cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultra-Low-Energy Straintronics Using Multiferroic Composites

The primary impediment to continued improvement of charge-based electronics is the excessive energy dissipation incurred in switching a bit of information. With suitable choice of materials, devices made of multiferroic composites, i.e., strain-coupled piezoelectric-magnetostrictive heterostructures, dissipate miniscule amount of energy of ∼1 attojoule at room-temperature, while switching in sub-nanosecond delay. Apart from devising memory bits, such devices can be also utilized for building logic, so that they can be deemed suitable for computing purposes as well. Here, we first review the current state of the art for building nanoelectronics using multiferroic composites. On a recent development, it is shown that these multiferroic straintronic devices can be also utilized for analog signal processing, with suitable choice of materials. By solving stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation of magnetization dynamics at room-temperature, it is shown that we can achieve a voltage gain, i.e., these straintronic devices can act as voltage amplifiers.
TWO DIMENSIONAL WATER WAVES IN HOLOMORPHIC COORDINATES

This article is concerned with the infinite depth water wave equation in two space dimensions. We consider this problem expressed in position-velocity potential holomorphic coordinates. Viewing this problem as a quasilinear dispersive equation, we establish two results: (i) local well-posedness in Sobolev spaces, and (ii) almost global solutions for small localized data. Neither of these results are new; they have been recently obtained by Alazard–Burq–Zuily (Invent Math 198:71–163, 2014), respectively by Wu (Invent Math 177:45–135, 2009) using different coordinates and methods. Instead our goal is to improve the understanding of this problem by providing a single setting for both problems, by proving sharper versions of the above results, as well as presenting new, simpler proofs. This article is self contained.
One Model of Collaborative Learning for Medical and Law Students at the University of Baltimore and Johns Hopkins University.

Courses on medical malpractice litigation help medical students learn what is expected of them as expert witness and defendant through a mock deposition.
Stochastic First-Order Methods with Random Constraint Projection

We consider convex optimization problems with structures that are suitable for sequential treatment or online sampling. In particular, we focus on problems where the objective function is an expect...
Learning mixtures of plackett-luce models

In this paper we address the identifiability and efficient learning problems of finite mixtures of Plackett-Luce models for rank data. We prove that for any k ≥ 2, the mixture of k Plackett-Luce models for no more than 2k-1 alternatives is non-identifiable and this bound is tight for k = 2. For generic identifiability, we prove that the mixture of k Plackett-Luce models over m alternatives is generically identifiable if k ≤ ⌊m-2/2⌋!. We also propose an efficient generalized method of moments (GMM) algorithm to learn the mixture of two Plackett-Luce models and show that the algorithm is consistent. Our experiments show that our GMM algorithm is significantly faster than the EMM algorithm by Gormley & Murphy (2008), while achieving competitive statistical efficiency.
Value-driven expert systems for decision support

The intent of both expert systems and decision analysis is to help decision makers make better informed decisions. The manners in which these tools provide this help are quite distinct from each other. Indeed, both decision analysis and expert systems have complementary strengths. Consequently, each has significant advantages that could be usefully adapted by the other. This article focuses on how decision analysis could appropriately be used to improve the potential usefulness of expert systems designed for decision support.
Fundamentals, Derivatives Market Information and Oil Price Volatility

We investigate price volatility in the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent crude oil markets between 2000 and 2014. We provide empirical evidence of a relationship between the term structure of option-implied volatilities and global macroeconomic conditions, physical market fundamentals (OPEC surplus output capacity, oil storage) and economy-wide financial uncertainty (captured by the equity VIX). Based on public data regarding trader positions in U.S. futures markets, the intensity of oil speculation is statistically insignificant. Unexpected disruptions in the crude oil space are associated with large regression residuals. Our findings suggest that derivatives (“paper”) market contain information on the magnitude and duration of major oil market disruptions.
γ-Oxygenation of α,β-Unsaturated Esters by Vinylogous O-Nitroso Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction

A practical procedure has been developed for γ-oxygenation of α,β-unsaturated esters by a vinylogous O-nitroso Mukaiyama aldol reaction followed by a one-pot N−O bond heterolysis of the in situ generated γ-aminoxy-α,β-unsaturated esters.
Copper(I)-catalyzed nucleophilic addition of ynamides to acyl chlorides and activated N-heterocycles.

