cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resource Allocation for Vehicle Platooning in 5G NR-V2X via Deep Reinforcement Learning

Vehicle platooning, one of the advanced services supported by 5G New Radio V2X (NR-V2X), improves traffic efficiency in the connected intelligent transportation systems (C-ITSs). However, the packet collision probability of platoon communication, especially in the out-of-coverage area, is significantly impacted by the random selection algorithm employed in the current resource allocation scheme. In this paper, we first analyze the collision probability via the random selection algorithm based on the current standard. Subsequently, we investigate the deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm that decreases the collision probability by letting the agent (platoon leader) learn from the communication environment. Monte Carlo simulation is utilized to verify the results obtained in the analytical model and to compare the results between the two discussed algorithms. Numerical results show that the proposed DRL algorithm outperforms the random selection algorithm in terms of different vehicle density, which at least lowering the collision probability by 73% and 45% in low and high vehicle density respectively.
Stabilizability of Vector Systems with Uniform Actuation Unpredictability

Control strategies for vector systems typically depend on the controller's ability to plan out future control actions. However, in the case where model parameters are random and time-varying, this planning might not be possible. This paper explores the fundamental limits of a simple system, inspired by the intermittent Kalman filtering model, where the actuation direction is drawn uniformly from the unit hypersphere. The model allows us to focus on a fundamental tension in the control of underactuated vector systems - the need to balance the growth of the system in different dimensions. We characterize the stabilizability of $d$ -dimensional systems with symmetric gain matrices by providing tight necessary and sufficient conditions that depend on the eigenvalues of the system. The proof technique is slightly different from the standard dynamic programming approach and relies on the fact that the second moment stability of the system can also be understood by examining any arbitrary weighted two-norm of the state.
Coordinates Adapted to Vector Fields III: Real Analyticity

Given a finite collection of $C^1$ vector fields on a $C^2$ manifold which span the tangent space at every point, we consider the question of when there is locally a coordinate system in which these vector fields are real analytic. We give necessary and sufficient, coordinate-free conditions for the existence of such a coordinate system. Moreover, we present a quantitative study of these coordinate charts. This is the third part in a three-part series of papers. The first part, joint with Stovall, lay the groundwork for the coordinate system we use in this paper and showed how such coordinate charts can be viewed as scaling maps for sub-Riemannian geometry. The second part dealt with the analogous questions with real analytic replaced by $C^\infty$ and Zygmund spaces.
Efficient Bayesian Sampling Using Normalizing Flows to Assist Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods

Normalizing flows can generate complex target distributions and thus show promise in many applications in Bayesian statistics as an alternative or complement to MCMC for sampling posteriors. Since no data set from the target posterior distribution is available beforehand, the flow is typically trained using the reverse Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence that only requires samples from a base distribution. This strategy may perform poorly when the posterior is complicated and hard to sample with an untrained normalizing flow. Here we explore a distinct training strategy, using the direct KL divergence as loss, in which samples from the posterior are generated by (i) assisting a local MCMC algorithm on the posterior with a normalizing flow to accelerate its mixing rate and (ii) using the data generated this way to train the flow. The method only requires a limited amount of \textit{a~priori} input about the posterior, and can be used to estimate the evidence required for model validation, as we illustrate on examples.
Splitting Algorithms for Rare Events of Semimartingale Reflecting Brownian Motions

We study rare event simulations of semimartingale reflecting Brownian motions (SRBMs) in an orthant. The rare event of interest is that a d-dimensional positive recurrent SRBM enters the set {z∈R+d...
A new approach to measuring the synergy in a syndemic: Revisiting the SAVA syndemic among urban MSM in the United States.

ABSTRACTSyndemic theory hypothesises that observed clusters of diseases are the result of harmful social conditions. Critiques of syndemics present the theory as ambiguous and lacking empirical evidence. Syndemics are evidenced through qualitative assessments drawing on observations, epidemiology, and biomedical evidence to explain bio-bio and bio-social interactions. Quantitative syndemic studies commonly apply a summative approach, whereby the outcome is a result of the cumulative effect of the individual elements. More recently, quantitative studies apply analyses to assess mechanical interactions among conditions. This paper applies a synergy factor analysis to measure synergy - the enhancement of the effect of one element on the effect of the others. Data from the canonical quantitative syndemic analysis study was reanalysed to assess synergy among the elements of the SAVA syndemic (substance ab/use, violence, HIV/AIDS). Contrary to original study findings, which applied a summative approach, no synergy was measured. Synergistic interactions were confirmed among a subset of the study population; the effects of substance ab/use and violence on HIV were more than two times greater in White MSM than the predicted joint effect (SF = 2·32, 95%CI 1·02-5·11, p = 0·044), indicating synergy. Synergy factor analysis presents an accessible tool to measure syndemic interactions and facilitate timely global health responses.
A Dark Flash Normal Camera

