cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GDNF availability determines enteric neuron number by controlling precursor proliferation

To clarify the role of Ret signaling components in enteric nervous system (ENS) development, we evaluated ENS anatomy and intestinal contractility in mice heterozygous for Ret, GFRalpha1 and Ret ligands. These analyses demonstrate that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurturin are important for different aspects of ENS development. Neurturin is essential for maintaining the size of mature enteric neurons and the extent of neuronal projections, but does not influence enteric neuron number. GDNF availability determines enteric neuron number by controlling ENS precursor proliferation. However, we were unable to find evidence of programmed cell death in the wild type ENS by immunohistochemistry for activated caspase 3. In addition, enteric neuron number is normal in Bax(-/-) and Bid(-/-) mice, suggesting that, in contrast to most of the rest of the nervous system, programmed cell death is not important for determining enteric neuron numbers. Only mild reductions in neuron size and neuronal fiber counts occur in Ret(+/-) and Gfra1(+/-) mice. All of these heterozygous mice, however, have striking problems with intestinal contractility and neurotransmitter release, demonstrating that Ret signaling is critical for both ENS structure and function.
Dyadic Green Function of an Imperfectly-Conducting Dual Waveguide Probe

Single rectangular waveguide probes are frequently employed in characterizing the permittivity of dielectric materials. A new dual rectangular waveguide probe is explored here for simultaneously extracting both permittivity and permeability of a lossy shielding material having dielectric and magnetic properties and backed by a conductor. The material characterization process is facilitated using a magnetic field integral equation formulation which is subsequently solved using the method of moments. The effects of an imperfectly-conducting backing is accommodated through the development of a dyadic Green's function based upon an impedance boundary condition. Experimental measurements of various materials will be performed to validate the analysis.
Analysis of Hybrid Electrothermomechanical Microactuators With Integrated Electrothermal and Electrostatic Actuation

The goal of this paper is to integrate electrothermal and electrostatic actuations in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). We look at cases where these two types of actuation are intimately coupled and argue that such integrated electrothermomechanical (ETM) microactuators have more advantages than pure electrothermal or electrostatic devices. We further propose a framework to model hybrid ETM actuation to get a consistent solution for the coupled mechanical, thermal, and electrical fields in the steady state. Employing a Lagrangian approach, the inhomogeneous current conduction equation is used to describe the electric potential, while the thermal and displacement fields are obtained by solving the nonlinear heat conduction equation and by performing a large deformation mechanical analysis, respectively. To preserve numerical accuracy and reduce computational time, we also incorporate a boundary integral formulation to describe the electric potential in the medium surrounding the actuator. We show through the example of a hybrid double-beam actuator that ETM actuation results in low-voltage low-power operation that could be used for switching applications in MEMS. We also extend the same device toward bidirectional actuation and demonstrate how it may be used to overcome common problems like stiction that occur in MEMS switches.
Retrospective analysis of the impact of HPV status and smoking on mucositis in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

summary Objectives: The standard concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy regimens for patients with oropharyngeal cancer are highly toxic. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has recently emerged as a distinct biological and clinical entity with improved response to treatment and prognosis. A tailored therapeutic approach is needed to optimize patient care. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of HPV and smoking status on early toxicities (primarily mucositis) associated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients with OPSCC. Materials and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 72 consecutive patients with OPSCC and known HPV status treated with concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy at our institution. Treatment-related toxicities were stratified by smoking and HPV status and compared using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: HPV-positive patients had a 6.86-fold increase in the risk of having severe, grade 3–4 mucositis. This effect was preserved after adjusting for patient smoking status, nodal stage, radiotherapy technique and radiotherapy maximum dose. Additionally, HPV status had significant effect on the objective weight loss during treatment and at three months after treatment. Consistently, non-smokers had a significant 2.70-fold increase in the risk of developing severe mucositis. Conclusion: Risk factors for OPSCC modify the incidence of treatment-related early toxicities, with HPV-positive and non-smoking status correlating with increased risk of high grade mucositis and associated outcomes. Retrospective single-institution studies need to be interpreted cautiously. However, this finding is important to consider when designing therapeutic strategies for HPV-positive patients and merits further investigation in prospective clinical trials.
Statistical Analysis of Gas Chromatography Retention Index Database

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is widely used for compound identification in metabolomics. In order to increase the confidence of the compound identification, several retention index databases were developed. Theoretically, retention indices should be systemic-independent and especially be independent from column length, column diameter, and stationary film thickness. To investigate whether the RI database is consistent with these properties, we performed the statistical analysis between RI values and several experimental conditions using parametric and nonparametric methods based on the NIST RI database. Our analysis shows that column class, data type and program type have significant influence on RI values and, interestingly, RI values are significantly correlated to column length, column diameter, and stationary film thickness differently from theoretical properties.
Service differentiation for delay-sensitive applications: an optimisation-based approach

