cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blind identification and equalization of MA channels for QAM communication signals

Presents a new method for blind identification and equalization of moving average (MA) channels for QAM communication signals. Previous results on identifiability of nonminimum-phase MA systems show that the statistics of second-order cyclostationarity at the output are sufficient for identifiability of almost all such systems. Consequently, a new method using only second-order statistics of cyclostationarity in a least-squares framework is proposed. The method can also be interpreted as maximizing the conditional likelihood of the received data under reasonable assumptions. >
H2S concentrations in the arterial blood during H2S administration in relation to its toxicity and effects on breathing

Our aim was to establish in spontaneously breathing urethane-anesthetized rats, the relationship between the concentrations of H2S transported in the blood and the corresponding clinical manifestations, i.e., breathing stimulation and inhibition, during and following infusion of NaHS at increasing rates. The gaseous concentration of H2S (CgH2S, one-third of the total soluble form) was computed from the continuous determination of H2S partial pressure in the alveolar gas, while H2S, both dissolved and combined to hemoglobin, was measured at specific time points by sulfide complexation with monobromobimane (CMBBH2S). We found that using a potent reducing agent in vitro, H2S added to the whole blood had little interaction with the plasma proteins, as sulfide appeared to be primarily combined and then oxidized by hemoglobin. In vivo, H2S was undetectable in the blood in its soluble form in baseline conditions, while CMBBH2S averaged 0.7 ± 0.5 μM. During NaHS infusion, H2S was primarily present in nonsoluble form in the arterial blood: CMBBH2S was about 50 times higher than CgH2S at the lowest levels of exposure and 5 or 6 times at the levels wherein fatal apnea occurred. CgH2S averaged only 1.1 ± 0.7 μM when breathing increased, corresponding to a CMBBH2S of 11.1 ± 5.4 μM. Apnea occurred at CgH2S above 5.1 μM and CMBBH2S above 25.4 μM. At the cessation of exposure, CMBBH2S remained elevated, at about 3 times above baseline for at least 15 min. These data provide a frame of reference for studying the putative effects of endogenous H2S and for testing antidotes against its deadly effects.
c-Myb and core-binding factor/PEBP2 display functional synergy but bind independently to adjacent sites in the T-cell receptor delta enhancer.

A T-cell-specific transcriptional enhancer lies within the Jd3-Cdintron of the human T-cell receptor dgene. We have previously shown that a 30-bp element, denoted dE3, acts as the minimal TCR denhancer and that within dE3, adjacent and precisely spaced binding sites for core-binding factor (CBF/PEBP2) and c-Myb are essential for transcriptional activity. These data suggested that CBF/PEBP2 and c-Myb synergize to mediate transcriptional activity but did not establish the molecular basis for synergy. In this study, we have examined in detail the binding of CBF/PEBP2 and c-Myb to dE3. We found that CBF/PEBP2 and c-Myb could simultaneously occupy the core site and one of two overlapping Myb sites within dE3. However, equilibrium binding and kinetic dissociation experiments suggest that the two factors bind to dE3 independently, rather than cooperatively. This was found to be true by using isoforms of these factors present in extracts of transfected COS-7 cells, as well as the natural factors present in nuclear extracts of the Jurkat T-cell line. We further showedthatCBF/PEBP2andc-Mybprovideuniquetransactivationfunctions,sincethecore-Mybcombination cannot be substituted by dimerized core or Myb sites. We propose that spatially precise synergy between CBF/PEBP2 and c-Myb may result from the ability of the two factors to form a composite surface that makes unique and stereospecific contacts with one or more additional components of the transcriptional machinery.
Development of a streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase procedure for the detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus antigen in porcine lung.

Boos J, Esiri MM: 1986, Pathological features of encephalitis. In: Viral encephalitis: pathology, diagnosis and management, pp. 1-27. Blackwell Scientific, Boston, MA. Calisher CH: 1983, Taxonomy, classification, and geographic distribution of California serogroup bunyaviruses. Prog Clin Biol Res 123:1-16. Craig GB Jr: 1983, Biology of Aedes triseriatus: some factors affecting control. Prog Clin Biol Res 123:329-341. Defoliart GR: 1983, Aedes triseriatus: vector biology in relationship to the persistence of La Crosse virus in endemic foci. Prog Clin Biol Res 123:89-104. Early E, Peralta PH, Johnson KM: 1967, A plaque neutralization method for arboviruses. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 12:5741747. Godsey MS Jr, Amoo F, Yuill TM, Defoliart GR: 1988, California serogroup virus infections in Wisconsin domestic animals. Am J Trop Med Hyg 39:409-416. 11.
Further Analysis of High-Order Overset Grid Method with Applications

