cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heterologous Expression of α1-Integrin cDNA Generates Variable Ligand Specificities and Alterations in Cell Shape

Integrins can mediate a diverse variety of functions that are regulated by unknown mecha nisms. Integrin α1β1 can serve as a receptor for laminin-1 and collagen in certain cell types, but is a receptor for only collagen in others. To examine the molecular basis of this differ ence in specificity, three cell types were transfected with cDNA for the rat α1 subunit. Following transfection with rat α1, pluripotential hematopoietic human K562 cells exhibited α1β1-dependent attachment to collagen IV, but not laminin-1, unless activating antibody TS2/16 was added. The attachment to collagen IV stimulated the elaboration of a spread morphology resembling a differentiated megakarocyte with extensive processes which were absent in response to all other substrates.When MRC-5 cells, a human fibroblastic cell, or RD cells, a human rhabdomyosarcoma line, were transfected with the identical α1-integrin construct, rat α1β1-dependent attachment to both collagen IV and laminin-1 was seen. Therefore differences in ligand sp...
Improving upon pulse-to-pulse stability in GaN RADAR amplifiers compromised by the presence of GaN trapping effects

In this paper we report on the characterization of GaN Power devices for sequential inter-pulse stability factors attributable to thermal and trapping effects in the transistor. The key observations are critical to successful design and insertion of GaN based semiconductor products in future RADAR applications. Comparison data between different devices and their application will be highlighted as part of the work. A novel application and pre-correction circuit and methodology will also be presented along with results. Use of the pre-correction circuitry will also allow the RADAR system designer to apply trap impaired GaN amplifiers when multiple or staggered-PRF strategies are employed in the RADAR system.
NiCoFe Ternary Alloy Deposition III. A Mathematical Model

A mathematical model is developed to describe NiCoFe ternary alloy deposition. The model assumes metal ion species are reduced in a two-step manner, forming mixed metal intermediate species that adsorb on the electrode surface. The simulation predicts the concentration dependence of both the inhibiting and catalytic effects observed during the ternary alloy deposition. High surface coverage by Fe intermediate species is responsible for not only the enhanced Fe deposition rate but also the inhibited Ni and Co rates. Only the cobalt rate exhibits both enhancement and inhibition at a given electrolyte concentration, which is captured by the model. This model is also a generalized one that can be used to simulate iron-group binary alloy codepositions for similar electrolytes.
Mexico -- space/nation/class -- U.S.

With the much-commented upon shifts in the global economy and the problematizing of traditional social, economic, cultural, and political relationships, the role of architecture as a "public" practice has fallen under scrutiny. The "privatization of public space", resulting from the overt merging of "public" concerns (typically represented through the State) and "private" interests (in our society, usually defined by groups with significant power over investment decisions) is often taken as symptomatic of a general trend towards the breakdown of democracy itself. Here, however, it is important to differentiate between what can be termed the "public sphere", or the abstract discursive arena where thought is (re)produced and debated, and "public space", or the actual built spaces of personal encounter among strangers. Certainly, since the Enlightenment when the terms first acquired widespread currency, the latter has depended upon some conception of the former.
Aritmetische und Geometrische Progreß Tabulen : Edition, Translation, and Commentary

In the tercentenary memorial volume commemorating the invention of logarithms, or more precisely, John Napier’s invention of logarithms, Florian Cajori (1915) observed: “In the history of science it is the rule, rather than the exception, for two or more men independently to develop the same idea” (p. 93). In the same publication, Cajori also stated that “[f]ew inventors have a clearer title to priority than has Napier to the invention of logarithms” (p. 93), and he continued to highlight men who contributed preliminary ideas for and simultaneous (though independent) conceptions of the logarithmic relation. Subsequent to the tercentenary memorial volume, modern scholarship has highlighted Burgi’s contributions to the development of logarithms. Boyer (1991), for example, noted that:
The Nemtsov Vote: Public Opinion and Pro-Western Liberalism's Decline in Russia

The political trajectory of Boris Nemtsov reflects that of unabashed pro-Western liberalism more generally in Russia, going from a strong political force in the 1990s to nearly complete political marginalization in 2015, the year of his death. An analysis of voting patterns in 2003, the only year Nemtsov personally led a political force on the ballot for a nationwide office, reveals that while many people supported core ideas advocated by Nemtsov, such as market reform, these did not systematically win him votes. Instead, these issues were successfully co-opted by Putin, backed by the Kremlin machine and state-controlled media. Nemtsov did successfully appeal to several constituencies that the Kremlin did not fully co-opt, including people who benefited from the 1990s reforms and advocates of “Western” democracy, but these were only small minorities of the population. While he had some success in Russia’s biggest cities and among youth, this analysis finds no evidence he was disproportionately supported by the business community or pro-oligarch voters.
Using information retrieval to improve integration testing

