cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Television Viewing at Home: Distances and Visual Angles Adopted by Children and Adults

Television viewing distances, visual angles, and viewing angles were calculated for 217 children and 119 adults from 78 families. The data were obtained from time-lapse videotapes automatically recorded in the families' homes over 10 day periods. Viewing distance increases with age and visual angle decreases with age. Viewers aged 17 years and younger viewed at an average distance of 225.3 cm, at an average visual angle of 12.3 deg., and at an average viewing angle of 23.7 deg. Adult viewers watched TV at an average distance of 336.8 cm, an average visual angle of 6.6 deg., and at an average viewing angle of 23.3 deg. The best predictors of viewing location were percent of time the viewer watched TV from furniture, room area, and screen width.
Microstructure and electronic band structure of pulsed laser deposited iron fluoride thin film for battery electrodes.

Battery electrodes in thin-film form are free of the binders used with traditional powder electrodes and present an ideal platform to obtain basic insight to the evolution of the electrode–electrolyte interface passivation layer, the formation of secondary phases, and the structural underpinnings of reversibility. This is particularly relevant to the not yet fully understood conversion electrode materials, which possess enormous potential for providing transformative capacity improvements in next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, this necessitates an understanding of the electronic charge transport properties and band structure of the thin films. This work presents an investigation of the electron transport properties of iron fluoride (FeF2) thin-film electrodes for Li-ion batteries. FeF2 thin films were prepared by pulsed-laser deposition, and their phase purity was characterized by electron microscopy and diffraction. The grown materials are polycrystalline FeF2 with a P42/mnm crystallographic ...
Ideology vs Primary Group Membership as Determinants of Political Choice

Goldberg and Stark (1965) found thac indices of social, religious, and ideological attitildes supported "the general view thac political choice behavior is part of a larger cluster of variables that may be expected to covary along a continuum of liberalism-conservatism" (p. 629). A recent study by Zippel and Norman has challenged this view. Their data suggest that primary group membership is more determining of political choice than ideology. Further, they found chat voters who switched party preference in the 1964 presidential election, irrespective of political choice, scored higher on the D and F scales than voters who maintained their traditional political affiliations. To test the generality of Zippel and Norman's finding, Ss who participated in the Goldberg and Stark study were contacted and asked to complete a questionnaire asking them retrospectiveIy to note the political preferences of their family and friends prior to and at the time of the 1964 election. Questionnaires were obtained from 15 Johnson Ss and 15 Goldwater Ss. None of the Goldwater Ss had been a switcher; 8 of the Johnson Ss had switched but in 3 cases their families had switched as well. Consequently out of the total group of 30 Ss, 5 Ss were identified as swicchers. The critical finding was that the mean F scale score for the Johnson switchers was not significantly different from the mean score for the Johnson nonswitchers. Both Johnson groups continued to have significantly lower mean F scores ( p = .05) than the Goldwater group. Clearly, Zippel and Norman's findings are not supported. It is also clear, however, thac the improvised nature of the present study led to serious limitations on the number of Ss sampled and to major procedural differences. The 1968 elections should provide an opportunity for a more definitive test.
INTRA-POPULATION DIFFERENTIATION IN ANNUAL PLANTS. II. ELECTROPHORETIC VARIATION IN VERONICA PEREGRINA.

With the combined approach of morphological and molecular investigations, the pattern of genetic variation in plant populations that is emerging appears to be one of much local adaptation to environmental gradients (Jain and Bradshaw, 1966; Marshall and Allard, 1970; Hamrick and Allard, 1972; Linhart, 1974; 1976). Since inbreeding is easily shown to increase chance fixation or loss of alleles, analysis of variation in plant populations has considered breeding systems. The expectation was that inbreeders would have more homozygous individuals than outcrossers and possibly more uniform populations. The results of investigation of this point have been mixed (Solbrig, 1972; Levin 1975a; 1975b). The level of detectable variation maintained by plants, although a product of the balance between selection and isolation, also is affected by the genetic architecture of the population, in particular, its level of ploidy. Visible variation in organisms with polysomic inheritance has long been known to be lower than in disomic species (Kao and Caldecott, 1965; Sears, 1969). (Following Stebbins [1971] I will use -ploidy to refer to the chromosome complement and -somy to the genetic system, since a tetraploid may well have evolved disomic inheritance.) Less morphological variability is seen because as more alleles are present at the same locus, it becomes less probable that an individual will be homozygous for a recessive allele and show the recessive phenotype. This also holds for quantitative traits (Stebbins, 1971).
Changes in Olfactory Receptor Expression Are Correlated With Odor Exposure During Early Development in the zebrafish (Danio rerio)