A parallel, high-order, overset-grid method is examined for use in ∞uid dynamics and aeroacoustics. This approach, which couples the accuracy and decreased grid-point requirements of high-order methods with the geometric ∞exibility of oversetgrid methods, is demonstrated by its application on three benchmark-type problems. These include the inviscid convection of a vortex in an otherwise uniform mean ∞ow, the scattering of acoustic waves by a conflguration of three circular cylinders, and the viscous, laminar ∞ow over two circular cylinders in close proximity at a Reynolds number of 100. Particular attention is paid to the efiect that the one-sided difierencing and flltering algorithms employed near computational boundaries has on the overall solution accuracy. The impact that the order of the interpolation used at overset grid boundaries has on the solution accuracy is also investigated. The results obtained here show that high-order one-sided fllters and interpolation methods are required to obtain the maximum beneflt from the high-order overset-grid approach.
Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic History of North American Vegetation

Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic History of North American Vegetation, Alan Graham, 1999, Oxford University Press, New York, 350 p. (Hardcover, $95) ISBN: 0-19-511342-X There has long been a need for a technical book on the Cretaceous and Cenozoic paleobotany of North America. Although other books have been written at the layperson's level, the recent book Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic History of North American Vegetation by Alan Graham is the first intended for a more advanced audience. The book contains nine chapters, the first four of which review background concepts and methodologies. Chapter one is a descriptive overview of the principle plant formations that comprise the modern vegetation of North America. Concise summaries for each formation concentrate on floristic composition and show the subdivisions into plant associations and regional forest types. Here, and throughout the book, Mexico is excluded from the discussion. The second chapter discusses the factors that potentially have influenced the late Cretaceous and Cenozoic history of North American vegetation. These include: aspects of climate such as El Nino events, Milankovitc variations, 18O/16O ratios, and CO2 concentrations; plate tectonic events such as orogeny, volcanism, land bridges, and exotic terranes; and catastrophes such as asteroid impacts and floods. A flow chart that increases in complexity throughout the chapter emphasizes the potential for dynamic interactions between these many influences on vegetational history. Chapter three, entitled “Context,” covers an array of topics such as the marine paleotemperature curve, global sea level changes, faunal evidence for paleoenvironments and the use of faunas for age determinations, and the concepts of geoflora and paleotropics. Chapter four focuses on the methodological approaches for paleovegetation analysis provided by palynology and paleobotany. A comparison is made between the merits of the “modern analogue method,” which uses the ecological distribution of …
The Ethics of Philosophizing: Ideal Theory and the Exclusion of People with Severe Cognitive Disabilities

Care ethics is especially responsive to the actual narratives and practices of care. In the first section of this chapter, I consider why an ethics of care exemplifies a non-idealized ethics. I show that both justice-based theories and care-based theories could be thought of as ideal theory or non-ideal theory—the difference is a question of the point of entry into these theories—but a care ethics is more clearly attuned to the actual practices from which it emerges. In the second section, I consider a brand of philosophizing, exemplified by Peter Singer and Jeff McMahan, that depends heavily on idealizations and hypothetical examples. Insofar as they deal with idealizations, they tolerate empirically inadequate descriptions drawn from stereotype. The misrepresentations justify the exclusion of certain individuals who fail ‘to measure up’, namely people with severe cognitive impairment from the status of moral persons. The exclusion of this group from the protection of ‘moral personhood’ comes to seem inevitable, unavoidable, and fully justified only because these philosophers neglect important maxims of responsible, non-arrogant inquiry, maxims drawn from ‘best practices’ in ethical inquiry and ethical practices. In the final section, I suggest that the omissions and problematic conclusions that result from idealizations are truly ethical lapses in the practice of ethics itself.
Tidal Corrections at McDonald and Haleakala

Through about one year and nine months of precise measurements of tidal gravity at McDonald and Haleakala, respectively, amplitude and phase of the principal tidal constituents are resolved in terms of gravimetric factor and phase difference for prediction of the solid earth tidal deformation including perturbation of ocean tides. The solid earth tide alone causes a small phase lag of tidal gravity at both McDonald and Haleakala. The effect of ocean tidal perturbation on tidal gravity at McDonald is relatively smaller than that at Haleakala. The perturbation of ocean tides on tidal gravity at Haleakala causes an increase of the average tidal gravity amplitude of the principal semi-diurnal tidal constituents about 2 percent and an average phase lead about 2 degrees, and a decrease of the average tidal gravity amplitude of the principal diurnal constituents about 3 percent and an average phase lead more than 5 degrees.
Design of a compliant bipedal walking controller for the DARPA Robotics Challenge

This paper provides an overview of the bipedal walking controller implemented on ESCHER, a new torque-controlled humanoid designed by Virginia Tech to compete in the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). The robot's compliant control approach relies on an optimization-based inverse dynamics solver proposed in a previous publication. This work presents two unique features to improve stability on soft and uncertain terrain, developed in preparation for the dirt track and stairs task at the DRC Finals. First, a step adjustment algorithm is introduced to modify the swing foot position based on the divergent component of motion (DCM) error. Second, a simple heuristic is introduced to improve stability on compliant surfaces such as dirt and grass by modifying the design of the center of pressure (CoP) trajectory. The proposed approach is validated through DRC-related experiments demonstrating the robot's ability to climb stairs and traverse soft terrain.
Elastica Supported at Midpoint by a Spring

