cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heritage language learners in linguistics courses: at a major (but fixable) disadvantage

Most heritage language learners (HLLs) of Spanish cannot produce grammatical terminology, simple grammatical analysis, and/or simple grammatical items on demand. Possible causes are: the naturalistic manner in which language was acquired, lack of opportunities to learn basic concepts in beginning courses (because they were skipped), or the belief by some instructors that over-emphasising the mastering of grammatical rules may be negative for this population. This study examines and compares the level of verbalisable metalinguistic knowledge (understood as the ability to identify grammar terminology and provide grammatical rules) among HLLs (n = 9) and foreign language learners (FLLs) (n = 43) present at the beginning and at the end of an introductory Hispanic linguistics course (third year of college). Results show that although HLLs start with a considerable disadvantage over FLLs – which is not overcome in the short period of time of the course – they still improve at the same pace as FLLs, which has im...
Indoctrinating T cells to attack pathogens through homeschooling

Adaptive immunity is predicated on the ability of the T cell repertoire to have pre-existing specificity for the universe of potential pathogens. Recent findings suggest that T cell receptor (TCR)–self-major histocompatibility protein (pMHC) interactions limit autoimmune responses while enhancing T cell response to foreign antigens. We review these findings here, placing them in context of the current understanding of how TCR–self-pMHC interactions regulate T cell activation thresholds, and suggest that TCR–self-pMHC interactions increase the efficiency of the T cell repertoire by giving a competitive advantage to peptide cross-reactive T cells. We propose that self-reactivity and peptide cross-reactivity are controlled by particular CDR3 sequence motifs, which would allow thymic selection to contribute to solving the feat of broad pathogen specificity by exporting T cells that are pre-screened by positive and negative selection for the ability to be ‘moderately’ peptide cross-reactive.
Temporal gene expression profiling of liver from periparturient dairy cows reveals complex adaptive mechanisms in hepatic function

Long-term molecular adaptations in liver from high-producing dairy cows are virtually unknown. Liver from five Holstein cows was biopsied at -65, -30, -14, +1, +14, +28, and +49 days relative to parturition for transcript profiling using a microarray consisting of 7,872 annotated cattle cDNA inserts. More than 5,000 cDNA elements represented on the microarray were expressed in liver. From this set we identified 62 differentially expressed genes related to physiological state, with a false discovery rate threshold of P = 0.20. The dominant expression pattern consisted of upregulation from day -30 through day +1, followed by downregulation through day +28. There was a threefold decrease from day -65 through day +14 in expression of IGFBP3, GSTM5, and PDPK1. These genes mediate IGF-I transport, oxidative stress, and glucose homeostasis, respectively. IGFBP3, EIF4B, and GSTM5 mRNA levels were positively correlated with blood serum total protein. Correlation analysis showed positive associations between serum nonesterified fatty acids and mRNA expression for SAA1, CPT1A, ACADVL, and TFAP2A. Transcript levels of ACSL1, PPARA, and TFAP2A were positively correlated with serum beta-hydroxybutyrate. Expression patterns for certain genes (e.g., IGFBP3, HNF4A, GPAM) revealed adaptations commencing well ahead of parturition, suggesting they are regulated by factors other than periparturient hormonal environment. Results provide evidence that hepatic inflammatory responses occurring near parturition initiate or augment adipose catabolism. In this context, cytokines, acute-phase proteins, and serum nonesterified fatty acids are key players in periparturient cow metabolism. We propose a model for integrating gene expression, metabolite, and liver composition data to explain physiological events in placenta, adipose, and liver during the periparturient period.
Religious Attendance and Cognitive Functioning Among Older Mexican Americans

Research shows that social engagement reduces the probability of cognitive decline in late life. The purpose of this study was to test whether religious attendance, a major source of social engagement for many older individuals, is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline among older Mexican Americans. Using four waves of data collected from a sample of 3,050 older Mexican-origin individuals, we estimated a series of linear growth curve models to assess the effects of religious attendance on cognitive functioning trajectories. We used the Mini-Mental State Examination to measure cognitive functioning. Our central finding is that religious attendance is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline among older Mexican Americans. Specifically, respondents who attend church monthly, weekly, and more than weekly tend to exhibit slower rates of cognitive decline than those who do not attend church.
The Public Value of Government ICT Investments: Foundations and Applications

