cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bit-pattern sensitivity analysis and optimal on-die-termination for high-speed memory bus design

System IO power and performance are critical computer platform design parameters. IO power forms a significant portion of the overall power while its performance is often the bottleneck in achieving overall performance specification. This paper experimentally demonstrates, for the first time, optimal on-die-termination (ODT) schemes for DDR3-800MT/s and DDR3-1067 MT/s, revealed by thorough bit-pattern sensitivity analysis. Optimal ODT at IO receiver pads is proposed as a new critical design knob to achieve optimized power-performance trade-offs, dramatically improving signal integrity and power consumption. The thorough bit-pattern sensitivity analysis was found to be 100% more accurate than traditional approach. Up to 50% reduction in power consumption, 100%) increase in timing margin, and 100%> increase in voltage margin were demonstrated as the impact of the choice of ODT. It is also promised to become more important in the future at higher data rate.
NOTE ON THE STABILIZING EFFECT OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCES ON THE LAMINAR BOUNDARY LAYER OVER CONVEX SURFACES

Abstract : At high supersonic flight speeds or with a highly cooled surface, there is a strong density gradient across the boundary layer. Close to the surface the gas is cool and of low-temperature molecular weight; at the outer edge of the boundary layer the gas is hot and may be partially dissociated, so that its density is lower by a factor of 10 - 20. At the same time a strong centrifugal acceleration is produced by the body curvature, and this outward acceleration acts in the direction of decreasing density. The question arises as to whether this destabilizing effect of the acceleration field in a density gradient is sufficient to overcome the stabilizing effect of the increasing angular momentum of the fluid in the outward direction. The conclusion is drawn that the strong stabilizing effect of the outward increase in angular momentum is always dominant in the laminar boundary layer. (Author)
Two techniques for minimizing power dissipation in scan circuits during test application

Two techniques for reducing power dissipation during test application, when scan test structure is used, are proposed. Problems required to exploit these techniques are defined. They are shown to be intractable. Heuristics required to exploit the proposed techniques are discussed. Experimental results are presented. >
RNA-Binding Activity of the Rotavirus Phosphoprotein NSP5 Includes Affinity for Double-Stranded RNA

Phosphoprotein NSP5 is a component of replication intermediates that catalyze the synthesis of the segmented double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) rotavirus genome. To study the role of the protein in viral replication, His-tagged NSP5 was expressed in bacteria and purified by affinity chromatography. In vitro phosphorylation assays showed that NSP5 alone contains minimal autokinase activity but undergoes hyperphosphorylation when combined with the NTPase and helix-destabilizing protein NSP2. Hence, NSP2 mediates the hyperphosphorylation of NSP5 in the absence of other viral or cellular proteins. RNA-binding assays demonstrated that NSP5 has unique nonspecific RNA-binding activity, recognizing single-stranded RNA and dsRNA with similar affinities. The possible functions of the RNA-binding activities of NSP5 are to cooperate with NSP2 in the destabilization of RNA secondary structures and in the packaging of RNA and/or to prevent the interferon-induced dsRNA-dependent activation of the protein kinase PKR.
Energy, contact, and density profiles of one-dimensional fermions in a harmonic trap via nonuniform-lattice Monte Carlo calculations

We determine the ground-state energy and Tan's contact of attractively interacting few-fermion systems in a one-dimensional harmonic trap, for a range of couplings and particle numbers. Complementing those results, we show the corresponding density profiles. The calculations were performed with a lattice Monte Carlo approach based on a nonuniform discretization of space, defined via Gauss-Hermite quadrature points and weights. This particular coordinate basis is natural for systems in harmonic traps, and can be generalized to traps of other shapes. In all cases, it yields a position-dependent coupling and a corresponding nonuniform Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation. The resulting path integral is performed with hybrid Monte Carlo as a proof of principle for calculations at finite temperature and in higher dimensions. We present results for $N=4,...,20$ particles (although the method can be extended beyond that) to cover the range from few- to many-particle systems. This method is exact up to statistical and systematic uncertainties, which we account for---and thus also represents an ab initio calculation of this system, providing a benchmark for other methods and a prediction for ultracold-atom experiments.
Model for the A dependence of inclusive hadronic cross sections at large y and small p/sub perpendicular/

We present a new constituent-constituent multiple-scattering model for the A dependence of inclusive cross sections at large y and small p/sub perpendicular/, and we apply the model to p+A ..-->.. ..lambda../sup 0/+X data. We are able to extract from data the mean free path of the particles which interact with the nucleus A and a folding function which relates the cross sections for different A's. The results confirm that the scattering is between constituents rather than between nucleons and suggest that the apparent number of constituents in the projectile at 300 GeV/c is about 5. The statistics are good enough to extract only two numbers, the mean free path of the constituents and the average change in rapidity per collision. We give the general shape of the scattering folding function. Data over a larger range of y would almost certainly reveal more structure in the folding function. We predict the p+H ..-->.. ..lambda../sup 0/+X cross section and suggest ways to analyze and display future data on A dependence.
Surveillance of antibody levels of vaccine-related diseases among healthy children aged 1-7 years, Haikou