Casual photography is often performed in uncontrolled lighting that can result in low quality images and degrade the performance of downstream processing. We consider the problem of estimating surface normal and reflectance maps of scenes depicting people despite these conditions by supplementing the available visible illumination with a single near infrared (NIR) light source and camera, a so-called "dark flash image". Our method takes as input a single color image captured under arbitrary visible lighting and a single dark flash image captured under controlled front-lit NIR lighting at the same viewpoint, and computes a normal map, a diffuse albedo map, and a specular intensity map of the scene. Since ground truth normal and reflectance maps of faces are difficult to capture, we propose a novel training technique that combines information from two readily available and complementary sources: a stereo depth signal and photometric shading cues. We evaluate our method over a range of subjects and lighting conditions and describe two applications: optimizing stereo geometry and filling the shadows in an image.
Intersection Disjunctions for Reverse Convex Sets

We present a framework to obtain valid inequalities for a reverse convex set: the set of points in a polyhedron that lie outside a given open convex set. Reverse convex sets arise in many models, i...
Large structural variations in the haplotype-resolved African cassava genome

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz, 2n=36) is a global food security crop. Cassava has a highly heterozygous genome, high genetic load, and genotype-dependent asynchronous flowering. It is typically propagated by stem cuttings and any genetic variation between haplotypes, including large structural variations, is preserved by such clonal propagation. Traditional genome assembly approaches generate a collapsed haplotype representation of the genome. In highly heterozygous plants, this results in artifacts and an oversimplification of heterozygous regions. We used a combination of Pacific Biosciences (PacBio), Illumina, and Hi-C to resolve each haplotype of the genome of a farmer-preferred cassava line, TME7 (Oko-iyawo). PacBio reads were assembled using the FALCON suite. Phase switch errors were corrected using FALCON-Phase and Hi-C read data. The ultra-long-range information from Hi-C sequencing was also used for scaffolding. Comparison of the two phases revealed more than 5,000 large haplotype-specific structural variants affecting over 8 Mb, including insertions and deletions spanning thousands of base pairs. The potential of these variants to affect allele specific expression was further explored. RNA-seq data from 11 different tissue types were mapped against the scaffolded haploid assembly and gene expression data are incorporated into our existing easy-to-use web-based interface to facilitate use by the broader plant science community. These two assemblies provide an excellent means to study the effects of heterozygosity, haplotype-specific structural variation, gene hemizygosity, and allele specific gene expression contributing to important agricultural traits and further our understanding of the genetics and domestication of cassava.
D-ACC: Dynamic Adaptive Cruise Control for Highways with Ramps Based on Deep Q-Learning

An Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system allows vehicles to maintain a desired headway distance to a preceding vehicle automatically. It is increasingly adopted by commercial vehicles. Recent research demonstrates that the effective use of ACC can improve the traffic flow through the adaptation of the headway distance in response to the current traffic conditions. In this paper, we demonstrate that a state-of-the- art intelligent ACC system performs poorly on highways with ramps due to the limitation of the model-based approaches that do not take into account appropriately the traffic dynamics on ramps in determining the optimal headway distance. We then propose a dynamic adaptive cruise control system (D- ACC) based on deep reinforcement learning that adapts the headway distance effectively according to dynamically changing traffic conditions for both the main road and ramp to optimize the traffic flow. Extensive simulations are performed with a combination of a traffic simulator (SUMO) and vehicle-to- everything communication (V2X) network simulator (Veins) under numerous traffic scenarios. We demonstrate that D-ACC improves the traffic flow by up to 70% compared with a state- of-the-art intelligent ACC system in a highway segment with a ramp.
Understanding Interlocking Dynamics of Cooperative Rationalization

Selective rationalization explains the prediction of complex neural networks by finding a small subset of the input that is sufficient to predict the neural model output. The selection mechanism is commonly integrated into the model itself by specifying a two-component cascaded system consisting of a rationale generator, which makes a binary selection of the input features (which is the rationale), and a predictor, which predicts the output based only on the selected features. The components are trained jointly to optimize prediction performance. In this paper, we reveal a major problem with such cooperative rationalization paradigm -- model interlocking. Interlocking arises when the predictor overfits to the features selected by the generator thus reinforcing the generator's selection even if the selected rationales are sub-optimal. The fundamental cause of the interlocking problem is that the rationalization objective to be minimized is concave with respect to the generator's selection policy. We propose a new rationalization framework, called A2R, which introduces a third component into the architecture, a predictor driven by soft attention as opposed to selection. The generator now realizes both soft and hard attention over the features and these are fed into the two different predictors. While the generator still seeks to support the original predictor performance, it also minimizes a gap between the two predictors. As we will show theoretically, since the attention-based predictor exhibits a better convexity property, A2R can overcome the concavity barrier. Our experiments on two synthetic benchmarks and two real datasets demonstrate that A2R can significantly alleviate the interlock problem and find explanations that better align with human judgments. We release our code at https://github.com/Gorov/Understanding_Interlocking.
Orthogonal CRISPR-Cas tools for genome editing, inhibition, and CRISPR recording in zebrafish embryos.

