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Flexible cables are widely used in industrial equipment, such as cranes, heavy machinery and robots. These cables transmit power, signals and control commands to the places where manufacturing and transportation happen. Due to the heavy duty and harsh working environments, the cables' quality and operation life are major concerns for the users and producers. According to our team's research in 2017 [Ref. 1], the quality of flexible cables is closely related to the pitch of cabling and the covered materials of the bare wire. The performance and quality of the latter is assessed by the rubber formulation design and through post-production tests. In the development of certain types of rubber material, it is often necessary to draft various designs and perform numerous preliminary tests before the physical testing can be carried out. These procedures make the verification process quite time-consuming. In this research, we attempt to utilize historical data on previously used materials and have it integrated with AI Deep Learning to assist in the formulation design and verification of the outer rubber case. We collected lots of data from rubber formulation testing results and used the deep learning algorithm to generate a multilayer perceptron model. This model consists of three functional layers: one INPUT layer, some HIDDEN layers, and one OUTPUT layer. There are 24 input parameters acting as the design features in the input layer. Two hidden layers are chose in this model, the first and second hidden layers have 40 neurons and 30 neurons respectively for machine learning purpose. The output layer (one or four neurons) predicts the value of material performance. This model can help the designer evaluate his/her design before the rubber is manufactured. Even better, they can use this model to choose better design parameters which are suitable for the customers' requirements. As a matter of fact, this model demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be applied to the sheathing layer design for flexible cable business. And the more data we collect, the better design we get. Walsin Lihwa corp. has dedicated to the development of smart cables and industrial cables for more than 10 years. It assists customers with selecting appropriate cable specifications, correct design parameters and suitable manufacturing processes to achieve a better cable quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lateral roots of the Aconitum carmichaelii ("Fuzi") have been used for centuries as a cardiotonic in China. The diterpenoid alkaloid talatisamine (TA) is a major bioactive component of Fuzi, but the identity and bioactivities of the TA metabolites have not been examined in detail. In this study, metabolite profiling of TA was performed in rat heart by UPLC-MS following oral administration. Metabolites were identified by comparing protonated molecules, fragmentation patterns, and chromatographic behaviors with those of standard compounds. Metabolites of TA were then prepared and tested for cardiotonic activity on isolated frog hearts. The metabolite cammaconine, a C19 diterpenoid alkaloid with a hydroxyl group at C-18, exhibited substantial cardiotonic activity during frog heart perfusion. To further investigate the structure–cardiac effect relationships, a series of C19-diterpenoid alkaloids with 18-OH were prepared. Eight tested compounds (5 – 12) demonstrated measurable cardioactivity, of which compound 5 with an N -methyl group and compound 7 with a methoxy at C-16 showed stronger effects on ventricular contraction than the other compounds. Thus, 18-OH is a critical structural feature determining cardiotonic activity, and efficacy is improved by the presence of N -methyl or methoxy at C-16. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggested that the cardiotonic effect of compound 5 is mediated by enhanced cellular calcium influx. Metabolites of TA with these structural features may be useful therapeutics to prevent heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible cables are widely used in industrial equipment, such as cranes, heavy machinery and robots. These cables transmit power, signals and control commands to the places where manufacturing and transportation happen. Due to the heavy duty and harsh working environments, the cables' quality and operation life are major concerns for the users and producers. According to our team's research in 2017 [Ref. 1], the quality of flexible cables is closely related to the pitch of cabling and the covered materials of the bare wire. The performance and quality of the latter is assessed by the rubber formulation design and through post-production tests. In the development of certain types of rubber material, it is often necessary to draft various designs and perform numerous preliminary tests before the physical testing can be carried out. These procedures make the verification process quite time-consuming. In this research, we attempt to utilize historical data on previously used materials and have it integrated with AI Deep Learning to assist in the formulation design and verification of the outer rubber case. We collected lots of data from rubber formulation testing results and used the deep learning algorithm to generate a multilayer perceptron model. This model consists of three functional layers: one INPUT layer, some HIDDEN layers, and one OUTPUT layer. There are 24 input parameters acting as the design features in the input layer. Two hidden layers are chose in this model, the first and second hidden layers have 40 neurons and 30 neurons respectively for machine learning purpose. The output layer (one or four neurons) predicts the value of material performance. This model can help the designer evaluate his/her design before the rubber is manufactured. Even better, they can use this model to choose better design parameters which are suitable for the customers' requirements. As a matter of fact, this model demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be applied to the sheathing layer design for flexible cable business. And the more data we collect, the better design we get. Walsin Lihwa corp. has dedicated to the development of smart cables and industrial cables for more than 10 years. It assists customers with selecting appropriate cable specifications, correct design parameters and suitable manufacturing processes to achieve a better cable quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Former Singapore oil tycoon Lim Oon Kuin has been approved by Singapore's High Court to pay approximately $3.59 billion to the liquidators of his company and creditor HSBC Holdings Plc, effectively ending the civil cases against him and his family. Lim and his children will file for bankruptcy and have not admitted liability. The elder Lim's trading career came to an ignominious end after he was accused of hiding over $800 million in losses, leading to the collapse of his company. Lim's legal troubles are not over, as he is due to be sentenced in a separate criminal trial. [Extracted from the article]

