cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imputation of automatic control algorithms and estimation in high-dimensional linear regression

This thesis contains two parts. In the first part, we study a semiparametric imputation method to simulate a time series of blood glucose level under certain closed-loop control algorithm of a diabetic patient equipped with a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump, from the "frozen" measurements under self-adjusted open-loop control. The Star One data set provided by Medtronic Inc illustrates the feasibility of a simple PID algorithm, as an example of automatic control algorithms, in controlling blood glucose levels from the perspective of reducing the A1c level and controlling hypoglycemia risk. In the second part, we consider e1-penalized selection of variables and estimation of regression coefficients in a high-dimensional linear model. Under an e0 sparsity condition on the regression coefficients, we sharpen an upper bound of Candes and Tao [4] for the e 2 loss of the Dantzig selector and extend it to the e q loss and the Lasso. By allowing q = ∞, our bound implies the variable selection consistency of threshold Dantzig selectors. For the estimation of regression coefficients in e r balls, we provide minimax lower bounds for the e q risk and the tail quantiles of the eq loss as well as sufficient conditions on the design matrix and penalty level for the Dantzig and Lasso estimators to attain these minimax rates.
Instructing Adolescents with Learning Disabilities Converting a Meta-Analysis to Practice

A previous meta-analysis indicated that eight instructional factors--Questioning, Sequencing and Segmentation, Skill Modeling, Organization and Explicit Practice, Small-Group Setting, Indirect Teacher Activities (e.g., homework), Technology, and Scaffolding-captured the majority of successful intervention programs for adolescents with learning disabilities (LD). Most important was the Organization/Explicit factor, which contributed significant variance (16%) to effect size. This factor included two important instructional components: advance organization and explicit practice. In this article, we convert these findings into practical guidelines to direct instructional practice.
Measurement of prostaglandin E2 in interstitial fluid from the dog stomach after feeding and indomethacin

The purpose of the study was to develop a method for collecting interstitial fluid bathing the stomach tissues in which prostaglandins could be measured. Hollow dialysis fibers attached at the ends to Silastic tubes were surgically implanted into the submucosa of the gastric fundus and antrum of dogs. The Silastic tubes were exteriorized through the body wall. After full recovery from surgery, the fibers were filled with 5% bovine serum albumin in isotonic saline that was replaced at 5-min intervals. Prostaglandin E2 was measured in the dialysate by radioimmunoassay. In 6 dogs, feeding significantly stimulated the release of prostaglandin E2 into the fundic interstitial fluid from 5.3 ± 0.6 ng · ml-1 to 12.1 ± 1.6 ng · ml-1 (p
Characteristics of Termite Soils from Different Geological Formations in and Around Asbestos Mining Area Andhra Pradesh

Physical, physico-chemical and textural characteristics of soils of termite mounds from two different geological formations in around asbestos mining area of Brahmanapalli, Andhra Pradesh were studied and compared with corresponding adjacent termite free surface soils. Termite mounds soil contain significantly lower bulk density, higher amount of organic matter, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) than that of their corresponding adjacent surface soils.
Technical Perspective: Program synthesis using stochastic techniques

Program synthesis involves discovering a program from an underlying space of programs that satisfies a given specification using some search technique.3 It has many applications including algorithm discovery, optimized implementations, programming assistance,5 and synthesis of small scripts to automate repetitive tasks for end users.4 Its success relies heavily on efficient search algorithms to navigate the underlying huge state space of programs. The authors of the following paper have developed a stochastic search technique and applied it to program optimization. The impressive results of their implementation STOKE on hard program optimization benchmarks illustrate the promising potential of stochastic search to hard program synthesis problems.
The University Grants Committee on the threshold of mass higher education of mass higher education

The paper contrasted the golden era of university-state relations from 1919 to 1962 when the University Grants Committee (UGC) was regarded as an ideal neutral buffer and its informal modes of procedure were widely praised, with events of the past ten years when events emanating from both the state and the UGC have caused increasing malaise inside the university sector and have convinced some academics that the UGC has become an arm of the state. Among the state actions examined were: 1. Mr. Henry Brooke's public rejection of UGC advice concerning the 1962-67 quinquennial grants (1962); 2. the decision to transfer the UGC from the Treasury to the Department of Education and Science (1964); 3. the decision to drop the Joint Permanent Under-Secretaries in the DES, one of whom served the university sector (1965); 4. the decision to encourage academic links between universities and colleges of education, but not to change the latter's fiscal or administrative status, as recommended by the universities (1965); 5. the Woolwich speech on the binary system and the DES White Paper on the Polytechnics, with no university consultation on either (1965); 6. the Government decision to accept the recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee to give the Comptroller and Auditor General access to UGC and university records (1967); 7. Mr. Crosland's announcement of the raise in overseas students fees in the universities (1966/67); 8. the activities of the Select Committee on Education and Science (1969); 9. the report on university salaries of the National Board on Prices and Incomes (1968); 10. Mrs. Shirley Williams' "13 points" for improving university productivity (1969); and 11. The DES Consultative Paper on the financing of student unions (1971). Among the UGC activities examined were: 1. the re-introduction of earmarked grants;
Biology of Ancistrocerus Antilope (Panzer) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Trap-Nests in Wisconsin

