cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and fabrication of a metamaterial gradient index diffraction grating at infrared wavelengths.

We demonstrate the design, fabrication and characterization of an artificially structured, gradient index metamaterial with a linear index variation of Δn ∼ 3.0. The linear gradient profile is repeated periodically to form the equivalent of a blazed grating, with the gradient occurring across a spatial distance of 61μm. The grating, which operates at a wavelength of 10.6μm, is composed of non-resonant, progressively modified “I-beam” metamaterial elements and approximates a linear phase shift gradient using 61 distinguishable phase levels. The grating structure consists of four layers of lithographically patterned metallic I-beam elements separated by dielectric layers of SiO2. The index gradient is confirmed by comparing the measured magnitudes of the −1, 0 and +1 diffracted orders to those obtained from full wave simulations incorporating all material properties of the metals and dielectrics of the structures. The large index gradient has the potential to enable compact infrared diffractive and gradient index optics, as well as more exotic transformation optical media.
Time averaging. Does the noise really average toward zero

Time averaging is used widely in Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy. Yet there is a popular misconception of how the process increases the overall signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of a spectrum. The common, but incorrect, explanation assumes that when noise is added to noise, the overall result averages toward zero. This article first shows that this explanation cannot be valid and then presents a detailed analysis of time averaging, including a mathematical derivation of the well-known result that time averaging increases the S/N by the square root of the number of scans averaged.
Ripples: utilizing per-contact visualizations to improve user interaction with touch displays

We present Ripples, a system which enables visualizations around each contact point on a touch display and, through these visualizations, provides feedback to the user about successes and errors of their touch interactions. Our visualization system is engineered to be overlaid on top of existing applications without requiring the applications to be modified in any way, and functions independently of the application's responses to user input. Ripples reduces the fundamental problem of ambiguity of feedback when an action results in an unexpected behaviour. This ambiguity can be caused by a wide variety of sources. We describe the ambiguity problem, and identify those sources. We then define a set of visual states and transitions needed to resolve this ambiguity, of use to anyone designing touch applications or systems. We then present the Ripples implementation of visualizations for those states, and the results of a user study demonstrating user preference for the system, and demonstrating its utility in reducing errors.
Effects of cerebrospinal fluid drainage in patients undergoing thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery

Abstract Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage has been reported to protect the spinal cord during surgical procedures requiring thoracic aortic cross-clamping. In 1986, CSF pressure monitoring and drainage was begun in an attempt to reduce the incidence of paraplegia associated with surgical repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA). These Group II patients (n = 50) were retrospectively compared to Group I patients (n = 49) who had undergone similar surgical procedures in the previous 3 years before CSF monitoring was introduced into this practice. Group II patients had intrathecal catheters placed for monitoring of CSF pressure and drainage of CSF to maintain the pressure ≤15 mmHg. Seven patients (four in Group I, three in Group II) died before recovering from the anesthetic. Of the 47 patients in Group II who survived, none had clinically apparent complications such as an epidural hematoma or meningitis from the intrathecal catheter. The mean aortic cross-clamp time was 58.6 ± 30.5 minutes (mean ± SD) in Group I versus 65 ± 42.6 minutes in Group II. Twenty-three patients in Group I and 16 patients in Group II had a shunt to the distal aorta. To maintain a CSF pressure of ≤15 mmHg in Group II, an average of 46.9 ± 6.9 mL of CSF was withdrawn. Of the 45 survivors in Group I, 4 developed a spinal cord deficit; the number of patients with spinal cord deficit in Group II was 4 out of the 47 who survived. It was found that CSF drainage was relatively safe, but the study was unable to demonstrate improved neurologic outcome for patients undergoing repair of descending thoracic and TAAA.
Likelihood-Ratio Approaches to Automatic Modulation Classification

Adaptive modulation and automatic modulation classification are highly demanded in software-defined radio (SDR) for both commercial and military applications. Various design options of automatic classifiers have attracted researchers in developing 3G and 4G wireless communication systems. There is an urgent need to investigate the different methods of coherent and noncoherent modulation estimations, discuss the challenges in cooperative and noncooperative communication environment, and understand the distinct requirements in real-time modulation classifications. This survey paper focuses on the automatic modulation classification methods based on likelihood functions, studies various classification solutions derived from likelihood ratio test, and discusses the detailed characteristics associated with all major algorithms.
Estimating the Effects of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993

Over-time and multivariate cross-sectional analyses of large survey samples are used to estimate the likely effects of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by examining turnout in those states where procedures comparable to any of the act's provisions were in force in 1992. In contrast to previous studies, we find that most state motor voter programs did not resemble the NVRA provision. We analyze one state program that did, and in addition use election-day registration as a surrogate, because it also provides one-trip voting. Our two approaches lead to estimates of turnout increases due to the motor voter provision of 4.7 and 8.7 percentage points, respectively. The lack of state counterparts to public agency registration prevents estimates of this provision's consequences. Eliminating purging for not voting will increase turnout by as much as 2 percentage points. Universal mail registration will have no effect. The turnout effects will be greatest among the two largest groups of current nonvoters: people under the age of 30 and those who moved within two years of election day. Neither group is politically distinctive, except for young people's weaker identification with the major parties and greater affinity for third-party candidates.
AN ALGORITHM FOR CONSTRUCTING BLOCKING SETS FOR PROJECTIVE PLANES

