cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positive transitions from the classroom to the cubicle: Creating strategies for augmenting professional development in the software engineering curriculum

Engineering ethics often receives attention in separate courses or modules, however other critical elements of professionalism are not directly addressed in a curriculum. Graduates coming to industry frequently lack proficiency in vital skills such as being adept in appropriate interpersonal communications, quickly adapting to industry protocols, and effectively acclimating to corporate hierarchy, culture and accountability. Many programs assume that professionalism is indirectly socialized through faculty modeling and classroom management. Such an assumption does not serve our students well, or the SE industry that hires them and then must put a tremendous effort into new employee orientation to create a productive work environment. This highly interactive tutorial provides practical resources for those who seek to introduce professionalism education into the SE curriculum but cannot create whole new courses devoted to the subject. Participants who will come away with concrete plans to assess, create, and integrate professional development opportunities into their academic Software Engineering curricula or industry training programs. This tutorial is a fertile opportunity for SE educators, advisors, administrators and representatives from SE undergraduate professional societies who want to respond to a vital concern for many campuses.
An inducible transcription factor activates expression of human immunodeficiency virus in T cells

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) production from latently infected T lymphocytes can be induced with compounds that activate the cells to secrete lymphokines. The elements in the HIV genome which control activation are not known but expression might be regulated through a variety of DNA elements. The cis-acting control elements of the viral genome are enhancer and promoter regions. The virus also encodes trans-acting factors specified by the tat-III and art genes. We have examined whether products specific to activated T cells might stimulate viral transcription by binding to regions on viral DNA. Activation of T cells, which increases HIV expression up to 50-fold, correlated with induction of a DNA binding protein indistinguishable from a recognized transcription factor, called NF-kappa B, with binding sites in the viral enhancer. Mutation of these binding sites abolished inducibility. That NF-kappa B acts in synergy with the viral tat-III gene product to enhance HIV expression in T cells may have implications for the pathogenesis of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
Effect of isometric handgrip exercise training on resting hemodynamics: a pilot study.

Objective The purpose of the present study was to examine 1) whether Isometric Handgrip (IHG) training lowers arterial pressure at rest and 2) whether possible reductions in arterial pressure are associated with reductions in the heart rate variability (HRV).
The mass media and American adolescents' health

American teens today grow up in a world saturated with the mass media. In general, the media depict a world in which unhealthy behaviors such as physical aggression, unprotected sex, smoking, and drinking are glamorous and risk-free. We summarize what is known about the media's effects on four adolescent health issues that have been studied most comprehensively: violence and aggression; sex; obesity, nutrition, and eating disorders; and alcohol and tobacco use. A number of approaches that have potential for helping turn the media into more positive forces for adolescents' health are discussed
Tuning friction with noise and disorder

We present numerical and experimental evidence which demonstrates that under certain conditions friction can be reduced by spatial disorder and/or thermal noise. We discuss possible mechanisms for this behavior.
On penalty function methods in the finite‐element analysis of flow problems

In this paper the penalty function method is reviewed in the general context of solving constrained minimization problems. Mathematical properties, such as the existence of a solution to the penalty problem and convergence of the solution of a penalty problem to the solution of the original problem, are studied for the general case. Then the results are extended to a penalty function formulation of the Stokes and Navier-Stokes equations. Conditions for the equivalence of two penalty-finite element models of fluid flow are established, and the theoretical error estimates are verified in the case of Stokes's problem.
Prenatal Sonographic Appearance of Cerebral Infarction

Diffuse intracerebral echoes were noted in a second trimester fetus. Although diffuse intracerebral hemorrhage was initially suspected, pathologic correlation revealed cerebral infarction.
Signaling Transport Options in GMPLS Networks: In-band or Out-of-band

Signaling protocols for GMPLS networks have been standardized and implemented in switch controllers. Most switch vendors allow for signaling messages to be carried over in-band signaling channels as well as through out-of-band networks. In this paper, we compare these two signaling transport options. In carrying out this analysis, we allow for both software-implemented signaling protocol processors, as is common in most off-the-shelf switches today, as well as hardware-accelerated signaling protocol engines. Our motivating application is file transfers, which have high call arrival rates and low call holding times. The resulting high signaling message load makes the question of which signaling transport solution to use important. Network delays are lower in the in-band option given that there are no IP routers on these paths, but the per-channel transmitter rates are lower for in-band channels. To study this tradeoff, we set up queueing models and obtained delay estimates. Our analysis shows that with hardware-accelerated signaling engines, in-band signaling is the better option to keep end-to-end call setup delays low. With software signaling protocol processors, the most significant component is the message processing delay, which is likely to include queueing delays, making the question of in-band or out-of-band transport less important.
Using multiagent teams to improve the training of incident commanders

The DEFACTO system is a multiagent based tool for training incident commanders for large scale disasters. In this paper, we highlight some of the lessons that we have learned from our interaction with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and how they have affected the way that we continued the design of our training system. These lessons were gleaned from LAFD feedback and initial training exercises and they include: system design, visualization, improving trainee situational awareness, adjusting training level of difficulty and situation scale. We have taken these lessons and used them to improve the DEFACTO system's training capabilities. We have conducted initial training exercises to illustrate the utility of the system in terms of providing useful feedback to the trainee.
PERTUSSIS VACCINE TESTING FOR FREEDOM-FROM-TOXICITY.

