cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward Quality Control in Key Informant Data.

This paper deals with the question of predicting quality in key informant data. The concept of precision (closeness of key informants' responses to the actual nature of the quantitative and qualitative domains on which they are reporting) is introduced and measured in a research setting where key informant reliability (agreement) has been assessed by other field workers. It is shown that it is possible to control the quality of key informant data because informants appear to be reliable and precise in similar domains and unreliable and imprecise in other domains of reporting.
Rao-Blackwellized Importance Sampling of Camera Parameters from Simple User Input with Visibility Preprocessing in Line Space

Users know what they see before where they are: it is more natural to talk about high level visibility information ("I see such object") than about one?s location or orientation. In this paper we introduce a method to find in 3D worlds a density of viewpoints of camera locations from high level visibility constraints on objects in this world. Our method is based on Rao-Blackwellized importance sampling. For efficiency purposes, the proposal distribution used for sampling is extracted from a visibility preprocessing technique adapted from computer graphics. We apply the method for finding in a 3D city model of Atlanta the virtual locations of real-world cameras and viewpoints.
Theorizing the Expansion of the Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria

This research investigates the dramatic expansion of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria in the last few years. Militant activity has expanded in terms of frequency and severity of attacks, geographic scope, target selection, and strategies used. The evolution of the group and the trajectory of violence are best explained through four overlapping theoretical strands. These include the growing fragmentation of the movement, development of strategic ties with Al Qaeda affiliates, strong-armed counterterrorism operations that further radicalized the movement, and exploitation of the porous border area that separates Nigeria from its northern neighbors.
Pricing, Investment, and Network Equilibrium

National Science Foundation, Humphrey Institute Sustainable Transportation Applied Research Initiative.
Global hydrometeor occurrence as observed by CloudSat: Initial observations from summer 2006

Measurements of global hydrometeor coverage and occurrence frequencies as observed by the cloud radar on CloudSat are summarized using data collected during Summer 2006. CloudSat was launched on 28 April 2006 and began collecting data routinely on 7 June 2006. In this article we document the distribution of cloudiness from the ITCZ to the Polar regions as observed by CloudSat during the first summer of operations. The overall global hydrometeor coverage as observed by CloudSat is found to be 0.506. The vertical distribution of zonally averaged hydrometeor occurrence shows the relationship of clouds with components of the atmospheric general circulation such as the Hadley Cell, the ubiquitous storms over the Southern Ocean, and the subtropical stratocumulus regimes.
Characterization of interconnect coupling noise using in-situ delay-change curve measurements

The delay-change curve (DCC) characterizes the variation of the interconnect delay due to coupling noise. This paper describes a set of novel models that relate the DCC to the coupling noise waveform. These models are targeted for use in the timing margin design and accurate experimental determination of sub-nanosecond coupling noise. The circuit structure, a set of measurements, the model equations, and the waveform extraction procedures are newly proposed. Evaluation results using a 0.25 /spl mu/m test chip are presented showing good agreement with SPICE simulations.
Validating generalized plans in the presence of incomplete information

Let Robbie be an agent possessing a generalized plan for accomplishing a goal. Can Robbie use his plan to accomplish the goal without passing through any of a set of forbidden world states en route. to the goal? This situation arises if, for example, Robbie must accomplish the goal with some additional constramts ("Can I get to the airport in time without speeding?"). There are two poles in the spectrum of methods Robbie can use to test his plan in the new world situation each with its own advantages and disadvantages. At one extreme, Robbie can choose to express the new world constraints as additional preconditions on all the operators used for planning. At the other extreme, Robbie can attempt to prove that the new constramts are satisfied in every possible world that could arise during execution of the plan, from any initial world state that is consistent with his axioms. In this paper we examine the tradeoffs between these two opposing approaches, and show that the approaches are in fact very similar from a computational complexity point of view.
ANGIOTENSIN II EXERTS DIFFERENTIAL ACTIONS ON RENAL NERVE ACTIVITY AND HEART RATE

Angiotensin II (Ang II) exerts complex actions on sympathetic nerve activity and heart rate, but these actions are incompletely understood. We performed three series of experiments in conscious rabbits to analyze the actions of exogenous and endogenous Ang II on renal sympathetic nerve activity and heart rate. (1) Graded intravenous doses of phenylephrine and Ang II suppressed renal sympathetic nerve activity to the same degree, whereas Ang II decreased heart rate much less than phenylephrine. (2) Ang II infusion at 10 ng/kg per minute increased mean arterial pressure by 13 +/- 2 mm Hg (P < .01) and decreased renal sympathetic nerve activity by 67 +/- 13% (P < .01) but did not change heart rate. In the same rabbits, nitroprusside and phenylephrine infusions were used to generate baroreceptor reflex curves. Ang II shifted the heart rate-mean arterial pressure curve to the right but did not alter the renal nerve activity-mean arterial pressure curve. (3) The Ang II type 1 receptor antagonist losartan decreased mean arterial pressure by 8 +/- 3 mm Hg (P < .01) and increased renal sympathetic nerve activity by 63 +/- 15% (P < .05) but did not change heart rate. Losartan shifted the heart rate-mean arterial pressure curve to the left but did not alter the renal nerve activity-mean arterial pressure curve. These results demonstrate that whereas exogenous Ang II resets the baroreceptor reflex control of heart rate to a higher pressure, it does not increase resting renal sympathetic nerve activity or alter the baroreceptor reflex control of renal nerve activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Probing Electronic and Vibrational Dynamics in Molecules by Time-Resolved Photoelectron, Auger-Electron, and X-ray Photon Scattering Spectroscopy