The CRISPR-Cas universe continues to expand. The type II CRISPR-Cas system from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpyCas9) is the most widely used for genome editing due to its high efficiency in cells and organisms. However, concentrating on a single CRISPR-Cas system imposes limits on target selection and multiplexed genome engineering. We hypothesized that CRISPR-Cas systems originating from different bacterial species could operate simultaneously and independently due to their distinct single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) or CRISPR-RNAs (crRNAs), and protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs). Additionally, we hypothesized that CRISPR-Cas activity in zebrafish could be regulated through the expression of inhibitory anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins. Here, we use a simple mutagenesis approach to demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas systems from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpyCas9), Streptococcus aureus (SauCas9), Lachnospiraceae bacterium (LbaCas12a, previously known as LbCpf1), are orthogonal systems capable of operating simultaneously in zebrafish. CRISPR systems from Acidaminococcus sp. (AspCas12a, previously known as AsCpf1) and Neisseria meningitidis (Nme2Cas9) were also active in embryos. We implemented multichannel CRISPR recording using three CRISPR systems and show that LbaCas12a may provide superior information density compared to previous methods. We also demonstrate that type II Acrs (anti-CRISPRs) are effective inhibitors of SpyCas9 in zebrafish. Our results indicate that at least five CRISPR-Cas systems and two anti-CRISPR proteins are functional in zebrafish embryos. These orthogonal CRISPR-Cas systems and Acr proteins will enable combinatorial and intersectional strategies for spatiotemporal control of genome editing and genetic recording in animals.
Basins with Tentacles.

To explore basin geometry in high-dimensional dynamical systems, we consider a ring of identical Kuramoto oscillators. Many attractors coexist in this system; each is a twisted periodic orbit characterized by a winding number $q$, with basin size proportional to ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}k{q}^{2}}$. We uncover the geometry behind this size distribution and find the basins are octopuslike, with nearly all their volume in the tentacles, not the head of the octopus (the ball-like region close to the attractor). We present a simple geometrical reason why basins with tentacles should be common in high-dimensional systems.
The Neglected Ones: Time at Home During COVID-19 and Child Maltreatment

The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic led to extreme social isolation, precarious employment and job loss, working from home while tending to children, and limited access to public services. The confluence of these factors likely affects child health and well-being. We combine early release child maltreatment reports in Indiana with unique and newly available mobile phone movement data to better understand the relationship between staying at home intensively during the COVID-19 pandemic and child maltreatment. Our findings indicate that the prolonged stays at home promoted by the early public health response to COVID-19 resulted in reductions in child maltreatment reports overall and substantiated reports of maltreatment. However, relative to areas that stayed home less, children in areas that stayed home more were more likely to be both reported for and a confirmed victim of maltreatment, particularly neglect. These areas have historically been socioeconomically advantaged and experienced lower rates of maltreatment. We only observe increases in confirmed child maltreatment in metropolitan counties, suggesting that the effects of staying home on child maltreatment may reflect both the differential risk of leaving home and access to services in metropolitan-rather than non-metropolitan-counties. Staying at home has been challenging for many families. Families likely need assistance as the pandemic persists, evolves, and when it ends.
H-NeRF: Neural Radiance Fields for Rendering and Temporal Reconstruction of Humans in Motion

We present neural radiance fields for rendering and temporal (4D) reconstruction of humans in motion (H-NeRF), as captured by a sparse set of cameras or even from a monocular video. Our approach combines ideas from neural scene representation, novel-view synthesis, and implicit statistical geometric human representations, coupled using novel loss functions. Instead of learning a radiance field with a uniform occupancy prior, we constrain it by a structured implicit human body model, represented using signed distance functions. This allows us to robustly fuse information from sparse views and generalize well beyond the poses or views observed in training. Moreover, we apply geometric constraints to co-learn the structure of the observed subject -- including both body and clothing -- and to regularize the radiance field to geometrically plausible solutions. Extensive experiments on multiple datasets demonstrate the robustness and the accuracy of our approach, its generalization capabilities significantly outside a small training set of poses and views, and statistical extrapolation beyond the observed shape.
PerSim: Data-Efficient Offline Reinforcement Learning with Heterogeneous Agents via Personalized Simulators

