cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variable Universe Double Fuzzy Control for Huge Elastic Loaded Servo System

To address the impact and chattering problem when huge elastic load is running at a low speed, a load torque based variable universe double fuzzy control method is proposed. Consider the hydraulic servo system, a load force is used to solve the impact problem when the system is changing its' velocity direction. Since the load force will change along with the displacement and the spring stiffness, a variable universe double fuzzy control scheme is proposed. Load force is applied to form the first fuzzy controller, which is aim to change the universe stretch and retraction factor. Traditional fuzzy proportion, integration, differentiation(PID) is used to adjust the PID parameter according to the feedback errors. A more suitable elastic load controller is then formed by combining these two fuzzy controllers. Simulations and experiments show that the proposed controller has the ability to address the impact and chattering problem with respect to huge elastic load while a better performance is maintained.
Muscular Fatigue and the Learning and Performance of a Motor Control Task

Four groups of 12 female college students performed a pursuit-rotor task during learning under one of four conditions of exercising the muscles of the limb used in the task: (a) no muscular exercise, (b) low-fatiguing, (c) medium-fatiguing, and (d) high-fatiguing muscular exercise. All four groups were tested 48 hr later on the same pursuit-rotor task with no exercise interpolated between the ten 20-sec trials. Differences in the performances among the four groups were not statistically significant on either the first or the second day alone or when the data of the two days were combined. The data appear to support the hypothesis of an inverted-U or inverted-J model relating performance (and learning) to muscular fatigue in motor-control tasks.
Potential toxic effects of superselective injection of amobarbital sodium on microvasculature: a study in an animal model.

PURPOSE To determine whether microvascular damage occurs from superselective intraarterial injection of amobarbital sodium using the swine endovascular embolization model. METHODS Thirty-four swine underwent percutaneous femoral puncture for superselective catheterization of the proximal artery of the rete. Varying concentrations of amobarbital sodium were prepared (12.5 to 100 mg/mL solution) in either normal saline or sterile water (105 mOsm/L to 1138 mOsm/L) of which one concentration was infused slowly into one ipsilateral rete. Control infusions were also performed. Histopathologic changes were evaluated at 30 minutes and 10 days after infusion, using standard light and electron microscopy techniques. RESULTS Moderate vasospasm occurred only in three swine at 100 mg/mL amobarbital sodium in normal saline. Light microscopy showed no significant histologic changes in the retia at any of the tested concentrations of amobarbital sodium. Electron microscopy showed ultrastructural alterations in the intima only at the higher amobarbital sodium concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Concerns for inducing significant damage to cerebral microvasculature by superselective injection of amobarbital sodium at the usually recommended concentrations and doses are probably not justified.
Study on the Treatment Technology of Oilfield Produced Water

The utilization of oilfield produced water after the treatment has been an important way to save water resource and reduce environmental pollution.Some discussions are conducted on the characteristics of oilfield produced water,treatment ways,technologies and processes and various kinds of treatment technologies are compared and analyzed.The treatment results directly affect the natural and ecological environment,human health and sustainable development of economy.The society pays key attention to the treatment for wastewater and it is still a difficult problem to be resolved.
Positive stabilization of linear continuous-time singular systems

This paper considers the problem of positive stabilization of linear continuous-time singular systems by state feedback. First, necessary and sufficient conditions for a singular system to be admissible (stable, regular, and impulse-free) are given in terms of LMI. Based on this result, the state feedback admissibility problem is solved without positivity constraints. Then, it is shown that the LMI based stabilization results of singular systems can conveniently be combined with positivity constraints to establish positive stabilization of general singular systems. We also show that the well-known positive stabilization technique based on LMI for conventional linear systems can be applied to singular systems represented by its standard decomposition form. Numerical examples are provided to support the theoretical results.
Nanoparticles for Ultrasound-Guided Imaging of Cell Implantation

Regenerative medicine uses stem cells to repair damaged tissue. Imaging plays a key role in this process because imaging can reveal the location of cells and how they are interacting with the surrounding tissue. Ultrasound imaging is particularly powerful because it offers excellent temporal and spatial resolution and is ubiquitously present at low cost. Here, we explain different types of ultrasound imaging in tandem with stem cell therapy. The two main classes are direct imaging that labels a stem cell with an exogenous contrast agent and indirect imaging in which a reporter gene expresses a protein that can then be targeted with a contrast agent as substrate. We also describe photoacoustic imaging as one of the latest techniques for increasing acoustic contrast in imaging. Finally, we close with some perspectives on growth and needs in the field.
Studying preservice teacher math anxiety and mathematics performance in geometry, word, and non-word problem solving

