cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancing mask activity in dopaminergic neurons extends lifespan in flies

Dopaminergic neurons (DANs) are essential modulators for brain functions involving memory formation, reward processing, and decision-making. Here I demonstrate a novel and important function of the DANs in regulating aging and longevity. Overexpressing the putative scaffolding protein Mask in two small groups of DANs in flies can significantly extend the lifespan in flies and sustain adult locomotor and fecundity at old ages. This Mask-induced beneficial effect requires dopaminergic transmission but cannot be recapitulated by elevating dopamine production alone in the DANs. Independent activation of Gαs in the same two groups of DANs via the drug-inducible DREADD system also extends fly lifespan, further indicating the connection of specific DANs to aging control. The Mask-induced lifespan extension appears to depend on the function of Mask to regulate microtubule (MT) stability. A structure-function analysis demonstrated that the ankyrin repeats domain in the Mask protein is both necessary for regulating MT stability (when expressed in muscles and motor neurons) and sufficient to prolong longevity (when expressed in the two groups of DANs). Furthermore, DAN-specific overexpression of Unc-104 or knockdown of p150Glued , two independent interventions previously shown to impact MT dynamics, also extends lifespan in flies. Together, these data demonstrated a novel DANs-dependent mechanism that, upon the tuning of their MT dynamics, modulates systemic aging and longevity in flies.
The US Pretrial System: Balancing Individual Rights and Public Interests

In this article, we review a growing empirical literature on the effectiveness and fairness of the US pretrial system and discuss its policy implications. Despite the importance of this stage of the criminal legal process, researchers have only recently begun to explore how the pretrial system balances individual rights and public interests. We describe the empirical challenges that have prevented progress in this area and how recent work has made use of new data sources and quasi-experimental approaches to credibly estimate both the individual harms (such as loss of employment or government assistance) and public benefits (such as preventing non-appearance at court and new crimes) of cash bail and pretrial detention. These new data and approaches show that the current pretrial system imposes substantial short- and long-term economic harms on detained defendants in terms of lost earnings and government assistance, while providing little in the way of decreased criminal activity for the public interest. Non-appearances at court do significantly decrease for detained defendants, but the magnitudes cannot justify the economic harms to individuals observed in the data. A second set of studies shows that that the costs of cash bail and pretrial detention are disproportionately borne by Black and Hispanic individuals, giving rise to large and unfair racial differences in cash bail and detention that cannot be explained by underlying differences in pretrial misconduct risk. We then turn to policy implications and describe areas of future work that would enable a deeper understanding of what drives these undesirable outcomes.
Characterization of Flap Edge Noise Radiation from a High-Fidelity Airframe Model

The results of an experimental study of the noise generated by a baseline high-fidelity airframe model are presented. The test campaign was conducted in the open-jet test section of the NASA Langley 14- by 22-foot Subsonic Tunnel on an 18%-scale, semi-span Gulfstream airframe model incorporating a trailing edge flap and main landing gear. Unsteady surface pressure measurements were obtained from a series of sensors positioned along the two flap edges, and far field acoustic measurements were obtained using a 97-microphone phased array that viewed the pressure side of the airframe. The DAMAS array deconvolution method was employed to determine the locations and strengths of relevant noise sources in the vicinity of the flap edges and the landing gear. A Coherent Output Power (COP) spectral method was used to couple the unsteady surface pressures measured along the flap edges with the phased array output. The results indicate that outboard flap edge noise is dominated by the flap bulb seal cavity with very strong COP coherence over an approximate model-scale frequency range of 1 to 5 kHz observed between the array output and those unsteady pressure sensors nearest the aft end of the cavity. An examination of experimental COP spectra for the inboard flap proved inconclusive, most likely due to a combination of coherence loss caused by decorrelation of acoustic waves propagating through the thick wind tunnel shear layer and contamination of the spectra by tunnel background noise at lower frequencies. Directivity measurements obtained from integration of DAMAS pressure-squared values over defined geometric zones around the model show that the baseline flap and landing gear are only moderately directional as a function of polar emission angle.
Multi-Objective Graph Heuristic Search for Terrestrial Robot Design

We present methods for co-designing rigid robots over control and morphology (including discrete topology) over multiple objectives. Previous work has addressed problems in single-objective robot co-design or multi-objective control. However, the joint multi-objective co-design problem is extremely important for generating capable, versatile, algorithmically designed robots. In this work, we present Multi-Objective Graph Heuristic Search, which extends a single-objective graph heuristic search from previous work to enable a highly efficient multi-objective search in a combinatorial design topology space. Core to this approach, we introduce a new universal, multiobjective heuristic function based on graph neural networks that is able to effectively leverage learned information between different task trade-offs. We demonstrate our approach on six combinations of seven terrestrial locomotion and design tasks, including one three-objective example. We compare the captured Pareto fronts across different methods and demonstrate that our multi-objective graph heuristic search quantitatively and qualitatively outperforms other techniques.
The number of oriented rational links with a given deficiency number