A family of sets is said to have property B(s) if there is a set, referred to as a blocking set, whose intersection with each member of the family is a proper subset of that blocking set and contains fewer than s elements. A finite projective plane is a construction satisfying the two conditions that any two lines meet in a unique point and any two points are on a unique line. In this paper, the authors develop an algorithm of complexity O(n3) for constructing a blocking set for a projective plane of order n.
Use of factor mixture modeling to capture Spearman's law of diminishing returns☆

Spearman's law of diminishing returns (SLODR) posits that at higher levels of general cognitive ability the general factor (g) performs less well in explaining individual differences in cognitive test performance. Research has generally supported SLODR, but previous research has required the a priori division of respondents into separate ability or IQ groups. The present study sought to obviate this limitation through the use of factor mixture modeling to investigate SLODR in the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (KABC-II). A second-order confirmatory factor model was modeled as a within-class factor structure. The fit and parameter estimates of several models with varying number of classes and factorial invariance restrictions were compared. Given SLODR, a predictable pattern of findings should emerge when factor mixture modeling is applied. Our results were consistent with these SLODR-based predictions, most notably the g factor variance was less in higher g mean classes. Use of factor mixture modeling was found to provide support for SLODR while improving the model used to investigate SLODR.
Fluorescence absorbance inner-filter decomposition : The role of emission shape on estimates of free Ca2+ using Rhod-2

A method for decomposing complex emission spectra by correcting for known inner-filter effects is described. This approach builds on previous work using a linear combination of model emission spectra and combines the known absorption characteristics of the system to fit the composite emission spectrum. Rhod-2, which has a small Stokes shift and significant self-absorption, was used as the model system. By adding the absorption characteristics of Rhod-2 to the model, the degree of fit was significantly improved, thus minimizing residuals, and accurately predicted the spectral shape changes with increasing concentration, [Rhod-2]. More complex studies were conducted with Rhod-2 in isolated cardiac mitochondria with multiple emission and absorption elements. By including known absorbances to the spectral decomposition, the overall precision increased almost four fold. Moreover, this approach eliminated the significant [Rhod-2] dependence on the apparent K(50) and therefore improved the accuracy of free [Ca(2+)] calculations. These data demonstrate that secondary inner-filter correction can significantly improve spectral decomposition of complex emission spectra, which are used in a variety of biological applications.
Environmental NGOs, Dispossession, and the State: The Ideology and Praxis of African Nature and Development

Zimbabwe provides a significant context to examine the interplay of the new development rhetoric, the actions of powerful conservation organizations, donor policies, a relatively strong and stable government, and the empowerment of local communities. This interplay exists in diverse rural areas where the Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) is in various stages of experimentation and implementation. CAMPFIRE has been described as a philosophy of sustainable rural development that enables rural communities to manage, and benefit directly form indigenous wildlife. It is the best known of African efforts to permit African communities to re- assert their management of selected natural resources. The program has the official support of the Zimbabwean government. Nonetheless, there are many potential areas of serious conflict. Three case studies are utilized to explore how the challenges of repossession of critical environmental resources by marginalized communities in the changing context of state and NGO relationships where international tourism is a revenue generator for both the private sector and government.
Performance, alertness, and sleep after 3·5 years of 12 h shifts: A follow-up study

Abstract Control room operators at a continuous processing plant have been working a 12 h/3–4 day rotating shift schedule for over 3 years. After 7 months on this schedule, our initial assessment indicated decrements in performance and alertness, and a mild to moderate sleep debt, when the 12 h shift schedule was compared to the previously-worked 8 h shift schedule. In an effort to track long-term adaptation to the schedule, we conducted a 3 & 5 year follow-up evaluation using the same set of measures. Long-term follow-up testing revealed persistent decrements in performance and alertness attributable to 12 h shifts, and 1–3 h reductions in total sleep time after 12 h night shifts. Little deterioration in performance or alertness was observed across the workweek, which suggested day-to-day recovery from the extended workshift. The popularity of the 12 h shift schedule at this worksite indicates that the workers are willing to tolerate extra fatigue to derive other benefits from this schedule.
Geometric Applications of the Split Bregman Method: Segmentation and Surface Reconstruction