This paper discusses the concept of public value in relation to government ICT investment from three perspectives – theory foundations, assessment methods, and an application example. The discussion of theory foundations combines attention to the roots of the concept of public value in political philosophy and public administration. The origins of the concept of public value are discussed in terms of foundational ideas in political and moral philosophy about the nature of the good society: utilitarianism and the social contract. The concern with public value, or utility, in early Western moral and political philosophy is central to the two major schools of thought, utilitarian and social contractarian. The social order that produces the greatest good or utility for the greatest number is preferred in the utilitarian perspective. The contractarian view holds that a good society should be based on shared principles and arrangements that avoid the potential evils of unconstrained greed. Though these two views political and moral philosophy differ, they weave similar connections among the basic concept of value, individual interests, societal interests, and institutional forms. These concepts and connections are basic to the public value framework.
Neutrophil transendothelial migration in vitro to Streptococcus pneumoniae is pneumolysin dependent

The recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) from the vascular space to the alveolar air space is an early event in host defense against pneumococcal pneumonia. Pneumolysin is a virulence ...
Fault tolerant decomposition of thruster forces of an autonomous underwater vehicle

An approach to the decomposition of thruster forces of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is investigated. Generally, the number of thrusters is more than what is minimally required to produce the desired motion. We investigate how to exploit the excess number of thrusters to accommodate thruster faults during operation. First, a redundancy resolution scheme is presented that takes into account the presence of excess number of thrusters and distributes the thruster forces to produce the desired motion. Then we propose a general framework that accommodates thruster faults and allows the AUV to trade task-space trajectories with asymptotic reduction of task-space errors. Results from computer simulations are provided to demonstrate the viability of the proposed scheme.
Parcel model simulations of aerosol – warm phase cloud microphysics interactions over the Amazon

Abstract. Recent observational studies have shown that biomass burning aerosol can modify the microstructure of convective clouds in tropical regions such as Indonesia and the Amazon. In such regions warm rain development is evidently suppressed during the burning season 5 relative to the wet season, as numerous condensation nuclei produce more numerous but smaller cloud droplets. It is not clear, however, whether rain formation is affected only by CCN or whether other factors such as giant CCN, updraft speeds, and atmospheric moisture also play important roles in the observed differences. These issues are addressed here using a simple parcel model to explain data collected during 10 the LBA-SMOCC-EMfiN! field campaign. The results suggest that polluted clouds in particular tend to be sensitive to each of these factors. When droplet concentrations exceed 500–1000 per cc, giant CCN (GCCN) become important by generating droplets that may eventually grow to precipitation size, though in cleaner environments warm rain occurs readily regardless of GCCN. Variations in the vertical velocity and in the 15 low-level moisture are also shown to affect polluted clouds, and should be taken into account in interpreting microphysical differences observed among continental clouds.
Velocity and heading tracking control for small-scale unmanned helicopters

This paper presents a linear tracking control design technique for small-scale unmanned helicopters. The design objective is for the helicopter to track predefined velocity and heading reference trajectories. The controller design is based on a generic linear model which successfully describes the dynamic behavior of most small-scale helicopters. The flight controller is composed of two distinct output feedback loops of the helicopter's longitudinal/lateral and heading/heave dynamics tracking error. The tracking error is determined using a state generator based on the reference trajectories and their higher derivatives. The state generator can be systematically constructed using the backstepping approach and applying a physically meaningful simplification assumption over the helicopter dynamics. The controller performance was successfully evaluated using a realistic flight simulator.
Regulation of the Cell Expansion Gene RHD3 during Arabidopsis Development

The RHD3 (ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE3) gene encodes a putative GTP-binding protein required for appropriate cell enlargement in Arabidopsis. To obtain insight into the mechanisms of RHD3 regulation, we conducted a molecular genetic dissection of RHD3 gene expression and function. Gene fusion and complementation studies show that the RHD3 gene is highly expressed throughout Arabidopsis development and is controlled by two major regulatory regions. One regulatory region is located between -1,500 and -600 bp upstream of the RHD3 gene and is required for vascular tissue expression. The other region is intragenically located and includes the 558-bp first intron, which is responsible for high-level expression of RHD3 throughout the plant. The presence and location of this intron is essential for gene function because constructs lacking this intron or constructs with the intron in an abnormal position are unable to functionally complement the rhd3 mutations. We also analyzed the role of other RHD genes and the plant hormones auxin and ethylene in RHD3 regulation, and we determined that these act downstream or independently from the RHD3 pathway. This study shows that multiple levels of regulation are employed to ensure the appropriate expression of RHD3 throughout Arabidopsis development.
Mitigating Global Climate Change: Why Are Some Countries More Committed Than Others?