Let &#x1d4b0;n be the set of un-oriented and rational links with crossing number n, a precise formula for |&#x1d4b0;n| was obtained by Ernst and Sumners in 1987. In this paper, we study the enumeration problem of ...
GNN4IP: Graph Neural Network for Hardware Intellectual Property Piracy Detection

Aggressive time-to-market constraints and enormous hardware design and fabrication costs have pushed the semiconductor industry toward hardware Intellectual Properties (IP) core design. However, the globalization of the integrated circuits (IC) supply chain exposes IP providers to theft and illegal redistribution of IPs. Watermarking and fingerprinting are proposed to detect IP piracy. Nevertheless, they come with additional hardware overhead and cannot guarantee IP security as advanced attacks are reported to remove the watermark, forge, or bypass it. In this work, we propose a novel methodology, GNN4IP, to assess similarities between circuits and detect IP piracy. We model the hardware design as a graph and construct a graph neural network model to learn its behavior using the comprehensive dataset of register transfer level codes and gate-level netlists that we have gathered. GNN4IP detects IP piracy with 96% accuracy in our dataset and recognizes the original IP in its obfuscated version with 100% accuracy.
An Electrochemical Ethylamine/Acetonitrile Redox Method for Ambient Hydrogen Storage.

Hydrogen storage presents a major difficulty in the development of hydrogen economy. Herein, we report a new electrochemical ethylamine/acetonitrile redox method for hydrogen storage with an 8.9 wt...
Logarithmic Regret from Sublinear Hints

We consider the online linear optimization problem, where at every step the algorithm plays a point $x_t$ in the unit ball, and suffers loss $\langle c_t, x_t\rangle$ for some cost vector $c_t$ that is then revealed to the algorithm. Recent work showed that if an algorithm receives a hint $h_t$ that has non-trivial correlation with $c_t$ before it plays $x_t$, then it can achieve a regret guarantee of $O(\log T)$, improving on the bound of $\Theta(\sqrt{T})$ in the standard setting. In this work, we study the question of whether an algorithm really requires a hint at every time step. Somewhat surprisingly, we show that an algorithm can obtain $O(\log T)$ regret with just $O(\sqrt{T})$ hints under a natural query model; in contrast, we also show that $o(\sqrt{T})$ hints cannot guarantee better than $\Omega(\sqrt{T})$ regret. We give two applications of our result, to the well-studied setting of optimistic regret bounds and to the problem of online learning with abstention.
Ab initio ultrafast spin dynamics in solids

Spin relaxation and decoherence is at the heart of spintronics and spin-based quantum information science. Currently, theoretical approaches that can accurately predict spin relaxation of general solids including necessary scattering pathways and capable for ns to ms simulation time are urgently needed. We present a first-principles real-time density-matrix approach based on Lindblad dynamics to simulate ultrafast spin dynamics for general solid-state systems. Through the complete first-principles descriptions of pump, probe and scattering processes including electron-phonon, electron-impurity and electron-electron scatterings with self-consistent spin-orbit couplings, our method can directly simulate the ultrafast pump-probe measurements for coupled spin and electron dynamics over ns at any temperature and doping levels. We apply this method to a prototypical system GaAs and obtain excellent agreement with experiments. We found that the relative contributions of different scattering mechanisms and phonon modes differ considerably between spin and carrier relaxation processes. In sharp contrast to previous work based on model Hamiltonians, we point out that the electron-electron scattering is negligible at room temperature but becomes very important at low temperatures for spin relaxation in n-type GaAs. Most importantly, we examine the applicable conditions of the commonly-used D'yakonov-Perel' relation, which may break down for individual scattering processes. Our work provides a predictive computational platform for spin relaxation in solids, which has unprecedented potentials for designing new materials ideal for spintronics and quantum information technology.
Who Leads and Who Follows in Strategic Classification

As predictive models are deployed into the real world, they must increasingly contend with strategic behavior. A growing body of work on strategic classification treats this problem as a Stackelberg game: the decision-maker "leads" in the game by deploying a model, and the strategic agents "follow" by playing their best response to the deployed model. Importantly, in this framing, the burden of learning is placed solely on the decision-maker, while the agents' best responses are implicitly treated as instantaneous. In this work, we argue that the order of play in strategic classification is fundamentally determined by the relative frequencies at which the decision-maker and the agents adapt to each other's actions. In particular, by generalizing the standard model to allow both players to learn over time, we show that a decision-maker that makes updates faster than the agents can reverse the order of play, meaning that the agents lead and the decision-maker follows. We observe in standard learning settings that such a role reversal can be desirable for both the decision-maker and the strategic agents. Finally, we show that a decision-maker with the freedom to choose their update frequency can induce learning dynamics that converge to Stackelberg equilibria with either order of play.
How efficient is contact tracing in mitigating the spread of COVID-19? a mathematical modeling approach.