Variational models for image segmentation have many applications, but can be slow to compute. Recently, globally convex segmentation models have been introduced which are very reliable, but contain TV-regularizers, making them difficult to compute. The previously introduced Split Bregman method is a technique for fast minimization of L1 regularized functionals, and has been applied to denoising and compressed sensing problems. By applying the Split Bregman concept to image segmentation problems, we build fast solvers which can out-perform more conventional schemes, such as duality based methods and graph-cuts. The convex segmentation schemes also substantially outperform conventional level set methods, such as the Chan-Vese level set-based segmentation algorithm. We also consider the related problem of surface reconstruction from unorganized data points, which is used for constructing level set representations in 3 dimensions. The primary purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of "Split Bregman" techniques for solving these problems, and to compare this scheme with more conventional methods.
Political Theology and Secularization Theory in Germany, 1918–1939: Emanuel Hirsch as a Phenomenon of His Time

According to Goethe, “writing history is a way of getting the past off your back.” In the twentieth century, Protestant theology has a heavy burden on its back—the readiness of some of its most distinguished representatives to embrace totalitarian regimes, notably Adolf Hitler's “Third Reich.” In this matter the historian's task is not to jettison but to ensure that the burden on Protestants is not too lightly cast aside—an easy temptation if we imagine that the theologians who turned to Hitler did so with the express desire of embracing a monster. On the contrary: they did so believing their choice was ethically correct. How could this come to pass in the homeland of the Reformation?
Middle school girls’ envisioned future in computing

Experience is necessary but not sufficient to cause girls to envision a future career in computing. This study investigated the experiences and attitudes of girls who had taken three years of mandatory computer science classes in an all-girls setting in middle school, measured at the end of eighth grade. The one third of participants who were open to computing career were compared to the two thirds were not. Girls open to a computing career had higher interest and confidence in computing, had more social support for computing, and saw themselves as more like a computer scientist than girls who did not want a computing career.
National Institute of Nursing Research Working Group on “Optimizing Pregnancy Outcomes in Minority Populations”

The growing complexity of biomedical research requires new methods of discovery; scientists must use an interdisciplinary approach and explore new models of team science, as underscored in the Roadmap of the National Institutes of Health. In March 2003, the National Institute of Nursing Research convened a working group of scientists and clinicians with a wide range of backgrounds to address "Optimizing Pregnancy Outcomes in Minority Populations." The 2-day meeting included a variety of presentations on the current state of research on pregnancy in minority populations. Many participants provided specific insights regarding biobehavioral issues in human-environment interaction, stress and health status relationships to risk, maternal-fetal interactions, and the complications of pregnancy. This supplement presents articles from several participants at this interdisciplinary meeting. The National Institute of Nursing Research looks forward to further collaborations across the National Institutes of Health and other agencies to achieve the vital aims of this working group.
PACs, Contributions, and Roll Calls: An Organizational Perspective

This study uses information about the organizational arrangements of five major political action committees to develop an explanation for the extent to which PAC contributions are capable of influencing congressional voting decisions. The explanation claims that the processes by which PACs raise and allocate money must be understood before the impact of money on roll call decisions can be appreciated. In contrast to some previous studies, this analysis demonstrates with marked clarity the limited nature of PAC influence.
Opportunities for Early Intervention Based on Theory, Basic Neuroscience, and Clinical Science

Therapeutic approaches in the pediatric population have generally been less aggressive than those implemented for younger and older adults. Several factors contribute to this, starting with the challenge of engaging infants in the “goal” of therapy, their resistance to initiating behaviors that are uncomfortable or fatiguing, the desire to make therapy as functionally relevant as possible when many functional skills have yet to emerge, and residual history of outdated theoretical concepts. On the practical side of who will pay for this more aggressive approach, there is limited empirical evidence based on randomized controlled trials to convince third-party payers to fund more extensive services. This article outlines a theoretical perspective prominent in developmental science that argues not only for the importance of frequent bouts of functionally relevant activity on the self-organization of behavioral patterns, but also for the impact that should be expected from the use of rigorous interventions on underlying subsystems, such as neural organization, that support these outcomes. In order to propose some future opportunities for clinical research and application, examples from recent activity-based clinical studies are presented, along with theoretical principles, neuroscience, and other tissue science data concerning mechanisms that contribute to behavioral changes. One such opportunity is to increase the structured engagement of caregivers, guided by therapists, in administering well-defined activity intervention programs focused on the development of specific functional skills. Such an approach may be one of the few financially feasible options for generating sufficient therapy that adheres to principles for optimizing development of neuromotor control.
The Tough Realities Small NGOs Face When Evaluating Their Efforts: Observations from Guatemala and Mexico

Evaluation improves the quality of work completed by international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fight poverty and develop communities (Liebenthal et al. 2004). Even so, many NGOs do not conduct evaluations (Ferguson 1990). To the extent that NGOs evaluate their efforts, the evaluation results often do not affect the planning of future projects, making evaluation a static event instead of a learning process (Mebrahtu 2002). Thus, the relevant problem is how to make evaluation more useful. Mulwa (2008) argues that participatory evaluation bridges the disconnect between evaluation results and future development projects. Based on my experience, I emphasize the need for development evaluation to be practical; evaluations informed by all stakeholders create a climate of learning. Evaluations lead to improved development when the evaluation responsibilities and measurements are shared between all parties involved. Author’s Note Jeffrey graduated from BYU in April 2011, spending time doing internships and on study abroad programs in Mexico, Guatemala, England, and Washington D.C. He has volunteered as a project evaluator for small NGOs in Central America for the past three years.
A scalable tree-based approach for joint object and pose recognition