Abstract Research shows that mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement present a challenge for many educators, particularly elementary school teachers who usually have lower mathematics content knowledge and higher math anxiety levels than average college students. This study investigated education majors' cognitive abilities and mathematics perceptions that affect their mathematics performance in geometry, word problem-solving, and non-word problem-solving. We examined relationships between mathematics problem-solving and math anxiety in each of the three mathematical domains as a function of working memory (WM), spatial ability, and attitudes toward learning mathematics. Math anxiety, WM, and spatial ability explained 62% of the variance in student overall mathematics performance with math anxiety being the highest (negative) predictor. Although relationships between math anxiety and mathematics performance varied by mathematical domain, the negative effects of math anxiety were equally detrimental in each of the three mathematical domains, even after controlling for the effects of WM performance and spatial ability.
Multizone Adaptive Grid Generation Technique for Multilayer Multistep Process Simulation

A multizone adaptive grid generation technique is developed and used with a curvilinear finite-volume approach to simulate multistep IC processes on non-planar multilayer structures with moving boundaries. The capabilities of the numerical scheme is demonstrated by simulating silicon oxidation and impurity diffusion in trench structures with corner angles equal to, and greater than 90°.
Levels of plasma and fecal glucocorticoid metabolites following an ACTH challenge in male and female coyotes ( Canis latrans )

Knowledge of endocrine stress responses can be advantageous for understanding how animals respond to their environment. One tool in wildlife endocrinology is to measure the adrenocortical activity as a parameter of disturbance of animals. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (GCMs) provide a noninvasive assessment of adrenocortical activity. Using an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge administered to 28 captive coyotes (Canis latrans), we measured the levels of plasma cortisol, and fecal cortisol and corticosterone metabolites (i.e., GCMs). Our goal was to determine the dose-response in the plasma and fecal samples following the injection and determine if there were effects of sex, age, and time of day. Specifically, animals were anesthetized for ~ 90 min with treatment animals intravenously injected with exogenous ACTH and control animals receiving saline. We collected blood samples prior to injection and at 4 different time points post-injection. We also collected fecal samples 2 days pre- and 2 days post-injection to measure fecal GCMs and determine if an endocrine stress response could be detected in fecal samples. We found a definite response in cortisol levels in the plasma for coyotes to the ACTH challenge. There was a response in fecal corticosterone 1 day post-injection, but the control males showed a similar response indicating a handling effect. Fecal cortisol levels did not indicate a response to the ACTH challenge, and were significantly lower than corticosterone concentrations. We also found significant sex, but not age or diurnal, differences in fecal GCMs. Radioimmunoassays for fecal corticosterone levels appeared to be a reliable indicator of physiological stress in coyotes.
Summary and Vision for the Future

This chapter creates a vision for future child welfare practice by summarizing the innovations and trauma-informed strategies that child welfare agencies can enact to create a trauma-responsive culture and better meet their goals in the areas of safety, permanency, and well-being. A synthesis of recommendations, challenges and successes achieved by innovators in the field are offered as a means of stimulating application, field trials, and local adaptations. Key strategies in the areas of cross-system collaboration, attendance to new legislative mandates, and a willingness to attend to the parallel process of workforce development and child protection so that trauma exposed workers can effectively manage their work are presented. Additionally, this chapter identifies a number of current or emerging issues that still need to be addressed in a meaningful way – how to establish physical and psychological safety in the child welfare workforce, preventing, and responding to secondary traumatic stress, ways to sustain trauma responsive programming and innovations, incorporating cultural and linguistic competencies into child welfare practice, and meeting the urgent need of trafficking victims.
Improved mapping of forest type using spectral-temporal Landsat features

Abstract Multi-spectral imagery from the Landsat family of satellites has been used to map forest properties for decades, but accurate forest type characterizations at a 30-m Landsat resolution have remained an ongoing challenge, especially over large areas. We combined existing Landsat time series algorithms to quantify both harmonic and phenological metrics in a new set of spectral-temporal features that can be produced seamlessly across many Landsat scenes. Harmonic metrics characterize mean annual reflectance and seasonal variability, while phenological metrics quantify the timing of seasonal events. We assessed the performance of spectral-temporal features derived from time series of all available observations (1985–2015) relative to more conventional single date and multi-date inputs. Performance was determined based on agreement with a reference dataset for eight New England forest types at both the pixel and polygon scale. We found that spectral-temporal features consistently and significantly (paired t-test, p ≪ 0.01) outperformed all feature sets derived from individual images and multi-date combinations in all measures of agreement considered. Harmonic features, such as annual amplitude and model fit error, aid in distinguishing deciduous hardwoods from conifer species, while phenology features, like the timing of autumn onset and growing season length, were useful in separating hardwood classes. This study represents an important step toward large-scale forest type mapping using spectral-temporal Landsat features by providing a quantitative assessment of the advantages of harmonic and phenology features derived from time series of Landsat data as compared with more conventional single-date and multi-date classification inputs.
Wakes behind surface-mounted obstacles: Impact of aspect ratio, incident angle, and surface roughness