This paper deals with the performance of delay-sensitive applications running over a network that offers multiple classes of service, where the adaption of application rates in response to network feedback is the primary mechanism available for controlling quality of service. We first evaluate the gain in utilisation allowed by the introduction of several classes of service. To this end we compare the pairs of achievable rates, or schedulable regions, for two types of applications with two distinct delay requirements that make use of a single resource, with either no differentiation, simple priority-based differentiation, or earliest-deadline-first (EDF) scheduling-based differentiation. The main observations are that the gain achieved by differentiation is essentially affected by traffic burstiness, and that the two differentiation schemes yield very similar performance.We then consider what feedback information should be sent to traffic sources from different classes, casting the problem in the framework of optimisation-based congestion control. We establish a connection between the sample-path shadow price rationale for feedback synthesis and the rare perturbation analysis technique for gradient estimation in discrete event systems theory. Based on this connection, we propose several marking schemes, for simple priority-based differentiation with a measure of cost based on loss or delay, and also for EDF-based differentiation with loss-based cost. The interaction of these marking algorithms with simple congestion control algorithms is studied via simulations.
Implications of pore microgeometry heterogeneity for the movement and chemical reactivity of CO2 in carbonates

ABSTRACTWe studied the heterogeneity of natural rocks with respect to their pore-size distribution, obtained from mercury-intrusion capillary pressure (MICP) tests, at a scale about one-fifth of the standard plug size (2.5 cm). We investigated two Fontainebleau sandstone and two limestone samples. We found that at the scale of the MICP tests, heterogeneities are practically nonexistent. Still, there are large differences in the capillary curves from one rock type to another. Also, carbonate rocks, unlike Fontainebleau sandstone, show heterogeneities at a scale smaller than the scale used in MICP tests, as seen by the complexity in the mercury saturation versus pressure curves. We used this diversity between the capillary curves and this complexity within a single capillary curve to obtain information about the movement and chemical reactivity of CO2 in carbonates. The method consists of three steps: first, subdividing the carbonate pore system into microstructural facies, each of them having a specific ra...
Who cares for the children? Pediatricians and parental leave

Context.—Evidence suggests that parental leave (PL) benefits child health and infant-parent attachment, yet little is known about how pediatricians view and discuss PL with parents. Objective.—To determine pediatricians' attitudes, practices, and their own use of PL, and how these may vary by gender. Design.—Random mail surveys to 750 male and 750 female pediatricians focusing on attitudes about PL and the discussion of PL. Respondents with children were asked about their own PL use. After stratifying by gender, questions were compared using the chi-square, linear trend, and t test. Logistic regression was used to predict the likelihood of discussing PL. Results.—Forty-four percent of men and 92% of women took time off after the arrival of a new child—a median of 14 days and 67 days, respectively. The majority (55%) believe it is important to discuss PL; however, 8% of men and 24% of women do so (P Conclusion.—Many pediatricians take PL and believe it is an important topic for discussion. Few pediatricians, however, incorporate discussion into their practices. In an era when most children grow up in households where both parents work outside the home, pediatricians should consider discussing with parents this important element of child health.
Correlated imaging with aberration cancellation

We discuss an apparatus capable of producing correlated-photon “ghost” images that cancel all object-induced aberrations in a particular plane and all odd-order aberrations induced by the image-forming optics. We show that both entangled and classically correlated light sources can produce the desired spatial-aberration cancellation.
Regulation of muscle mass by myostatin

Myostatin is a secreted protein that acts as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. During embryogenesis, myostatin is expressed by cells in the myotome and in developing skeletal muscle and acts to regulate the final number of muscle fibers that are formed. During adult life, myostatin protein is produced by skeletal muscle, circulates in the blood, and acts to limit muscle fiber growth. The existence of circulating tissue-specific growth inhibitors of this type was hypothesized over 40 years ago to explain how sizes of individual tissues are controlled. Skeletal muscle appears to be the first example of a tissue whose size is controlled by this type of regulatory mechanism, and myostatin appears to be the first example of the long-sought chalone.
Optical fiber parametric-gain-induced noise coloring and amplification by modulated signals

During its propagation along a fiber, any noise is amplified by the modulated signal through the fiber’s nonlinearity-induced parametric gain. This nonlinear amplification of noise has been previously studied with the assumption that the signal can be approximated as continuous-wave. We present a novel method to analyze the parametric-gain-induced, nonlinear amplification of noise by an arbitrarily modulated signal based on perturbation theory. Because of the nonstationary nature of the output noise after its interaction with the modulated signal, the detailed correlation function is best computed in the frequency domain by assuming a given input bit sequence. The results are validated by split-step Fourier simulation and applied to obtain the probability distribution function of the detector statistics.
Cholesteric diffraction devices with a field-controlled grating vector