Recognizing possibly thousands of objects is a crucial capability for an autonomous agent to understand and interact with everyday environments. Practical object recognition comes in multiple forms: Is this a coffee mug? (category recognition). Is this Alice's coffee mug? (instance recognition). Is the mug with the handle facing left or right? (pose recognition). We present a scalable framework, Object-Pose Tree, which efficiently organizes data into a semantically structured tree. The tree structure enables both scalable training and testing, allowing us to solve recognition over thousands of object poses in near real-time. Moreover, by simultaneously optimizing all three tasks, our approach outperforms standard nearest neighbor and 1-vs-all classifications, with large improvements on pose recognition. We evaluate the proposed technique on a dataset of 300 household objects collected using a Kinect-style 3D camera. Experiments demonstrate that our system achieves robust and efficient object category, instance, and pose recognition on challenging everyday objects.
Errors & Omissions Insurance: The Experience of States with Mandatory Programs for Real Estate Licensees

Empirical and survey data collected from parties in states that require real estate licensees to have errors and omissions insurance is presented and analyzed. Satisfaction with the mandatory system was expressed by 68% of licensees and 89% of regulators. Variables that are significantly related to licensee satisfaction are identified. Perhaps most importantly, licensees who have operated under both voluntary and mandatory systems are more satisfied than those who have operated exclusively under a mandatory system. Motivations for mandating errors and omissions insurance include the desire to provide consumer and licensee protection, and affordable premiums for licensees. Recommendations for regulators considering mandating E&O insurance are presented.
The effects of immunosuppressive drugs and uremia on automated leukocyte counts.

Comparison between simultaneous Coulter S automatic leukocyte counts and hemocytometer counts revealed a significantly lower count by the first technic in patients receiving azathioprine and prednisone, and in uremic patients not receiving these drugs. No such difference was found in a group of control patients. It is suggested that the difference may be due to the destruction of abnormally fragile leukocytes as a result of the increased mechanical and chemical trauma of the Coulter S counting system.
Kramer's sampling theorem for multidimensional signals and its relationship with Lagrange-type interpolations

Kramer's sampling theorem, which is a generalization of the Whittaker-Shannon-Kotel'nikov (WSK) sampling theorem, enables one to reconstruct functions that are integral transforms of types other than the Fourier one from their sampled values. In this paper, we generalize Kramer's theorem toN dimensions (N ≥ 1) and show how the kernel function and the sampling points in Kramer's theorem can be generated. We then investigate the relationship between this generalization of Kramer's theorem andN-dimensional versions of both the WSK theorem and the Paley-Wiener interpolation theorem for band-limited signals. It is shown that the sampling series associated with this generalization of Kramer's theorem is nothing more than anN-dimensional Lagrange-type interpolation series.
Space-Based Antenna Morphing using Reinforcement Learning

*Shape Memory Alloys (SMA’s) have been employed to enhance structural properties and increase the ability of structures to adapt and conform as desired. Morphing technology has also proven beneficial to space hardware deployment, in addition to satellite antenna design. In this research, Reinforcement Learning is utilized with an antenna model to demonstrate that antenna elements equipped with SMA actuators and subject to simulated SMA dynamics are capable of independently learning the optimal concavity. Appropriate applications of Q-Learning and e-greedy methods in this manner would allow space-based radar and communication systems would be able to decrease the quantity of antennas currently mounted on spacecraft. The implication of a single antenna capable of altering its geometry is a revolutionary world-wide compatibility of receivers and transmitters.
Transgenic expression of the human growth hormone minigene promotes pancreatic β-cell proliferation

Transgenic mouse models are designed to study the role of specific proteins. To increase transgene expression the human growth hormone (hGH) minigene, including introns, has been included in many transgenic constructs. Until recently, it was thought that the hGH gene was not spliced, transcribed, and translated to produce functional hGH protein. We generated a transgenic mouse with the transcription factor Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) followed by the hGH minigene, under control of the mouse insulin promoter (MIP) to target expression specifically in the pancreatic β-cell. Expression of FoxM1 in isolated pancreatic islets in vitro stimulates β-cell proliferation. We aimed to investigate the effect of FoxM1 on β-cell mass in a mouse model for diabetes mellitus. However, we found inadvertent coexpression of hGH protein from a spliced, bicistronic mRNA. MIP-FoxM1-hGH mice had lower blood glucose and higher pancreatic insulin content, due to increased β-cell proliferation. hGH signals through the murine prolactin receptor, and expression of its downstream targets tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (Tph1), tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (Tph2), and cytokine-inducible SH2 containing protein (Cish) was increased. Conversely, transcriptional targets of FoxM1 were not upregulated. Our data suggest that the phenotype of MIP-FoxM1-hGH mice is due primarily to hGH activity and that the FoxM1 protein remains largely inactive. Over the past decades, multiple transgenic mouse strains were generated that make use of the hGH minigene to increase transgene expression. Our work suggests that each will need to be carefully screened for inadvertent hGH production and critically evaluated for the use of proper controls.
Civil Rights, World War II, and U.S. Public Opinion