The dependence of the wake strength behind a windbreak is experimentally investigated as a function of several relevant parameters. A semiempirical model for lateral wake deflection is formulated and found to compare well with experimental data.
Development of the Retina

Appreciating the mechanisms responsible for normal retinal development is critical to understanding disease processes affecting the pediatric retina. Remarkably, the retina develops over a relatively long period of time beginning from the early gestational period through the first years of life. Consider, for example, that the human macula, which although first evident at a gestational age of 11 weeks, is still very immature even at birth [1]. The relative long window of retinal development is a vulnerability leaving this intricate tissue susceptible to specific genetic and environmental insults over an extended period. Furthermore, many of the central concepts in developmental biology were first discovered, and continue to be uncovered by studies of retinal development in various systems ranging from drosophila to man. Thus, the study of retinal development continues to provide important insights not only into the pediatric retina, the main subject of this book, but also into the mysteries of developmental embryology, vertebrate evolution, and disease pathophysiology. The following pages are meant to provide a foundation to the subject rather than a compendium of genes and syndromes. The emphasis taken, therefore, is to encourage the reader to understand the origin of the current concepts that exist, most importantly to appreciate that we are only at the tip of the iceberg with most important discoveries and breakthroughs yet to be made.
Scaling Integrated Behavioral Health Rapidly

Integrated behavioral health (IBH), which is team-based care co-delivered by primary care and behavioral health clinicians, is being rapidly adopted by practices and health systems. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS) Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) program1 provided Jefferson
Single Cell Transcriptomics Reveal Abnormalities in Neurosensory Patterning of the Chd7 Mutant Mouse Ear

The chromatin remodeling protein CHD7 is critical for proper formation of the mammalian inner ear. Humans with heterozygous pathogenic variants in CHD7 exhibit CHARGE syndrome, characterized by hearing loss and inner ear dysplasia, including abnormalities of the semicircular canals and Mondini malformations. Chd7Gt/+ heterozygous null mutant mice also exhibit dysplastic semicircular canals and hearing loss. Prior studies have demonstrated that reduced Chd7 dosage in the ear disrupts expression of genes involved in morphogenesis and neurogenesis, yet the relationships between these changes in gene expression and otic patterning are not well understood. Here, we sought to define roles for CHD7 in global regulation of gene expression and patterning in the developing mouse ear. Using single-cell multiplex qRT-PCR, we analyzed expression of 192 genes in FAC sorted cells from Pax2Cre;mT/mGFP wild type and Chd7Gt/+ mutant microdissected mouse otocysts. We found that Chd7 haploinsufficient otocysts exhibit a relative enrichment of cells adopting a neuroblast (vs. otic) transcriptional identity compared with wild type. Additionally, we uncovered disruptions in pro-sensory and pro-neurogenic gene expression with Chd7 loss, including genes encoding proteins that function in Notch signaling. Our results suggest that Chd7 is required for early cell fate decisions in the developing ear that involve highly specific aspects of otic patterning and differentiation.
The modular design and thermal analysis of modularized APF

The structure and thermal design are related to both the reliability and the power density of the modularized APF. It is very important for modularized APF. In this paper, the APF modular is designed to be drawer type based on the guarantee of heat dissipation. The structure and thermal design are accomplished. The loss and thermal of the power module is given and analyzed, A fluid-thermal coupling Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation method is given on the forced air-cooling condition. The results of the temperature rise simulation are consistent to that of the theory calculation, which show the module has enough heat dissipation margins.
Evaluation of Pediatric Cardiac ICU Advanced Practice Provider Education and Practice Variation.