Software testing is an important factor of the software development process. Integration testing is an important and expensive level of the software testing process. Unfortunately, since the developers have limited time to perform integration testing and debugging and integration testing becomes very hard as the combinations grow in size, the chain of calls from one module to another grow in number, length, and complexity. This research is about providing new methodology for integration testing to reduce the number of test cases needed to a significant degree while returning as much of its effectiveness as possible. The proposed approach shows the best order in which to integrate the classes currently available for integration and the external method calls that should be tested and in their order for maximum effectiveness. Our approach limits the number of integration test cases. The integration test cases number depends mainly on the dependency among modules and on the number of the integrated classes in the application. The dependency among modules is determined by using an information retrieval technique called Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI). In addition, this research extends the mutation testing for use in integration testing as a method to evaluate the effectiveness of the integration testing process. We have developed a set of integration mutation operators to support development of integration mutation testing. We have conducted experiments based on ten Java applications. To evaluate the proposed methodology, we have created mutants using new mutation operators that exercise the integration testing. Our experiments show that the test cases killed more than 60% of the created mutants.
Selective, Sensitive, and Reversible Detection of Vapor-Phase High Explosives via Two-Dimensional Mapping: A New Strategy for MOF-Based Sensors

A new strategy has been developed for the effective detection of high explosives in vapor phase by fluorescent metal–organic framework (MOF) sensors. Two structurally related and dynamic MOFs, (Zn)2(ndc)2P·xG [ndc = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate; P =1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe) or 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpee); G = guest/solvent molecule], exhibit a two-dimensional signal response toward analytes of interest in the vapor phase, including aromatic and aliphatic high explosives (e.g., TNT and RDX). The interaction between analytes and the MOF has been studied using in situ infrared absorption spectroscopy and a DFT computational method.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF DETONATION WITH DETAILED CHEMICAL KINETICS USING THE SPACE-TIME METHOD

In this paper, the Space-Time Conservation Element and Solution Element method (or the Space- time method) was used to study transient, one- dimensional detonation phenomena. The governing equations are formulated based on the conservation of mass, species, momentum, and energy with detailed chemical kinetics included. In order to enhance the resolution of the detonation wave, a new local mesh refinement technique developed based on the space-time conservation concept was employed. The resultant scheme was then used to numerically investigate the following two ignition methods, i.e., the shock ignition method and the hotspot ignition method. For the shock ignition method, the strength of the spark and the grid sensitivity of numerical solutions are explored. For the hotspot ignition method, both the step-wise and the linear temperature distribution configurations are studied.
A novel hydra matrix metalloproteinase (HMMP) functions in extracellular matrix degradation, morphogenesis and the maintenance of differentiated cells in the foot process

As a member of Cnidaria, the body wall of hydra is structurally reduced to an epithelial bilayer with an intervening extracellular matrix (ECM). Biochemical and cloning studies have shown that the molecular composition of hydra ECM is similar to that seen in vertebrates and functional studies have demonstrated that cell-ECM interactions are important to developmental processes in hydra. Because vertebrate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been shown to have an important role in cell-ECM interactions, the current study was designed to determine whether hydra has homologues of these proteinases and, if so, what function these enzymes have in morphogenesis and cell differentiation in this simple metazoan. Utilizing a PCR approach, a single hydra matrix metalloproteinase, named HMMP was identified and cloned. The structure of HMMP was similar to that of vertebrate MMPs with an overall identity of about 35%. Detailed structural analysis indicated some unique features in (1) the cysteine-switch region of the prodomain, (2) the hinge region preceding the hemopexin domain, and (3) the hemopexin domain. Using a bacterial system, HMMP protein was expressed and folded to obtain an active enzyme. Substrate analysis studies indicated that recombinant HMMP could digest a number of hydra ECM components such as hydra laminin. Using a fluorogenic MMP substrate assay, it was determined that HMMP was inhibited by peptidyl hydroxamate MMP inhibitors, GM6001 and matlistatin, and by human recombinant TIMP-1. Whole-mount in situ studies indicated that HMMP mRNA was expressed in the endoderm along the entire longitudinal axis of hydra, but at relatively high levels at regions where cell-transdifferentiation occurred (apical and basal poles). Functional studies using GM6001 and TIMP-1 indicated that these MMP inhibitors could reversibly block foot regeneration. Blockage of foot regeneration was also observed using antisense thio-oligo nucleotides to HMMP introduced into the endoderm of the basal pole using a localized electroporation technique. Studies with adult intact hydra found that GM6001 could also cause the reversible de-differentiation or inhibition of transdifferentiation of basal disk cells of the foot process. Basal disk cells are adjacent to those endoderm cells of the foot process that express high levels of HMMP mRNA. In summary, these studies indicate that hydra has at least one MMP that is functionally tied to morphogenesis and cell transdifferentiation in this simple metazoan.
Allograft cardiac valves: A view through the scanning electron microscope