This article analyzes factors affecting countries ’ commitment to mitigating global climate change within the scope of existing international institutions. The commitment level is operationalized as an ordinal variable ranging from an agreement with the international institutions (signature and ratification of the Framework Convention on Climate Change) to the actual implementation of the internationally negotiated modes of behavior (enactment of domestic environmental policies). A theoretical model of governments’ decisionmaking is presented and tested for 91 countries at different levels of economic development with different domestic institutions. A given national government selects its commitment level depending on its incentives and ability to affect global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). An ordered logistic regression model is employed to analyze the factors affecting the levels of national commitment. Empirical analysis suggests that national commitment is significantly affected by the national government’s incentives and the ability to affect the global level of GHG emissions, impacted more by the incentives than by the ability, and not affected by the aggregate levels of economic benefits. Humankind faces a trade-off between continuing its current energy use patterns that are potentially altering the global environment and changing these patterns to minimize the risks of global climate change. If carbon dioxide emissions exceed the environment’s ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere, the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide increase. This increased concentration has been linked to the changes in global climate that may
Democracy, Civic Participation, and the University: A Comparative Study of Civic Engagement on Five Campuses

This research is a comparative study of civic engagement on five campuses. Based on site visits, interviews on campuses and in host communities, document analysis, and literature reviews, four key findings emerged: (a) shifting and varying emphases in main components of engagement; (b) local factors that facilitate and present barriers to engagement; (c) intellectual rationales and projects to drive new knowledge, involve faculty, and institutionalize and sustain engagement; and (d) new organizational structures to link the campus and community and share power and resources. The argument is made for a dynamic and developmental framework that acknowledges multiplicity and flow. The article concludes with an initial mapping of changing relationships between local factors and civic-engagement program emphases and an articulation of three main current theories of engagement that a developmental framework would take into account.
Gene-dosage effects in Down syndrome and trisomic mouse models

The abnormalities found in human Down syndrome (trisomy 21) have been thought to result from increased expression of genes on chromosome 21 because of their higher gene dosage. Now, several groups have shown this to be generally the case, but some inter-individual variability and other exceptions were found.
Simulation in Training: One-year Experience Using an Efficiency Index to Assess Interventional Radiology Fellow Training Status

Purpose To compare objective fellow and expert efficiency indices for an interventional radiology renal artery stenosis skill set with the use of a high-fidelity simulator. Materials and Methods The Mentice VIST simulator was used for three different renal artery stenosis simulations of varying difficulty, which were used to grade performance. Fellows' indices at three intervals throughout 1 year were compared to expert baseline performance. Seventy-four simulated procedures were performed, 63 of which were captured as audiovisual recordings. Three levels of fellow experience were analyzed: 1, 6, and 12 months of dedicated interventional radiology fellowship. The recordings were compiled on a computer workstation and analyzed. Distinct measurable events in the procedures were identified with task analysis, and data regarding efficiency were extracted. Total scores were calculated as the product of procedure time, fluoroscopy time, tools, and contrast agent volume. The lowest scores, which reflected efficient use of tools, radiation, and time, were considered to indicate proficiency. Subjective analysis of participants' procedural errors was not included in this analysis. Results Fellows' mean scores diminished from 1 month to 12 months (42,960 at 1 month, 18,726 at 6 months, and 9,636 at 12 months). The experts' mean score was 4,660. In addition, the range of variance in score diminished with increasing experience (from a range of 5,940–120,156 at 1 month to 2,436–85,272 at 6 months and 2,160–32,400 at 12 months). Expert scores ranged from 1,450 to 10,800. Conclusions Objective efficiency indices for simulated procedures can demonstrate scores directly comparable to the level of clinical experience.
Sudden death following accidental ingestion of chlormequat.

A 59-year-old white male accidentally ingested a mouthful of a plant growth chemical, Cycocel, containing 11.8% of the active ingredient (2-chloroethyl)trimethylammonium chloride (chlormequat). He was seen by a family physician and then transferred to a hospital where he died as a result of ventricular fibrillation, which progressed to asystole. Postingestion symptoms were typical of cholinergic crisis and included salivation, diaphoresis, bradycardia, visual disturbances, and seizure. Autopsy findings showed marked pulmonary edema, coronary atherosclerosis, atheromata of aorta, and localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Toxicological analyses of biological samples showed the presence of chlormequat in the stomach contents and urine. Language: en
Acceptance and Rejection Rules

Although the “law of likelihood” (which Hacking himself [1973], p. 495, no longer endorses without qualification) has been advanced as (part of) the solution to the problem of preference with respect to alternative hypotheses, it should be conceded that that principle does not appear promising as a solution to the problem of acceptance within the context of normative epistemology. According to its precepts, the data d supports an hypothesis hi better than it supports an hypothesis hj so long as the likelihood of hi, given d, exceeds that of hj, given d; thus, the best supported members of a specified set of incompatible hypotheses for their common domain will always be those with maximum likelihood in relation to the available evidence d, i.e., those whose likelihood on that evidence is not exceeded by that of any other member of that set. It should not be difficult to discern, however, that more than one hypothetical alternative may possess maximum likelihood relative to d at any particular time: if innumerable hypotheses,h1,h2,..., for example, all entail that data, then they will all be supported by that evidence with likelihoods of one, which, of course, confer upon each of them not only maximum likelihoods as the best supported hypotheses (in the comparative sense), but maximal likelihood as receiving the best possible support (in the non-deductive sense), in relation to the law of likelihood itself. Since not more than one of these hypotheses could possibly be true, therefore, it should be obvious that likelihood relations, at best, establish necessary but not sufficient conditions for resolving the problem of acceptance.
Shared-Sensing and Control Using Reversible Transducers

