cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A probabilistic approach to optimal robust path planning with obstacles

Autonomous vehicles need to plan trajectories to a specified goal that avoid obstacles. Previous approaches that used a constrained optimization approach to solve for finite sequences of optimal control inputs have been highly effective. For robust execution, it is essential to take into account the inherent uncertainty in the problem, which arises due to uncertain localization, modeling errors, and disturbances. Prior work has handled the case of deterministically bounded uncertainty. We present here an alternative approach that uses a probabilistic representation of uncertainty, and plans the future probabilistic distribution of the vehicle state so that the probability of collision with obstacles is below a specified threshold. This approach has two main advantages; first, uncertainty is often modeled more naturally using a probabilistic representation (for example in the case of uncertain localization); second, by specifying the probability of successful execution, the desired level of conservatism in the plan can be specified in a meaningful manner. The key idea behind the approach is that the probabilistic obstacle avoidance problem can be expressed as a disjunctive linear program using linear chance constraints. The resulting disjunctive linear program has the same complexity as that corresponding to the deterministic path planning problem with no representation of uncertainty. Hence the resulting problem can be solved using existing, efficient techniques, such that planning with uncertainty requires minimal additional computation. Finally, we present an empirical validation of the new method with a number of aircraft obstacle avoidance scenarios.
Assessing the Potential Effects of the European Union Multilevel Approach to the Coexistence Policy

European Union (EU) coexistence policy is based on the principle of subsidiarity, which implies a multilevel governance framework. Different legislative approaches have been developed in EU Member States. These legal rules are oriented to both preventing on-farm adventitious admixture (ex-ante regulations) and reducing potential economic consequences (ex-post liability). So coexistence deals with a subject of negative externalities involving an issue of property-right allocation between farmers. Considering the impacts that coexistence policy has on GM (genetically modified) crop adoption rates and the generation of trade distortions, potential effects of the EU coexistence framework are reviewed from a theoretical property-right allocation view. Derived from the analysis, property-right allocation is focused on non-GM farmers according to EU regulation enforcement, which tends to rigid coexistence measures. Nonetheless, the multilevel EU framework has led Member States to pursue their aims: trade interests and social legitimation.
Drug-Induced Liver Injury

The manifold aspects of adverse hepatic drug reactions which have been frequently reviewed (Kaplowitz et al. 1986; Ludwig and Axelsen 1983; Popper et al. 1972; Strieker and Spoelstra 1985; Zimmerman 1978) include (a) pharmacology, based also on the chemical constitution of the drug, (b) mechanistics, dealing with the pathogenesis of the reaction, (c) clinical manifestations, and (d) pathology, mainly as to histological features. In the following discussion the classification of the reactions will be based primarily on the morphological changes, where available in biopsy specimens, and less on the other aspects (Popper and Geller 1981). This classification serves as a guide in the solution of three main problems, namely (1) in determining the hepatotoxicity in initial animal toxicologic studies and subsequent clinical observations, (2) in weighing the risk of giving a drug to an individual patients, and (3) in establishing whether an acute or chronic disease, with or without jaundice, results from drug therapy or other factors.
Granulocytic and monocytic differentiation of CD34hi cells is associated with distinct changes in the expression of the PU.1- regulated molecules, CD64 and macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor

The present study investigated the possibility that macrophage colony- stimulating factor (M-CSF) responsiveness of hematopoietic progenitor cells is regulated at the level of receptor expression and that M-CSF receptor (M-CSFR) may be used as an early marker of monocyte lineage commitment. Immunofluorescence measurements with an anti-M-CSFR antibody showed that 44% +/- 5% of CD34hi cells expressed the receptor. The M-CSFR was present on progenitor cells that were positive for the granulo-monocytic marker CD64, but not on primitive, erythroid, or lymphoid progenitors. The CD34hiCD64+ population could be divided into subsets of M-CSFRhi and M-CSFRlo cells. In addition, a subset of CD34hiCD64-M-CSFRhi cells was found. CD34+ cells that were positive for M-CSFR, CD64, or both gave rise exclusively to granulo-monocytic cells, and 65% of the granulomonocytic colony-forming cells in the CD34+ population were recovered from these cells. Approximately 70% of the colony-forming cells (CFCs) derived from CD34hiM-CSFRhi cells were macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-M), whereas 91% of the CFCs in the CD34hiCD64+M-CSFRlo population were granulocyte colony-forming units (CFU-G). The M-CSFRhi cells with the highest frequency of colony- forming and bipotent cells and largest average colony size were found in the CD64- subset, indicating that M-CSFR appears earlier than CD64 during monocyte development. After 60 hours in culture, a subset of the CD34hiM-CSFRhi cells had downmodulated M-CSFR (29% to 38%). This population gave rise almost exclusively to granulocytes, whereas the cells that remained M-CSFRhi gave rise exclusively to monocytes. In all experiments, the M-CSFRhi population responded to M-CSF, whereas minimal responses were observed among M-CSFRlo cells. These results suggest that M-CSF target specificity among human hematopoietic progenitor cells is determined by lineage-specific regulation of the M- CSFR and show that M-CSFR is a useful marker to discriminate between monocytic and granulocytic progenitor cells.
Understanding the Topography of Moral and Criminal Law Norms