Twenty-five canine aortic valves were sterilized and preserved for 2 to 7 days. Fifteen of these valves were implanted, as allografts, in the mitral position. Valve leaflet architecture and cell viability were assessed at regular intervals by means of histochemical, tissue culture, and scanning electron microscopic techniques. Results suggested that fresh canine allograft valves undergo progressive changes in leaflet architecture and fibrocyte viability. The predominant structural changes involve the loss of leaflet endothelium and disorganization of underlying collagen fibers. These changes are best appreciated with the scanning electron microscope and may help to explain the gradual degeneration of allograft valve transplants in man.
Cryopreserved zygotes and embryos and endocrinologie factors in the replacement cycle

Several parameters relating to features of replacement cycles in 88 patients were found to influence implantation of cryopreserved zygotes and early cleaved embryos. Cryopreserved embryos were replaced in 47 patients with a natural cycle, resulting in 12 (25%) clinical pregnancies. Patients who had anovulation or irregular cycles received either 50 mg clomiphene citrate on days 5 to 9 or 100 mg on days 2 to 6; the incidence of clinical pregnancy was 7 of 23 (30%) and 2 of 18 (11%), respectively. Neither a rise in follicular phase estradiol (E2) nor absolute levels of E2 predicted implantation. The length of the follicular phase during the replacement cycle correlated well with previous menstrual cycles in 43 (54%) of the patients, and 16 (37%) of these patients became pregnant. The follicular phase was either longer or shorter than anticipated in 39 patients, and only 5 (13%) became pregnant: a detrimental effect was especially apparent when the follicular phase was shortened.
Simply Python for CS0

This paper discusses Python and its suitability for CS0, the first introductory course for computer science majors. Python has a simpler and more elegant syntax than most other programming languages. It is freely available at no cost for several platforms and is suitable for both small-scale and large-scale programming. Python also provides support for Graphical User Interfaces and object-oriented programming. These features make it suitable for CS0 and more advanced courses.
Kinks in quantum field theory

A particle in a classical harmonic oscillator potential, m ω 2 x 2 /2, has minimum energy when it sits at rest at the bottom of the potential. Then the particle's energy vanishes. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle however modifies this picture for the quantum harmonic oscillator. The particle cannot sit at rest (with definite momentum) at the bottom of the potential (a definite location). Indeed, the quantum zero point motion lifts the ground state energy to ω/2. Further, the excited states of the simple harmonic oscillator are discrete and occur at energies ( n + 1/2)ω, n = 0, 1, 2, … Just as the classical harmonic oscillator is modified by quantum effects, any classical solution to a field theory is also modified by quantum effects. Quantum effects give corrections to the classical kink energy owing to zero point quantum field fluctuations. These quantum corrections are small provided the coupling constant in the model is weak. To “quantize the kink” means to evaluate all the energy levels of the kink (first quantization) and to develop a framework for doing quantum field theory in a kink background. This involves identifying all excitations in the presence of the kink and their interactions. The field theory of the excitations in the non-trivial background of the kink is akin to second quantization. Finally, one would also like to describe the creation and annihilation of kinks themselves by suitable kink creation and annihilation operators. This would be the elusive third quantization. Initially we calculate the leading order quantum corrections to the energy of the Z 2 and sine-Gordon kinks. As these two examples illustrate, the precise value of the quantum correction depends on the exact model and kink under consideration.
Medicolegal Aspects of Peripheral Nerve Injury

Iatrogenic peripheral nerve injury is a known risk associated with a number of medical and surgical interventions. Depending on the nerve or nerves involved and the extent of damage, these injuries may invoke a wide range of adverse consequences for patients ranging from paresthesias and transient weakness to chronic pain and even permanent loss of function. In addition to the clinical implications of iatrogenic nerve injuries, surgeons and other healthcare personnel must be aware of the potential medicolegal ramifications. Lawsuits regarding peripheral nerve injury have cited surgical error, inadequate or absent informed consent, and failure to immediately diagnose the injury as factors prompting litigation. One study regarding neonatal brachial plexus palsies found statistically significant correlations between litigation and families’ perceptions that the injuries were unwarranted, that they received inadequate information, and that their concerns were ignored or not fully addressed as opposed to the extent of injury. Delayed recognition and failure to diligently assess for these injuries early on reduces the likelihood that a successful repair can be accomplished and consequently creates a greater probability of litigation. The literature is equivocal regarding whether instituting measures such as intraoperative nerve monitoring is beneficial from a medicolegal standpoint.
How Medicaid and Other Public Policies Affect Use of Tobacco Cessation Therapy, United States, 2010-2014.