Electrically-controlled diffraction gratings are developed on the basis of a cholesteric liquid crystal confined between two transparent electrodes. The electrodes are coated with unidirectionally treated alignment layers. The initial state is planar, with the helix axis oriented normally to the electrodes. The applied field causes reorientation of molecules and creates structures modulated in the plane of the cell. Surface alignment provides unidirectional uniformity of the modulation. The parameters of the modulated structures and light diffraction are controlled by the cholesteric pitch, cell thickness and applied voltages. Diffraction regimes of both Raman-Nath and Bragg types are demonstrated. In the Raman-Nath regime, the electric field allows one to control continuously the deflection angle by changing the periodicity of modulations. This effect can be used in various beam steering devices. The variation in the diffracted beam direction can be more than 20 degrees. Typical working voltages are less than 10V. We present both the experimental results and 3D computer simulations of modulated structures caused by the field.
Complementary feeding: clinically relevant factors affecting timing and composition

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 mo of life followed by optimal complementary feeding are critical public health measures for reducing and preventing morbidity and mortality in young children. Clinical factors, such as birth weight, prematurity, and illness, that affect the iron and zinc requirements of younger infants are discussed. Maternal diet and nutritional status do not have a strong effect on the mineral content of human milk, but physiologic changes in milk and the infants' status determine the dependence of the infant on complementary foods in addition to human milk to meet iron and zinc requirements after 6 mo. The nature of zinc absorption, which is suitably characterized by saturation response modeling, dictates that plant-based diets, which are low in zinc, are associated with low absolute daily absorbed zinc, which is inadequate to meet requirements. Foods with a higher zinc content, such as meats, are much more likely to be sufficient to meet dietary requirements. Current plant-based complementary feeding patterns for older fully breastfed infants in both developed and developing countries pose a risk of zinc deficiency. The strong rationale for the potential benefits of providing meat as an early complementary food, and the examples of successful intervention programs, provide potent incentives to pursue broader implementation programs, with concurrent rigorous evaluation of both efficacy and effectiveness.
Copper-Specific Damage in Human Erythrocytes Exposed to Oxidative Stress

Ascorbate and complexes of Cu(II) and Fe(III) are capable of generating significant levels of oxygen free radicals. Exposure of erythrocytes to such oxidative stress leads to increased levels of methemoglobin and extensive changes in cell morphology. Cu(II) per mole is much more effective than Fe(III). However, isolated hemoglobin is oxidized more rapidly and completely by Fe(III)- than by Cu(II)-complexes. Both Fe(III) and Cu(II) are capable of inhibiting a number of the key enzymes of erythrocyte metabolism. The mechanism for the enhanced activity of Cu(II) has not been previously established. Using intact erythrocytes and hemolysates we demonstrate that Cu(II)-, but not Fe(III)-complexes in the presence of ascorbate block NADH-methemoglobin reductase. Complexes of Cu(II) alone are not inhibitory. The relative inability of Fe(III)-complexes and ascorbate to cause methemoglobin accumulation is not owing to Fe(III) association with the membrane, or its failure to enter the erythrocytes. The toxicity of Cu(II) and ascorbate appears to be a result of site-specific oxidative damage of erythrocyte NADH-methemoglobin reductase and the enzyme's subsequent inability to reduce the oxidized hemoglobin.
A new in vivo capillary assay of coagulation in invertebrates

Greater understanding of insect clotting requires better tests that can be performed in whole, living insects. We found we could collect hemolymph bleeding from wounded Drosophila larvae in microcapillary tubes. The capillary assay showed a difference in the amount of bleeding between feeding and wandering stage third instar larvae, and performed well with clotting mutations. This new in vivo coagulation assay will be helpful for studies of coagulation in Drosophila and other invertebrates.
A Framework for the Development of Technical Requirements for Renewable Energy Systems at a Small-Scale Airport Facility

Airports are key components of the global transportation system and are the subject of continuous sustainability improvements. Promoting clean energy sources and energy-efficient practices can help attain major sustainability goals at airports around the world. Although small airports are greater in number, most of the “sustainability” attention has been given to large airports. Small airports are typically located in rural areas, making them excellent candidates for renewable energy. This paper focuses on the planning and selection of renewable energy systems as a strategic method to reduce energy use and increase electric power reliability at small-scale airport facilities. The target system may use a combination of renewable energy sources to produce electrical power for the on-site facilities. The framework details include methods of energy collection, power production, and energy storage that are environmentally sound. A small airport serving a dual role as a flight training facility was used as case study. In the case study, systems engineering methodology was adapted to the small airport/ renewable energy domain in order to effectively identify stakeholders and elicit user requirements. These, coupled with industrial standards, relevant government regulations, and a priori constraints, are used to derive the initial requirements that serve as the basis for a preliminary design. The proposed framework also contains provisions for an on-site assessment of existing airport energy needs, sources, providers, and location-specific assets and challenges.© 2015 ASME
Process Innovation Through Open BPM (Business Process Management)