We have previously shown that exposure to phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEA) causes an increase in the expression of the transcription factor otx2 in the olfactory epithelium (OE) of juvenile zebrafish, and this change is correlated with the formation of an odor memory of PEA. Here, we show that the changes in otx2 expression are specific to βPEA: exposure to αPEA did not affect otx2 expression. We identified 34 olfactory receptors (ORs) representing 16 families on 4 different chromosomes as candidates for direct regulation of OR expression via Otx2. Subsequent in silico analysis uncovered Hnf3b binding sites closely associated with Otx2 binding sites in the regions flanking the ORs. Analysis by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and RNA-seq of OR expression in developing zebrafish exposed to different isoforms of PEA showed that a subset of ORs containing both Otx2/Hnf3b binding sites were downregulated only in βPEA-exposed juveniles and this change persisted through adult life. Localization of OR expression by in situ hybridization indicates the downregulation occurs at the level of RNA and not the number of cells expressing a given receptor. Finally, analysis of immediate early gene expression in the OE did not reveal changes in c-fos expression in response to either αPEA or βPEA.
Conceptual Chemical Process Design for Sustainability

Abstract This chapter examines the sustainable design of chemical processes, with a focus on conceptual design, hierarchical and short-cut methods, and analyses of process sustainability for alternatives. The chapter describes a methodology for incorporating process sustainability analyses throughout the conceptual design. Hierarchical and short-cut decision-making methods will be used to approach sustainability. An example showing a sustainability-based evaluation of chlor-alkali production processes is presented with economic analysis and five pollutants described as emissions. These emissions are analyzed according to their human toxicity potential by ingestion using the Waste Reduction Algorithm and a method based on US Environmental Protection Agency reference doses, with the addition of biodegradation for suitable components. Among the emissions, mercury as an element will not biodegrade, and results show the importance of this pollutant to the potential toxicity results and therefore the sustainability of the process design. The dominance of mercury in determining the long-term toxicity results when energy use is included suggests that all process system evaluations should (re)consider the role of mercury and other non-/slow-degrading pollutants in sustainability analyses. The cycling of nondegrading pollutants through the biosphere suggests the need for a complete analysis based on the economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability.
MicroRNA-33 Regulates the Innate Immune Response via ATP Binding Cassette Transporter-mediated Remodeling of Membrane Microdomains

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by promoting degradation and/or repressing translation of specific target mRNAs. Several miRNAs have been identified that regulate the amplitude of the innate immune response by directly targeting Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway members and/or cytokines. miR-33a and miR-33b (the latter present in primates but absent in rodents and lower species) are located in introns of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-encoding genes and control cholesterol/lipid homeostasis in concert with their host gene products. These miRNAs regulate macrophage cholesterol by targeting the lipid efflux transporters ATP binding cassette (ABC)A1 and ABCG1. We and others have previously reported that Abca1(-/-) and Abcg1(-/-) macrophages have increased TLR proinflammatory responses due to augmented lipid raft cholesterol. Given this, we hypothesized that miR-33 would augment TLR signaling in macrophages via a raft cholesterol-dependent mechanism. Herein, we report that multiple TLR ligands down-regulate miR-33 in murine macrophages. In the case of lipopolysaccharide, this is a delayed, Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β-dependent response that also down-regulates Srebf-2, the host gene for miR-33. miR-33 augments macrophage lipid rafts and enhances proinflammatory cytokine induction and NF-κB activation by LPS. This occurs through an ABCA1- and ABCG1-dependent mechanism and is reversible by interventions upon raft cholesterol and by ABC transporter-inducing liver X receptor agonists. Taken together, these findings extend the purview of miR-33, identifying it as an indirect regulator of innate immunity that mediates bidirectional cross-talk between lipid homeostasis and inflammation.
S-wave Approach for \(\varvec{nnp}\) and \(\varvec{ppn}\) Systems with Phenomenological Correction for Singlet \(\varvec{NN}\) Potentials

Three-nucleon systems are considered assuming the neutrons and protons to be distinguishable particles. The configuration space Faddeev equations within the s-wave approach are applied for studying bound state and scattering problems. The phenomenological Malfliet–Tjon MT I-III and Afnan–Tang ATS3 NN potentials are used with scaling factors chosen to reproduce the singlet nn, pp and np experimental scattering lengths. Numerical evaluation for the charge symmetry breaking energy is found to be about 50 keV for $$^3$$ H and $$^3$$ He nuclei. To determine any effects related to the nn (pp) and np potential differences, the nd and pd breakup scattering calculations were performed at $$E_{lab}=4.0$$ and 14.1 MeV. We found the effects due to potential differences are small but noticeable. We discuss the dependence of calculated inelasticities and phase-shifts with respect to the chosen value for cutoff radius.
Patent System Reform: Economic Analysis and Critique