The world is not flat. Neither is the topography of criminal wrongdoing and culpability, or of actus reus and mens rea. This complex terrain should not surprise or frighten us. It is a complexity built upon the varied, and in some instances incommensurable, moral norms that lie beneath criminal law doctrine. This essay, a contribution to a forthcoming volume on the philosophical foundations of the criminal law, suggests the following conclusions. Criminal law norms can be more general or more particular. How particular should they be? The answer depends, in significant part, on the underlying landscape of the moral norms that criminal law instantiates, and on the political principles through which those moral norms are refracted. On three plausible accounts of moral justification - foundational pluralism, reliance on concrete moral intuitions, and variable relevance particularism - moral norms are relatively particularistic. At the same time, such accounts entail that the moral map contains localized areas of incommensurability. Finally, criminal law norms can be purely descriptive, or instead partially evaluative. But the difference that this distinction makes should not be overstated. A partially evaluative criterion does empower the fact-finder to play a more significant role in appraising the moral wrongfulness and the moral culpability of the defendant’s actions than does a purely descriptive criterion, but either type of criterion ultimately serves a normative function. Modern criminal law scholars and reformers have made enormous progress in simplifying and rationalizing criminal statutes. But we should not assume that if criminal law norms are complex and messy, those norms cannot be cogently justified. In the moral domain, Bernard Williams cautioned against wholesale rejection of “thick” ethical concepts. In the related domain of legal punishment, we should heed his caution.
Tunneling Times for One-Dimensional Barriers

The desire to minimize the response time of tunneling devices has led to a renewed interest in an unresolved fundamental question: “How long does an incident electron of energy E take, on average, to tunnel through a classically inaccessible region?” Since there is considerable controversy and confusion surrounding this problem, several recent approaches that illustrate the main points of dispute are discussed in some detail.
MITOCHONDRIAL ASPARTATE AMINOTRANSFERASE EXPRESSED ON THE SURFACE OF 3T3-L1 ADIPOCYTES MEDIATES SATURABLE FATTY ACID UPTAKE

AbstractPhysicochemical studies have suggested that the 43-kDa plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm) is closely related to the mitochondrial isoform of aspartate aminotransferase (mAs...
Commissioning the NIFFTE Time Projection Chamber: Towards the 238U / 235U (n, f) Cross-section Ratio

Abstract The Neutron Induced Fission Fragment Tracking Experiment (NIFFTE) collaboration is developing a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) to measure neutron-induced fission cross sections with unprecedented accuracy. Modifying TPC technology for nuclear physics applications is a challenging endeavor, and frequent testing and evaluation is required to ensure that all components are behaving as expected. In-beam tests of the NIFFTE TPC at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LAN-SCE) commenced in 2010. An overview of the NIFFTE TPC experiments performed at LANSCE will be presented, along with preliminary performance results.
Multilead Analysis of T Wave Alternans in the ECG Using Particle Filtering

The current methods for analyzing the non-stationary and non-gaussian TWA of automatically detecting and estimating T wave alternans(TWA) in multilead ECG have poor sensitivity to non-stationary and low-amplitude.The particle filtering(PF) method combined with joint analysis information was proposed to detect and estimate multilead TWA.According to a multilead TWA analysis scheme,a linear transformation using principal component analysis was processed on the preprocessed multilead ST-T complex.Then PF-based method was applied to each lead for TWA detection and estimation.To evaluate the proposed method,multilead PF method was compared to single lead PF and spectral method.The simulation results showed that the proposed method had the best performance on detection and estimation of TWA when the alternans-signal-to-noise ratio was lower than-15 dB.For non-stationary and non-gaussian TWA,the proposed method had good robustness and high anti-noise ability.
Nanomilling of Drugs for Bioavailability Enhancement: A Holistic Formulation-Process Perspective

Preparation of drug nanoparticles via wet media milling (nanomilling) is a very versatile drug delivery platform and is suitable for oral, injectable, inhalable, and buccal applications. Wet media milling followed by various drying processes has become a well-established and proven formulation approach especially for bioavailability enhancement of poorly water-soluble drugs. It has several advantages such as organic solvent-free processing, tunable and relatively high drug loading, and applicability to a multitude of poorly water-soluble drugs. Although the physical stability of the wet-milled suspensions (nanosuspensions) has attracted a lot of attention, fundamental understanding of the process has been lacking until recently. The objective of this review paper is to present fundamental insights from available published literature while summarizing the recent advances and highlighting the gap areas that have not received adequate attention. First, stabilization by conventionally used polymers/surfactants and novel stabilizers is reviewed. Then, a fundamental understanding of the process parameters, with a focus on wet stirred media milling, is revealed based on microhydrodynamic models. This review is expected to bring a holistic formulation-process perspective to the nanomilling process and pave the way for robust process development scale-up. Finally, challenges are indicated with a view to shedding light on future opportunities.
Misconceptions About the Caliphate in Islam