We consider offline reinforcement learning (RL) with heterogeneous agents under severe data scarcity, i.e., we only observe a single historical trajectory for every agent under an unknown, potentially sub-optimal policy. We find that the performance of state-of-the-art offline and model-based RL methods degrade significantly given such limited data availability, even for commonly perceived "solved" benchmark settings such as "MountainCar" and "CartPole". To address this challenge, we propose a model-based offline RL approach, called PerSim, where we first learn a personalized simulator for each agent by collectively using the historical trajectories across all agents prior to learning a policy. We do so by positing that the transition dynamics across agents can be represented as a latent function of latent factors associated with agents, states, and actions; subsequently, we theoretically establish that this function is well-approximated by a "low-rank" decomposition of separable agent, state, and action latent functions. This representation suggests a simple, regularized neural network architecture to effectively learn the transition dynamics per agent, even with scarce, offline data.We perform extensive experiments across several benchmark environments and RL methods. The consistent improvement of our approach, measured in terms of state dynamics prediction and eventual reward, confirms the efficacy of our framework in leveraging limited historical data to simultaneously learn personalized policies across agents.
Role and Clinical Utility of Cancer/Testis Antigens in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cancer/testis (CT) antigens exhibit selective expression predominantly in immunoprivileged tissues in non-pathological contexts but are aberrantly expressed in diverse cancers. Due to their expression pattern, they have historically been attractive targets for immunotherapies. A growing number of studies implicate CT antigens in almost all hallmarks of cancer, suggesting that they may act as cancer drivers. CT antigens are expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. However, their role in the pathogenesis of these cancers remains poorly studied. Given that CT antigens hold intriguing potential as therapeutic targets and as biomarkers for prognosis and that they can provide novel insights into oncogenic mechanisms, their further study in the context of head and squamous cell carcinoma is warranted.
Symmetry Finder applied to the 1–3 mass eigenstate exchange symmetry

In a previous paper, Symmetry Finder (SF) method is proposed to find the reparametrization symmetry of the state-exchange type in neutrino oscillation in matter. It has been applied successfully to the 1–2 state exchange symmetry in the DMP perturbation theory, yielding the eight symmetries. In this paper, we apply the SF method to the atmospheric-resonance perturbation theory to uncover the 1–3 state relabeling symmetries. The pure 1–3 state symmetry takes the unique position that it is practically impossible to formulate in vacuum under the conventional choice of the flavor mixing matrix. In contrast, our SF method produces the sixteen 1–3 state exchange symmetries in matter. The relationship between the symmetries in the original (vacuum plus matter) Hamiltonian and the ones in the diagonalized system is discussed.
Divergent Evolution of Progesterone and Mineralocorticoid Receptors in Terrestrial Vertebrates and Fish Influences Endocrine Disruption

There is much concern about disruption of endocrine physiology regulated by steroid hormones in humans, other terrestrial vertebrates and fish by industrial chemicals, such as bisphenol A, and pesticides, such as DDT. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals influence steroid-mediated physiology in humans and other vertebrates by competing with steroids for receptor binding sites, disrupting diverse responses involved in reproduction, development and differentiation. Here I discuss that due to evolution of the progesterone receptor (PR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) after ray-finned fish and terrestrial vertebrates diverged from a common ancestor, each receptor evolved to respond to different steroids in ray-finned fish and terrestrial vertebrates. In elephant shark, a cartilaginous fish, ancestral to ray-finned fish and terrestrial vertebrates, both progesterone and 17,20dihydroxyprogesterone activate the PR. During the evolution of ray-finned fish and terrestrial vertebrates, the PR in terrestrial vertebrates continued responding to progesterone and evolved to weakly respond to 17,20dihydroxyprogesterone. In contrast, the physiological progestin for the PR in zebrafish and other ray-finned fish is 17,20dihydroxyprogesterone, and ray-finned fish PR responds weakly to progesterone. The MR in fish and terrestrial vertebrates also diverged to have different responses to progesterone.
Tianeptine, but not fluoxetine, decreases avoidant behavior in a mouse model of early developmental exposure to fluoxetine

Depression and anxiety, two of the most common mental health disorders, share common symptoms and treatments. Most pharmacological agents available to treat these disorders target monoamine systems. Currently, finding the most effective treatment for an individual is a process of trial and error. To better understand how disease etiology may predict treatment response, we studied mice exposed developmentally to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine (FLX). These mice show the murine equivalent of anxiety- and depression-like symptoms in adulthood and here we report that these mice are also behaviorally resistant to the antidepressant-like effects of adult SSRI administration. We investigated whether tianeptine (TIA), which exerts its therapeutic effects through agonism of the mu-opioid receptor instead of targeting monoaminergic systems, would be more effective in this model. We found that C57BL/6J pups exposed to FLX from postnatal day 2 to 11 (PNFLX, the mouse equivalent in terms of brain development to the human third trimester) showed increased avoidant behaviors as adults that failed to improve, or were even exacerbated, by chronic SSRI treatment. By contrast, avoidant behaviors in these same mice were drastically improved following chronic treatment with TIA. Overall, this demonstrates that TIA may be a promising alternative treatment for patients that fail to respond to typical antidepressants, especially in patients whose serotonergic system has been altered by in utero exposure to SSRIs.
Holding a torch for the black statue of liberty

