cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Male Sexual Request Style on Perceptions of Sexual Interactions: The Mediational Role of Beliefs About Female Sexual Desire

The sexual interactions of young adults are characterized by a surprising amount of coercion and aggression. Assumptions about the causal antecedents of sexual desire may contribute to sexual miscommunication and the failed negotiations that result in sexual harassment and date rape. I examined the impact of one presumed cause of female desire (i.e., romantic love or romantic events) on perceptions of a heterosexual, sexual interaction. Results indicated that the perceived level of sexual desire felt by a female target and the extent to which she is believed to want sex mediated the relation between a male target’ s sexual request style (romantic vs. sexual) and the extent to which their sexual interaction was viewed as consensual. Neither gender nor previous experience w ith harassment or assault moderated this result; however, main effects for gender were found such that men attributed greater sexual desire to the female target than did women, and w omen perceived the female target as less responsible for the occurrence of intercourse than did men. The sexual interactions of young adults are characterized by a surprising amount
Fast ${\cal H}$ -Matrix-Based Direct Integral Equation Solver With Reduced Computational Cost for Large-Scale Interconnect Extraction

In this paper, we propose a fast H-matrix-based direct solution with a significantly reduced computational cost for an integral-equation-based capacitance extraction of large-scale 3-D interconnects in multiple dielectrics. We reduce the computational cost of an H-matrix-based computation by simultaneously optimizing the H-matrix partition to minimize the number of matrix blocks and minimizing the rank of each matrix block based on a prescribed accuracy. With the proposed cost-reduction method, we develop a fast LU-based direct solver. This solver possesses a complexity of kCspO (NlogN) in storage, a complexity of k2Csp2O(Nlog2N) in LU factorization, and a complexity of kCspO(NlogN) in LU solution, where k is the maximal rank, Csp is a constant dependent on matrix partition, and the constant kCsp is minimized based on accuracy by the proposed cost-reduction method. The proposed solver successfully factorizes dense matrices that involve millions of unknowns in fast CPU time and modest memory consumption, and with the prescribed accuracy satisfied. As an algebraic method, the underlying fast technique is kernel independent.
Density functional theory studies of transannular 1H ? 1H J‐coupling in half‐cage alcohols and rigid 1,3‐ and 1,4‐diols: conformational dependencies and implications for intramolecular hydrogen bond detection in carbohydrates

Density functional theory (DFT) methods were used to investigate the conformational dependence of transannular H H coupling constants in half-cage alcohols and cage diols. Finite perturbation theory (FPT) was used to obtain the Fermi contact (FC) contributions to scalar coupling constants in three half-cage alcohols and the OH···OH coupling between hydroxyl groups sharing 1,4- and 1,3-intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Transannular CH···OH coupling constants in the half-cage alcohols (inner OH) were obtained as a function of the dihedral angle defining the OH orientation. In comparison with the parent compound, chlorine substituents substantially modify the conformational dependence of the transannular H H coupling and lead to observable coupling in the hexachloro compound. This is an unusual case, wherein the conformationally averaged coupling constants are quite different than those for the minimum-energy conformations. A −1.0 Hz scalar coupling is predicted between the very crowded protons in the half-cage acetate (outer OAc) in comparison with the experimental magnitude <1 Hz. In model 1,4- and 1,3-diols the coupling constants were obtained as functions of the analogous dihedral angles. The primary effects of hydrogen bonding are the stabilization of conformations in which the positive and negative contributions effectively cancel, thereby leading to small, observed values (e.g. ≤0.3 Hz). The DFT/FPT data for transannular coupling constants are consistent with a sum-over-states analysis for the direct mechanisms involving the two bonds containing the coupled nuclei rather than indirect mechanisms associated with oxygen lone pairs. Discussed here are the prospects of using OH···OH scalar coupling for structural studies of carbohydrates. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Science and Diversity: A Compelling National Interest

Affirmative action has emerged as a center-stage issue in higher education. This policy forum reviews the history of affirmative action, its impact on science and engineering, and the status of the groups affected by affirmative action policies. Structural changes are suggested that may lead to widespread adoption of practices that support diversity and inclusion in science and engineering.
Ion Permeation through the α-Hemolysin Channel: Theoretical Studies Based on Brownian Dynamics and Poisson-Nernst-Plank Electrodiffusion Theory