As an alternative to self-sensing, we propose the concept of shared-sensing for reversible transducers. In shared-sensing, reversible transducers are continuously switched between actuator and sensor modes. This results in a hybrid system, and, in this paper, we investigate stability properties of the equilibrium for linear systems and a class of nonlinear systems with a single shared-sensing transducer. Our theoretical results are validated through simulations and experiments with a dc servo motor.
Lead exposure affects levels of galactolipid metabolic enzymes in the developing rat brain.

Lead poisoning is known to cause myelin defects. Galactolipids are the major lipid components of myelin and myelin-competent oligodendrocytes. The present study examines the cellular activity of enzymes involved in the galactolipid pathway, tissue concentrations of galactolipids, and the cellular activity of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNPase) in rat pups exposed to lead in utero and subsequently through maternal milk from exposed mothers and in drinking water following weaning. Pups from control and lead-treated groups (500 or 2000 ppm lead in the drinking water) were euthanized by decapitation on postnatal day 7, 14, 21, 35, or 56. Lead decreased levels of galactolipids and the oligodendrocyte marker CNPase in the brain to a similar degree. The ratios of galactocerebrosides/sulfatides and nonhydroxy fatty acid/hydroxy fatty acid forms of the galactolipids were not altered by lead treatment. In contrast, the activities of the galactolipid metabolic enzymes were reduced to a degree significantly greater than that of CNPase or galactolipids. These results are consistent with previously obtained data indicating that in vitro cultured oligodendroglial progenitor cells are a target for Pb toxicity. Chronic Pb exposure may impact on brain development by impairing timely myelin production due to perturbation of the early developmental commitment of oligodendroglial progenitors. It is further suggested that perturbation of the galactolipid pathway during the developmental maturation of oligodendrocytes may represent a contributing mechanism for Pb-induced neurotoxicity.
Effects of gender, body weight, and blood glucose dynamics on the growth hormone response to the glucagon stimulation test in patients with pituitary disease

Abstract Objective Body weight blunts the growth hormone (GH) response to provocative stimuli. The appropriate GH cut-off to confirm GH deficiency in obese and overweight patients undergoing the glucagon stimulation test (GST) has recently been questioned. We hypothesized that the peak GH would be inversely related to the nadir blood glucose (BG) after glucagon and that this may be a mechanism influencing peak GH in overweight patients. This retrospective study examined effects of gender, body weight, and BG dynamics on GH response to GST in patients evaluated in our Pituitary Center. Design Adult patients who underwent GST from September 2009–2014 were included. Continuous variable comparisons were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U-test and categorical data by Fisher's Exact Test. Spearman correlation was used to determine associations between continuous variables. Results 42 patients (N=28, 66.7% female) had sufficient data for analysis. Obese patients (N=26) had a reduced GH response, summarized as GH area under the curve (AUC) (p=0.03 vs. non-obese patients) and higher BG during GST, summarized as AUC (p s =0.35; p=0.02) and timing (r s =0.31; p=0.05) of nadir BG reached, there was no significant correlation between BG dynamics and the GH response in the total population (N=42). Ten patients (7 with pan anterior hypopituitarism, defined as 3 anterior pituitary deficiencies) had a peak GH≤0.1ng/mL during GST. When these subjects with a negligible peak GH response were excluded from the analysis, weight was associated with GH AUC (r s =−0.45; p=0.01), peak GH response (r s =−0.42; p=0.02) and nadir BG (r s =0.48; p s =−0.38; p=0.03) and peak GH (r s =−0.37; p=0.04) such that patients (N=32) with higher nadir BG had lower peak GH in response to glucagon. Conclusions Obese patients, particularly women, do not respond as robustly to glucagon stimulation. These data suggest that there exists an altered BG profile during GST in obese individuals, and that a less robust hypoglycemic stimulus may contribute to an impaired GH response. We suggest measuring BG levels during glucagon stimulation testing to assist with clinical interpretation of GH dynamics. The diagnostic accuracy of the GST in patients with known disorders in glucose metabolism and those taking anti-diabetic medications deserves further study.
Molecular Architecture Versus Chemistry and Physics of Energetic Materials