Former Singapore oil tycoon Lim Oon Kuin has been approved by Singapore's High Court to pay $3.59 billion to the liquidators of his company, Hin Leong Trading, and creditor HSBC Holdings. The agreements, which were reached in court proceedings, bring an end to the civil cases against Lim and his family. However, Lim still faces legal troubles and is awaiting sentencing in a separate criminal trial for offenses related to cheating and forgery. In May 2021, the High Court also approved a request to freeze up to $3.5 billion of Lim and his family's assets worldwide. [Extracted from the article]

Lim Oon Kuin, the former oil mogul of Singapore, and his children are expected to pay approximately $3.5 billion to the liquidators of his collapsed oil trading empire in order to settle a civil lawsuit. The payment will be made through a consent judgment, and the details of the agreement will be announced in a Singapore court. Lim and his children also plan to settle with other claimants, including HSBC Holdings, which has an estimated exposure of $600 million. Lim is also facing legal troubles in a separate criminal trial. [Extracted from the article]

In most domain adaption approaches, all features are used for domain adaption. However, often, not every feature is beneficial for domain adaption. In such cases, incorrectly involving all features might cause the performance to degrade. In other words, to make the model trained on the source domain work well on the target domain, it is desirable to find invariant features for domain adaption rather than using all features. However, invariant features across domains may lie in a higher order space, instead of in the original feature space. Moreover, the discriminative ability of some invariant features such as shared background information is weak, and needs to be further filtered. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel domain adaption algorithm based on an explicit feature map and feature selection. The data are first represented by a kernel-induced explicit feature map, such that high-order invariant features can be revealed. Then, by minimizing the marginal distribution difference, conditional distribution difference, and the model error, the invariant discriminative features are effectively selected. This problem is NP-hard to be solved, and we propose to relax it and solve it by a cutting plane algorithm. Experimental results on six real-world benchmarks have demonstrated the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm, which outperforms many state-of-the-art domain adaption approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walsin Lihwa corp., dedicated to the development of robot cables and smart cables, proposes a test method that combines the actual physical movement and digital multiple-axial model to find a suitable robot cable's material and structure. This method can assist the customer in selecting the right cable; simultaneously it also can help the manufacturer compress the overall time required for cable testing to an acceptable range (4 months or less). This research uses the USB 3.0 cable fixed on the "6-axis robot" as the desirable test subject. With real testing equipment and digital twin, we can verify whether this test model is referential to the actual robot cable's service life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Color in Context: Red" discusses a global exhibition curated by an international color expert, Kate Smith. The exhibition aims to explore the various interpretations of the color red and showcases a wide range of styles, techniques, and sizes in the submitted artwork. The curator paid close attention to the meanings of red, the artist's statements, and the materials used in each piece. The artwork submitted for the exhibition demonstrated a high level of concept, design, and technique. The article includes descriptions and images of several pieces from the exhibition, each with its own unique perspective on the color red. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we propose new approaches for action and event recognition by leveraging a large number of freely available Web videos (e.g., from Flickr video search engine) and Web images (e.g., from Bing and Google image search engines). We address this problem by formulating it as a new multi-domain adaptation problem, in which heterogeneous Web sources are provided. Specifically, we are given different types of visual features (e.g., the DeCAF features from Bing/Google images and the trajectory-based features from Flickr videos) from heterogeneous source domains and all types of visual features from the target domain. Considering the target domain is more relevant to some source domains, we propose a new approach named multi-domain adaptation with heterogeneous sources (MDA-HS) to effectively make use of the heterogeneous sources. In MDA-HS, we simultaneously seek for the optimal weights of multiple source domains, infer the labels of target domain samples, and learn an optimal target classifier. Moreover, as textual descriptions are often available for both Web videos and images, we propose a novel approach called MDA-HS using privileged information (MDA-HS+) to effectively incorporate the valuable textual information into our MDA-HS method, based on the recent learning using privileged information paradigm. MDA-HS+ can be further extended by using a new elastic-net-like regularization. We solve our MDA-HS and MDA-HS+ methods by using the cutting-plane algorithm, in which a multiple kernel learning problem is derived and solved. Extensive experiments on three benchmark data sets demonstrate that our proposed approaches are effective for action and event recognition without requiring any labeled samples from the target domain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Viewpoints, an international fiber arts collective, has created a series of artworks inspired by C.P. Cavafy's poem "Ithaka." The poem symbolizes the destination of a long journey and explores the concept of Ithaka as a metaphor for achieving goals, recovering lost things, and experiencing life. Each artist in the collective created six works over 18 months, which are now displayed in an online gallery. The artworks reflect diverse perspectives and techniques, showcasing the artists' interpretations of the poem's themes. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose – The multi-quadrics (MQ) function is a kind of radial basis function. And the MQ method has been successfully adopted as a type of meshless method in solving electromagnetic boundary value problems. However, the accuracy of MQ interpolation or solving equations is severely influenced by shape parameter. Thus the purpose of this paper is to propose a case-independent shape parameter selection strategy from the aspect of coefficient matrix condition number analysis. Design/methodology/approach – The condition number of coefficient matrix is investigated. It is shown that the condition number is only a function of shape parameter and MQ node number, and is irrelevant to the interpolated function which means case-independent. The effective condition number which takes into account the interpolated function is introduced. Then, the relation between the relative root mean square error and condition number is analyzed. Three numerical experiments as transmission line, cable channel and grounding metal box model were carried out. Findings – In the numerical experiments, there is an approximate linear relationship between the logarithm of the condition number and shape parameter, an approximate quadratic relationship with node number. And the optimal shape parameter is corresponding to the early stage of condition number oscillation. Originality/value – This paper proposed a case-independent shape parameter selection strategy. For a finite precision computation, the upper limit of the condition number is predetermined. Therefore, the shape parameter can be chosen where condition number oscillates in early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study conducted by researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, explored the effects of lockdowns on shaping socioeconomic behaviors, particularly among college students. The study found that students exposed to lockdowns were more likely to trust others and be honest, but their creativity was lower. Gender differences were also observed, with lockdowns having a more pronounced influence on male students. The research highlights the importance of support networks and communication with friends during challenging circumstances. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted at Hunter College explored the use of reflective practices in a cancer research training program called the Summer Cancer Research Institute (SCRI). The study aimed to enhance the learning experience and outcomes of underrepresented minority (URM) trainees by implementing a reflective practice toolkit. The toolkit included various components such as reflective journal entries, check-in discussion groups, social media posts, and reflective practice seminars. The findings of the study highlighted the positive impact of reflective practice on trainees' metacognition, competency, sense of belonging, and scientific identity. The researchers also discussed the challenges and successes in implementing the toolkit and its potential for use in similar training programs. [Extracted from the article]