Three common misconceptions about the caliphate in Islam are explored alleging: 1) that there has been only one caliph at a given time governing all Muslims, uninterrupted until the caliphate system was abolished in 1924, 2) that caliphs governed vast territories, 3) that God in Islam mandates a blueprint for governance called the caliphate. This essay begins with the role the caliphate played in agendas of Islamic movements over the last 100 years. Then the historic development of the caliphate is discussed providing the background to explore the first two misconceptions. The third misconception is consequently addressed through a linguistic, Qur'anic, and historical analysis of the word “caliphate.” The fact that neither the Qur'an, nor the Prophet saw himself as a head of state is explored, and the misappropriation of the word “constitution” to replace the word “pact” in “the pact of Medina” is pointed out. A simple classification of three types of “caliphates” is suggested, emphasizing the wide range of connotations it conveys. Finally, counterarguments using the Qur'an and Hadith are addressed. The essay concludes with the idea that what makes a state Islamic are not name nor its structure, but rather its orientation towards Qur'anic ethical values.
Recent Advances in Development and Applications of the Mixed Quantum/Classical Theory for Inelastic Scattering.

A mixed quantum/classical approach to inelastic scattering (MQCT) is developed in which the relative motion of two collision partners is treated classically, and the rotational and vibrational motion of each molecule is treated quantum mechanically. The cases of molecule + atom and molecule + molecule are considered including diatomics, symmetric-top rotors, and asymmetric-top rotor molecules. Phase information is taken into consideration, permitting calculations of elastic and inelastic, total and differential cross sections for excitation and quenching. The method is numerically efficient and intrinsically parallel. The scaling law of MQCT is favorable, which enables calculations at high collision energies and for complicated molecules. Benchmark studies are carried out for several quite different molecular systems (N2 + Na, H2 + He, CO + He, CH3 + He, H2O + He, HCOOCH3 + He, and H2 + N2) in a broad range of collision energies, which demonstrates that MQCT is a viable approach to inelastic scattering. A...
A Hierarchical Parallelizing Compiler for VLIW/MIMD Machines

Hierarchical architectures attempt to provide the benefits of both VLIW/superscalar and MIMD machines by combining multiple VLIW or superscalar processors as parallel, asynchronous processors. An example of these architectures is the Intel Touchstone multicomputer. These machines provide the opportunity to execute a program in parallel at both the machine instruction level and the source statement level.
Contemporary Trends in the Inpatient Management of Fournier's Gangrene: Predictors of Length of Stay and Mortality Based on Population-based Sample

Objective To describe clinical management of Fournier's gangrene and to characterize predictive factors associated with inpatient mortality and extended hospital stay. Materials and Methods The National Inpatient Sample was queried from 2004 to 2012 based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification procedural and diagnosis codes. Patients admitted for Fournier's gangrene who underwent debridement were selected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of inpatient mortality and extended hospital stay. Results A total of 9249 patients were identified for a weighted estimate of 43,146 cases. Inpatient mortality was 4.7%. The median length of stay was 9 days (interquartile range 5-17 days). The most common procedure in addition to debridement was a complex closure (8.82%), followed by suprapubic tube placement (5.70%) and fecal diversion (4.68%). Increasing age, yearly hospital volume >10 cases, and Medicaid insurance status were associated with increased risk of mortality. Increasing age, teaching hospital status, increasing number of comorbidities, and Medicaid as a payor were predictive of increased hospital stay. Suprapubic tube placement (odds ratio [OR] 2.8 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.92-4.07], P ≤ .001), fecal diversion (OR 11.1 [95% CI 6.20-19.7], P ≤ .001), and complex wound closure (OR 4.89 [95% CI 3.97-6.89], P ≤ .001) were also predictive of increased length of stay. Conclusion Identifiable patient and hospital characteristics are predictive of both mortality and length of stay in the management of Fournier's gangrene. Overall inpatient mortality appears lower than what has been reported in the majority of prior reports. The strongest predictor for increased length of stay is the need for complex wound closure, and urinary or fecal diversion.
Can contactless fingerprints be compared to existing database

