cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distinguishing Right From Left: A Standardized Technique for Fetal Echocardiography

Improved echocardiographic equipment and increasing experience have led to accurate and reliable prenatal diagnosis of congenital defects and arrhythmias. However, without a standard convention for acquisition and presentation of fetal images, distinguishing the right side of the fetus from the left side can be difficult and confusing. This article proposes a standard method of image acquisition and presentation that allows confident determination of the fetal right/left axis by easily identified anatomic landmarks. This technique provides a reliable determination of the fetal right/left axis regardless of fetal position (i.e., face up, face down, facing left, or facing right), in both real time and retrospective review. Only after the fetal right/left axis has been determined can accurate diagnoses of fetal atrial and visceral situs, base-apex axis, and cardiac segmental anatomy be made.
Selecting Materials for Radiation Balanced Lasers

Well-characterized solid-state laser materials are evaluated for performance in radiation balanced laser systems. New figures-of-merit are developed and applied to ytterbium doped materials. Superior performance is predicted for high cross section tungstate materials. Photothermal deflection experiments on samples of Yb3+ doped KGd(WO4)2 confirm anti-Stokes fluorescence cooling. Observations of optical cooling in this high figure-of-merit material confirm the potential of this approach for laser power scaling.
Targeted Occlusion to Surface and Deep Vessels in Neocortex via Linear and Nonlinear Optical Absorption

We discuss two complementary methods for the study of cerebral blood flow and brain function in response to the occlusion of individual, targeted blood vessels. These bear on the study of microstroke and vascular dysfunction in cortex. One method makes use of linear optical absorption by a photosensitizer, transiently circulated in the blood stream, to induce an occlusion in a surface or near-surface vessel. The second method makes use of nonlinear optical interactions, without the need to introduce an exogenous absorber, to induce an occlusion in a subsurface microvessel. A feature of both methods is that the dynamics of blood flow and functional aspects of the vasculature and underlying neurons in the neighborhood of the occluded vessel may be monitored before, during, and after the occlusion. We present details of both methods and associated surgical procedures, along with example data from published studies.
Recurrent Menorrhagia in an Adolescent with a Platelet Secretion Defect

Abstract Background Although von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, platelet function disorders are less well recognized as a cause of bleeding. We report a case of menorrhagia caused by an unsuspected platelet secretion defect. Case A 13-year-old Asian female, with unknown family history, presented with menorrhagia not responsive to intravenous conjugated estrogens, requiring transfusion of 7 units of packed red blood cells. Initial screening tests for bleeding disorders were normal; however, due to high clinical suspicion, further specific testing with platelet aggregometry was performed, which revealed a platelet secretion defect. Summary and Conclusion The prevalence of platelet secretion defects in adolescents with menorrhagia is unknown, but may be higher than currently recognized. When screening tests are normal, yet suspicion remains high for an underlying hemostatic disorder, platelet aggregometry must be performed.
Source adaptivity for cardiac sound separation

Physiological sounds exhibit a variety of waveforms and hence, their probability density functions (pdf) show a wide variation in their shapes ranging from subGaussian to superGaussian to multimodal. In blind source separation (BSS) applications, where extraction of cardiac sounds from their mixtures is the main objective, assuming a particular density profile for the unknown source signals is almost impossible. In this paper we show that separation of cardiac sounds, from their mixtures, could be improved if online density estimation algorithms are used to estimate the unknown source density near the global optimum of BSS algorithms. Experimental results are included.
Constitutive expression of NF-κB is a characteristic feature of mycosis fungoides: Implications for apoptosis resistance and pathogenesis

The NF-kappa B family of transcription factors is an important regulator of genes expressed during inflammatory responses, immunoglobulin (Ig) class switching, cellular differentiation, and apoptosis. Recently, members of the NF-kappaB family, including p65(Rel A), have been implicated in promoting survival of various hematopoeitic neoplasms, including T cell malignancies such as adult T cell leukemia-lymphoma. We investigated the expression of active NF-kappa B p65(Rel A) in cases of mycosis fungoides (MF) and the effect of chemical inhibitors of NF-kappa B on apoptosis in cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) cell lines. Paraffin-embedded tissues from 23 cutaneous lesions and a single lymph node biopsy from patients diagnosed with MF were evaluated for p65(Rel A) expression by using a monoclonal mouse antibody that detects the activated form of p65(Rel A). Apoptosis after treatment with the NF-kappa B inhibitors gliotoxin, MG132, BAY 11-7082, and BAY 11-7085 was quantitatively measured in the CTCL cell lines HuT-78 and HH by propidium iodide (PI)/cell cycle analysis for detection of a hypodiploid (sub-G(0)) population and by determination of increased Annexin V/7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) expression. Nuclear extracts from CTCL cells before and after chemical inhibition were analyzed for NF-kappa B nuclear DNA-binding activity by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) with quantitative densitometry. Nuclear expression of p65(Rel A) before and after treatment with the various inhibitory compounds was measured by immunofluorescence staining in each CTCL cell line. Neoplastic T lymphocytes from 22 of 24 cases of MF showed strong nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of active p65(Rel A). Compared with untreated control cells, a marked increase in apoptosis, a significant decrease in NF-kappa B DNA-binding activity, and a marked decrease in nuclear p65(Rel A) expression were seen in cells from both CTCL cell lines after chemical NF-kappa B inhibition. These data show that the active form of NF-kappa B p65(Rel A) is commonly expressed in neoplastic T lymphocytes in patients with MF. In CTCL cell lines, the significant decrease in nuclear NF-kappa B expression and the marked increase in spontaneous apoptosis caused by chemical NF-kappa B inhibition suggest a critical role for NF-kappa B in the pathogenesis and tumor cell maintenance of CTCLs. HUM PATHOL 31:1482-1490.
Crime Specific Neutralizations: An Empirical Examination of Four Types of Digital Piracy