Considerable recent research suggests that the U.S. patent system is out of balance: the PTO's typically brief review process is allowing too many "questionable" patents to be issued that would likely be found invalid with more thorough review. When patents are issued for inventions that are not truly novel, or are obvious, consumers are harmed, competition is restricted, and innovation is hindered-all contrary to the underlying purposes of the patent system. Critics of the current system claim that "questionable" patents are indeed having significant, adverse effects on consumers, competition, and innovation. The Federal Trade Commission and the National Academies of Science recently issued extensive reports suggesting that major reforms to the U.S. patent system are needed to reduce these adverse effects. This Article reviews some of the evidence on the prevalence of such questionable patents, diagnoses their commercial impact, and then critiques a number of the FTC and NAS patent reform proposals. A strong economic case can be made for proposals to strengthen the PTO to improve the speed and accuracy of the patent examination process; to publish all patent applications after eighteen months; to establish a new administrative procedure to allow post-grant review of patents; to strengthen prior user rights; and to restrict the ability of patent owners to seek treble damages for willful infringement.
Degree versions of the Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem and Erdős hypergraph matching conjecture

Abstract We use an algebraic method to prove a degree version of the celebrated Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem: given n > 2 k , every intersecting k -uniform hypergraph H on n vertices contains a vertex that lies on at most ( n − 2 k − 2 ) edges. This result implies the Erdős–Ko–Rado Theorem as a corollary. It can also be viewed as a special case of the degree version of a well-known conjecture of Erdős on hypergraph matchings. Improving the work of Bollobas, Daykin, and Erdős from 1976, we show that, given integers n , k , s with n ≥ 3 k 2 s , every k -uniform hypergraph H on n vertices with minimum vertex degree greater than ( n − 1 k − 1 ) − ( n − s k − 1 ) contains s disjoint edges.
“Let's make a deal:” Price outcomes and the interaction of customer persuasion knowledge and salesperson negotiation strategies

Abstract In response to increased consumer empowerment and frugality, many business-to-consumer (B2C) firms now negotiate “deals” with customers. Understanding how buyer and seller inputs affect negotiation outcomes is important because successful completion, or a closed sale, results in perceived value (based on the negotiated price) for both the customer and the seller. We suggest negotiation is influenced by the persuasion knowledge of the customer and the negotiation strategies used by the salesperson to manage conflicts that arise during the process. Using unique dyadic data from the automotive industry that combines multisource (salesperson and customer) survey data with objective purchase price information, we find that price outcomes and customer satisfaction depend on the different interactions of customer persuasion knowledge and salesperson negotiation strategies. The results suggest that perceived value may be generated for both the selling firm and the customer based on these unique inputs.
Genetic Variance Partitioning and Genome-Wide Prediction with Allele Dosage Information in Autotetraploid Potato.

As one of the world’s most important food crops, the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) has spurred innovation in autotetraploid genetics, including in the use of SNP arrays to determine allele dosage at thousands of markers. By combining genotype and pedigree information with phenotype data for economically important traits, the objectives of this study were to (1) partition the genetic variance into additive vs. nonadditive components, and (2) determine the accuracy of genome-wide prediction. Between 2012 and 2017, a training population of 571 clones was evaluated for total yield, specific gravity, and chip fry color. Genomic covariance matrices for additive (G), digenic dominant (D), and additive × additive epistatic (G#G) effects were calculated using 3895 markers, and the numerator relationship matrix (A) was calculated from a 13-generation pedigree. Based on model fit and prediction accuracy, mixed model analysis with G was superior to A for yield and fry color but not specific gravity. The amount of additive genetic variance captured by markers was 20% of the total genetic variance for specific gravity, compared to 45% for yield and fry color. Within the training population, including nonadditive effects improved accuracy and/or bias for all three traits when predicting total genotypic value. When six F1 populations were used for validation, prediction accuracy ranged from 0.06 to 0.63 and was consistently lower (0.13 on average) without allele dosage information. We conclude that genome-wide prediction is feasible in potato and that it will improve selection for breeding value given the substantial amount of nonadditive genetic variance in elite germplasm.
Open-Label Placebo Treatment for Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trial.

The purpose of this 21-day assessor blinded, randomized-controlled trial was to compare an open-label placebo (OLP) to treatment as usual (TAU) for cancer survivors with fatigue. This was followed by an exploratory 21-day study in which TAU participants received OLPs while OLP participants in the main study were followed after discontinuing placebos. Cancer survivors (N = 74) who completed cancer treatment 6 months to 10 years prior to enrollment reporting at least moderate fatigue (i.e., ≥4 on a 0–10 scale) were randomized to OLP or TAU. Those randomized to OLP took 2 placebo pills twice a day for 21 days. Compared to those randomized to TAU, OLP participants reported a 29% improvement in fatigue severity (average difference in the mean change scores (MD) 12.47, 95% CI 3.32, 21.61; P = 0.008), medium effect (d = 0.63), and a 39% improvement in fatigue-disrupted quality of life (MD = 11.76, 95% CI 4.65, 18.86; P = 0.002), a large effect (d = 0.76). TAU participants who elected to try OLP for 21-days after the main study reported reductions in fatigue of a similar magnitude for fatigue severity and fatigue-disrupted quality of life (23% and 35%, respectively). OLP may reduce fatigue symptom severity and fatigue-related quality of life disruption in cancer survivors.
Pre- to post-operative CT image registration to estimate cortical shift for image updating in deep brain stimulation