An opportunity was taken to study the nesting biology of Ancistrocerous wasps when they were found utilizing trap-nests which had been placed in the field for research primarily with Megachilidae. Most of the trap-nests were located in northern Wisconsin at the Ashland Branch Experiment Station or localities not more than 25 miles distant from the station. This report includes studies which were made during 1952, 1953 and 1954.
Quantity Discounts in Today's Markets:

Now universally expected quantity discounts can be an important component of a firm's marketing strategy. However, companies have discovered that inflation, mergers, and increasingly sophisticated buyers collectively generate higher discount payouts without any increase in volume. Steps can be taken to preserve the benefits originally associated with discount structures. The author outlines the basic features of a computer-assisted method for making these necessary revisions.
Older Adults as Cutaway Bus Passengers: User-Centered Literature Review

This literature review focuses on human factors issues affecting the safe use of cutaway buses (i.e., a bus body carried by a van or truck chassis) by older adults. Cutaway buses are often used as shuttles for assisted living facilities, in demand–response and paratransit services such as dial-a-ride, and in mainstream public transportation and shuttle systems. Because of the scarcity of data gathered specifically on the subject of U.S. cutaway buses, this review uses international statistics on paratransit, demand–response, special transportation services, and dial-a-ride services as substitutes, because these are the areas of public transportation that most frequently use such vehicles. The first section of the report takes a user-centered approach in reviewing some factors related to older adults’ driving cessation and how public transportation systems using cutaway buses help make this life change easier. Also reviewed are the age-related physiological changes that decrease the ability of older adult ...
Changes of Plasma Ghrelin Levels in Children and Adolescents with Growth Hormone Deficiency and Idiopathic Short Stature

Objective To explore the plasma ghrelin levels in children and adolescents with short stature and the role of ghrelin in growth hormone-releasing hormone-growth hormone(GHRH-GH) axis.Methods One hundred and fifty-seven children(115 male,42 female) with short stature were selected.Fasting plasma sample was extracted from 10 mL vemous blood of the children with short stature.Insulin tolerance test and arginine stimulation test was performed initially to differential diagnosis.And blood samples was divided into 3 ca-tegories:37 cases of complete growth hormone deficiency (CGHD),52 cases of partial growth hormone deficiency(PGHD) and 68 cases of idiopathic short stature(ISS) during these two growth hormone(GH)provocative tests.Controls consisted of age and gender-match 20 health children.Plasma ghrelin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay.Serum GH was detected by chemiluminescence method,and serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was measured by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Fasting glucose,insulin,testosterone,estra-diol,luteinizing hormone,follicle-stimulating hormone were measured.Statistical analysis were conducted by using SPSS 11.5 software.Results The fasting ghrelin levels of CGHD group were significantly lower than that of ISS group and control group(Pa0.05),but had no dif-ference with that of PGHD group(P0.05).The ghrelin levels were positive correlated with the stimulated GH peak(r=0.176 P0.05),and were inversely correlated with FSH(r=-0.163 P0.05).No other significant correlation was found(P0.05).Conclusion Ghrelin has an important role on GH secretion and abnormal secretion of ghrelin might be a reason of growth hormone deficiency which due to hypothalamic abnormality.
The Formative Period of Atlantic Relations and the European Pillar, 1948–55

Support for West European unity has been a consistent theme of US foreign policy since the early post-World War II period. Initially shaped by the emerging cold war, American policy advocated unity as a means to end Europe’s fratricidal national rivalries, to promote economic and trade cooperation to advance recovery and political stability, to buttress Western Europe’s capability to resist domestic communist radicalism and external pressures from the Soviet Union, and to stabilise and anchor West Germany within a Western economic and political order. The aim was to consolidate a West European entity as a component of a wider Atlantic community representing the western pole of the emerging bipolar European and global cold war configuration.
Involvement of Tiam1, RhoG and ELMO2/ILK in Rac1-mediated phagocytosis in human trabecular meshwork cells