The results of 9.5 years of official testing of vaccines containing pertussis vaccine, plain or adsorbed with alum, Al(OH)(3), or AlPO(4), are reported. Toxicity was evaluated by weight changes in mice at 3 and 7 days after injection and intercurrent deaths. Toxicity was encountered during the early use of AlPO(4) in pertussis vaccine products, with a special product and quadruple-antigen vaccines. Throughout the study Al(OH)(3) products, few in number, were the least reactive of the adsorbed products. The slopes of regression lines of graded-dose responses reflected variations in reactivity of "nontoxic" vaccines. The U.S.-prescribed test is discussed relative to the (i) reactivity in children, (ii) causes of toxicity, (iii) other assays for pertussis vaccine toxicity, and (iv) the use of a reference vaccine in the toxicity test.
Detection of intraarterial thrombus by intravascular high frequency two-dimensional ultrasound imaging in vitro and in vivo studies

Abstract Occlusive intraarterial thrombi frequently contribute to ischemia and infarction of the myocardium in coronary artery disease or the limbs in peripheral arterial disease. In vivo documentation of intraarterial thrombi currently requires contrast angiography. The limitations of contrast arteriography are well known. It provides only longitudinal images of vessel lumen; arteriographic criteria for identification of a thrombus are ambiguous and this technique does not provide information on the vessel wall. With advances in thrombolytic and catheter-based interventional therapy for occlusive disease of coronary and peripheral arteries, it has become important to obtain detailed morphologic information on the arterial anatomy and on the presence or absence of intravascular thrombi. Presently, work has focussed on developing alternate means of imaging arterial vasculature. Intravascular ultrasound imaging, using catheter-based high-frequency transducers, has recently been shown to provide real-time 2-dimensional images of blood vessels and yield information on the lumen size and wall thickness. 1–3 Previous investigations from our laboratory and others' have shown the ability of intravascular ultrasound to identify atherosclerotic plaques, arterial stenosis and other associated abnormalities such as arterial dissection and intimal flaps. 4 Whether this technique can detect intraluminal thrombi is not known. In this in vitro and in vivo experimental study, we evaluated the potential of high-frequency intravascular ultrasound in the identification of intraarterial thrombi.
A new-enhanced constructive decomposition and mapping algorithm

Structuring and mapping of the Boolean function is an important problem in the design of complex integrated circuits. Library-aware constructive decomposition offers a solution to this problem. This paper proposes novel techniques to improve the quality and runtime of constructive decomposition. The improvements are effective both in the stand-alone mapping procedure and in the context of re-synthesis applied to a mapped multi-level network. Experiments with public and proprietary benchmarks show promising results.
Silica nanoparticles aid in structural leaf coloration in the Malaysian tropical rainforest understorey herb Mapania caudata.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Blue-green iridescence in the tropical rainforest understorey sedge Mapania caudata creates structural coloration in its leaves through a novel photonic mechanism. Known structures in plants producing iridescent blues consist of altered cellulose layering within cell walls and in special bodies, and thylakoid membranes in specialized plastids. This study was undertaken in order to determine the origin of leaf iridescence in this plant with particular attention to nano-scale components contributing to this coloration. METHODS Adaxial walls of leaf epidermal cells were characterized using high-pressure-frozen freeze-substituted specimens, which retain their native dimensions during observations using transmission and scanning microscopy, accompanied by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to identify the role of biogenic silica in wall-based iridescence. Biogenic silica was experimentally removed using aqueous Na2CO3 and optical properties were compared using spectral reflectance. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Blue iridescence is produced in the adaxial epidermal cell wall, which contains helicoid lamellae. The blue iridescence from cell surfaces is left-circularly polarized. The position of the silica granules is entrained by the helicoid microfibrillar layers, and granules accumulate at a uniform position within the helicoids, contributing to the structure that produces the blue iridescence, as part of the unit cell responsible for 2 ° Bragg scatter. Removal of silica from the walls eliminated the blue colour. Addition of silica nanoparticles on existing cellulosic lamellae is a novel mechanism for adding structural colour in organisms.
Degassing of the 1912 Katmai magmas