Scholars of American politics often assume World War II liberalized white racial attitudes. This conjecture is generally premised on the existence of an ideological tension between a war against Nazism and the maintenance of white supremacy at home, particularly the Southern system of Jim Crow. A possible relationship between the war and civil rights was also suggested by a range of contemporaneous voices, including academics like Gunnar Myrdal and activists like Walter White and A. Philip Randolph. However, while intuitively plausible, this relationship is generally not well verified empirically. A common flaw is the lack of attention to public opinion polls from the 1940s. Using the best available survey evidence, I argue the war's impact on white racial attitudes is more limited than is often claimed. First, I demonstrate that for whites in the mass public, while there is some evidence of liberalization on issues of racial prejudice, this generally does not extend to policies addressing racial inequities. White opposition to federal anti-lynching legislation actually seems to have increased during the war. Second, there is some evidence of racial moderation among white veterans, relative to their counterparts who did not serve. White veterans were more supportive of anti-lynching legislation in the immediate postwar period, and they offered stronger support for black voting rights in the early 1960s. However, they were not distinguishable on many other issues, including measures of racial prejudice and attitudes toward segregation.
Monitoring Serum Carbamazepine Concentrations in74Child Epilepsy Patients

OBJECTIVE:To guide the rational use of carbamazepineCBZ.METHODS:The serum concentrations of CBZ were determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassayFPIAin74child patients with epilepsy.RESULTS:The effective serum concentrations of CBZ was4.16±2.07μg/ml.Those within classical effective concentration range of CBZCBZ-CEˉCR4～12μg/mlaccounted for61.4%27/44;The insufficiently effective serum concentration of CBZ was3.80±1.18μg/ml.Those within CBZ-CECR accounted for44.4%4/9;The ineffective serum concentration of CBZ was4.90±1.78μg/ml.Those within CBZ-CECR accounted for65.0%13/20;The rate of adverse reactions was1.4%1/74.CONCLUSION:The daily dosages of CBZ10～20mg/kg·dis safe and effective for child epilepsy.
Evaluation of “Out-of-the-Box” textbook technology supplements on student learning

As online learning becomes more prevalent in higher education, faculty are likely to increasingly turn to textbook technology supplements (TTSs) as a tool to enhance student learning outside the classroom. In 3 experiments, we tested whether using TTS multiple-choice quizzes (Experiments 1 and 2) or essay responses (Experiment 2) improved student learning as measured by publisher-provided multiple choice assessments administered in class. In Experiment 1 (N = 75), using a between-subjects design, we found no significant difference in performance for either in-class quizzes, p = .88, or exam performance, p = .79, as a function of whether students were required to use a TTSs or not. In Experiment 2 (N = 173), using a within-subjects design, we found a small but significant (3.5%) benefit to student learning on content for which they completed online quizzes (p = .002, partial η2 = .06). Experiment 3 (N = 90), again using a within-subjects design, found no significant benefit to learning when students were required to write essay responses to online questions (p = .13, partial η2 = .03). We suggest that the behaviors faculty intend to promote with the use of such tools (e.g., repeated practice, effortful attention, etc.) may not match the behaviors that these types of tools reinforce. They may serve as vehicles for engaged learning practices for some students, but for others, they may represent another system that must be “worked” to satisfy a requirement or get a good score.
Adaptive mission planning for coupled human-robot teams

Existing approaches to multi-agent task allocation and scheduling do not extend well to missions in which humans coordinate closely with robotic teammates due to the dynamic and stochastic nature of human performance. This work develops fast algorithms that integrate humans into the planning problem to produce allocations for tightly coupled human-robot teams. Humans are treated as dynamic agents, and feedback from the realized performance of the team is leveraged to adapt human and environment models in real-time. Simulations of complex multi-agent missions demonstrate that the resulting plans outperform those of alternative strategies.
A Historiography of Academic Freedom for American Faculty, 1865–1941

This chapter examines the historical literature on academic freedom for faculty in the United States between the Civil War and World War II. This was a pivotal period during which academic freedom was debated, developed, and codified. The chapter identifies eight major topical areas in the literature (religion and evolution after the Civil War; economics and the beginning of the modern era; race and regionalism in the early 1900s; academic freedom and the organization of the AAUP; World War I and its aftermath; the teaching of evolution in higher education in the 1920s; politics, on and off campus; and defense and policy in the 1920s and 1930s) and argues that the literature is rich but limited. The literature emphasizes the professionalization of faculty in the late nineteenth century and the challenges posed by the excesses of World War I. At the same time, the literature focuses too heavily on individual cases of infringement, especially those involving elite faculty at elite institutions. More attention to entire sectors of higher education and to whole segments of the faculty is needed.
Horizontal and Vertical Alignment