We present a unified description for time-resolved electron and photon scattering spectroscopies from molecules prepared in nonstationary states. Signals are expressed in terms of superoperator Green's functions and a systematic procedure for treating various degrees of freedom consistently at different levels of theory is developed. The standard Fermi Golden Rule expressions for photoelectron spectra, which are limited to broad, slowly-varying signals, are obtained as a limiting case of our more general theory that applies to broader parameter regimes.
Urbanization and the Evangelical Pulpit in Nineteenth-Century Scotland

Urbanization was the child of the industrial revolution. Born in the previous century, urban life rapidly matured in the nineteenth. The growth of industrial centers such as Glasgow placed an unbearable strain on the existing parochial system as people who had been reared in rural ways were thrust into urban situations alien to rural interests. One observer described the movement of the population from country to town as “a flood which swept away all the old relations of urban and rural districts.” The result of this social upheaval was twofold: a widespread attitude of religious disinterest and the appearance of social vices on a large scale. To the staid but wary religious community, urbanization appeared to be the basis of irreligion and moral decadence.
On a dynamic extension of the theory of graphs

We consider a graph of a given order whose topology is dictated by an underlying controlled dynamics. This dynamic graph structure provides a convenient framework for modeling distributed dynamic systems where the topology of the interaction among its elements evolves in time. The static theory of graphs has been an active area of research in non-enumerative combinatorics. In this paper, we propose a framework for studying dynamic graphs as an area that lies at the intersection of dynamical systems and combinatorics. We also highlight the directions which we find to be particularly promising in this venue.
Absence of Rapid Sensory Adaptation in Neocortex during Information Processing States

Abstract One prominent feature of sensory responses in neocortex is that they rapidly adapt to increases in frequency, a process called "sensory adaptation." Here we show that sensory adaptation mainly occurs during quiescent states such as anesthesia, slow-wave sleep, and awake immobility. In contrast, during behavior-ally activated states, sensory responses are already adapted. For instance, during learning of a behavioral task, when an animal is very alert and expectant, sensory adaptation is mostly absent. After learning occurs, and the task becomes routine, the level of alertness lessens and sensory adaptation becomes robust. The primary sensory thalamocortical pathway of alert and expectant animals is in the adapted state, which may be required for adequate sensory information processing.
Multi-carrier 16QAM over a linearized TWTA

A major concern relating to the transmission of Internet services by means of satellite has been the linearity of available high power amplifiers (HPAs). Traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) offer the greatest efficiency and power capacity, but are somewhat limited in linearity. This paper investigates the use of linearized TWTAs for the transmission of high date rate bandwidth efficient traffic.
Columns for High Osmotic Pressure Chromatography

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the strategy used in choosing column for High osmotic pressure chromatography (HOPC). HOPC is a method used to prepare fractions with a narrow molecular weight (MW) distribution from a broad-distribution original sample. The technique allows users to prepare a large amount of narrow-distribution fractions at the minimal expense of solvent. HOPC resembles size exclusion chromatography (SEC) in many respects. The first two sections describe HOPC before discussing requirements on the columns. In HOPC, a concentrated solution of polymer is injected. The concentration needs to be sufficiently higher than the overlap concentration c* at which congestion of polymer chains occurs. HOPC uses a column packed with porous materials that have a pore diameter close to a dimension of the solvated polymer to separate.
The Future Of Affirmative Action After Grutter v. Bollinger

The future of affirmative action was the subject of a pair of consolidated cases decided by the United States Supreme Court in June 2003. Whether the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the use of race in the admission of students to a University or whether diversity can provide a compelling government interest sufficient to meet Fourteenth Amendment standard was the controversy decided by the Supreme Court. This case will affect the future of affirmative action not only in higher education, but also in the employment arena as well.
The Origin of the Reactivity of the Criegee Intermediate: Implications for Atmospheric Particle Growth.