The major development of fingerprint technology in the form of wet-ink fingerprinting was initiated and improved for forensic applications by Scotland Yard about 100 years ago. In recent years, new fingerprinting methods such as live scan and contactless methods were developed and continue to evolve. Now-a-days, compatibility between three fingerprinting libraries, namely wet-ink, live-scan and contactless becomes to be a critical problem. The large numbers of people travelling and crossing the borders are subjected to fingerprinting. The database of travelers is much larger than criminal one. In this environment, the need to produce speedy comparison results starts to be problematic because it is done by human operator to provide reliable judgment. From the technical standpoint, fingerprinting methods have improved rapidly to an extent where wet-ink fingerprinting has now been replaced by computer scanner generated images of finger, i.e. digital imaging, and recently developed contactless line scan. In current study, we developed certain steps which will make contactless fingerprints comparable to fingerprints in the other two libraries. The proposed steps are applicable to any contactless fingerprinting technique. The rate of success in comparing these three libraries is 82%. The somewhat low accuracy is introduced by the fact that in the contactless methods the position of the finger is free and not necessarily repeatable. To the contrary, contact based wet-ink and digital imaging do handle a finger in the same repeatable position. Therefore, improving designs of holders for examined fingers in contactless setting should improve the rate of success.
Rollover Propensity of Heavy Vehicles at Roundabouts: Case Study on High- and Low-Speed Roads

In Indiana, roundabout construction recently commenced on high-speed roadways (i.e., with posted speed limits of 50 mph or higher), many carrying significant truck traffic. Studies show that heavy vehicle rollovers may be an issue at roundabouts. A case study compared the safety-related behavior of truck drivers at roundabouts on low- and high-speed roads. The rollover model is more suitable for truck trailers than previous models used for design considerations because it accounts for the complex paths and vehicle tilt of semitrailers and other heavy vehicles. The model was used to determine the difference between the critical rollover speed determined from the model and the observed vehicle speed. The proximity to rollover in the roundabout circulating lane was found to be different on low- and high-speed roads. However, this difference could not be explained by actual driver approach speeds. Drivers on the high-speed approach began decelerating earlier than those on the low-speed approach, and their dec...
Maternal and infant inflammatory markers in relation to prenatal arsenic exposure in a U.S. pregnancy cohort.

Abstract Introduction Accumulating evidence indicates that arsenic (As), a potent environmental toxicant, may increase cardiovascular disease risk and adversely affect endothelial function at high levels of exposure. Pregnancy is a vulnerable time for both mother and child; however, studies examining the association between prenatal As exposure and plasma biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial function in mothers and newborns are lacking. Methods We examined maternal urinary As levels at gestational weeks 24–28 and levels of inflammatory biomarkers in plasma from 563 pregnant women and 500 infants’ cord blood. We assessed a multiplexed panel of circulating inflammatory and endothelial function markers, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1), intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM1). Results Compared with the bottom tertile, the highest tertile of maternal urinary As during pregnancy was associated with a 145.2 ng/ml (95% CI 4.1, 286.3; p=0.04) increase in cord blood ICAM1 and 557.3 ng/ml (95% CI −56.4, 1171.1; p=0.09) increase in cord blood VCAM1. Among mothers, the highest tertile of maternal urinary As during pregnancy was related to a 141.8 ng/ml (95% CI 26.1, 257.5; p=0.02) increase maternal plasma VCAM1 levels. Urinary As was unrelated to MCP1 or TNFα in maternal plasma and cord blood. In structural equation models, the association between maternal urinary As and infant VCAM was mediated by maternal levels of VCAM (βmediation: 0.024, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.050). Conclusion Our observations indicate that As exposure during pregnancy may affect markers of vascular health and endothelial function in both pregnant women and children, and suggest further investigation of the potential impacts on cardiovascular health in these susceptible populations.
The Caodai Mother Goddess in Diasporic Disjunctures

Unlike Marian worship among Vietnamese Catholics in the U.S. and Cambodia, devotion to the Caodai Mother Goddess has not facilitated reconnection between Vietnamese Caodaists in these countries. Through the revival of Caodai Mother Goddess worship, U.S.-based Vietnamese Caodaists have claimed themselves as the true chosen leaders of Caodaism. They have protected the religion from communist control in Vietnam and have the responsibility to spread it throughout the world. However, because of religious racialization in the Christian-majority U.S. (which misconstrues the religion as a Vietnam-bounded practice despite its global aspirations), Vietnamese American Caodaists have not been able to successfully assert their claim and internal divisions from Vietnam have resurfaced, as well as new politically motivated divisions related to opposing communism. This in turn has weakened their efforts to re-establish relations with ethnic co-religionists in Cambodia.
A Hybrid Quantum-Classical Model of Electrostatics in Multiply Charged Quantum Dots