Abstract Contact Tracing (CT) is one of the measures taken by government and health officials to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. In this paper, we investigate its efficacy by developing a compartmental model for assessing its impact on mitigating the spread of the virus. We describe the impact on the reproduction number R 0 of COVID-19. In particular, we discuss the importance and relevance of parameters of the model such as the number of reported cases, effectiveness of tracking and monitoring policy, and the transmission rates to contact tracing. We describe the terms “perfect tracking”, “perfect monitoring” and “perfect reporting” to indicate that traced contacts will be tracked while incubating, tracked contacts are efficiently monitored so that they do not cause secondary infections, and all infected persons are reported, respectively. We consider three special scenarios: (1) perfect monitoring and perfect tracking of contacts of a reported case, (2) perfect reporting of cases and perfect monitoring of tracked reported cases and (3) perfect reporting and perfect tracking of contacts of reported cases. Furthermore, we gave a lower bound on the proportion of contacts to be traced to ensure that the effective reproduction, R c , is below one and describe R c in terms of observable quantities such as the proportion of reported and traced cases. Model simulations using the COVID-19 data obtained from John Hopkins University for some selected states in the US suggest that even late intervention of CT may reasonably reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and reduce peak hospitalizations and deaths. In particular, our findings suggest that effective monitoring policy of tracked cases and tracking of traced contacts while incubating are more crucial than tracing more contacts. The use of CT coupled with other measures such as social distancing, use of face mask, self-isolation or quarantine and lockdowns will greatly reduce the spread of the epidemic as well as peak hospitalizations and total deaths.
Pure O-Sequences: Known Results, Applications, and Open Problems

This paper presents a discussion of the algebraic and combinatorial aspects of the theory of pure O-sequences. Various instances where pure O-sequences appear are described. Several open problems that deserve further investigation are also presented.
Proximity inductive dimension and Brouwer dimension agree on compact Hausdorff spaces

In this paper we show that the proximity inductive dimension defined by Isbell agrees with the Brouwer dimension originally described by Brouwer on the class of compact Hausdorff spaces. Consequently, Fedorchuk's example of a compact Hausdorff space whose Brouwer dimension exceeds its Lebesgue covering dimension is an example of a space whose proximity inductive dimension exceeds its proximity dimension as defined by Smirnov.
Veering triangulations and the Thurston norm: Homology to isotopy

Abstract We show that a veering triangulation τ specifies a face σ of the Thurston norm ball of a closed 3-manifold, and computes the Thurston norm in the cone over σ. Further, we show that τ collates exactly the taut surfaces representing classes in the cone over σ up to isotopy. The analysis includes nonlayered veering triangulations and nonfibered faces. We also prove an analogous theorem for manifolds with boundary that is integral to a theorem of Landry-Minsky-Taylor relating the Thurston norm to the veering polynomial, a new generalization of McMullen's Teichmuller polynomial.
Optimal bounds for ancient caloric functions

For any manifold with polynomial volume growth, we show that the dimension of the space of ancient caloric functions with polynomial growth is bounded by the degree of growth times the dimension of harmonic functions with the same growth. As a consequence, we get a sharp bound for the dimension of ancient caloric functions on any space where Yau’s 1974 conjecture about polynomial growth harmonic functions holds.
Undocumented faults revealed in multisensor image analysis, Mojave Desert, California, U.S.A.

Undocumented late Miocene and younger strike-slip and normal faults that extend up to 25 km in the eastern, and northeastern Mojave Desert block have been detected and mapped using Landsat thematic mapper (TM), SPOT panchromatic, and synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) images. The faults are located in the Bristol Mountains, Cady Mountains, Alvord Mountain, and Granite Mountains (Fort Irwin military reservation) areas. Some faults are perceived on the TM images because of spectral contrasts primarily at infrared wavelengths. Other faults are highlighted on SPOT panchromatic and radar images because of topographic contrasts. Corregistration of enhanced TM/SPOT panchromatic data maximizes both spectral and topographic information in the images. The newly detected faults form part of a complex regional network of right shear in eastern California that connects faults in the southern Death Valley region with the San Andreas fault system. Structural relations along. the faults suggest at least two intervals of movement and a westward migration of the locus of strain in the southern Mojave. In the Bristol Mountains east of Broadwell Lake, the faults are overlain by undisturbed Pleistocene alluvial fan deposits and are probably inactive. In contrast, the area to the west (Cady Mountains) and south contains faults that cut all deposits and is seismically active. Some faults in the Cady Mountains bound blocks that have experienced differing rotational histories since middle Miocene time. Newly identified faults in the northeastern Mojave suggest that right-slip may be more important to the overall deformation than previously reported.
High-resolution manometry of pharyngeal swallow pressure events associated with head turn and chin tuck.