We previously demonstrated that an αvβ5 integrin/FAK- mediated pathway regulated the phagocytic properties of human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells. Here we demonstrate that this process is mediated by Rac-1 and a previously unreported signaling pathway that utilizes the Tiam1 as well as a novel ILK/RhoG/ELMO2 signaling pathway. Phagocytosis in both a TM-1 cell line and normal HTM cells was mediated by Rac1 and could be significantly decreased by >75% using the Rac1 inhibitor EHop-016. Knockdown of Rac1 in TM-1 cells also inhibited phagocytosis by 40% whereas overexpression of a constitutively active Rac1 or stimulation with PDGF increased phagocytosis by 83% and 32% respectively. Tiam1 was involved in regulating phagocytosis. Knockdown of Tiam1 inhibited phagocytosis by 72% while overexpression of Tiam1 C1199 increased phagocytosis by 75%. Other upstream effectors of Rac1 found to be involved included ELMO2, RhoG, and ILK. Knockdowns of ELMO2, ILK, and RhoG caused a reduction in phagocytosis by 51%, 55% and 46% respectively. In contrast, knockdown of Vav2 and Dock1 or overexpression of Vav2 Y159/172F did not cause a significant change in phagocytosis. These data suggest a novel link between Tiam1 and RhoG/ILK /ELMO2 pathway as upstream effectors of the Rac1-mediated phagocytic process in TM cells.
Research on neighborhood effects on health in the United States: A systematic review of study characteristics

Neighborhood effects on health research has grown over the past 20 years. While the substantive findings of this literature have been published in systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and commentaries, operational details of the research have been understudied. We identified 7140 multi-level neighborhoods and health papers published on US populations between 1995 and 2014, and present data on the study characteristics of the 256 papers that met our inclusion criteria. Our results reveal rapid growth in neighborhoods and health research in the mid-2000s, illustrate the dominance of observational cross-sectional study designs, and show a heavy reliance on single-level, census-based neighborhood definitions. Socioeconomic indicators were the most commonly analyzed neighborhood variables and body mass was the most commonly studied health outcome. Well-known challenges associated with neighborhood effects research were infrequently acknowledged. We discuss how these results move the agenda forward for neighborhoods and health research.
The Nucleotide Excision Repair Pathway Limits L1 Retrotransposition

Long interspersed elements 1 (L1) are active mobile elements that constitute almost 17% of the human genome. They amplify through a "copy-and-paste" mechanism termed retrotransposition, and de novo insertions related to these elements have been reported to cause 0.2% of genetic diseases. Our previous data demonstrated that the endonuclease complex ERCC1-XPF, which cleaves a 3' DNA flap structure, limits L1 retrotransposition. Although the ERCC1-XPF endonuclease participates in several different DNA repair pathways, such as single-strand annealing, or in telomere maintenance, its recruitment to DNA lesions is best characterized in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. To determine if the NER pathway prevents the insertion of retroelements in the genome, we monitored the retrotransposition efficiencies of engineered L1 elements in NER-deficient cells and in their complemented versions. Core proteins of the NER pathway, XPD and XPA, and the lesion binding protein, XPC, are involved in limiting L1 retrotransposition. In addition, sequence analysis of recovered de novo L1 inserts and their genomic locations in NER-deficient cells demonstrated the presence of abnormally large duplications at the site of insertion, suggesting that NER proteins may also play a role in the normal L1 insertion process. Here, we propose new functions for the NER pathway in the maintenance of genome integrity: limitation of insertional mutations caused by retrotransposons and the prevention of potentially mutagenic large genomic duplications at the site of retrotransposon insertion events.
The need to know

The overall objective of this session is to acquaint, indeed impress, the electrical design engineer with the fundamental position that molecular structure occupies with respect to the many questions and problems encountered in the optimal choice and utilization of electrical insulation. The major portion of the session will be devoted to problems encountered in the applition of dielectrics in the gaseous, liquid or solid states with particular emphasis on the relationship between molecular structure and performance.
Spin-orbit-coupled atomic Fermi gases in two-dimensional optical lattices in the presence of a Zeeman field

We investigate the single-particle and collective excitations of a Rashba spin-orbit-coupled atomic Fermi gas with attractive interaction, loaded in a two-dimensional (2D) square optical lattice, in the presence of an effective out-of-plane Zeeman field. Our numerical calculations show that the many-body physics of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) side is strongly modified compared to the Fermi gases in the free space. The physics behind this statement lies in the fact that in the 2D lattice case the single-particle ground-state energy is four times degenerated, while without a lattice structure the ground state is infinitely degenerate, and because of that, the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in optical lattices gives rise to unusual properties entirely different from the continuum. For example, in the continuum, the pairing gap as well as the condensate fraction is strongly enhanced by the SOC strength on the BCS side. In the presence of lattice geometry the gap and the condensate fraction increase as a function of the SOC strength only at small fillings and a weak attraction limit. Moreover, we found that the speed of sound also exhibits different behavior: in the 3D and 2D continua, the slope of the Goldstone mode decreases as a function of the SOC strength, while in the lattice case the speed of sound increases monotonically with the SOC strength.
Metal oxygen levels in rimmed open hearth steel