INTRODUCTION State Medicaid programs can cover tobacco cessation therapies for millions of low-income smokers in the United States, but use of this benefit is low and varies widely by state. This article assesses the effects of changes in Medicaid benefit policies, general tobacco policies, smoking norms, and public health programs on the use of cessation therapy among Medicaid smokers. METHODS We used longitudinal panel analysis, using 2-way fixed effects models, to examine the effects of changes in state policies and characteristics on state-level use of Medicaid tobacco cessation medications from 2010 through 2014. RESULTS Medicaid policies that require patients to obtain counseling to get medications reduced the use of cessation medications by approximately one-quarter to one-third; states that cover all types of cessation medications increased usage by approximately one-quarter to one-third. Non-Medicaid policies did not have significant effects on use levels. CONCLUSIONS States could increase efforts to quit by developing more comprehensive coverage and reducing barriers to coverage. Reductions in barriers could bolster smoking cessation rates, and the costs would be small compared with the costs of treating smoking-related diseases. Innovative initiatives to help smokers quit could improve health and reduce health care costs.
The Constitutional Case for Addressing Critical Information Needs

In this chapter, the authors argue that addressing the critical information needs of the diverse American public is a compelling governmental interest, and that a fuller appreciation of the local media ecology provides regulators with the tools to narrowly tailor policy to meet the governmental duty to protect the public. Part I of this chapter traces the historical underpinnings of the U.S. Constitution’s embrace of the duty to protect citizens and will show how that duty is advanced in the modern government in the area of speech. Part II explains why strict scrutiny is not fatal to government policies focused on the provision of critical information needs to the diverse US public. This chapter will conclude with a suggestion of narrowly tailored policies.
Synthetic Biogenesis of Bacterial Amyloid Nanomaterials with Tunable Inorganic-Organic Interfaces and Electrical Conductivity.

Amyloids are highly ordered, hierarchal protein nanoassemblies. Functional amyloids in bacterial biofilms, such as Escherichia coli curli fibers, are formed by the polymerization of monomeric proteins secreted into the extracellular space. Curli is synthesized by living cells, is primarily composed of the major curlin subunit CsgA, and forms biological nanofibers with high aspect ratios. Here, we explore the application of curli fibers for nanotechnology by engineering curli to mediate tunable biological interfaces with inorganic materials and to controllably form gold nanoparticles and gold nanowires. Specifically, we used cell-synthesized curli fibers as templates for nucleating and growing gold nanoparticles and showed that nanoparticle size could be modulated as a function of curli fiber gold-binding affinity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that gold nanoparticles can be preseeded onto curli fibers and followed by gold enhancement to form nanowires. Using these two approaches, we created artificial cell...
Supporting learning analytics in computing education

As is the case for many undergraduate STEM degree programs, computing degree programs are plagued by high attrition rates. This is especially true in early computing courses, in which failure and drop-out rates in the 35 to 50 percent range are common. By collecting learning process data as students engage in computer programming assignments, computing educators can place themselves in a position not only to better understand students' struggles, but also to better tailor instructional interventions to students' needs. We have developed OSBLE+, a learning management and analytics environment that interfaces with a computer programming environment to support the automatic collection of learners' programming process and social data as they work on programming assignments, while also providing an interactive environment for the analysis and visualization of those data. In ongoing work, we are using OSBLE+ to explore two possibilities: (a) leveraging learning and social data to strategically deliver automated learning interventions, and (b) presenting learners with visual representations of their learning data in order to prompt them to reflect on and discuss their learning processes.
Rapid heterogeneous oxidation of organic coatings on submicron aerosols

Laboratory studies have found that heterogeneous oxidation can affect the composition and loading of atmospheric organic aerosol particles over time scales of several days, but most studies have examined pure organic particles only. In this study, in order to probe the reactivity of organic species confined near the particle surface, the rates and products of the OH-initiated oxidation of pure squalane particles are compared to oxidation of thin coatings of squalane on ammonium sulfate particles. The squalane reaction rate constant shows a linear dependence on the organic surface area-to-volume ratio, with rate constants for coated particles up to 10 times larger than for pure particles. Changes in the carbon oxidation state and fraction of particulate carbon remaining show similar enhancements, implying that heterogeneous oxidation may exhibit a stronger effect on the loadings and properties of organic aerosol than previously estimated from laboratory studies.
Response of 'Prize' azalea to sumagic applied at several stages of shoot apex development.

