cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth and Epitaxy of Au on TiO2 (110)

The growth of Au on TiO2 (110) has been examined by high resolution fielc emission scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) in combination with electror backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The Au was evaporated under UHV conditions onto stoichiometric TiO2 (110) surfaces in the temperature range from 300 to 475 K. At 300 K and for low coverages ( 1.5 nm), the particles coalesce to form a network, but percolation is absent even aftel deposition of 5 nm Au. Upon annealing or deposition (≥ 5 nm) at 475 K, the particles, appear clearly faceted and are oriented along specific crystallographic directions. EBSE patterns taken from individual particles reveal two equivalent domain orientations rotated by 180° with epitaxial orientation relationships corresponding to (111)Au//(110)TiO and [11¯0] // [001]TiO2 (Orientation I) and [1¯10] // [001]TiO2.(Orientation II)
The impact of street properties on cognitive maps

AbstractThis paper investigates the relationship between street properties and cognitive maps. It is focused on the question of how human cognition of the built environment is affected by street properties. Building on the foundations of Kevin Lynch's studies of environmental perception (Lynch 1960) and recent configuration measurement techniques of the built environment, it addresses an important question that Lynch has left unresolved: Why do people have more complete recollections of some parts of the urban environment, and not others?This paper proposes an analytical measurement framework based on graph theory to compare the results of cognitive maps with objective spatial properties of the corresponding built environment. In order to test our hypothesis, street geometry is measured and defined based on graph theory in two selected areas with similar geometries in Kenmore, Boston and Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA. Cognitive maps are then collected based on specifically designed map drawing surveys. Final...
Acromioclavicular joint reconstruction using a tendon graft: a biomechanical study comparing a novel "sutured throughout" tendon graft to a standard tendon graft.

Background : With a recurrence rate of over 30%, techniques that offer stronger acromioclavicular (AC) joint reconstruction through increased graft strength may provide longevity. The purpose of our study was to determine the biomechanical strength of a novel tendon graft sutured throughout compared to a native tendon graft in Grade 3 anatomical AC joint reconstruction. Methods : For this in vitro experiment, nine paired (n = 18) embalmed cadaveric AC joints of three males and six females (age 86 years, range 51–94 years) were harvested. Anatomic repair with fresh bovine Achilles tendon grafts without bone block was simulated. Specimens were divided into two groups; with group 1 using grafts with ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) suture ran throughout the entire length. In group 2, reconstruction with only native allografts was performed. The distal scapula and humerus were casted in epoxy compound and mounted on the mechanical testing machine. Tensile tests were performed using a mechanical testing machine at the rate of 50 mm/min. Maximum load and displacement to failure were collected. Results : The average load to failure was significantly higher for group 1 compared to group 2, with mean values of 437.5 N ± 160.7 N and 94.4 N ± 43.6 N, (p = 0.001). The average displacement to failure was not significantly different, with 29.7 mm ± 10.6 mm in group 1 and 25 mm ± 9.1 mm in group 2 (p = 0.25). Conclusion : We conclude that a UHMWPE suture reinforced graft can provide a 3.6 times stronger AC joint reconstruction compared to a native graft.
Outside the Box Teaching Moments: Classroom-Tested Innovations

The 2015 Society for Marketing Advances Teaching Moments sessions offered a wide variety of teaching interventions centered on gaining students’ attention, increasing class participation, using lively student-engaging demonstrations, using props during lecture, using sales technology classroom applications, using social media, and many more. Featured in this article are thumbnail descriptions of 25 teaching innovations presented at the Society for Marketing Advances 2015 Annual Conference. Resources associated with these teaching innovations are available for download at Marketing Education Review’s Web site, www.marketingeducationreview.com or http://salesleadershipcenter.com/marketing-education-review-teaching-moments.
Measurement of the strength and range of adhesion using atomic force microscopy

Abstract Adhesion of nanoscale contacts is important in many applications, including microelectromechanical systems, fibrillar adhesives, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Here, we quantify the properties of the adhesive traction–separation relation between ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) AFM tips and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surfaces using a novel AFM-based method that combines pull-off force measurements and characterization of the 3D geometry of the AFM tip. Three AFM tips with different nanoscale geometries were characterized and used to perform pull-off force measurements. Using the pull-off force data, the measured 3D tip geometries, and an assumed form of the traction–separation relation, specifically the Dugdale or 3-9 Lennard-Jones relations, the range, strength, and work of adhesion of the UNCD–PMMA contact were determined. The assumptions in the analyses were validated via finite element modeling. Both forms of the traction–separation laws result in a work of adhesion of approximately 50 mJ/m 2 and the peak adhesive stress in the Lennard Jones relation is found to be about 50% higher than that obtained for the Dugdale law.
Electrochemical processes in high-temperature aqueous solutions