Innovation has become a core focus area for all successful organizations. To ensure long-term survival, an enterprise must make innovation part of dayto-day business, thus enabling desired revenue stability and growth. Two major forms of innovation exist: Business Model Innovation and Technology Innovation. Both require the change of existing business processes or the development of new business processes. Business Process Innovation is a key success factor for the next generation enterprise. Companies need to create an environment that encourages and enables process innovation.
Dual Dependency and Property Vacuum: Social Change on the State Socialist Semiperiphery

Drawin mainly on the Hungarian experience, this article places an analysis of the transformations of the property relations of state socialism in the context of the transformations of eastern Europe's longue duree patterns of external dependency.
Leader-follower tracking for a network of gliding robotic fish using dynamic feedback linearization

Gliding robotic fish combine the strengths of both underwater gliders and robotic fish, resulting in long duration of operation and high maneuverability. In this paper we study the distributed tracking of a leader's gliding path, represented by its velocity magnitude and gliding angle, by a multi-agent network when the leader's state is available to only a subset of the followers. The high nonlinearities in the robot's dynamics along with the coupling between its input channels and the gliding path parameters impose significant challenges in controlling the robot. Feedback linearization is one of the popular techniques when dealing with such systems. However, when considering the velocity magnitude and gliding angle of the robot as output, it is not possible to linearize the system using a static feedback control law. Therefore, dynamic feedback linearization is utilized for extending the state space of the robot, which enables the design of a distributed linear controller to solve the leader-follower tracking problem. Distributed estimators are designed for each agent to estimate the synthetic input of the leader and its linearized state. The virtual control for each agent is then mapped back to the actual input in order to track the leader's velocity and gliding angle. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified with simulation results.
The Customer Service Journal: Sensitizing Future Managers

(1996). The Customer Service Journal: Sensitizing Future Managers. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 70-72.
Neurovascular sonography: What price victory?

The article by Friedman and Maitino (1) that appears in this month’s AJNR is quite timely. The authors demonstrate the low rate of neurovascular sonography performance by academic neuroradiologists (11%) who are responsible for the training programs for neuroradiology fellows. When the program
Lessons Learned from Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) Mission Operations

This paper provides an overview of Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) activities and lessons learned during mission operations. Activities described cover the periods of commissioning, prime, and extended mission operations, during which primary and secondary mission objectives were achieved for demonstrating space-to-ground optical communications. Lessons learned cover Mission Operations System topics in areas of: architecture verification and validation, staffing, mission support area, workstations, workstation tools, interfaces with support services, supporting ground stations, team training, procedures, flight software upgrades, post-processing tools, and public outreach.
Making Women’s Medicine Masculine: the rise of male authority in pre-modern gynaecologyMONICA H. GREEN

Monica Green, Professor of History at Arizona State University, has set out to discover when women lost medical control over their own bodies and in so doing tackles other historical questions abou...
Opto-Excited Chaotic Vibration of a Micron-Scaled Cavity

Opto-mechanical vibration of an on-chip oscillator is experimentally excited by radiation-pressure nonlinearity to a regime where oscillation is chaotic. Period-doubling and broad power spectra are measured in spheroidal- and toroidal-resonators.
LAT1 activity of carboxylic acid bioisosteres: Evaluation of hydroxamic acids as substrates

Large neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is a solute carrier protein located primarily in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) that offers the potential to deliver drugs to the brain. It is also up-regulated in cancer cells, as part of a tumor's increased metabolic demands. Previously, amino acid prodrugs have been shown to be transported by LAT1. Carboxylic acid bioisosteres may afford prodrugs with an altered physicochemical and pharmacokinetic profile than those derived from natural amino acids, allowing for higher brain or tumor levels of drug and/or lower toxicity. The effect of replacing phenylalanine's carboxylic acid with a tetrazole, acylsulfonamide and hydroxamic acid (HA) bioisostere was examined. Compounds were tested for their ability to be LAT1 substrates using both cis-inhibition and trans-stimulation cell assays. As HA-Phe demonstrated weak substrate activity, its structure-activity relationship (SAR) was further explored by synthesis and testing of HA derivatives of other LAT1 amino acid substrates (i.e., Tyr, Leu, Ile, and Met). The potential for a false positive in the trans-stimulation assay caused by parent amino acid was evaluated by conducting compound stability experiments for both HA-Leu and the corresponding methyl ester derivative. We concluded that HA's are transported by LAT1. In addition, our results lend support to a recent account that amino acid esters are LAT1 substrates, and that hydrogen bonding may be as important as charge for interaction with the transporter binding site.
SUPERSTRING FERMION VERTEX AND GAUGE SYMMETRY IN FOUR DIMENSIONS