Digital piracy is a major concern for multiple industries. The current work examines music, movie, software, and gaming piracy using a cross sectional survey methodology. The survey was administered to a population of graduate and undergraduate students at two universities (N= 304). Two of the neutralization techniques, Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) defiance and the claim of future patronage, are new to the literature with this study. These two techniques were developed to apply specifically to digital piracy. Overall, the findings for this study were mixed. However, strong support was demonstrated for a number of neutralization techniques; including, the defense of necessity, appeal to higher loyalties, claim of normalcy, and the newly created DRM defiance.
Use of echocardiographic subxiphoid five-sixth area length (bullet) method in evaluation of adequacy of borderline left ventricle in hypoplastic left heart complex

Indexed left ventricular end-diastolic volume (ILVEDV) is commonly used in evaluating "borderline left ventricle (LV)" in hypoplastic left heart complex (HLHC) to determine if the LV can sustain adequate systemic cardiac output. Commonly used quantification methods include biplane Simpson or the traditional five-sixth area length "bullet" methods, which have been shown to underestimate true LV volumes, when septal position is mildly abnormal. Subxiphoid five-sixth area length method is proposed as a more accurate estimate of true LV volume in the evaluation of borderline LV.
Highly Charged Ions in Astrophysics

High temperatures or intense photon fluxes create highly charged ions in astrophysical plasmas. The atomic properties of these ions determine heating and cooling rates and opacities. The intensities of X-ray and ultraviolet spectral lines provide diagnostics for plasma temperature, density, ionization state and elemental composition. Here we discuss the solar corona, X-ray emitting binary stars and supernova remnants, emphasizing the kinds of observations made, the important ions and atomic processes, and the current and desirable levels of accuracy needed for the atomic rates.
A dilated cardiomyopathy mutation blunts adrenergic response and induces contractile dysfunction under chronic angiotensin II stress.

In vitro, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)-causing mutations abolish the change in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity when troponin I is phosphorylated by PKA. With the use of a mouse model of DCM, we show t...
Lipsticks and Razorblades: How the Auto Id Center Used Pre-Commitments to Build the Internet of Things

This study explores the real-time emergence of the RFID (radio frequency identification) industry by investigating how the Auto ID Center, a MIT-based network of business organizations, is creating an infrastructure for computers to communicate with objects via The Internet of Things. The analysis shows how the Auto ID network originated in a "garbage can" fashion and used effectuation to grow through a series of stakeholder commitments. Effectual strategies are primarily means-driven and non-predictive. These strategies are directed at shaping - or designing - future markets rather than trying to predict them. Two theoretical mechanisms are used to frame the evidence in this study. First, the study builds on the concept of docility, originally devised by Simon (1993), by emphasizing the importance of reciprocal persuasion in new market creation. In free markets persuasion goes both ways in every interaction and the give-and-take of social advice is often a major help to people in their decision-making. Second, the study uses the concept of pre-commitment, which is a self-imposed non-negotiable constraint on our future choices. The Auto ID Center pre-committed to developing technology based solely on what stakeholder partners were willing to commit to. These two mechanisms are used to trace the temporal architecture of the Auto ID network. After originating in a garbage can, the network converged on increasingly specific goals as well as set in motion a widening process of mobilizing resources. The Auto ID network is bringing the idea of the Internet of Things to market piece by piece by transforming it into valuable new social artifacts, such as technical standards, infrastructure and markets for products and services.
Psychologists in Adult Correctional Institutions