ObjectivesWe quantified the effect of swallowing maneuvers on pharyngeal pressure events using high-resolution manometry.MethodsSeven subjects swallowed multiple 5-mL water boluses in 3 different postural conditions: neutral, head turn, and chin tuck. Pressure and timing events were recorded with a 36-sensor high-resolution manometry catheter. We analyzed the regions of the velopharynx and the base of the tongue for maximum pressure, rate of pressure increase, pressure gradient, and duration of pressure above baseline. In the region of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), we analyzed the duration of pressure declination, minimum pressure during UES opening, and maximum pressures before and after UES opening.ResultsThe maneuvers did not have a significant effect on maximum pressure, rate of pressure increase, or pressure gradients in the velopharyngeal or tongue base regions. The duration of pressure above baseline was significantly longer in the velopharynx for head turn. The preswallow maximum UES press...
Hemispheric Asymmetries in Verbal Memory

Publisher Summary Studies of cerebral asymmetries identify the functions of individual hemispheres to better understand how they cooperate during normal processing. Although the two cerebral hemispheres house similar anatomical structures, each is specialized for certain types of processing. Nowhere is this functional asymmetry more evident than in speech production, which, for most humans, seems to be entirely supported by the left hemisphere (LH). More general language processes also tend to be left lateralized, although the right hemisphere (RH) provides critical contributions. Although there seem to be biases in the type of information each hemisphere processes most adeptly, effects seen in stem completion, false memory, and repetition lag studies suggest that both hemispheres contribute to verbal memory, albeit differently. The data thus far suggest that the RH may tend to encode verbal stimuli more veridically, whereas the LH may tend to rapidly abstract away from the input, both at perceptual and at semantic levels of analysis. These encoding differences have consequences for what aspects of verbal stimuli can later be recovered, for the time course with which information about words will be retained, and for the types of errors that are likely to be made in memory tasks, among others. In turn, hemispheric differences in verbal memory have important implications for language processing, as comprehenders retain word and message-level information, build and link syntactic structures, map between referents in a discourse, and reanalyze words and phrases to appreciate humor and other nonliteral language.
Purification of the Ah receptor from C57BL/6J mouse liver.

The photoaffinity ligand for the Ah receptor, [125I]-2-azido-3-iodo-7,8-dibromodibenzo-p-dioxin, previously has been shown to selectively label two peptides in the cytosol fraction of C57BL/6J mouse liver: a 95-kDa peptide, the ligand binding moiety of the Ah receptor, and a 70-kDa proteolytic fragment formed from the larger peptide (Poland, A., Glover, E., Ebetino, F. H., and Kende, A.S. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 6352-6365). These two peptides were partially purified to an approximately 20,000-fold enrichment with a 15-20% yield by the following scheme: 1) photoaffinity labeling of the 35-55% ammonium sulfate fraction of liver cytosol; 2) chromatography on polyethyleneimine-Sepharose coupled at low charge density and heparin/Mn2+ precipitation of the dilute column eluate; 3) DEAE-Sepharose chromatography to remove heparin; 4) chromatography on heparin-Sepharose; 5) preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis followed by electroelution of the protein and ion pair extraction to remove sodium dodecyl sulfate; and 6) high performance liquid chromatography on a reverse-phase C-4 column. Following initial chromatography on polyethyleneimine Sepharose, it was found that substantial subsequent purification could only be achieved under denaturing conditions.
Two-zone excimer photorefractive keratectomy for moderate myopia. Six- to 18-month follow-up.

Purpose: To study the results of the two-zone photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in 35 eyes of 27 patients with moderate myopia of 6 to 8 diopters (D) over 6 to 18 months. Methods: An excimer laser was used with a fluence of 160 mJ/cm 2 at a frequency of 5 Hz. The ablation was performed with two zones (6 and 5 mm). All patients received topical steroid (0.1 fluorometholone) tapered over 4 months. Results: There were no significant untoward effects in any patient. There were minimal changes in contrast sensitivity, brightness acuity, and astigmatism. Uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better was obtained in 77% of patients at 6 months, in 73% at 12 months, and in 71% at 18 months. A refraction of ±1.0 diopter was obtained in 69% at 6 months, in 65% at 12 months, and in 71 % at 18 months. There is no statistically significant difference at 6, 12, and 18 months in both visual acuity and refraction. Conclusion: Two-zone PRK in moderate myopia is safe and reasonably effective. The results are stable from 6 to 18 months.
Methods to Quantify microRNAs in the Myc Gene Network for Posttranscriptional Gene Repression