1. It has been shown that for oxygen practice some of the long-used indicators of metal oxygen level in the open hearth are not as reliable as had been previously supposed. The best readily available relationship for this purpose appears to be that between carbon and oxygen. 2. Data have been presented from which the relationship between carbon, oxygen, and the intensity of the rimming action may be interpreted. It has been shown that there is no correlation between carbon-oxygen product and delayed rimming. This phenomenon appears to be related to the interaction between temperature, metallic deoxidizers, and the driving force for the C-O reaction.
MiRNA Quantitation with Microelectrode Sensors Enabled by Enzymeless Electrochemical Signal Amplification

Quantification of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) is of great interest because of their potentials as disease biomarkers. Currently, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and microarray are considered mainstream techniques for miRNA identification and quantitation. However, these techniques are challenged by the low levels and wide dynamic range (from aM to nM) of miRNAs in a physiological sample, as well as the difficulty in the implementation in point-of-care settings. Here, we describe a one-step label-free electrochemical sensing technique by assembling a triple-stem DNA-redox probe structure on a gold microelectrode and introducing a reductant, tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP) in the detection buffer solution to achieve ultrasensitive miRNAs detection with a detection limit of 0.1 fM.
Collaborative Learning in a Large Scale Computer Conferencing System

Computer conferencing systems have been used for the last ten years by educational institutions at all levels, sometimes as an informal medium, sometimes as complementary, sometimes even as the only mechanism for delivering education. However, few educational organisations have used conferencing intensively for activities such as information exchange, brainstorming, project coordination, problem solving, and decision making. These uses are, in general, far less structured than the ones normally found in formal education settings; however in most of these activities a form of individual as well as collective learning emerges in a natural form, in particular when there are a large number of participants in the conferencing system. This paper describes some of the learning processes that take place within TOOLS, a family of computer conferencing systems used within the world-wide IBM internal network, with particular reference to the largest of them, the IBMPC conferencing system.
Intracorneal Inlays for the Correction of Presbyopia.

Abstract:The current nonsurgical approaches for the correction of presbyopia are spectacles or contact lenses or the use of pharmaceuticals to create an artificial pupil and/or to stimulate residual accommodation. Refractive surgical procedures use a monovision approach and/or a multifocal corneal l
The effect of reactive ion etch (RIE) process conditions on ReRAM device performance

The recent surge of research on resistive random access memory (ReRAM) devices has resulted in a wealth of different materials and fabrication approaches. In this work, we describe the performance implications of utilizing a reactive ion etch (RIE) based process to fabricate HfO2 based ReRAM devices, versus a more unconventional shadow mask fabrication approach. The work is the result of an effort to increase device yield and reduce individual device size. Our results show that choice of RIE etch gas (SF6 versus CF4) is critical for defining the post-etch device profile (cross-section), and for tuning the removal of metal layers used as bottom electrodes in the ReRAM device stack. We have shown that etch conditions leading to a tapered profile for the device stack cause poor electrical performance, likely due to metal re-deposition during etching, and damage to the switching layer. These devices exhibit nonlinear I–V during the low resistive state, but this could be improved to linear behavior once a near-vertical etch profile was achieved. Device stacks with vertical etch profiles also showed an increase in forming voltage, reduced switching variability and increased endurance.
Iterative Procedures for Solving Equations in Abstract Fractional Calculus

The objective in this study is to use generalized iterative procedures in order to approximate solutions of an equation on a Banach space setting.
Interview with Howard E. Gruber

Howard E. Gruber is currently Adjunct Visiting Professor of Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. He is one of the world's foremost experts on the creative process. Gruber was educated at Brooklyn College and at Cornell University, Ithaca, USA, where he received a Ph.D. in 1950 in psychology. His interest in the history of science, particularly in the work of Charles Darwin, led to several important discoveries about the creative process and to additional study of developmental psychology in Geneva, Switzerland with Jean Piaget.
Profound Hypothermia and Total Circulatory Arrest in Neurosurgery: Methods, Results, and Physiologic Effects

Until recently hypothermia in neurosurgery had been limited to surface technics and temperatures of about 28° C; the potential hazard of ventricular fibrillation precluded further cooling. The development of extracorporeal perfusion technics has effectively circumvented this limiting factor, permitting temperatures to be lowered to 15° C and below with little additional hazard to the patient. At these temperatures the oxygen requirements are such that the brain and other vital organs can withstand total circulatory arrest for periods of 30 to 40 minutes without apparent damage.
Echocardiography in the Adult with Congenital Heart Disease

Echocardiography, because of its excellent spatial resolution and ability to assess both anatomy on two dimensional imaging and physiology by Doppler, is especially suited to the diagnosis and follow-up of adults with congenital heart disease. Indications for echocardiography in this patient population have been published. In the previously undiagnosed adult with suspected congenital heart disease, a careful segmental approach to scanning is required to make a complete diagnosis. Echocardiography of adults with congenital heart defects should be performed and interpreted by personnel trained in the care of these patients. Echocardiography of adults with congenital heart disease requires knowledge of the anatomy and natural history of unoperated defects, awareness of the possible palliative or corrective procedures for the defect, and awareness of the potential complications, sequelae, and residua of the repair.
Synthesis of DNA-Like Polymers de novo or by Reiterative Replication