Objective To investigate the antibody levels of vaccine-related disease, to evaluate the effect of vaccination and immunoprophylaxis, and provide the scientific basis for adjusting the immunization strategies. Methods The stratified multistage cluster sampling method was used to collect 988 serum samples from health children to detect immune antibody levels, and the results were statistically analyzed. Results Among the 988 serum samples, the positive rates of measles, rubella, poliomyelitis,diphtheria, meningitis IgG were 97.06%, 93.22%, 95.75%, 92% and 89.68% respectively; the above five kinds of antibody protection level have reached more than 85%; Japanese encephalitis IgG antibody positive rate was 73.68%; HBsAb positive rate was 56.68%. Conclusion The immunity antibody levels against measles, rubella, polio, diphtheria, meningitis are high among the healthy children aged 1~7 years old in Haikou, indicating that it has formed an effective immune barrier. HBsAb and Japanese encephalitis antibody levels are comparatively lower. Therefore, we should standardized the immunization of HBs Ab and Japanese encephalitis.
Control x-ray deformable mirrors with few measurements

After years of development from a concept to early experimental stage, X-ray Deformable Mirrors (XDMs) are used in many synchrotron/free-electron laser facilities as a standard x-ray optics tool. XDM is becoming an integral part of the present and future large x-ray and EUV projects and will be essential in exploiting the full potential of the new sources currently under construction. The main objective of using XDMs is to correct wavefront errors or to enable variable focus beam sizes at the sample. Due to the coupling among the N actuators of a DM, it is usually necessary to perform a calibration or training process to drive the DM into the target shape. Commonly, in order to optimize the actuators settings to minimize slope/height errors, an initial measurement need to be collected, with all actuators set to 0, and then either N or 2N measurements are necessary learn each actuator behavior sequentially. In total, it means that N +1 or 2N +1 scans are required to perform this learning process. When the actuators number N is important and the actuator response or the necessary metrology is slow then this learning process can be time consuming. In this work, we present a fast and accurate method to drive an x-ray active bimorph mirror to a target shape with only 3 or 4 measurements. Instead of sequentially measuring and calculating the influence functions of all actuators and then predicting the voltages needed for any desired shape, the metrology data are directly used to “guide” the mirror from its current status towards the particular target slope/height via iterative compensations. The feedback for the iteration process is the discrepancy in curvature calculated by using B-spline fitting of the measured height/slope data. In this paper, the feasibility of this simple and effective approach is demonstrated with experiments.
Antifeedant Substances in Plants

This article is a reproduction of the previous edition article by C.B. Purrington, volume 3, pp. 1140–1145, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
* Harnessing External Cues: Development and Evaluation of an In Vitro Culture System for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering.

Over the last decade, engineered structures have been developed for osteochondral (OC) tissue regeneration. While the optimal structure design is yet to be determined, these scaffolds require in vitro evaluation before clinical use. However, the means by which complex scaffolds, such as OC scaffolds, can be tested are limited. Taking advantage of a mesenchymal stem cell's (MSC's) ability to respond to its surrounding we harness external cues, such as the cell's mechanical environment and delivered factors, to create an in vitro culture system for OC tissue engineering with a single cell source on a gradient yet integrated scaffold system. To do this, the effect of hydrogel stiffness on the expression of human MSCs (hMSCs) chondrogenic differentiation was studied using histological analysis. Additionally, hMSCs were also cultured in different combinations of chondrogenic and osteogenic media to develop a co-differentiation media suitable for OC lineage differentiation. A uniquely graded (density-gradient m...
Augmenting the Human Experience

BIO: Pattie Maes is the Alexander W. Dreyfoos (1954) Professor in MIT's Program in Media Arts and Sciences and associate head of the Program in Media Arts and Sciences. She founded and directs the Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces research group. Previously, she founded and ran the Software Agents group. Prior to joining the Media Lab, Maes was a visiting professor and a research scientist at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab. She holds bachelor's and PhD degrees in computer science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. Her areas of expertise are human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence. Maes is the editor of three books, and is an editorial board member and reviewer for numerous professional journals and conferences. She has received several awards: FastCompany named her one of 50 most influential designers (2011). Newsweek magazine named her one of the "100 Americans to watch for" in the year 2000; TIME Digital selected her as a member of the Cyber-Elite, the top 50 technological pioneers of the high-tech world; the World Economic Forum honored her with the title "Global Leader for Tomorrow"; Ars Electronica awarded her the 1995 World Wide Web category prize; and in 2000 she was recognized with the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Massachusetts Interactive Media Council. She also received an honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. Her 2009 TED talk is among the most watched TED talks ever. In addition to her academic endeavors, Maes has been active as an entrepreneur as cofounder of several venture-backed companies including Firefly Networks (sold to Microsoft) and Open Ratings (sold to Dun & Bradstreet). She remains an advisor and investor to several MIT spinoffs.
Microaggressions, Macroaggressions, and Modern Racism