Identification of the molecular interaction governing ion conduction through biological pores is one of the most important goals of modern electrophysiology. Grand canonical Monte Carlo Brownian dynamics (GCMC/BD) and three- dimensional Poisson-Nernst-Plank (3d-PNP) electrodiffusion algorithms offer powerful and general approaches to study of ion permeation through wide molecular pores. A detailed analysis of ion flows through the staphylococcal a-hemolysin channel based on series of simulations at different concentrations and transmembrane potentials is presented. The position-dependent diffusion coefficient is approximated on the basis of a hydrodynamic model. The channel conductance calculated by GCMC/BD is ;10% higher than (electrophysiologically measured) experimental values, whereas results from 3d-PNP are always 30-50% larger. Both methods are able to capture all important electrostatic interactions in equilibrium conditions. The asymmetric conductance upon the polarity of the transmembrane potential observed experimentally is reproduced by GCMC/BD and 3d- PNP. The separation of geometrical and energetic influence of the channel on ion conduction reveals that such asymmetries arise from the permanent charge distribution inside the pore. The major determinant of the asymmetry is unbalanced charge in the triad of polar residues D127, D128, and K131. The GCMC/BD or 3d-PNP calculations reproduce also experimental reversal potentials and permeability rations in asymmetric ionic solutions. The weak anionic selectivity of the channel results from the presence of the salt bridge between E111 and K147 in the constriction zone. The calculations also reproduce the experimentally derived dependence of the reversible potential to the direction of the salt gradient. The origin of such effect arises from the asymmetrical distribution of energetic barriers along the channel axis, which modulates the preferential ion passage in different directions.
Clinical Impact of Delaying Initiation of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer

Purpose For patients with breast cancer (BC), the optimal time to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy (TTC) after definitive surgery is unknown. We evaluated the association between TTC and survival according to breast cancer subtype and stage at diagnosis. Patients and Methods Women diagnosed with BC stages I to III between 1997 and 2011 who received adjuvant chemotherapy at our institution were included. Patients were categorized into three groups according to TTC: 30, 31 to 60, and 61 days. Survival outcomes were estimated and compared according to TTC and by BC subtype. Results Among the 6,827 patients included, the 5-year overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and distant RFS (DRFS) estimates were similar for the different TTC categories. Initiation of chemotherapy 61 days after surgery was associated with adverse outcomes among patients with stage II (DRFS: hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.43) and stage III (OS: HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.26 to 2.46; RFS: HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.76; and DRFS: HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.80) BC. Patients with triple-negative BC (TNBC) tumors and those with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) ‐positive tumors treated with trastuzumab who started chemotherapy 61 days after surgery had worse survival (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.18 and HR, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.49 to 6.39, respectively) compared with those who initiated treatment in the first 30 days after surgery. Conclusion TTC influenced survival outcomes in the overall study cohort. This finding was particularly meaningful for patients with stage III BC, TNBC, and trastuzumab-treated HER2-positive tumors who experienced worse outcomes when chemotherapy was delayed. Our findings suggest that early initiation of chemotherapy should be granted for patients in these high-risk groups. J Clin Oncol 32:735-744. © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Endogenous Liquidity Supply 1

We present a general equilibrium model to understand the implications of short-term debt playing a special role in an economy in providing liquidity and facilitating transactions. In our model the supplies of short-term public and private debt are an endogenous outcome of optimal actions by the treasury and private financial intermediaries. Our model leads to the following three predictions. (1) A higher supply of public debt leads to a lower liquidity premium on treasuries, which tends to raise its pecuniary return (i.e., risk free rate). (2) A higher supply of public debt leads to a lower supply of private debt as private financial intermediaries compete with government debt in providing liquidity services. (3) A rise in aggregate uncertainty leads to a fall in private sector debt and a rise in public debt. Using data from 1950 to 2009 we find strong empirical support for all these predictions. In all, our model helps understand fluctuations in the availability of short-term private and public debt in a changing macro-economic environment.
Simulation of Flow Control Using Dielectric-Barrier-Discharge Plasma Actuators

Active flow control by means of plasma-induced body forces is currently a topic of considerable research interest in the aerodynamics community. For subsonic flow conditions at atmospheric pressure...
Antiretroviral Agents Used by HIV-Uninfected Persons for Prevention: Pre- and Postexposure Prophylaxis

Prophylactic use of antimicrobial agents and microbicides has been proven for many infections, including surgical, gastrointestinal, upper respiratory, and meningococcal infections. Antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women prevents mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which has become rare in settings where access to therapy is widespread. Postexposure prophylaxis after needlestick injury or significant sexual exposure is recommended on the basis of animal studies and case-control observational studies, although use of these interventions is limited to those who recognize exposure, have access, and have the power to use the interventions. Clinical trials are evaluating whether regular or preexposure use of antiretroviral therapy provides additional protection for persons at high risk of infection who are also offered standard prevention care, including HIV testing, counseling, condoms, and management of sexually transmitted infections. Trials are evaluating topical or oral use. Concerns have arisen with regard to optimal dosing strategies, costs, access, drug resistance, risk behavior, and the role of communities. Future implementation, if warranted, will be guided by the results of clinical trials in progress and engagement of communities exposed to HIV.
Multiple Instance Learning on Structured Data