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the synthesis of DNA-like polymers de novo or by reiterative replication. In the presence of DNA polymerase and certain deoxynucleoside triphosphates but in the absence of a template, novel polymers are synthesized after a lag period. The de novo synthesis of a macromolecular template occurs in the early part of the lag phase and these molecules are autocatalytically replicated. The chapter explains a model in which replication of the oligomer template is followed by slippage of the resulting helix by an AT dinucleotide pair; such replication and slippage would result in the continuous reiteration of the template and the synthesis of a large dAT copolymer. If reiterative events were to occur during in vivo replication, it would result in DNA modifications, which might be retained under some circumstances. If such reiterative events have occurred with any frequency in the evolution of DNA, they might be associated with distinctive mutational changes in the amino acid sequences of the proteins.
Uncertainty in mass-balance estimates of regional irrigation-induced return flows and pollutant loads to a river

Abstract Study region Arkansas River in Colorado, east of the Rocky Mountains. Study focus Nonpoint source (NPS) flows and solute loads from irrigated lands can markedly shape the water environment. Describing their diffuse and variable characteristics over vast regions is critical to assessing compliance with regulatory and performance standards for streams, yet is particularly ambiguous. The nature and degree of this uncertainty is addressed here using a stochastic mass balance of return flow rates and solute loads along two reaches of Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley. Measurement error, spatiotemporal variability, and trends in flow and concentration variables are considered, allowing assessment of return flow rates and mass loading rates of total dissolved solids, sulfate, selenium, uranium, and nitrate using probability intervals and other statistics. New hydrological insights for the region Time series of the statistics of daily NPS return flows and mass loading rates, within a four-year period, are estimated and discussed. Coefficients of variation in NPS mass loading rates range from about 32% to 134% for the five solutes considered. There is an estimated 95% probability that mass loading rates lie within a range equivalent to 109% to 405% of the temporally-averaged mean value, depending on the solute and the river reach. The sizeable uncertainty quantified in these findings should temper the interpretation, modeling, regulation, and management of irrigation-induced NPS loading in this and similar settings.
Endoscopic Therapy for Acute and Chronic Anastomotic Leaks

Abstract Construction of an ileal pouch involves stapling and suturing of segments of the distal small intestine. This man-made structure has a variety of forms of anastomosis or suture line leaks. Patients with acute leaks typically present with acute abdominal or pelvic fluid collection, abscess, or sepsis. Those with chronic leaks may present with fistula and sinus. The most common locations of pouch leaks are presacral space, vaginal space, and the tip of the “J.” While the role of endoscopic treatment for acute leaks or pouch vaginal fistula has to be further explored, the technique of endoscopic treatment of presacral sinus is matured. Endoscopic sinusotomy may be considered as the first line therapy for presacral sinus. Endoscopic clipping may be attempted in patients with leaks at the tip of the “J.”
Cost-reduction strategy for isoproterenol use in radiofrequency catheter ablation procedures.

Purpose A cost-reduction strategy for isoproterenol use in radiofrequency catheter ablation procedures was evaluated. Summary A medication-use evaluation at a 454-bed tertiary medical center revealed that the cardiac catheterization laboratory was the highest user of isoproterenol. Isoproterenol was removed from all AcuDose-Rx machines Omnicell, Mountain View, CA, and compounding was performed by pharmacy personnel. It was initially provided to the cardiac catheterization laboratory as an 8-µg/mL concentration in 20-mL 0.9% sodium chloride injection syringes with a 24-hour beyond-use date. This resulted in an initial cost savings but with an unacceptably high rate of wastage. Isoproterenol was then compounded as a 4-µg/mL concentration in 30 mL 5% dextrose in water syringes with a 9-day beyond-use date after a thorough literature search supported longer stability with this admixture. After 12 months of our current process, isoproterenol use during radio frequency catheter ablations (RFCAs) in the cardiac catheterization laboratory was reduced by 85%, decreasing the number of ampules used from 11.15 to 1.66 per week. Conclusion A pharmacy-initiated process to mitigate an extraordinary increase in isoproterenol acquisition cost resulted in a reduction in usage in a tertiary care community hospital. Isoproterenol usage was reduced 85% after two different interventions were implemented, which is estimated to save $1,839 per procedure.
Innovative Compact Coronagraph Approach for Balloon-Borne Investigation of Temperature and Speed of Electrons in the Corona (BITSE)