This chapter begins by discussing the state of contemporary race relations and the importance of protections being in place to shield people from racist microaggressions and macroaggressions. The author also discusses relevant theoretical frameworks such as critical race theory and existing microaggression theory, before expanding the latter by discussing the relationship between the aggressor (microaggressor/macroaggressor) and the target, responses to microaggressions and macroaggressions, and the spaces where microaggressions and macroaggressions occur. The author also discusses the social, emotional, psychological, and physical consequences of experiencing microaggressions and macroaggressions. The chapter extensively addresses modern racism in its various forms.
Parody in Place: Exposing Socio-spatial Exclusions in Data-Driven Maps with Design Parody

This paper describes the development of Parody in Place, a design parody that depicts Seattle neighborhoods with typographic arrangements derived from data generated by technology platforms such as Yelp and Zillow. The project invites inquiry into what technology corporations make matter and where, in ways that challenge the neutrality of neighborhood-based data. We designed the subject of our parody, a mock company called Dork Posters, to explore how the modes of parody by which the system operates expose socio-spatial exclusions both contested and propagated by digital platforms. Our interventions reveal shifts in response toward mapping techniques, from ambivalence to curiosity. We used Dork Posters to question reductionist techniques of data aggregation and ad hoc theories of data provenance. Our engagements also prompted reflection on the politics of measurement: how data sources shape result- ing insights and valuations. We end by discussing possibilities for expanding the design research program within human-computer interaction through parody.
MuAlloy: a mutation testing framework for alloy

Creating models of software systems and analyzing the models helps develop more reliable systems. A well-known software modeling tool-set is embodied by the declarative language Alloy and its automatic SAT-based analyzer. Recent work introduced a novel approach to testing Alloy models to validate their correctness in the spirit of traditional software testing: A Unit defined the foundations of testing (unit tests, test execution, and model coverage) for Alloy, and MuAlloy defined mutation testing (mutation operators, mutant generation, and equivalent mutant checking) for Alloy. This tool paper describes our Java implementation of MuAlloy, which is a command-line tool that we released as an open-source project on GitHub. Our experimental results show that MuAlloy is efficient and practical. The demo video for MuAlloy can be found at https://youtu.be/3lvnQKiLcLE.
Geographic Variability in Discharge Setting and Outpatient Postacute Physical Therapy After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Despite the frequency of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the Medicare population, little is known about the use of postacute physical therapy among those discharged to home. Objective The objectives of this study were to explore factors associated with geographic variability in discharge disposition and outpatient physical therapy utilization for Medicare patients after TKA discharged to home/self-care. Design The design of the study was a retrospective cohort study. Methods Medicare patients with TKA discharged alive from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011, with discharge disposition to home/self-care (HSC), home health agency (HHA), inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF), or skilled nursing facility (SNF) were selected. Geography was measured with Census region. Outpatient physical therapy utilization was calculated from Medicare Part B claims. Odds ratios for discharge disposition and adjusted means for physical therapy utilization variables by Census region were calculated, accounting for county-clustered data and adjusting for demographics, clinical, and environmental characteristics. Results There was significant variation with discharge destination by Census region among 18,278 patients. With discharge disposition analysis, the patients from the West region who were discharged home were the referent group. The patients from the South and Northeast regions had higher odds for discharge to HHAs (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI = 1.80 [1.48-2.19] and 2.20 [1.70-2.84]), SNFs (1.34 [1.08-1.66] and 4.42 [3.38-5.79]), and IRFs (2.36 [1.80-3.09] and 8.83 [6.41-12.18]). For those discharged to HSC, 40.4% received outpatient physical therapy within 4 weeks. Significant differences were found with time to first physical therapy visit (Midwest <South <[West = Northeast]) and length of therapy episode, but not with the number of therapy visits by geographic region. Conclusions Geographic region was associated with discharge setting, postacute physical therapy, and outpatient therapy utilization in Medicare beneficiaries after TKA. Differences in outcomes of outpatient therapy should be assessed to better describe the impact of geographic variation in care.
Buying the Dark Lines of the Solar Spectrum: Joseph Von Fraunhofer’s Standard for the Manufacture of Optical Glass

Joseph von Fraunhofer is of interest to physicists and historians of science because of his ‘discovery’ of the dark lines dissecting the solar spectrum, which now bear his name, and his advances in the manufacture of optical lenses. Previously, scholars discussing Fraunhofer’s merits have erroneously placed him at the forefront of a long tradition of spectroscopy,1 or have portrayed him as the ‘father of German optics’ in attempting to argue for a Germanic hegemony in both the physical sciences and optical industry.2
6-Amino-2-Benzothiazolesulfonamide

The carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, 6-amino-2-benzothiazolesulfonamide, formulated as a 3% suspension in a gel vehicle was instilled in one eye of 21 human subjects in a single dose study to determine its effect on aqueous dynamics. A small but statistically significant effect on aqueous humor flow was observed 2 to 7 hours after application. By 8 hours, the effect had disappeared, and intraocular pressure (IOP) measured 8 hours after application of a single dose was unchanged in these normal volunteers. The drug and its vehicle caused local side effects including irritation, hyperemia, and blurred vision. The authors wondered if multiple doses would produce a greater effect. Four subjects received up to four doses of the drug over 2 days and were restudied. Marked bulbar injection and follicular conjunctivitis, attributable to either the drug or the vehicle, developed in two of the subjects, both contact lens wearers. A milder form of bulbar injection and follicular conjunctivitis developed in a third subject, who received three doses of the drug and was not a contact lens wearer. These side effects precluded additional multiple-dose testing of this formulation of the drug, and no conclusions about the effect of the drug on aqueous flow can be drawn from this portion of the study.
Three-Level Simplex Designs and Their Use in Sequential Experimentation

[This abstract is based on the author's abstract.] Simplex designs are presented that are composed of k treatment combinations from a two-level factorial design, plus an additional base run representing a third level for each factor. These orthogonal, f..
Magnetic resonance imaging of the placenta and gravid uterus: a pictorial essay

The placenta is commonly overlooked on magnetic resonance imaging of the pregnant patient, which is frequently performed for alternative reasons such as to characterize fetal or uterine anomalies or to investigate the etiology of acute pelvic pain in pregnancy. Placental disorders have potential for significant maternal and fetal morbidity and peripartum complications if not recognized and treated in a timely manner. The radiologist must be familiar with normal placental variants and the spectrum of benign to life-threatening conditions affecting the placenta so that the Obstetrician can be promptly notified and patient management altered, if necessary. In this pictorial essay, we will describe our MR protocol for placental imaging, provide an image-rich review of the normal placenta, placental variants, and a variety of pathological conditions affecting the placenta and gravid uterus.
Effects of diabetic ketoacidosis in the respiratory system

Diabetes affects approximately 30 million persons in the United States. Diabetes ketoacidosis is one of the most serious and acute complications of diabetes. At the time of presentation and during treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), several metabolic and electrolyte derangements can ultimately result in respiratory compromise. Most commonly, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and hypophosphatemia can eventually lead to respiratory muscles failure. Furthermore, tachypnea, hyperpnea and more severely, Kussmaul breathing pattern can develop. Also, hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic pulmonary edema can occur secondary to volume shifts into the extracellular space and secondary to increased permeability of the pulmonary capillaries. The presence of respiratory failure in patients with DKA is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Being familiar with the causes of respiratory compromise in DKA, and how to treat them, may represent better outcomes for patients with DKA.
An Accessible Protocol for the Generation of CRISPR-Cas9 Knockouts Using INDELs in Zebrafish

The ability to create targeted mutations in specific genes, and therefore a loss-of-function condition, provides essential information about their endogenous functions during development and homeostasis. The discovery that CRISPR-Cas9 can target specific sequences according to base-pair complementarity and readily create knockouts in a desired gene has elevated the implementation of genetic analysis in numerous organisms. As CRISPR-Cas9 has become a powerful tool in a number of species, multiple methods for designing, creating, and screening editing efficiencies have been published, each of which has unique benefits. This chapter presents a cost-efficient, accessible protocol for creating knockout mutants in zebrafish using insertions/deletions (INDELS), from target site selection to mutant propagation, using basic laboratory supplies. The presented approach can be adapted to other systems, including any vertebrate species.
Emerging adults' discussion of substance use and sexual behavior with providers

Emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) is a time of increased autonomy and associated with a high rate of risky substance use and sexual behavior. As emerging adults (EA) increasingly have more independence, they have the ability to make health decisions, including whether to see a provider (primary care (PCP) and/or gynecologist (GYN)) and whether to discuss substance use and sexual behavior. The current study aimed to determine: (1) factors associated with PCP and GYN health-care seeking by sexually active EA who use alcohol and/or marijuana; (2) gender differences in substance use and sexual risk topics initiated by providers; (3) whether PCPs compared to GYNs discuss different topics with women. Alcohol and/or marijuana-using, sexually active EA (n = 500) were recruited as part of a health behaviors study. Among participants, 39% did not see a PCP in the previous year. Women, White individuals, and EA with health insurance were most likely to attend a PCP appointment. Even among participants who saw a provider, many participants reported that providers did not initiate a discussion about substance use (approximately half discussed substance use) and sexual behavior (about half discussed STI history, two-thirds discussed condom use, and three-quarters discussed sexual partners). Among women with a PCP and GYN provider, discussions on substance use were more likely to be initiated by a PCP while sexual issues were more likely to be initiated by a GYN. Thus, even among sexually active, substance-using EA, central topics - specifically substance use and sexual behavior - are not routinely brought up by providers.
"Looking Forward": a qualitative evaluation of a physical activity program for middle-aged and older adults with serious mental illness.