The electronic structure of the simplest Criegee intermediate, H2COO, is practically that of a closed shell. On the biradical scale (β), where 0 corresponds to the pure closed shell and 1 to a pure biradical, its β value is only 0.10, suggesting that its ground electronic state is best described as a H2C=O(δ+)-O(δ-) zwitterion. However, this picture of a nearly inert closed shell contradicts its rich reactivity in the atmosphere. It is shown that the mixing of its ground state with the first triplet excited state, which is a pure biradical state of the type H2C˙-O-O˙, is responsible for the formation of strongly bound products during reactions inducing atmospheric particle growth.
Using Wearable and Contextual Computing to Optimize Field Engineering Work Practices

Industrial work, as performed in field engineering and manufacturing, is inherently different from traditional office work. Industrial work is highly mobile and physical, and involves continuous interaction between people and machines in settings such as factory floors, power plants, oil rigs, locomotive maintenance yards, etc. This domain has recently benefitted from a set of disruptive technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) [2], mobile and wearable computing, and contextual software applications. In particular, GE’s Industrial Internet initiative [1] aims at researching new ways to connect people and machines, enabling communications between people and traditional software systems, between people at work, and between people and intelligent machines. When allied with wearable and mobile computing, the Industrial Internet enables new forms of contextual user experiences focusing on the delivery of the right information to the right user at the right time and place. Moreover, these new technologies have enabled experiences that better adapts to industrial workers’ needs. For example, using virtual reality glasses and natural language interaction, workers can readily access information about their tasks at hand, the machines nearby, and people located at a distance. This is achieved with minimal distraction, in a proactive way, leveraging the knowledge about each person’s tasks and surroundings. In this paper, we describe a general approach and architecture designed to support contextual and mobile applications in the industrial domain and the application of this architecture in the development of the MyWorld application, a contextual mobile applications that works as a single point of entry for a field engineer’s needs.
Controlling the magnetic ground state in Cr1-x Vx films.

We demonstrate the ability to control the magnetic phase diagram of Cr 1-x V x (110) thin films grown on a W(110) substrate. Using angle-resolved photoemission, we have mapped paramagnetic and commensurate and incommensurate antiferromagnetic phases as a function of temperature, film thickness, and composition. We show that surface-localized electron states play a key role in the observed phase behaviors and suggest from this that it might be possible to control the magnetic phase by applying an external electric field.
DNA repair in specific sequences in mammalian cells.

SUMMARY To investigate the influence of function or activity of a DNA sequence on its repair, we have studied excision repair of a number of adducts in the non-transcribed, heterochromatic alpha DNA of monkey cells (by physically isolating the DNA) and also the removal of pyrimidine dimers in a number of genes in rodent and human cells (by an indirect assay using a dimer-specific endonuclease). In confluent cells, psoralen and aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) adducts are produced in similar frequencies in alpha and in the rest of the DNA, but removal from alpha is severely deficient. Adducts of N -acetoxyacetylaminofluorene (NA-AAF) are formed in slightly higher frequencies in alpha, and removal is slightly deficient. The removal of thymine glycols from alpha DNA in gamma-irradiated cells is proficient, as is repair synthesis elicited by exposure to methyl methane sulphonate, dimethyl sulphate, or 254nm ultraviolet light (u.v.). Removal of AFB 1 and NA-AAF adducts from alpha is enhanced by small doses of u.v. but not by X-rays or DMS. The quantum efficiency of conversion of psoralen monoadducts to crosslinks is much lower in alpha DNA. Taken together, these results suggest that the highly condensed chromatin structure of alpha hinders access of the repair system that acts on bulky adducts but not of systems for repair of specific base damage, u.v. damage may alter this chromatin structure directly or facilitate the action of some system that changes accessibility of chromatin to repair. The repair deficiencies are not observed in actively growing cells, in which chromatin structure may be less condensed due to DNA replication. We have also demonstrated preferential excision repair of pyrimidine dimers in active genes. Dimers are efficiently removed from the essential dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and hydroxy-methylglutaryl CoA reductase genes in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and from the transcribed c-ab1 proto-oncogene in the mouse cells. Both cell types remove few dimers from their overall genomes or from sequences distal to the DHFR gene; dimers are also removed poorly from the non-transcribed mouse c-mos gene. In human cells, dimers are removed more rapidly from the DHFR gene than from the genome as a whole. However, repair is as deficient in this gene in XP-C cells as it is in the entire genome. These results suggest that resistance to DNA damage correlates better with repair of vital or active sequences than with .overall repair levels and that mutagenic efficiency may vary according to the activity of the gene under study.
Effect of Chloramphenicol on the Metabolism and Lethality of Cyclophosphamide in Rats

SummaryChloramphenicol pretreatment reduced the lethality of cyclophosphamide in vivo and resulted in an increased time of mean death and a higher mean lethal dose. Chloramphenicol pretreatment decreased the in vivo conversion of cyclophosphamide to a metabolite capable of alkylation. After pretreatment with chloramphenicol, a decreased amount of activated product appeared in the urine during 90 min and blood levels of active metabolite were less when measured after 90 min. In vitro chloramphenicol decreased the metabolism of cyclophospamide 50% at approximately 10-3M. It is concluded that the protection afforded animals by chloramphenicol after treatment with lethal levels of cyclophosphamide is due to an inhibition of microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes which are responsible for the in vivo activation of cyclophosphamide.
Dependability of Software of Unknown Pedigree