Pre- and post-eruptive H2O, F, Cl, and S contents of the three 1912 Katmai magmas were inferred from analyses of melt inclusions and matrix glasses in tephra samples. With increasing silica content (andesite⇒rhyolite), pre-emptive melt H2O increases from ≥1.0 to 3.8 wt.%, Cl increases slightly from 1700 to 1900 ppm, S decreases from 170 to ≤65 ppm, and F remains constant at 550 ppm. These variations are not consistent with a simple crystal fractionation relationship. For plausible chamber depths, the magmas were vapor undersaturated during storage and fragmented during the last few hundred meters of ascent, consistent with geologic evidence for excavation of the vent funnel within the upper 1 km. Vitrophyres of welded intravent fallback tephra ejected late in the eruption show that extensive degassing and complete welding could take place in less than the 60-hour eruptive period. Release of HCl was twice that of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens while H2SO4 output was comparable to that of the 3.5 ka Santorini eruption. Significant retention of Cl and F, which would be released along with residual H2O during high-temperature devitrification, may explain the important vapor transport that occurred in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes fumaroles following emplacement of the ignimbrite.
‘La Iliada descalza’: la teoría épica

Uno de los grandes aportes de Carlos Fuentes a la literatura mexicana es que ha renovado el nacionalismo. Buen ejemplo de ello lo encontramos en la forma en que ha interpretado la vision revolucionaria de Mariano Azuela. Para Fuentes, la nueva novela latinoamericana nace del descubrimiento de la cultura popular en Los de abajo.
Update on psychodermatological disorders

The skin and the nervous system develop side-by-side in the embryo. They continue to stay intimately interconnected and interact throughout life via psycho–neuroimmuno–endocrine mechanisms and through behaviors that can strongly influence the initiation or flaring of skin disorders. Updated knowledge of these factors is important for understanding the pathophysiology and choosing treatment plans for specific skin disorders. Therapeutic drug options include standard psychotropic drugs and alternative herbs and supplements. Nondrug options include biofeedback, cognitive–behavioral methods, hypnosis, the placebo effect and suggestion. Combinations of drugs or addition of nondrug therapies may produce better results when simple measures fail. Skin disorders with a psychophysiological aspect may respond well to nondrug therapies that counteract stress. Treatment of primary psychiatric disorders that affect the skin often results in improvement of the skin disorders. Treating secondary psychiatric disorders suc...
Return to Sport and Performance After Microfracture in the Knees of National Basketball Association Players

Background:Use of microfracture in the knees of National Basketball Association (NBA) players is controversial.Hypotheses:(1) There would be a high rate of return to sport (RTS) in NBA players following microfracture, (2) players would RTS the season following surgery, (3) preoperative player performance would not be significantly different on RTS, and (4) there would be no significant difference in RTS rate or postoperative performance in players undergoing microfracture in comparison with an age-, position-, NBA experience–, and performance-matched control group.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:NBA players undergoing microfracture were evaluated. Age-, body mass index–, position-, NBA experience–, and performance-matched controls were selected from the NBA during the same years as those undergoing microfracture. An index year was selected (controls) to match the number of seasons of NBA experience in microfracture cases. RTS and performance were analyzed and compared between cases...
Adaptive Data Replication for Load Sharing in a Sensor Data Center

Cyber-physical applications need to process a lot of sensor data, for example, to analyze traffic patterns and structural soundness of critical infrastructures. Although the amount of sensor data to process is increasing fast, system support to efficiently store and analyze an extensive amount of sensor data largely lags behind. To efficiently store, retrieve, and process massive sensor data, we are developing a sensor data center (SDC) that supports spatio-temporal sensor data structures and parallel sensor data processing using clustered computational nodes composed of commodity hardware. The SDC sharply contrasts to most existing data centers that do not support spatio-temporal sensor data storage, retrieval, and processing. In this paper, we especially focus on the problem of potential load imbalance due to data access skews that adversely affects the timeliness of parallel sensor data processing. Specifically, we present an adaptive data replication method to address access skews in a SDC. In our performance evaluation performed in a preliminary version of a SDC, our adaptive approach substantially outperforms a baseline that does not support adaptive data replication.
Relationship of Water Content to Textural Characteristics, Water Activity, and Thermal Conductivity of Some Commercial Sausages

Mechanical properties from cyclic low strain testing, texture profile parameters and thermal conductivity were evaluated for 7 types of commercial sausage products ranging in moisture content from 27.7% to 62.4% and aw from 0.857 to 0.993. Hardness, fracturability, the apparent moduli, stress al 20% compression, mechanical hysteresis loss, and strain energy all increased with decreasing moisture level, while springiness and the degree of elasticity decreased. Moisture had no significant effect on cohesiveness. A linear relationship was observed between the aw and the effective mole fraction of water in the brine, the exact nature of which depended on the thermal process which the product had received. Thermal conductivity decreased with decreasing moisture in a linear manner.
Course assessment and proposal report (CAPR): a year in review