Objectives: Older adults with serious mental illness (SMI) often have poor physical health in addition to serious mental health issues. Sustained engagement in a group physical activity program may provide necessary physical and mental health benefits. The purpose of this report is to describe participants’ feedback about a video game-based group physical activity program using the Kinect for Xbox 360 game system (Microsoft, Redmond, WA). In particular, we wanted to understand what worked about the program, what was not ideal, and how it impacted their lives. Design: Semi-structured interviews were collected and analyzed with grounded theory methodology. Setting: Mental health facility. Participants: Sixteen older adults with SMI. Measurements: Participants played an active video game for 50-minute sessions, three times a week for 10 weeks. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 participants upon completion of the program. Results: Participants expressed enthusiasm for the physical activity program, indicating it was an activity that they looked forward to doing. The results of the study provide insight into how the program may be implemented into practice at mental health facilities. Three implementation to practice categories were identified: (1) programmatic considerations, such as when to hold the groups and where; (2) the critical importance of staff involvement; and (3) harnessing patients’ interest in the program. Conclusion: Our results suggest that engagement in an intense video game-based group physical activity program has a positive impact on participants’ overall health. The group atmosphere, staff involvement, availability of the program at a mental health facility, and health benefits were critical.
Development and Validation of a Model for Predicting the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury Associated With Contrast Volume Levels During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Importance Determining the association of contrast volume during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) is important for optimizing PCI safety. Objective To quantify how the risk of AKI is associated with contrast volume, accounting for the possibility of nonlinearity and heterogeneity among different baseline risks. Design, Setting, and Participants This prognostic study used data from the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI Registry for 1694 US hospitals. Derivation analysis included 2 076 694 individuals who underwent PCI from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2015. Validation analysis included 961 863 individuals who underwent PCI from July 1, 2015, to March 31, 2017. Data analysis took place from July 2018 to May 2019. Exposure Contrast volume during PCI. Main Outcomes and Measures Acute kidney injury was defined using 3 thresholds for preprocedure to postprocedure creatinine level increase (ie, ≥0.3 mg/dL, ≥0.5 mg/dL, and ≥1.0 mg/dL). A model quantifying the association of contrast volume with AKI was developed, and the existence of nonlinearity and heterogeneity were examined by likelihood ratio tests. The model was derived in the training set (a random 50% of the derivation cohort), and performance was evaluated in the test set (the remaining 50% of the derivation cohort) and an independent validation set by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration slope of observed vs predicted risks. Results The 2 076 694 patients in the derivation set had a mean (SD) age of 65.1 (12.1) years, and 662 525 (31.9%) were women; 133 306 (6.4%) had creatinine level increases of at least 0.3 mg/dL, 66 626 (3.2%) had creatinine level increases of at least 0.5 mg/dL, and 28 378 (1.4%) had creatinine level increases of at least 1.0 mg/dL. In the validation set of 961 843 patients (mean [SD] age, 65.7 [12.1] years; 305 577 [31.8%] women), these rates were 62 913 (6.5%), 34 229 (3.6%), and 15 555 (1.6%), respectively. The association of contrast volume and AKI risk was nonlinear (χ226 = 1436.2;P Conclusions and Relevance The association of contrast volume with AKI risk is complex, varies by baseline risk, and can be predicted by a model. Future research to evaluate the effect of the model on AKI is needed.
A Victims Detection Approach for Burning Building Sites Using Convolutional Neural Networks

In this work, an approach is proposed to detect people and pets trapped in burning sites. This will be done in a manner that will ensure the safety of firefighters and accelerate the rescue process of victims. The proposed work suggests detecting victims in fire situations autonomously, through a deep learning technique using the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model. The objective of the CNN development is to classify input images sent from the burning site into one of three outcomes classes: “people,” “pets,” or “no victims.” The dataset was developed to accomplish the task of human detection in Infrared (IR) images. The images were processed to mimic high-temperature environments as in building on fire situations. For this work, a One-Step and Two-Step cascaded CNN architectures were implemented and benchmarked, and the Two-Step cascaded model consists of two stages to accomplish the task of victim detection in IR images. Both methods proved to highly perform in human and pet detection; however, the average performance of 96.3% for the One-Step outperformed the average 94.6% of the Two-Step CNN design.
Decrease in ACE2 mRNA expression in aged mouse lung

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as a critical receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This has led to extensive speculation on the role of ACE2 in disease severity, and in particular, whether variation in its expression can explain higher mortality in older individuals. We examine this question in mouse lung and show that 24-month old mice have significantly reduced ACE2 mRNA expression relative to 3-month old mice. The differences appear to be localized to ciliated cells.
Decentralized Collective Transport along Manifolds Compatible with Holonomic Constraints by Robots with Minimal Global Information