This part describes the decisions related to choosing an optimal highway alignment given substantial environmental and design considerations, including: corridor selection, traverses, sight distance, horizontal alignment, and vertical alignment. Corridor selection is comprised of the broad task of choosing a highway location through decisions relating to minimizing costs and impacts to the human and natural environment. The engineering computations of such corridors are derived from consideration of the highway segments as a traverse. The horizontal and vertical components each affect the highway location and require an iterative process to balance the various quantitative measures and tradeoffs of a particular alternative, as well as include feedback gathered from stakeholders in the public involvement process. At any point along a highway, the driver should be able to perceive an obstruction or change in alignment and react by changing his or her speed, direction, or path. The distance required to perform this maneuver, known as the sight distance, is an integral part of highway alignment.
Erratum to: Local intra-uterine Ang-(1–7) infusion attenuates PGE2 and 6-keto PGF1α in decidualized uterus of pseudopregnant rats

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-derived prostanoids (PGE2, PGI2) are important contributors to the process of decidualization. Previous studies showed the presence of Ang-(1-7) in the primary and secondary decidualized zones of the implantation site at early pregnancy. Decreased concentrations of Ang-(1-7) were found in the decidualized uterus compared to the non-decidualized uterus of pseudopregnant rats, suggesting that low levels of Ang-(1-7) are required for successful decidualization at early pregnancy. To understand the role of Ang-(1-7) in prostaglandin production in a decidualized uterus, induced by a bolus injection of sesame oil, Ang-(1-7) (24 μg/kg/h) or vehicle was then infused directly into the decidualized uterine horn using an osmotic minipump. The right horns were not injected or infused and served as non-decidualized uterine horns in both groups of animals. Decidualization increased PGE2 concentration in the uterus (0.53 ± 0.05 vs. 12.0 ± 3.2 pmol/mg protein, p < 0.001, non-decidualized vs. decidualized horns); Ang-(1-7) infusion attenuated the increase of PGE2 (12.0 ± 3.2 vs. 5.1 ± 1.3 pmol/mg protein, p < 0.01 control vs. Ang-(1-7) treated decidualized horns). The stable metabolite of PGI2 (6-keto PGF1α) was increased with decidualization (0.79 ± 0.17 vs. 3.5 ± 0.82 pmol/mg protein, p < 0.001, non-decidualized vs. decidualized horns). Ang-(1-7) infusion attenuated the increase in 6-keto PGF1α in the decidualized horn (3.5 ± 0.82 vs 1.8 ± 0.37 pmol/mg protein, p < 0.05 control vs. Ang-(1-7) treated decidualized horns). The circulating levels of 6-keto-PGF1a and TXB2 were decreased by Ang-(1-7) infusion, while no difference was observed in circulating PGE2. Although the global assessment of cleaved caspase 3 immunostaining, a marker of apoptosis, was unchanged within the Ang-(1-7) decidualized horn, there were localized decreases in cleaved caspase 3 staining in the luminal region in the decidualized uterus of Ang-(1-7)-treated rats. These studies show that increased local uterine Ang-(1-7) alters the uterine prostaglandin environment, possibly leading to disruptions of early events of decidualization.
Smart sensing and data logging using RFID

A Class-1 Generation-2 compliant UHF RFID tag board, capable of smart sensing and data logging is introduced in this paper. The new tag has the ability to autonomously sense, process and store data over prolonged periods of time until the tag comes within range of an RFID reader. The logging operation is intelligently controlled to effectively utilize the memory, thereby enabling the tag to incorporate sensors to give more information than existing RFID tags.
Nonlinear Diffusion Acceleration Method with Multigrid in Energy for k-Eigenvalue Neutron Transport Problems

We present a multilevel method for solving multigroup neutron transport k-eigenvalue problems in two-dimensional Cartesian geometry. It is based on the nonlinear diffusion acceleration (NDA) method...
The Transreality Interaction Platform: Enabling Interaction across Physical and Virtual Reality

The convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and interactive systems will enable future interactive environments which transcend physical and virtual reality. Embedded Things provide sensors and actuators to virtualize the physical environment, while Interactive Things extend the virtualized environment with modalities for human interaction, ranging from tangible and wearable interfaces to immersive virtual and augmented reality interfaces. We introduce the Transreality Interaction Platform (TrIP) to enable service ecosystems which situate virtual objects alongside virtualized physical objects and allow for novel ad-hoc interactions between humans, virtual, and physical objects in a transreality environment. TrIP provides a generalized middleware platform addressing the unique challenges that arise in complex transreality systems which have yet to be fully explored in current IoT or HCI research. We describe the system architecture, data model, and query language for the platform and present a proof-of-concept implementation. We evaluate the performance of the implementation and demonstrate its use integrating embedded and interactive things for seamless interaction across physical and virtual realities.
The Beta3 499–513 Peptide Region is Required for AlphaIIb/ Beta3 Active Complex Formation and Fibrinogen Binding