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the US Military Academy began a pilot program using the Course Assessment and Proposal Report (CAPR) in Fall 1999. By the Fall of 2000, every course in the department was required to use it. The format used for all courses was the same, and course directors were given an option of a Web-based entry system or a word-processor based entry system to prepare their CAPR. This paper discusses some highlights of developing and using the CAPR. Among items discussed are the different levels of acceptance between new instructors and more senior faculty. The varying degrees of acceptance of a Web-based version of the CAPR also impacted on utility of the tool. Changes to the CAPR should enhance long-range tracking of information for accreditation.
Vibration-based Terrain Analysis for Mobile Robots

Safe, autonomous mobility in rough terrain is an important requirement for planetary exploration rovers. Knowledge of local terrain properties is critical to ensure a rover’s safety on slopes and uneven surfaces. This paper presents a method to classify terrain based on vibrations induced in the rover structure by wheel-terrain interaction during driving. Vibrations are measured using an accelerometer on the rover structure. The classifier is trained using labeled vibration data during an off-line learning phase. Linear discriminant analysis is used for on-line identification of terrain classes such as sand, gravel, or clay. This approach is experimentally validated on a laboratory testbed.
Detection of buildings using perceptual grouping and shadows

We describe a system for detection and description of buildings in aerial scenes. This is a difficult task as the aerial images contain a variety of objects. Low-level segmentation processes give highly fragmented segments due to a number of reasons. We use a perceptual grouping approach to collect these fragments and discard those that come from other sources. We use shape properties of the buildings for this. We use shadows to help form and verify the hypotheses generated by the grouping process. This latter step also provides 3-D descriptions of the buildings. Our system has been tested on a number of examples and is able to work with overhead or oblique views. >
Demonstration and Preliminary Characterization of an Enzyme Capable of the Further Metabolism of the Thymidine Catabolite, β‐Aminoisobutyric Acid, in Tetrahymena pyriformis Strain GL1

. The enzyme that catalyzes the critical conversion of the proposed reductive thymidine catabolic end product, P-aminoisobutyric acid, to the initial anabolic reutilization substrate, probably methylmalonic semialdehyde, was investigated to un- ambiguously substantiate the operation of a reductive pyrimidine catabolic and reutilization pathway in Tetrahymena pyriformis strain GL. Although most of the studies on the further metabolism of P-aminoisobutyric acid in other organisms suggested transamination of p-aminoisobutyric acid to methylmalonic semialdehyde followed by its further oxidation to methylmalonic acid, such a transaminating system could not be demonstrated. By means of a sensitive fluorometric assay system, however, a low, but significant amount of P-aminoisobutyric acid oxidase activity was detected. This enzymatic activity exhibited the following characteristics in homogenates: good activity in alkaline 0.2 M Tris-HCI buffer with a rather broad pH optimum ranging from 7.8 to 9.0; optimum activity at a temperature of 37°C; stimulation on the addition of exogenous FAD; inhibition on the addition of divalent cations, EDTA, or PCMB; little stimulation on the addition of detergents; and no increase in activity on repeated freezing and thawing. In addition, crude preparations of this oxidase were found to be relatively stable when stored up to one week either refrigerated or frozen, to have a specific activity of 2.8 nmoles/min/mg of protein, and to have a K, of 3.6 × 10− M for d,l-β-aminoisobutyric acid. Whether this high Km, is physiologically significant or not, however, will have to await further investigation. Preliminary (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and affinity chromatography studies also indicated that this enzyme appears to be a unique and specific oxidase whose activity is separable from other marker enzymes, including other oxidases.
The Mentally Ill Homeless: What is Myth and What is Fact?

A recent paper in this journal (Snow et al, 1986) has described and analyzed “the myth of pervasive mental illness among the homeless.” I review the procedures followed in that paper and conclude that they produce lower boundary, not best guess, estimates; the lower boundary on the percentage of (Austin, Texas) homeless who are mentally ill is 10 to 15 percent. Independent data from homeless clinical populations in 16 large cities suggest a best guess on the rate of mental illness among the homeless at about one-third. This is broadly consistent with previous research findings.
Tailoring of Nanotextured Zinc Oxide Thin Films for Enhanced Biosensing