Nineteen seventy-nine was a good year—a year for debate on the efficacy, value, logic, and, indeed, the ethics of psychological intervention in correctional settings. Stemming from this same climate of healthy and sometimes heated dialogue were important sets of standards and recommendations promulgated by the American Association of Correctional Psychologists (AACP, 1980) and the American Psychological Association (APA) (Monahan, 1980). In addition, the mid-to-late 1970s and early 1980s saw a wave of prison litigation that featured, in part, attacks on the widespread failure to provide minimally adequate psychological services and environments (Clements, 1982).
Managing Anticoagulation in Patients with Mechanical Valves

As the burden of valvular heart disease increases worldwide, surgical valve replacement with mechanical prostheses continues to be an important treatment option for thousands of patients each year. All patients with mechanical heart valves require oral anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists. The optimal dose and intensity of anticoagulation depends on patient- and valve-related risk factors. Clinical management is further complicated during pregnancy or surgery because antithrombotic therapy may need to be altered and decisions are often based on limited, observational data. Novel therapies that may overcome many of the inherent limitations associated with vitamin K antagonists are currently being developed and tested as alternative anticoagulants in different patient populations.
The Rhetoric of Law and Literature

This short piece, prepared for a symposium revisiting Richard Weisberg's 'The Failure of the Word', focuses on the structure of claims that are often made about law's relationship to literature. These claims purport to contrast literature, portrayed as textured, nuanced, and emotionally resonant, with law, portrayed as a dessicated, abstract world composed mainly of rules. Rhetorically, this contrast constructs and entrenches a highly contestable definition of law's boundaries even as it purports to describe them. Worse, by assuming that law is an independent space mostly bounded by rules, and that literature is a separate and contrasting space, the strategy suggests a rather impoverished view of interdisciplinarity. In this view, interdisciplinary work is work that crosses borders; if what is inside the realm of literature were already inside law, there would be nothing interdisciplinarity could accomplish. Although Weisberg inverts the usual rhetoric of opposition, and instead draws parallels between law and literature, his work is nonetheless reminiscent of that part of law/literature rhetoric that associates almost everything worth having - emotions, sensitivity to context, respect for variety and otherness in human nature - outside of law, while associating law itself with abstraction, cerebration, blindness, and moral indifference. Despite this problem, I argue, Weisberg's project exemplifies one of the more admirable ambitions of the law/literature enterprise, the ambition to make lawyers and judges explicitly aware of, and accountable for, the ethical dimensions of their conduct. Whether right or wrong, Weisberg's infamous analysis of Billy Budd suggests that moral values inhere in the law itself and therefore do not have to be hijacked from a separate domain located "outside" of law.
Normal Coordinate Treatment of Biphosphine

Infrared and Raman spectra for biphosphine and deuterobiphosphine were collected and examined for the wave numbers, intensities, and depolarization factors. Also, the frequency assignments were examined on the basis of the C2 model. Then a normal coordinate treatment (FG matrix method) was conducted for this model. F matrix elements adopted from PH3 and PD3 were used as a first approximation and then adjusted to yield-calculated wave numbers in good agreement with experiment.
The Role of Leaf Cuticle in Leaf Age Preference by Bayberry Whitefly (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on Lemon

The effect of leaf cuticle on probing behavior by bayberry whitefly, Parabemisia myricae (Kuwana), was studied by enzymatically removing cuticles from young and mature lemon ( Citrus limon (L.)) leaves and using the isolated cuticles as membranes over sucrose solutions. Duration of probes by whiteflies on sucrose solutions covered by young cuticles or stretched Parafilm was significantly greater than on those covered by mature cuticles. Differences between young and mature cuticles were similar to differences previously observed between young and mature leaves. Because media beneath cuticles was the same for both young and mature cuticles, the data suggest that reluctance or inability of bayberry whitefly to feed on mature lemon leaves was the result of properties of leaf cuticle. Experiments using Parafilm as a “neutral” membrane suggest that inability of whiteflies to feed through mature cuticles results from inhibitory properties of mature cuticle rather than lack of probing stimulants.
Identification of Barriers to PV Application Into the Building Design

Even though there are a number of examples of BIPV, the concept of integration into the building and its design process have not yet been clearly defined. Lack of integration makes this new technology application expensive and very complex to implement. The challenge is how to make this new concept easily applicable and to spread this promising technology for users. In order for PV technology to be added effectively into the design process, full integration is essential. Full integration can be achieved when close interface develops between the PV System and the elements of the building design process. The design process is the spine that links the building from its inception all through its life cycle. The architects, along with the consultants and technical experts, are directly responsible for this process. PV has to be part of the building material and its building material properties have to be equivalent to other conventional building materials. PV has to fit into the building design process from the beginning. As a building component, it has to have certain standards and codes that will fit well within general building codes. This paper starts with the definition of the architectural building design process. It then continues with identifying the barriers that have direct effect on this process. These barriers are lack of interface (integration with typical building process), lack of common language, mismatched potential, unknown performance, and lack of economic analysis. The paper concludes by giving suggestions on how these barriers can be broken.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Improvement in Optical Environment over Turrets with Flat Window Using Passive Flow Control