Publisher Summary Understanding the behavior of high-temperature aqueous solutions represents a new frontier in electrochemical studies that is both technically challenging and technologically important. Interest in this field has increased significantly over the last decade, mainly due to the many important electrochemical processes that take place in high-temperature aqueous environments. Water is the most ubiquitous of solvents and by virtue of its extraordinary physicochemical and transport properties, it forms the medium in which diverse processes occur from biochemistry to geochemistry. However, there is a scarcity of electrochemical studies at temperatures above 100 degree Celsius. This chapter provides a background of the techniques available at elevated temperatures, particularly as related to measurements of pH, and serves as a critical review of their application to electrochemical studies of high-temperature aqueous systems. For reliable high-temperature potentiometric experiments, the measured open circuit potential should be stable and reproducible. For assessing the viability and accuracy of high-temperature potentiometric measurements, reference systems should be used with a known activity of H+ (aq), aH+. A great deal of effort has been expended in recent years to develop a reliable and stable reference electrode suitable for measurements in high-temperature aqueous solutions. Two approaches employed are the use of an internal reference electrode operating within the high-temperature environment, and use of an external reference electrode working at room temperature, but connected to the high-temperature environment. The first approach requires solving the well-known problem of the diffusion potential, whereas the latter involves solving the problems of the thermal-liquid junction and thermoelectric potentials.
CMOS-compatible zero-index metamaterial

We present an on-chip Dirac-cone metamaterial with an impedance-matched zero refractive index at λ = 1550nm. The design is a square array of air holes in 220-nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) which offers compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology.
CHAPTER 3 – Sampling, Aliasing, and Discrete-Time Models

This chapter discusses the basic operation of sampling a time series that converts a time series in continuous time to one in discrete time. This is a necessary step in the preparation of the series for manipulation by a digital computer. When the original series is modeled by a weakly stationary stochastic process, the sampled series will be a weakly stationary process in discrete time, complete with its own spectral representation and power spectrum. The relationship between the spectrum of the continuous-time series and that of the sampled series is quite important, as estimates of the spectrum for the sampled series must be used to estimate the spectrum of the original series. Proper selection of the sampling rate guarantees good agreement between the two spectra, thus, the possibility of forming good estimates of the continuous-time spectrum. Improper selection of the sampling rate introduces the problem of aliasing where the agreement between the two spectra is, to varying degrees, destroyed. The chapter presents the aliasing problem and the means by which it can be avoided. Moreover, the chapter presents a sampling theorem that relates the required rate of sampling to recover all of the information in the time series to bounds on the width of the spectrum.
NMR Structures and Dynamics in a Prohead RNA Loop that Binds Metal Ions

Metal ions are critical for RNA structure and enzymatic activity. We present the structure of an asymmetric RNA loop that binds metal ions and has an essential function in a bacteriophage packaging motor. Prohead RNA is a noncoding RNA that is required for genome packaging activity in phi29-like bacteriophage. The loops in GA1 and phi29 bacteriophage share a conserved adenine that forms a base triple, although the structural context for the base triple differs. NMR relaxation studies and femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy reveal the dynamic behavior of the loop in the metal ion bound and unbound forms. The mechanism of metal ion binding appears to be an induced conformational change between two dynamic ensembles rather than a conformational capture mechanism. These results provide experimental benchmarks for computational models of RNA–metal ion interactions.
The ecotype paradigm: testing the concept in an ecologically divergent grasshopper

Schistocerca lineata is a widely distributed species found throughout North America, which is known to be highly variable and displays high levels of local host plant association, with four known ecotypes. Here, we test the hypothesis that the ecotype designation corresponds to genetic differentiation using molecular and morphological data by studying eight populations representing all ecotypes. Three size-dependent measures and one size-independent measure of morphology were used to evaluate phenotypic differences between populations, but these traits varied too greatly within populations and ecotypes to determine a signal of divergence. A phylogeographic analysis was unable to detect a robust signal of population-level genetic divergence. We provide evidence for a single distinct ecotype with a unique feeding habit that is genetically differentiated from all other ecotypes, suggesting that the other ecotype designations may not represent true evolutionary trajectories. Our work illustrates the need for robust molecular data when attempting to define ecotypes.
Minimization of Macrosegregation Through Jet Erosion of a Continuously Cast Ingot