Background: AlphaIIb/beta3 (αIIb/β3) complex is an important integrin that is involved in the ﬁnal step of platelet aggregation. Peptides derived from either αIIb or β3 have demonstrated to have an effect on the activation of the complex and its ability to bind ﬁbrinogen. We have previously deﬁned a peptide from β3, which inhibits agonists-induced platelet aggregation. Methods: We used standard methodologies for construction of clones and expression of cDNAs, establishment of stable cell lines that contained these cDNAs. Expression of proteins was detected with immunoblots. Flow cytometric analyses were used to verify the presence of the active and inactive complexes with different antibodies. In addition, a ﬁbrinogen- binding assay was used to determine the inhibition of the active complex by the peptide. Results and discussion: A stable cell line of the co-transfected cDNAs of αIIb, β3 wild type and mutants of β3 (scrambled sequence of the peptide region, replacement of C499A and C512A), expressing the inactive complex on CHO cells, has allowed us to examine the important role of the peptide sequence and the cysteine residues within the peptide. The peptide inhibits the active complex formation and thereby inhibits the binding of FITC-PAC-1 in a dose dependent manner by ﬂow cytometric analyses, as well as binding of [3H]-ﬁbrinogen. In addition, creation of a second stable cell line containing wild type αIIb and the mutated region of β3 (residues 499–513) shows that the binding of FITC-PAC-1 and [3H]-ﬁbrinogen on the mutant activated complex was much lower than the wild type activated complex. Our results indicate that the region 499–513 in β3 is one of the important sites for αIIb/β3 active complex formation and the cysteines play an important role in the process.
Concentration and quantification of somatic and F+ coliphages from recreational waters

Somatic and F+ coliphages are promising alternative fecal indicators, but current detection methods are hindered by lower levels of coliphages in surface waters compared to traditional bacterial fecal indicators. We evaluated the ability of dead-end hollow fiber ultrafiltration (D- HFUF) and single agar layer (SAL) procedure to concentrate and enumerate coliphages from 1L and 10L volumes of ambient surface waters (lake, river, marine), river water with varying turbidities (3.74-118.7 NTU), and a simulated combined sewer overflow (CSO) event. Percentage recoveries for surface waters were 40-79% (somatic) and 35-94% (F+). The method performed equally well in all three matrices at 1L volumes, but percent recoveries were significantly higher in marine waters at 10L volumes when compared to freshwater. Percent recoveries at 1L and 10L were similar, except in river water where recoveries were significantly lower at higher volume. In highly turbid waters, D-HFUF-SAL had a recovery range of 25-77% (somatic) and 21-80% (F+). The method produced detectable levels of coliphages in diluted wastewater and in unspiked surface waters, emphasizing its applicability to CSO events and highlighting its utility in recovery of low coliphage densities from surface waters. Thus D-HFUF-SAL is a good candidate method for routine water quality monitoring of coliphages.
Management of skin and subcutaneous tissue in complex open abdominal wall reconstruction

Open abdominal wall reconstruction is often a complex endeavor, usually performed on patients with multiple risk factors and co-morbidities. In this article, we review soft tissue management techniques that can optimize the skin and subcutaneous tissue, with the goal of reducing surgical-site occurrences. Regardless of the hernia repair technique used, outcomes can be highly dependent on the appropriate management of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Indeed, dehiscence and surgical-site infection can jeopardize the entire reconstruction, especially in cases where synthetic mesh might become exposed and/or infected, setting up a “vicious cycle” (Holihan et al. in J Am Coll Surg 221:478–485, 2015). Multidisciplinary cooperation between the general and plastic surgeon is useful in cases of tenuous blood supply to the abdominal skin, in cases of redundant, marginal or excessive skin, and in cases of deficient skin.
Cryogenic-DRAM based memory system for scalable quantum computers: a feasibility study

A quantum computer can solve fundamentally difficult problems by utilizing properties of quantum bits (qubits). It consists of a quantum substrate, connected to a conventional computer, termed as control processor. A control processor can manipulate and measure the state of the qubits and act as an interface between qubits and the programmer. Unfortunately, qubits are extremely noise-sensitive, and to minimize the noise; qubits are operated at cryogenic temperatures. To build a scalable quantum computer, a control processor which can work at cryogenic temperatures is essential [3, 14]. In this paper, we focus on the challenges of building a memory system for a cryogenic control processor. A scalable quantum computer will require large memory capacity for storing the program and the data generated by the quantum error correction. To this end, we evaluate the feasibility of cryogenic DRAM-based memory system by characterizing commercial DRAM modules at cryogenic temperatures. In this paper, we report the minimum operational temperature for 55 DIMMs (consisting of a total of 750 DRAM chips) and analyze the error patterns in commodity DRAM devices operated at cryogenic temperatures. Our study shows that a significant fraction of DRAM chips continue to work at temperatures as low as 80K. This study is an initial step towards evaluating the effectiveness of cryogenic DRAM as a main memory for quantum computers.
Guest control of a hydrogen bond-catalysed molecular rotor