The success of deep brain stimulations (DBS) heavily relies on the accurate placement of electrodes in the operating room (OR). However, the pre-operative images such as MRI and CT for surgical targeting are degraded by brain shift, a combination of brain movement and deformation. One way to compensate for this intra-operative brain shift is to utilize a nonlinear biomechanical brain model to estimate the whole brain deformation based on which an updated MR can be generated. Due to the variability of deformation in both magnitude and direction among different cases, partially sampled intraoperative data (e.g., O-arm, CT) of tissue motion is critical to guide the model estimation. In this paper, we present a method to extract the sparse data by matching brain surface features from pre- and post-operative CTs, followed by the reconstruction of the full 3d-displacement field based on the original spatial information of these 2d points. Specifically, the size and the location of the sparse data were determined based on the pneumocephalus in the post-operative CT. The 2D CT-encoded texture maps from both pre-and post-operative CTs were then registered using Demons algorithm. The final 3d-displacement field in our one-patient-example shows an average lateral shift of 1.42mm, and a shift of 10.11mm in the direction of gravity. The results presented in this work have shown the potential of assimilating the sparse data from intra-operative images into the pipeline of model-based image guidance for DBS in the future.
Night Will Fall (2014; HBO, 2015) and the Holocaust simulacrum

Now quickly approaching 75 years since Liberation, the maw between the contemporary mediated representation of the Holocaust and the historical events those representations reference only grows eve...
Laminar flame speeds of DEMP, DMMP, and TEP added to H2- and CH4-air mixtures

Abstract Organophosphorus compounds (OPCs) have long been known to have significant fire suppression capabilities but were outclassed by Halon 1301 due to toxicity concerns. Recent interest in finding replacements for Halon 1301 has provided an impetus to reconsider OPCs. To better understand the mechanism by which OPCs suppress flames, more information about how they interact with fuel/air mixtures via chemical kinetics is needed. In this study, dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), diethyl methylphosphonate (DEMP), and trimethyl phosphate (TEP) were added to hydrogen/air and methane/air mixtures to assess their suppression capabilities at 0.1% and 0.3% (DMMP only) of the total mixture volume. Laminar flame speed experiments were performed in an optically tracked, spherically expanding flame setup at 1 atm and 120 °C. The resulting laminar flame speed data are the first to be recorded using these compounds. Results show a 30% decrease in laminar flame speed for all OPCs at 0.1% on the methane/air parent mixture, and the laminar flame speed curves, as a function of equivalence ratio, tend to be broader than for un-doped mixtures. For the hydrogen/air mixtures, the OPCs differentiate themselves by having an increasing suppression effect corresponding with higher carbon moiety, i.e., TEP (15% overall reduction) > DEMP (13%) > DMMP (9%). The OPCs also have an increasing effect with increasing equivalence ratio on hydrogen/air, but with methane/air, they have a non-monotonic effect. The reduction of laminar flame speeds is comparable to twice the concentration of Halon 1301 and 10 times as much for previously investigated Halon 1301 replacements. These results are ideal for improving existing OPC chemical kinetics mechanisms, and possible applications include both fire suppression technologies and destruction of dangerous OPC compounds.
Circadian System Phase — An Aspect of Temporal Morphology; Procedures and Illustrative Examples

Anatomists and histologists, among many other biologists, often find that a given variable studied by them undergoes changes with time; they are dealing with a so-called time function, a term that implies merely that a given value depends, at least in part, upon the time when it is sampled.
Delamination of T300/5208 Graphite/Epoxy Laminates

As graphite fiber-epoxy resin (Gr/Ep) composites are being used more and more in high performance structures, the need to predict fracture directions or to locate fracture origins becomes apparent. Stress and failure analyses have become primary considerations when corrective action decisions have to be made for repairing or redesigning failed components. This may occur even in the early stage of manufacturing. Observed failure modes in Gr/Ep composites include fiber breakage, matrix cracking, fiber-matrix debonding, delamination of laminates, etc. They are too numerous to be listed. This investigation will only concern with failure by the process of delamination in Gr/Ep laminates.
Adaptive learning in machine summarization

In this paper, we propose a novel framework for extractive summarization. Our framework allows the summarizer to adapt and improve itself. Experimental results show that our summarizer achieves higher evaluation scores by adapting to the given evaluation metrics.
Coordinate Systems and Vectors