(1992). Holding a Torch for the Black Statue of Liberty. The Black Scholar: Vol. 22, Black Culture 1992, pp. 52-55.
The behavior of the heat operator on weighted Sobolev spaces

Denoting by H the heat operator in Rn+1, we investigate its properties as a bounded operator from one weighted Sobolev space to another. Our main result gives conditions on the weights under which H is an injection, a surjection, or an isomorphism. We also describe the range and kernel of H in all the cases. Our results are analogous to those obtained by R. C. McOwen for the Laplace operator in Rn.
Quantum field theory off null planes

The initial-value problem for hyperbolic differential equations with the initial data given on a null plane in Minkowski space is considered in detail for the Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations. Existence and uniqueness theorems are given. The quantum field-theoretic analogue involves the commutation relations on the null plane and the null translation operator off that plane. The formal theory of interacting fields is stated briefly in the Feynman-Dyson spirit. It is pointed out that an interaction that involves the null co-ordinate derivative of the field in the direction off the initial plane leads to additional complications.
Alternative splicing of N- and C-termini of a C. elegans ClC channel alters gating and sensitivity to external Cl- and H+.

CLH-3 is a meiotic cell cycle-regulated ClC Cl− channel that is functionally expressed in oocytes of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. CLH-3a and CLH-3b are alternatively spliced variants that have identical intramembrane regions, but which exhibit striking differences in their N- and C-termini. Structural and functional studies indicate that N- and C-terminal domains modulate ClC channel activity. We therefore postulated that alternative splicing of CLH-3 would alter channel gating and physiological functions. To begin testing this hypothesis, we characterized the biophysical properties of CLH-3a and CLH-3b expressed heterologously in HEK293 cells. CLH-3a activates more slowly and requires stronger hyperpolarization for activation than CLH-3b. Depolarizing conditioning voltages dramatically increase CLH-3a current amplitude and induce a slow inactivation process at hyperpolarized voltages, but have no significant effect on CLH-3b activity. CLH-3a also differs significantly in its extracellular Cl− and pH sensitivity compared to CLH-3b. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that CLH-3b is translationally expressed during all stages of oocyte development, and furthermore, the biophysical properties of the native oocyte Cl− current are indistinguishable from those of heterologously expressed CLH-3b. We conclude that CLH-3b carries the oocyte Cl− current and that the channel probably functions in nonexcitable cells to depolarize membrane potential and/or mediate net Cl− transport. The unique voltage-dependent properties of CLH-3a suggest that the channel may function in muscle cells and neurones to regulate membrane excitability. We suggest that alternative splicing of CLH-3 N- and C-termini modifies the functional properties of the channel by altering the accessibility and/or function of pore-associated ion-binding sites.
Fluid flow in rock fractures: From the Navier-Stokes equations to the cubic law

The mathematical analysis of the flow of a single-phase Newtonian fluid through a rough-walled rock fracture is reviewed, starting with the Navier-Stokes equations. By a combination of order-of-magnitude analysis, appeal to available analytical solutions, and reanalysis of some data from the literature, it is shown that the Navier-Stokes equations can be linearized if the Reynolds number is less than about 10. Further analysis shows that the linear Stokes equations can be replaced by the simpler Reynolds lubrication equation if the wavelength of the dominant aperture variations is about three times greater than the mean aperture. However, this criterion does not seem to be strongly obeyed by all fractures. The Reynolds equation (i.e., the local cubic law) may therefore suffice in estimating fracture permeabilities to within a factor of about 2, but more accurate estimates will require solution of the Stokes equations. Similarly, estimates of mean aperture based on inverting transmissivity data may have errors of a factor of two if any version of the local cubic law is used to relate transmissivity to mean aperture.
On-chip TEC-QED ECC for ultra-large, single-chip memory systems

Soft errors resulted from alpha-particle strikes are one of the major factors that reduces the reliability of memory chips. One way to improve reliability of the memory chip is to employ an on-chip code (ECC). This paper presents a triple-error correcting and quadruple-error detecting (TEC-QED) code that is capable of correcting three and detecting four soft errors simultaneously. Its design is based on odd-weight-column SEC-DED code in conjunction with the parity technique. Results show that timing overhead of less than 10 ns can be expected. The proposed code improves the mean time between failure (MTBF) by a factor of 250% when compared to DEC-DED APC and by a factor of 1300% when compared to any SEC code. >
Tu Salud, ¡Si Cuenta!: Exposure to a community-wide campaign and its associations with physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption among individuals of Mexican descent.