A thin strut or elastica is transversely supported at its midpoint by a linearly elastic spring. A comprehensive force is directed along the undeformed axis of the strut, and the hinged supports are restrained to move along this axis. The effect of the spring on the character of buckling and the deformed shape of the elastic strut are investigated. The exact moment-curvature relationship for the elastica leads to a nonlinear differential equation. Solutions in terms of elliptic functions are found for two cases that differ as to the assumed shape of the buckled strut. Graphs of the deflection of the midpoint and the distance between the supports vs. the comprehensive force are presented. With a lateral spring support, a snap-through type of buckling occurs.
Is Religion and Environmentalism a Complement or a Substitute?: A Club Based Approach

In this article, we analyze the causal link between membership in environmental groups and active participation and membership in religious groups. We use a club-based model and employ OLS and spatial econometrics with controls to test for whether membership and participation in a religious group is a substitute or complement for membership in environmental groups. Instrumental variables estimation was used as a robustness check. We found that religious participation and religious membership in evangelical groups are a substitute for environmental membership. Much of the work on environmental concerns has focused on answers to survey questions, not on membership. We used a dataset of environmental membership at the county level to perform our analysis. We further add quantitative evidence to the discussion by some researchers on the link between religion and environmentalism. In this respect, our work aims to investigate further the causal links between religion and environmentalism.
Daunomycin secretion by killfish renal proximal tubules

Epifluorescence microscopy and video-image analysis were used to measure the uptake of the fluorescent anthracycline daunomycin by intact killifish renal proximal tubules. When tubules were incubated in medium containing 2-5 microM daunomycin, the drug accumulated in the cells and the tubular lumen. At steady state, luminal fluorescence was two to three times greater than cellular fluorescence. Luminal accumulation of daunomycin was reduced when tubules were exposed to the multidrug-resistance (MDR) transporter modifiers verapamil and cyclosporin A (CSA), but not tetraethylammonium (TEA), a model substrate for the renal organic cation transport system. NaCN and vanadate reduced luminal drug accumulation. In contrast, cellular daunomycin accumulation was not affected by verapamil, CSA, TEA, or vanadate and was only slightly reduced by NaCN. When the pH of the buffer solution was decreased from 8.25 to 7.25, luminal, but not cellular, accumulation of daunomycin was again reduced by CSA; however, TEA now reduced cellular and luminal accumulation. These findings are consistent with daunomycin being actively secreted in killifish proximal tubule by two mechanisms. At pH 8.25, daunomycin crossed the basolateral membrane by simple diffusion and was secreted into the tubular lumen by the MDR transporter. At pH 7.25, daunomycin was transported across the basolateral membrane by simple diffusion and carrier-mediated uptake on the organic cation transporter and was secreted into the lumen by the MDR transporter and the organic cation/H+ exchanger.
The Effects of Chemical Functionalization vs. Biological Functionalization on Nanoparticle Binding Affinity

Due to their small size, high diffusivity, and chemically active surfaces, nanoparticles share much in common with water-soluble proteins. These similarities have generated great interest in using biofunctional nanoparticles as a route to deliver targeted therapeutics. Already nanoparticles have found applications in the hyperthermia of tumors, personal care lotions, and tissue scaffolding. Our study focuses on the targeting of such nanoparticles to specific biological sites. It therefore seeks to identify the factors that control the migration and capture of nanoparticles within living systems. In particular, we examine the affinity of anti-collagen coated magnetite nanoparticles for collagen IV-coated surfaces under flow stress. The studies are performed within microfluidic devices that are designed to mimic various fluid flow patterns within the body. We find, in this case, a large background signal due to nonspecific binding. Further examination shows a correlation between chemical functionality (e.g., surface charge, hydrophilicity) that suggests that a balanced approach between biological functionality and chemical functionality may reduce the background from nonspecific binding to acceptable levels.
Renal allograft thrombosis after living donor transplantation: risk factors and obstacles to retransplantation.