Abstract ‘Prize’ forcing azalea was treated with 15 or 30 ppm Sumagic at one of 4 stages of shoot apex development (stage 0 = vegetative; 1 = apex broadened; 2−3 = sepals and petals initiated; 4 = stamen initiated) in 2 experiments. Plants were taller and broader as the application was delayed; these parameters decreased with increasing Sumagic rate. Bypass shoot count decreased quadratically with increasing rate, and was not affected by stage of development (SOD) in one experiment but decreased when plants were treated at a later SOD in a second experiment. Time to flower increased and flower count decreased when plants were treated at a later SOD. Plants treated at SOD 0 flowered earlier with more blooms or at a similar time with a similar flower count to control plants.
Shape accuracy requirements on starshades for large and small apertures

Starshades have been designed to work with large and small telescopes alike. With smaller telescopes, the targets tend to be brighter and closer to the Solar System, and their putative planetary systems span angles that require starshades with radii of 10-30 m at distances of 10s of Mm. With larger apertures, the light-collecting power enables studies of more numerous, fainter systems, requiring larger, more distant starshades with radii >50 m at distances of 100s of Mm. Characterization using infrared wavelengths requires even larger starshades. A mitigating approach is to observe planets between the petals, where one can observe regions closer to the star but with reduced throughput and increased instrument scatter. We compare the starshade shape requirements, including petal shape, petal positioning, and other key terms, for the WFIRST 26m starshade and the HABEX 72 m starshade concepts, over a range of working angles and telescope sizes. We also compare starshades having rippled and smooth edges and show that their performance is nearly identical.
African Americans and punishment for crime: A critique of mainstream and neoliberal discourses

Understandings of punishment within the criminological enterprise have failed to capture the nuances associated with experiencing punishment. Moreover, mainstream academic discourses are inherently...
Spatial-spectral joint detection for wideband spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks

Spectrum sensing is an essential functionality that enables cognitive radios to detect spectral holes and opportunistically use under-utilized frequency bands without causing harmful interference to primary networks. Since individual cognitive radios might not be able to reliably detect weak primary signals due to channel fading/shadowing, this paper proposes a cooperative wideband spectrum sensing scheme, referred to as spatial-spectral joint detection, which is based on a linear combination of the local statistics from spatially distributed multiple cognitive radios. The cooperative sensing problem is formulated into an optimization problem, for which suboptimal but efficient solutions can be obtained through mathematical transformation under practical conditions.
Cause marketing and customer profitability

This research marks the first attempt to investigate the cause marketing–customer profitability relationship, and to assess whether features can moderate the influence of cause marketing (CM) on customer profitability for a focal brand and its main rival. We obtain a panel dataset on 7257 customers to evaluate the Yoplait–Susan G. Komen partnership. On a propensity score matched sample, we estimate a multilevel model and find that Yoplait’s CM initiative positively influences Yoplait’s customer profitability (2.70%), along with a deleterious effect on Dannon’s customer profitability (−13.31%). These findings are theoretically meaningful and pragmatically useful as they: (1) provide behavioral evidence of CM’s profit impact, (2) establish CM as an “offensive” strategy that cultivates the rival’s customers, (3) suggest features can amplify the effect of CM on the focal brand’s customer profitability, and (4) support that managers can add CM to their strategic marketing arsenal as an instrument to strengthen brand equity.
Context Recognition In-the-Wild: Unified Model for Multi-Modal Sensors and Multi-Label Classification

Automatic recognition of behavioral context (location, activities, body-posture etc.) can serve health monitoring, aging care, and many other domains. Recognizing context in-the-wild is challenging because of great variability in behavioral patterns, and it requires a complex mapping from sensor features to predicted labels. Data collected in-the-wild may be unbalanced and incomplete, with cases of missing labels or missing sensors. We propose using the multiple layer perceptron (MLP) as a multi-task model for context recognition. Based on features from multi-modal sensors, the model simultaneously predicts many diverse context labels. We analyze the advantages of the model's hidden layers, which are shared among all sensors and all labels, and provide insight to the behavioral patterns that these hidden layers may capture. We demonstrate how recognition of new labels can be improved when utilizing a model that was trained for an initial set of labels, and show how to train the model to withstand missing sensors. We evaluate context recognition on the previously published ExtraSensory Dataset, which was collected in-the-wild. Compared to previously suggested models, the MLP improves recognition, even with fewer parameters than a linear model. The ability to train a good model using data that has incomplete, unbalanced labeling and missing sensors encourages further research with uncontrolled, in-the-wild behavior.
Pharmacological validation of a novel nonhuman primate measure of thermal responsivity with utility for predicting analgesic effects.