Most existing Multiple-Instance Learning (MIL) algorithms assume data instances and/or data bags are independently and identically distributed. But there often exists rich additional dependency/structure information between instances/bags within many applications of MIL. Ignoring this structure information limits the performance of existing MIL algorithms. This paper explores the research problem as multiple instance learning on structured data (MILSD) and formulates a novel framework that considers additional structure information. In particular, an effective and efficient optimization algorithm has been proposed to solve the original non-convex optimization problem by using a combination of Concave-Convex Constraint Programming (CCCP) method and an adapted Cutting Plane method, which deals with two sets of constraints caused by learning on instances within individual bags and learning on structured data. Our method has the nice convergence property, with specified precision on each set of constraints. Experimental results on three different applications, i.e., webpage classification, market targeting, and protein fold identification, clearly demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method over state-of-the-art methods.
An investigation on characteristics of the vibration transmitted to wrist and elbow in the operation of impact wrenches.

Abstract To help assess the risk of the vibration exposure during impact wrench operation and to develop a convenient and effective method to monitor and control the exposure, this study aims to investigate the characteristics of the vibrations transmitted to the wrist and elbow in the operation and to evaluate the on-the-wrist and on-the-elbow vibration measurement methods. Six subjects participated in the experiment. Each of them used 15 impact wrenches on a simulated workstation. Tri-axial accelerations at three locations (tool handle, wrist, and elbow) and the tool effective torques were measured and used in the evaluations. Results confirm that the severity of the vibration exposure generally depends on tool and individual, and that the vibrations measured at wrist and elbow reflect the influences of both factors. This study also found that the accelerations measured at the wrist and elbow are correlated with the ISO frequency-weighted tool acceleration. The fundamental resonance of the hand-arm system in the range of 16–50 Hz is well reflected in the vibration measured at the wrist. The results also demonstrate that vibration exposure duration can be reliably detected from the wrist vibration data. Moreover, the wrist vibration is suggestively correlated with the torque of the pneumatic impact wrenches. These findings suggest that the measurement of the wrist vibration can be used as an alternative approach to perform the exposure risk assessment and to monitor and control the exposures in the operation of the impact wrenches. Relevance to Industry Impact wrenches or nut runners with impact action are widely and intensively used in automobile manufacturing and repair, which could generate significant vibration and require forceful actions. Prolonged, intensive exposure to both vibration and forceful actions could result in hand-arm vibration syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome. The results of this study suggest that the on-the-wrist vibration measurement is a reasonable alternative approach for quantifying and assessing the exposures, which provides a theoretical base for developing a convenient and effective method for monitoring and controlling the combined exposures. The results of this study also suggest that the on-the-wrist method can also be used at workplaces to perform screening tests of the tools with dominant vibration frequencies similar to those of the impact wrenches and to evaluate the effectiveness of the anti-vibration devices used with such tools.
Is quality improvement sustainable? Findings of the American college of cardiology's guidelines applied in practice

Objective. (i) To examine the sustainability of an in-hospital quality improvement (QI) intervention, the American College of Cardiology’s Guideline Applied to Practice (GAP) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). (ii) To determine the predictors of physician adherence to AMI guidelines-recommended medication prescribing. Design. Prospective observational study. Setting. Five mid-Michigan community hospitals. Participants. 516 AMI patients admitted consecutively 1 year after the GAP intervention. These patients were compared with 499 post-GAP patients. Main Outcome Measures. The main outcome was adherence to medication use guidelines. Predictors of medication use were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results. 1 year after GAP implementation, adherence to most medications remained high. We found a significant increase in beta-blocker (BB) use in-hospital (87.9 vs. 72.1%, P 0.225) did not change significantly. However, discharge aspirin (83 vs. 90%, P< 0.018) and BB prescriptions (84 vs. 92%, P < 0.016) dropped to preintervention rates. Discharge angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and treatment of patients with low-density lipoprotein of ≥100 were unchanged. Predictors of receiving appropriate medications were male gender (for aspirin and BBs) and treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention compared with coronary artery bypass graft. Notably, prescription rates for discharge medications differed significantly by hospital. Conclusions. Early benefits of the Mid-Michigan GAP intervention on guideline use were only partially sustained at 1 year. Differences in guideline adherence by treatment modality and hospital demonstrate challenges for follow-up phases of GAP. Additional strategies to improve sustainability of QI efforts are urgently needed.
IFM receiver with capability of detecting simultaneous signals

A method for detecting many simultaneous signals in an IFM receiver is described. The method uses correlation lags to calculate the frequencies of the input signals. Practical considerations and performance are discussed.
Interaction of magnetic monopoles and domain walls

We study the interaction of magnetic monopoles and domain walls in a model with SU(5)\times Z_2 symmetry by numerically evolving the field equations. We find that the monopoles unwind and dissipate their magnetic energy on collision with domain walls within which the full SU(5) symmetry is restored.
Nonparametric Model Discrimination in International Relations