We present a decentralized adaptive control strategy for collective payload transport by differential-drive robots with manipulator arms. The controllers only require robots' measurements of their own heading and velocity and their manipulator angle and angular velocity, and the only information provided to the robots is the target speed and direction of transport. The control strategy does not rely on inter-robot communication, prior information about the load dynamics and geometry, or knowledge of the number of robots and their distribution around the payload. We first design the desired manifolds of motion for the entire system such that they are compatible with the holonomic constraints between the robots and the payload. Then, we design adaptive controllers for a team of differential-drive robots that initially grasp a payload in an arbitrary configuration. We also analytically establish the stability and convergence of the system trajectories to the desired payload motion. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controllers through 3D physics simulations with realistic dynamics.
Landsat-8 TIRS thermal radiometric calibration status

The Landsat-8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) has been acquiring two-band thermal infrared images of the Earth’s surface since 2013. The calibration of the two-band system has been monitored using the on-board calibrator and validated with vicarious calibration performed by NASA/JPL and RIT since launch. Soon after launch, it was discovered that the instrument had a significant stray light effect that was affecting the radiometric calibration. The stray light was corrected in the processing system in 2017. Since then, it has become apparent that there was an additional radiometric error, based on the vicarious calibration results. With a failure within the primary electronic system and subsequent switch to the redundant electronic system, the TIRS instrument effectively has two separate calibration regimes. The vicarious calibration found a statistically significant calibration error, primarily a constant over time, in Band 11 on the primary electronics (Feb 11, 2013 through March 5, 2015) of about -0.6K at 300K. The calibration error in Band 10 was smaller though still statistically significant at about 0.2K at 300K. On the redundant side (March 5, 2015 to present), the calibration error is more signal dependent than time dependent. Both bands are affected, with Band 10 having an error between 1K and -0.4K (between 273-320K) and Band 11 having an error between 0.8K and -1.44K (between 273-320K). This calibration error will be corrected within the USGS Landsat Product Generation System with the release of Landsat Collection-2 products. The Collection-2 release also includes a correction to the relative radiometric calibration of TIRS data. Striping as a result of poor detector-to-detector normalization has been increasing in the imagery since launch. The TIRS relative radiometric calibration will be updated based on internal calibrator data to remove the stripes on a quarterly basis. The visible stripes are generally at 0.1-0.2% level, though there are some detectors in each band that have changed by 1% or more. The Collection-2 release will result in much more uniform TIRS images.
Evaluating imidacloprid exposure among grape field male workers using biological and environmental assessment tools: An exploratory study.

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide commonly injected through agricultural drip irrigation systems to reduce the population of vine mealybugs (P. ficus) in grape farms. There is a growing concern of potential human health effects of imidacloprid, however, there is limited information on the exposure to imidacloprid in farm workers. Imidacloprid exposure was evaluated in this exploratory study of 20 male migrant grape workers sampled five days after imidacloprid was injected in the irrigation system during winter and summer seasons. We administered a questionnaire on work activities, exposure characteristics, and socio-demographics and collected personal air, hand wipe, and spot urine samples. Heat exposure was also assessed. Spearman's correlation coefficients and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were utilized to evaluate associations and differences in imidacloprid exposures with socio-demographic, occupational, and environmental characteristics. All participants had less than a high school education and about half identified an Indigenous language as their primary language. Although not detected in air samples, imidacloprid was detected in 85% of the hand wipes (median: 0.26: 0.41 μg/wipe, range: 0.05-7.10 μg/wipe). The majority of participants (75%) had detectable urinary concentrations of imidacloprid (median: 0.11 μg/g creatinine, range: 0.05-3.90 μg/g of creatinine), and nearly all (95%) had detectable urinary concentrations of 5-hydroxy-Imidacloprid (5-OH-IMI), a metabolite of imidacloprid (median: 1.28 μg/g creatinine, range: 0.20-27.89 μg/g creatinine). There was a significant correlation (p < 0.001) between imidacloprid in hand wipes and urinary imidacloprid and 5-OH-IMI (rs: 0.67 for imidacloprid and 0.80 for 5-OH-IMI). Hand temperature was significantly and positively correlated (p < 0.05) with imidacloprid concentration on hand wipes (rs: 0.70), and urinary biomarkers (rs: 0.68 for imidacloprid, and 0.60 for 5-OH-IMI) suggesting that working in high temperatures may influence the exposure and absorption of imidacloprid. Thus, research on farm workers would benefit in the future by evaluating imidacloprid exposure in relation to heat stress and other occupational factors.
Maintaining the Integrity of Democratic Principles with Congressional Remedies: An Assessment of Petitioning for Rulemaking under the Endangered Species Act

An important objective of the 1946 Administrative Procedure Act (APA) was to maintain the integrity of democratic principles in the federal bureaucracy. A provision in the APA stipulating that agen...
Effects of perioperative saphenous and sciatic nerve blocks, lumbosacral epidural or morphine-lidocaine-ketamine infusion on postoperative pain and sedation in dogs undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.