We are developing an innovative compact coronagraph for studying the physical conditions in the solar wind acceleration region. This paper presents the new development of the compact coronagraph for the investigation of temperature and speed of electrons in the solar corona. The proposed compact coronagraph is a one stage externally occulted coronagraph without internal occulter or Lyot stop mask. The key of the new idea is to set the inner field cutoff at the External Occulter (EO) much smaller than the specified inner field cutoff. A second occulter on the surface of the detector array removes the remaining diffraction. The occulter on the detector surface functions similar to an internal occulter with the Inner Field of View Cutoff (IFoVC) exactly the same as specified. For BITSE, the desired inner field cutoff is 3 R, but the cutoff at EO is only 1.5 R☉. The diffraction analysis shows that in the sensor plane, the diffraction intensity at the 3 R☉ is not sensitive to the EO cutoff, either at 1.5 R☉ or close to 3 R☉. The advantage of having a smaller EO cutoff is that the vignetting decreased for the Field of View (FoV) near 3 R☉, therefore, the signal increases. Meanwhile, the diffraction of Point Spread Function is much less in the radial direction, which not only increases the image quality around 3 R☉, but also increases the encircled energy and signal to noise ratio. In other words, the data is useful right at 3 R☉! The BITSE optical design and diffraction analysis will be presented in detail. The simulation shows the signal to noise ratio obtained from the diffraction and vignetting data enables corona temperature and speed measurement.
Biomechanics of Vertebral Compression Fractures

Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are the most common osteoporotic fractures that occur in the United States each year with an estimated incidence of over 700,000 occurring annually (Ensrud and Schousboe, Bone 364:1634–1642, 2011; Riggs and Melton, Bone 17, 1995). These numbers are likely a gross underestimate of the true incidence based on the delay in clinical presentation that is frequently associated with compression fractures (Ensrud and Schousboe, Bone 364:1634–1642, 2011; Riggs and Melton, Bone 17, 1995; Fink, J Bone Miner Res 20(7):1216–1222, 2005; Melton, Am J Epidemiol 129(5):1000–1011, 1989). While decreased bone mineral density secondary to age, endocrinopathies, or other systemic conditions play a large role in the pathophysiology of compression fractures, these factors alone do not explain the common fracture patterns that afflict the osteoporotic population.
Room Temperature Processed Transparent Cu-Zn-S Nanocomposites as Hole Transport Materials in CdTe Photovoltaics

Here, we report room temperature processed Cu-Zn-S ternary thin films fabricated using SILAR method as a back- contact hole transport layer in cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells. These Cu-Zn-S films are transparent to visible region with compact grains, and high conductivity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements shows the crystalline nature of the as-deposited Cu-Zn-S films. The Cu-Zn-S nanocomposite as a back contact buffer layer in CdTe devices improves the device performance to 12.7% (average 12.4%) from 10.4% (average 9.8%) compared to a Au only back contact and is comparable to Cu/Au back contact (thermally evaporated). The temperature dependence current voltage characteristics shows the reduced back barrier height compared to Au only and Cu/Au back contact.
Human-swarm Interactions for Formation Control Using Interpreters

In this work, we develop a novel Human-Swarm Interaction (HSI) framework for formation control using the notion of an interpreter, enabling the user to control a robotic swarm's shape and formation using abstraction. The user conveys their intended commands by drawing shapes through arm gestures and motions which are recorded by an off-the-shelf wearable device. We propose a novel interpreter system, which acts as an intermediary between the user and the swarm to simplify the roles of both. The interpreter takes in high level input in the form of shapes drawn by the user, and translates it into swarm control commands by planning in the shape space using novel shape morphing dynamics (SMD), which is also used for user feedback. The proposed interpreter employs machine learning, estimation and optimal control techniques to translate the users intention into swarm control parameters. The dynamics of the swarm are realized by means of a novel decentralized formation controller based on distributed linear iterations and dynamic average consensus. Theoretical guarantees of convergence along with convergence rate of the proposed swarm controller are given. The resulting shape morphing dynamics are illustrated and discussed through simulations. The entire framework is demonstrated theoretically as well as experimentally in a 2D environment, with a human controlling a swarm of simulated robots in real time with the help of a Graphical User Environemnt (GUI).
Rapid emergence of clonal interference during malaria parasite cultivation

Laboratory cultivation of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has underpinned nearly all advances in malariology in the past 30 years. When freshly isolated clinical isolates are adapted to in vitro culture mutations rapidly fix increasing the parasite growth rate and stability. While the dynamics of culture adaptation are increasingly well characterized, we know little about the extent of genomic variation that arises and spreads during long term culture. To address this we cloned the 3D7 reference strain and maintained a culture for ~84 asexual cycles (167 days). Growth rate of the culture population increased 1.14-fold over this timeframe. We used single cell genome sequencing of parasites at cycles 21 and 84 to measure the accumulation of diversity in vitro. This parasite population showed strong signals of adaptation across this time frame. By cycle 84 two dominant clades had arisen and were segregating with the dynamics of clonal interference. This highlights the continual process of adaptation in malaria parasites, even in parasites which have been extensively adapted to long term culture.
What Is the Value of a Burn Surgery Rotation in Surgical Residency