Recent investigations have suggested important benefits in using a turbulent mixing jet impinging into the molten pool of a continuously cast Al4.5Cu ingot [1]. It was for example demonstrated that such jet can significantly modify the macrosegregation patterns found in large castings. One possible reason put forth for this modification is the ability of the jet to suspend sedimented grains from the ingot centerline. In this study, we propose a model to optimize the re-suspension of grains through the use of an engineered jet. We have recently completed series of full scale experiments using a variety of jet powers for Al4.5Cu ingots. In this study we completed a blind study of a new alloy (AA3104) cast under different conditions in order to validate the robustness of our model. Results confirm the potential of a turbulent jet to mitigate the degree of centerline segregation in DC cast products for a relatively broad range of alloys.
Physical activity and telomere length: Impact of aging and potential mechanisms of action

Telomeres protect the integrity of information-carrying DNA by serving as caps on the terminal portions of chromosomes. Telomere length decreases with aging, and this contributes to cell senescence. Recent evidence supports that telomere length of leukocytes and skeletal muscle cells may be positively associated with healthy living and inversely correlated with the risk of several age-related diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, chronic pain, and stress. In observational studies, higher levels of physical activity or exercise are related to longer telomere lengths in various populations, and athletes tend to have longer telomere lengths than non-athletes. This relationship is particularly evident in older individuals, suggesting a role of physical activity in combating the typical age-induced decrements in telomere length. To date, a small number of exercise interventions have been executed to examine the potential influence of chronic exercise on telomere length, but these studies have not fully established such relationship. Several potential mechanisms through which physical activity or exercise could affect telomere length are discussed, including changes in telomerase activity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and decreased skeletal muscle satellite cell content. Future research is needed to mechanistically examine the effects of various modalities of exercise on telomere length in middle-aged and older adults, as well as in specific clinical populations.
Adult immunization improvement in an underserved family medicine practice

Objective Vaccines prevent many cases of infectious disease, yet immunization campaigns are hindered by various barriers. This work presents the results of a quality improvement project addressing barriers to vaccine compliance in an underserved teaching practice by reducing missed opportunities and increasing provider and patient compliance rates for pneumococcal, Tdap, influenza, and zoster vaccines in adults. Methods The study intervention aimed to address patient knowledge, provider knowledge and skills, proactive care coordination, and outreach and counselling of high-risk groups. Aggregate patient data from intervention at year-end were compared to the prior year. Outcome targets were as follows: improved vaccination rates by one-half of the difference between baseline and Healthy People 2020 goals; reduced patient refusals by 10%; and reduced missed opportunities by 50%. Results All of the vaccination rates improved, but with mixed results regarding the target outcomes. The rates of vaccine refusal were mixed in terms of the direction of the change, the significance, and achieving targets. Missed opportunities all improved, but the significance was mixed and none reached targets. Conclusion This project has helped to identify patient and provider knowledge of vaccination as a key to increasing compliance, and missed opportunities as the greatest challenge in achieving targets. The burden of documentation is significant on providers, and future work should focus on methods to improve the ease of documentation. Clinical outcomes and improvements were encouraging; however, it is clear that there remain challenges to reaching Healthy People 2020 goals within the study population and nationally.
Permissivity of Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Orthologs to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Is Governed by Glycosylation and Other Complex Determinants

ABSTRACT Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) utilizes dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) as an entry receptor. While bat, camel, and human DPP4 support MERS-CoV infection, several DPP4 orthologs, including mouse, ferret, hamster, and guinea pig DPP4, do not. Previous work revealed that glycosylation of mouse DPP4 plays a role in blocking MERS-CoV infection. Here, we tested whether glycosylation also acts as a determinant of permissivity for ferret, hamster, and guinea pig DPP4. We found that, while glycosylation plays an important role in these orthologs, additional sequence and structural determinants impact their ability to act as functional receptors for MERS-CoV. These results provide insight into DPP4 species-specific differences impacting MERS-CoV host range and better inform our understanding of virus-receptor interactions associated with disease emergence and host susceptibility. IMPORTANCE MERS-CoV is a recently emerged zoonotic virus that is still circulating in the human population with an ∼35% mortality rate. With no available vaccines or therapeutics, the study of MERS-CoV pathogenesis is crucial for its control and prevention. However, in vivo studies are limited because MERS-CoV cannot infect wild-type mice due to incompatibilities between the virus spike and the mouse host cell receptor, mouse DPP4 (mDPP4). Specifically, mDPP4 has a nonconserved glycosylation site that acts as a barrier to MERS-CoV infection. Thus, one mouse model strategy has been to modify the mouse genome to remove this glycosylation site. Here, we investigated whether glycosylation acts as a barrier to infection for other nonpermissive small-animal species, namely, ferret, guinea pig, and hamster. Understanding the virus-receptor interactions for these DPP4 orthologs will help in the development of additional animal models while also revealing species-specific differences impacting MERS-CoV host range.
T1 high-grade bladder cancer recurring after BCG therapy: radical cystectomy is still the best approach. Pro.