Abstract Objective To compare the quality of postoperative analgesia and sedation after preoperative saphenous and sciatic nerve blockade, preoperative lumbosacral epidural injection and perioperative intravenous (IV) morphine, lidocaine and ketamine infusions in dogs undergoing stifle arthroscopy and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) under general anesthesia. Study design Prospective, blinded, randomized, clinical comparison study. Animals A total of 45 dogs weighing 33.9 (15.9–56.7) kg and aged 5.2 (1.0–12.0) years, mean (range), undergoing elective unilateral TPLO for spontaneous cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Methods Client-owned dogs were enrolled. Dogs were randomly assigned to one of three groups: group MLK, perioperative IV morphine, lidocaine and ketamine infusion; group EPID, lumbosacral epidural with ropivacaine and morphine; or group SSNB, saphenous and sciatic nerve blockade with ropivacaine. Routine stifle arthroscopy followed by TPLO surgery was performed. Sedation and pain scores were assessed at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours following extubation. Rescue analgesia was administered as prescribed by Glasgow composite pain score–short form score >5. Results Sedation scores for MLK were higher than EPID and SSNB. Pain scores for SSNB were lower than those for EPID and MLK. No significant differences were found in anesthesia duration or surgery duration among groups. No dogs required rescue analgesia. Conclusions and clinical relevance Although analgesia was adequate in all groups, the best combination of analgesia without increased sedation was recorded for SSNB.
Doxycycline for Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention: Evolving Evidence and Implementation Perspectives.

Editorial for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD20–495): Interest, concerns, and attitudes among men who have sex with men and healthcare providers toward prophylactic use of doxycycline against Chlamydia trachomatis infections and syphilis.
Syntheses and material applications of Ru(II)(bisphosphine)2 alkynyls

Abstract Described in this review are the synthetic methods to produce both mono- and bis-alkynyl Ru(II)(L-L)2 type complexes, where L-L is dppe, dppm, or dmpe. This synthetic tool kit encompasses reactions utilizing trimethylstannyl capped reagents, Ru-alkyl starting materials, or the 16 e− [RuCl(dppe)2]+ intermediate to produce the desired Ru(II)(L-L)2 alkynyl complexes. Advantages and drawbacks of each synthetic approach are touched upon. A brief overview of material applications of these complexes is also provided, highlighting their promises as efficient non-linear optical materials, wire-like molecules, molecular wires and switches, and active molecules in dye-sensitized solar cells.
Impacts of online shopping on travel demand: a systematic review

The rise of e-commerce has led to substantial changes in personal travel and activities. We systematically reviewed empirical studies on the relationship between online shopping and personal travel...
Towards a General-Purpose Dynamic Information Flow Policy.

Noninterference offers a rigorous end-to-end guarantee for secure propagation of information. However, real-world systems almost always involve security requirements that change during program execution, making noninterference inapplicable. Prior works alleviate the limitation to some extent, but even for a veteran in information flow security, understanding the subtleties in the syntax and semantics of each policy is challenging, largely due to very different policy specification languages, and more fundamentally, semantic requirements of each policy. We take a top-down approach and present a novel information flow policy, called Dynamic Release, which allows information flow restrictions to downgrade and upgrade in arbitrary ways. Dynamic Release is formalized on a novel framework that, for the first time, allows us to compare and contrast various dynamic policies in the literature. We show that Dynamic Release generalizes declassification, erasure, delegation and revocation. Moreover, it is the only dynamic policy that is both applicable and correct on a benchmark of tests with dynamic policy.
Energy-optimal Path Planning with Active Flow Perception for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Accurate flow predictions are critical for energy-optimal path planning of AUVs with endurance requirements. However, the complex dynamics of ocean currents make it difficult to achieve accurate flow predictions. For an AUV with flow and location sensing capabilities, one can optimize vehicle actions so that the flow information collected along the vehicle path reduces flow prediction uncertainty, referred to as active flow perception. In this paper, we propose an energy-optimal path planning approach that incorporates active flow perception. The proposed approach achieves the objectives of vehicle energy consumption minimization and flow prediction uncertainty reduction. To quantify flow prediction uncertainty, an empirical flow model parameterized using the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is constructed based on historical data. Assuming negligible unmodeled dynamics in the POD model, the flow prediction uncertainty is evaluated by the Cramer-Rao (CR) bound of estimated model parameters. To establish active flow perception combined with energy optimal path planning, we formulate the cost to be minimized during path planning in terms of vehicle energy using estimated flow parameters and CR bound. Through simulations, the proposed approach is compared with approaches that plan energy-optimal paths using i) true flow and ii) flow predictions without active flow perception. Simulation results demonstrate the satisfactory energy-saving performance of the proposed approach.
Challenges to the Successful Implementation of 3-D Sound

The major challenges for the successful implementation of 3-D audio systems involve minimizing reversals, intracranially heard sound, and localization error for listeners. Designers of 3-D audio systems are faced with additional challenges in data reduction and low-frequency response characteristics. The relationship of the head-related transfer function (HRTF) to these challenges is shown, along with some preliminary psychoacoustic results gathered at NASA-Ames.
Enzymatic modification of proteins. VII. Substrate specificity of leucyl,phenylalanyl-transfer ribonucleic acid-protein transferase.