Declining case volumes on trauma rotations and early specialization of traditional surgical rotations have limited the service lines on which general surgery residents can obtain critical operative and management experience. Meanwhile, a significant portion of residents have no exposure to a burn rotation during their training. A burn rotation may address both of these issues in a meaningful way. Surgical case volumes and burn ICU patient volume were queried for an urban regional verified burn referral center. General surgery program resident case logs were queried for procedures performed during a burn rotation during that same time period. Over a four-year time period, three burn surgeons performed a total of 2374 procedures on burn and wound service patients. In the burn ICU over that same time period, 419 individual critical care patients were managed. Twenty-seven general surgery program residents logged 632 major operations and 67 critical care patients; more than 50 per cent of cases performed were not captured by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case log system. A high volume burn service can adequately provide surgical and critical care exposure to junior surgical residents. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education surgical case logs may not fully represent the full scope of exposure sustained on a high-volume burn service.
The benefits of diplomatic recognition: Haitian abolitionism and Dominican sovereignty in the Atlantic world, 1822–1830

In 1825, France recognized its former colony Haiti's independence, ending an over twenty-year struggle for the black republic to obtain legal recognition as a sovereign state but saddling it with a...
Recognizing Ableism in Educational Initiatives: Reading between the Lines

The ubiquity of ableism in education policy requires being increasingly alert to the portrayal of, (including the absence of), disability within educational initiatives. Ableism is a form of oppression, a largely unconscious acceptance of able-bodied norms from the inaccessibility of instructional materials, to assumptions about the body (a healthy body is within one’s control) to the acceptance of segregated settings. In response to the call for this special issue, previous qualitative inquiry into the unintended consequences of three educational reforms were synthesized using critical disability theory. Seemingly disparate at first glance, all three initiatives, while ostensibly increasing equity, also contained ableism that reinforced stereotypes about student variability and served to further isolate disabled students. One federal (Alternate Assessment), one state (CCSS modules), and one local (project-based learning) policy implementation are included in this theoretical analysis. Reading between the lines means being alert to ableism, and is essential to prevent the historical marginalization of students with disabilities from continuing within contemporary “progress”.
Cognitive Compliance: Assessing Regulatory Risk in Financial Advice Documents

This paper describes Cognitive Compliance - a solution that automates the complex manual process of assessing regulatory compliance of personal financial advice. The solution uses natural language processing (NLP), machine learning and deep learning to characterise the regulatory risk status of personal financial advice documents with traffic light rating for various risk factors. This enables comprehensive coverage of the review and rapid identification of documents at high risk of non-compliance with government regulations.
Radio Identification of Submillimeter Sources in the Hubble Deep Field

Determination of the epoch-dependent star formation rate of field galaxies is one of the principal goals of observational cosmology. Recently, Hughes et al., using the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array instrument on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, reported the detection of a new population of heavily dust enshrouded, star-forming galaxies at high redshifts (z>2), dramatically altering the picture of galaxy evolution. However, we show that this interpretation must be treated with caution because of ambiguities in the identification of the host galaxies. Based on our deep, high-resolution 1.4 GHz observations of the Hubble Deep Field, we suggest alternate identifications to the submillimeter detections. These identifications argue for a lower redshift to the submillimeter population with a consequential lowering of the z>2 submillimeter/far-infrared luminosity density and global star formation rate.
Highlights from the PHENIX Collaboration

Abstract PHENIX presented several new results at Quark Matter 2019 in 7 parallel talks and 7 posters. These proceedings highlight a sampling of the measurements presented during the conference. PHENIX results on flow in small systems, published in Nature Physics, indicate that the flow in small systems is driven by the initial state geometry. Additional measurements exploring QGP effects in small systems have also been explored. Two-particle correlations in d+Au and 3He+Au suggest potential modification compared to those in p+p collisions. PHENIX has also measured J/Ψ in the forward and backward rapidity regions in d+Au and 3He+Au collisions. Thermal photon measurements are also consistent with QGP formation in small systems. A new measurement of thermal photons using the Au+Au data set collected by PHENIX in 2014 verifies the scaling relationship previously observed for thermal photons. New results for a variety of hadron species with increasing precsion are now available and provide both insight into hadronization as well as crucial information for energy loss models that use RAA to tune their parameters. Jet modification is also studied via a new observable extracted from π0-hadron correlations in Au+Au collisions.
Acoustotactic response of mosquitoes in untethered flight to incidental sound.