This study demonstrates the development of a zinc oxide (ZnO) based microelectrode sensor for the ultra-sensitive detection of protein biomarkers. Our research focuses on utilizing a materials-based approach to achieve this objective by utilizing ZnO as part of our biosensor for (1) improved surface binding to enhance sensitivity and (2) creating a nanotextured surface for enhanced output signal response. Nanotextured ZnO thin films were integrated onto printed circuit boards using RF magnetron sputter deposition. Films sputtered with and without the presence of oxygen were examined for possible differences in biosensor efficacy. These fabrication conditions not only dictate the number of oxygen vacancies within the film but also regulate the amount of zinc and oxygen terminated ends occurring on the material surface. The correlation between the surface terminations of the nanotextured ZnO to its performance as a biosensor was evaluated using two cross-linker molecules, dithiobis succinimidyl propionate and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, that maintain different binding chemistries to ZnO. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of cross-linker binding was accomplished using fluorescent microscopy and fluorescent intensity measurements. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used as the transduction mechanism for detection of the well-established cardiac biomarker, troponin-T. Utilizing EIS with a functionalized immunoassay on the ZnO surface, troponin-T was detected as low as 10 fg/mL using ZnO films sputtered without oxygen. This enhanced detection of the cardiac biomarker can be directly attributed to 1) oxygen vacancies within the metal oxide film, 2) the nanotexturing of the sensing site surface, and 3) the ability to bind a significant amount of cross-linker molecules for immobilizing capture antibodies.
Information management and communication for dementia: Preliminary research from China

In this note, we discuss technology use for professional dementia care in China. Caregiving for people with dementia is particularly stressful, and research has shown that technology could alleviate some of the stresses by facilitating the communication and information management around people with dementia. There are several problem points in the communication channels between the main stakeholders – seniors with dementia, professional caregivers, family members and the medical administration. We argue that research on this topic is particularly timely in developing countries like China because they face an aging general population and limited availability of caregivers and technologies. We present preliminary findings from a study on care facilities in Beijing.
Original historical sources in data structures and algorithms courses

Data Structure and Algorithms courses are often hard for students. Can the use of projects based on original historical sources make it a better experience for students? The paper describes three such projects which were used to cover some of the material in Data Structures and Algorithms courses. Classroom experience with the projects and student reactions to them are presented.
Quantitative Biostratigraphy, 1830–1980

Charles Lyell (1830–1833) became the first quantitative biostratigrapher when he proposed his method for determining the relative age of Tertiary fossil assemblages by calculating the percent of living species in them. Quantitative biostratigraphy languished for about 125 years but a major renaissance began in the late 1950’s which is continuing at an accelerating pace.
Natural Convection Due to Thermal Buoyancy of Centrifugal Body Forces

Natural convection in rotating porous media due to thermal buoyancy created by the centrifugal body force is presented. The distinction between the cases where the temperature gradients are aligned with the direction of the centrifugal body force or perpendicular to the latter are discussed separately. In the second case stability conditions have to be established, i.e. the convection does not occur unconditionally. A spectral system is then used to analyze the nonlinear effects leading to a system of ordinary differential equations for the amplitudes of convection. They predict a transition to chaotic solutions (weak turbulence) at certain values of the parameters.
Solvent-Based Polymer Swelling Characterization for the Development of the Nano/Micro-Particle Polymer Composite MEMS Corrosion Sensor

The concept of using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for in-situ corrosion sensing and for long-term applications has been proposed and is currently under development by our research lab. This is a new type of sensing using MEMS technology and, to the knowledge of our team, has not been explored previously. The MEMS corrosion sensor is based on the oxidation of metal nano/micro-particle embedded in elastomeric polymer to form a composite sensing element. The polymer controls the diffusion into and out of the sensor while the corrosion of the metal particles inhibits electrical conduction which is used as the detection signal. The work presented here is based on part of the methods developed for the removal of native and process-induced metal oxides. A major aspect is the study of the swelling dynamics of the polymer matrix (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) intended for enhancing material transport of etchants into and reaction products out of the composite during oxide removal. More specifically, the characterization of the swelling of copper particles-PDMS composite samples in liquid solvent baths is presented.© 2014 ASME
Systematics and Biology of Caloptilia triadicae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), A New Species of Leaf-Mining Moth of the Invasive Chinese Tallow Tree(Triadica sebifera (L.) Euphorbiaceae)

ABSTRACT. A new species of leaf-mining moth, Caloptilia triadicae, is described from the southern United States from Florida to eastern Texas. Larvae of this moth are known to feed preferentially and at high densities on the Chinese Tallow tree, Triadica (= Sapium) sebifera (L.) Roxb. (Euphorbiaceae), a tree first introduced into Georgia in 1772 from Asia, which has since become an invasive plant species of grave concern over much of the southeastern United States and California. Caloptilia triadicae is also known to feed rarely on Gymnanthes lucida Sw. (Euphorbiaceae), a tree not known to occur in the Old World but native to Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Central America. Because of the origin of the preferred host and the morphological affinities of the moth to the Chinese species, Caloptilia hamulifera Liu and Yuan, it appears likely that C. triadicae also originated from Asia. The larvae of Caloptilia are hypometamorphic and possess two distinct larval body forms and feeding behaviors—an ear...
Transmission Electron Microscopy of Semiconductor Based Products