Introduction The development of novel analgesics to treat acute or chronic pain has been a challenge due to a lack of translatable measurements. Preclinical end points with improved translatability are necessary to more accurately inform clinical testing paradigms, which may help guide selection of viable drug candidates. Methods In this study, a nonhuman primate biomarker which is sensitive to standard analgesics at clinically relevant plasma concentrations, can differentiate analgesia from sedation and utilizes a protocol very similar to that which can be employed in human clinical studies is described. Specifically, acute heat stimuli were delivered to the volar forearm using a contact heat thermode in the same manner as the clinical setting. Results Clinically efficacious exposures of morphine, fentanyl, and tramadol produced robust analgesic effects, whereas doses of diazepam that produce sedation had no effect. Conclusion We propose that this assay has predictive utility that can help improve the probability of success for developing novel analgesics.
Internalizing Serious Leisure to Enhance Well-Being in Adventure Recreation

Those suggestions can be applied to the interactions between AR providers and clients. For example, after assessing a climber’s body movement, his/her instructor not only selects a route based on its rating, but focuses on certain skills, such as dyno, a dynamic movement used to grab the next handhold placed out of a climber’s reach, needed to successfully ascend the route. By working on this selected route, this climber gradually develop those skills and the instructor can give immediate feedback to help a client adjust their movements and mindsets. In this case, a rewarding experience is not only derived from a successful ascent, but also from being able to establish physical and mental techniques to address challenging situations in this route.
Quantification of 3-D coronary arterial motion using clinical biplane cineangiograms

Speculation that the motion of the coronary arteries might be involved in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis has generated growing interest in the study of this motion. Accordingly, a system has been developed to quantify 3-D coronary arterial motion using clinical biplane cineangiograms. Exploiting the temporal continuity of sequential angiographic images, a template matching technique is designed to track the non-uniform frame-to-frame motion of coronary arteries without assuming that the vessels experience uniform axial strain. The implementation of the system is automated by a coarse-to-fine matching process, thus improving the efficiency and objectivity of motion analysis. The system has been validated and employed to characterize the in vivo motion dynamics of human coronary arteries; illustrative results show that this system is a promising tool for routine clinical and laboratory analysis of coronary arterial motion.
Three essays in macroeconomics

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.
CLARION as a cognitive framework for intelligent virtual agents

This paper examines the CLARION cognitive architecture as a framework for constructing IVAs. CLARION is a unified, comprehensive theory of the mind based on a hybrid architecture able to represent both implicit and explicit knowledge. We examine several features of CLARION as they relate to the construction of IVAs.
The determination and evaluation of capillary resistance--a review of methodology.

In view of the uncertainty and inadequacy still prevailing in the routine determination and interpretation of capillary resistance, the problem has been analyzed in the hope of contributing to a much needed improvement. (1) The pressure and suction methods have been compared and a good correlation found. A study of the mechanisms involved reveals that both methods rest upon a common underlying mechanism. The suction method is in reality a miniature pressure method. (2) Scrutiny of the merits and shortcomings of the two methods leads to the conclusion that the pressure method can serve only for crude estimations of capillary resistance. Detailed clinical studies of capillary resistance requiring repeated accurate measurements at short intervals, as well as experimental animal studies, necessitate the suction method as the obvious method of choice. (3) The three main causes of the present undesirable situation in this field are discussed: lack of standardization; inadequate realization of the pitfalls of testing; and erroneous interpretation of findings.
Tobacco use during a clinical trial of mecamylamine for alcohol dependence: Medication effects on smoking and associations with reductions in drinking.

Abstract Mecamylamine is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist that was recently used in a clinical trial to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) in both smokers and non-smokers. The current manuscript reports a reanalysis of data from this clinical trial in which we examine changes in smoking that occurred over the course of the trial. We focused on examining the effects of mecamylamine on smoking and the association between reductions in alcohol use and smoking. Participants were the subgroup of smokers who participated in the clinical trial of mecamylamine (10 mg/day) to treat their AUD (n = 76). Smoking was assessed prior to randomization and tracked throughout the course of the 12-week medication treatment phase. Participants were categorized as treatment responders or non-responders based on their changes in drinking over the course of the clinical trial. Participants showed a reduction in smoking over the course of the clinical trial, but there were no significant differences in smoking outcomes between the mecamylamine and placebo groups. Among moderate/high dependence smokers, those who successfully reduced drinking showed a significant reduction in cigarettes smoked per day over the clinical trial. Mecamylamine had no detectable effect on smoking outcomes. Reductions in alcohol use predicted more favorable smoking outcomes among moderate/high tobacco dependence smokers irrespective of medication condition. The reduction in smoking among patients who decreased their alcohol use responders highlights an opportunity for patients being treated for AUD to reduce their smoking.
Design and prototyping of a freeform light-guide for automotive lighting