Objectives The education, training, and scope of practice of cardiac ICU advanced practice providers is highly variable. A survey was administered to cardiac ICU advanced practice providers to examine specific variations in orientation format, competency assessment during and at the end of orientation, and scope of clinical practice to determine gaps in resources and need for standardization. Design This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study utilizing survey responses. Setting Pediatric cardiac ICUs in the United States. Subjects The survey was delivered to a convenience sample of advanced practice providers currently practicing in pediatric cardiac ICUs. Interventions A list of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery programs was generated from the Society of Thoracic Surgery database. A self-administered, electronic survey was delivered via email to advanced practice providers at those institutions. Descriptive data were compared using a chi-square test or Fisher exact test depending on the normalcy of data. Continuous data were compared using a Student t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Measurements and main results Eighty-three of 157 advanced practice providers responded (53% response rate, representing 36 institutions [35% of institutions]). Sixty-five percent of respondents started as new graduates. Ninety-three to one-hundred percent obtain a history and physical, order/interpret laboratory, develop management plans, order/titrate medications, and respiratory support. Ability to perform invasive procedures was highly variable but more likely for those in a dedicated cardiac ICU. Seventy-seven percent were oriented by another advanced practice provider, with a duration of orientation less than 4 months (66%). Fifty percent of advanced practice providers had no guidelines in place to guide learning/competency during orientation. Sixty-seven percent were not evaluated in any way on their knowledge or skills during or at the end of orientation. Orientation was rated as poor/fair by the majority of respondents for electrophysiology (58%) and echocardiography (69%). Seventy-one percent rated orientation as moderately effective or less. Respondents stated they would benefit from more structured didactic education with clear objectives, standardized management guidelines, and more simulation/procedural practice. Eighty-five percent were very/extremely supportive of a standardized cardiac ICU advanced practice provider curriculum. Conclusions Orientation for cardiac ICU advanced practice providers is highly variable, content depends on the institution/preceptor, and competency is not objectively defined or measured. A cardiac ICU advanced practice provider curriculum is needed to standardize education and promote the highest level of advanced practice provider practice.
Applications of AI/ML in Established and New Industries

The advent of advanced modeling for general machine learning, and in particular computer vision, speech recognition and natural language processing, the applications of AI is enabling classical businesses to reinvent themselves, and new business fields to arise which were even not imaginable a few years back. Hassan will present some of these use cases, and dive into some in more detail, showing where current and future AI/ML technology is accelerating innovation.
The landscape of North American Rangeland Social Science: A Systematic Map

Abstract Rangeland scientists have made substantial progress in understanding ecological dynamics of rangelands, but the social factors have received less attention in North America. A body of North American rangeland social science has developed over the past 4 decades, with the number of studies increasing each decade. However, these works have not been systematically reviewed to assess the state of rangeland social science in North America or to identify research gaps. We developed a systematic map to characterize this literature by 1) the research objectives and questions; 2) who was studied; 3) where research was conducted; 4) which theories, methodologies, and methods were applied; and 5) how these research characteristics have changed from 1970 to 2017. We found that most (81%) North American rangeland social science has studied ranchers, farmers, and/or landowners, with limited consideration of other stakeholders (e.g., ranch workers, youth). Although age (43% of the studies) and education (40%) are often considered, other attributes/identities, such as gender (28%) and race or ethnicity (18%), are less frequently included. The most commonly used research method is surveys (52%), and much of rangeland social science does not make explicit connections to either specific methodological or theoretical frameworks. The limited application of theories, methodologies, and a lack of diverse methods has potentially constrained who and what have been studied in North America. The limited consideration of gender and race in rangeland social science is echoed in the limited number of studies that have accounted for the effects of social identities and power relationships on people’s connection to and management of rangelands. This review highlights the need for more North American research that 1) is informed by social theory, 2) applies a diversity of methods, 3) considers a broader diversity of stakeholders, and 4) draws from multiple social science disciplinary traditions.
Federal Funds Rate Spillover to ECB Interest Rate: Are Macroeconomic Fundamentals Important?

This paper examines the spillover effects of the monetary policy from federal funds rate (FFR) to European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate. The study implements a regression model to examine the pass-through effect between the two interest rates. Using quarterly data for the period 1999:1-2019:1 the estimated results indicate a statistically significant relationship between the Federal Funds Rate and the European Central Bank interest rate The Granger causality tests suggest that the causality runs from FFR to ECB interest rate. The responsiveness of the ECB interest rate depends on US macroeconomic fundamentals rather than European fundamentals. More importantly, this responsiveness depends on the monetary policy stance in the US economy. A contractionary monetary policy in the US economy is accompanied with higher responsiveness of the ECB interest rate. Additionally, the results suggest the higher the inflation in the US economy, the higher the responsiveness of the ECB interest rate would be.
Land Use History Mediates Soil Biogeochemical Responses to Drought in Temperate Forest Ecosystems