The use of Software of Unknown Pedigree (SOUP) in safety-critical systems presents a challenge due to uncertainty about its dependability to perform its function safely and securely. SOUP refers to a software item that is already developed and generally available for which adequate records of the development process are not available. While some industries have developed policies and best practices regarding the use of SOUP in safety-critical applications, these best practices have yet to be fully integrated in aviation. We propose a framework for evaluating the use of SOUP as part of a safety-critical aviation application by reviewing best practices from six industry domains. We believe that unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) may be prime candidates for evaluating this framework because of their software-intensive nature, the non-traditional development approach used by some manufacturers, and the fact that some software hazards may be mitigated since unmanned aircraft do not have humans onboard. Establishing an accepted framework for the use of SOUP in aviation could reduce costs and expedite airworthiness and operational approvals for these systems. As a next step, we propose a case study that would provide empirical evidence for the use of the framework to the safety regulators and approving authorities in support of use of SOUP in safety-critical applications. We discuss how this research may be extended to standards development and beyond.
Diffusion of dextrans and microspheres in the human amniotic basement membrane model.

The human amniotic basement membrane model was utilized to determine diffusion ratios of dextrans and beads according to size selectivity. Diffusion through both intact and denuded amnions was determined after 24 and 72 h. Four neutrally charged fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled dextrans, having molecular weights of 17 900, 42 000, 71 200 and 156 000, diffused through the amnion. The amnion functioned as a sieve in that the passage of dextrans was increasingly restricted as molecular weight increased. In contrast, uncharged latex microspheres (1·05um ± 0·07 µm (SD)) and fluorescent carboxylated microspheres (1·57 µm ± 0·13 um (SD)) failed to pass through the amnion. Light and electron microscopy revealed no preformed channels through which the 1·05 µm microspheres could pass through the amnion. Statistical analysis of cross-sectional thickness of individual and similarly treated amnions (intact or denuded) showed a difference in thickness (P = 0·05).
Antagonistic action of Lactobacillus lactis toward Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 during growth and refrigerated storage.

Cells of Lactobacillus lactis were added to trypticase soy broth that contained cells of Escherichia coli O157:H7 or cells of Salmonella spp. in order to determine if L. lactis inhibited the pathogens. The inhibition of all pathogens was examined during growth at 37 degrees C for 24 h. Inhibition of Salmonella spp. was also examined at refrigeration temperatures (6 degrees C) for 5 days. One strain each of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Enteritidis was examined. E. coli was enumerated on violet red bile agar, and Salmonella spp. were enumerated on brilliant green agar. In all experiments at 37 degrees C, the L. lactis completely inhibited all pathogens, producing numbers that were not detectable after 24 h of incubation. There were significant (P > 0.05) increases in numbers of the pathogens in the control samples containing no L. lactis. There were significant (P 0.05) for control or inoculated samples, which suggests that this strain of L. lactis does not inhibit Salmonella spp. at refrigeration temperatures. Additionally, there were no significant (P > 0.05) changes in pH or in numbers of L. lactis during refrigerated storage.
Diagnosing Postpartum Hemorrhage: A New Way to Assess Blood Loss in a Low-Resource Setting

Introduction Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. The largest barriers to treating PPH are symptom recognition and timely diagnosis. The SAPHE (Signaling a Postpartum Hemorrhage Emergency) Mat was constructed so that each square on the Mat absorbs up to 50 mL of blood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation of visually estimated blood loss (EBL) using the SAPHE Mat with actual blood loss. Methods Thirty-six patients gave birth via vaginal delivery using the SAPHE Mat. Visual estimation of blood loss using the SAPHE Mat was calculated by multiplying the number of blood- saturated squares or partial squares by 50 mL. The visual EBL was compared with the actual blood loss calculated based on Mat weight before and after use (volume blood loss). Results Visual blood loss estimations were within 100 mL of the volume blood loss 69 % of the time and within 200 mL 97 % of the time. The mean difference between the visual EBL and volume blood loss (Mat weight change) was 80.91 mL. The Pearson correlation coefficient for visual EBL and volume blood loss was positive at 0.96 (p < 0.001). Discussion The SAPHE Mat is able to provide a visual estimate of blood loss that is highly correlated with the actual blood loss on the mat. Future studies will assess the ability to deploy the SAPHE Mat in low-resource settings as a potential guide for estimating blood loss to assist in improved management of PPH.
What Is the Legitimate Role of Government