We have designed a light-guide for lighting applications, including automotive headlamps. The light-guide is designed based on a free-form slab. Our intention has been to optimize the design for creating legal patterns. One of our objectives has been to investigate how the changes in the shape of the freeform light-guide affects the light pattern, and how the light source geometry affects the design. For prototyping purpose, we use a particular polymer that exhibits optical performance close to acrylic (PMMA).
Discretizing Logged Interaction Data Biases Learning for Decision-Making

Time series data that are not measured at regular intervals are commonly discretized as a preprocessing step. For example, data about customer arrival times might be simplified by summing the number of arrivals within hourly intervals, which produces a discrete-time time series that is easier to model. In this abstract, we show that discretization introduces a bias that affects models trained for decision-making. We refer to this phenomenon as discretization bias, and show that we can avoid it by using continuous-time models instead.
Wavelength Sensitivity in Photodegradation of Polymer PV Backsheets

Spectral wavelength of the terrestrial sunlight is an important factor in the degradation of photovoltaic (PV) modules and components. In this study, the effect of wavelength on the degradation of PPE backsheets based on poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) has been investigated under four different wavelength ranges having center wavelengths (CW) of 306 nm, 326 nm, 354 nm, and 452 nm at 65°C, and 0 % relative humidity (RH). Chemical degradation, yellowing, and surface morphological changes were measured as a function of radiation doses from different wavelengths. Mathematical models were developed for depicting the relationship between degradation and spectral wavelength. Both physical and chemical degradation of the PPE backsheet exhibited a very strong sensitivity toward wavelength, with the CW306 nm caused the greatest damage while the CW354 nm and higher exhibited minimal or photobleaching effects. This wavelength sensitivity can be modeled satisfactorily by an exponential function. The study highlights that caution should be made when comparing results from different light sources.
The binary mass ratios of circumbinary planet hosts

Almost a dozen circumbinary planets have been found transiting eclipsing binaries. For the first time the observational bias of this sample is calculated with respect to the mass ratio of the host binaries. It is shown that the mass ratio affects transit detection in multiple, sometimes subtle ways, through stability and dynamics of orbits, dilution of transit depths and the geometric transit and eclipse probabilities. Surprisingly though, it is found that these effects largely cancel out. Consequently, the transit detections in the Kepler mission are essentially unbiased with respect to mass ratio, and hence likely representative of the true underlying population. It is shown the mass ratio distribution of circumbinary hosts may be the same as field binaries, and hence roughly uniform, but more observations are needed to deduce any subtle differences. These results are discussed in the context of close binary formation and evolution, of which the mass ratio is believed to be a marker, and other surveys for circumbinary planets including TESS and BEBOP.
Codon Pairs are Phylogenetically Conserved: Codon pairing as a new class of phylogenetic characters

Identical codon pairing and co-tRNA codon pairing increase translational efficiency within genes when two codons that encode the same amino acid are located within a ribosomal window. By examining both identical and co-tRNA codon pairing across 23 423 species, we determined that both pairing techniques are phylogenetically informative across all domains of life using either an alignment-free or parsimony framework. We also determined that conserved codon pairing typically has a smaller window size than the length of a ribosome. We also analyzed frequencies of codon pairing for each codon to determine which codons are most likely to pair. The alignment-free method does not require orthologous gene annotations and recovers species relationships that are comparable to other alignment-free techniques. Parsimony generally recovers phylogenies that are more congruent with the established phylogenies than the alignment-free method. However, four of the ten taxonomic groups do not have sufficient ortholog annotations and are therefore recoverable using only the alignment-free methods. Since the recovered phylogenies using only codon pairing largely match established phylogenies and are comparable to other algorithms, we propose that codon pairing biases are phylogenetically conserved and should be considered in conjunction with current techniques in future phylogenomic studies. Furthermore, the phylogenetic conservation of codon pairing indicates that codon pairing plays a greater role in the speciation process than previously acknowledged.
Deep Packet Inspection and Your Online Privacy: Constitutional Concerns and the Shortcomings of Federal Statutory Protection

The article explores the introduction and rapid adoption of deep packet inspection (DPI) technologies, constitutional laws as they relate to DPI use, and the current limitations of constitutional law in protecting the individual right to privacy.
The genesis of formal police agency creation in U.S. cities

Police scholars have studied the creation and formalization of police organizations in U.S. cities during the mid-1800s, and competing explanations describe why cities adopted formal and profession...
Unraveling the Mysteries of Motivation

