast tissue. We then describe the development of a second-generation TF-targeting immunoconjugate (called L-ICON1, for lighter or light chain ICON) with improved efficacy and safety profiles compared with the original ICON. We showed that L-ICON1 kills TNBC cells in vitro via antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and can be used to treat human and murine TNBC CDX as well as PDX in vivo in orthotopic mouse models. Thus, TF could be a useful target for the development of immunotherapeutics for TNBC patients, with or without BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(6); 671-84. ©2018 AACR.
Justice and justification: The prudential life-span account of justice across generations

During the 1980s, the issue of intergenerational equity entered policy debates about the target of health and welfare resources. Not only did the issue surface in the United States, but it became an important theme in Europe and even in many developing countries (Daniels 1990). In large part, the concern is driven by demographics: we live in an aging world, partly as a result of increased life expectancy, but largely as a result of falling birth rates. As the age profile - the proportion of the population in each age group - changes, social needs change. For example, as society ages, proportionally fewer children need education, fewer young adults need job training, but more elderly need employment, income support, and health care, including long-term care. Where the change is rapid, concerns arise about the stability of transfer schemes, and tension rises not only between age groups but between birth cohorts. Changing needs find political expression, and the old and the young appear to compete for scarce public funds that meet basic human needs. A divisive issue like intergenerational equity may be pushed aside in the heat of a presidential campaign, but it will resurface. Indeed, President Bush proposed using savings from capping growth in Medicaid and Medicare budgets to fund expanded health insurance coverage to the working poor and their families. Such a proposal would intensify a problem we already have: nursing homes are already being made less accessible to those on Medicaid in Georgia because of restrictions on reimbursement rates (Watson 1992).
Determination of Spot Exchange Rates

Of all the winds of change that have buffeted multinational corporations in recent years, none has had a more pervasive impact upon their risk-return profile than the breakdown of the international monetary system of fixed exchange rates that had prevailed until March 1973 under the Bretton Woods agreement (1944–1971) and, later, under the short-lived Smithsonian accord (1971–1973).
Recent Advances in Data Logging for Intertidal Ecology

Temperature is among the most ubiquitous determinants of organism growth, survival and reproduction. Accurate recordings and predictions of how the temperatures of plants and animals vary in time and space are therefore critical to forecasting the likely impacts of global climate change. Intertidal zones have long served as a model ecosystem for examining the role of environmental stress on patterns of species distributions, and are emerging as models for understanding the ecological impacts of climate change. Intertidal environments are among the most physically demanding habitats on the planet, and excursions in body temperature of ectotherms can exceed 25°C over the course of a few hours. It is now well-known that the body temperatures of intertidal organisms can deviate significantly from the temperature of the surrounding air and substrate due to the influence of solar radiation, and that their size, color, morphology and material properties markedly influence their temperatures. While many intertidal organisms are slow moving or almost entirely sessile, for others, behavior can play a significant role in driving vulnerability to temperature extremes. We explore datalogging methods used in intertidal zones and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of each. We show how measurements made in situ reveal patterns of thermal stress that otherwise would be undetectable using more remotely-sensed data. Additionally, we explore the idea that the relevant “grain size” of the physical environment, and thus the spatial scale that must be measured, is a function of (1) the size of the organism relative to local refugia; (2) an organism’s ability to sense and to some degree predict near-term environmental conditions; and (3) an animal’s movement speed and directionality towards refugia. Similarly, relevant temporal scales similarly depend on the size, behavior and physiological response of the organism. While miniaturization of dataloggers has significantly improved, several significant limitations still exist, many of which relate to difficulties in recording behavioral responses to changing environmental conditions. We discuss recent innovations in monitoring and modeling intertidal temperatures, and the important role that they have played in bridging ecological and physiological studies of ongoing impacts of climate change.
Symptomatic treatment of dengue: should the NSAID contraindication be reconsidered?

Consensus guidelines for treatment of dengue fever from the World Health Organization and US Centers for Disease Control recommend acetaminophen to manage pain and fever but contraindicate nonstero...
Role of matrix metalloproteinases and histone deacetylase in oxidative stress-induced degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx

Oxidative stress, a hallmark of many diseases, damages the endothelial glycocalyx, resulting in vascular dysfunction. Studying the mechanistic link between oxidative stress and endothelial glycocal...
eIoT Activates the Grid Periphery

Perhaps nowhere will the impact of the energy-management change drivers identified in Chap. 1 be felt more than at the grid’s periphery. DG in the form of solar PV and small-scale wind will be joined by a plethora of internet-enabled appliances and devices to transform the grid’s periphery to one with two-way flows of power and information (Palensky and Dietrich, IEEE Trans Ind Inf, 7(3):381–388, 2011; Siano, Renew Sustain Energy Rev, 30:461–478, 2014). This transformation presents a daunting technical challenge. Not only are there tens of millions of devices at the leaves of the grid’s radial structure, these devices are relatively small and require new innovations in sensing, communication, control, and actuation.
Applying the Next Generation Science Standards to Current Chemistry Classrooms: How Lessons Measure Up and How to Respond

With the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), curriculum and professional development have had to change rapidly to fit the new standards. To aid with those changes, the EQ...
The Impact of Parental Involvement Laws on the Abortion Rate of Minors