The demand for increasingly higher performance semiconductor products has stimulated the semiconductor industry to respond by producing devices with increasingly complex circuitry, more transistors in less space, more layers of metal, dielectric and interconnects, more interfaces, and a manufacturing process with nearly 1, 000 steps. As all device features are shrunk in the quest for higher performance, the role of Transmission Electron Microscopy as a characterization tool takes on a continually increasing importance over older, lower-resolution characterization tools, such as SEM. The Angstrom scale imaging resolution and nanometer scale chemical analysis and diffraction resolution provided by modem TEM’s are particularly well suited for solving materials problems encountered during research, development, production engineering, reliability testing, and failure analysis. A critical enabling technology for the application of TEM to semiconductor based products as the feature size shrinks below a quarter micron is advances in specimen preparation. The traditional 1, 000A thick specimen will be unsatisfactory in a growing number of applications. It can be shown using a simple geometrical model, that the thickness of TEM specimens must shrink as the square root of the feature size reduction. Moreover, the center-targeting of these specimens must improve so that the centertargeting error shrinks linearly with the feature size reduction. To meet these challenges, control of the specimen preparation process will require a new generation of polishing and ion milling tools that make use of high resolution imaging to control the ion milling process. In addition, as the TEM specimen thickness shrinks, the thickness of surface amorphization produced must also be reduced. Gallium focused ion beam systems can produce hundreds of Angstroms of amorphised surface silicon, an amount which can consume an entire thin specimen. This limitation to FIB milling requires a method of removal of amorphised material that leaves no artifact in the remaining material.
An automatic method for detecting sliding railway wheels and hot bearings using thermal imagery

One of the most important safety-related tasks in the rail industry is an early detection of defective rolling stock components. Railway wheels and wheel bearings are the two components prone to damages due to their interactions with brakes and railway track, which makes them a high priority when the rail industry investigates improvements in the current detection processes. One of the specific wheel defects is a flat wheel, which is often caused by a sliding wheel during a heavy braking application. The main contribution of this paper is the development of a computer vision method for automatically detecting the sliding wheels from images taken by wayside thermal cameras. As a byproduct, the process will also include a method for detecting hot bearings from the same images. We first discuss our automatic detection and segmentation method, which identifies the wheel and bearing portion of the image. Then, we develop a method, using histogram of oriented gradients to extract the features of these regions. ...
Low-Power Pulsed Plasma Discharge in a Water Film Reactor

A pulsed plasma discharge was generated from a high pressure mixture of argon and water, which flowed into an enclosed discharge region where two stainless capillary tubes serve as both the inlet and outlet to the discharge region, as well as the anode and cathode which sustain the discharge. The system is used to investigate the potential of functionalizing simple organic compounds by soft oxidation to generate more useful chemical species.
Thermal Mode Nonequilibrium in High Speed Gas Dynamics

Here, each term on the right hand side refers to the energy contained in the translational, rotational, vibrational, and electronic modes of molecular motion. Nuclear energies are omitted as not participating in thermal gas processes of interest here. Einteraction represents energies associated with the coupling of various modes within a molecule (vibration with rotation, vibration with electronic motion, etc.). The “internal” energy modes – rotation, vibration, electronic – are quantized. For engineering flow systems of macroscopic dimensions, the translational energy modes are not quantized, and translational motion is described by classical mechanics.
Larvae and Pupae of Two Hybomitra Species (Diptera: Tabanidae) from Northern California

Larvae and pupae of Hybomitra californica and H. sonomensis from northern California are described for the first time. A detailed morphological comparison of the immatures of H. sonomensis with those of H. phaenops from Arizona is presented, which corroborates recent adult morphological evidence that these forms are specifically distinct.
Inter-harmonic detection based on fast TLS-ESPRIT

A fast algorithm based on TLS-ESPRIT(Total Least Squares-Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques) is proposed to identify the random harmonic combination and measure the frequency,magnitude and phase angle of inter-harmonic,which reduces the computational load with little influence on calculative result through the dimension reduction of singular value decomposition.Tests arecarried out with 2000 sampling points of 10 μs sampling rate for the simulative signal(white noise with 1mean square error) and the actual traction substation monitored signal.Result shows that,the proposed algorithm has better performance in frequency identification and antinoise capability.Being sensitive only toperiodic signal and immune to frequency leakage,it effectively identifies the main harmonic andinter-harmonic of signal within shorter data window(calculation error 0.5 %).
Breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

UNLABELLED This activity is designed for primary care physicians. GOAL To appreciate the significant advances and current techniques in breast reconstruction after mastectomy and realize the positive physical and emotional benefits to the patient. OBJECTIVES 1. Understand basic and anatomic principles of breast reconstruction. 2. Discuss the options for breast reconstruction: a) immediate versus delayed; b) autologous tissue versus implant; and c) stages of reconstruction and ancillary procedures. 3. Provide a comprehensive overview of the risks and benefits of, as well as the alternatives to, each approach so primary care physicians can counsel patients effectively.
Opioids for persistent pain in older adults