Herein, the control of a molecular rotor using hydrogen bonding guests is demonstrated. With a properly positioned phenol substituent, the N-arylimide rotors can form an intramolecular hydrogen bond that catalyses the rotational isomerization process. The addition of the guests disrupts the hydrogen bond and raises the rotational barrier, slowing the rotation by two orders of magnitude.
Opioid-mediated Neutrophil Microparticle Production and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation Cause Vascular Damage

Background Opioid-receptors are found on leukocytes within and outside the central nervous system. Inflammation and interleukin (IL)-1β, in particular, play major roles in addiction. Because IL-1β must be packaged within extracellular vesicles for transport, we hypothesized that opioids stimulate production of microparticles (MPs). Methods Human and murine neutrophil MPs production were assessed by flow cytometry in response to morphine and hydromorphone ex vivo , and mice were injected with drugs to assess in vivo responses. Results Human and murine neutrophils generate MPs high in IL-1β by a complex oxidative stress response involving mitochondria, NADPH oxidase and nitric oxide synthase-2, similar to that seen with other stimuli (FRBM 106:406, 2017). After 1 hour incubation of 550 murine neutrophils, 0, 0.1, 1, 5 and 10 µM morphine triggered generation of, respectively (mean + SE, n=3, *p + 5, 296 + 34, 1351 + 179*, 2560 + 413* and 3113 + 982* MPs. IL-1β content of MPs was similarly increased such that control MPs had 1.6 + 0.6 pg/million MPs whereas those generated due to 10 µM morphine had 92.8 + 8.1 (p . 01) pg/million MPs. Morphine responses were inhibited by 1 µM naloxone (opioid-receptor antagonist). When injected into mice, morphine and hydromorphone increase blood-borne MPs with surface proteins indicative of production by neutrophils (Ly6G+), microglia (P2Y12 and CD45+) and endothelium (CD31+/CD41-dim). Time-course and dose-responses demonstrated diffuse capillary leak similar to that seen with other stimuli (J Appl Physiol 123:297, 2017) likely due to neutrophil MPs, spinal microglia activation assessed as CD68 expression by immunohistochemistry, and progressive elevations of circulating microglia MPs with repetitive dosing. Conclusion Opioid-receptor stimulation triggers neutrophil oxidative stress, MPs production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Circulating MPs cause vascular injuries and may play a critical role in opioid addiction.
A nonlinear strain rate and pressure-dependent micro-mechanical composite material model for impact problems:

A micro-mechanical composite material model is developed to simulate the behavior of unidirectional composites under impact loading conditions in the nonlinear finite element solver (LS-DYNA®). The...
MEMS stiction supression with sacrificial polystyrene nanoparticles

When suspended elastic microstructures are unexpectedly pinned to their underlying substrates, it results in stiction failures. Over the last couple of decades a wide variety of processing, surface and physical schemes such as anti-stiction coatings, supercritical drying and sacrificial supports [1] have been employed to reduce stiction failure rates in MEMS, but most involve expensive machinery or complex chemical coating procedures or additional patterning. In this paper, we present a new method to suppress stiction during microfabrication with a single inexpensive bath immersion and dry release etch. The bath consists of a suspension of polystyrene nanoparticles approximately 200 nm in diameter. When the samples are dried, the structures collapse on the nanoparticles and not the substrate thus serving as temporary spacers. Finally, the polystyrene nanoparticles are cleanly removed by treating the sample with low-energy O2 plasma for about 75 minutes at 200W. The new method proves to be a simpler and more economical alternative to the existing solutions.
Sustaining biogenic methane release from Illinois coal in a fermentor for one year

Abstract To evaluate coal biogasification in a larger reactor over a longer duration as compared to studies reported so far, a 3-liter fermentor was established. During the one-year study, a nutrient recipe was added three times to sustain methane release from Illinois bituminous coal. The cumulated methane production was 5171 ft3/ton with a methane content of 75.4% on day 365. After the fermentation was terminated, the residual coal and fermentation broth were characterized in detail. Compared to the untreated coal, the treated coal residue appeared to be finer and highly degraded with less carbon but more ash. Based on mass balance, volatile and fixed carbon decreased 15.9% and 29.6%, respectively, using the untreated coal as the baseline. According to GC/MS analysis, the fermentation broth contained mainly three groups of compounds: fatty acids and their derivatives, aromatics, and hydrocarbons. In addition, the fermentation broth was found to have effect on flocculation and contained compounds that possessed surface-active properties. Further investigations are needed to identify these chemicals responsible for these activities and develop ways to further enhance coal biogasification based upon results obtained then.