We present a general model for describing the properties of excess electrons in multiply charged quantum dots (QDs). Key factors governing Fermi-level energies and electron density distributions are investigated by treating carrier densities, charge compensation, and various material and dielectric medium properties as independently tunable parameters. Electronic interactions are described using a mean-field electrostatic potential calculable through Gauss's Law by treating the quantum dot as a sphere of uniform charge density. This classical approximation modifies the "Particle in a Sphere'' Schrodinger equation for a square well potential and reproduces the broken degeneracy and Fermi-level energies expected from experiment and first-principles methods. Several important implications emerge from this model: (i) Excess electron density drifts substantially towards the QD surfaces with high electron densities and large radii, and when solvated by a high dielectric medium. (ii) The maximum density of condu...
The US Experience with Sports Betting

Sports betting is a popular economic activity in the United States. Sports betting can generate some negative externalities like disordered gambling and increased incentives to fix the outcomes of sporting events, and it also generates utility for those who wager responsibly. The United States has taken an unconventional approach to the regulation of sports betting, one that outlaws most types while making sports betting fully legal in one specific location. This regulatory approach does not address the underlying problems associated with gambling and it encourages illegal sports betting markets. It serves as a poor example of how sports betting should be regulated.
A prospective study of frequency of eating restaurant prepared meals and subsequent 9-year risk of all-cause and cardiometabolic mortality in US adults.

Restaurant prepared foods are known to be energy-dense and high in fat and sodium, but lower in protective nutrients. There is evidence of higher risk of adiposity, type II diabetes, and heart disease in frequent consumers of restaurant meals. However, the risk of mortality as a long-term health consequence of frequent consumption of restaurant meals has not been examined. We examined the prospective risk of all-cause and coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and diabetes (cardiometabolic) mortality in relation to frequency of eating restaurant prepared meals in a national cohort. We used frequency of eating restaurant prepared meals information collected in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, conducted from 1999-2004, with mortality follow-up completed through Dec. 31, 2011 (baseline age ≥ 40y; n = 9107). We estimated the relative hazard of all-cause and cardiometabolic mortality associated with weekly frequency of eating restaurant meals using Cox-proportional hazards regression methods to adjust for multiple covariates. All analyses accounted for complex survey design and included sample weights. Over 33% of all respondents reported eating ≥3 restaurant prepared meals/week. In this cohort, 2200 deaths due to all causes and 665 cardiometabolic deaths occurred over a median follow-up of 9 years. The covariate-adjusted hazard ratio of all cause or cardiometabolic mortality in men and women reporters of 0.05). The results were robust to effect modification by baseline BMI, years of education, and baseline morbidity. Expectedly, the 24-h dietary intakes of whole grains, fruits, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium at baseline were lower, but energy, energy density, and energy from fat were higher in more frequent restaurant meal reporters (P<0.05). Baseline serum HDL cholesterol, folate, and some carotenoids were inversely associated with the frequency of eating restaurant prepared meals (P<0.05); however, serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin, and c-reactive protein were unrelated (P<0.05). The weekly frequency of eating restaurant prepared meals and prospective risk of mortality after 9 years were not related in this cohort.
VenomKB v2.0: A knowledge repository for computational toxinology

Motivation: Venom peptides comprise one of the richest sources of bioactive compounds available for drug discovery. However, venom data and knowledge are fragmentary and poorly structured, and fail to capitalize on the important characteristics of venoms that make them so interesting to the biomedical community. Results: We present VenomKB v2.0, a new open-access resource for knowledge representation and retrieval of venom bioactivities, sequences, structures, and classifications. VenomKB provides a complete infrastructure for computational toxinology, with a focus on drug discovery and effects that venoms have on the human body. VenomKB is accompanied by a suite of tools for programmatic access, and, in this article, we highlight scenarios demonstrating its usefulness and novel contributions to toxinology, pharmacology, and informatics. Availability: VenomKB can be accessed online at http://venomkb.org/, and the code can be found at https://github.com/tatonetti-lab/venomkb/. All code and data are available under open-source and open-access licenses.
Exploring the Factors that Influence Social Computing Intentions

This study explores the impact of self-identity and social influence on an individual’s intention to perform social computing actions. Additionally, we are interested in learning whether the widely-tested factors, ease of use and usefulness, play a strong role in the context of social computing. A survey was constructed using peer-to-peer (P2P) music file sharing as a representation of social computing. Data has been collected and preliminary analysis has been completed. Additional analysis will be conducted using the structural equation modeling method with partial least squares to test whether social influence, self-identity, ease of use, and/or usefulness have a significant impact upon a user’s intentions to perform social computing actions. This study has academic and practical implications in furthering understanding of social computing.
Medical Forensics and DNA Sleuthing