Coordinates and vectors—in one form or another—are two of the most fundamental concepts in any discussion of mathematics as applied to physical problems. So, it is beneficial to start our study with these two concepts. Both vectors and coordinates have generalizations that cover a wide variety of physical situations including not only ordinary three-dimensional space with its ordinary vectors, but also the four-dimensional spacetime of relativity with its so-called four vectors, and even the infinite-dimensional spaces used in quantum physics with their vectors of infinite components. Our aim in this chapter is to review the ordinary space and how it is used to describe physical phenomena. To facilitate this discussion, we first give an outline of some of the properties of vectors.
End-to-End Modeling and Simulation of High- Performance Computing Systems

Designing large-scale High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems, including architecture design space exploration and performance prediction, is a daunting task that can benefit enormously from discrete event simulation techniques, as the interactions between the various components of such a system generally render analytic approaches intractable. The work described in this chapter specifically deals with end-to-end, full-system simulation, as opposed to simulation of individual components or nodes. The tools described here can be used in the design phase of a new HPC system to optimize system design for a given set of workloads, or to create performance forecasts for new workloads on existing systems.
Recent progress in polymer materials for advanced lithium-sulfur batteries

Abstract Polymers play essential roles in the research and development of rechargeable batteries, especially, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries which have been considered as a promising candidate of the next-generation power supply mainly because of their high theoretical energy density (up to five-fold compared to state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries). However, practical applications of Li-S batteries are mainly hindered by the insulating nature of sulfur and its intermediates, the polysulfide shuttle effect, and the formation and growth of lithium dendrites. Polymer materials play an important role in addressing these issues of Li-S batteries and their structures and functionalities can be manipulated to control the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries (e.g., cylability, rate capability, lifespan, etc.). In this review, we concentrate on the recent development of various polymer materials for Li-S batteries. It starts with a brief introduction of the Li-S battery followed by its fundamental electrochemistry and challenges. Significant attention is then paid to the applications of various polymers in each component of Li-S batteries with a focus on the mechanisms behind their operation which are presented and further discussed from five perspectives: i) polymers in cathodes, ii) polymer electrolytes, iii) polymer interlayers, iv) polymer separators, and v) polymers for the lithium metal anode protection. The aim is to present a detailed review of the critical aspects related to the functional polymers that can be used as important resources for researchers working in a diverse range of fields dealing with Li-S batteries. Finally, conclusions and perspectives are presented.
Stigmatized or Politically Disillusioned Recipients? Policy Feedback and the Dampening Effect of Means-Tested Programs on Recipients' Participation

Means-tested social welfare programs, which are programs that provide cash or services to recipients based on a test of need determined by income and assets, are a largely unacknowledged but significant part of many Americans’ lives. Policy feedback research has broken new ground exploring the ways receiving social programs may shape recipients’ views about government and themselves, ultimately affecting their political participation. One of the central findings of this research is that specific policy designs lead to political learning about government responsiveness that reduce a recipient’s assessment of the efficacy of petitioning government and their subsequent participation. This paper challenges this conclusion, hypothesizing that all means-tested programs, in contrast to their non-means-tested counterparts, diminish participation. In challenging this longstanding theory, I also call for greater specification and testing of policy feedback effects and the mechanisms behind them. Ultimately, I find little support that specific policy designs lead to political learning about government responsiveness. Instead, the data suggests we should be more attentive to the stigmatizing effect of receiving a means-tested program, which is contributing to means-tested recipients diminished participation.
PATI: a projection-based augmented table-top interface for robot programming

As robots begin to provide daily assistance to individuals in human environments, their end-users, who do not necessarily have substantial technical training or backgrounds in robotics or programming, will ultimately need to program and "re-task" their robots to perform a variety of custom tasks. In this work, we present PATI---a Projection-based Augmented Table-top Interface for robot programming---through which users are able to use simple, common gestures (e.g., pinch gestures) and tools (e.g., shape tools) to specify table-top manipulation tasks (e.g., pick-and-place) for a robot manipulator. PATI allows users to interact with the environment directly when providing task specifications; for example, users can utilize gestures and tools to annotate the environment with task-relevant information, such as specifying target landmarks and selecting objects of interest. We conducted a user study to compare PATI with a state-of-the-art, standard industrial method for end-user robot programming. Our results show that participants needed significantly less training time before they felt confident in using our system than they did for the industrial method. Moreover, participants were able to program a robot manipulator to complete a pick-and-place task significantly faster with PATI. This work indicates a new direction for end-user robot programming.
Philosophical and Christological Arguments for Hospitality as a Dialogical Model

This chapter will explore the philosophical, theological, and cultural ways hospitality can be used to foster an enduring model of interreligious encounter/dialogue. A concise study of the philosophical contributions of Rene Descartes, Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Luc Marion, and Jacques Derrida on the discourse on hospitality will be pursued. These contributions will be analyzed using the thoughts of Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas whose works will be the foundation for articulating the philosophical arguments for hospitality as a dialogical tool for encounters among religions.
An Experimental Study of Single-Phase Heat Transfer inside an Additively Fabricated Microchannel Heat Exchanger