This study introduces a simple nonparametric test for the relative discrimination of models in international relations research. The common parametric approach, the Vuong test, does not perform well under the small-n, high canonical correlation conditions that are sometimes encountered in world politics research. The nonparametric approach outperforms the Vuong test in Monte Carlo experiments and is trivial to implement even for the most complicated models. The method is applied to two empirical examples: the debate over long cycles and the effect of domestic politics on foreign policy decision making.
On the Value of Ignorance: Balancing Tracking and Privacy Using a Two-Bit Sensor

We consider a target tracking problem in which, in addition to sensing some information about the position of a mobile target, the tracker must also ensure that the privacy of that target is preserved, even in the presence of adversaries that have complete access to the tracker’s sensor data. This kind of problem is important for many kinds of robot systems that involve communication systems or agents that cannot be fully trusted. In this paper, we (1) introduce a formal, quantitative definition for privacy, (2) describe algorithms that allow a robot to maintain conservative estimates of its performance in terms of tracking and privacy, (3) give strategies for the tracker to maximize its tracking performance, subject to constraints on the allowable privacy levels, and (4) present an implementation of these methods along with some experimental results.
The Nature of Threat

In the nature of advice to threateners, taking perceptions of the threatened into account, this article might have been called the limits to threats. It attacks the idea that size of threat is the major determinant of responses to it. It postulates need for control on the part of the threatened as a key aspect of the threat situation as a two-party transaction. The argument is that contingent threats which permit the threatened party a sense of control -- and of cognitive control which clearly permits him in his eyes to avoid the danger the threatener communicates -- are far more effective as persuasive messages than either noncontingent threats or threats which appear to be noncontingent. Some data may be interpreted as suggesting that being powerful may lead one to threaten sufficiently as to delay reaching a solution between parties. Language: en
Product platform design and customization: Status and promise

In an effort to improve customization for today's highly competitive global marketplace, many companies are utilizing product families and platform-based product development to increase variety, shorten lead times, and reduce costs. The key to a successful product family is the product platform from which it is derived either by adding, removing, or substituting one or more modules to the platform or by scaling the platform in one or more dimensions to target specific market niches. This nascent field of engineering design has matured rapidly in the past decade, and this paper provides a comprehensive review of the flurry of research activity that has occurred during that time to facilitate product family design and platform-based product development for mass customization. Techniques for identifying platform leveraging strategies within a product family are reviewed along with metrics for assessing the effectiveness of product platforms and product families. Special emphasis is placed on optimization approaches and artificial intelligence techniques to assist in the process of product family design and platform-based product development. Web-based systems for product platform customization are also discussed. Examples from both industry and academia are presented throughout the paper to highlight the benefits of product families and product platforms. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential areas of research to help bridge the gap between planning and managing families of products and designing and manufacturing them.
Enhancing Security and Privacy in Traffic-Monitoring Systems

Intelligent transportation systems increasingly depend on probe vehicles to monitor traffic: they can automatically report position, travel time, traffic incidents, and road surface problems to a telematics service provider. This kind of traffic-monitoring system could provide good coverage and timely information on many more roadways than is possible with a fixed infrastructure such as cameras and loop detectors. This approach also promises significant reductions in infrastructure cost because the system can exploit the sensing, computing, and communications devices already installed in many modern vehicles. This architecture separates data from identities by splitting communication from data analysis. Data suppression techniques can help prevent data mining algorithms from reconstructing private information from anonymous database samples
Insights into the Mechanistic Pathway of the Pantoea agglomerans Phenylalanine Aminomutase

The biosynthesis of the hybrid peptide-polyketide antibiotic andrimid in Pantoea agglomerans requires the function of a phenylalanine aminomutase, AdmH (designated PaPAM), which converts (S)-a-phenylalanine to (S)-b-phenylalanine. PaPAM is a member of the class I lyase-like family that includes phenylalanine and tyrosine aminomutases (PAMs and TAMs , respectively), phenylalanine ammonia lyases (PALs), tyrosine ammonia lyases (TALs), and histidine ammonia lyases (HALs). PALs, TALs, and HALs produce aryl acrylates from the corresponding aminoacid substrate by the elimination of ammonia. The transformations that are performed by this family of enzymes are, in part, catalyzed by a 4-methylidene-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-one (MIO) prosthetic group. This cofactor is formed post-translationally from a tandem of active site residues, typically Ala-Ser-Gly, and is believed to function as an electrophile through its a/b-unsaturated keto functional group (Scheme 1). Two mechanisms for these transformations have been proposed; in the first, the amino group of the amino acid substrate acts as a nucleophile and attacks the methylidene of MIO through conjugate addition (earlier reports suggested that MIO was a dehydroalanyl moiety). Ammonia is subsequently expelled from the N-alkylated substrate through an a/b-elimination process, which results in the formation of an acrylate reaction intermediate that is released as such in the ammonia lyase reaction. Alternatively, the acrylate remains in the active site for amino group rebound to form the b-amino acid product in the aminomutase reaction. A second proposed mechanism suggests that p-electrons at the ortho-carbon atom of the phenyl ring of the substrate attack MIO, which acts as a Lewis acid, by Friedel–Crafts-like activation. The second process has been principally assigned to ammonia lyase reactions that yield unsaturated products by a/b-elimination, 13] but has also been implicated in the aminomutase reactions. The structures of several enzymes of the MIO-dependent family were characterized in earlier reports. The structure of Rhodobacter sphaeroides tyrosine ammonia lyase (RsTAL) in complex with the competitive inhibitor 2-aminoindan-2phosphonic acid, which is covalently bound by its amino group to MIO in the active site (Protein Data Bank (PDB) 2O7E) was determined. Yet, based on this structure, one of the MIO-based mechanisms was not suggested for the Scheme 1. Two proposed mechanisms for the conversion of substrate to product in a generic aminomutase: a) amino-group alkylation pathway and b) Friedel–Crafts aryl-alkylation pathway. An ammonia lyase reaction terminates at trans-cinnamate or trans-coumarate (X=H (phenylalanine) or OH (tyrosine), respectively).
Inconsistent regulatory protection under the U.S. Common Rule.