As a global transcription factor, Myc regulates both protein-coding genes and noncoding microRNA genes. Myc-activated or repressed miRNAs are involved in various pathways to affect tumorigenesis, mediate apoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and metabolism downstream of Myc. Functional characterization of miRNAs in the Myc network requires the accurate detection and quantification of miRNA expression levels. Here, we describe two widely used methodologies to determine miRNA expression, including miRNA real-time PCR and miRNA northern analysis.
Conductive olfactory losses in chronic rhinosinusitis? A computational fluid dynamics study of 29 patients

Background Besides sensorineural factors, conductive impediments likely contribute to olfactory losses in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients, yet no conclusive evidence exists. We aimed to examine possible conductive factors using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. Methods A total of 29 CRS patients were assessed via odorant detection thresholds (ODTs), rhinomanometry (nasal resistance [NR]), acoustic rhinometry (minimum-cross-sectional area [MCA]) and computed tomography (CT) staging. CFD simulations of nasal airflow and odorant absorption to olfactory region were carried out based on individual CTs. Biopsies of olfactory epithelium (OE) were collected, cryosectioned, stained, and scored for erosion. Results Significant correlations to ODTs were found for 3 variables: odor absorption in the olfactory region (r = −0.60, p < 0.01), MCA (r = −0.40, p < 0.05), and CT staging (r = 0.42, p < 0.05). However, significant findings were limited to ODTs of the highly soluble l-carvone. Multiple regression analysis revealed that these variables combined, with the addition of NR, can account for 65% of the total variance in ODTs. CT staging correlated significantly with OE erosion (r = 0.77, p < 0.01) and can replace the latter in the regression with comparable outcomes. Partial correlations suggest the contributions of both conductive and sensorineural variables are more prominent if adjusted for the effects of the other. Olfactory loss and inflammatory factors have strong bilateral involvement, whereas conductive factors are independent between sides. As validation, CFD-simulated NRs significantly correlated with rhinomanometrically assessed NRs (r = 0.60, p < 0.01). Conclusion Both conductive and sensorineural mechanisms can contribute to olfactory losses in CRS. CFD modeling provides critical guidance in understanding the role of conductive impediments in olfactory dysfunction in CRS.
Use and predictors of end-of-life care among HIV patients in a safety net health system

Abstract Context Although highly active antiretroviral therapy has improved survival among many HIV patients, there are still those with advanced illness and limited access to care who may benefit from palliative care and hospice. Objectives To examine completion of advance directives, use of palliative care, and enrollment in hospice among HIV patients who receive care at an urban safety net hospital. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of HIV patients in a large, urban safety net hospital in 2010. Physicians abstracted data from the electronic medical record on patient and clinical factors and end-of-life care use. Logistic regression examined predictors of hospice use. Results Overall, 367 HIV patients identified electronically by International Classification of Disease (ICD)-9 code were hospitalized in 2010. The mean age was 42 years, and 57% were African American. Although 28% died, only 6% of the sample received palliative care consultation, and 6% of the sample enrolled in hospice. Those who received hospice had lower albumin levels (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.53, 95% CI 1.19–17.34) had received palliative care (AOR 9.73, 95% CI 2.10–45.09) and completed an advance directive (AOR 16.33, 95% CI 4.23–61.68). Of those patients who received hospice, the mean time to death after enrollment was 11 days. Conclusion Among an urban cohort of HIV patients, the rates of advance directive completion, palliative care use, and hospice use were low. Despite advancements in the treatment of HIV, many patients with advanced illness may benefit from palliative care and hospice services. Advances should be made in identifying those patients earlier in their disease trajectories.
Effect of Yeast and Nicotinic Acid on Porphyrinuria.

Summary and Conclusions1. These studies confirm the previous observations of Beckh, Ellinger and Spies1 that porphyrinuria is a frequent finding in pellagra and disappears following the administration of yeast. 2. The present study shows that nicotinic acid, a substance which has been shown to be curative for the mucous membrane lesions of pellagra, likewise produces a decrease of porphyrinuria in pellagrins. 3. In addition, the present study shows that the porphyrinuria associated with a number of diseases other than pellagra likewise is promptly decreased following the administration of either yeast or nicotinic acid.
Effect of Inoculation of Whole Plant Corn Forage with Pediococcus acidilactici and Lactobacillus xylosus on Preservation of Silage and Heifer Growth

Abstract Whole plant corn silage was ensiled in plastic silo bags, with or without addition of a corn silage inoculant containing Pediococcus acidilactici and Lactobacillus xylosus , to evaluate effects on end-products of silage fermentation, apparent total tract nutrient digestibility, and performance of Holstein heifers. Dry matter recovery and soluble carbohydrate concentration were higher for inoculated silage than for control silage following 110 d of fermentation. Differences between control and inoculated corn silage were not significant for total N, content of nitrogenous fractions and structural carbohydrates, major fermentation acids, or pH. Following exposure to air, pH of inoculated silage was lower than control silage, suggesting greater aerobic stability for the inoculated silage. Heifers fed control silage gained more body weight and used feed more efficiently during the first 42 d of the growth trial than did heifers fed inoculated silage. Body weight gains and DM intakes were greater for heifers fed inoculated silage than for heifers fed control silage during the second 42 d of the growth trial, and efficiency of feed utilization was not different between treatments. During the complete 84-d growth trial, heifers fed the two corn silages did not differ in average daily gain, but heifers fed inoculated corn silage consumed more DM and used it less efficiently than heifers fed control silage. Digestibilities of organic matter, N and ADF were greater when heifers were fed inoculated silage than when they were fed control silage, during the last 3 d of the trial, but differences in digestibilities of NDF and hemicellulose were not significantly different between treatments.
Mars Exploration Rover Navigation Camera in‐flight calibration