This chapter describes the extraordinary advances in forensics medicine and molecular paleontology, resulting from the ability to isolate and analyze deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from specimens. The chapter discusses the molecular basis for DNA identification and the biochemistry for its procedure. The theory and procedure for fingerprinting and some controversies surrounding the use of DNA as an identification tool is also discussed. The manner in which DNA matching techniques can be used to decide paternity cases and in identifying deceased individuals is highlighted. DNA analyses can assist microbial identifications and provide an understanding of a disease's pathology. Details of the situations under which DNA can be isolated from fossilized remains are highlighted. The ongoing studies on mitochondrial DNA using which scientists hypothesize the identity of the first humans are reviewed. The chapter goes on to discuss the basis for disconnecting Neanderthals from the lineage of modern humans and reviews the evidence for the identity of the first Americans. The chapter concludes by explaining that DNA analysis opens a window on the characteristics of early humans and helps to resolve modern problems.
Quantification techniques of mass-separation and ion yield for the detection of radioactive isotopes

This research demonstrates two methods of quantifying ion yield efficiency using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer is used as a means of separation where individual decay mass-chains are isolated (i.e., implanted) onto a conductive substrate. Quantifying the ion yield of this recovery process is crucial to understanding the abundance of the separated isotope present in the unseparated starting sample. The first method measured the accumulated charge directly incident on the conductive substrate in real-time while the second method performed a full chemical analysis of the substrate after dissolution. Our previous results demonstrated and compared these quantification methods with a multi-element standard of stable isotopes. This research expands on previous results and utilizes the stable mass ion yield to quantify trace amounts of the (radioactive) isotope of interest present in the sample. The mass-separated radioactive isotopes were fission products produced from thermal neutron irradiation of a highly enriched 235U foil. Five peak-yield mass chains were targeted. The results indicate good correlation between the two methods of measuring the ion yield and imply that coupling this method with traditional radiometric counting can result in an accurate means of quantifying radioactive isotopes. The final results we report here are within 1-sigma of the published cumulative fission yields.
Actualizing the Legacy—New Social Movements in the West and Civil Society against the State in the East

The reader of this volume may wonder why some thinkers were included while others are absent. The answer lies in the concept of a legacy and in the politics of its inheritance. The wordplay is important. Designating the legacy as Marxian suggests that Marx and those Marxists who claim to be his heirs have no monopoly on the theoretical definition or practical realization of radical politics. By refusing to accord Marx the sole paternity of the political search for what classical philosophers called ‘the Good Life in the City’, it becomes possible to rethink political theory and the light that it casts on contemporary political choices. My principles of inclusion and exclusion can be explained by this broader goal. As for Marx himself, to whose work I have returned several times during the years since the first edition of The Marxian Legacy, he is also best understood within the context constituted by his legacy, which has practical as well as theoretical, as the title of this chapter suggests.
On Misunderstanding the Second Contradiction Thesis

James O’Connor’s “second contradiction” thesis is widely misunderstood as an ecological crisis theory. Most of the criticisms of the theory derive from this misreading, including those which ignore...
Physical activity, dietary calcium to magnesium intake and mortality in the National Health and Examination Survey 1999-2006 cohort

Calcium and magnesium affect muscle mass and function. Magnesium and calcium are also important for optimal vitamin D status. Vitamin D status modifies the associations between physical activity and risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality. However, no study examined whether levels of magnesium and calcium and the ratio of dietary calcium to magnesium (Ca:Mg) intake modify the relationship between physical activity and mortality. We included 20,295 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants (1999-2006) aged >20 years with complete dietary, physical activity and mortality data (2,663 deaths). We assessed physical activity based on public health guidelines and sex-specific tertiles of MET-minutes/week. We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for potential confounding factors and stratified by the intakes of magnesium, calcium, Ca:Mg ratio. We found higher physical activity was significantly associated with reduced risk of total mortality and cause-specific mortality, regardless of Ca:Mg ratio, magnesium or calcium intake. In contrast, both moderate and high physical activity were significantly associated with substantially reduced risks of mortality due to cancer when magnesium intake was above the RDA level. We also found higher physical activity was significantly associated with a reduced risk of mortality due to cancer only when Ca:Mg ratios were between 1.7 and 2.6, although the interaction was not significant. Overall, dietary magnesium and, potentially, the Ca:Mg ratio modify the relationship between physical activity and cause-specific mortality. Further study is important to understand the modifying effects of the balance between calcium and magnesium intake on physical activity for chronic disease prevention.
Should Clinicians Leave "Expanded" Carrier Screening Decisions to Patients?