INTRODUCTION Early allograft thrombosis is a devastating complication that often leads to graft loss after living donor kidney transplantation. In addition to the psychological effects on donor and recipient, it could make future kidney matches challenging due to sensitization. PATIENTS AND METHODS The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) was queried for adult patients undergoing living donor renal transplantation from 2001 to 2010. Sensitization was defined as a panel reactive antibody of ≥50%. Early allograft thrombosis included events within 30 d of transplantation. RESULTS In multivariable logistic regression, recipient female gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.24, p < 0.001) and right kidneys (OR 1.46, p < 0.001) were associated with increased risk of thrombosis, while increasing recipient age per 10 yr (OR 0.62, p < 0.001) and recipient Asian race/ethnicity (OR 0.34, p = 0.02) were protective. In a time-varying Cox model examining factors affecting the likelihood of retransplantation, the chance of retransplantation was 37% lower (p = 0.01) once patients became sensitized. The median time to sensitization after transplantation was 288 d. CONCLUSIONS Even with relatively brief exposure to foreign antigen, sensitization occurs and delays retransplantation for recipients of living donor kidneys with early allograft thrombosis.
The Problems and Solutions on the Safety of the Grain-production in Henan Province

Grain palays a vital role in the national economy and the peple's livelihood.Henan,being the main province in grain-producting,has entered the hightly-developed period simce China's adopting the opening policy.However,the production of the grain shows the trend of fluctution instead of increase annually.The decrease of cultivated land per people,the unreasonable grain structure,the lack of agriculture assets together with the shortage in labor-force,have a negative impact on the grain production.This paper focuses on the currrent problems in grain production in Henan province,provids the related solutions and gives supersions for furture safety grain production.
A Fair and Intelligent QoS Multicast Routing Mechanism in IP/DWDM Optical Internet

QoS (Quality of Service) and multicast are essential capabilities in IP/DWDM optical Internet. In this pa- per, a fair and intelligent QoS multicast routing mechanism in IP/DWDM optical Internet is discussed. In the proposed mechanism, QoS requirement is denoted by an range to support the flexible and heterogeneous QoS, according to the microeconomics theory and method, a Kelly/PSP-model-based pricing strategy is presented to support the inter-group fairness; the ELSD (Equal Link Split Downstream) method is adopted to apportion the cost among group members, thus the intra-group fairness is provided; based on FCNN (Firing Coupled Neural Network) , an intelligent QoS multi- cast routing algorithm is introduced. Combining the above, a fair and intelligent QoS multicast routing mechanism is es- tablished. Simulation results have shown that the proposed mechanism is both effective and efficient.
Electron beam treatment for potable water reuse: Removal of bromate and perfluorooctanoic acid

Abstract Water reuse is an alternative strategy targeting water shortages. In this study, electron beam (eBeam) irradiation was investigated as a method for removing bromate and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from a synthetic water designed to simulate a treated wastewater intended for potable water reuse. In the absence of oxygen, an exponential model was able to relate bromate concentration to absorbed dose. However, a more complex model was needed to describe PFOA defluorination, so a model was developed that assumed formation of one partially defluorinated intermediate and this model was used to describe the relationship between free fluoride concentration and absorbed dose. Nitrate negatively affected the removal of bromate and the dose constant was inversely proportional to the nitrate concentration as predicted by a simple model that assumes the presence of radical scavengers. In contrast, the presence of nitrate improved the degradation of PFOA, possibly due to formation of oxidizing radicals or by other reactions of nitrate degradation products. Fulvic acid and alkalinity exerted negligible influences on bromate removal. Fulvic acid dampened the defluorination efficiency, probably due to the scavenging of oxidizing radicals such as the hydroxyl radical ( OH). Alkalinity was found to accelerate PFOA defluorination, possibly because of the formation and reactivity of the carbonate radical (CO 3 − ). As pH increased from 5.0 to 7.3, the dose constant for bromate removal increased from 0.45 kGy −1 to 0.69 kGy −1 , but it barely changed when pH was further increased to 9.0. In the presence of oxygen, both contaminants were degraded less efficiently and showed more complex patterns of degradation. Pretreatment to remove dissolved oxygen would probably be needed to apply eBeam in practice for degradation of bromate and PFOA.
Cognición: denominador común para los estudios del lenguaje en las ciencias cognitivas

This paper describes a revision of proposals about the link between language and cognition, starting with some authors of the late 19th century. Subsequently, several approaches were developed about some disciplines of the cognitive sciences. The objectives are to highlight interdisciplinary influence on the formation of theoretical support and to differentiate between two approaches that coexist in linguistics under the auspices of a common denominator, cognitive vision, namely generative proposal and cognitive linguistics. After comparing both viewpoints, it can be concluded that ideas about cognition are even opposite. In this research, it is defended the need to differentiate terminologically between these cognitive visions and it is proposed to refer to them respectively as independent and interdependent (from the cognitive system).
The alpha-1A adrenergic receptor agonist A61603 reduces cardiac polyunsaturated fatty acid and endocannabinoid metabolites associated with inflammation in vivo.