As part of a continuing effort to develop more powerful explosives and propellants, we are building compact molecular architectures of C-H-N-O atoms yielding energetic materials of high crystal density. These materials are expected to provide increased detonation energies as compared with currently available explosives.
Performance Management for Wicked Problems

In this essay, I reflect on my past experiences as a frontline child welfare caseworker. Now, as a public administration scholar, I am frequently confronted with the juxtaposition between theories I am learning and casework practice I remember. Over the past 100 years, child welfare has evolved from a private to a public responsibility. Performance management is an important part of public management. This charge is complicated in the context of "wicked problems" like child maltreatment. I argue that while performance management is a critical component of continued improvement for the field, success cannot be achieved without deliberate inclusion of frontline caseworkers. Performance management must be injected into the reflection and action of team and agency learning if it is to meaningfully influence and improve process and outcomes for children and families affected by the child welfare system.
The grammar of mammalian brain capacity

Uniquely human abilities may arise from special-purpose brain circuitry, or from concerted general capacity increases due to our outsized brains. We forward a novel hypothesis of the relation between computational capacity and brain size, linking mathematical formalisms of grammars with the allometric increases in cortical-subcortical ratios that arise in large brains. In sum, i) thalamocortical loops compute formal grammars; ii) successive cortical regions describe grammar rewrite rules of increasing size; iii) cortical-subcortical ratios determine the quantity of stacks in single-stack pushdown grammars; iv) quantitative increase of stacks yields grammars with qualitatively increased computational power. We arrive at the specific conjecture that human brain capacity is equivalent to that of indexed grammars - far short of full Turing-computable (recursively enumerable) systems. The work provides a candidate explanatory account of a range of existing human and animal data, addressing longstanding questions of how repeated similar brain algorithms can be successfully applied to apparently dissimilar computational tasks (e.g., perceptual versus cognitive, phonological versus syntactic); and how quantitative increases to brains can confer qualitative changes to their computational repertoire. Thalamocortical and cortico-cortical loops in the brain compute formal grammars.Quantitative increase of cortico-hippocampal stacks within grammars causes qualitatively increased computational power.Human brain computation is equivalent to indexed grammars (HOPDAs).Unaided human brain capacity is far short of full Turing-complete grammars.Formal grammars provide explanatory accounts of a range of human and animal data.
Lattice Vibrational Properties of SrBi2Ta2O9

SrBi2Ta2O9 is one of the layered perovskite ferroelectrics with excellent fatigue resistance and thus has gained great interest of semiconductor industries recently in non-volatile ferroelectric random access memory (FERAM) applications. The understanding of the lattice vibrational properties of this material can provide crucial information on its structure and dielectric behavior. In this work, we carried out Raman spectroscopy study of thin film, powder and single crystal SrBi2Ta2O9. At temperatures above the Curie temperature, all 12 Raman modes expected from the tetragonal (I4/mmm) structure have been observed and assigned to the 4 A1g, 6 Eg and 2 B1g modes based the polarized Raman spectra from the single crystal samples. At lower temperature, the Raman spectra have revealed all 22 A1 modes, but only 3 out of the 20 A2 modes and 5 out of the 42 B1/B2 modes were observed in the ferroelectric phase (A21am). The soft mode was found to be of A1 symmetry and appearing only when light polarization lay in the ab-plane.
Laboratory studies for the detection of carcinoma of the prostate.

SUMMARY Acid phosphatase and prostate-specific antigen are extremely useful markers for the management of patients with prostatic carcinoma. Prostatic acid phosphatase, because of its relatively low sensitivity and specificity, as well as analyte instability and diurnal variability, is unsuitable for prostate cancer screening. Improved performance characteristics, stability, the lesser diurnal variation, and the association of elevated prostate-specific antigen with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia make prostate-specific antigen possibly a better candidate for early detection of this common malignancy. Further investigations in this area are clearly indicated before we can recommend screening with prostate-specific antigen.
Big Money: Setting Research Agendas

This chapter argues that just as national interests and security concerns dominate Big Science, so do financial motives and procedures of the marketplace control the research agendas of the scientific community. Economic pressures can distort the ethos of science and direct scientists in universities as well as industrial complexes into areas of research that they wouldn’t have chosen on their own; moreover, these scientists might be forced to practice their trade in compromising ways, from keeping trade secrets to furbishing misleading data.
Contextual factors in geosocial-networking smartphone application use and engagement in condomless anal intercourse among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who use Grindr.