Many patients choose to undergo some type of carrier screening when pregnant or planning to become pregnant. “Expanded” carrier screening products test all patients for the same conditions
Accelerated cardiomyocyte senescence contributes to late-onset doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Children surviving cancer and chemotherapy are at risk for adverse health events including heart failure that may be delayed by years. Although the early effects of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxici...
Surface Effects of Ultrasmall Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Cellular Uptake, Proliferation, and Multipotency of Neural Stem Cells

Ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles (USIONPs) have been recently developed as labeling probes for T2 magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. However, their use in stem cell tracking has been limited, especially as T1 contrast agents. In this study, we studied the effects of USIONP surface coatings on proliferation, cellular uptake, and multipontency of established and primary neural stem cells (NSCs). USIONPs were functionalized with gluconic acid (GA), tannic acid (TA), and hyaluronic acid (HA) to label the NSCs. All functionalized USIONPs were characterized as T1 contrast agents via relaxivity measurements. Direct functionalization with TA and HA-coating promoted NSC proliferation and enhanced cellular uptake in a dose-dependent manner than those with GA. Furthermore, HA-coating showed enhanced cell proliferation and cellular uptake in primary NSCs depending on the HA molecular weight. Stem cell characteristics were well-maintained, verified by neurosphere formation and gene expression of stemness a...
Do Analysts Play an Information Intermediary Role? Evidence from High and Low Intangible Firms

Many critics have questioned the role of financial analysts, particularly whether they augment the financial reporting systems of intangible firms. In this study, we assess the information intermediary role of analysts by examining the accuracy and value relevance of analyst earnings forecasts in following high versus low-intangible firms. First, we examine the association between analyst forecast accuracy relative to forecasts based on firm-reported earnings and firms' intangibles. Second, we compare the value relevance of analyst earnings forecast and firm-reported earnings for high versus low-intangible firms. From both examinations, we obtain results consistent with analysts' augmenting the information environment of high-intangible firms. Our results highlight analyst intermediary role in following intangible firms, and the potential to enhance financial reporting systems for intangibles.
Assessment of Electronic Health Record Search Patterns and Practices by Practitioners in a Large Integrated Health Care System.

Importance The electronic health record (EHR) is a source of practitioner dissatisfaction in part because of challenges with information retrieval. To improve data accessibility, a better understanding of practitioners’ information needs within individual patient records is needed. Objective To assess EHR users’ searches using data from a large integrated health care system. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cross-sectional analysis used EHR search data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, an integrated health care delivery system with more than 4.4 million members. Users’ EHR search activity data were obtained from April 1, 2018, to May 15, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Search term frequency was grouped by user and practitioner types. Network analyses were performed of co-occurring search terms within a single search episode, and centrality measures for search terms (degree and betweenness centrality) were calculated. Results A total of 12 313 047 search activities (including 4 328 330 searches and 7 984 717 result views) conducted by 34 735 unique users within 977 160 unique patient EHRs were identified. In aggregate, users searched for 208 374 unique search terms and conducted a median of 4 searches (interquartile range, 1-28 searches). Of all 97 367 active EHR users, 34 735 (35.7%) conducted at least 1 search. However, of all 12 968 active EHR physician users, 9801 (75.6%) conducted at least 1 search, and of all 1908 active pharmacist users, 1402 (73.5%) conducted at least 1 search. The top 3 most commonly searched terms werestatin(75 017 searches [1.7%]),colonoscopy(73 545 [1.7%]), andpft(54 990 [1.3%]). However, wide variation in top searches were noted across practitioner groups. Terms searched most often with another term in a single linked search episode includedstatin,lisinopril,colonoscopy,gabapentin, andaspirin. Conclusions and Relevance Although physicians and pharmacists were the most active users of EHR searches, search volume and frequently searched terms varied considerably by and within user role. Further customization of the EHR interface may help leverage users’ search content and patterns to improve targeted information retrieval.
Design, synthesis and characterization of structurally dynamic cyclic N,S-acetals

We report the synthesis, characterization and comparison of a series of electronically perturbed, cyclic N,S-acetals. Inspired by electrophilic auxiliaries utilized for amine capture and concomitant peptide ligation, we studied these N,S-acetal systems and evaluated their propensity to generate zwitterionic intermediates in situ. Certain N,S-acetals in this study exhibit structurally dynamic properties through a solvent and pH-dependent ability to ring-open and ring-close via C1–S bond ionization at room temperature.
COVIDSeer: Extending the CORD-19 Dataset