Terrestrial ecosystems are experiencing increasing frequency and intensity of droughts as a result of climate change. Despite a wealth of previous studies investigating soil responses to drought, the importance of historical land use in mediating drought effects remains poorly understood. To identify interactions between drought and historical land use, we sampled soils from two adjacent forested watersheds at the USFS Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory: a ‘reference’ forest that has remained undisturbed for approximately a century and a ‘disturbed’ forest with a history of conversion to pasture followed by abandonment to forest succession. We incubated intact soil cores in the laboratory under one of two moisture treatments: a constant moisture control and a drought-rewet treatment, which involved a six-week drought followed by rewetting and six additional weeks at constant moisture. We measured respiration and characterized soil C and N pools and microbial communities multiple times throughout the experiment. Soils exposed to drought-rewetting had higher cumulative respiration than control soils, which was driven by particularly strong respiration responses of disturbed soils. In addition, drought-rewetting reduced microbial biomass and increased total extractable N and NH4+, with greater responses in reference watershed soils. Microbial communities also exhibited responses, with increased biomass C:N, increased fungal:bacterial ratios, and decreased nitrifier abundance in response to drought-rewetting. Overall, our results show that drought responses of forests will vary among land use histories and among soil parameters, which should be considered when seeking to predict biogeochemical responses of temperate ecosystems to climate stressors such as intensifying droughts.
Survivability and Disaster Recovery Modeling of Cellular Networks Using Matrix Exponential Distributions

Cellular network design must incorporate disaster response and repair scenarios. Requirements for high reliability and low latency often fail to incorporate network survivability for mission critical services. This paper defines a practical modeling approach using a Markov chain Matrix Exponential (ME) model. Transient and the steady state representations of system repair models, namely, fast and slow (i.e., crew-based) repairs for networks consisting of a multiple repair crews have been analyzed. Failures are exponentially modeled as per common practice, but ME distributions describe the more complex recovery processes. The model used in this paper is evaluated for varying number of repair crews, base stations, repair models and squared coefficient of variation values. This model is scalable for larger networks, calculates the restoration and network availability times, consists of asymptotic approximations to estimate network availability and determines the optimal number repair crews required. This ME model shows how survivable networks can be designed based on controlling numbers of crews, times taken for individual repair stages in the repair process, and the balance between fast and slow repairs.
Borrowing to Save and Investment Dynamics

During the U.S. Great Recession, investment declined more among ﬁrms whose indebtedness increased. Instead of investing, they increased their leverage and expanded their stock of safe assets; that is, they borrowed to save. I model borrowing to save as an optimal portfolio choice when ﬁrms face gradually resolving uncertainty, balancing the desire to invest with the need to prevent default. Embedding this into a quantitative general equilibrium model with heterogeneous ﬁrms, I show that this mechanism can simultaneously generate a sharp downturn and a slow recovery in response to a combination of ﬁrst- and second-moment shocks.
Teachers’ and Children’s Differing Views on Relationships and Their Associations with Academic Outcomes

Preschool children’s relationships with their teachers play an important role in their learning and development. Despite this importance, extant research mostly relies on teachers’ perceptions about the relationships with children limiting our understanding of the bidirectional nature of these relationships. The present study aimed to explore teacher–child relationships reported by both teachers and preschool children and their associations with children’s math and literacy skills. Additionally, the moderating role of the teacher–child relationship on the association between children’s socioeconomic status and their math and literacy skills were examined. One hundred seventy nine preschoolers were interviewed about their relationships with teachers and directly assessed on their math and literacy skills. Their teachers reported on their relationships with each child on a survey, while parents provided demographic information. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine associations between teacher–child relationships and academic outcomes. Findings revealed limited concordance between teachers’ and children’s perception of the quality of the teacher–child relationship, with only teachers’ perceptions of children’s dependency being positively correlated to children’s perception of teacher negativity. Teachers’ perceptions of children’s dependency and children’s perception of teacher negativity were negatively associated with children’s academic achievement. Teachers’ perceptions of children’s dependency moderated the association between children’s socioeconomic background and math outcomes. We offer implications for teachers about how teacher–child relationships improve children’s academic achievement.
Edmund Spenser as Promethean poet: critical issues and the role of magic and Platonism in The Faerie Queene:

One of the key points at which Platonism and magic or what could be called ‘Platonic magic’ is found in Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene is in his use of the image of the classical Titan Prometheus. ...
Grammar and Interaction: Pivots in German Conversation

This monograph provides a micro-analytic description of the structure and communicative use of syntactic pivot constructions in German. Using the methodology of Conversation Analysis, this work shows that pivots emerge in interaction in response to local communicative needs.Exclusively found in spoken German, pivots allow a speaker to extend an utterance beyond a possible completion point in a syntactically and prosodically unobtrusive way. Speakers utilize this basic property to promote context-specific actions: managing boundaries of speakership, bridging sequential and topical junctures, and dealing with different types of interactional trouble. Through a close examination of syntactic pivots as an interactional resource, this work shows that spoken linguistic structures can only be fully understood if we acknowledge the temporality of language and view grammar as usage-based and negotiable. This book thus contributes to a growing body of research at the intersection of grammar and interaction.
Hexylcaine (cyclaine) as topical anesthetic in gastroscopy and esophagoscopy.