U.S. regulations do not afford consistent protections to human research subjects. One complaint is that they focus on federally sponsored research, with private research covered only if it falls under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This paper examines a deeper problem: Even when the regulations do apply, they still do not afford consistent standards of protection. The U.S. Common Rule and related FDA regulations lack a workable regulatory control mechanism.
Community Participation in Health Promotion: Evaluation of the California Wellness Guide

SUMMARY With the rapid rise in health care costs, it has become imperative that departments of health services find effective and affordable ways to prevent disease and promote health. During the past 20 years, most of the major educational interventions in the US designed to prevent disease by changing behavior have not been as successful as expected. At the same time, there is increasing evidence that community participation, a central feature of the ‘new public health’, is a powerful component of the programs that have been successful. In this paper, we describe and evaluate an intervention that heavily involves the community. The Wellness Guide is a comprehensive health promotion guide developed with community participation to improve the wellness knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of recipients. 100 000 copies of The Guide in English
ARCHAIASINIDS AND RELATED PORCELANEOUS LARGER FORAMINIFERA FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Abstract Exceptionally large quantities of outstandingly well-preserved, free specimens of larger foraminifera from late Miocene sediments of the Dominican Republic invite an analysis of their structure in detail. The structures of the porcelaneous larger foraminifera reveal that most of them are not candidates for a direct ancestry of the species living today in the Caribbean. Although the late Miocene period has produced Caribbean endemists, in particular within the agglutinated group of the textulariellids and the lamellar-perforate group of the amphisteginids, the porcelaneous archaiasines and soritines are more closely related to the early Miocene forms of the Neotethys than to the Recent Caribbean endemists. These relationships are derived from their relative structural similarity and call for the proposition of appropriate additional taxa on the generic and specific levels. Miocene Miarchaias new genus develops several centimeters large, cyclical agamonts with meandropsinid structures covering the ...
Simultaneous unidirectional lasing and reflectionless modes in PT-symmetric cavities (Presentation Recording)

We introduce a new family of spectral singularities with highly directional response in parity-time (PT) symmetric cavities. These spectral singularities support modes with infinite reflection from one side and zero reflection from the other side of the cavity, results in simultaneous unidirectional laser and unidirectional reflectionless parity-time symmetric cavity. Such unidirectional spectral singularities emerge from resonance trapping induced by the interplay between parity-time symmetry and Fano resonances.
Word semantics for information retrieval: moving one step closer to the Semantic Web

The goal of the Semantic Web is to create a new form of Web content meaningful to computers. The Semantic Web aims to provide greater functionality, via intelligent tools such as information extractors, brokers, reasoning services or question answering systems. Semantics can be addressed at several levels. In this paper, we focus on the lowest level-word semantics on which other higher levels such as concept, paragraph, or document levels can be based upon. This model, which we call Word Semantics (WS), does not include the rich set of tags proposed by the XML/RDF standards. Nevertheless, this simpler WS format comes with a big advantage: it is possible with existing technologies and resources. Practically, this new model relies on understanding word meanings, identifying important named entities such as person, organization and others, and linking all this information via an external general purpose ontology, namely WordNet. With these features, we regard the WS model as a short but strong step toward the long term goal of a Semantic Web.
Spiritual Interventions in Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention: A Review of the Literature

Abstract This article reviews the recent research literature related to the use of spiritual interventions in the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. Empirical outcome studies are critically reviewed and a brief overview is given of spiritual interventions which have yet to be studied empirically. Areas for further research are delineated and philosophical and methodological issues related to the study of spiritual interventions are discussed.
Simultaneous robot localization and mapping of parameterized spatio-temporal fields using multi-scale adaptive sampling