Presents a study that examined the performance of accelerated gifted students. Comparison with the talented, same-age control students; Score of the students in mathematics; Relationship between study features and study outcomes. INSET: Highlights of Research on the Effects of Acceleration.

A list of the members of the Institute of Management Accountant's (IMA) Certification for Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business as of January 2024 is presented including Surey Akash, Matthew Alburn, and Rong An.

The huge amount of knowledge in web communities has motivated the research interests in threaded discussions. The dynamic nature of threaded discussions poses lots of challenging problems for computer scientists. Although techniques such as semantic models and structural models have been shown to be useful in a number of areas, they are inefficient in understanding threaded discussions due to three reasons: (I) as most of users read existing messages before posting, posts in a discussion thread are temporally dependent on the previous ones; It causes the semantics and structure to be coupled with each other in threaded discussions; (II) in online discussion threads, there are a lot of junk posts which are useless and may disturb content analysis; and (III) it is very hard to judge the quality of a post. In this paper, we propose a sparse coding-based model named SMSS to Simultaneously Model Semantics and Structure of threaded discussions. The model projects each post into a topic space, and approximates each post by a linear combination of previous posts in the same discussion thread. Meanwhile, the model also imposes two sparse constraints to force a sparse post reconstruction in the topic space and a sparse post approximation from previous posts. The sparse properties effectively take into account the characteristics of threaded discussions. Towards the above three problems, we demonstrate the competency of our model in three applications: reconstructing reply structure of threaded discussions, identifying junk posts, and finding experts in a given board/subboard in web communities. Experimental results show encouraging performance of the proposed SMSS model in all these applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study conducted at Beijing Tiantan Hospital in China has focused on the diagnosis of functional tremor, which is the most common subtype of functional movement disorder. The researchers found that there is currently no definitive method for diagnosing this condition, leading to potential misdiagnosis and mistreatment. They suggest that electrophysiological manifestations can provide objective and repeatable diagnostic information, supplementing the history and physical examination. The study aims to improve the clinical understanding of functional tremor and its diagnosis. [Extracted from the article]