Summary Hexylcaine (Cyclaine) in a 5 per cent aqueous solution was found useful as a topical anesthetic in 500 gastroscopic and esophagoscopic examinations. One severe but nonfatal convulsive reaction was encountered.
Spatial Scale Effects of Climate Scenarios on Simulated Cotton Production in the Southeastern U.S.A.

We examine the effect of climate scenarios generated using results from climate models of different spatial resolution on yields simulated by the deterministic cotton model GOSSYM for the southeastern U.S.A. Two related climate change scenarios were used: a coarse-scale scenario produced from results of a general circulation model (GCM) which also provided the boundary conditions to a regional climate model (RCM), from which a fine-scale scenario was constructed. Cotton model simulations were performed for three cases: climate change alone; climate change and elevated CO2; climate change, elevated CO2 and adaptations to climate change. In general, significant differences in state-average projected yield changes between the coarse and fine-scale scenarios are found for these three cases. In the first two cases, different directions of change are found in some sub-regions. With adaptation, yields substantially increase for both climate scenarios, but more so for the coarse-scale scenario (30% domain-average increase). Under irrigation, yield change differences between the two climate scenarios are small in all three cases, and yields are higher under irrigation (~35% domain-average increase with adaptation case) compared to dryland conditions. For the climate change alone case, differences in summer water-stress levels explain the contrasts in dryland yield patterns between the coarse and fine-scale climate scenarios.
Validation and reliability estimation of a fingerprint image registration software

The application of biometric devices and systems is experiencing significant growth, primarily due to the need for reliable authentication. Verification and validation techniques applicable to these systems are rather immature and ad hoc, yet the consequences of the wide deployment of biometric systems could be significant. In this paper we discuss an approach to validation and reliability estimation of a fingerprint registration software. Our validation approach includes the following three steps; a) The validation of the source code with respect to the system requirements specification; b) the validation of the optimization algorithm, which is in the core of the registration system and c) the automation of testing. Since the optimization algorithm is heuristic in nature, mathematical analysis and test results are used to estimate the reliability of the image registration module.
Interrelation of Violent and Non-Violent Resistance in Burma

In countries where armed and non-violent organizations resist the state, how do individuals decide which resistance to join? This paper draws upon original interviews with Burmese political activists, insurgents and ordinary citizens to demonstrate the interrelationship between armed and non-violent resistance. Despite growing understanding of why individuals join opposition movements, armed or non-violent, little empirical research examines why individuals decide to join one organization instead of another. Activists and insurgents have similar paths to resistance mobilization in Burma. Viterna (2006) argues nonviolent action is a gateway to eventual armed resistance, finding evidence that armed groups in El Salvador recruit from political/social organizations sympathetic to the objectives of the armed struggle. This paper argues the relationship goes both directions – insurgents also join non-violent organizations to continue their opposition to the state. Activists transitioned between nonviolent and violent organizations and sometimes back again. Thus, non-violent and armed strategies and the groups pursuing them should not be viewed as ‘either/or.’ Rather, as events and interviews from Burma highlight, non-violent and violent oppositions complement one another and provide alternative options for continued resistance. Because initial recruitment is not due to pre-existing preferences regarding use of violence, this paper argues the interrelationship between non-violent and violent resistance – and member’s ability to transition between organizations – lays a foundation for unusually long-term commitment to anti-state opposition.
Thermal-aware IP virtualization and placement for networks-on-chip architecture

Networks-on-chip (NoC), a new SoC paradigm, has been proposed as a solution to mitigate complex on-chip interconnect problems. NoC architecture consists of a collection of IP cores or processing elements (PEs) interconnected by on-chip switching fabrics or routers. Hardware virtualization, which maps logic processing units onto PEs, affects the power consumption of each PE and the communications among PEs. The communication among PEs affects the overall performance and router power consumption, and it depends on the placement of PEs. Therefore, the temperature distribution profile of the chip depends on the IP core virtualization and placement. In this paper, we present an IP virtualization and placement algorithm for generic regular network on chip (NoC) architecture. The algorithm attempts to achieve a thermal balanced design while minimizing the communication cost via placement. Our framework can also realize hardware virtualization which can further accomplish better performance. A case study on low density parity checks (LDPC) decoder is presented to evaluate our algorithm.
An Evaluation of the Cybersecurity Policies for the United States Health & Human Services Department: Criteria, Regulations, and Improvements