Several pin configurations were tested in an attempt to improve the aero-optical environment at large look-back angles over a cylindrical turret with a flat window. When small-diameter, tall pins were placed upstream of the cylindrical turret they created a partial blockage and formed a second shear layer. The second shear layer reduced the turbulent intensity of the main shear layer, with a reduction in the overall levels of aero-optical aberration by as much as 20% over a range of elevation angles between 120 and 145 degrees. A simple model is presented proposing a physical mechanism for the aero-optical reduction.
How humanitarian culture informs change adoption: A case study of humanitarian logistics

This chapter presents a longitudinal case study of change management within a geographically distributed emergency logistics team at a large international humanitarian organization. We found four categories of factors affecting change adoption: (1) individual barriers to change, (2) individual drivers of change, (3) collective barriers to change, and (4) collective drivers of change. These factors reflected specific instances of humanitarian culture at play in influencing whether change is adopted. Our findings identified not only singular factors but, more importantly, the interplay among factors that contributed to the ultimate outcome—whether change was adopted. Key findings include that (1) individual barriers have a stronger influence for advancing or inhibiting change in humanitarian teams and (2) collective factors establish an environment that can either catalyze or prohibit individual change factors. These findings have practical implications for facilitating change adoption in humanitarian organizations.
JRAP Guide: Consent to Medical Treatment by Minors in Massachusetts

This JRAP Guide is designed for health care providers, social service agency employees, and other practitioners who connect young people with the health care they need. As this Guide explains, while the age of consent for all medical treatment in Massachusetts is generally eighteen, those under eighteen may consent to a wide range of services — even without parental authorization — depending on the circumstances. This Guide highlights the special consent issues that may arise for youth who are involved with the Department of Children and Families or the Department of Youth Services. While these issues may seem complicated at first glance, the governing law and regulations are described in a clear manner and frequently asked questions are addressed.
Positron emission tomography-computed tomography standardized uptake values in clinical practice and assessing response to therapy.

The use of standardized uptake values (SUVs) is now common place in clinical 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F] fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) position emission tomography-computed tomography oncology imaging and has a specific role in assessing patient response to cancer therapy. Ideally, the use of SUVs removes variability introduced by differences in patient size and the amount of injected FDG. However, in practice there are several sources of bias and variance that are introduced in the measurement of FDG uptake in tumors and also in the conversion of the image count data to SUVs. In this article the overall imaging process is reviewed and estimates of the magnitude of errors, where known, are given. Recommendations are provided for best practices in improving SUV accuracy.
Examining Invasive Bedside Procedure Performance at an Academic Medical Center.

OBJECTIVES Explore the performance patterns of invasive bedside procedures at an academic medical center, evaluate whether patient characteristics predict referral, and examine procedure outcomes. METHODS This was a prospective, observational, and retrospective chart review of adults admitted to a general medicine service who had a paracentesis, thoracentesis, or lumbar puncture between February 22, 2013 and February 21, 2014. RESULTS Of a total of 399 procedures, 335 (84%) were referred to a service other than the primary team for completion. Patient characteristics did not predict referral status. Complication rates were low overall and did not differ, either by referral status or location of procedure. Model-based results showed a 41% increase in the average length of time until procedure completion for those referred to the hospital procedure service or radiology (7.9 vs 5.8 hours; P < 0.05) or done in radiology instead of at the bedside (9.0 vs 5.8 hours; P < 0.001). The average procedure cost increased 38% ($1489.70 vs $1023.30; P < 0.001) for referred procedures and 56% ($1625.77 vs $1150.98; P < 0.001) for radiology-performed procedures. CONCLUSIONS Although referral often is the easier option, our study shows its shortcomings, specifically pertaining to cost and time until completion. Procedure performance remains an important skill for residents and hospitalists to learn and use as a part of patient care.
Parameter Estimation of Type-I and Type-II Hybrid Censored Data from the Log- Logistic Distribution

In experiments on product lifetime and reliability testing, there are many practical situations in which researchers terminate the experiment and report the results before all items of the experiment fail because of time or cost consideration. The most common and popular censoring schemes are type-I and type-II censoring. In type-I censoring scheme, the termination time is pre-fixed, but the number of observed failures is a random variable. However, if the mean lifetime of experimental units is somewhat larger than the pre-fixed termination time, then far fewer failures would be observed and this is a significant disadvantage on the efficiency of inferential procedures. In type-II censoring scheme, however, the number of observed failures is pre-fixed, but the experiment time is a random variable. In this case, at least pre-specified number of failure are obtained, but the termination time is clearly a disadvantage from the experimenter’s point of view. To overcome some of the drawbacks in those schemes, the hybrid censoring scheme, which is a mixture of the conventional type-I and type-II censoring schemes, has received much attention in recent years. In this paper, we consider the analysis of type-I and type-II hybrid censored data where the lifetimes of items follow two-parameter log-logistic distribution. We present the maximum likelihood estimators of unknown parameters and asymptotic confidence intervals, and a simulation study is conducted to evaluate the proposed methods.
Influence of alkali silica reaction on the chemistry of pore solutions in mortars with and without lithium ions