Researchers from National Taiwan University have reported new findings on the therapeutic potential of curcumin-loaded cerium oxide nanoparticles for managing interstitial cystitis (IC), a chronic inflammatory disease. The study focuses on the role of oxidative stress in IC and the use of antioxidants to alleviate symptoms. Through in vitro and in vivo studies, the researchers demonstrate that the curcumin-loaded nanoparticles exhibit robust antioxidant capabilities and superior anti-inflammatory properties, leading to improved micturition behaviors, relief from pelvic pain sensitivity, and reduced expression of inflammatory proteins in mice with IC. These findings suggest that the combination of sustained antioxidant properties and acute anti-inflammatory capabilities of the nanoparticles holds promise as a novel treatment strategy for IC. [Extracted from the article]

We assessed whether uniform connectedness (UC; Palmer & Rock, 1994) operates prior to effects reflecting classical principles of grouping: proximity and similarity. In Experiments 1 and 2, reaction times to discriminate global letters (H vs. E), made up of small circles, were recorded. The small circles were respectively grouped by proximity, similarity of shapes, and by UC. The discrimination of stimuli grouped by similarity was slower than those grouped by proximity, and it was speeded up by the addition of UC. However, the discrimination of stimuli grouped by proxhnity was unaffected by connecting the local elements. In Experiment 3, similar results occurred in a task requiring discrimination of the orientation of grouped elements, except that the discrimination of stimuli grouped by UC was faster than that of those grouped by weak proximity. Experiment 4 further showed that subjects could respond to letters composed of discriminably separate local elements as fast as to those without separated local elements. The results suggest that grouping by similarity of shapes is perceived slower than grouping by UC, but grouping by proximity can be as fast and efficient as that by UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A list of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) members who became certified management accountants (CMAs) between September 1 and September 30, 2023 is presented, including Mohit Aagarwal, Jelyn Baybayon Aban, and Mohamed Ahmed.

This paper, contrary to skepticism about the human ability to perceive topological properties, addresses some commonly heard nontopological counterexplanations and provides evidence to rule out these apparent counterexamples against the topological hypothesis. Datafrom improved control conditions show that the reason why these counterexamples seem inconsistent with the topological hypothesis is that they fail to take due account of two factors: visibility, and organization other than physical connectedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent report from Xiamen University in China discusses the robustness of updatable learning-based Index Advisors (IAs) against poisoning attacks. The study aims to evaluate whether these IAs can maintain their performance when their training data is polluted by injecting toxic workloads. The researchers developed a stress-test framework called PIPA, which consists of a probing stage, an injecting stage, and a query generator. The experiments conducted on different benchmarks showed that existing learning-based IAs are non-robust when faced with even a subtle amount of injected toxic workloads. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted at Stanford University evaluated the effectiveness of atezolizumab plus cabozantinib versus docetaxel in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who experienced disease progression after treatment with anti-PD-L1/PD-1 immunotherapy and platinum-containing chemotherapy. The study found that atezolizumab plus cabozantinib did not improve overall survival compared to docetaxel. However, it did show a longer median progression-free survival. The safety profiles of both treatments were consistent with previous knowledge. This research provides valuable insights into potential treatment options for NSCLC patients who do not respond to or experience disease progression after immunotherapy. [Extracted from the article]

Examines the effectiveness of coaching for aptitude and admissions tests in the U.S. Factors affecting the size of practice effects; Impact of coaching on student performance on aptitude tests; Effect of coaching on achievement test scores. INSET: Highlights from Research on the Effects of Coaching for Tests.

The article focuses on the classical Kazdan–Warner problem of prescribing scalar curvature on a closed manifold within a given conformal class of metrics. Topics include the evolution of the problem, techniques like variational methods and blow-up analysis, and the use of topological tools in studying the existence and non-existence of solutions.

The article presents brief profiles of the year's top chief executive officers. It mentions Satya Nadella of software company Microsoft Corp., Elizabeth Gaines of Australian mining company Fortescue Metals Group, and Brian Niccol of fast food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Topoisomerase inhibitors have been developed in a variety of clinical applications. We investigated the inhibitory effect of evodiamine on E. coli topoisomerase I, which may lead to an antibacterial effect. Evodiamine inhibits the supercoiled plasmid DNA relaxation that is catalyzed by E. coli topoisomerase I, and computer-aided docking has shown that the Arg161 and Asp551 residues of topoisomerase I interact with evodiamine. We investigated the bactericidal effect of evodiamine against multidrugresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Evodiamine showed a significantly lower minimal inhibitory concentration value (MIC 128 µg/mL) compared with antibiotics (> 512 µg/mL) against the clinical isolate of K. pneumoniae. The results suggested that evodiamine is a potential agent against drug-resistant bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study conducted by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center focused on stroke prevention in Hispanic children with sickle cell anemia. The study, known as the SACRED trial, involved screening programs in the Dominican Republic and found that hydroxyurea treatment reduced TCD velocities and stroke risk. The research highlighted the high burden of cerebrovascular disease in Hispanic children with sickle cell anemia and emphasized the benefits of partnership in establishing screening programs and dose escalation of hydroxyurea. [Extracted from the article]