There will always be patients who are either not surgical candidates or who refuse radical cystectomy, but in all other cases radical extirpative surgery should be the preferred management for patients with HGT1 disease who fail to respond to intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy.
Slavery in Acts of Thomas

The central figure of Acts of Thomas is the doubly enslaved apostle Thomas, metaphorically enslaved to his kyrios Christ, literally sold into slavery in a foreign land. As a result, the work returns frequently and explicitly to the theme of slavery, sustaining attention to the uneasy relationship between theological trope of slavery and lived realities and power relations of slavery. Caught between metaphor and critique, the narrative of Acts of Thomas assumes the inevitability of slavery, a tension epitomizing the representation of slavery in Christian writings of the era - slavery figured as metaphor to characterize relationship between believer and kyrios, slavery recognized as incongruent with the gospel of freedom, but nonetheless conceded as natural structure of the world.
A platform for evaluator-centric cybersecurity training and data acquisition

Empirical-based models for security technologies in the commercial and military domain, including those that focus on protection, detection, and broader risk analysis, leverage data captured from sensors on network-connected devices including gateways, routers, and host nodes. Lacking, however, are datasets that contain specific state observations and actions from the evaluator (red/blue teammer) workstation; we call this the inside-view. This is largely due to issues associated with data ownership, data classification, and the lack of integrated evaluator-centric data-collection mechanisms. To enable and promote creation of open datasets that capture the inside-view, we introduce a scalable platform that consists of two main elements. First, the emulation sandbox, or EmuBox, is an open-source and portable (i.e., it can execute on a laptop) solution for creating small-to medium-sized heterogeneous scenarios for evaluators to set up practice environments and competitions and to hone their skills. Second, the evaluatorcentric and extensible logger, ECEL, is a centralized management system that uses plugins for capturing and formatting evaluator data. We conclude the paper by providing a case study to demonstrate the setup and configuration of the platform along with a performance analysis.
Encoding of Articulatory Kinematic Trajectories in Human Speech Sensorimotor Cortex

When speaking, we dynamically coordinate movements of our jaw, tongue, lips, and larynx. To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying articulation, we used direct cortical recordings from human sensorimotor cortex while participants spoke natural sentences that included sounds spanning the entire English phonetic inventory. We used deep neural networks to infer speakers' articulator movements from produced speech acoustics. Individual electrodes encoded a diversity of articulatory kinematic trajectories (AKTs), each revealing coordinated articulator movements toward specific vocal tract shapes. AKTs captured a wide range of movement types, yet they could be differentiated by the place of vocal tract constriction. Additionally, AKTs manifested out-and-back trajectories with harmonic oscillator dynamics. While AKTs were functionally stereotyped across different sentences, context-dependent encoding of preceding and following movements during production of the same phoneme demonstrated the cortical representation of coarticulation. Articulatory movements encoded in sensorimotor cortex give rise to the complex kinematics underlying continuous speech production. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
Robust Performance in Algebra: The Role of the Problem Representation

This chapter discusses general cognitive science techniques for modeling complex human behavior. It proposes an experimental test of the model by using it to design instruction. The chapter addresses only the symbol system of algebra—understanding and manipulating expressions and equations that include symbols for variables. It explains cognitive modeling techniques to develop a simple model of competent performance in algebra. The chapter considers typical errors made by people who do not perform competently and argues that a model which can produce such errors must be radically different in important ways from the competent model. The central technique of cognitive science is modeling problem-solving behavior in the following way: A problem is considered as a data structure that includes whatever information is available about the problem. The chapter proposes a strong hypothesis the nature of at least some learners' difficulties in applying algebra with understanding and reliability.
Pharmacokinetics and endometrial tissue levels of progesterone after administration by intramuscular and vaginal routes: a comparative study