The addition of ynamides to acyl chlorides and N-heterocycles activated in situ with ethyl chloroformate has been accomplished at room temperature using copper iodide as catalyst. This economical and practical carbon–carbon bond formation provides convenient access to a variety of 3-aminoynones from aliphatic and aromatic acyl chlorides in up to 99% yield. The addition to pyridines and quinolines occurs under almost identical conditions and proceeds with good to high regioselectivity, producing the corresponding 1,2-dihydro-N-heterocycles in up to 95% yield.
Rates of flow of technetium 99m--labeled human serum albumin from peripheral injection sites to sentinel lymph nodes.

Background: The new technique of sentinel lymphadenectomy for cutaneous melanoma provided us with a unique opportunity to quantitate the rates of lymphatic flow in afferent lymphatics. Methods: Seventeen melanoma patients underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy with technetium 99m-human serum albumin (HSA). The time and distance between the injection site and the sentinel lymph node (LN) were recorded. By comparison, lymphatic flow rates between footpad, popliteal LN, femoral LN, and systemic blood were measured in 60 female mice (C57BL/6) after footpad injection of99mTc-HSA. Results: The rate of lymphatic flow to 14 axillary, four inguinal, one popliteal, and one parotid sentinel LNs averaged 10.4±7.3 cm/min. In contrast, the lymphatic flow rate between the footpad and the popliteal LN in mice (analogous to the sentinel LN in human beings) averaged 1.33±0.52 cm/min. There was a marked delay in the passage of radionuclide through the popliteal LN with consequent slowing of the rate of flow between the popliteal and femoral LNs to 0.22 cm/min. Conclusion: Lymphatic flow to the sentinel LN occurs rapidly from both human skin and murine footpads. This information might be helpful in planning the timing of the incision after vital blue dye injection for identifying the sentine LN.
Domino Acylation/Diels–Alder Synthesis of N-Alkyl-octahydroisoquinolin-1-one-8-carboxylic Acids under Low-Solvent Conditions

The development of the domino reaction between an aminoethyl-substituted diene and maleic anhydride to afford an N-substituted octahydroisoquinolin-1-one is described. A typical procedure involves the treatment of a 1-aminoethyl-substituted butadiene with maleic anhydride at 0 °C to room temperature for 20 min under low-solvent conditions, which affords a series of isoquinolinone carboxylic acids in moderate to excellent yields. NMR monitoring suggested that the reaction proceeded via an initial acylation step followed by an intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction. For the latter step, a significant rate difference was observed depending on whether the amino group was substituted by a phenyl or an alkyl (usually benzyl) substituent, with the former noted by NMR to be substantially slower. The Diels–Alder step was studied by density functional theory (DFT) methods, leading to the conclusion that the degree of preorganization in the starting acylated intermediate had the largest effect on the reaction barriers....
Laser-Induced Deposition of Gold

The laser-induced, vapor-phase deposition of gold metal from dimethyl-(2,4-pentaned1onato) gold (III) and two fluorinated derivatives was examined by both photopyrolytic (LCVD) and photochemical modes of decomposition. High purity gold deposits are formed by LCVD with the rates of deposition being extremely vapor pressure dependent and thus, gold complex dependent. Photochemical deposition of gold patterns with 2 µm resolution can be achieved by irradiation of these complexes in the UV, but the deposited material 1s contaminated with carbon impurities.
N-Indolyltriethylborate: A Useful Reagent for Synthesis of C3-Quaternary Indolenines

N-Indolyltriethylborate was found to be a useful reagent for dearomatizing C3-alkylation of 3-substituted indoles with both activated and nonactivated alkyl halides to give C3-quaternary indolenines, pyrroloindolines, furoindoline, and hexahydropyridoindoline under mild reaction conditions. The utility of these reagents was demonstrated in the syntheses of a pyrroloindoline-4-cholestene hybrid and debromoflustramine B.
Oxidative trifluoromethylthiolations of aryl boronic acids using a copper/O2-based protocol.

With the absence of any known procedure to form aryl trifluoromethyl sulfides directly from aryl chlorides, the present method can be carried out simply in the presence of air without the use of silver oxidants.
Shifts and Ladders: Comparing the Role of Internal and External Mobility in Executive Careers

Workers can build their careers either by moving into a different job within their current organization or by moving into a job within a different organization. We use sociological theories on job ...
Photochemistry and Astrochemistry: Photochemical Pathways to Interstellar Complex Organic Molecules.