Effective system energy management and cooling solutions is critical for a range of increasingly complex systems and missions. Various industries and agencies seek technologies and design techniques to cool ultra-high heat fluxes in various applications, and thereby increase system energy efficiencies in future advanced lasers, radars and power electronics. There has been an increasing interest in exploiting the use of additive manufacturing in developing nontraditional cooling schemes to be built directly into components. This study investigates the heat transfer and pressure loss performance of additively manufactured micro-channel heat exchanger. A heat exchanger of 30 micron-sized channels was manufactured via the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) method and tested at a range of Reynolds numbers. Same test setup and configurations have been used to test the DMLS manufactured micro-channel heat exchanger here, and the results are compared to the mini-channel heat exchanger of similar dimension but manufactured traditionally. The results have shown that although DMLS manufactured micro-channel heat exchanger yield a higher-pressure loss, it has shown significantly improved convective heat transfer compared to the mini-channel heat exchanger tested under same conditions but fabricated traditionally. It is likely that non-post processed surface of the DMLS manufactured micro-channels is the main contributor of this augmented heat transfer. Future study is needed to further understand the mechanisms behind the phenomena observed here.
Serum Cystatin C versus Creatinine Based Assessment of Renal Function in Heart Transplant Patients

Purpose Serum creatinine (sCr) is routinely used in the assessment of renal function among heart transplant (HT) pts. However, changes in muscle mass and nutritional status early post-HT may affect the accuracy of sCr estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRsCr). While Cystatin C (CysC) is independent from the above mentioned confounders, an increase in CysC with steroid use has been reported. The ratio sCr/CysC has been validated as a marker of muscle mass. Herein, we aimed to: i) longitudinally compare post-HT changes in CysC eGFR (eGFRCysC) and eGFRsCr; and ii) investigate the relation of muscle mass, nutritional status and steroid use with the difference between eGFRCysC and eGFRsCr. Methods Pts transplanted between 6/2016 and 4/2019 had serial, concurrent measurements of CysC and sCr pre- and post-HT. Albumin (a marker of nutritional status) and prednisone dose at the time of sample collection were recorded. Adjusted linear mixed models were used to: i) regress post-HT changes in eGFRCysC, eGFRsCr and sCr/CysC ratio; ii) study associations of albumin and prednisone dose with the difference between eGFRsCr and eGFRCysC (ΔeGFRsCr-CysC = [eGFRsCr - eGFRCysC]/eGFRsCr). Results 313 samples were collected in 84 pts (age 54±12, 20% female). While eGFRsCr declined long-term, eGFRCysC showed an opposite trend with a gradual improvement (Figure). The temporal decline in eGFRsCr mirrored the progressive rise in sCr/CysC ratio, suggesting a contribution of an increase in muscle mass to this decline. Albumin was inversely related to ΔeGFRsCr-CysC (β= -0.51, p Conclusion eGFRCysC and eGFRsCr markedly differ early post-HT. Changes in muscle mass and nutritional status as well as steroid use may account for the observed discrepancies. Future studies are warranted to address these inconsistencies as accurate estimation of renal function carries important clinical implications (e.g. medication dosing).
High-Speed, Real-Time, Spike-Based Object Tracking and Path Prediction on Google Edge TPU

As computation and advanced high-dimensional signal processing is pushed to edge computational devices, energy efficient, unconventional architectures are needed to ameliorate this growing need. The Google Edge TPU, first used on a Cloud platform, is one such accelerator that is now commercially available for consumer use. Similarly, low-power, data-efficient vision sensors, such as the Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS), have been developed and commercialized as well to improve upon the large data redundancy seen in these ML applications. This live demonstration is linking these two technologies to benchmark the Coral Edge TPU Board in a high-speed object tracking and prediction application. In comparison to a floating point architecture of similar form factor, the Intel Compute Stick, the Edge TPU has been show to outperform in terms of latency and computational efficiency.
Adaptive Interference Cancellation Using Atomic Norm Minimization

The rapid increase in number of wireless devices in modern communication networks has significantly increased the number of interference sources, which severely impacts communication reliability. With the projected further increase in the number of wireless devices, adaptive interference cancellation is quickly becoming a necessity for modern networks. During interference cancellation, a digital beamformer adaptively adjusts its weight vector using an array processing algorithm, which in turn shapes the radiation pattern in a manner that minimizes interference power and maximizes the desired signal power. In this work, we propose two atomic norm minimization-based methods to design a weight vector that can be used to simultaneously cancel the interference and remove the impact of frequency offset in both noiseless and noisy frameworks. Numerical simulations indicate that our proposed methods significantly outperform the classic SMI technique.
The Impact of Intercultural Exchange on Secondary School Exchange Students and Their Host Families