Objective To determine pharmacokinetic and endometrial effects of vaginally delivered micronized P. Design Functionally agonadal estrogen-replacement recipients received either micronized P administered vaginally or bi-daily IM injections of P. Hourly blood samples were obtained, from baseline to 6 hours after the initial dose of P and again on simulated cycle day 21 when transvaginal ultrasound (US) measurements and tissue samples of the endometrium were performed. Blood and tissue samples were assayed for P. Endometrial histology, estrogen receptor (ER) and P receptor (PR) contents were evaluated. Setting University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. Participants Twenty functionally agonadal and four normally ovulating women. Main Outcome Measure Delivery differences were assessed by [1] endometrial P concentrations; [2] USs; [3] histologic datings; [4] ER and PR contents, and [5] serum P levels. Results Endometrial P concentrations were higher with vaginally administered P than endometrial concentrations observed in normal ovulatory women or women who consistently had the highest serum P after IM administration (11.50 ± 2.60 versus 1.40 ± 0.40 versus 0.30 ± 0.10 ng/mg protein [36.56 ± 8.27 versus 4.45 ± 1.27 versus 0.95 ± 0.32 nmol/L], respectively). After 7 days of P, no differences between either treatment regimen and control groups were detected by histologic, ultrasonographic, or immunocytochemical receptor analyses. Conclusion Vaginal micronized P enhances P delivery to the uterus compared with a standard IM regimen and results in a synchronous secretory endometrial histology in agonadal women preparing for embryo donation.
Introduction of Design Cognition

Design is the human conception and planning of virtually everything in the world. All man-made design has as its fundamental essence that everything is driven by certain intentions and is accomplished by a series of actions to generate results. Design is process, artifact, and discipline. As explained in the American Heritage dictionary, to design, seen from the action point of view, is: (1) to conceive or fashion in the mind, invent; (2) to have as a goal or purpose, intend; and (3) to create or contrive for a particular purpose or effect. Synthesizing these definitions into an integrated conceptual framework, design can be described as to conceive a purpose, contrive a goal, and formulate a plan for a purposeful intention in the mind. On the other hand, design seen from the perspective of an entity, is: (1) a drawing or sketch; (2) a graphic representation; (3) a particular plan or method; (4) a reasoned purpose; or (5) a deliberate intention (American Heritage Dictionary 2013). Here, a purpose and an intention are both treated as entities, for they are the products of creative actions. Thus, design is a created object, a generated method, a developed purpose, or a conceived intention for everyday routines conducted through mental efforts. Design should be recognized as an essential part of human life—in fact, a critical component of human intelligence—and, as such, deserves critical discourse.
Reduced Bar Constructions on deRham Complexes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the reduced bar construction functorially on a deRham complex in a suitable way so that it may be paired with the cobar construction of a smooth chain complex. The associated Eilenberg–Moore spectral sequence of the reduced bar construction converges to the loop space cohomology in the simply connected case. Under reasonable conditions, the induced pairing for the Eilenberg–Moore spectral sequences are nondegenerate. The bar construction was originally used for chain complexes. This chapter also highlights a relation between Sullivan's minimal models and the reduced bar construction.
Scoring the SCI

Since all the items are dichotomous and so worded that a mark of “Y” (YES) by the examiner indicates a judgment of psychopathology, the scorer need only concern himself with those items marked “Y.” The scorer should first count the number of items for which the response, “Y,” is checked in the examination booklet. This total should be entered in the corresponding box in the lower right-hand corner of the Scoring Sheet. He should next find and cross out on the Scoring Sheet the number corresponding to each of the items for which “Y” is checked in the examination booklet. He should then count the crossed-out numbers in each column (Subtest) of the Scoring Sheet and enter the sum in the appropriate box at the bottom. A check is performed by adding the subtest sums across the bottom to see if they agree with the total previously entered in the lower right-hand corner. Finally, the sum for each subtest should be transferred to the Profile Sheet on the line marked “Raw Score.”
Language Policies in American Education.

This paper outlines the historical evolution of language policies in American education. It traces the multilingual history of the United States, citing several cases where children were taught in ...
Investigating the sensitivity of the WRF-Chem horizontal grid spacing on PM10 concentration during 2012 over West Africa

Abstract West Africa is influenced by northeasterly winds flowing from the Sahara Desert, which transports large quantities of dust into the Sahel by discrete episodic dust events during winter and spring seasons. We investigate the role of horizontal grid spacing in simulating the Particulate Matter with a mass median diameter of less than 10 μm ( P M 10 ) concentrations over West Africa during January through March of 2012 with horizontal grid spacings of 18, 50 and 100 km using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with GOCART (WRF-CHEM). The results are compared to the ground measurements of P M 10 in Dakar, Senegal and three AMMA transect sites in Senegal, Mali, and Niger. In general, the 50 km simulations produced the smallest biases in P M 10 concentrations, while the largest negative biases are found for 100 km grid spacing during the period especially for Bodele sources. Further, the largest negative biases are found for the eastern Sahel region in Niger at Banizoumbou. We suggest that forecasts or long-term simulations of dust should occur at grid spacing less than 100 km.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Bioprosthetic Aortic Stenosis in Pregnancy.