The interstellar medium is characterized by a rich and diverse chemistry. Many of its complex organic molecules are proposed to form through radical chemistry in icy grain mantles. Radicals form readily when interstellar ices (composed of water and other volatiles) are exposed to UV photons and other sources of dissociative radiation, and if sufficiently mobile the radicals can react to form larger, more complex molecules. The resulting complex organic molecules (COMs) accompany star and planet formation and may eventually seed the origins of life on nascent planets. Experiments of increasing sophistication have demonstrated that known interstellar COMs as well as the prebiotically interesting amino acids can form through ice photochemistry. We review these experiments and discuss the qualitative and quantitative kinetic and mechanistic constraints they have provided. We finally compare the effects of UV radiation with those of three other potential sources of radical production and chemistry in interstel...
The ICSI RT07s Speaker Diarization System

In this paper, we present the ICSI speaker diarization system. This system was used in the 2007 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Rich Transcription evaluation. The ICSI system automatically performs both speaker segmentation and clustering without any prior knowledge of the identities or the number of speakers. Our system uses "standard" speech processing components and techniques such as HMMs, agglomerative clustering, and the Bayesian Information Criterion. However, we have developed the system with an eye towards robustness and ease of portability. Thus we have avoided the use of any sort of model that requires training on "outside" data and we have attempted to develop algorithms that require as little tuning as possible. The system is simular to last year's system [1] except for three aspects. We used the most recent available version of the beam-forming toolkit, we implemented a new speech/non-speech detector that does not require models trained on meeting data and we performed our development on a much larger set of recordings.
Lab notebooks as scientific communication: Investigating development from undergraduate courses to graduate research

Physics graduate students do not learn how to maintain a lab notebook through formal instruction.
Development of porphyrin syntheses

Hans Fischer (Munich, Germany) and S. Fergus MacDonald (Ottawa, Canada) devised efficient porphyrin syntheses based on condensation reactions of dipyrromethenes (Fischer) or dipyrromethanes (MacDonald). These historically significant processes and subsequent developments are discussed, along with monopyrrole tetramerizations that give 5,10,15,20-tetra-arylporphyrins, to show that the art of porphyrin synthesis continues to flourish.
A structured analysis of unstructured big data by leveraging cloud computing

Accurate forecasting of sales/consumption is particularly important for marketing because this information can be used to adjust marketing budget allocations and overall marketing strategies. Recen...
The Prenatal Detection of Hereditary Defects

The recent explosion of knowledge concerning hereditary diseases and the availability of amniocentesis have opened the way to antenatal diagnosis, by culturing amniotic fluid cells, of many inborn errors of metabolism and some chromosomal abnormalities. The result is to make possible immediate neonatal management of treatable disorders, or interruption of pregnancy when treatment is not yet available.
A Lower Bound on the Lyapunov Exponent for the Generalized Harper’s Model

We obtain a lower bound for the Lyapunov exponent of a family of discrete Schrodinger operators \((Hu)_n=u_{n+1}+u_{n-1}+2a_1\cos 2\pi (\theta +n\alpha )u_n+2a_2\cos 4\pi (\theta +n\alpha )u_n\), that incorporates both \(a_1\) and \(a_2,\) thus going beyond the Herman’s bound.
Acute Treatment of Bipolar Disorder with Adjunctive Risperidone in Outpatients

Objective:To test the hypothesis that, although typical neuroleptics are commonly used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, newer atypical antipsychotic agents, like risperidone, may be more effective and better-tolerated.Method:The effectiveness of risperidone was evaluated in 14 outpatients with bipolar disorder, type I, who received risperidone for 6.4 ± 2.7 weeks at 2.75 ± 1.8 mg/day.Results:Nine (64%) patients were much improved based on Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores, and mean Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores improved from 48.2 ± 4.9 to 58.8 ± 7.3 (t = 4.49, P = 0.0006, paired t test). Treatment was well tolerated, and no patient experienced worsening of mood symptoms while receiving risperidone.Conclusion:This open series suggests risperidone is beneficial in the treatment of outpatients with bipolar disorder.
Transport dynamics of superparamagnetic microbeads trapped by mobile magnetic domain walls