Background Geosocial-networking smartphone applications (apps) have been used increasingly by men who have sex with men (MSM) to meet new sexual partners. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between contexts of app use (e.g. using apps when drinking) and condomless anal intercourse among a sample of MSM who use these apps. Methods: MSM (n = 174) in New York City were recruited through Grindr, a geosocial-networking app popular among MSM, using broadcast advertisements asking MSM to complete an Internet-based survey about their app use and sexual behaviours. Log-binomial regression models were fit to assess the association between each of the six app-use contexts (e.g. using apps when lonely, when drinking) and engagement in condomless insertive and receptive anal intercourse with one or more partners in the past 3 months. Results: Engagement in condomless receptive and insertive anal intercourse with one or more partners in the preceding 3 months was common (39.7% and 43.1% respectively) and was associated with several app-use contexts. For example, significant associations (P < 0.05) were observed between alcohol and other drug use when using these apps and engagement in condomless receptive and insertive anal intercourse. Conclusion: Given that 57.5% of respondents had engaged in condomless anal intercourse in the preceding 3 months and the associations of app-use contexts with condomless sexual behaviours, these findings suggest that reductions in substance use may lead to safer sexual practices among MSM who use apps to meet sexual partners.
Evaluating Interactive Transect Area Assessments Hands-On Instruction for Natural Resource Undergraduate Students.

Undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Spatial Science degree at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) receive instruction in the spatial sciences with a focus on hands-on applications. All undergraduate students take the course Introduction to Spatial Science which includes a comprehensive overview of spatial science incorporating a comparison of standard inexpensive area assessment techniques with high-end computer based area assessment methodologies. Students within this course were instructed how to assess the area of a surface feature on an aerial image with a ruler applying the transect method. Student’s average Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) between a student’s transect derived area and surveyed area was 0.45, 0.13, 0.07, and 0.02 acres for 5, 10, 15, and 20 transect lines, respectfully. An ANOVA analysis of area assessment and area error assessment indicated that mean area and mean absolute area error were statistically different between transect line groups. In addition, the accuracy of area measured increased significantly as the number of transect lines increased which: (1) indicates students receiving hands-on instruction in estimating area using the transect method can record accurate area measurements after only a limited 2 hour introduction; (2) reveals the accuracy of the transect method is not user dependent; (3) shows area accuracy increases as the number of transects increases; and, (4) validates the interactive hands-on instruction methodology employed at SFASU.
Inferior Vena Cava Filter Limb Fracture with Embolization to the Right Ventricle

Abstract Background Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter and filter limb embolization is a known phenomenon, with a prevalence of up to 25% for certain filter types. Most commonly, the site of embolization is to the heart. Point-of-care ultrasound is an easily accessible imaging modality that should be utilized when considering IVC filter complications. Case Report A 28-year-old woman with a history of metastatic sarcoma and IVC filter placement for deep venous thrombosis presented to the Emergency Department (ED) for chest pain. Chest radiography was reviewed and originally thought to have no abnormalities. Chest computed tomography angiography was negative for filling defects or foreign bodies. A possible foreign body in the heart was noted by a radiologist's over-read of the original chest radiograph. An echocardiogram done by Cardiology was negative for foreign bodies or other abnormalities. Next, an emergency physician performed a bedside echocardiogram, with focused attention to the right side of the heart. An echogenic foreign body was visualized in the right ventricle. The patient was subsequently taken to the cardiac catheterization laboratory, where fluoroscopic visualization of a limb wire of an IVC filter within the right ventricle was obtained. That foreign body was subsequently removed successfully, along with removal of the broken IVC filter. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? This case report highlights the utility of point-of-care ultrasound in the work-up of a patient with an embolized IVC filter wire. Chest pain patients frequently receive point-of-care echocardiography in the ED, and these ultrasound findings should be recognized and used to guide further treatment and consultation.
Swelling–twist interaction in fiber-reinforced hyperelastic materials: the example of azimuthal shear

We study how fiber-reinforced materials will naturally undergo swelling deformations in which a relatively greater stretch occurs transverse to the fibers than in the fiber direction. This means that a pattern of initially curved fibers prior to swelling will tend to straighten out as swelling proceeds. This can lead to swelling-induced deformations with a high degree of localized shearing and significant overall twisting. Such a process is examined for a plane strain swelling deformation that combines twist with radial expansion. Analytical results are obtained for both types: small and large swelling. Of particular interest is the relation of the extensible fiber theory to a theory for inextensible fibers. We examine the extent to which the former approaches the latter in the limit as the fibers are taken to be progressively stiffer.
A Disconcerting Language: Valle-Inclán’s Tirano Banderas and the Hispanic Atlantic

This article analyzes Ramon del Valle-Inclan’s Tirano Banderas (1926) as a novel embedded in the historical context of the Hispanic Atlantic, but one that constantly exceeds the cultural norms constituting the Atlantic as the inaugural space of the modern/colonial world. Drawing on Jacques Derrida’s thoughts on language, belonging, and cultural identity in Monolingualism of the Other, the article shows that the novel’s disconcerting language, which is made up of musical modernista literary language, of grotesque, socially marginal linguistic elements, and of strange idioms that are paradoxically unable to tie speakers to a territory or to a social situation, makes the reader aware of the alienation constitutive of all languages and thus displaces the idea of Spanish as an imperial/national language.
Nigral dopaminergic neuron replenishment in adult mice through VE-cadherin-expressing neural progenitor cells.