A 33-year-old woman with prior bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR) with a 21-mm Carpentier Edwards Magna valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California) developed progressively symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) during pregnancy ([Figures 1A and 1B][1]). She was referred to our clinic for
A Survey of Software Metric Use in Research Software Development

Background: Breakthroughs in research increasingly depend on complex software libraries, tools, and applications aimed at supporting specific science, engineering, business, or humanities disciplines. The complexity and criticality of this software motivate the need for ensuring quality and reliability. Software metrics are a key tool for assessing, measuring, and understanding software quality and reliability. Aims: The goal of this work is to better understand how research software developers use traditional software engineering concepts, like metrics, to support and evaluate both the software and the software development process. One key aspect of this goal is to identify how the set of metrics relevant to research software corresponds to the metrics commonly used in traditional software engineering. Method: We surveyed research software developers to gather information about their knowledge and use of code metrics and software process metrics. We also analyzed the influence of demographics (project size, development role, and development stage) on these metrics. Results: The survey results, from 129 respondents, indicate that respondents have a general knowledge of metrics. However, their knowledge of specific SE metrics is lacking, their use even more limited. The most used metrics relate to performance and testing. Even though code complexity often poses a significant challenge to research software development, respondents did not indicate much use of code metrics. Conclusions: Research software developers appear to be interested and see some value in software metrics but may be encountering roadblocks when trying to use them. Further study is needed to determine the extent to which these metrics could provide value in continuous process improvement.
Utilizing Natural Language Processing (NLP) to Evaluate Engagement in Project-Based Learning

In a time of rapid development, 21st century learning emphasizes innovative thinking and making. This has heightened interest in STEAM subjects and its implementation in traditional classrooms through project-based learning (PBL). However, assessment is difficult for open-ended, PBL activities. This work-in-progress study utilizes natural language processing (NLP) tools to analyze content produced in a middle-school media arts classroom. The authors examine student engagement and excitement along dimensions of tone and authenticity. We discuss the results of NLP vis-a-vis feedback that 1) determines student engagement and excitement and 2) improves the implementation and display of project-based learning in traditional classrooms.
Chapter 20 – Nonarray Methods for Global Analysis of Gene Expression

The exquisite orchestration of gene expression at the transcriptional level and beyond is responsible for the differentiation of cells and tissues and, ultimately, for conferring the phenotype of the organism. The phenotype of cells is ultimately governed by the modulation of gene expression; it is logical to focus on the mRNA population of a cell and how the complexity and composition of that population changes in response to experimental challenge, compared to control or baseline conditions. Two types of methods are used to understand the biochemical changes that occur within a cell, namely, subtractive methods (suppression subtractive hybridization) and nonsubtractive methods (mRNA differential display). The overall efficiency of subtractive methods depends on maintaining high stringency conditions while favoring efficient forward hybridization kinetics, both of which are dependent upon salt concentration, hybridization temperature, hybridization time, and the presence of excess driver throughout, whereas the strategy of nonsubtractive methods for gene expression profiling is more about selective amplification rather than subtraction. Regardless of the method utilized, there are terms and concepts common to all approaches that must be clearly understood. The tester is the cDNA population containing induced sequences that are to be sequestered. The driver is the control or reference population of cDNA sequences against which the tester is being compared. During the subtraction hybridization, the driver is always present in a large molar excess over the tester. This will ensure first-order hybridization kinetics, resulting in complete hybridization and concomitant removal of all sequences common to both populations. These methods are contemporary examples of whole-transcriptome approaches.
Lack of Relationship between Central Corneal Thickness and Papilloedema in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Translaminar pressure gradient abnormalities have been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of glaucoma. A "reversed" translaminar pressure gradient may be related to papilloedema severity in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Central corneal thickness is related to intraocular pressure measurements and, by extension, to translaminar pressure gradients. We evaluated if central corneal thickness could be a marker of worse papilloedema due to altered translaminar pressure gradients in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. We found that central corneal thickness was not related to the severity of papilloedema in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
Regulating E-Cigarettes: Why Policies Diverge