Mexican Americans along the US-Mexico border have been found to be disproportionately affected by chronic diseases particularly related to lack of physical activity and healthful food choices. A community-wide campaign (CWC) is an evidence-based strategy to address these behaviors but with few examples of implementation in Mexican descent populations facing profound health disparities. We examined exposure to a CWC, titled Tu Salud iSi Cuenta!, and its association with meeting the recommended minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity weekly and consuming more portions of fruits and vegetables daily. A cross-sectional sample of 1438 Mexican descent participants was drawn from a city-wide, randomly-selected cohort interviewed between the years 2008 and 2012. Multivariable comparisons of participants exposed and not exposed to the CWC and meeting physical activity guidelines or their fruit and vegetable consumptions using mixed effects models were conducted. The community-wide campaign components included different forms of mass media and individually-focused components such as community health worker (CHW) home visits. After adjusting for gender, age, marital status, educational attainment, language preference, health insurance, and diabetes diagnosis, the strongest association was found between meeting physical activity guidelines and exposure to both CHW discussions and radio messages (adjusted OR = 3.83; 95% CI = [1.28, 6.21]; p = 0.0099). Participants who reported exposure to both radio and TV messages consumed more portions of fruits and vegetables than those who reported no exposure (adjusted RR = 1.30; 95% CI = [1.02, 1.66]; p = 0.0338). This study provides insights into the implementation and behavioral outcomes associated with exposure to a community-wide campaign, a potential model for addressing lifestyle modifications in populations affected by health disparities.
Transesterification of used vegetable oil catalyzed by barium oxide under simultaneous microwave and ultrasound irradiations

Abstract This study presents a novel application of simultaneous microwave and ultrasound (MW/US) irradiations on transesterification of used vegetable oil catalyzed by barium oxide, heterogeneous catalyst. Experiments were conducted to study the optimum process conditions, synergistic effect of microwave and ultrasound irradiations and the effect of power density. From the process parametric optimization study, the following conditions were determined as optimum: 6:1 methanol to oil ratio, 0.75% barium oxide catalyst by wt.%, and 2 min of reaction time at a combined power output rate of 200 W (100/100 MW/US). The biodiesel yields were higher for the simultaneous MW/US mediated reactions (∼93.5%) when compared to MW (91%) and US (83.5%) irradiations individually. Additionally, the effect of power density and a discussion on the synergistic effect of the microwave and ultrasound mediated reactions were presented. A power density of 7.6 W/mL appears to be effective for MW, and MW/US irradiated reactions (94.4% and 94.7% biodiesel yields respectively), while a power density of 5.1 W/mL was appropriate for ultrasound irradiation (93.5%). This study concludes that the combined microwave and ultrasound irradiations result in a synergistic effect that reduces the heterogeneity of the transesterification reaction catalyzed by heterogeneous catalysts to enhance the biodiesel yields significantly.
Evidence of photosynthate translocation in an algal-acoel symbiotic system: An in vivo, qualitative approach

Convolutriloba retrogemma, like other members of the genus and other symbiotic acoels, does not lend itself well to established methods for the detection and quantification of photosynthate translocation from symbiont to host. We describe a novel method for indirectly detecting evidence of photosynthate movement, in vivo, utilizing differential weight change in animals subjected to light and dark treatments without holozoic feeding. Unfed acoels kept in light lost 28% of their original weight while those kept in the dark lost 41%. Also described is a refined method for the separation of algal symbionts from host tissue in these species, as well as a method for determining accurate wet-weight of this and other soft-bodied, invertebrate species.
Control of self-reactivity in the intestine.

In the intestine maintenance of self-tolerance may involve tissue-specific self-Ags, APCs, ‘second signals’, and extrathymic pathways of T cell maturation. These factors combine to create a unique environment where autoimmune tissue destruction is prevented despite local inflammatory influences. In this review we summarize our findings using a TCR-γδ transgenic model where self-tolerance was maintained by clonal deletion for cells localizing to peripheral lymphold tissue and by clonal anergy for cells localizing to the intraepithelial compartments. Several possible explanations exist for these results but in general, these findings have implications for the maintenance of self-tolerance of normal TCR-αβ and TCR-γδ IELs in epithelial tissues such as the intestine.
Physical, Sensory and Microbiological Characteristics of Lamb Retail Cuts Vacuum Packaged in High Oxygen-Barrier Film

Lamb chops and steaks from fresh (F) or vacuum packaged (VP) racks, loins and legs were packaged in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film or vacuum packaged in high oxygen-barrier (HOB) film. Use of previously vacuum packaged (PVP) cuts did not affect overall appearance of rib or loin chops during subsequent retail display but HOB film-packaged leg steaks from PVP cuts had lower overall appearance scores than did leg steaks from F cuts. Prior VP storage negatively affected flavor desirability and odor at the conclusion of retail display (4 days in PVC or 10 or 15 days in HOB film). Pseudomonas spp. were a dominant part of the microflora of PVC-wrapped chops while L. cellobiosus was a dominant part of the microflora of HOB-wrapped chops.
Vacuum polarization and the electric charge of the positron.