Alpha-1-adrenergic receptors (α1-ARs) are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) with three highly homologous subtypes (α1A, α1B, and α1D). Of these three subtypes, only the α1A and α1B are expressed in the heart. Multiple pre-clinical models of heart injury demonstrate cardioprotective roles for the α1A. Non-selective α1-AR activation promotes glycolysis in the heart, but the functional α1-AR subtype and broader metabolic effects have not been studied. Given the high metabolic demands of the heart and previous evidence indicating benefit from α1A activation, we chose to investigate the effects of α1A activation on the cardiac metabolome in vivo. Mice were treated for 1 week with a low, subpressor dose of A61603, a highly selective and potent α1A agonist. Cardiac tissue and serum were analyzed using a non-targeted metabolomics approach. We identified previously unrecognized metabolic responses to α1A activation, most notably broad reduction in the abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and endocannabinoids (ECs). Given the well characterized roles of PUFAs and ECs in inflammatory pathways, these findings suggest a possible role for cardiac α1A-ARs in the regulation of inflammation and may offer novel insight into the mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective benefit of selective pharmacologic α1A activation.
Fast depth estimation using semi-global matching and adaptive stripe-based optimization

Depth estimation is one of the essential components in many computer vision applications such as 3D scene reconstruction and stereo-based object detection. In such applications, the overall quality of the system highly depends on the quality of depth maps. Recently, several depth estimation methods based on semi-global matching (SGM) have been proposed because SGM provides a good trade-off between runtime and accuracy in depth estimation. In addition, non-parametric matching costs have drawn a lot of attention because they tolerate all radiometric distortions. In this paper, a depth estimation method based on the Census transform with adaptive window patterns and stripe-based optimization has been proposed. For finding the most accurate depth value, adaptive length optimization paths via multiple stripes are used. A modified cross-based cost aggregation technique is proposed which adaptively creates the shape of the cross for each pixel distinctly. In addition, a depth refinement algorithm is proposed which fills the holes of the estimated depth map using the surrounding background depth pixels and sharpens the object boundaries by applying a trilateral filter to the generated depth map. The trilateral filter uses the curvature of pixels as well as texture and depth information to sharpen the edges. Simulation results indicate that the proposed methods enhance the quality of depth maps while reducing the computational complexity compared to the existing SGM-based depth estimation methods.
Photonic aided subnoise microwave signal detection

Signals hiding amongst a high level of noise present both basic and practical detection challenges. These challenges become significantly worse when the signal is transient, eliminating standard averaging techniques. The use of optical frequency combs to circumvent these detection challenges is discussed.
Cerebellar contributions to biological motion perception in autism and typical development

Growing evidence suggests that posterior cerebellar lobe contributes to social perception in healthy adults. However, they know little about how this process varies across age and with development. Using cross-sectional fMRI data, they examined cerebellar response to biological (BIO) versus scrambled (SCRAM) motion within typically developing (TD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples (age 4-30 years old), characterizing cerebellar response and BIO > SCRAM-selective effective connectivity, as well as associations with age and social ability. TD individuals recruited regions throughout cerebellar posterior lobe during BIO > SCRAM, especially bilateral lobule VI, and demonstrated connectivity with right posterior superior temporal sulcus (RpSTS) in left VI, Crus I/II, and VIIIb. ASD individuals showed BIO > SCRAM activity in left VI and left Crus I/II, and bilateral connectivity with RpSTS in Crus I/II and VIIIb/IX. No between-group differences emerged in well-matched subsamples. Among TD individuals, older age predicted greater BIO > SCRAM response in left VIIb and left VIIIa/b, but reduced connectivity between RpSTS and widespread regions of the right cerebellum. In ASD, older age predicted greater response in left Crus I and bilateral Crus II, but decreased effective connectivity with RpSTS in bilateral Crus I/II. In ASD, increased BIO > SCRAM signal in left VI/Crus I and right Crus II, VIIb, and dentate predicted lower social symptomaticity; increased effective connectivity with RpSTS in right Crus I/II and bilateral VI and I-V predicted greater symptomaticity. These data suggest that posterior cerebellum contributes to the neurodevelopment of social perception in both basic and clinical populations. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1914-1932, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Some Implications of Distinguishing Between Unexplained Variance That Is Systematic or Random

Because error variance alternatively can be considered to be the sum of systematic variance associated with unknown variables and randomness, a tripartite assumption is proposed that total variance in the dependent variable can be partitioned into three variance components. These are variance in the dependent variable that is explained by the independent variable, variance in the dependent variable that is unexplained but systematic (associated with variance in unknown variables), and random variance. Based on the tripartite assumption, classical measurement theory, and simple mathematics, it is shown that these components can be estimated using observable data. Mathematical and computer simulations illustrate some of the important issues and implications.
Crowd of individuals walking in opposite directions. A toy model to study the segregation of the group into lanes of individuals moving in the same direction