Older adults compose a large portion of patients with persistent pain. Opioid analgesics are widely used to treat acute and persistent pain in cancer and end-of-life care, but their use in other types of persistent pain in older adults is controversial. Clinicians and regulators must work together, balancing the legitimate medical need for opioids while acknowledging increasing opioid misuse and morbidity and mortality related to opioids.
SU‐G‐BRC‐12: Isotoxic Dose Escalation for Advanced Lung Cancer: Comparison of Different Boosting Strategiesfor Patients with Recurrent Disease

Purpose: To determine the dose level and timing of the boost in locally advanced lung cancer patients with confirmed tumor recurrence by comparing different boosting strategies by an impact of dose escalation in improvement of the therapeutic ratio. Methods: We selected eighteen patients with advanced NSCLC and confirmed recurrence. For each patient, a base IMRT plan to 60 Gy prescribed to PTV was created. Then we compared three dose escalation strategies: a uniform escalation to the original PTV, an escalation to a PET-defined target planned sequentially and concurrently. The PET-defined targets were delineated by biologically-weighed regions on a pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET. The maximal achievable dose, without violating the OAR constraints, was identified for each boosting method. The EUD for the target, spinal cord, combined lung, and esophagus was compared for each plan. Results: The average prescribed dose was 70.4±13.9 Gy for the uniform boost, 88.5±15.9 Gy for the sequential boost and 89.1±16.5 Gy for concurrent boost. The size of the boost planning volume was 12.8% (range: 1.4 – 27.9%) of the PTV. The most prescription-limiting dose constraints was the V70 of the esophagus. The EUD within the target increased by 10.6 Gy for the uniform boost, by 31.4 Gy for the sequential boost and by 38.2 for the concurrent boost. The EUD for OARs increased by the following amounts: spinal cord, 3.1 Gy for uniform boost, 2.8 Gy for sequential boost, 5.8 Gy for concurrent boost; combined lung, 1.6 Gy for uniform, 1.1 Gy for sequential, 2.8 Gy for concurrent; esophagus, 4.2 Gy for uniform, 1.3 Gy for sequential, 5.6 Gy for concurrent. Conclusion: Dose escalation to a biologically-weighed gross tumor volume defined on a pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET may provide improved therapeutic ratio without breaching predefined OAR constraints. Sequential boost provides better sparing of OARs as compared with concurrent boost.
Prevalence and Clinical Utility of "Incidental" Critical Values Resulting From Critical Care Laboratory Testing.

Objective: Panels of clinical laboratory testing may generate “incidental” critical values from unordered parameters. Existing regulations do not clearly delineate guidelines for handling incidental critical values. The objective of this study was to examine the patterns and clinical utility of incidental critical values at 2 critical care laboratories within an academic medical center. Methods: In this retrospective study, the electronic health record and laboratory information system were reviewed for incidental critical results obtained from blood gas analyzer analysis of whole blood specimens between November 2010 and August 2014. Results: Within the retrospective time period, 9,092 incidental critical results were documented, of which only 11.8% were added to the “parent” order following clinical notification. Incidental critical results frequently occurred in patients who had recent critical values for the same parameter. Conclusion: In this study, at an academic medical center, incidental critical values associated with blood gas analyzers were added on at a low rate and often provided redundant information. Relative to the manual effort involved in care providers’ notification and documentation of results, incidental critical values appear to have low clinical utility. * Abbreviations : ABG : arterial blood gas CAP : College of American Pathologists CLIA ’88 : Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 EHR : electronic health record ICU : intensive care unit LIS : laboratory information system MLT : medical laboratory technician MT : medical technologist NICU : neonatal intensive care unit PICU : pediatric intensive care unit
Impact of fission neutron energies on reactor antineutrino spectra

The energy and flux spectrum of anti-neutrinos produced in nuclear reactors deviate from theoretical expectations. The origin of this discrepancy is contested and its significance has remained uncertain. In this study, Littlejohn $e\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t$ $a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l$. provide closely argued evidence that one suspected source of the anomaly, the dependence on the energy of the fission-inducing neutron, cannot explain the observed variance.
Seroma: Post-Operative

Seromas are collections of serous fluid that may accumulate as a complication of surgery or after trauma. FDG PET/MR imaging is an excellent modality to distinguish between a benign seroma versus a malignant soft tissue sarcoma or abscess as it provides precise anatomic localization and can quantify hypermetabolic activity.
Fc receptor γ chain plays a critical role in lung viral clearance and reducing vaccine-enhanced disease in mice immunized with respiratory syncytial virus vaccines (VAC9P.1063)