The dynamics of fluid-borne superparamagnetic bead transport by field-driven domain walls (DWs) in submicrometer ferromagnetic tracks is studied experimentally together with numerical and analytical modeling. A combination of micromagnetic modeling and numerical calculation is used to determine the strength of bead-DW interaction for a range of track geometries and bead sizes. The maximum DW velocity for continuous bead transport is predicted from these results and shown to be supported by experimental measurements. Enhancement of the maximum velocity by appropriate material selection or field application is demonstrated, and an analysis of the source of statistical variation is presented. Finally, the dynamics of bead-DW interaction and bead transport above the maximum DW velocity for continuous DW-mediated bead transport is characterized.
A cooccurrence-based thesaurus and two applications to information retrieval

Abstract This paper presents a new method for computing a thesaurus from a text corpus. Each word is represented as a vector in a multi-dimensional space that captures cooccurrence information. Words are defined to be similar if they have similar cooccurrence patterns. Two different methods for using these thesaurus vectors in information retrieval are shown to significantly improve performance over the Tipster reference corpus as compared to a term vector space baseline.
Auditor Changes and the Cost of Bank Debt

ABSTRACT: We examine the response of informed market participants to the informational signal of auditor changes. Using propensity score matching and difference-in-differences research designs, we document that loan spreads increase by 22 percent on bank loans initiated within a year after auditor changes, increasing direct loan costs by approximately $6.6 million. We also find a significant increase in upfront and annual fees and the probability of pledging collateral, consistent with an increase in screening and monitoring by banks. The increase in spreads is significant for client-initiated auditor changes, with or without disagreements with the auditor, as well as for auditor resignations. Further, the significant increase in loan spreads is documented for upward, lateral, and downward auditor changes. Our results are robust to other proxies for financial reporting quality. Finally, we find no effect resulting from the forced auditor changes due to Arthur Andersen. Collectively, these results suggest ...
Delayed systolic blood pressure recovery following exercise as a mechanism of masked uncontrolled hypertension in chronic kidney disease

Background Among people treated for hypertension, the presence of elevated blood pressure (BP) out of the clinic but normal BP in the clinic is called masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH). What causes MUCH remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to answer the question of whether patients with MUCH have an increased hemodynamic reactivity to exercise and delayed hemodynamic recovery following exercise. Methods Four groups were compared: controlled hypertension (CH, n = 58), MUCH (n = 34) and uncontrolled hypertension (UCH, n = 12), all of which had chronic kidney disease (CKD), and a group of healthy normal volunteers who did not have hypertension or CKD (n = 16). All participants underwent assessment of 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring, BP measurement during a graded symptom-limited exercise using a cycle ergometer and BP recovery over 7 min following exercise. Results Exercise-induced increase in systolic BP was similar among the four groups. When compared with healthy controls, recovery of systolic BP following termination of exercise was blunted among the CKD groups in unadjusted (P < 0.0001) and adjusted (P < 0.001) models. During recovery, the healthy control group had 5.9% decline in systolic BP per minute. In contrast, MUCH had only 3.3% per minute reduction and the UCH group had 0.3% reduction per minute. A test of linear trend was significant (P = 0.002, adjusted model). Conclusion Because there was no impairment in the heart rate recovery among groups, we speculate that the parasympathetic pathway appears intact among treated hypertensives with CKD. However, the failure to withdraw sympathetic tone upon termination of exercise causes ongoing vasoconstriction and delayed systolic BP recovery providing a biological basis for MUCH. Delayed recovery from exercise-induced hypertension in those with poorly controlled BP provides potentially a new target to assure round-the-clock BP control.
Ancestry and development: New evidence

We revisit the relation between ancestral distance and barriers to the diffusion of development using a new genomic dataset on human microsatellite variation. With these new data we find a statistically and economic significant effect of ancestral distance from the technological frontier on income per capita, controlling for geographic factors, climatic differences, continental fixed effects and genetic diversity within populations. The historical pattern of the effect is hump shaped, peaking between 1870 and 1913, and declining steeply afterwards. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that ancestral distance acts as a temporary barrier to the diffusion of innovations and development.
Effect of experimental change in children's sleep duration on television viewing and physical activity.