This dissertation presents a Multi-scale Adaptive Sampling (AS) framework for combining measurements arriving from mobile robotic sensors of different scales, rates and accuracies, in order to reconstruct a parametric spatio-temporal field. The proposed sampling algorithm, “EKF-NN-GAS”, is based on the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), Radial Basis Function (RBF) Neural Networks and Greedy Search Heuristics. This novel AS algorithm responds to real-time measurements by continuously directing robots to locations most likely to yield maximum information about the sensed field. EKF is used to derive quantitative information measures for sampling locations. In addition, the localization uncertainty of the robots is minimized by combining the location states and field parameters in a Joint-EKF formulation. This feature is critical in GPS-denied environment such as inside buildings or underwater. Secondary objectives such as sampling duration, computational cost and energy are minimized by adding several extensions called “Greedy Adaptive Sampling” (GAS) heuristics. The issue of thorough sampling in dense regions is addressed using Clustered Adaptive Sampling. Drawbacks of local searching approach used in GAS are overcome with Non-uniform Grid Size AS and Multi-step AS. The proposed sampling algorithms are compared with traditional raster-scanning through many examples. Results indicate that the proposed parametric algorithm provides faster convergence with less number of samples. This dissertation also addresses issues of efficient partitioning of the sampling area, distribution of computations and communication for adaptive sampling with multiple robots. The performance of the algorithm was experimentally validated using indoor multi-robot testbed at ARRI's DIAL lab (Distributed Intelligence and Autonomy Lab). A real world scenario of mapping of forest fires is addressed in this thesis in conjunction with the proposed sampling algorithm. Our strategy combines measurements arriving at different times from sensors with different field of view (FOV) and resolution, such as ground, air-borne and space-borne observation platforms. In practice, such robots could be equipped with thermal imaging, topographic mapping and other sensors for measuring environmental conditions.
Comment: Conceptualizing Atheist Identity: Expanding Questions, Constructing Models, and Moving Forward

The developing social scientific literature on atheism is still working out the social significance, meaning, and processes of atheist identity formation. Scholars are also in the early stages of analyzing and understanding the collective and organizational activities of contemporary self-identified atheists and the relationship of this to theism, religious practice and organization, belief, and other social phenomena that have long been of central concern to sociology. Understanding atheists and their relationship to these social processes and the broader culture will require a clearer picture of how and why some people come to identify with atheism, and in some cases, incorporate this identity as a central component of who they are. Steve LeDrew’s 2013, “Discovering Atheism: Heterogeneity in Trajectories to Atheist Identity and Activism.” Sociology of Religion, article on atheists provides an opportunity to pause on some fairly basic questions about the nature of atheist identities and how best to conceptualize them, in order to advance our knowledge of not just atheists, but of the broader concepts and issues of identity, belief, boundaries, and culture, in empirically relevant, and theoretically useful ways. Here, I discuss some specifics for conceptualizing atheist identities in the contemporary context, and attempt to help clear a path for productive future research in this area.
Ichnologic note: Sabellariid polychaete squatters in Teredolites: Possible source of composite ichnotaxa in xylic substrates

Wood clasts washed ashore during storms at Bogue Banks, central coast of North Carolina, in the summer of 1995, contained borings assignable to Teredolites. Some of the borings enclosed bundles of sand‐lined tubes produced by sabellariid worms. The association of borings and sand‐lined tubes, if preserved, would produce composite trace fossils representing the recycling of the borings as living space by tubicolous squatters.
Rhythmic Activity of Plecia nearctica12

Rhythms of flight and ambulatory activity of Plecia nearctica Hardy were determined by field observation and remote monitoring to be bimodal-diurnal. Light was not essential for mating in these insects, but they required light and an ambient temperature of at least 20°C for sustained flight. “Hovering flights” occurred early and late in the day; dispersal and “searching flights” occurred mainly during the afternoon. Feeding was necessary to the survival of field-collected adults in the laboratory. These males and females lived ca. 3 and 5 days, respectively. Periodicity was similar for both sexes, but males were the most active fliers.
Influence of Tibial Eminence Size on the ACL Injury

The geometry of the tibial plateau as well as the femoral condyles are emerging as key parameters to be studied as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk factors. In this paper, we study the role of tibial eminence size as a potentially important characteristic of the tibial plateau in loading and or protecting the ACL from injury. The volume of Tibial eminence in 52 uninjured controls (32 women and 20 men) and 44 anterior cruciate ligament-injured cases (23 women and 21 men) were measured using magnetic resonance images and 3-d image reconstruction using commercial software Analyze 9.0. We hypothesized that the Individuals with a small tibial eminence are at increased risk of suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury compared with those with larger tibial eminences. Based on t-tests, we established that the uninjured controls had larger tibial eminences (p<0.05) compared with the injured cases. Biomechanically speaking a larger tibial eminence could prevent excessive medio-lateral movement of femur with respect to the tibia. A larger eminence could also protect the knee from large magnitude rotational movements. We suggest that future studies are needed to confirm this relationship and to evaluate the potential role of the tibial eminence size in the risk of ACL injury.© 2011 ASME
Diffusion tensor imaging of the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease revisited