The last decade has seen a significant increase of international student mobility and a growing popularity of secondary school exchange programs in the United States and around the world. Drawing upon culture learning theory, the purpose of this study is to understand the impacts, challenges, and rewards of intercultural exchange on secondary school exchange students and their host families. I performed a case study of in-depth interviews with six students who were placed in Hawai’i for an academic year on the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Future Leaders Exchange merit-based scholarships, as well as interviews with their volunteer host families. Findings show that intercultural exchange occurs as a two-way process. Both students and host families reap the benefits of intercultural exchange by way of active interaction and culture sharing that is enhanced by a positive student–host relationship.
Financial Crises, Banking Regulations, and Corporate Financing Patterns Around the World

This study examines financing behavior during financial crises in an international sample of corporate firms including 85 countries from 1987 to 2017. Measuring “financial cyclicality” as the difference between financing levels during normal times and financial crisis times, we document counter-cyclicality in leverage and pro-cyclicality in security issuances and debt maturity. Financial crises discourage both debt and equity issuances, with a greater declines in equity. Consequently, leverage increases and debt maturity decreases. Public debt markets partially act as spare tire during crises when bank loan supply contracts significantly. Leverage financial counter-cyclicality is more pronounced in countries with weaker banking regulations.
A Less Than 81mg of Aspirin in Heart Mate 3 is Safe Irrespective of Amount of Platelet Inhibition

Purpose Optimal dose of aspirin for Heartmate 3 (HM 3) LVAD patients is still not known. Recently low dose aspirin (81mg compared to 325mg) has shown to be efficacious. Randomized control trial with no dose aspirin is underway. However, platelet inhibition can be still achieved with less than low dose aspirin. So we looked into safety and efficacy of a very low dose aspirin ( Methods We did retrospective analysis of HM3 patients implanted in our institution (2015- 2020). Patients who were on less than 81mg of aspirin/day were identified. Thromboelastogram (TEG) was used to assess response to aspirin. We compared the number of thromboembolic events, bleeding events, LDH, and hematocrit before and after the dose change, with the patients being their own controls, using paired t test. Results In our program, we follow 35 patients on HM3. Most of them 24(68.6%) receive > 81 mg of aspirin daily. We Identified 11 patients on less than 81mg of aspirin. The mean age of this cohort was 51.18 years, 7 were Male. Out of the 11, 3 patients were on aspirin 40.5 mg every other day, 3 on 40.5 mg every day, 4 on 81mg every other day and one patient was not on any aspirin. Reason for dose alteration was adequate inhibition noted on TEG in 5 patients and bleeding in 6 patients (4 out of 6 for gastrointestinal bleed). Mean duration of follow up was 22.57±18months. Six patients in this cohort were on standard warfarin protocol with the INR goal 2-3 and one patient was not on any warfarin. The follow-up on a very low ASA dose was 13.7±8.6 months. There were no pump thrombosis or other thromboembolic events either before or after the dose change. There was no significant difference in LDH levels before (225.2±24.3) or after (220.1±27.8) p=0.7, hematocrit before 33.6+/-9.9 or after 35.0+/-8.1, P=0.08, aspirin dose change. Arachidonic Acid inhibition on thromboelastogram was less than 80% in 7 patients and 5 of them had inhibition less than 50%. Conclusion A very low dose of aspirin (
Finite deformation near a crack tip terminated at an interface between two neo-Hookean sheets

Abstract A crack terminating at an arbitrary angle to the interface between two neo-Hookean sheets is investigated under plane stress conditions using finite deformation theory. The asymptotic crack-tip deformation and stress fields are analyzed as a function of the ratio of the moduli and the angle of the crack relative to the interface. Full-field numerical calculations and experimental studies validate the analytical results. A stretch-based crack growth criterion is developed using crack-tip field solutions. Such criterion can predict the delay of crack growth through the bi-material interface observed in experiments and can be extended to any heterogeneity and material.
Application of Prostate US for Advanced Techniques in Prostate Biopsy and Prostate Cancer Staging

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is one of the most frequently performed office procedures in urologist offices. However, the interpretation of the obtained images has not been fully utilized. During the TRUS procedure, unusual situations may be encountered. In addition, unusual patients, such as those who have previously undergone a radical prostatectomy or those without an anus, can be encountered. In this chapter, advanced techniques for prostate biopsy under such unusual situations are described. The second part of the chapter describes the underutilized TRUS staging for prostate cancer. TRUS will not show microscopic tumor extension beyond the capsule. However, careful examination of the prostate can detect subtle findings that suggest microscopic extension of the disease. By using such staging criteria for detecting microscopic tumor extension, the accuracy of TRUS staging can be significantly improved.
Uncoupling Promoter Opening from Start-Site Scanning