Mosquitoes are vectors for some of the most devastating diseases on the planet. Given the centrality of acoustic sensing in the precopulatory behavior of these vectors, the use of an exogenous acoustic stimulus offers the potential of interfering with the courtship behavior of these insects. Previous research on the acoustotactic response of mosquitoes has been conducted on tethered preparations using low-intensity sound stimuli. To quantify differences in acoustotactic responses between mosquitos of distinct sex and species, we examined the effects of incidental sound stimuli on the flight behavior of free-flying male vs. female Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. The key variables were sound frequency (100–1000 Hz) and intensity (67–103 dB, measured at 12.5 cm from the source), and the acoustotactic response was measured in terms of the relative increase in flight speed in response to the stimulus. The data show, for the first time, significant sex- and species-specific differences in acoustotactic responses. A. aegypti exhibited a greater response to sound stimulus compared to An. gambiae, and the response also extended over a larger range of frequencies. Furthermore, the males of both species displayed a greater acoustotactic response than females, with An. gambiae females exhibiting minimal response to sound.
Journal attitudes and outcomes of preprints in dermatology.

The use of preprints, manuscripts that can be uploaded to a public server and made almost immediately available for public dissemination without peer review, is becoming increasingly common.1 Preprint servers are not typically associated with established peer-reviewed journals and often operate independently. Proponents of preprints point toward improved rapid dissemination of results and opportunities for crowdsourced feedback before submission to peer-reviewed journals.1 Conversely, inconsistent upload criteria among preprint servers (such as lack of guidance for reporting conflict of interest or image manipulation),1 and the risk for widespread discourse of non-peer reviewed results by news media may impinge on research integrity.2 As members of the public may not understand the difference between preprints and traditionally peer-reviewed articles, preprints have the potential to cause widespread confusion and mistrust.2 Use of preprints may also make publication of results in traditional journals more difficult, as the results may be perceived to be less novel. Despite controversy, the number of preprints continue to rise.3 There is limited understanding of how dermatology journals view and consider preprints. In this study, we explore dermatology journal policies toward the submission of preprint articles for publication, and corresponding publication outcomes of dermatology articles previously uploaded to a large clinically oriented preprint server.
Wireless 3D Surgical Navigation and Tracking System With 100μm Accuracy Using Magnetic-Field Gradient-Based Localization

This paper describes a high-resolution 3D navigation and tracking system using magnetic field gradients, that can replace X-Ray fluoroscopy in high-precision surgeries. Monotonically varying magnetic fields in X, Y and Z directions are created in the field-of-view (FOV) to produce magnetic field gradients, which encode each spatial point uniquely. Highly miniaturized, wireless and battery-less devices, capable of measuring their local magnetic field, are designed to sense the gradient field. One such device can be attached to an implant inside the body and another to a surgical tool, such that both can simultaneously measure and communicate the magnetic field at their respective locations to an external receiver. The relative location of the two devices on a real-time display can enable precise surgical navigation without using X-Rays. A prototype device is designed consisting of a micro-chip fabricated in 65nm CMOS technology, a 3D magnetic sensor and an inductor-coil. Planar electromagnetic coils are designed for creating the 3D magnetic field gradients in a $20\times 20\times 10$ cm3 of scalable FOV. Unambiguous and orientation-independent spatial encoding is achieved by: (i) using the gradient in the total field magnitude instead of only the Z-component; and (ii) using a combination of the gradient fields to correct for the non-linearity and non-monotonicity in X and Y gradients. The resultant X and Y FOV yield ≥90% utilization of their respective coil-span. The system is tested in vitro to demonstrate a localization accuracy of $ m in 3D, the highest reported to the best of our knowledge.
Use of sequential extraction and mercury stable isotope analysis to assess remobilization of sediment-bound legacy mercury

The goal of this project was to assess how anthropogenic legacy mercury (Hg) retained in streambed sediment may be remobilized to stream water. To do this, we performed sequential extractions and Hg isotope analyses on streambed sediment collected along the length of East Fork Poplar Creek, a point-source contaminated stream in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. Legacy Hg within streambed sediment appears to have been isotopically fractionated by equilibrium isotope effects driven by isotope exchange between co-existing Hg(0) and Hg(ii) species, potentially over-printing fractionation patterns that would have been imparted by kinetic redox reactions. Weakly-bound and recalcitrant sediment Hg pools were isotopically similar to one another, suggesting that small amounts of recalcitrant Hg may be released and then rapidly and weakly re-adsorbed onto the sediment. This weakly-bound Hg pool appears to contribute dissolved Hg to the hyporheic pore water, which may subsequently enter the surface flow. The isotopic composition of the organically-bound sediment Hg pools, as well as biofilm and suspended particulates, converged with that of the weakly-bound and recalcitrant sediment Hg pools along the flow path. This appears to be indicative of both physical mixing with streambed sediment and the transfer of weakly-bound sediment Hg into biofilm and suspended particulates, followed by re-incorporation into the organically-bound sediment Hg pool. Overall, these results provide evidence that legacy Hg in the streambed is remobilized, enters the stream water as dissolved Hg, and may be incorporated into streambed biofilm, which constitutes a basal resource within the stream ecosystem.