Objective To analyze diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in the substantia nigra (SN) using a more consistent region of interest (ROI) defined by neuromelanin-sensitive MRI in order to assess Parkinson's disease (PD) related changes in diffusion characteristics in the SN. Methods T1-weighted and DTI data were obtained in a cohort of 37 subjects (17 control subjects and 20 subjects with PD). The subjects in the PD group were clinically diagnosed PD patients with an average Unified Parkinsonian Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)-III score of 23.2 ± 9.3. DTI data were analyzed using SN ROIs defined by neuromelanin-sensitive MRI and, for comparison, with ROIs defined on T2-weighted images (b = 0 images). Results Compared with control subjects, significantly lower fractional anisotropy was observed in PD in the neuromelanin SN ROI but not in the ROI derived from the T2-weighted image. This decrease was largest in the rostral and lateral portions of the neuromelanin volume, which were found to have more hypointensity in the T2-weighted image and, presumably, higher iron content in the PD group. In addition, a larger decrease in fractional anisotropy was seen in the SN region of interest on the side contralateral to the side exhibiting more severe symptoms. These results indicate that the use of neuromelanin sensitive MRI to define the ROI in the SN for analyzing DTI data leads to more significant results, enhancing the robustness of DTI study and DTI based biomarkers of PD. Hum Brain Mapp, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multilateral transference relationship and therapeutic regression-a case report.

This presentation concerns the multilateral transference relationship, a specific and complex transference configuration that evolved in the psychoanalytic psychotherapy of a woman with a primitive and archaically organized personality disorder.
The post-yield behavior of bone: from nano to macroscopic length scales.

Age-related and osteoporotic bone fractures are a major concern for the health care of elderly and postmenopausal women populations. One of the leading reasons for such fractures is the deteriorated toughness of bone (a measure of bone quality) in addition to loss of bone mass and changes in tissue architectures. Recent evidence has evinced that bone may experience two distinct stages in the post-yield deformation: it begins with acute increases in microdamage accumulation and viscous response (Stage I), and then is dominated by the plastic deformation and saturated viscous response (Stage II). Intriguingly, such a bulk behavior of bone appears to be very similar independent of loading modes (e.g., tension and compression), suggesting that the post-yielding of bone follows a similar mechanism. In addition, internal strains in individual mineral and collagen phases have been found to be different and such a discrepancy increases considerably as bones yield. Moreover, it is shown that hydration plays a significant role in sustaining the toughness of bone, but such effects diminish with aging. In general, elderly bones tend to fail prematurely with very limited permanent (or plastic) deformation compared with the younger bones. Thus, elucidating the underlying mechanics of the post-yield behavior of bone is crucial for understanding the influencing factors to age- and disease-related bone fractures. In this presentation, it is intended to explore the relationship between the bulk and ultrastructural behavior of bone based on the current understanding on this issue reported in the literature and from our own studies. Several aspects will be discussed: 1) Bulk post-yield behavior of bone and its relationship with the ultrastructural response of the tissue using a novel progressive loading protocol; 2) A nanomechanics and probabilistic fracture mechanics based simulation of microdamage accumulation in bone; 3) Evaluation of in situ mechanical behavior of bone using nano techniques; 4) Interfacial behavior between the mineral and collagen phases in bone and its contribution to the post-yield behavior of bone; 5) Several potential pathways affecting the post-yield behavior bone.
Photophysics, Dynamics, and Energy Transfer in Rigid Mimics of GFP-based Systems

Engineering of novel systems capable of efficient energy capture and transfer in a predesigned pathway could potentially boost applications varying from organic photovoltaics to catalytic platforms and have implications for energy sustainability and green chemistry. While light-harvesting properties of different materials have been studied for decades, recently, there has been great progress in the understanding and modeling of short- and long-range energy transfer processes through utilization of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). In this Forum Article, the recent advances in efficient multiple-chromophore coupling in well-defined metal–organic materials through mimicking a protein system possessing near 100% energy transfer are discussed. Utilization of a MOF as an efficient replica of a protein β-barrel to maintain chromophore emission was also demonstrated. Furthermore, we established a novel dependence of a photophysical response on an electronic configuration for chromophores with the benzylidene imid...
A bivalent promoter contributes to stress-induced plasticity of CXCR4 in Ewing sarcoma.