SummaryBackground Paediatric observational studies demonstrate associations between sleep, television viewing and potential changes in daytime activity levels. Objective(s) To determine whether experimental changes in sleep lead to changes in children's sedentary and physical activities. Methods Using a within-subject counterbalanced design, 37 children 8–11 years old completed a 3-week study. Children slept their typical amount during a baseline week and were then randomized to increase or decrease mean time in bed by 1.5 h/night for 1 week; the alternate schedule was completed the final week. Children wore actigraphs on their non-dominant wrist and completed 3-d physical activity recalls each week. Results Children reported watching more television (p < 0.001) and demonstrated lower daytime actigraph-measured activity counts per epoch (p = 0.03) when sleep was decreased (compared with increased). However, total actigraph-measured activity counts accrued throughout the entire waking period were higher when sleep was decreased (and children were awake for longer) than when it was increased (p < 0.001). Conclusion(s) Short sleep during childhood may lead to increased television viewing and decreased mean activity levels. Although additional time awake may help to counteract negative effects of short sleep, increases in reported sedentary activities could contribute to weight gain over time.
Climate, herbivory, and fire controls on tropical African forest for the last 60ka

Abstract The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in Africa was drier than today and was followed by rapid step-wise climate changes during the last deglacial period. In much of Africa, these changes led to a drastic reduction of lowland forest area during the LGM, followed by recolonization of the lowlands by forest and woodland in concert with regional warming and wetting. However, the history of southeastern African vegetation contrasts with that observed further north. In particular, forest expansion appears to have occurred in southeastern Africa during episodes of high-latitude northern hemisphere cooling. Although vegetation history in Africa is generally assumed to relate purely to climate, previous studies have not addressed potential feedbacks between climate, vegetation, and disturbance regimes (fire, herbivory) that may create tipping points in ecosystems. This climate-vegetation history has profound implications for our understanding of the modern architecture of lowland and highland forests, both thought to be at risk from future climate change. Here we present analyses of fossil pollen, charcoal, and Sporormiella (dung fungus) on a continuous 60 kyr record from central Lake Tanganyika, Southeast Africa, that illustrates the interplay of climate and disturbance regimes in shaping vegetation composition and structure. We observe that extensive forests dominated the region during the last glacial period despite evidence of decreased rainfall. At the end of the LGM, forest opening at ∼17.5 ka followed warming temperatures but preceded rising precipitation, suggesting that temperature-induced water stress and disturbance from fire and herbivory affected initial landscape transformation. Our Sporormiella record indicates that mega-herbivore populations increased at the early Holocene. This higher animal density increased plant species richness and encouraged landscape heterogeneity until the mid-Holocene. At this time, regional drying followed by the onset of the Iron Age in the late Holocene resulted in expansion of thicket, more open woodland, and disturbance taxa that still characterize the landscape today. This climate-vegetation history has important implications for our understanding of the modern and future distribution of lowland and highland forests, which are at risk from future climate change.
A multi-scale cascade fully convolutional network face detector

Face detection is challenging as faces in images could be present at arbitrary locations and in different scales. We propose a three-stage cascade structure based on fully convolutional neural networks (FCNs). It first proposes the approximate locations where the faces may be, then aims to find the accurate location by zooming on to the faces. Each level of the FCN cascade is a multi-scale fully-convolutional network, which generates scores at different locations and in different scales. A score map is generated after each FCN stage. Probable regions of face are selected and fed to the next stage. The number of proposals is decreased after each level, and the areas of regions are decreased to more precisely fit the face. Compared to passing proposals directly between stages, passing probable regions can decrease the number of proposals and reduce the cases where first stage doesn't propose good bounding boxes. We show that by using FCN and score map, the FCN cascade face detector can achieve strong performance on public datasets.
Punishment, Race, and the Organization of U.S. Immigration Exclusion

Although the punitive character of the U.S. immigration enforcement regime has been noted, less research has inquired into the productivity of punishment beyond detention and deportation, the particular rationale of punishment, and the way in which punitive enforcement shapes (rather than targets) race. By analyzing antimigrant rhetoric and the practices of immigration enforcement, I argue that punishment is best understood as a violent material reassertion of the narrative of the United States as a nation of laws. My biopolitical approach to immigration innovates by (1) conceptualizing the process through which race becomes a biopolitical divide, (2) noting that the construction of race also shapes the meaning of whiteness, and (3) showing the particular ways in which sovereignty, discipline, and biopower are combined in the U.S. immigration enforcement regime. I illustrate these claims by examining policies and practices that characterize contemporary immigration enforcement and find that punishment ful...
Promoting public health through community engagement: Embracing the journey