Keynes pointed out in Chapter 12 of The General Theory that investments which are ‘fixed’ for the community are thus made ‘liquid’ for the individual. Transactors too often concentrate their efforts on liquidity, rather than productivity. ‘The actual, private object of the most skilled investment to-day,’ according to Keynes, ‘is “to beat the gun”… to outwit the crowd, and to pass the bad, or depreciating, half-crown to the other fellow.’ Such transfers of assets, according to Keynes, are ‘a game of Snap, of Old Maid, of Musical Chairs — a pastime in which he is victor who says snap neither too soon nor too late, who passes the Old Maid to his neighbor before the game is over, who secures a chair for himself when the music stops’.
Hydrogeothermal studies across the Pecos River Valley, southeastern New Mexico

Heat-flow values calculated along a profile in southeast New Mexico are used to study the regional ground-water flow pattern. The west-east profile extends from the Sacramento Mountains, across the southern part of the Roswell artesian basin, to the New Mexico–Texas border. The heat-flow data are generally calculated from bottom-hole temperatures estimated at various depths, and are therefore thought to reflect depth-dependent anomalies (principally ground-water flow). Two major positive heat-flow anomalies, interpreted to indicate upward ground-water flow, are present along the profile. A narrow anomaly in the western part of the profile is consistent with upward ground-water movement along the western boundary of a buried Precambrian horst. A rather broad anomaly in the middle of the profile appears to be associated with cross-formational flow and discharge to the Pecos River. Both anomalies may be associated with upward flow from depths of 915 or 1220 m and possibly 1524 m in the western region, but probably not deeper than 1829 m. Vertical ground-water flow appears to be absent just east of the Mescalero Ridge; farther east on the High Plains, the data are generally consistent with downward ground-water flow at depths of 610–1220 or 1524 m.
Hip fusion takedown to a total hip arthroplasty-is it worth it? A systematic review.

Patients with surgically or spontaneously fused hips are often dissatisfied with their overall function and the debilitating effect on adjacent joints. Therefore, in properly selected patients, hip fusion-takedown and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) can result in improved function and decreased pain. We aimed to (1) evaluate the indications for conversion, (2) evaluate the clinical outcomes, (3) analyze the overall complications, and (4) identify the overall satisfaction following the procedure. A systematic and comprehensive literature search was performed to analyze studies evaluating conversion of hip fusion to THA. After reviewing 3,882 studies, 27 total studies (1,104 hips) met our inclusion/exclusion criteria and were included in our final analysis. A weighted mean of rates was determined for each complication, including infection, instability, loosening, nerve-related, abductor-related, venous thrombotic event, and revision. The study population consisted of 53.2% male and 46.8% female subjects. The mean age at time of conversion was 52 years (range 36–65 years), the mean time until follow-up was 9.2 years (range 2.5–17.3), and the mean duration of arthrodesis was 27.7 years (range 11–40.2). As measured by Harris Hip Score, overall clinical outcomes improved from 58.1 points (range 42.4–70 points) pre-operatively to 80.0 (range 62–93.5) post-operatively. The specific complication rates were 5.3% (range 0–43.6%) for infection, 2.6% (range 0–15.4%) for instability, 6.2% (range 0–17.2%) for loosening, 4.7% (range 0–13%) for nerve-related complications, 13.1% (range 0–87%) for abductor-related complications, and 1.2% (range 0–13%) for venous thrombotic events. The revision rate was 12.0% (range 0–43.6%). Takedown of a fused-hip can be a challenging procedure. Although patients can benefit functionally, both patients and surgeons need to be aware of the complications and increased risk of further revision procedures, which should be an important part of the pre-operative discussion.
Humanizing the Machine

This paper discusses the problem associated with sophisticated computer controlled machines that achieve 100% accuracy in the lab and far less accuracy in the field because they are typically operated by unskilled, illiterate, or a non-native speaking person. A particular case study is described, in which the typical LCD screen with cryptic messages showing the status of the machine or the steps necessary to complete the task at hand often left the operators guessing the next step, which led to incorrect inputs, resulting in incorrect outputs.
Thioester-Containing Proteins 2 and 4 Affect the Metabolic Activity and Inflammation Response in Drosophila

Drosophila melanogaster is an outstanding model for studying host antipathogen defense. Although substantial progress has been made in understanding how metabolism and immunity are interrelated in flies, little information has been obtained on the molecular players that regulate metabolism and inflammation in Drosophila during pathogenic infection. Recently, we reported that the inactivation of thioester-containing protein 2 (Tep2) and Tep4 promotes survival and decreases the bacterial burden in flies upon infection with the virulent pathogens Photorhabdus luminescens and Photorhabdus asymbiotica Here, we investigated physiological and pathological defects in tep mutant flies in response to Photorhabdus challenge. We find that tep2 and tep4 loss-of-function mutant flies contain increased levels of carbohydrates and triglycerides in the presence or absence of Photorhabdus infection. We also report that Photorhabdus infection leads to higher levels of nitric oxide and reduced transcript levels of the apical caspase-encoding gene Dronc in tep2 and tep4 mutants. We show that Tep2 and Tep4 are upregulated mainly in the fat body rather than the gut in Photorhabdus-infected wild-type flies and that tep mutants contain decreased numbers of Photorhabdus bacteria in both tissue types. We propose that the inactivation of Tep2 or Tep4 in adult Drosophila flies results in lower levels of inflammation and increased energy reserves in response to Photorhabdus, which could confer a survival-protective effect during the initial hours of infection.
Development of a Massive, Highly Multiplexible, Phonon-Mediated Particle Detector Using Kinetic Inductance Detectors