In superstring theory, the conformal fields which correspond to the ground states in the Ramond sector are the spin fields. Our objective is to discuss the properties of these operators, and the four-dimensional nature of the fermion wavefunction which labels the states. We show how the choice of the supercurrent determines the gauge symmetry charges of these massless Ramond ground states. In sect. 2, we describe the BRST expressions of their vertex operators, including the ghost fields in bosonized form; and relate BRST invariance for states in the canonical ghost picture to the physical state gauge conditions of the old covariant formalism. In sect. 3, we compute examples of tree amplitudes. We present a non-standard choice of BRST vertex operators which allow the massless Ramond states to carry non-zero charge under a Yang-Mills gauge symmetry. The BRST invariance of these operators is shown to depend on the ability to define an appropriate supercurrent. In sect. 4, we present alternative constructions of the supercurrent which satisfy the super Virasoro world sheet symmetry with shifted central charge.
Innovative Features of Long-Life Momentum and Reaction Wheel Assemblies

Abstract The future users of spacecraft now being designed and developed have specified and expect that the spacecraft will provide 7 to 10 years of continuous service. In order to obtain this high reliability on the spacecraft stabilizing system, the Draper Laboratory was contracted by RCA Astro-Electronics to design and develop the mechanical portion of a reaction wheel assembly for the Block 5D spacecraft and a momentum wheel assembly for the RCA Satcom spacecraft. These wheel assemblies incorporate a number of innovative features described in the paper. The instruments were designed in a highly efficient configuration (momentum versus size and weight) and include a tuned damper to reduce the transmissibility in order to prevent hearinq damaqe during launch vibration. For long life the ball bearing utilize advanced inertial-instrument bearing technology. Flight experience with both wheel assemblies has been excellent and is described in the paper.
Frequency divide-and-conquer approach to creating ultrabroadband frequency combs in the mid-IR-THz region

We present a new technique for generating frequency combs in the mid-IR with potential extension to the THz spectral range, based on division of the frequency of a pump laser in a subharmonic optical parametric oscillator (OPO). Almost two-octaves-wide, 3–10 μm (30–90 THz) frequency comb with high spectral purity was demonstrated and applied to dual-comb coherent molecular spectroscopy.
AN EXPOSED CHROMATIN STRUCTURE AT THE 5′ END OF EUKARYOTIC GENES

ABSTRACT Several heat-inducible genes in Drosophila exhibit a DNase I-hypersensitive chromatin structure at the 5′ terminus. This exposed structure is present before (and during) induction, and is revealed by digesting gently chromatin in isolated nuclei with DNase I and mapping the sites of cleavage by a simple “indirect end-labelling” technique that involves Southern blotting. The chromatin structure of the rat preproinsulin II gene also shows a similar DNase sensitivity at the 5′ terminus in a rat insulinoma (a beta-cell tumor) but not in rat kidney, liver, brain, or spleen. The region of exposure for preproinsulin II gene chromatin extends 250–300 bp upstream from the 5′ end of the mRNA. The several Drosophila genes encoding the 70,000-dalton heat-shock protein show DNase I hypersensitivity extending to about 200 bp upstream from the 5′ terminus. Preferentially accessible sites in chromatin such as these may function as entry sites for RNA polymerase and control factors, and may be an essential component in the series of regulatory events leading to the initiation of transcription.
Dual Non-Euclidean Norms and Normality Theorem in Plasticity

Functional analysis and the mathematical theory of plasticity both enjoyed flourishing but independent development in the 1950s. Yet little cross fertilization of ideas between mathematicians and engineers in those respective fields took place until almost three decades later. Recent advances in computational approach to optimization have provided a catalyst to combine certain ideas of functional analysis and plasticity, resulting in some new formulations and methods of solutions for more general and complex problems. In this paper, we present the duality of norms in non-Euclidean spaces in connection with a generalized Holder inequality. These mathematical concepts offer a new explanation to the normality relation in plasticity deduced originally from a physical principle. Applications of these ideas to minimax theorems in plasticity and subsequent optimization problems are discussed.
Barter in Coalitionally Structured Economies