Abstract Consider a corridor, street or bridge crowded with pedestrians walking in both directions. The individuals do not walk in a completely straight line. They adjust their path to avoid colliding with incoming pedestrians. As a result of these adjustments, the whole group sometimes end up split into lanes of individuals moving in the same direction. While this formation of lanes facilitates the flow and benefits the whole group, it is believed that results from the actions of the individuals acting only on their behalf, without considering others. This phenomenon is an example of self-organization. We analyze a simple model. We assume that individuals move around a two-lane circular track. All of them at the same speed. Half of them in one direction and the rest in the opposite direction. Each time two individuals collide, one of them moves to the other lane. The individual changing lanes is selected randomly. The system self-organizes. Eventually each lane is occupied with individuals moving in only one direction. We show that the time required for the system to self-organize is bounded by a linear function on the number of individuals. This toy model provides an example where global self-organization occurs even though each member of the group acts without considering the rest.
Design Procedure and Selection of TIQ Comparators for Flash ADCs

In this work, we propose a novel procedure to generate and select threshold inverter quantized (TIQ) comparators for TIQ Flash ADCs. The new procedure generates more TIQ comparators than the procedure designed by Lee , Yoo, and Choi (LYC) (Proceedings of International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design, 2002). Two 6-bit TIQ Flash ADCs were designed, the LYC flash ADC, which selects its TIQ comparators using the current threshold selection algorithm, and the AC TIQ Flash ADC, which selects its TIQ comparators using the threshold selection algorithm proposed herein. Both ADCs were designed in $$0.5\,{\upmu }\hbox {m}$$ CMOS technology and compared against the process, voltage source, and temperature (PVT) variations. Proposed TIQ selection procedure allows the designer to select the optimum TIQ set for desired ADC. AC ADC has a DNL values ±0.015 LSB and INL values between $$\pm 0.0225$$ compared to ±0.1 LSB and 0.3 to −0.1 LSB for DNL and INL values of the LYC ADC. ENOB and SNDR for the AC were improved by at least $$31.3\%$$ compared to LYC ADC, at typical process settings. For process, voltage source, and temperature (PVT) variations, in overall the AC ADC has at least better the DNL values by at least $$22.5\%$$ and reduced INL values by at least $$35\%$$ . Over PVT variation, AC ADC has maintained ENOB value greater than 5.3 bits for all 16 variation corners. ENOB was improved by at least 1.5 bits over all corners. SNDR and SFDR were increased by at least 4 dB over the PVT corners. Proposed AC procedure shows scalability feature by generating extra threshold points for the $$65\hbox {-nm}$$ TIQ comparators.
About sharing and commitment: the retrieval of biased and balanced irregular polysemes

We examined how the degree of semantic similarity between an ambiguous word’s meanings (homonyms vs. irregular polysemes) and meaning frequency (biased vs. balanced meanings) interact during lexica...
NASA, Industry, and the Commercial Crew Development Program: The Politics of Partnership

On May 22, 2012, a Falcon 9 rocket owned by an upstart new aerospace company, named SpaceX, blasted off from Cape Canaveral. It carried an unmanned spacecraft known as Dragon. This event marked the successful launch of the world’s first privately developed space-cargo delivery vehicle. Thus began a new chapter in history, nurtured by NASA’s public/private Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. This chapter traces the policy evolution of COTS and its successor, the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. With the expected retirement of the space shuttle (initially 2010, later 2011), NASA had to find a way to get cargo and crew to the International Space Station. Going the “private” route eventually became the chosen strategy. The COTS and CCDev programs illuminate not only public/private relations, but also the politics of innovation in public policy. (W. Henry Lambright)
On generalized centralizer rings of a finite group whose characters are the k-characters

For a finite group G, the k-characters are class function on subsets of Gk called the k-classes of G. For a finite group G, the k-class sums form a basis for a subring of ℂGk which we call the k-S-...
Multiple access interference suppression improvement for DSSS systems using chip waveform shaping

This research characterizes Multiple Access Interference (MAI) effects on a Direct Sequence, Spread Spectrum Multiple Access (DS/SSMA) system performance through simulation in Matlab®, and explores the impact of multiple access code selection and chip waveform shaping on bit error rate (BER) for both synchronous and asynchronous multiple access networks. For synchronous and asynchronous networks, Gold coding improves BER by 7.5 and 4.0 dB, respectively, relative to aperiodic random spreading codes. Synchronous network results show that chip waveform shaping provides no significant BER improvement using either the Blackman or Lanczos shapes. However, asynchronous network results show a potential BER improvement for both the Blackman and Lanczos shapes. These relative changes in BER are directly related / attributed to waveform cross-correlation statistics.
Transmission enhancement of subwavelength grating microlens by tapered nanostructure

The emerging planar subwavelength microlens has attracted wide attention recently. There exists a trade-off in the selection of phase shifter materials for the lens designed with linearly polarized incidence. In this work, we have discovered that it is possible to utilize tapered nanostructure to increase the transmission of phase shifters built with high refractive index materials. A typical grating microlens is demonstrated to examine the effectiveness of taper-enhancement effect—the focus efficiency is increased from 9% to 28% with the properly designed tapered sidewalk Our work will provide a novel method to enhance performance using high refractive index materials in the emerging microlens field.
Dreams and Waking Fantasy