[1] The Navigation Camera (Navcam) instruments on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) spacecraft provide support for both tactical operations as well as scientific observations where color information is not necessary: large-scale morphology, atmospheric monitoring including cloud observations and dust devil movies, and context imaging for both the thermal emission spectrometer and the in situ instruments on the Instrument Deployment Device. The Navcams are a panchromatic stereoscopic imaging system built using identical charge-coupled device (CCD) detectors and nearly identical electronics boards as the other cameras on the MER spacecraft. Previous calibration efforts were primarily focused on providing a detailed geometric calibration in line with the principal function of the Navcams, to provide data for the MER navigation team. This paper provides a detailed description of a new Navcam calibration pipeline developed to provide an absolute radiometric calibration that we estimate to have an absolute accuracy of 10% and a relative precision of 2.5%. Our calibration pipeline includes steps to model and remove the bias offset, the dark current charge that accumulates in both the active and readout regions of the CCD, and the shutter smear. It also corrects pixel-to-pixel responsivity variations using flat-field images, and converts from raw instrument-corrected digital number values per second to units of radiance (W m−2 nm−1 sr−1), or to radiance factor (I/F). We also describe here the initial results of two applications where radiance-calibrated Navcam data provide unique information for surface photometric and atmospheric aerosol studies.
Multireference state-specific coupled-cluster methods. State-of-the-art and perspectives

This work reviews the state-specific multireference coupled-cluster (CC) approaches which have been developed as approximate methods for performing high-level quantum mechanical calculations on quasidegenerate ground and excited states of atomic and molecular systems. The term “quasidegenerate” refers to a state that cannot be described even in the first approximation by a single-determinant wavefunction (a Slater determinant), but requires two or more determinants for this purpose. The main challenge with applying the coupled-cluster theory to such states is in describing the electron correlation effects in the wavefunctions representing these states in a manner that is size-extensive, yet accurate and simple enough so the method can be routinely applied to small and medium-size molecular systems. We are describing how this can be accomplished within a theory that focuses on only one state of the system in a single CC calculation (the state-specific theory).
Modeling the politics of punishment: A conceptual and empirical analysis of ‘law in action’ in criminal sentencing

Abstract The empirical sentencing literature has focused intensively on racial equity concerns, but this research added to the literature by analyzing political-contextual sources of punishment. This study developed a functional model of court decision making and used ordinal logit to assess court punishment decisions in 387 counties across seven states. The findings supported established assumptions about individual level punishment determinants, but showed that political environment indicators also predicted sentence severity. Interactions were present as well. In law and order environments Black defendants received enhanced sentences, but in jurisdictions with the largest Black populations, Black defendants faced reduced punishments. With individual and state level effects held constant, the findings from this research reinforced claims that punishment is intensely political.
A WENO-limited, ADER-DT, finite-volume scheme for efficient, robust, and communication-avoiding multi-dimensional transport

The novel ADER-DT time discretization is applied to two-dimensional transport in a quadrature-free, WENO- and FCT-limited, Finite-Volume context. Emphasis is placed on (1) the serial and parallel computational properties of ADER-DT and this framework and (2) the flexibility of ADER-DT and this framework in efficiently balancing accuracy with other constraints important to transport applications. This study demonstrates a range of choices for the user when approaching their specific application while maintaining good parallel properties. In this method, genuine multi-dimensionality, single-step and single-stage time stepping, strict positivity, and a flexible range of limiting are all achieved with only one parallel synchronization and data exchange per time step. In terms of parallel data transfers per simulated time interval, this improves upon multi-stage time stepping and post-hoc filtering techniques such as hyperdiffusion. This method is evaluated with standard transport test cases over a range of limiting options to demonstrate quantitatively and qualitatively what a user should expect when employing this method in their application.
Emergency Evaluation of Children When Sexual Assault Is Suspected