This paper presents the results of the investigation of the chemistry of pore solutions of mortars containing both reactive and non-reactive aggregate. The effects of lithium ions (Li+) on chemical compositions of the pore solutions were also explored. In order to accelerate the A SR, all experiments were performed at 55 °C. The compositions of the pore solution were measured at short intervals for the period of up to 120 days. The results showed clear difference between the composition of the pore solution of the mortar with non-reactive aggregate (control mortar) and the mortar containing reactive aggregate. The concentrations of Na+, K+ and OH− ions in the reactive systems without Li+ ions continuously decreased until they reached certain threshold level at which point they stabilized. The time of the stabilization of chemistry of pore solution in the reactive systems coincided with the time of the ultimate expansion of mortar bars of the same composition. When LiNO3 was added as a source of Li+ ions, the consumption of Na+ and K+ ions was significantly reduced. However, the concentrations of Li+ and OH− ions in the pore solution decreased over time.
Enhancing the Usability of the Commercial Mobile Alert System

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security initiated the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) to inform the general public of emergencies. CMAS utilizes the commercial telecommunications infrastructure to broadcast emergency alert text messages to mobile users in an area affected by an emergency. Because CMAS uses cell broadcast service, the smallest area that CMAS can broadcast messages is a cell site, which is usually quite large for local emergencies. This paper proposes an enhancement that uses CMAS as a transport protocol to distribute local emergency alerts to areas smaller than a cell site. The paper also conducts an investigation of the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), the current emergency protocol standard, and suggests an enhancement to the CAP message structure for CMAS emergency alerts. The viability of the approach is demonstrated using a prototype implementation, which simulates broadcasts of emergency alerts to confined areas such as a city block or an apartment complex.
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

In Missoula, Jon Krakauer diverged from his usual outdoor adventures, such as Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, and focused on Missoula, Montana to examine the rape crisis of this bucolic city and i...
First-Year University Students Who Self-Select into Health Studies Have More Desirable Health Measures and Behaviors at Baseline but Experience Similar Changes Compared to Non-Self-Selected Students

Studies demonstrate that first-year university students are at high risk for weight gain. These reports typically rely on self-selected participants. The purpose of this study was to explore if students who chose to participate in a health-based research study had more desirable health measures and behaviors than students who completed health assessments as part of a first-year seminar course. Health measures included blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat. Health behaviors included dietary patterns (Starting the Conversation questionnaire) and alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption). A total of 191 (77% female) participants completed testing in the self-selected “Health Study” group, whereas 73 of the 91 students (80%, 55% female) enrolled in the “Seminar” allowed their data to be used for research purposes. Baseline measures favored Health Study participants, including but not limited to fewer participants with undesirable BMI (≥25.0 kg/m2; males and females) and a smaller percentage of participants with undesirable BP (systolic ≥120 mmHg and/or diastolic ≥80 mmHg; females only). Differences in dietary behaviors at baseline were inconsistent, but Seminar students engaged in more problematic alcohol-use behaviors. While both groups experienced undesirable changes in health measures over time, the degree of change did not differ between groups. Changes in health behaviors over time typically resulted in undesirable changes in the Seminar group, but the magnitude of change over time did not differ between groups. Thus, results from first-year university students who self-select into health studies likely underestimate the seriousness of undesirable health measures and behaviors but may accurately reflect the degree of change over time.
Cybernetic Modeling for Bioreaction Engineering

Uniquely focusing on dynamic modeling, this volume incorporates metabolic regulation as a survival mechanism for cells, by driving metabolism through optimal investment of its resources for control of enzyme synthesis and activity. Consequently, the models have a proven record of describing various uptake patterns of mixed carbon substrates that have become significant in modern applications of biomass for the production of bioenergy. The models accurately describe dynamic behavior of microbes in nutrient environments with mixtures of complementary substrates, such as carbon and nitrogen. Modeling of large metabolic networks (including prospects for extension to genome scale) is enabled by lumped hybrid cybernetic models with an unparalleled capacity to predict dynamic behavior of knockout strains. This is an invaluable, must-have reference for bio-researchers and practicing engineers.
The Evolution of Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Taiwan: The Changes and the Effects at Different Levels