We develop an enhanced version of CORD-19 dataset released by the Allen Institute for AI. Tools in the SeerSuite project are used to exploit information in original articles not directly provided in the CORD-19 datasets. We add 728 new abstracts, 70,102 figures and 31,446 tables with captions that are not provided in the current data release. We also built a vertical search engine COVIDSeer based on the new dataset we created. COVIDSeer has a relatively simple architecture with features like keyword filtering, and similar paper recommendation. The goal was to provide a system and dataset that can help scientists better navigate through the literature concerning COVID-19. The enriched dataset can serve as a supplement to the existing dataset. The search engine, which offers keyphrase-enhanced search, will hopefully help biomedical and life science researchers, medical students, and the general public to more effectively explore coronavirus-related literature. The entire data set and the system will be made open source.
Spatial structure maintains diversity of pyocin inhibition in household Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Nearly all bacteria produce narrow-spectrum antibiotics called bacteriocins. Studies have shown that bacteriocins can mediate microbial interactions, but the mechanisms underlying patterns of inhibition are less well understood. We assembled a spatially structured collection of isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from bathroom and kitchen sink drains in nine households. Growth inhibition of these P. aeruginosa by bacteriocins, known as pyocins in this species, was measured using pairwise inhibition assays. Carbon source usage of these isolates was measured, and genetic distance was estimated using multilocus sequencing. We found that as the distance between sites of isolation increased, there was a significantly higher probability of inhibition, and that pyocin inhibition and susceptibility vary greatly among isolates collected from different houses. We also detected support for other mechanisms influencing diversity: inhibition outcomes were influenced by the type of drain from which isolates were collected, and while we found no indication that carbon source utilization influences inhibition, inhibition was favoured at an intermediate genetic distance. Overall, these results suggest that the combined effects of dispersal limitation among sites and competitive exclusion within them maintain diversity in pyocin inhibition and susceptibility phenotypes, and that additional processes such as local adaptation and effects of phylogenetic distance could further contribute to spatial variability.
Enhancement of the thermal conductivity of sands via microbially-induced calcite precipitation

Energy piles and ground source heat pump systems have been shown to provide sustainable alternatives for temperature regulation in buildings and other applications such as road de-icing. However, their efficiency can be undermined in partially-saturated and dry sandy soils due to the relatively low thermal conductivity (kt) of these materials. Microbially-Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) has been demonstrated to be an environmentally-conscious ground improvement technology capable of modifying the engineering properties of sandy soils including increases in shear stiffness and strength and decreases in hydraulic conductivity. These improvements result from the precipitation of calcium carbonate crystals at inter-particle contacts and on particle surfaces. This paper presents results from a soil column study aimed at investigating changes in soil kt during MICP treatments and subsequent desaturation using a poorly- graded sand. The results indicate that while bio-cementation can increase soil kt, the level of enhancement depends on the degree of saturation. For instance, increases of up to 330% were measured under dry conditions while only modest increases of about 15% were measured under saturated conditions. MICP treatment may therefore be most effective at enhancing the kt of partially-saturated and dry sands. In addition, the similarity between the evolution of kt and shear wave velocity (Vs) during MICP treatment suggests that kt may provide a new method to assess cementation level and contact quality.
A Four-Element 500-MHz 40-mW 6-bit ADC-Enabled Time-Domain Spatial Signal Processor

Next-generation wireless communication requires phased-array systems with large modulated bandwidths and high energy efficiency, ensuring Gb/s data communication. Conventional phase-shifter-based arrays result in frequency-dependent processing and, therefore, beam-squinting in an array. This work demonstrates a four-element 500-MHz modulated bandwidth true-time-delay-based ADC-enabled spatial signal processor (SSP) with frequency-uniform beamforming, wideband beam-nulling, and multiple independent interference filterings using the Kronecker decomposition. This processor can augment conventional phased-array RF front ends to implement a complete antenna-to-digital solution. The proposed baseband delay-compensating solution in the SSP uses scalable time-domain circuits comprising of time-interleaved voltage-to-time converters followed by asynchronous 6-bit pipeline time-to-digital converters and consumes only 40 mW with a total area of 0.31 mm2 in 65-nm CMOS technology.
Interpersonal Relationships in the 1996–1997 Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis in Peru: A View from Relational Development Theory

This paper applies relational development theory to the Japanese embassy hostage crisis that took place in Lima, Peru (from December 1996 to April 1997). During the hostage crisis, members of the T...
Effect of Composition on Mechanical Properties and Conductivity of the Dual-Ion Conductor Na1+xMnx/2Zr2–x/2(PO4)3 for Solid-State Batteriesa

We report the dependence of mechanical properties and ionic conductivity of the Na1+xMnx/2Zr2–x/2(PO4)3 (designated as NMZP) ionic conductor on its composition (with x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0). Lo...
Reliability study of micro-pin fin array for on-chip cooling

With continued power, performance, functionality, and miniaturization demands, microelectronic devices can dissipate upwards of 50 W/cm2 reaching to 100's of W/cm2 and possibly 1000 W/cm2 in the next 10 years. With such a high heat flux, traditional cooling through thermal interface material and heat spreader may not be able to remove the heat, especially from hot spots. In an ongoing research at Georgia Tech, innovative fluid-thermal solutions are being pursued where deionized water or refrigerants are circulated through an array of micro-pin fins etched into the backside of the silicon. In the proposed configuration, the thick backside of the silicon is used to etch an array of micro-pin fins and the silicon die is then bonded to another silicon or quartz substrate to create a micro-pin fin channel for fluid flow. To maximize heat flux, the fluid is expected to be in two-phase. The objective of this paper is to examine such a micro-pin fin array from the standpoint of cracking and reliability.