Three reports in this issue of Pediatrics address the challenge of evaluating acute sexual assault of children and adolescents. The first, by Floyed et al, discusses using a screening tool in the pediatric emergency department to determine whether a child can be referred to a different (less-busy or more-appropriate) practice setting for evaluation.1 This is a reasonable approach, because many children report abuse that occurred days, weeks, or years before presentation to the emergency department. Two caveats, however, should be noted. The first comes from the other 2 studies in this issue.2,3 Both of those studies report an occasional incident in which forensic testing revealed evidence in assault cases several days after the events occurred. Another consideration is that, although a child's disclosure of sexual abuse in the distant past might not be perceived as a medical emergency by health care providers, it often is perceived as a major emotional crisis … Address correspondence to Carole Jenny, MD, MBA, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Potter-005, 593 Eddy St, Providence, RI 02903. E-mail: cjenny{at}lifespan.org
Evolution of Sequence Divergence among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Isolates Derived from a Blood Donor and a Recipient

Four neonates who were infected with a single unit of blood from a human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1)-infected adult (patient 1) were studied. Two of the infected children (patients II and III) developed symptomatic HIV-1 disease and died within the first 3 y of life. One child (patient IV) died at 8 mo of age of clinical problems that may have been HIV-related. In contrast, one child (patient V) has remained asymptomatic for 7.5 y and has exhibited a very gradual decline in CD4+ cell number. A previous study had shown very limited sequence diversity of isolates from patients I, II, and III (McNearney T et al.: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87:1917-1921, 1990). The current study examined additional HIV-1 sequences encoding the principal neutralizing V3 loop of the surface envelope protein of isolates from patients I and V. Amplified sequences were obtained using the polymerase chain reaction from a cultured isolate and uncultured peripheral blood leukocytes, and nucleotide sequences were determined for 13 clones from patient I and 19 clones from patient V. Clones derived from the cultured isolate exhibited less predicted amino acid sequence diversity on average (0-5.2%) than did sequences from uncultured leukocytes (0-19.8% differences). All clones were more closely related to those from patients II and III (0-19.8% amino acid differences) than to other North American or European isolates (18.8-27.0% amino acid differences) or African isolates (41.0-48.0% amino acid differences). Substitutions occurred at sites predicted to modulate host cell tropism and proteolytic cleavage of the V3 loop.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An application of file-comparison algorithms to the study of program editors

Program editing is considered in terms of a file-comparison model that formalizes the transformation of an imperfect version of a program text into an improved version by means of editing operations. With some enhancement, existing file-comparison algorithms can produce the information required for the model. These enhancements include the introduction of logical levels in files, selection of a corresponding element among alternatives, and the detection and analysis of similarity. An algorithm that incorporates these modifications is described. Illustrative of the use of the file-comparison model, a high-level editing sequence for a particular text editor and a particular editing task is automatically produced and is found to be comparable to typical user-produced editing sequences. Potential applications of the file-comparison model to the study of program editors are outlined.
Improved Theory of the Zeeman Effect of Atomic Oxygen

The previous calculations of Abragam and Van Vleck on the $g$ factors of the $2{p}^{4}^{3}P$ terms of atomic oxygen are refined by including exchange, using better wave functions, and not assuming that the charge distribution in which a $2p$ electron moves is spherically symmetric. In Sec. 2, a general technique is developed for calculating the relativistic and diamagnetic corrections to the $g$ factors of complex atoms (Breit-Margenau and Lamb terms, etc.) by an expansion in spherical harmonics which is an extension of the well-known Slater procedure for computing the angular dependence of electrostatic energy. The integrals encountered are usually either of the Condon and Shortley $F$, $G$ type, or variants thereof. The most important members are computed by means of the wave functions of Hartree, Hartree, and Swirles, based on a Fock self-consistent field, but some of the minor contributions are estimated with Slater wave functions improved by introducing slightly different screening constants for the $2s$ and $2p$ terms. When all corrections are comprised, including also the Schwinger electrodynamic shift, motion of nucleus, and deviations from Russell-Saunders coupling, the calculated values of the $g$ factors for the $^{3}P_{1}$ and $^{3}P_{2}$ terms are, respectively, 1.500974, 1.500913, in excellent agreement with Rawson and Beringer's experimental determinations 1.500971, 1.500905.
A microcomputer system for the analysis of mössbauer spectra

Abstract A microcomputer system may be used to analyze data as well as collect and store it. A system is described which is used to analyze Mossbauer spectra. Analysis of two types of spectra made on both a microcomputer system and a mainframe computer are presented and compared.
Experimental evaluation of a short transitional edge protection balloon for intracoronary stent deployment.