This paper, part of a festschrift in honor of Professor Malcolm Feeley, explores the landscape of e-cigarette policy globally by looking at three jurisdictions that have taken starkly different approaches to regulating e-cigarettes—the US, Japan, and China. Each of those countries has a robust tobacco industry, government agencies entrusted with protecting public health, an active and sophisticated scientific and medical community, and a regulatory structure for managing new pharmaceutical, tobacco, and consumer products. All three are signatories of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, all are signatories of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, and all are members of the World Trade Organization. Which legal, economic, social and political differences between the three countries explain their diverse approaches to regulating e-cigarettes? Why have they embraced such dramatically different postures toward e-cigarettes? In seeking to answer those questions, the paper builds on Feeley's legacy of comparative scholarship, policy analysis, and focus on law in action.
Resolution in §201 of the Philosophical Investigations

It is widely thought that, in §201 of the Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein reveals himself to oppose a definite view or theory of rule-following. I argue that, due to the self-undermining...
A license to pollute? Opportunities, incentives, and influences on oil and gas venting and flaring in Texas

Abstract While overall air pollution has steadily decreased in the United States since the 1970s, air pollution from the oil and gas extraction industry has dramatically increased rural population's exposure to toxic air emissions since the fracking boom. Venting (i.e., releasing or leaking natural gas into the atmosphere) and flaring (i.e., burning extracted natural gas) by the oil and gas extraction industry is the largest industrial source of volatile organic compounds. Despite the critical role the oil and gas industry plays in contributing to global climate change, quantitative disproportionality research has yet to explain pollution disparities within the oil and gas extraction industry. Using a sample of 126,862 producing oil and gas extraction facilities and the 4608 companies that directly operate them, I analyze how venting and flaring is related to the characteristics of facilities, operators, and the political environment in which they are embedded. I find that venting and flaring is not a uniform practice of all oil and gas extraction facilities. A two-part hurdle regression model shows venting and flaring practices are consistently associated with facilities with new drilling, few nearby wells, large operator oil production, violations, permitting, and the portion of the surrounding community that is Hispanic. Findings suggest economic incentives and state policy are key factors contributing to the environmental decisions of organizations. I suggest political will be applied to enact policy to reduce the pollution and waste caused by venting and flaring.
Impact of the coarse aggregate shape parameters on compaction characteristics of asphalt mixtures

Abstract In this study, the effect of coarse aggregate shape characteristics on the compactability and microstructural properties of asphalt mixtures was virtually investigated using a discreet element method (DEM). Results reveal there is a statistically significant correlation between coarse aggregate flatness, elongation, roundness, and sphericity as shape descriptors and initial asphalt mixture density, as a compaction parameter. Analyses indicate that among all particle shape descriptors, only roundness and regularity had a statistically significant relation with compaction slope, and as the amount of roundness and regularity increase, the compaction slope decreases. Additionally, flatness and elongation values >0.75 result in lower average coordination number values compared to those values
Modeling Clam-inspired Burrowing in Dry Sand using Cavity Expansion Theory and DEM

The Atlantic razor clam exhibits exceptional penetration performance in wet sands by periodically expanding and contracting its shell and foot during burrowing. Essentially, this periodic penetration movement can be simplified as a cyclic alternation of cylinder expansion and cone penetration, which are analogous to the geotechnical pressuremeter test and the cone penetration test. The dynamic penetration movement of the razor clam was simplified as four major connective steps—cylinder expansion, cone penetration, cylinder contraction, and cylinder retraction—and the kinematics was parameterized based on the biological data. Using a simplified and idealized synthetic dry sand sample, we attempted to model the clam-inspired penetration process using two common geomechanics tools, an analytical model based on cavity expansion theory and a numerical discrete element method (DEM), and to showcase the advantages and limitations of these two approaches in the dynamic penetration modeling. In the analytical model, the four consecutive steps were assumed to be independent. The penetration resistance and energy consumption for each step were therefore roughly estimated using cavity expansion theory; in parallel, the independent cylinder expansion and cone penetration process as well as the clam-inspired coupled dynamic penetration process were also modeled using the DEM method. When the results were compared, it was found that the adopted cavity expansion theory solutions can predict the independent cylinder expansion and cone penetration behaviors, given that the parameters were carefully chosen and calibrated. However, it cannot capture the interference effect in a coupled dynamic penetration process. Specifically, the analytical model overestimates the cone penetration resistance of the coupled dynamic penetration process; the cylindrical shaft expansion causes stress release around the cone, leading to a reduction in the tip resistance as the cone continues to penetrate. The analytical model also underestimates the expansion pressure in the dynamic penetration process, which is attributed to the change in stress and fabric state caused by the cyclic expansion/contraction movement. Moreover, the clam-inspired dynamic penetration was found to reduce the energetic cost on the penetration of cone and shaft for about 36% and still maintain a slightly lower energy consumption with additional cost on the cyclic shaft expansion, compared with the pure cone penetration strategy. With a better future understanding of the highly effective and efficient self-burrowing behavior of natural burrowers, it is envisioned to develop self-burrowing robots for a spectrum of geotechnical applications.
The Effect of Pain Catastrophizing on Endogenous Inhibition of Pain and Spinal Nociception in Native Americans: Results From the Oklahoma Study of Native American Pain Risk