// Melanie A. Krook 1, 2 , Allegra G. Hawkins 1, 2 , Rajiv M. Patel 3 , David R. Lucas 3 , Raelene Van Noord 1, 2 , Rashmi Chugh 4 , Elizabeth R. Lawlor 1, 2, 3 1 Translational Oncology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 2 Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 3 Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 4 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Correspondence to: Elizabeth R. Lawlor, email: elawlor@umich.edu Keywords: CXCR4, epigenetics, plasticity, Ewing sarcoma Received: May 02, 2016 Accepted: July 28, 2016 Published: August 12, 2016 ABSTRACT Tumor heterogeneity is a major impediment to cancer cures. Tumor cell heterogeneity can arise by irreversible genetic mutation, as well as by non-mutational mechanisms, which can be reversibly modulated by the tumor microenvironment and the epigenome. We recently reported that the chemokine receptor CXCR4 is induced in Ewing sarcoma cells in response to microenvironmental stress. In the current study, we investigated plasticity of CXCR4 expression in vivo and assessed whether CXCR4 impacts on tumor growth. Our studies showed that Ewing sarcoma cells convert between CXCR4 negative and CXCR4 positive states in vivo and that positive cells are most abundant adjacent to areas of necrosis. In addition, tumor volumes directly correlated with CXCR4 expression supporting a role for CXCR4 in growth promotion. Mechanistically, our results show that, in ambient conditions where CXCR4 expression is low, the CXCR4 promoter exists in a poised, bivalent state with simultaneous enrichment of both activating (H3K4me3) and repressive (H3K27me3) post-translational histone modifications. In contrast, when exposed to stress, CXCR4 negative cells lose the H3K27me3 mark. This loss of promoter bivalency is associated with CXCR4 upregulation. These studies demonstrate that stress-dependent plasticity of CXCR4 is, in part, mediated by epigenetic plasticity and a bivalent promoter.
Effects of Adolescent Cannabinoid Self-Administration in Rats on Addiction-Related Behaviors and Working Memory.

Use of marijuana (Cannabis sativa) often begins in adolescence, and heavy adolescent marijuana use is often associated with impaired cognitive function in adulthood. However, clinical reports of long-lasting cognitive deficits, particularly in subjects who discontinue use in adulthood, are mixed. Moreover, dissociating innate differences in cognitive function from cannabis-induced deficits is challenging. Therefore, the current study sought to develop a rodent model of adolescent cannabinoid self-administration (SA), using the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 (WIN), in order to assess measures of relapse/reinstatement of drug seeking and long-term effects on cognitive function assessed in a delay-match-to-sample working memory task and a spatial recognition task. Adolescent male rats readily self-administered WIN in 2-h or 6-h sessions/day, but did not demonstrate an escalation of intake with 6-h access. Rats exhibited significant cue-induced reinstatement of WIN seeking that increased with 21 days of abstinence (ie, ‘incubation of craving’). Cognitive testing occurred in adulthood under drug-free conditions. Both 2-h and 6-h adolescent WIN SA groups exhibited significantly better working memory performance in adulthood relative to sucrose SA controls, and performance was associated with altered expression of proteins regulating GABAergic and glutamatergic signaling in the prefrontal cortex. Self-administered WIN did not produce either acute or chronic effects on short-term memory, but experimenter administration of WIN in adolescence, at doses previously reported in the literature, produced acute deficits in short-term memory that recovered with abstinence. Thus, SA of a rewarding cannabinoid in adolescence does not produce long-term cognitive dysfunction.
Right Ventricular Dysfunction as an Echocardiographic Measure of Acute Rejection Following Heart Transplantation in Children

Noninvasive biomarkers of acute allograft rejection (AAR) following orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) are needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of echocardiographic (ECHO) right ventricular (RV) global functional and resistance indices in the detection of AAR. This retrospective chart review included children with biopsy-proven AAR (grade ≥ 2R cellular or CD4 + antibody-mediated rejection) following OHT and an ECHO within 12 h of the biopsy. ECHO measures: (a) ratio of systolic to diastolic duration (S/D), (b) RV myocardial performance index (MPI) and (c) tricuspid regurgitant gradient to RV outflow tract velocity time integral ratio (TRG/VTI), were derived at baseline, during AAR and at two follow-ups. Sixteen patients [56% male, mean (SD) age at OHT 3.5 (4.3) years] had 16 AAR episodes. S/D (1.15 vs. 1.60, p < 0.01), RV MPI (0.19 vs. 0.39, p < 0.01) and TRG/VTI (1.05 vs. 1.7, p = 0.01) deteriorated during AAR and, except for diastolic duration, improved significantly at first follow-up. The negative predictive values for S/D, RV MPI and TRG/VTI at cutoffs of 1.3, 0.31 and 1.3 were 97, 97 and 87%, respectively. RV S/D, MPI and TRG/VTI deteriorated during AAR. Their excellent negative predictive values suggest that their incorporation in surveillance may obviate the need for routine biopsies.