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the quality assurance (QA) system in Taiwan that has recently undergone major reforms. In particular, this paper draws on the practice and impact of the QA system on Taiwan’s higher education institutions (HEIs) related to higher education policy reforms. The Taiwanese government has distributed expenditure, and restructured higher education (HE) according to the results of the QA system conducted by the Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan. To explore the government’s policy strategies and performance criteria related to the QA system, this paper interviews policymakers and academics from four universities used to examine the process behind the formulation of QA policies and the influences of the QA system on HEIs. This paper identifies a number of changes to the academic profession and organisations that occurred within HEIs, resulting in new forms of management in HEIs, and which can be seen as unanticipated consequences of the QA system, beyond the government’s expectations. Furthermore, the changes triggered by the QA system have not only intensified competition between universities but have also influenced HE policies in turn. These perspectives offer a different way of conceptualising the QA system in Taiwan’s HE.
Force distribution inside the spoof surface plasmon polariton waveguide

The Maxwell stress tensor for the field inside a spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) waveguide and the electromagnetic force distribution acting on a dielectric particle are investigated. We show that, for particles made of material with the dielectric function slightly different from that of the medium filling the waveguide, the force distribution is fully described by the SSPP field in the absence of the particle. The spatial profile of the field strongly depends on the relation between the operating frequency and the SSPP resonance frequency. We show that varying the characteristic frequencies introduces a switching effect, when the direction of the force along the waveguide axis changes (from toward the grooves to away from them). We propose a pumping mechanism based on force acting on a small particle inside the SSPP waveguide.
Canonical bases and Hall algebras

In these lectures we discuss the canonical basis of the plus part of the q-analogue of the enveloping algebra of a semisimple Lie algebra. The main emphasis is on the description of this basis in the framework of Hall algebras, that is, in terms of functions on the moduli space of representations of a quiver. We also give an interpretation of the action of the braid group in terms of Hall algebras.
A Simple but Robust Complex Disease Classification Method Using Virtual Sample Template

With the advance of high throughput technologies, genomic or proteomic data are accumulated rapidly, demanding robust computational algorithms for large-scale biological data analysis and mining. In this work we propose a simple classification method based on virtual sample template (VST) and three distance measurements. Each VST corresponds to a subclass in training set. The label of a test sample is simply determined by measuring the similarity between the test sample and each VST using the three distance measurements. The test sample is assigned to the subclass of the VST with the minimum distance. Our experimental results indicate that the proposed method is robust in predicative performance. Compared with other common classification methods of complex disease, our method is simpler and often with improved classification performance.
IN-PLACE OCEAN SOIL STRENGTH BY ACCELEROMETER

The in-place measurement of the shearing strength of ocean-floor soils, although desirable, is difficult because of the problems involved in all work at sea. A single-axis, self-contained recording accelerometer was designed for attachment to conventional core-barrel samplers, which are usually released a few feet above the ocean floor, and fall freely to penetrate the sea-bed soil. Successive integrations of the acceleration record produced by the impact provide the time-history of velocity and displacement of the corer. These results, together with the known mass of the corer, enable the shearing resistance of the soil to be calculated as a function of depth below the soil surface. The paper describes the accelerometer and its operation, and illustrates the calculations with reference to typical records obtained at sea.
Normal Variants of the Lumbar and Sacral Spine

Normal variants of the lumbar spine are well described but can simulate pathology if not recognized and understood.
Old dog, new tricks: Age differences in dog personality traits, associations with human personality traits, and links to important outcomes

Abstract Work examining dog personality is relatively new, so the degree to which dog personality differs by age, predicts important dog outcomes, and is correlated with human personality is unclear. In a sample of 1681 dogs (Mage = 6.44 years, SD = 3.82; 46.2% Female; 50% purebred) and their owners, older dogs were less active/excitable compared to younger dogs. Aggression toward people, responsiveness to training, and aggression toward other animals were highest among 6–8 year old dogs. Dog personality was associated with important dog outcomes—chronic health conditions, biting history, and human-dog relationships. We build on previous research by examining demographic differences in dog personality and associations between dog personality and outcomes for both dogs and humans.
A Method for Measuring Elliptic Flow Fluctuations in PHOBOS

We introduce an analysis method to measure elliptic flow (v_2) fluctuations using the PHOBOS detector for Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV. In this method, v_2 is determined event-by-event by a maximum likelihood fit. The non-statistical fluctuations are determined by unfolding the contribution of statistical fluctuations and detector effects using Monte Carlo simulations(MC). Application of this method to measure dynamical fluctuations embedded in special MC are presented. It is shown that the input fluctuations are reconstructed successfully for >= 0.03.
Experimental Evaluation of Energy Transfers by an Energy Packet Switch in a Digital Microgrid