This paper examines the criteria necessary for the evaluation of the cybersecurity policies for the United States Health and Human Services Department of the Federal Government. The overall purpose of cybersecurity policies and procedures is supported through compliance with Federal mandated regulation and standards, which serve to protect the organizational services and goals of the United States Health and Human Services Department, and to promote the best possible security practices in the protection of information systems from unauthorized actors and cyber-threats. The criteria of the cybersecurity evaluation is identified and analyzed for quality, strengths, weaknesses, and future applicability. Topics within the criteria include organizational operation, regulations and industrial standards compliance, service delivery to national customers, and the prevention and mitigation of IT system and security failure. This analysis determines the strengths and weaknesses, and makes recommendations for revising the cybersecurity policies within the United States Health and Human Services Department.
Structure of tomato bushy stunt virus: V. Coat protein sequence determination and its structural implications

We report the chemically determined sequence of most of the polypeptide chain of the coat protein of tomato bushy stunt virus. Peptide locations have been determined by comparison with the high-resolution electron density map from X-ray crystallographic analysis as well as by conventional chemical overlaps. Three small gaps remain in the 387-residue sequence. Positively charged side-chains are concentrated in the N-terminal part of the polypeptide (the R domain) as well as on inward-facing surfaces of the S domain. There is homology of S-domain sequences with structurally corresponding residues in southern bean mosaic virus.
Cognitive bias in rats is not influenced by oxytocin

The effect of oxytocin on cognitive bias was investigated in rats in a modified conditioned place preference paradigm. Fifteen male rats were trained to discriminate between two different cue combinations, one paired with palatable foods (reward training), and the other paired with unpalatable food (aversive training). Next, their reactions to two ambiguous cue combinations were evaluated and their latency to contact the goal pot recorded. Rats were injected with either oxytocin (OT) or saline with the prediction that rats administered OT would display a shorter average latency to approach on ambiguous trials. There was no significant difference between latencies to approach on ambiguous trials compared to reward trials, but the rats were significantly slower on the aversive compared to the ambiguous conditions. Oxytocin did not affect approach time; however, it was unclear, after follow-up testing, whether the OT doses tested were sufficient to produce the desired effects on cognitive bias. Future research should consider this possibility.
Development of a Mouse Model of Leptomeningeal Metastasis (P7.014)

OBJECTIVE: Design an interrogable mouse model of leptomeningeal metastasis reproducing key features of the human disease. BACKGROUND: Leptomeningeal metastasis represents a rare but fatal outcome of disseminated cancer. Although much has been learned through observational studies, retrospective analyses and case reports, understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie this complication has been hampered by lack of a mouse model. METHODS: Human and mouse cancer cell lines were subjected to multiple rounds of in vivo selection as follows: After direct injection into the cisterna magna, the cells were allowed to grow in the leptomeningeal space. Growth was monitored with bioluminescent imaging as mice were monitored for morbidity and mortality. Cancer cells were collected from the basilar meninges and thecal sac. Cancer cells were subjected to three rounds of injection into the cisterna magna. These triple-selected cells were then injected intracardially, and mice were monitored for development of leptomeningeal metastases. This pattern of metastasis was compared with previously selected brain metastatic derivatives by bioluminescent imaging and histopathology. RESULTS: After three rounds of leptomeningeal selection, hematogenously disseminated cancer cells consistently seed the leptomeningeal space, and do not form metastases in the brain parenchyma. In contrast, previously characterized brain metastatic cell lines create parenchymal metastases, and occasionally also result in leptomeingeal metastases. CONCLUSIONS: The models faithfully replicate many clinical and histopathological aspects of the human disease. Disclosure: Dr. Boire has nothing to disclose. Dr. DeAngelis has received personal compensation for activities with the NFL Players Association as a consultant. Dr. Massague has nothing to disclose.
A Generalization of Theory for Two-Dimensional Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching Applicable to Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopes

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) using confocal laser scanning microscopes (confocal FRAP) has become a valuable technique for studying the diffusion of biomolecules in cells. However, two-dimensional confocal FRAP sometimes yields results that vary with experimental setups, such as different bleaching protocols and bleaching spot sizes. In addition, when confocal FRAP is used to measure diffusion coefficients (D) for fast diffusing molecules, it often yields D-values that are one or two orders-of-magnitude smaller than that predicted theoretically or measured by alternative methods such as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Recently, it was demonstrated that this underestimation of D can be corrected by taking diffusion during photobleaching into consideration. However, there is currently no consensus on confocal FRAP theory, and no efforts have been made to unify theories on conventional and confocal FRAP. To this end, we generalized conventional FRAP theory to incorporate diffusion during photobleaching so that analysis by conventional FRAP theory for a circular region of interest is easily applicable to confocal FRAP. Finally, we demonstrate the accuracy of these new (to our knowledge) formulae by measuring D for soluble enhanced green fluorescent protein in aqueous glycerol solution and in the cytoplasm and nucleus of COS7 cells.
A perturbed Toda lattice model for low loss nonlinear transmission lines