In previous chapters we have discussed in detail the properties of Edgeworthian barter processes in finite exchange systems. The main convergence results under the hypothesis of sovereignty of the economic agents, such as the Debreu-Scarf and the Vind-Anderson theorems, show that one may expect that in an exchange system with infinitely many sovereign agents the Edgeworthian barter processes lead to Walrasian equilibrium allocations only.
The Sixth Chapter

[1] And I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals [2] and I heard one of the four beasts say, as it were the noise of thunder, [3] ‘Come and see’. [4] And I saw, and behold, there was a white horse, [5] and he that sat on him had a bow, [6] and a crown was given unto him, [7] and he went forth conquering and for to overcome.
Macroscopic Transport Processes During the Growth of Single Crystals from the Melt

The macroscopic transport of heat, mass, and momentum is important in virtually all materials processing systems and is especially important in crystal growth processes. Due to this importance, the topic has received much attention; a listing of just a few of the more recent reviews of transport phenomena in melt crystal growth is given by refs. [1]–[10]. The primary goal of this paper is to discuss the effects of macroscopic transport on the growth of crystals from the melt. While transport processes are extremely important in many other types of crystal growth systems, such as vapor growth [11]–[14] and growth from solution [15], it is hoped that those interested in these systems will still find the ensuing discussion valuable. The fundamental nature of continuum transport is similar for all crystal growth processes; however, the specific effects often differ dramatically for each system.
Proactive control of implicit bias: A theoretical model and implications for behavior change.

Four experiments examined the effect of proactive control on expressions of implicit racial bias. Whereas reactive control is engaged in response to a biasing influence (e.g., a stereotype, temptation, or distraction), proactive control is engaged in advance of such biases, functioning to strengthen task focus and, by consequence, limiting the affordance for a bias to be expressed in behavior. Using manipulations of response interference to modulate proactive control, proactive control was found to eliminate expressions of weapons bias, prejudice, and stereotyping on commonly used implicit assessments. Process dissociation analysis indicated that this pattern reflected changes in controlled processing but not automatic associations, as theorized, and assessments of neural activity, using event-related potentials, revealed that proactive control reduces early attention to task-irrelevant racial cues while increasing focus on task-relevant responses. Together, these results provide initial evidence for proactive control in social cognition and demonstrate its effectiveness at reducing expressions of implicit racial bias. Based on these findings and past research, we present a model of proactive and reactive control that offers a novel and generative perspective on self-regulation and prejudice reduction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
Toward a functional understanding of the North American Old Copper Culture “technomic devolution”

Abstract North America's Old Copper Complex (4000-1000 B.C.) is a unique event in archaeologists' global understanding of prehistoric metallurgic evolution. For millennia, Middle and Late Archaic hunter-gatherers around the North American Upper Great Lakes region regularly made utilitarian implements out of copper, only for these items to decline in prominence and frequency as populations grew and social complexity increased during the Archaic to Woodland Transition. Yet, it may be reasonably asked whether these demographic and social factors are the only, or predominant, factors contributing to this evolutionary pattern. To answer this question, we initiated an extensive archaeological experimental program comparing replica copper tools versus analogous ones made of stone or bone ones to better understand whether relative functional efficiency also contributed to the decline of utilitarian copper implements. We present here the first of these experiments, a controlled ballistics study that examined how well copper projectile points penetrated a target relative to stone points. Our results showed that on average, copper projectile points did not penetrate our experimental target significantly shallower than stone ones; indeed, when mass is controlled there is evidence that copper points can penetrate substantially deeper. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that functional efficiency did not play a role in the decline of utilitarian tools at the end of the Old Copper Culture, although future assessments of functional efficiency should consider the role, costs, and benefits of production efficiency and skill acquisition in copper- and stone-tool making.
Analysis of thermo-active foundations for office buildings

Abstract Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) have been widely used to heat and cool buildings. However, the installation costs of GSHPs with vertical boreholes can be significant and may result in reducing their cost-effectiveness relative to other conventional heating and cooling systems. As alternatives to GSHPs, thermos-active foundations (TAFs) have lower installation costs but similar thermal performance. This paper provides a simplified analysis approach using the G-function method specific to TAF systems. In particular, G-functions have been determined with various thermal pile shapes to predict the short-term and the long-term performance of TAFs. As part of analysis outlined in the paper, the G-functions are integrated in a whole-building simulation tool to compare the energy efficiency and cost effectiveness of TAFs and GSHPs to conventional VAV systems for office buildings in three US climates. It is found that TAFs have slightly better energy efficiency but are significantly more cost effective than both GSHPs and variable air volume (VAV) systems in all the US climates considered in the analysis.
Combined Bcl-2/Src inhibition synergize to deplete stem-like breast cancer cells.