ABSTRACTThis case study recounts and analyzes the journey that graduate students, enrolled in an experiential, interdisciplinary health promotions course, took with a diverse, urban, Black, Midwest community. Community members, faculty, and graduate students in social work and public health were fellow travelers on this voyage into uncharted territory. A major goal of the journey was to teach students how to recognize community strengths and to facilitate the community in using those strengths. The learner’s stance is used as the guiding principle for this reflective journey that generated serendipitous benefits and challenges. The article concludes with recommendations for interdisciplinary education and curriculum development.
ESTROGENIC AND ANTIESTROGENIC ACTIVITIES OF COMMERCIAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING HERBAL INGREDIENTS AND ISOFLAVONES

Objective: This study aimed to assess the estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of five dietary supplements, commercially available for treatment of menopausal symptoms, before and after gastrointestinal digestion by employing a yeast steroid-regulated transcription system. Methods: Supplements (S) were extracted with either 80% methanol or water. Water extracts were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal (GI) digestion. Estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities were assessed by a steroid-regulated transcription system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing the human estrogen receptor alpha. Results: The highest estrogenic activities were detected in both S1 methanol (2342.5±20.83 MU) and water (1225.6±20.6 MU) extracts (400 estradiol equivalents). Extracts showed antiestrogenic properties by reducing the transcriptional activity induced by estradiol in transgenic yeast. The highest antiestrogenic activity was detected in S2 methanol extract and S3 water extract, which inhibited estradiol activity by 76% and 64%, respectively. After GI digestion, S1, S2 and S3 extracts showed significantly higher estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities as ‘serum-available’ than ‘colon-available’ samples and S4 and S5 extracts showed significantly higher activities as ‘colon-available‘ than ‘serum-available‘ samples. Conclusion: All dietary supplements revealed estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities. The GI digestion demonstrated the availability of phytoestrogens for absorption in the blood stream. Supplements containing soy isoflavones and alfalfa ingredients had the highest estrogenic activities and could be more effective than supplements with complex plant formulation in alleviating menopausal symptoms and treating osteoporosis. The transgenic yeast assays proved to be a powerful tool for assessing the in vitro estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of dietary supplements.
Influent Constituent Characteristics of the Modern Waste Stream from Single Sources

A literature review was conducted to assess the current status of knowledge on the composition of raw wastewater and primary treated effluent (i.e., septic tank effluent) from single source onsite wastewater systems. The overall goal of this research project is to characterize the extent of conventional constituents, microbial constituents, and organic wastewater contaminants in single source onsite raw wastewater and primary treated effluent to aid onsite wastewater system design and management. Information obtained was evaluated using cumulative frequency distributions to compare individual constituent concentrations in various waste streams and by using data qualifiers to enable assessment of parameters that might affect single source waste stream composition. To supplement information on the single source raw wastewater and primary treated effluent composition, state agencies responsible for onsite wastewater regulation were contacted to assess the prevalence of different system types installed and in operation. Selected demographics that capture differences in lifestyle habits that could affect raw wastewater composition were also assessed. A large amount of data was captured by this literature review, however information gaps were identified. The information presented here will be used to guide future project monitoring and assessment of modern raw wastewater waste streams. This title belongs to WERF Research Report Series . ISBN: 9781843393511 (Print) ISBN: 9781780403519 (eBook)
A metabolomic, geographic, and seasonal analysis of the contribution of pollen-derived adenosine to allergic sensitization.

Studies on ragweed and birch pollen extracts suggested that the adenosine content is an important factor in allergic sensitization. However, exposure levels from other pollens and considerations of geographic and seasonal factors have not been evaluated. This study compared the metabolite profile of pollen species important for allergic disease, specifically measured the adenosine content, and evaluated exposure to pollen-derived adenosine. An NMR metabolomics approach was used to measure metabolite concentrations in 26 pollen extracts. Pollen count data was analyzed from five cities to model exposure. A principal component analysis of the various metabolites identified by NMR showed that pollen extracts could be differentiated primarily by sugar content: glucose, fructose, sucrose, and myo-inositol. In extracts of 10 mg of pollen/ml, the adenosine was highest for grasses (45 µM) followed by trees (23 µM) and weeds (19 µM). Pollen count data showed that tree pollen was typically 5–10 times the amount of other pollens. At the daily peaks of tree, grass, and weed season the pollen-derived adenosine exposure per day is likely to be only 1.1, 0.11, and 0.12 µg, respectively. Seasonal models of pollen exposure and respiration suggest that it would be a rare event limited to tree pollen season for concentrations of pollen-derived adenosine to approach physiological levels. Sugar content and other metabolites may be useful in classifying pollens. Unless other factors create localized exposures that are very different from these models, pollen-derived adenosine is unlikely to be a major factor in allergic sensitization.
X-Ray Scattering Image Classification Using Deep Learning