We present a status update on the development of a phonon-mediated particle detector using kinetic inductance detector (KID). The design is intended for O(1) kg substrate, using O(10^2)KIDs on a single readout line, to image the athermal phonon distribution at 95% inductor current uniformity, using the coplanar waveguide feedline, ground shield, and a new class of KIDs with symmetric coplanar stripline (sCPS) inductor. The multiplexing is designed upon the frequency-geometry relation we develop for the sCPS KIDs. We introduce the fabrications of the Nb RF assessment prototypes and the high phonon collection efficiency Al–Nb devices. We achieve ≲ 0.07% frequency displacement on a 80-KID RF assessment prototype, and the result indicates that we may place more than 180 resonances in our 0.4 GHz readout band with minimal frequency misordering. The coupling quality factors are ∼ 10^5 as designed. Finally, we update our work in progress in fabricating the O(10^2) KID, bi-material, O(1) kg detectors, and the expected position and energy resolutions.
Plasma Cell Dyscrasias: Definition and Diagnostic Evaluation

The plasma cell dyscrasias (table 1–1), which are synonymous with monoclonal gammopathies, are characterized by proliferation of a single clone of plasma cells which produces a homogeneous monoclonal (M) protein. Each monoclonal protein consists of two heavy polypeptide chains of the same class and subclass and two light polypeptide chains of the same type. In contrast, polyclonal immunoglobulins consist of one or more heavy-chain classes and both light-chain types.
Systematic Design of Prognostics and Health Management Solutions for Energy Applications

Nowadays, energy has become a key issue in all sectors of industry. Analytical tools in the prognostics and health management (PHM) area are needed to transform energy and related data into actionable information. The IMS Center has developed corresponding solutions for energy generation, storage, and usage applications. The Watchdog Agent® toolbox techniques are applied in a systematic way in each application to address the development of advanced predictive tools for near-continuous uptime of energy generating assets; mobility readiness and safety for next-generation electric vehicles via the Smart Battery Agent; and the application of low-cost, nonintrusive predictive solutions using equipment energy consumption. In this paper, methodologies and case studies in the three categories are presented.
Identifying Interactions for Information Fusion System Design Using Machine Learning Techniques

An Information Fusion System (IFS) is a complex system consisting of various interdependent elements such as sensors, information processors, fusers, sense-makers, and resource managers, etc. These elements are typically designed and evaluated independently, but isolated performance evaluation does not scale to a system-level performance in complex systems. Since the IFS capability results from the collective behavior of these elements, identifying interactions becomes critical for engineering an IFS. In this paper, we investigate machine learning techniques (deep neural networks and general linear models) to provide holistic performance evaluation of the IFS, where the objective is to understand IFS design implications based on variations and interactions of its constituents elements. The challenge for employing machine learning techniques is the availability of a data set to build a predictive performance model of the IFS. We utilize Optimal Design of Experiments to provide the data collection strategy for building the machine learning models, and our results demonstrate that it is imperative to include interactions in the data collection strategy. This attests to the significance of interactions and advises against the independent design and evaluation of IFS constituent elements. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the IFS designers can leverage insights from statistical analysis to exploit interactions between elements to improve IFS design and its performance.
Agency Correlates of Police Militarization: The Case of MRAPs:

In 2014, protests in Ferguson, Missouri (MO), and the subsequent law enforcement response, shined a light on police militarization—the adoption of military styles, equipment, and tactics within law...
A framework for generating and evaluating façade designs using a multi-agent system approach:

Digital design paradigms in architecture have been rooted in representational models which are geometry centered and therefore fail to capture building complexity holistically. Due to a lack of com...
A Review of "The suburb reader", Edited by Becky M. Nicolaides and Andrew Wiese

Ten years after Becky M. Nicolaides and Andrew Wiese edited the first edition of The Suburb Reader (2006), the second edition is an even richer treasure trove. Both editions have three parts: The E...
Integrated Experimental and Computational Analyses Reveal Differential Metabolic Functionality in Antibiotic-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Summary Metabolic adaptations accompanying the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria remain poorly understood. To study this relationship, we profiled the growth of lab-evolved antibiotic-resistant lineages of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa across 190 unique carbon sources. Our data revealed that the evolution of antibiotic resistance resulted in systems-level changes to growth dynamics and metabolic phenotype. A genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction of P. aeruginosa was paired with whole-genome sequencing data to predict genes contributing to observed changes in metabolism. We experimentally validated computational predictions to identify mutations in resistant P. aeruginosa affecting loss of catabolic function. Finally, we found a shared metabolic phenotype between lab-evolved P. aeruginosa and clinical isolates with similar mutational landscapes. Our results build upon previous knowledge of antibiotic-induced metabolic adaptation and provide a framework for the identification of metabolic limitations in antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Label super-resolution networks.