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the performance of the recently proposed Energy Packet Switch (EPS) for energy distribution. The $\pmb{N}\times\pmb{M}$ EPS aggregates the energy from N sources and dispatches energy to M outputs, each of which feeds one or many loads. Energy is distributed from a source to a load in the form of energy packets. The operation of the EPS is an enabler device to realize a digital microgrid. We carry out exhaustive experiments to show that the EPS grants energy to keep demand satisfied and even in cases when the demand overwhelms the EPS capacity. Results of the experiments show that the EPS ably grants all energy requests that fall within its capacity, and it controls the distribution of energy under extenuating conditions by approaching a level of fairness. The experiments also show the average time that a request waits for the corresponding grant.
Simulating survival data with predefined censoring rates under a mixture of non-informative right censoring schemes

Simulation studies have been routinely used to validate the performances of statistical methods for censored survival data under various scenarios. Our previous work proposed an integrated approach...
Dual activity of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate on kappaB-dependent gene expression in U937 cells: II. Regulation by tumour necrosis factor-alpha.

Abstract In the human promonocytic U937 cell line, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) was a potent inhibitor of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signalling pathway induced by the phorbol ester 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). However, PDTC did not inhibit tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced NF-κB DNA binding activity but potentiated the effect of TNF-α on κB-dependent gene expression. The stimulatory effect of PDTC with TNF-α was not observed with an HIV-1 LTR reporter construct containing two mutated κB binding sites or with a construct with a mutation of the activating protein (AP)-2 binding site located between the two κB elements. Two distinct signalling pathways, one mediated by TPA and the other by TNF-α, were shown to interact, functionally defining a threshold important in the inhibitory or stimulatory effect of PDTC on κB-dependent gene expression. Evidence that PDTC induced AP-1 DNA binding and AP-1 reporter gene activity, raised the hypothesis that the effect of PDTC was mediated by an interaction between the AP-1 pathway and p65(RelA). Co-transfection with expression vectors for p65(RelA) and the AP-1 subunits c-Fos and c-Jun resulted in a decrease in the stimulatory effect of PDTC on HIV-1 LTR activity. Co-transfection of p65(RelA) with Tam67, a dominant negative mutant of c-Jun defective in transactivation, stimulated the effect of PDTC on HIV-1 LTR activity. Evidence that the stimulatory effect of Tam67 with PDTC was reduced with c-Jun is consistent with the hypothesis.
Non-spherical particle size and shape estimation using machine learning

A real time measurement of particles being ingested by gas turbines would prove useful for accurately monitoring engine health and ensuring safe operations. However, typical optical methods assume spherical particles, which most ingested particles are not. We present a novel application of machine learning models that takes scattering and extinction observations as inputs and estimates non-spherical particle shape (via aspect ratio) and size. The overall method of multiple classification and regression layers, as well as the results from three test cases using simulated inputs are presented.
Human-AI Collaboration in a Cooperative Game Setting: Measuring Social Perception and Outcomes

Human-AI interaction is pervasive across many areas of our day to day lives. In this paper, we investigate human-AI collaboration in the context of a collaborative AI-driven word association game with partially observable information. In our experiments, we test various dimensions of subjective social perceptions (rapport, intelligence, creativity and likeability) of participants towards their partners when participants believe they are playing with an AI or with a human. We also test subjective social perceptions of participants towards their partners when participants are presented with a variety of confidence levels. We ran a large scale study on Mechanical Turk (n=164) of this collaborative game. Our results show that when participants believe their partners were human, they found their partners to be more likeable, intelligent, creative and having more rapport and use more positive words to describe their partner's attributes than when they believed they were interacting with an AI partner. We also found no differences in game outcome including win rate and turns to completion. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative findings, we discuss AI agent transparency, include design implications for tools incorporating or supporting human-AI collaboration, and lay out directions for future research. Our findings lead to implications for other forms of human-AI interaction and communication.
Investigating word segmentation of Chinese second language learners

Language-specific features necessitate certain processes and skills in reading. The visually unmarked between-word boundaries in written Chinese render it critical that readers be able to segment words in the continuous texts. It may pose challenges for second language (L2) readers whose first language (L1) is word-spaced. In light of the lack of understanding of Chinese L2 readers’ word segmentation, the present study investigated 100 L2 learners’ word segmentation performance, the relationships between word segmentation and reading fluency and comprehension, and the differences in the aforementioned relationships among learners with different context-free word recognition abilities. Results demonstrated that L2 learners generally conducted word segmentation well and word segmentation contributed to reading fluency and comprehension beyond context-free word recognition. Word segmentation was the major predictor of reading fluency and comprehension among weak wordlist readers, whereas context-free word recognition made a larger contribution when learners have achieved stronger context-free word recognition ability. The findings suggested the importance of developing word segmentation skills and establishing high quality word representations in Chinese L2 reading instruction.
Area-selective molecular layer deposition of nylon 6,2 polyamide: Growth on carbon and inhibition on silica