The purpose of this study was to determine if balloon injury to the adjacent arterial wall during intracoronary stent deployment influences late in-stent neointimal formation. Stent design and deployment techniques are considered important factors in determining acute and long-term success with intracoronary stenting. Experimental and clinical studies support that the extent of neointimal formation and the probability for restenosis are influenced by the magnitude of arterial trauma induced with stenting. Nineteen 18-mm-long balloon-expandable stainless steel stents (MULTI-LINK Duet) were implanted at a 1:1 stent-to-artery ratio in the coronary arteries of swine with a conventional noncompliant balloon (n = 10) or a novel noncompliant balloon with short tapered shoulders to prevent edge dissection (n = 9). Quantitative coronary angiography and histology were used to evaluate balloon and artery interactions and the chronic vascular responses to the stents. Nineteen stents were implanted in the coronary arteries of seven swines at an inflation pressure of 14 atm using a standard noncompliant (n = 10) or a unique short transitional edge protection (n = 9) balloon. Histologic analysis at 28 days demonstrated balloon-associated barotrauma in 13 of 20 (65%) of adjacent nonstented arterial segments with the conventional balloon and only 3 of 18 (17%) of the adjacent nonstented arterial segments with the short transition edge protection balloon (P = 0.022). In-stent neointimal area and % stenosis correlated with the severity of peristent arterial injury (r = 0.43, P = 0.01). In-stent vessel injury scores were similar for stents with peristent injury (1.0 ± 0.3) versus stents without peristent injury (1.0 ± 0.03, P = 0.73). In-stent neointimal area and % stenosis were greater for stents with peristent injury (2.36 ± 0.74 mm 2 , 32% ± 9%) as compared to stents without peristent injury (1.39 ± 0.70 mm 2 , 20% ± 10%, P = 0.01). Arterial wall injury adjacent to a stent after high-pressure deployment contributes to late in-stent neointimal hyperplasia in this model. These experimental data suggest that further study is warranted to refine stent implantation techniques and that modifications of balloon shape or material may be useful to optimize stent deployment and reduce arterial trauma.
Automated Segmentation of Pulmonary Nodule Depicted on CT Images

In this study, an efficient computational geometry approach is introduced to segment pulmonary nodules. The basic idea is to estimate the three-dimensional surface of a nodule in question by analyzing the shape characteristics of its surrounding tissues in geometric space. Given a seed point or a specific location where a suspicious nodule may be, three steps are involved in this approach. First, a sub-volume centered at this seed point is extracted and the contained anatomy structures are modeled in the form of a triangle mesh surface. Second, a "visibility" test combined with a shape classification algorithm based on principal curvature analysis removes surfaces determined not to belong to nodule boundaries by specific rules. This step results in a partial surface of a nodule boundary. Third, an interpolation / extrapolation based shape reconstruction procedure is used to estimate a complete nodule surface by representing the partial surface as an implicit function. The preliminary experiments on 158 annotated CT examinations demonstrated that this scheme could achieve a reasonable performance in nodule segmentation.
An introduction to parallel rendering

In computer graphics, rendering is the process by which an abstract description of a scene is converted to an image. When the scene is complex, or when high-quality images or high frame rates are required, the rendering process becomes computationally demanding. To provide the necessary levels of performance, parallel computing techniques must be brought to bear. Today, parallel hardware is routinely used in graphics workstations, and numerous software-based rendering systems have been developed for general-purpose parallel architectures. This article provides an overview of the parallel rendering field, encompassing both hardware and software systems. The focus is on the underlying concepts and the issues which arise in the design of parallel renderers. We examine the different types of parallelism and how they can be applied in rendering applications. Concepts from parallel computing, such as data decomposition and load balancing, are considered in relation to the rendering problem. Our survey explores a number of practical considerations as well, including the choice of architectural platform, communication and memory requirements, and the problem of image assembly and display. We illustrate the discussion with numerous examples from the parallel rendering literature, representing most of the principal rendering methods currently used in computer graphics.
Output Feedback Multivariable Control for an Advanced Boiling Water Reactor

This paper presents a preliminary design of an Output Feedback Multivariable Control for use on an ABWR. Although the design is simple and compact, it meets all the major control requirements for use in load following and frequency regulation in a utility power system. The Multivariable Control coordinates three out of four controls with four measurements and integrals of two of these measurements. The design features dynamic control structure switching with a constant gain matrix; recirculation flow is varied above 70% load demand, while control rods are varied below 70% load demand. This paper describes the 23 state model that was used, the Multivariable Control design, and the nonlinear time domain performance of an ABWR with the Multivariable Control.
Poster: enabling mobile content-oriented networking in the mobilityfirst future internet architecture

The prevalence of mobile devices has attracted research on mobile content delivery techniques. The MobilityFirst(MF) project, discussed in this paper, proposes a clean-slate Internet architecture that enables mobile content-oriented operations at the network level. We describe the design details of the architecture in realizing this and provides a preliminary evaluation on scalability and performance.
Mothers of Pipelines

We present a method for pipeline verification using SMT solvers. It is based on a non-deterministic ''mother pipeline'' machine (MOP) that abstracts the instruction set architecture (ISA). The MOP vs. ISA correctness theorem splits naturally into a large number of simple subgoals. This theorem reduces proving the correctness of a given pipelined implementation of the ISA to verifying that each of its transitions can be modeled as a sequence of MOP state transitions.