We show that higher-order vacuum polarization would contribute a measurable net charge to atoms, if the charges of electrons and positrons do not balance precisely. We obtain the limit \ensuremath{\Vert}${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{e}}$+${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{e}\mathrm{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}}$\ensuremath{\Vert}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}18}$e for the sum of the charges of electron and positron. This also constitutes a new bound on certain violations of PCT invariance.
Charge neutrality of the color-flavor locked phase from the low energy effective theory

We investigate the issue of charge neutrality of the $\mathrm{CFL}{K}^{0}$ phase of dense quark matter using the low energy effective theory of high density QCD. We show that the local electric and color charge neutrality of the ground state in a homogeneous color superconducting medium follows from its dynamics. We also consider the situation of a spatially inhomogeneous medium, such as may be found in a neutron star core. We find that spatial inhomogeneity results in the generation of electric fields, and positrons and/or electrons may be present in the ground state. We estimate the concentration of charged leptons in the ground state to be ${n}_{e}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{2}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ and consider their influence on the opacity of the medium with respect to the modified photons.
Agapé Christian Reconciliation Conversations: Exploring the Intersections of Culture, Religiousness, and Homosexual Identity in Latino and European Americans

To understand how homophobia manifests itself through a Latino cultural lens of identity, a program was designed to address the issues connecting homosexual identity, culture, and Christianity. The program included screening of one of two documentary films about lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) identity and family relations. This was followed by group sharing and biblical reflections. Participants ( N = 122) were asked to complete measures of homophobic attitudes and qualitative appraisal of the program. Pearson product moment correlations analyses revealed that age and political ideology were related negatively to homophobia. Eighty-five percent found the program to be very useful or useful and 95% indicated that they would recommend it to others. The complexities of the intersections of Christianity, culture, and attitudes toward homosexuality in an individual's identity were examined. The data illustrates a positive trend in changing attitudes towards homosexuality in the Latino Christian community.
Development and applications of compact high‐intensity lasers

The development of compact high‐intensity lasers, made possible by the technique of chirped pulse amplification, is reviewed. This includes the complexities of high‐power laser implementation, such as the generation of short pulses, pulse cleaning, wide‐bandwidth amplification, temporal stretching and compression, and the requirements for high‐average powers. Details of specific solid‐state laser systems are given. Some applications of these lasers to short‐pulse coherent short‐wavelength [x‐ray ultraviolet (XUV)] sources are also reviewed. This includes several nonlinear effects observed by focusing a subpicosecond laser into a gas; namely, an anomalous scaling of harmonic generation in atomic media, an upper limit on the conversion efficiency of relativistic harmonics in a plasma, and the observation of short‐pulse self‐focusing and multifoci formation. Finally, the effects of large ponderomotive pressures (100 Mbars) in short‐pulse high‐intensity laser–plasma interactions are discussed, with relevance both to recombination x‐ray lasers and a novel method of igniting thermonuclear fusion.
Characterization of laser-induced plasmas for fiber-optic probes

We recently developed a number of fiber-optic probe designs for remote elemental analyses using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The LIBS process is complicated by non- linear ablation and excitation of the sample which hinders the reproducibility of the technique. We are conducting dual-pulse LIBS laser studies to separately investigate the ablation and excitation steps. Signal enhancements as high as five-fold are observed using dual-laser pulses over conventional LIBS. The enhancement is very dependent on the timing between the two laser pulses. It also appears that the sample matrix influences the degree of enhancement observed. Factors affecting the LIBS signal are also being investigated using a time-resolved imaging setup which consists of an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) along with a gated intensified charge- coupled device (ICCD) detector. Using simple imaging techniques, we have found for certain samples that the emission intensity increases and the overall shape of the plasma changes with increasing number of laser shots. The size and shape of the plume appears to be related to the geometry and depth of the crater that is formed in the sample. It is hoped that the results of these studies will be useful in making better fiber-optic LIBS measurements.
Ohio Source Counts: Comments by Harris and Kraus

Jauncey and Niell1 point out that the flux densities of sources in the Ohio survey tend to be underestimated at low values of flux density. We have been aware of this from independent measurements by Dixon, Ehman and others of the OSU Radio Observatory staff, made in 1969 with the NRAO 300 foot radio telescope at Green Bank. The principal cause of the underestimation was traced to an error in data reduction which affected certain sources. Corrections can be made for the individual sources affected. For many statistical purposes, however, a satisfactory correction is to increase the flux density of all sources with 0.16≤S415<0.5 flux units by 0.07 flux units for instalments II and III of the Ohio survey and by 0.03 flux units for instalment IV.
Outcomes in Patients With Prolonged PR Interval or First-Degree Atrioventricular Block

To the Editor: In their cohort study using patients from the Framingham Heart Study, Dr Cheng and colleagues found that prolongation of the PR interval or first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block was associated with increased risks of atrial fibrillation (AF), pacemaker implantation, and allcause mortality. In their AF analysis, they adjusted for electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as a confounder, consistent with an article from the LIFE study that showed the relationship between LVH and AF. However, a subsequent article from the LIFE study reported that regression of LVH was associated with reduction of sudden cardiac death, and LVH has been reported to be a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, LVH may play a role as a confounder in mortality analysis, but the investigators did not adjust for LVH in that analysis. Such an adjustment might provide a more accurate estimation of the mortality hazard ratio.
Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity in focal ischemia with reperfusion in rats.