BACKGROUND Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is a task that involves measuring pain in response to a test stimulus before and during a painful conditioning stimulus (CS). The CS pain typically inhibits pain elicited by the test stimulus; thus, this task is used to assess endogenous pain inhibition. Moreover, less efficient CPM-related inhibition is associated with chronic pain risk. Pain catastrophizing is a cognitive-emotional process associated with negative pain sequelae, and some studies have found that catastrophizing reduces CPM efficiency. PURPOSE The current study examined the relationship between catastrophizing (dispositional and situation specific) and CPM-related inhibition of pain and the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR; a marker of spinal nociception) to determine whether the catastrophizing-CPM relationship might contribute to the higher risk of chronic pain in Native Americans (NAs). METHODS CPM of pain and NFR was assessed in 124 NAs and 129 non-Hispanic Whites. Dispositional catastrophizing was assessed at the beginning of the test day, whereas situation-specific catastrophizing was assessed in response to the CS, as well as painful electric stimuli. RESULTS Situation-specific, but not dispositional, catastrophizing led to less NFR inhibition but more pain inhibition. These effects were not moderated by race, but mediation analyses found that: (a) the NA race was associated with greater situation-specific catastrophizing, which led to less NFR inhibition and more pain inhibition, and (b) situation-specific catastrophizing was associated with greater CS pain, which led to more pain inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Catastrophizing may contribute to NA pain risk by disrupting descending inhibition.
Evaluating implications of flood vulnerability factors with respect to income levels for building long-term disaster resilience of low-income communities

Abstract Communities residing in hazard-prone zones are more frequently affected by natural disasters and generally tend to bear higher losses than other communities. General factors such as sensitivity and adaptive capacity to a natural event determine the vulnerability of the communities. Several studies in this research area have claimed that both economic and socio-demographic factors are significant indicators of vulnerability and adaptive capacity. However, the possibility of a correlation between these two has not been thoroughly explored. In this study, we aimed to establish a method to identify the correlation of various vulnerability factors to the economic factor in a particular geographical location based on census data and historical flood hazard information. All factors of vulnerability do not affect all communities equally, and therefore it is necessary to devise a method that can be used to identify those factors of vulnerability that are specific to a community. This study was conducted for the low-income community as income has already been established as a significant indicator of adaptive capacity, responsible for reducing the resiliency of a community while responding to a natural disaster. Through the method proposed in the study, not only the factors specific to an area that renders the lower-income communities more vulnerable can be identified, but also the vulnerability scores of the communities can be analyzed to identify the most dominant factors. Thus, this method is expected to help in providing a direction to planning for risk management and development towards building long-term disaster resilience.
Mobile Fiducial-Based Collaborative Localization and Mapping (CLAM)

While simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) has been a major focus of robotics research over the last several decades, most would consider the SLAM problem to be “mostly solved” pending certain environmental conditions exist. The focus of the current paper is to illustrate a possible solution to localization and mapping when the environment in question is ill-posed (i.e., lacks significant features and/or landmarks for localization). The approach (dubbed collaborative localization and mapping - CLAM) is based on a multi-vehicle team performing in a collaborative manner to leap-frog one another within the environment. Differing from most vision-based localization and mapping approaches that rely on either environmental features or physically placed fiducial markers for correspondences CLAM eliminates such environmental dependency by incorporating a visual fiducial system on-board the vehicles themselves. In addition to providing a means for localization and mapping in ill-posed environments, the proposed approach enables the functionality of exchangeable range sensing for mapping purposes. Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed approach in two different environments using two different mapping sensors.