In this article, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of the effect of parental involvement (PI) laws on the incidence of abortions to minors in the United States. We contribute to the extant literature in several ways. First, we explore differences in estimates of the effect of PI laws across time that may result from changes in contraception, the composition of pregnant minors, abortion access in nearby states, and differences in how these laws are enforced. We find that PI laws enacted before the mid-1990s are associated with a 15% to 20% reduction in abortions to minors, but PI laws enacted after this time are not associated with declines in abortions to minors. Second, we assess the role of out-of-state travel by minors and find that it is not a significant factor moderating the effect of PI laws. Third, we use a synthetic control approach to explore state-level heterogeneity in the effect of PI laws and find large differences in the effect of PI laws on abortions to minors by state that appear unrelated to the type of PI law or whether contiguous states have enacted PI laws. Finally, we show that estimates of the effect of PI laws using data from either the Centers for Disease Control or the Guttmacher Institute do not differ qualitatively once differences in the states and years available across these data are harmonized.
Chapter 82 – The Epidemiology of Vitamin D and Cancer Risk

Publisher Summary In the past several decades, laboratory studies have discovered and confirmed various anti-carcinogenic properties of vitamin D. The current understanding is that cells in various tissues have the biochemical machinery to convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) to 1,25(OH)2D, the active form that binds the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The activated VDR then influences a variety of transcriptional changes. Levels of 25(OH)D that are inadequate to maintain physiologic concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D in cells cause aberrations in pathways including differentiation, proliferation, invasiveness, angiogenesis, and metastatic potential. Thus, individuals or populations with inadequate or deficient 25(OH)D levels may in the course of time, be pre-disposed to a higher risk of cancer and possibly more advanced or aggressive forms of cancers. A broad body of evidence supports an important role of vitamin D on prevention of cancer incidence and mortality. Ongoing and future epidemiologic studies and RCTs are likely to provide further data as to optimal 25(OH)D levels. Future Epidemiologic should also incorporate cancer tissue markers, such as expression of the vitamin D receptor or enzymes that influence vitamin D metabolism.
The glycocalyx core protein Glypican 1 protects vessel wall endothelial cells from stiffness-mediated dysfunction and disease

Aims Arterial stiffness is an underlying risk factor and a hallmark of cardiovascular diseases. The endothelial cell (EC) glycocalyx is a glycan rich surface layer that plays a key role in protecting against EC dysfunction and vascular disease. However, the mechanisms by which arterial stiffness promotes endothelial cell dysfunction and vascular disease are not fully understood, and whether the mechanism involves the protective endothelial glycocalyx is yet to be determined. We hypothesized that endothelial glycocalyx protects the endothelial cells lining the vascular wall from dysfunction and disease in response to arterial stiffness. Methods and results Cells cultured on polyacrylamide (PA) gels of substrate stiffness 10 kPa (mimicking the subendothelial stiffness of aged, unhealthy arteries) showed a significant inhibition of glycocalyx expression compared to cells cultured on softer PA gels (2.5 kPa, mimicking the subendothelial stiffness of young, healthy arteries). Specifically, gene and protein analyses revealed that a glycocalyx core protein Glypican 1 was inhibited in cells cultured on stiff PA gels. These cells had enhanced endothelial cell dysfunction as determined by enhanced cell inflammation (enhanced inflammatory gene expression, monocyte adhesion and inhibited nitric oxide expression), proliferation and EndMT. Removal of Glypican 1 using gene-specific silencing with siRNA or gene overexpression using a plasmid revealed that Glypican 1 is required to protect against stiffness-mediated endothelial cell dysfunction. Consistent with this, using a model of age-mediated stiffness, older mice exhibited a reduced expression of Glypican 1 and enhanced endothelial cell dysfunction compared to young mice. Glypican1 gene deletion in knockout mice (GPC1 -/-) exacerbated endothelial dysfunction in young mice, which normally had high endothelial expression, but not in old mice that normally expressed low levels.Endothelial cell dysfunction was exacerbated in young, but not aged, Glypican 1 knockout mice (GPC1 -/-). Conclusions Arterial stiffness promotes EC dysfunction and vascular disease at least partly through the suppression of the glycocalyx protein Glypican 1. Glypican 1 contributes to the protection against endothelial cell dysfunction and vascular disease in endothelial cells. Translational perspective This work reveals for the first time the effect of arterial stiffness on the glycocalyx protein Glypican 1 in endothelial cell function. Stiffness promotes endothelial cell dysfunction and subsequently vascular disease at least partly through the suppression of Glypican 1. Thus, Glypican 1 could be a novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment/reversal of arterial stiffness-mediated vascular disease.
Stability analysis and observer design for nonlinear diffusion processes

The stability of a nonlinear reaction-diffusion process and its convergence rate can be determined very simply. This allows in turn the design of simple observers for such processes. The technique is based on an extension of the recently developed tools of contraction theory. Reaction-diffusion processes are pervasive in physics. Mathematical properties such as existence and smoothness of solutions are well understood for many such processes (Evans [3]). This paper shows that analyzing global stability are initial conditions or temporary disturbances eventually "forgotten," and if so, how fast? and determining convergence rates given boundary conditions is very simple for such processes, and shows how this result applies natural ly to the design of observers. This is achieved by taking advantage of recent results on stability theory, referred to as contraction analysis (Lohmiller and Slotine [8]), and extending them to partial differential equations describing nonlinear reaction-diffusion processes. After a brief review of contraction analysis in Section 2, Section 3 analyzes the contraction properties of the Laplace operator with general boundary conditions. The result is applied to reaction-diffusion equations of the form