Evidence linking changes in calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity with ischemic cell death has been reported in animal models of global ischemia. The purpose of this study was to delineate the course of these changes after focal ischemia and to clarify the relation of changes in activity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II to the process of ischemic cell death.Change in calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity was evaluated in a rat model of focal ischemia after 5 minutes, 30 minutes, and 1 hour of tandem middle cerebral artery and common carotid artery occlusion both with and without reperfusion.Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity was significantly decreased after all three durations of ischemia followed by immediate decapitation compared with sham-operated animals, in both ischemic core and border-zone regions (P < .05 for all groups). Depression of activity occurred in a regionally graded fashion, with the most severe decrease in infarc...
The amount of rearfoot motion used during the stance phase of walking

The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of available passive frontal plane rearfoot motion that is used during the stance phase of walking. Data were collected from 40 healthy, asymptomatic volunteer subjects (20 men and 20 women) aged 23 to 44 years. Passive inversion and eversion motion was measured in a non-weightbearing position by manually moving the calcaneus. Dynamic rearfoot motion was referenced to a vertical calcaneus and tibia and was measured using a three-dimensional electromagnetic motion-analysis system. The results indicated that individuals used 68.1% of their available passive eversion range of motion and 13.2% of their available passive inversion range of motion during walking. The clinical implication of individuals' regularly operating at or near the end point of their available rearfoot eversion range of motion is discussed.
Effects of intratracheal instillation of bleomycin on phospholipid synthesis in hamster lung tissue slices.

Bleomycin, an antineoplastic drug, is known to produce interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). As a result, it is commonly employed in various species to produce animal models of fibrosis. We have examined the uptake of (/sup 14/C) acetate by lung slices and its incorporation into lipids in the slices at various times following intratracheal administration of a fibrogenic dose of bleomycin in hamsters. As compared to saline controls, bleomycin had no effect on (/sup 14/C) acetate uptake at 4 and 7 days but it increased the uptake at 2 and 14 days after treatment. The incorporation of (/sup 14/C) acetate into total lipid was significantly reduced to 44, 62, 62, and 75% of the control at 2, 4, 7, and 14 days after bleomycin treatment, respectively. The incorporation into lipid as a percentage of the uptake was 12.2 in control animals whereas in bleomycin-treated animals, it was 4.7, 8.0, 7.3, and 6.9 at the corresponding times. Separation of lipids into various fractions revealed that bleomycin treatment specifically inhibited the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and neutral lipid at all times of the study. The synthesis of all other phospholipids except phosphatidylethanolamine was depressed at 2 days. The latter was, however, depressed at 7more » and 14 days after bleomycin treatment. It was concluded from the present study that bleomycin treatment inhibits the synthesis of phospholipid and neutral lipid and this may eventually lead to decreased surfactant production.« less
Glucose stimulation of protein acylation in the pancreatic β-cell.

Aims To determine whether protein acylation plays a role in the effects of glucose on the insulin secreting β-cell.
Mass-loading and diffusion-loss rates of the Io plasma torus

Limits to the mass-loading and diffusion-loss rates of ions in the Io plasma torus have been calculated on the assumption that observed optical emissions are controlled by electron-ion collisions. Calculations of the yield of emission from the vicinity of Io limit the mass-loading rate to the order of 10 to the 27th per s for S II or O II, on the grounds that electron-excited emissions associated with the location of Io have not been observed in the optical spectrum. This mass-loading limit is dependent on the assumptions that Io is the source of torus particles and that most of the neutral atoms are converted to ions within 1 R(J) of Io. According to the calculations presented below, the observed partitioning of sulfur ion species in the hot torus at the time of Voyager 1 encounter indicates that the diffusion-loss time of the ions is of the order of 1/D = 100 days. The two results limiting the mass-loading and diffusion-loss rates are compatible and suggest that the energy required to maintain the observed radiated power cannot be supplied by acceleration of ions formed at Io in Jupiter's rotating magnetic field.
Optical activity in a weak electric field

Abstract We show that the weak electric field optical activity of a molecule in a complex superposition of mirror image amplitudes need not vanish. In addition, we show that the optical activity is a direct measure of left-right coherence.