Vaccine-enhanced respiratory disease (ERD) is well-known for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) after vaccination with formalin inactivated RSV (FI-RSV). Induction of Th2 type immune responses and deposition of immune complexes have been suggested to be possible mechanisms. We hypothesized that Fc receptor γ chain (FcRγ) would play a role in conferring protection against RSV after vaccination and that priming with Th1 inducing vaccine would prevent ERD. Virus-like particles presenting RSV fusion protein (F VLP) were found to induce Th1 type immune responses. Wild type (WT) mice and FcRγ KO mice were immunized with FI-RSV or primed with F VLP followed by FI-RSV boost (F VLP/FI-RSV). RSV specific serum IgG and isotype antibody levels were similar in both WT and FcRγ KO mice after RSV vaccination. However, F VLP/FI-RSV FcRγ KO mice showed lower levels of RSV neutralizing antibody titers and IFN-γ secreting CD8+ T cells, higher lung viral titers and more body weight loss compared to F VLP/FI-RSV WT mice. Heterologous F VLP/FI-RSV immunization induced Th1 type humoral and cellular immune responses, no overt sign of ERD in the bronchoalveolar lavage airways in both WT and FcRγ KO mice compared to homologous FI-RSV immunization. The results in this study support a critical role of FcRγ in lung viral clearance and diminishing ERD. More importantly, a strategy of priming with Th1 inducing vaccine might be a promising approach to induce protection against RSV and to prevent ERD.
Metabolic mapping of downstream network activity following CNO-induced activation of hM3Dq in BNST VGAT neurons

Metabolic mapping of downstream network activity following CNO-induced activation of hM3Dq in BNST VGAT neurons
Automatic Diagnosis of Students' Misconceptions in K-8 Mathematics

K-8 mathematics students must learn many procedures, such as addition and subtraction. Students frequently learn "buggy' variations of these procedures, which we ideally could identify automatically. This is challenging because there are many possible variations that reflect deep compositions of procedural thought. Existing approaches for K-8 math use manually specified variations which do not scale to new math algorithms or previously unseen misconceptions. Our system examines students' answers and infers how they incorrectly combine basic skills into complex procedures. We evaluate this approach on data from approximately 300 students. Our system replicates 86% of the answers that contain clear systematic mistakes (13%). Investigating further, we found 77% at least partially replicate a known misconception, with 53% matching exactly. We also present data from 29 participants showing that our system can demonstrate inferred incorrect procedures to an educator as successfully as a human expert.
Almost Periodicity in Functional Equations

The paper is aimed at providing some results on the almost periodicity of solutions to some general functional or functional differential equations. The term “general” is meant in the sense that the equations involve operators of general form, acting on the space of almost periodic functions. First order and second order equations are dealt with.
A Direct Measure of the Partitioning of Electronic, Vibrational, Rotational, and Translational Energies in Unimolecular Processes

Although a considerable body of information has been published [1] characterizing various features of collisionless multiple-photon dissociation (cmpd) in the presence of an intense in electromagnetic field, it has been only recently that the dynamics of the dissociation process have begun to be investigated using molecular beam techniques [2]. Recent experiments in our laboratory [3] have demonstrated that the technique of laser induced fluorescence (LIF) provides a very sensitive method of monitoring timevarying concentrations of ground or low-lying excited state fragments produced by cmpd of a variety of polyatomic molecules. Our goal in these experiments is not only to identify the various dissociation fragments, but also to measure how the available energy is partitioned between electronic, vibrational, rotational, and translational energies of the fragments. In this paper we report measurements of the energy distributed in C2 molecules formed from cmpd of a number of polyatomic molecules (C2H5CN, C2H5OH, C2H3CN,...).
Monte Carlo Computation in Finance

This advanced tutorial aims at an exposition of problems in finance that are worthy of study by the Monte Carlo research community. It describes problems in valuing and hedging securities, risk management, portfolio optimization, and model calibration. It surveys some areas of active research in efficient procedures for simulation in finance and addresses the impact of the business context on the opportunities for efficiency. There is an emphasis on the many challenging problems in which it is necessary to perform several similar simulations.
Automatic Crop Furrow Detection for Precision Agriculture

In order to automate agriculture, development in the robotics equipped with machine vision sensors applied to Precision agriculture is a demanding solution for various applications in the agriculture. Machine vision system necessary for crop row and weed detection. This paper proposes an automatic furrow detection system based on identifying crop rows in maize fields in the presence of weeds. The image quality is affected by different lighting conditions and gaps between the crop furrows due to lack of germination. The proposed image processing method consists of four different processes. First, image segmentation based on HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) decision tree. The HSV color space used to discriminate crops, weeds, sky, and soil. The region of interest (ROI) is defined by filtering each of the HSV channels between the maximum and minimum threshold values. Then, the noises in the images are eliminated by selecting pixel values. Further, mathematical morphological processes, that is, erosion to remove smaller objects followed by dilation to enlarge the boundaries of regions of foreground pixels are applied. To detect the position of crop rows, ROI was defined by creating a binary mask. The Hough Transform and blob analysis were applied to detect crop furrows. The experimental results show that the method is effective.