Abstract Twenty-five highly purified protein preparations were tested for their ability to accept leucine or phenylalanine in the reaction catalyzed by leucyl, phenylalanyl-tRNA-protein transferase. Three were identified as true acceptors on the basis of their capacity to accept nearly molar equivalents of amino acid. These three were modified bovine serum albumin to which arginine had been enzymatically added at the NH2-terminal position, αs1-casein, and β-casein. The latter are also known to possess arginine as their NH2-terminal residue. Acceptor specificity was similar for the transfer of leucine and phenylalanine. Although phenylalanine could be almost quantitatively transferred from phenylalanyl-tRNA to protein, no transfer was observed from the 3'-pentanucleotide fragment of E. coli tRNAphe, suggesting that an internal portion of the tRNA molecule functions in the reaction. Phenylalanine but not valine was transferred from E. coli tRNAval, and no transfer occurred from N-acetylphenylalanyl-tRNA, indicating a specificity for the aminoacyl residue of aminoacyl-tRNA. However, p-fluorophenylalanyl-tRNA was found to replace phenylalanyl-tRNA as substrate. The results suggest that an NH2-terminal arginine residue of the protein acceptor as well as both the aminoacyl and tRNA moieties of aminoacyl-tRNA participate in the reaction catalyzed by leucyl,phenylalanyl-tRNA-protein transferase.
Precursor-product relationship between amphibian vitellogenin and the yolk proteins, lipovitellin and phosvitin

Abstract The yolk precursor protein vitellogenin was isolated from plasma of estrogen-treated Xenopus laevis males, and the yolk platelet proteins, lipovitellin and phosvitin, were isolated from oocytes of females previously stimulated with human chorionic gonadoptropin. The molecular weights of the polypeptide chains of vitellogenin and lipovitellin were determined by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels and by gel filtration in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride. Both methods yielded a molecular weight of approximately 200,000 for delipidated, S-carboxymethylated vitellogenin. Lipovitellin consisted of two polypeptide chains, with molecular weights of 31,000 and 120,000 and a 1:1 molar ratio, as shown by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels. The smaller subunit appeared to be a phosphoprotein with a phosphate content of about 2%. The heavy subunit contained little or no phosphate. Treatment with guanidine hydrochloride did not dissociate lipovitellin into the two subunits: after gel filtration of delipidated, S-carboxymethylated lipovitellin in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride only one component was observed, with a molecular weight of about 140,000. Electrophoresis of 32P-labeled phosvitin on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels produced two labeled bands with mobilities corresponding to molecular weights of 35,000 and less than 25,000. The total molecular weight of the lipovitellin and phosvitin peptide chains was essentially equal to that of the polypeptide chain of vitellogenin. Vitellogenin incubated with very low concentrations of either trypsin or chymotrypsin dissociated into discrete chains with characteristics very similar to those of the peptide chains present in yolk platelets. The evidence thus supports the view that the vitellogenin precursor is a continuous polypeptide chain which is degraded into specific yolk proteins by proteolytic splitting in regions that are also sensitive to attack by trypsin and chymotrypsin.
Narrowing the performance gap between orthogonal and biorthogonal wavelets

Recent techniques have suggested the possibility of implementing symmetric extension with orthogonal wavelets enabling us to address some unresolved image compression questions (V. Silva et al., 1999). This paper demonstrates that linear phase filters are critical to compression performance - an issue not previously recognized. Moreover, symmetric extension outperforms periodic extension for both biorthogonal and orthogonal wavelets. Biorthogonal and orthogonal wavelets with similar filter properties typically generate similar compression performance when both employ symmetric extension. However, biorthogonal wavelets show a slight performance advantage for low frequency images; this advantage is significantly smaller than previously published results and is explained in terms of wavelet properties not previously considered.
AERIE: Database Inference Modeling and Detection Using Conceptual Graphs

Secure databases are ones in which classified information is protected from access by unauthorized persons. Although the information itself may be secure from direct access, data within the database may be combined along with external data to permit classified data to be inferred. This problem, called the database inference problem, can be addressed by analyzing a database and its design. An inference detection model based on conceptual graphs is introduced, and explained in terms of different kinds of inference that may be performed. An automated inference analysis tool (IAT) is introduced and its overall architecture described.