Abstract Breast cancer cells with stem cell properties play an important role in tumor progression and thus are key targets for therapy. Here, we show that combined Bcl-2/Src inhibition synergize to deplete stem-like cells. While Src inhibition increases pro-apoptotic PUMA, we find that a significant amount interacts with Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, promoting resistance to cell death. Consistent with this, the clinically-approved Bcl-2 selective drug venetoclax was sufficient to overcome resistance by preventing PUMA/Bcl-2 binding, enhancing apoptosis. This effect was specific to stem-like breast cancer cells as there was no effect on luminal or basal-like cell types. In contrast, the Mcl-1 inhibitor S63845 potently targeted basal-like, but not stem-like cells, highlighting dependency on distinct sentinel Bcl-2 family members. Our findings reveal Bcl-2/Src inhibition as a superior therapy to target stemness, providing a foundation for a potential personalized strategy to reduce breast cancer progression.
Representations of the amacrine cell population underlying retinal motion anticipation

Retinal amacrine cells are a diverse population of inhibitory interneurons, posing a challenge to understand the specific roles of those interneurons in computations of the similarly diverse ganglion cell population. Here we record from both populations simultaneously in the salamander retina to study the predictive computation of motion anticipation, which is thought to compensate for processing delays when encoding moving objects. We recorded the membrane potential of the amacrine cell population optically while recording electrically from ganglion cells with a multielectrode array. By correlating thousands of amacrine and ganglion cell pairs, we modeled the contribution of the traveling wave of activity for different amacrine cell populations to the encoding of a moving bar. We find that the population responses of slow transient amacrine cells can quantitatively account for ganglion cell motion anticipation, supporting a role for this specific amacrine cell class in the predictive encoding of moving stimuli.
Teaching Retail Math to Generation Z: A Student-Centered Approach to Retail Math

With the classroom changing from Millennials to Generation Z, teaching retail math requires a new approach to entice Generation Z in the learning environment. A practical approach in teaching retail math to the transitional Millennials to Generation Z benefits the students and the instructor. By creating a student-centered project and incorporating a problem-based learning approach in the class, students' interest in the content and learning increases in the retail math class. Problem-based learning allows the instructor to present the theory and techniques that are needed for the students, have the student practice their learning through formative and summative learning, and apply all the knowledge that they accumulated to the 6-month final student project. The result shows that students are more engaged with the course content and can reference the final project on the job market. Using a student-centered approach showed an increase in overall engagement and test scores.
Pilot Survey: Police Understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This piliot study assessed the experiences of police officers related to persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) via a survey assessing prior experience, comfort, knowledge, and ability to identify autistic persons. Fifty-one officers completed the survey: 52.9% reported previous ASD training, 34.8% reported personal experience with ASD, and 56.9% endorsed low overall knowledge of ASD. Officers reported neutral comfort (mean 3.24) and moderate practical knowledge (mean 3.74) [Likert scale 1–5; 5 = highest]. Those with previous training or with personal experience reported higher comfort and knowledge. Those with personal experience were more likely to recognize features of ASD in clinical vignettes. Further study is necessary to understand what additional training about ASD may be helpful to police officers.
3 Weanling Thoroughbred mitochondrial profiles are related to race performance metrics

Few physiological markers have been identified to predict performance potential in juvenile horses. Within racing, performance is difficult to quantify due to variations in track conditions and participant caliber; metrics such as speed figures and dosage profiles (DP) are used to overcome some of these challenges. To test the hypothesis that weanling mitochondrial profiles are associated with performance indices, gluteus medius samples were collected from racing-bred Thoroughbred weanlings (99 fillies, 90 colts; mean ± SD; 6.0 ± 0.6 mo) and analyzed for mitochondrial enzyme activities via colorimetry, and for oxidative (P) and electron transport (E) capacities via high-resolution respirometry. Dosage profiles, which include influence of speed and stamina, dosage index, and center of distribution were determined from each horse's pedigree. Associations were evaluated by regression of these dependent variables on mitochondrial profile measures. The mixed linear models included sex, year, farm, and the farm × year interaction as fixed effects; effects with significance of P > 0.2 were removed from each model. Sire was included as a random effect. Data are presented as regression coefficients ± SE. Dosage index was negatively associated with integrative (relative to mg tissue) P with complex I (PCI; −0.02 ± 0.01; P = 0.04), positively associated with intrinsic (relative to citrate synthase activity; CS) E with complex II only (ECII; 0.50 ± 0.21; P = 0.02), tended to be positively associated with intrinsic P with complexes I+II (PCI+II; 0.26 ± 0.15) and intrinsic maximum E (ECI+II; 0.24 ± 0.14; P ≤ 0.08), and tended to be negatively associated with the contribution of PCI to ECI+II (−2.70 ± 1.47; P = 0.06). Stamina points were positively associated with CS activity (0.021 ± 0.008) and integrative PCI (0.011 ± 0.004; P ≤ 0.02), negatively related with intrinsic ECII (−0.23 ± 0.09; P = 0.02), and tended to be negatively related with intrinsic PCI+II (−0.13 ± 0.07) and intrinsic ECI+II (−0.12 ± 0.06; P ≤ 0.08). Racing records were available on a subset of horses (n = 30). The career-best speed figure for each horse was positively associated with integrative (relative to mg protein) mitochondrial function (cytochrome c oxidase activity; 1.83 ± 0.62; P = 0.006) and negatively related with integrative mitochondrial leak (−2.40 ± 1.13) and the contribution of leak to ECI+II (−170.73 ± 68.61; P ≤ 0.05). Relationships between DP and mitochondrial phenotypes may offer insight into mitochondrial profiles of horses that are best suited for specific disciplines or specialties within a discipline, but these results should be confirmed in a larger cohort of horses.
ICONS: Imitation CONStraints for Robot Collaboration