Visual inspection of x-ray scattering images is a powerful technique for probing the physical structure of materials at the molecular scale. In this paper, we explore the use of deep learning to develop methods for automatically analyzing x-ray scattering images. In particular, we apply Convolutional Neural Networks and Convolutional Autoencoders for x-ray scattering image classification. To acquire enough training data for deep learning, we use simulation software to generate synthetic x-ray scattering images. Experiments show that deep learning methods outperform previously published methods by 10% on synthetic and real datasets.
A Self-Organizing-Map-Based Evaluation of the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System Using Observations from a 30-m Instrumented Tower on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

AbstractAccurate representation of the stability of the surface layer in numerical weather prediction models is important because of the impact it has on forecasts of surface energy, moisture, and momentum fluxes. It also impacts boundary layer processes such as the generation of turbulence, the creation of near-surface flows, and fog formation. This paper uses observations from a 30-m automatic weather station on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, to evaluate the near-surface layer in the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS), a numerical weather prediction system used for forecasting in Antarctica. The method of self-organizing maps (SOM) is used to identify characteristic potential temperature anomaly profiles observed at the 30-m tower. The SOM-identified profiles are then used to evaluate the performance of AMPS as a function of atmospheric stability.The results indicate AMPS underpredicts the frequency of near-neutral profiles and instead overpredicts the frequency of weakly unstable and weak to...
Transforming cities: does urbanization promote democratic change?

ABSTRACTTransforming cities: does urbanization promote democratic change? Regional Studies. Could urbanization lead to more democracy and better government for the mega-cities of the developing world? This paper reviews three channels through which urbanization may generate political change. First, cities facilitate coordinated public action and enhance the effectiveness of uprisings. Second, cities may increase the demand for democracy relative to dictatorship. Third, cities may engender the development of ‘civic capital’ which enables citizens to improve their own institutions. History and empirics provide significant support for the first channel, but less evidence exists for the others. Urbanization may improve the quality of poor-world governments, but more research is needed to draw that conclusion.
Finite Dimensional Representations of Symplectic Reflection Algebras Associated to Wreath Products II

In this note we refine the methods of Etingof and Montarani (Represent. Theory, 9: 457–467, 2005) in order to extend the main result of that article to a wider class of finite dimensional representations of wreath product symplectic reflection algebras.
Versioning and Information Dissemination: A New Perspective

That versioning can be effective for information goods is well known. In particular, related literature shows that when consumers underestimate a product, it is often better for the manufacturer to...
Throughput of rateless codes over broadcast erasure channels

In this paper, we characterize the throughput of a broadcast network with $n$ receivers using rateless codes with block size $K$ . We assume that the underlying channel is a Markov modulated erasure channel that is i.i.d. across users, but can be correlated in time. We characterize the system throughput asymptotically in $n$ . Specifically, we explicitly show how the throughput behaves for different values of the coding block size $K$ as a function of $n$ , as $n\to \infty $ . For finite values of $K$ and $n$ , under the more restrictive assumption of Gilbert–Elliott erasure channels, we are able to provide a lower bound on the maximum achievable throughput. Using simulations, we show the tightness of the bound with respect to system parameters $n$ and $K$ and find that its performance is significantly better than the previously known lower bounds.
Prospects for Quantum Computation with Trapped Ions

Over the past decade information theory has been generalized to allow binary data to be represented by two-state quantum mechanical systems. (A single two-level system has come to be known as a qubit in this context.) The additional freedom introduced into information physics with quantum systems has opened up a variety of capabilities that go well beyond those of conventional information. For example, quantum cryptography allows two parties to generate a secret key even in the presence of eavesdropping. But perhaps the most remarkable capabilities have been predicted in the field of quantum computation. Here, a brief survey of the requirements for quantum computational hardware, and an overview of the in trap quantum computation project at Los Alamos are presented. The physical limitations to quantum computation with trapped ions are discussed.
Revisiting the Four Types of Cyclists: Findings from a National Survey