We present a deep learning-based method for super-resolving coarse (low-resolution) labels assigned to groups of image pixels into pixel-level (high-resolution) labels, given the joint distribution between those low- and high-resolution labels. This method involves a novel loss function that minimizes the distance between a distribution determined by a set of model outputs and the corresponding distribution given by low-resolution labels over the same set of outputs. This setup does not require that the high-resolution classes match the low-resolution classes and can be used in high-resolution semantic segmentation tasks where high-resolution labeled data is not available. Furthermore, our proposed method is able to utilize both data with low-resolution labels and any available high-resolution labels, which we show improves performance compared to a network trained only with the same amount of high-resolution data. We test our proposed algorithm in a challenging land cover mapping task to super-resolve labels at a 30m resolution to a separate set of labels at a 1m resolution. We compare our algorithm with models that are trained on high-resolution data and show that 1) we can achieve similar performance using only low-resolution data; and 2) we can achieve better performance when we incorporate a small amount of high-resolution data in our training. We also test our approach on a medical imaging problem, resolving low-resolution probability maps into high-resolution segmentation of lymphocytes with accuracy equal to that of fully supervised models.
Assessing a Two-Pronged Approach to Active Learning in Sport Sociology Classrooms

Active-learning research has explored 2 distinct areas: pedagogy and physical space. As existing research has most often explored only 1 area per study and few have been done in the area of sport s...
Research and democracy: the Architectural Research Division of the Tennessee Valley Authority

In the 1930s and 1940s, American architects confronted new political and economic conditions that necessitated a reconceptualisation of their professional purview. One such expansion was the introd...
Nitinol, Stainless Steel, and Titanium Kirschner Wire Durability:

Kirschner wires (K wires) are a common fixation device in foot and ankle surgery, particularly in lesser-toe fixation. Fatigue failure is a known complication of this fixation. The material properties of the K wire are a factor in the strength and durability of the wire. The purpose of this study is to compare the durability of K wires made of stainless steel, titanium, and Nitinol. Ten samples each of stainless steel, titanium. and Nitinol underwent cyclic durability testing using a rotating beam approach, and S-N curves (applied stress vs the number of cycles to failure) were generated. The results demonstrate that, generally, Nitinol K wires have a shorter life for the same applied stress than the stainless steel or titanium wires. Titanium had a longer life at low stresses compared with stainless steel, and stainless steel had a longer life at higher stresses. This study provides comparative durability data for K wires made of different metals, which have not been previously reported. Although there was a statistically significant difference in durability for wires used in K wire fixation, all 3 metal types are reasonable choices for temporary K wire fixation.Levels of Evidence: Level 5: Mechanical study.
Epidemiological characteristics of malaria in Liaoning Province from 1951 to 2014

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics of malaria in Liaoning Province from 1951 to 2014, so as to provide the evidence for further control of the disease. Methods The data of registered malaria cases in Liaoning Province from 1951 to 2014 were collected and analyzed with epidemiological methods. Results From 1951 to 2014, there were reported malaria cases each year. The peaks of incidence were in 1953, 1962 and 1973, the incidence rates were 136.67/100 000, 256.81/100 000 and 35.89/100 000 respectively and the numbers of patients were 27 862, 65 460 and 11 523, respectively. From 1977 to 2014, the incidence rates were all less than 1/100 000. From 1951 to 1980, the occupations of patients were mainly farmers, and from 1981 to 2014 were mainly workers, farmers and exported laborers. Conclusions The malaria endemic situation in Liaoning Province experienced the periods from outbreaks to basically elimination, and the long-term surveillance will be the further working emphasis.
COVID-19 and Thyroid: Progress and Prospects

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread worldwide. A number of serious effects on various organs and systems have been reported in humans, and recently emerging evidence on the potential association between the infection and thyroid dysfunction are attracting attention from the scientific community. This editorial critically summarizes the main findings on this topic published so far and defines research lines according to the translational approach from the bench to the bed to epidemiological studies and back again, aimed at patient care and effective public health measures.
Subclinical ocular inflammation in persons recovered from ambulatory COVID-19