Skill imitation has been an important ability in human-robot collaboration since it allows expeditious robot teaching of new tasks never seen before. To mimic the human pose, inverse kinematic solvers have been used to endow kinematic structures with human-like motion. Nevertheless, these solutions tend to be formulated for a specific robot or task. To address this generalization issue, this work presents the ICONS framework for imitation constraints, which proposes a general formulation for pose imitation, paired with a computationally efficient solver, inspired by the FABRIK algorithm. Three versions of the solver were developed to optimize the presented constraints. To assess the performance of ICONS, two tasks were evaluated, an incision task, and an assembly task. Fifty demonstrations were collected for each task. We compared the performance of our method, using pose accuracy and occlusion, against the numerical solver baseline (FABRIK). Notably, the ICONS framework improved the pose accuracy by 58% and reduced the environment occlusion by 38%. Moreover, the computational efficiency of the ICONS framework was assessed. Results show that the proposed algorithm maintains the efficiency of the baseline, finding the target solution under 10 iterations.
Zina, Transnational Feminism, and the Moral Regulation of Pakistani Women

Introduction: Locating the Issue 1 Native Informing on the Zina Ordinance 2 Contextualizing the Zina Ordinance 3 Speaking to the Women 4 Disobedient Daughters, Errant Wives, and Others 5 Current Challenges to the Zina Ordinance 6 A Politics of Transnationality and Reconfigured Native Informing Notes References Index
Distributing Regional Services Costs

Regional systems to provide urban services must be designed not only on the basis of cost effectiveness but also with regard to a proper distribution of costs among the participants. The cost distribution should be equitable and stable (in the sense that incentives for groups to break away and form separate systems are minimized). Concepts of n-person cooperative game theory are utilized to develop quantitative measures of equity and stability. These measures are incorporated into linear programming models that allow explicit equity-stability tradeoffs to be made in distributing the costs of the least-cost regional service plan. Examples that demonstrate the use of the methods are provided.
Reflections on TCCRISLS 2014: Roundtable on Learning-Oriented Assessment in Language Classrooms and Large-Scale Assessment Contexts

In this forum, we invited seven contributors to reflect upon the trend of LOA as portrayed in TCCRISLS 2014. Lauren Wyner overviews the nature of learning-oriented assessment from a historical perspective. Melissa Renee Smith discusses the importance of the contextual dimension in the LOA framework, and how it was addressed at the Roundtable. Catherine Heil touches upon the proficiency dimension through the lens of learner KSAs (i.e., knowledge, skills, and abilities). Jorge Beltran examines the learning dimension in LOA by looking at the interrelationships between learning, teaching, and assessment. Anna Ciriani Dean discusses the role of the interactional dimension and illustrates how interaction exists both within and beyond the classroom settings. Michelle Stabler-Havener takes on one of the least discussed and yet the most fundamental− the affective dimension− and talks about how affect influences not only the learning process, but also teaching as well as test administration. Last but not least, Siân Morgan adopts an integrated approach by examining how several dimensions of LOA can be found in large-scale testing, in particular the Cambridge English Language Assessment.
Specialized Hardware for Deep Network Packet Filtering

Many computer network provide limited security through simple firewall feature in router and switch. Some networks that require higher security use deep packet filter to capture packets that can not be detected by simple firewall. Deep packet filters use list of rules for determining safety of packets. There is a high degree of parallelism in processing these rules because each rule represent independent pattern matching process. We find that the underlying architecture for existing software and hardware firewalls do not fully take advantage of this parallelism. Thus, we design a deep packet filtering firewall on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) to take advantage of the parallelism while retaining its programmability. Our implementation is capable of processing over 2.88 gigabits per second of network stream on an Altera EP20K series FPGA without manual optimization.