In microelectronic or nanoelectronic manufacturing, pattern transfer by directional reactive ion etching (RIE) progressively erodes amorphous carbon (aC) hard masks. To maintain critical dimensions and tolerances of high-aspect-ratio device structures, new carbonaceous materials may be added repeatedly to replace the eroded aC hard mask. Such a mask repairing step during RIE needs self-aligning growth of organic materials. Area selectivity is required to deposit the organic material on the aC hard mask exclusively. Deposition on the dielectric or semiconductor device structures underlying the mask would complicate their precise etching or later cleaning. When ashing the aC hard mask, all-organic materials are preferable to organic-inorganic hybrid materials because they leave no residue. In this work, area-selective molecular layer deposition (MLD) was developed for the all-organic polyamide nylon 6,2. The monomer reactants for nylon 6,2 MLD were ethylene diamine and adipoyl chloride. Nylon 6,2 MLD was studied in the homogeneous, steady-state growth regime and during nucleation on various starting surfaces utilizing in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. Area-selective MLD of nylon 6,2 was achieved on the “growth” carbon surface in the presence of silica by functionalizing aC via mild oxidation. In addition, a surface passivant was selectively attached to silica by using an amine-catalyzed coupling chemistry. The passivant inhibited the nylon 6,2 MLD on the “nongrowth” silica surface. A single passivation pretreatment was sufficient to restrict the MLD on the silica surface. The passivant, however, did not substantially impact the MLD nucleation and growth on the aC surface. This strategy yielded area selectivity with exceptionally high quality and over a wide range of MLD cycles. The area-selective MLD of nylon 6,2 was further applied on industrial test features with aC patterns masking trenches in silica. This demonstration illustrated the capability of area-selective MLD to repair RIE-eroded aC hard masks and to maintain the critical dimension.
High-Q near-visible, air-clad, and thin-film SiN microresonator

We demonstrate high quality factor (high-Q) air-clad optical microresonator in a thinfilm LPCVD-SiN, with loaded quality factor of 1.55 M at the near visible wavelength, suitable for interaction with Rb atoms for single atom detection. This record is achieved with no chemical mechanical polishing or high-temperature post-processing, enabling future fully integrated devices with optoelectronic circuitry.
Structural Basis of Human Parainfluenza Virus 3 Unassembled Nucleoprotein in Complex with Its Viral ChaperoneHPIV3 Nucleoprotein-Phosphoprotein Structure.

Human parainfluenza virus 3 (HPIV3) belongs to the Paramyxoviridae, causing annual worldwide epidemics of respiratory diseases, especially in newborns and infants. The core components consist of just three viral proteins: nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P), and RNA polymerase (L), playing essential roles in replication and transcription of HPIV3 as well as other paramyxoviruses. Viral genome encapsidated by N is as a template and recognized by RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex composed of L and P. The offspring RNA also needs to assemble with N to form nucleocapsids. The N is one of the most abundant viral proteins in infected cells and chaperoned in the RNA-free form (N0) by P before encapsidation. In this study, we presented the structure of unassembled HPIV3 N0 in complex with the N-terminal portion of the P, revealing the molecular details of the N0 and the conserved N0-P interaction. Combined with biological experiments, we showed that the P binds to the C-terminal domain of N0 mainly by hydrophobic interaction and maintains the unassembled conformation of N by interfering with the formation of N-RNA oligomers, which might be a target for drug development. Based on the complex structure, we developed a method to obtain the monomeric N0. Furthermore, we designed a P-derived fusion peptide with 10-times higher affinity, which hijacked the N and interfered with the binding of the N to RNA significantly. Finally, we proposed a model of conformational transition of N from the unassembled state to the assembled state, which helped to further understand viral replication. IMPORTANCE Human parainfluenza virus 3 causes annual epidemics of respiratory diseases, especially in newborns and infants. For the replication of HPIV3 and other paramyxoviruses, only three viral proteins are required: phosphoprotein (P), RNA polymerase (L), and nucleoprotein (N). Here, we reported the crystal structure of the complex of N and its chaperone P. We described in details how P acts as a chaperone to maintain the unassembled conformation of N. Our analysis indicated that the interaction between P and N is conserved and mediated by hydrophobicity, which can be used as a target for drug development. We obtained a high-affinity P-derived peptide inhibitor, specifically targeted N and greatly interfered with the binding of the N to RNA, thereby inhibiting viral encapsidation and replication. In summary, our results provide new insights into the paramyxovirus genome replication and nucleocapsid assembly, and lay the basis for drug development.