The function of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is of central importance to the coordination of movement by the brain's basal ganglia circuitry. This is evidenced by the loss of these neurons, resulting in the cardinal motor deficits associated with Parkinson's disease. In order to fully understand the physiology of these key neurons and develop potential therapies for their loss, it is essential to determine if and how dopaminergic neurons are replenished in the adult brain. Recent work has presented evidence for adult neurogenesis of these neurons by Nestin+/Sox2– neural progenitor cells. We sought to further validate this finding and explore a potential atypical origin for these progenitor cells. Since neural progenitor cells have a proximal association with the vasculature of the brain and subsets of endothelial cells are Nestin+, we hypothesized that dopaminergic neural progenitors might share a common cell lineage. Therefore, we employed a VE-cadherin promoter-driven CREERT2:THlox/THlox transgenic mouse line to ablate the tyrosine hydroxylase gene from endothelial cells in adult animals. After 26 weeks, but not 13 weeks, following the genetic blockade of tyrosine hydroxylase expression in VE-cadherin+ cells, we observed a significant reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase+ neurons in the substantia nigra. The results from this genetic lineage tracing study suggest that dopaminergic neurons are replenished in adult mice by a VE-cadherin+ progenitor cell population potentially arising from an endothelial lineage.
A placement algorithm for superconducting logic circuits based on cell grouping and super-cell placement

This paper presents a novel clustering based placement algorithm for single flux quantum (SFQ) family of super-conductive electronic circuits. In these circuits nearly all cells receive a clock signal and a placement algorithm that ignores the clock routing cost will not produce high quality solutions. To address this issue, proposed approach simultaneously minimizes the total wirelength of the signal nets and area overhead of the clock routing. Furthermore, construction of a perfect H-tree in SFQ logic circuits is not viable solution due to the resulting very high routing overhead and the in-feasibility of building exact zero-skew clock routing trees. Instead a hybrid clock tree must be used whereby higher levels of the clock tree (i.e., those closer to the clock source) are based on H-tree construction whereas lower levels of the clock tree follow a linear (i.e., chain-like) structure. The proposed approach is able to reduce the overall half-perimeter wirelength by 15% and area by 8% compared with state-of-the-art techniques.
Observation of vortex phase singularities in stirred Bose-Einstein condensates

We have observed phase singularities due to vortex excitation in Bose-Einstein condensates. This was done by exciting vortices by stirringa condensate with a laser be-am and then interfering it with an unperturbed condensate.
Computational Models of Incentive-Sensitization in Addiction: Dynamic Limbic Transformation of Learning into Motivation

Incentive salience is a motivational magnet property attributed to reward-predicting conditioned stimuli (cues). This property makes the cue and its associated unconditioned reward ‘wanted’ at that moment, and pulls an individual’s behavior towards those stimuli. The incentive-sensitization theory of addiction posits that permanent changes in brain mesolimbic systems in drug addicts can amplify the incentive salience of Pavlovian drug cues to produce excessive ‘wanting’ to take drugs. Similarly, drug intoxication and natural appetite states can temporarily and dynamically amplify cue-triggered ‘wanting’, promoting binge consumption. Finally, sensitization and drug intoxication can add synergistically to produce especially strong moments of urge for reward. Here we describe a computational model of incentive salience that captures all these properties, and contrast it to traditional cache-based models of reinforcement and reward learning. Our motivation-based model incorporates dynamically modulated physiological brain states that change the ability of cues to elicit ‘wanting’ on the fly. These brain states include the presence of a drug of abuse and longer-term mesolimbic sensitization, both of which boost mesocorticolimbic cue-triggered signals. We have tested our model by recording neuronal activity from mesolimbic output signals for reward and Pavlovian cues in the ventral pallidum (VP), and a novel technique for analyzing neuronal firing “profile”, presents evidence in support of our dynamic motivational account of incentive salience.
Towards Realizing Cybermanufacturing Kiosks: Quality Assurance Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract This paper presents the cyberphysical system (CPS) challenges associated with realizing manufacturing-as-a-service paradigm, capable of creating custom functional, freeform structures. While earlier efforts have addressed the product design, resource allocation, and asset management challenges in custom manufacturing, those pertaining to quality and performance assurance have not received much attention thus far. For low volume custom manufacturing, the intelligence comprising all the steps involved in the production process and its continuous monitoring should reside in the real-time service, rather than requiring an upfront costly design process for each product. In this paper, we first outline the technical challenges associated with autonomous monitoring and control of tool motion and process parameters of a laser kirigami (origami with cuts) process to create custom freeform components, with planar facets, from peel-off sensors embedded on sheet precursors. In the sequel, we present an implementation of image-based monitoring, particularly for the estimation of the dihedral angle between the facets being bent during the laser kirigami process. As the sheet is formed, the sensors embedded on the sheets serve as a swarm of mobile sensors whose instantaneous location and orientation are discerned using optimally placed cameras to estimate the process state. This allows the tuning of process parameters, specifically the laser intensity and transverse feed rate to mitigate quality issues. The results from the current experimental investigations of the laser kirigami process suggest that the process state can be estimated to error rates of less than 2% at 10 frames per second, which is orders of magnitude faster than that achievable using the present stereo digital image correlation technologies.
“Oyinbo, Wole!”: Urban Rhythms and Mobile Encounters in the Lagos Transport Systems