Whereas RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription start sites (TSSs) occur about 30-35 bp downstream of the TATA box in metazoans, TSSs are located 40-120 bp downstream in S. cerevisiae. Promoter melting begins about 12 bp downstream in all eukaryotes, so Pol II is presumed to "scan" further downstream before starting transcription in yeast. Here we report that removal of the kinase complex TFIIK from TFIIH shifts the TSS in a yeast system upstream to the location observed in metazoans. Conversely, moving the normal TSS to an upstream location enables a high level of TFIIK-independent transcription in the yeast system. We distinguish two stages of the transcription initiation process: bubble formation by TFIIH, which fills the Pol II active center with single-stranded DNA, and subsequent scanning downstream, also driven by TFIIH, which requires displacement of the initial bubble. Omission of TFIIK uncouples the two stages of the process.
Introduction to Subject Area “Verification”

Over the last two decades the use of software in technical applications has dramatically increased. Almost all real-world systems are now embedded systems consisting of hardware and software components. Just think of modern automobiles; every new car comes equipped with computers that have many tasks in almost all parts of the car: fuel injection rates of the engine, airbags, anti-blocking systems (ABS) for brakes or the anti-theft device are some examples.
Cost-effective multiple QoS path provisioning

This paper presents a cost-effective quality-of-service (QoS) routing scheme which deploys a heuristic algorithm to provision multiple QoS paths. Multiple QoS path provisioning is mainly aimed to provide reliable QoS guarantees for mission-critical applications. The proposed algorithm relaxes the strict disjoint path requirement and searches for more paths possibly less overlapped with each other and still satisfying given multiple QoS constraints. When multiple QoS paths are provisioned for the same destination, link/node failures become significantly less detrimental to ongoing QoS application traffic. The routing algorithm presented in this paper can be claimed to be cost-effective since a single iteration of the algorithm finds multiple QoS paths while previous research works require as many algorithm iterations as the number of searched QoS paths. This paper discusses the beneficial properties of the proposed algorithm, and simulation experiments present the reduced algorithm time complexity.
What students say about learning physics, math, and engineering

Faculty from the mathematics, physics, and engineering departments at the University of California have collaborated over the past three years to restructure first year and lower division courses. Specific courses have been restructured in order to improve students' integrative understanding of calculus and the physical sciences, and their applications to engineering. The purpose of this project is to examine the impact that the reforms had on student learning, as well as to gain insight into students' experiences during their undergraduate engineering career. One-on-one interviews with engineering students have been conducted in order to identify and understand differences, if any, between the "traditionally" taught physics and calculus courses and the "reformed" courses.
Walt Whitman and the Trimbles: New Zealand, the First Concordance of Leaves of Grass, and the Dunedin Public Library

Recounts the history of the Trimble family (William, his wife Henrietta, his daughter Dorothy, and his second wife Annie) in New Zealand and their involvement in collecting Whitman books and undertaking (in 1903 or 1904) the first concordance of Whitman's work; tracks how the Trimble Whitman collection came to be housed at the Dunedin Public Library.
Derivate des 3.6‐Anhydro‐D‐glucosamins

Durch Ringschlus des 3-Mesyl-2-benzamino-2-desoxy-methyl-β-D-glucopyrano-sids (III) wurde das 2-Benzamino-2-desoxy-3.6-anhydro-methyl-β-D-glucopyranosid (VII) erhalten. Wir nehmen an, das die Reaktion uber das Oxazolin IIIa verlauft.
CYP9E2, CYP4C21 and related pseudogenes from German cockroaches, Blattella germanica: implications for molecular evolution, expression studies and nomenclature of P450s.

Abstract The cDNAs of two novel P450s (CYP9E2 and CYP4C21) were isolated from German cockroaches, Blattella germanica . Both CYP9E2 and CYP4C21 are typical microsomal P450s and their deduced amino acid sequences share a number of common characteristics with other members of the P450 superfamily. Northern blot analyses using a CYP9E2 or CYP4C21 probe showed that ‘CYP9E2’ and ‘CYP4C21’ were expressed at all life stages. Two pseudogenes related to CYP9E2 and three pseudogenes related to CYP4C21 were also isolated. These represent the first P450 pseudogenes from an insect other than Drosophila melanogaster . The relative number of P450 pseudogenes in B. germanica is apparently higher than in D. melanogaster . The implications of these results for the molecular evolution, expression studies and nomenclature of P450s are discussed.
Pigeon Homing: The Orientation of Young Birds that had been Prevented from Seeing the Sun

To test whether the sun is an essential factor for the development of a functioning orientation system in birds, a group of young pigeons was raised as ‘No-Sun’-birds. They were not allowed to see the sun, and they were released to fly around their loft only under total overcast. The control group had an equal number of opportunities to fly under overcast plus additional flights under sun. When released as untrained birds under solid cloud cover, the ‘No-Sun’-birds were significantly oriented, whereas the controls were not. Small magnets glued between the wings (north toward the head) reversed the ‘No-Sun’-birds' orientation, indicating they used a magnetic compass. These findings show that the orientation system can develop without information from the sun. Differences in the orientation behavior of the ‘No-Sun’-birds and normally raised young pigeons are discussed.