Attempts to investigate the relation of the nocturnal dream to other types of fantasy have been more intriguing than conclusive. Early studies compared morning-after dream reports of individuals with their Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) stories and observed significant thematic resemblance between them (Sarason, 1944; Gordon, 1953; Shulman, 1955). More recent studies employing the sleep laboratory technique of dream collection, however, indicated negligible or inconsistent relations between dreams and TAT stories regarding thematic content, and noted instead some stylistic and structural similarities (Eagle, 1964; Foulkes and Rechtschaffen, 1964; Ben-Horin, 1967; Cartwright, 1969). Reliance on the relatively structured, volitional TAT story as the sole sample of waking fantasy, moreover, has limited the applicability of these research efforts regarding broad questions about the nature of fantasy in waking and sleeping. Upon completing an extensive review of the relevant literature, Klinger (1971) concluded ” . . . the degree of relationship in thematic content between dreams and fantasy is highly dependent on the kind of fantasy. Clearly there is a pronounced need for the study of samples of normal waking fantasy to compare with samples of dreams.”
Cloud-Radiative Feedback as Produced by Different Parameterizations of Cloud Emissivity in CCM2

Cloud-radiative feedback is negative in version 2 of the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM2) in a surrogate climate change as employed in Cess et al. (1990). This negative cloud feedback is due to enhanced longwave emission caused by reduction of high clouds in a warmer climate (Zhang et al., 1994). Since longwave emission from clouds is closely related with cloud emissivities, and there are large uncertainties in their parameterization in the upper troposphere, it is anticipated that emissivity has a large impact on the behavior of cloud-radiative feedback in this model. Intuitively, if cloud emissivity is larger (smaller), the negative longwave feedback is expected to be stronger (weaker). This paper reports a sensitivity study in this line. It shows that negative cloud-radiative feedback in CCM2 becomes weaker when cloud emissivity is either increased or decreased.
Remote physiological monitoring in a Mars Analog field setting

The ability to remotely monitor physiological parameters of individuals while working in an extreme environment is useful for promoting health and safety. There is limited evidence of real-time, re...
IGF1 Brings Growing Pains for T-ALL LSCs.

Summary Hematopoietic progenitors undergo marked shifts during transition from fetal to postnatal life, and the implication of these changes for the cell-of-origin of childhood leukemia are unclear. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Giambra et al. (2018) show that epigenetically regulated IGF1 signaling regulates the ability of fetal-liver- or bone-marrow-derived cells to initiate T-ALL.
"So, where do you come from?" The impact of assumed spatial population structure on estimates of recruitment

Abstract Understanding population dynamics is essential for achieving sustainable and productive fisheries. However, estimating recruitment in a stock assessment model involves the challenging task of identifying a self-sustaining population, which often includes representing complex geographic structure. A review of several case studies demonstrated that alternative stock assessment models can influence estimates of recruitment. Incorporating spatial population structure and connectivity into stock assessment models changed the perception of recruitment events for a wide diversity of fisheries, but the degree to which estimates were impacted depended on movement rates and relative stock sizes. For multiple population components, estimates of strong recruitment events and the productivity of smaller population units were often more sensitive to connectivity assumptions. Simulation testing, conditioned on these case studies, suggested that accurately accounting for population structure, either in management unit definitions or stock assessment model structure, improved recruitment estimates. An understanding of movement dynamics improved estimation of connected sub-populations. The challenge of representing geographic structure in stock assessment emphasizes the importance of defining self-sustaining management units to justify a unit-stock assumption.
Promoting translational research within the global library and information community: access to research dissemination, promotion of timely issues, and professional development through IFLA Journal

Within the global Library and Information Science profession there is often a disconnect between research and practice. IFLA Journal seeks to help bridge this gap through an editorial process and publishing mandate that encourages mixed methods approaches to research that engages librarians and their communities in the research and information dissemination process in order to translate research in a manner that helps to shape impactful professional practice and share outcomes with the wider profession. This article describes ways in which to engage IFLA Journal and participate in some of its ongoing professional development activities.
Navigating Paradigms in Educational Technology

Paradigmatic pluralism in educational technology is a largely unaddressed reality, and we have heretofore not provided guidance to professionals on how to navigate it. Pushing back against mainstream views of scientific progress (e.g., linear, progressive), we must recognize the processes by which paradigms are born, adopted, and rejected and that paradigmatic pluralism reflects deep-seated diversity of ontological, epistemological, and axiological assumptions among our professionals. As a result, our professionals must develop strategies to navigate pluralism, which will be determined by their stance on at least two core issues: (1) Monism vs. Pluralism and (2) Commensurability vs. Incommensurability. We propose that our stances on these issues organize us into four navigation techniques: Specialists, Evangelists, Opportunists, and Multihyphenates. Each technique has benefits and limitations, but we argue that the Multihyphenate technique is the most valuable for the field insofar as it values pluralism, demands rigor, and embraces the contradicting realities that pluralism implies.
Interpretation of optical caustic patterns obtained during unsteady crack growth: an analysis based on a higher-order transient expansion