Drawing on personal passengering experiences in the danfo (minibus) system as well as across other transport systems in Lagos, this paper will shed light on nuanced subjectivities of passengers navigating rhythms of urban mobilities in Lagos. The focus of rhythms in this paper can provide a holistic and relational interpretation of ordinary passengers’ daily mobilities in Lagos transport systems. Over the time of changing means of transportation in Lagos, urban mobilities are seemingly more and more formalized and regulated. However, the conception of formal-informal dichotomy, I argue, does not articulate the complexity of urban rhythms. An alternative interpretation is that different forms of urban rhythms are overlapped in everyday mobilities. From the experiential perspective of passengering, (re)arrangement of personal rhythms is more common than resistance against either formality or structured informality. Socio-spatial improvisation of rhythms of urban mobilities is based on social consensus in everyday encounters in which I also engage, as an ordinary passenger but also specially situated actor among local city residents. According to my autoethnographic accounts of encounters, I will illustrate how the consensus is implicated in various embodied interactions, in terms of language, gesture, and movements, which unfolds horizontal power dynamics among people in the mobile encounters.
Acute Graft Versus Host Disease

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is caused by the introduction of immunologically competent donor cells into a recipient whose tissues display antigens that the donor cells view as foreign causing the donor cells to attack the host.
An in vitro model of prostate cancer bone metastasis for highly metastatic and non-metastatic prostate cancer using nanoclay bone-mimetic scaffolds

Prostate cancer has a strong preference for metastasizing to bone which is the primary cause of prostate cancer-related morbidity and mortality. The complex nature of cancer metastasis requires the development of translational models that recapitulate a specific metastatic stage. Herein, we report the mimicking of mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) of prostate cancer cells using highly metastatic and a non-metastatic prostate cancer cell lines. A unique cell culture technique that we termed as ‘sequential culture’ was used to create a biomimetic bone microenvironment for metastasized prostate cancer cells by introducing bioactive factors from osteogenic induction of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) within the porous 3D scaffolds. The in vitro 3D tumor model can be used as a testbed to study the interaction between prostate cancer and bone microenvironment and for the design of novel therapeutic studies.
Doppler Radar Measurements of Spatial Turbulence Intensity in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

AbstractRemote sensing instruments that scan have the ability to provide high-resolution spatial measurements of atmospheric boundary layer winds across a region. However, the time required to coll...
GAN-based Synthetic Radar Micro-Doppler Augmentations for Improved Human Activity Recognition

Deep neural networks (DNNs), and, in particular, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have recently received much attention in a wide range of research areas, including radar-based human activity recognition. However, obtaining a large training dataset still remains a challenging task due to the costs and resources required for data collections. In this paper, we present a method for extending adversarial learning to the generation of synthetic radar time-frequency (TF) domain signatures which provides the ability to adapt to different operational environments. The classification results achieved with a deep CNN trained on generated images prove the efficiency of proposed algorithm over the state of the art methods.
Dance History: The Rolling Deep

In this chapter Mullis analyzes contemporary theatrical performance that centers on the Shakers; Doris Humphrey’s The Shakers, Lorraine Chapman and David Parker’s The Zealous Laborers, and The Wooster Group’s Early Shaker Spirituals. He observes common dramaturgical approaches to aspects of Shaker life, considers the cultural implications of folk aesthetics and the ability of performance to advance an ethics of cultural memory, and develops an argument that Shaker-inspired performance must engage Shaker theology. This leads to a consideration of experimental approaches to Shaker performance that focus on more tragic aspects of Shaker history that are often overlooked by choreographers and theater makers. This argument is then generalized to theatrical engagement with the subject matter of ecstatic Pentecostalism.