Motivation plays a central role in human behavior and cognition but is not well captured by widely used artificial intelligence (AI) and computational modeling frameworks. This Opinion article addresses two central questions regarding the nature of motivation: what are the nature and dynamics of the internal goals that drive our motivational system and how can this system be sufficiently flexible to support our ability to rapidly adapt to novel situations, tasks, etc.? In reviewing existing systems and neuroscience research and theorizing on these questions, a wealth of insights to constrain the development of computational models of motivation can be found.
Highly Automated Formal Proofs over Memory Usage of Assembly Code

We present a methodology for generating a characterization of the memory used by an assembly program, as well as a formal proof that the assembly is bounded to the generated memory regions. A formal proof of memory usage is required for compositional reasoning over assembly programs. Moreover, it can be used to prove low-level security properties, such as integrity of the return address of a function. Our verification method is based on interactive theorem proving, but provides automation by generating pre- and postconditions, invariants, control-flow, and assumptions on memory layout. As a case study, three binaries of the Xen hypervisor are disassembled. These binaries are the result of a complex build-chain compiling production code, and contain various complex and nested loops, large and compound data structures, and functions with over 100 basic blocks. The methodology has been successfully applied to 251 functions, covering 12,252 assembly instructions.
Integrated Approach to Simultaneously Determine 3D Location and Size of Rebar in GPR Data

AbstractThe precise determination of reinforcement rebar information of constructed facilities is a significant challenge faced by many practitioners in the areas of structural health monitoring (S...
Cost-Effectiveness of Targeted Vs. Tailored Interventions to Promote Mammography Screening Among Women Military Veterans in the United States

Rationale: Mammography is effective for reducing breast cancer mortality for women age 40 years or older. With the growing population of aging women veterans, historically lower screening rates and the limitation of financial resources, it is important to assess the cost-effectiveness of interventions to increase mammography screening for women veterans. Objective: The primary objective is to examine the cost-effectiveness of both tailored and targeted interventions studied by Project H.O.M.E. in a 5-year prospective randomized trial of transtheoretical model based intervention, created to increase mammography screening compliance among 3,000 women veterans age 50 years and older. Methodology: Costs were assessed from societal and payer perspectives. Time logs, payroll data, invoices, and project records served to itemize, quantify, and value personnel and volunteer time, equipment, and materials. Effect is percent of women with at least 9 months of follow-up who obtain a mammogram within 2 years of the initial intervention. Sensitivity of the incremental cost effectiveness ratios is examined over a range of estimates and values for wages, overhead rate, and cohort size. Statistical uncertainty is examined based on 95 percent confidence intervals around the estimated costs and effects of the intervention. Results: The mammography promotion intervention cost per eligible patient for the tailored and targeted groups from the societal perspective were $66 and $24. From the payer perspective, the cost per eligible patient of the tailored group was $51. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was $1,085 per additional woman screened when moving from no intervention to the targeted intervention; and the tailored intervention was dominated by the targeted intervention. The ICER for the targeted intervention was sensitive to corhort size, declining to $778 when cohort size increased from 4,300 to 10,000 women.
Type I interferon, anti-interferon antibodies, and COVID-19.

Author(s): Calabrese, Leonard H; Winthrop, Kevin; Strand, Vibeke; Yazdany, Jinoos; Walter, Jolan E
Balancing efficient analysis and storage of quantitative genomics data with the D4 format and d4tools

Modern DNA sequencing is used as a readout for diverse assays, with the count of aligned sequences (read depth) representing the quantitative signal for each underlying cellular phenomena. Existing data formats for quantitative genomics assays are, however, limited in either the analysis speeds they enable, the disk space they require or both. We have developed the dense depth data dump (D4) format and tool suite, with the goal of balancing improved analysis speeds with file size. The D4 format is adaptive in that it profiles a random sample of aligned sequence depth from the input sequence file to determine an optimal encoding that enables fast data access. We demonstrate that the D4 format offers substantial speed improvements over existing formats for random access, aggregation and summarization, while also achieving better or comparable file sizes. This performance enables scalable downstream analyses that would be otherwise difficult. The D4 format for genomics datasets employs an adaptive encoding strategy based on the relatively low variance of sequence coverage. This encoding improves the speed at which these datasets can be queried for biological inquiry, while also achieving better or comparable file sizes than existing formats.
Review of Kinne (2020): Particle Placement in English L1 and L2 Academic Writing: A Triangulated Learner-Corpus and Experimental Study of Weight Effects

This article reviews Particle Placement in English L1 and L2 Academic Writing: A Triangulated Learner-Corpus and Experimental Study of Weight Effects
A Review of “Constituency Representation in Congress: The View from Capitol Hill”

In Constituency Representation in Congress: The View from Capitol Hill, Kristina C. Miler makes an impressive contribution to political science. Because of her decision to examine the thoroughness ...