The optical caustic method is re-examined considering the presence of transient effects. Based on the higher-order asymptotic expansion provided by Freund and Rosakis 1 , regarding the stress field near a non-uniformly propagating crack tip, the caustic mapping and the initial curve equations are derived. The dynamic stress intensity factor, K d I ( t ), is related to experimentally measurable quantities of the caustic pattern by an explicit expression. It is shown that the classical analysis of caustics is a special case of the new interpretation method. The Broberg problem is used as an example problem to check the feasibility of analysing caustics in the presence of higher-order transient terms. It is shown that the caustic patterns are sensitive to transient effects, and that use of the classical analysis of caustics in the interpretation of the optical patterns for this problem may result in large errors in the value of the stress intensity factor, especially at short times after initiation.
Florida Homeowner Herbicide Guide: Considerations, Applications, and Selection

While some people opt for professional lawn maintenance companies, some homeowners may wish to perform their own landscape pest control in order to save money, to have more control of what is applied, or simply because they enjoy it. This EDIS publication is for Florida gardeners, horticulturalists and homeowners who want to utilize herbicides to control weeds in their landscape. This publication discusses common herbicides available at retail stores and how homeowners can use these them safely and effectively.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep575 This publication provides information and general management recommendations for a variety of common weed species found throughout Florida. For a species-specific weed identification guide or information on weed control in turfgrass, visit the EDIS Weed Control directory.
Emblem Gestures Improve Perception and Evaluation of Non-native Speech

Traditionally, much of the attention on the communicative effects of non-native accent has focused on the accent itself rather than how it functions within a more natural context. The present study explores how the bodily context of co-speech emblematic gestures affects perceptual and social evaluation of non-native accent. In two experiments in two different languages, Mandarin and Japanese, we filmed learners performing a short utterance in three different within-subjects conditions: speech alone, culturally familiar gesture, and culturally unfamiliar gesture. Native Mandarin participants watched videos of foreign-accented Mandarin speakers (Experiment 1), and native Japanese participants watched videos of foreign-accented Japanese speakers (Experiment 2). Following each video, native language participants were asked a set of questions targeting speech perception and social impressions of the learners. Results from both experiments demonstrate that familiar-and occasionally unfamiliar-emblems facilitated speech perception and enhanced social evaluations compared to the speech alone baseline. The variability in our findings suggests that gesture may serve varied functions in the perception and evaluation of non-native accent.
How does sanctioning context affect moral emotions and conformity? An examination of criminal identity negotiation in courts and restorative justice conferences

Recent research has shown how identities are affected by, and resistant to, reflected appraisals, or how individuals perceive others view them. Despite renewed interest in criminal identity negotia...
Pilot RNA-seq data from 24 species of vascular plants at Harvard Forest.

Premise Large-scale projects such as the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) collect ecological data on entire biomes to track climate change. NEON provides an opportunity to launch community transcriptomic projects that ask integrative questions in ecology and evolution. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the challenges of collecting RNA-seq data from diverse plant communities. Methods We generated >650 Gbp of RNA-seq for 24 vascular plant species representing 12 genera and nine families at the Harvard Forest NEON site. Each species was sampled twice in 2016 (July and August). We assessed transcriptome quality and content with TransRate, BUSCO, and Gene Ontology annotations. Results Only modest differences in assembly quality were observed across multiple k-mers. On average, transcriptomes contained hits to >70% of loci in the BUSCO database. We found no significant difference in the number of assembled and annotated transcripts between diploid and polyploid transcriptomes. Discussion We provide new RNA-seq data sets for 24 species of vascular plants in Harvard Forest. Challenges associated with this type of study included recovery of high-quality RNA from diverse species and access to NEON sites for genomic sampling. Overcoming these challenges offers opportunities for large-scale studies at the intersection of ecology and genomics.
PSI SBKB Technology Portal: A Structural Biology Web Resource

The Technology Portal of the Protein Structure Initiative Structural Biology Knowledgebase (PSI SBKB; http://technology.sbkb.org/portal/) is a web resource providing methods and tools that can be u...
Room temperature structures beyond 1.5 Å by serial femtosecond crystallography

About 2.5 × 106 snapshots on microcrystals of photoactive yellow protein (PYP) from a recent serial femtosecond crystallographic (SFX) experiment were reanalyzed to maximum resolution. The resolution is pushed to 1.46 A, and a PYP structural model is refined at that resolution. The result is compared to other PYP models determined at atomic resolution around 1 A and better at the synchrotron. By comparing subtleties such as individual isotropic temperature factors and hydrogen bond lengths, we were able to assess the quality of the SFX data at that resolution. We also show that the determination of anisotropic temperature factor ellipsoids starts to become feasible with the SFX data at resolutions better than 1.5 A.