Abstract In communications, radar, and digital electronics one traditionally uses discrete components that have unavoidable discontinuities at device or package interfaces. These components are typically used by designing a resonant response in the band of interest. Such resonant responses are inadequate for high data rates and, consequently, distributed devices are a topic of great current interest in high frequency electronics. The semiconductor based distributed devices recently developed have demonstrated fast responses. However, the limiting factor in these devices is the loss introduced by the semiconductor elements that introduces the nonlinearity. Future generations of high speed electronics will require distributed devices with lower loss but equivalent nonlinearity. Our earlier work on electrically tunable coplanar waveguide (CPW) devices incorporating nonlinear dielectric thin films of strontium barium titanate has shown that compact microwave devices based on nonlinear dielectric thin films are fast, broad-band, easily-tunable, and low loss (loss tangent −2 ). These components are at lower loss than semiconductor components at the microwave frequencies of technological interest, enabling extensive use of nonlinear wave, self-focusing and pulse-shaping concepts when modeling the transmission lines. We are investigating the application of our novel materials technology and modeling to various distributed high speed signal processing problems in such low loss nonlinear transmission lines. We have modeled the transmission lines with discrete elements using a perturbed Toda lattice. Our full numerical simulations have shown that the transmission line is able to shape an input pulse into a train of stable traveling solitons. We have developed a perturbation theory to capture the soliton dynamics. We emphasize that how to couple a signal into the transmission line is an important issue in modeling soliton generation and transmission along the line in a realistic experimental setting.
Investigation of different combinations of estrogen therapy and radiation therapy on prostatic adenocarcinoma (R-3327)

The relative effectiveness of different combinations of estrogen therapy and radiation therapy against the R-3327 prostatic adenocarcinoma of the Copenhagen rat was studied. Because of similar actions of estrogens and radiation in the cell cycle, and possibly antagonistic effects reported in the clinical literature, we looked for an antagonism between these two therapeutic modalities. Radiation therapy consistently showed a greater tumor inhibitory effect than estrogen therapy alone at the dose tested. Combinations of radiation therapy with hormonal manipulation did not appear to show a greater inhibition of tumor growth than radiation therapy alone. There also did not appear to be an antagonistic effect between these two modalities in this system.
Gene expression profiles in mouse urethral development

OBJECTIVE To analyse the gene expression profiles of the mouse genital tubercle (GT) during urethral tube development at embryonic (E) days E14, E15, E16 and E17, as the aetiology of hypospadias, one of the most common congenital anomalies, remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS During GT development the urethral folds fuse to form an epithelial seam; subsequently, the epithelial seam disappears, resulting in the normal tubular urethra. Abnormalities in urethral seam formation and remodelling might explain hypospadias, and elucidating the molecular developmental mechanisms underlying normal penile development might provide the basis for understanding hypospadias. Total RNA was isolated from the genital tubercle at embryonic days E14, E15, E16, and E17. Together with reference RNA, sample RNA was labelled with Cy-3 and Cy-5 respectively and hybridized to a 16 000-mouse gene array that included the Incyte GEM2.1 and NIA 7k sets. Candidate genes were analysed by immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Using cDNA microarrays, we identified the up-regulation of genes involved in the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and Wnt-Frizzled pathways, and of thrombospondin (TSP) 4, a member of a cell-migration molecule family, all candidates for involvement in urethral tube formation. Immunohistochemistry showed TGFβ1, TGFβ receptor III, and Frizzled1 were expressed exclusively in E14–E17 urethral epithelium. TSP4 was expressed in the mesenchymal basal layer underlying E17 GT skin epidermis. CONCLUSIONS Many signalling pathways are involved in late GT development, and cell migration molecules might have an important role in urethral tube formation.
Princeton Child Development Institute

The Princeton Child Development Institute, a nonprofit organization founded in 1970, provides behavioral intervention for people with autism. Services are provided in an early intervention program, in preschool and school, in community-based group homes, in families’ own homes, and in a program for adults that features life skills and supported, competitive employment. All phases of PCDI’ s programs are based on behavior analysis, including educational services, staff mentoring and evaluation, and program administration. Ongoing research assesses new intervention strategies that are immediately implemented to ameliorate skill deficits and behavior problems. Technology dissemination is an important aspect of the Institute’ s endeavors, and there is continuing examination of variables relevant to program replication. Clinical data are supported by measures of interobserver agreement, and annual program evaluations by outside experts in behavior analysis show that 80% to 100% of all preschool and school instructional programs produce desired behavior change. PCDI has been recognized as an “enduring program in behavior analysis.”