ABSTRACT Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by striking variability in clinical severity, and a hyperinflammatory response in the lung is associated with high mortality. Little is known about the extent and duration of inflammation in persons recovering from COVID-19. Here, we used spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to detect the presence of inflammatory cells in the vitreous cavity, an immune-privileged microenvironment, in persons recovered from COVID-19. Our results provide quasi-histologic evidence that neuroinflammation is present in persons who recovered from COVID-19, only one of whom required hospitalization. Our results also suggest that persons who feel that their recovery is incomplete have evidence of subclinical eye inflammation, which may be a marker of residual inflammation elsewhere as well.
O COVID19 EXPLICITA A COLONIALIDADE DO NOSSO PROJETO DE MODERNIDADE

O texto apresenta as principais ideias defendidas na Roda de Conversa Virtual do Grupo Projetar/UFRN realizada em 22 de julho de 2020, enfocando a relacao entre Arquitetura e Pandemias, na perspectiva da historia das Americas, o colonialismo e os impactos das pandemias sobre as populacoes nativas.
Glass Fiber Composites (GFCs) in Infrastructure: Developing New Measurement Methods to Meet the Challenge of 100 Year Service-Life-Prediction

The need to invest $2 trillion to improve our aging U.S. infrastructure and the success of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in providing durable solutions for secondary structures in aerospace, marine, and automotive has led to the integration of FRP composites into primary structural applications, with the most recent being the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the push to develop FRP rebar for concrete. Using a material in a new application requires knowledge of its failure behavior and long-term durability in the targeted structure. Due to the hierarchical structure of FRPs, the required design parameters exceed those of metallic materials, with these additional parameters lacking standardized tests or evaluation methods to quantify their values. In this chapter, the measurement challenges restricting the universal adoption of FRPs in primary structural applications are highlighted and the new measurement methods being developed at NIST to address some of these challenges are discussed.
A duplex bond coat approach to environmental barrier coating systems

Abstract SiC composites, when used in water vapor rich combustion environments, are vulnerable to volatilization of their protective SiO2 surface oxide by reaction with water vapor, and are typically protected by a silicon bond coat and ytterbium disilicate (Yb2Si2O7: YbDS) environmental barrier coating (EBC) system. Oxidation of the silicon bond coat at temperatures above 1200 °C results in formation of a s-cristobalite SiO2 layer at the silicon-YbDS interface. Upon cooling through 240 °C, the s→α-cristobalite phase change results in a 4.9% SiO2 volume decrease, increasing the probability of delamination of the coating system as the oxide layer thickness increases. The use of a duplex silicon-HfO2 bond coat is investigated here in which m-HfO2 dynamically reacts with SiO2 to form HfSiO4 (hafnon), which is phase stable and thermomechanically compatible with silicon and YbDS. Thermal cycling of the duplex bond coat system between 110 and 1316 °C in a high-temperature steam environment for up to 1000 1 h cycles confirmed that growth of a s-cristobalite SiO2 layer on the silicon outer surface was accompanied by simultaneous reaction with m-HfO2 to form hafnon, reducing the average SiO2 thickness by approximately 50% compared to a conventional silicon-YbDS coating system. A parallel reaction between the YbDS and m-HfO2 layers transformed the m-HfO2 to Yb2O3-stabilized HfO2 with a high coefficient of thermal expansion. Thermomechanical modelling indicated that the energy release rates remained insufficient to cause delamination.
Moving Evidence to Action: A Strategy to Support the Implementation of Comprehensive Violence Prevention Efforts.

For public health agencies, the pragmatic need to bring together science and practice to affect public health outcomes manifests in the implementation of prevention strategies with the best availab...
Projected long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hepatitis C outcomes in the United States: a modelling study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to and uptake of hepatitis C (HCV) care services in the U.S. It is unknown how substantially the pandemic will impact long-term HCV-related outcomes. METHODS: We used a microsimulation to estimate the 10-year impact of COVID-19 disruptions in healthcare delivery on HCV outcomes including identified infections, linkage to care, treatment initiation and completion, cirrhosis, and liver-related death. We modeled hypothetical scenarios consisting of an 18-month pandemic-related disruption in HCV care starting in March 2020 followed by varying returns to pre-pandemic rates of screening, linkage, and treatment through March 2030 and compared them to a counterfactual scenario in which there was no COVID-19 pandemic or disruptions in care. We also performed alternate scenario analyses in which the pandemic disruption lasted for 12- and 24-months. RESULTS: Compared to the 'no pandemic' scenario, in the scenario in which there is no return to pre-pandemic levels of HCV care delivery, we estimate 1,060 fewer identified cases, 21 additional cases of cirrhosis, and 16 additional liver-related deaths per 100,000 people. Only 3% of identified cases initiate treatment and <1% achieve sustained virologic response (SVR). Compared to 'no pandemic', the best-case scenario in which an 18-month care disruption is followed by a return to pre-pandemic levels, we estimated a smaller proportion of infections identified and achieving SVR. CONCLUSIONS: A recommitment to the HCV epidemic in the U.S. that involves additional resources coupled with aggressive efforts to screen, link, and treat people with HCV is needed to overcome the COVID-19-related disruptions.