To understand the makeup of a population in terms of how people view bicycling can help in planning bicycle facilities and programs. Roger Geller, bicycle coordinator for the City of Portland, Oregon, proposed a typology that characterized people as one of four types—strong and fearless, enthused and confident, interested but concerned, and no way, no how—with respect to their attitudes toward bicycling. The research presented here sought to find out how applicable the typology was nationally and explored motivating factors, barriers, and the appeal of various bicycle facility types for each type of cyclist or potential cyclist. This study followed up on an earlier study that tested Geller’s typology with Portland data. In this new study, a sample involved 3,000 adults who lived in the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. On the basis of respondents’ (a) stated level of comfort when they bicycled in different environments, (b) their interest in bicycling, and (c) their recent behavior, the study estimated ...
Configuration interaction of hydropathic waves enables ubiquitin functionality

Abstract Ubiquitin, discovered less than 50 years ago, tags thousands of diseased proteins for destruction. It is small (only 76 amino acids), and is found unchanged in mammals, birds, fish and even worms. Key features of its functionality are identified here using critical point thermodynamic scaling theory. These include Fano interference between first- and second-order elements of correlated long-range globular surface shape transitions. Comparison with its closest relative, 76 amino acid Nedd8, shows that the latter lacks these features. A cracked elastic network model is proposed for the common target shared by many diseased proteins.
Are starburst galaxies proton calorimeters

Several starburst galaxies have been observed in the GeV and TeV bands. In these dense environments, gamma-ray emission should be dominated by cosmic-ray interactions with the interstellar medium ($p_{\rm cr}p_{\rm ism} \to \pi^{0} \to \gamma\gamma$). Indeed, starbursts may act as proton "calorimeters" where a substantial fraction of cosmic-ray energy input is emitted in gamma rays. Here we build a one-zone, "thick-target" model implementing calorimetry and placing a firm upper bound on gamma-ray emission from cosmic-ray interactions. The model assumes that cosmic rays are accelerated by supernovae (SNe), and all suffer nuclear interactions rather than escape. Our model has only two free parameters: the cosmic-ray proton acceleration energy per supernova $\epsilon_{\rm cr}$, and the proton injection spectral index $s$. We calculate the pionic gamma-ray emission from 10 MeV to 10 TeV, and derive thick-target parameters for six galaxies with Fermi, H.E.S.S., and/or VERITAS data. Our model provides good fits for the M82 and NGC 253, and yields $\epsilon_{\rm cr}$ and $s$ values suggesting that supernova cosmic-ray acceleration is similar in starbursts and in our Galaxy. We find that these starbursts are indeed nearly if not fully proton calorimeters. For NGC 4945 and NGC 1068, the models are consistent with calorimetry but are less well-constrained due to the lack of TeV data. However, the Circinus galaxy and the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220 exceed our pionic upper-limit, possible explanations are discussed.
Space allowance influences individually housed Holstein bull calf innate immune measures and standing behaviors after castration at 3 weeks of age.

ABSTRACT Dairy calves in the Southwest regions of the United States are typically raised individually in wooden hutches with 1.23 m 2 of space. The objective of the study was to determine if increased space allowance in wooden hutches influences measures of innate immunity and behaviors of Holstein bull calves pre- and postcastration. Calves were randomly assigned at 4 d of age to conventional (CONV; 1.23 m 2 of space; n=18), moderate (MOD; 1.85 m 2 space; n=17), or maximized space allowance (MAX; 3.71 m 2 space; n=19) in hutches. Calves were surgically castrated at 24 d of age. Peripheral whole blood samples were collected at −1, +1, +5, and +12 d of castration. Accelerometer loggers (n = 16 calves per treatment) were used from −3 to +5 d of castration to assess standing behaviors. All calves decreased total standing duration the day of castration versus precastration. Overall, MAX spent the most time in the stand position postcastration versus CONV and MOD. Within treatments, MOD and MAX had increased plasma cortisol 1 d postcastration versus precastration. A treatment × time tendency was observed for cortisol at 12 d postcastration; MAX had the least circulating cortisol. A treatment × time tendency for circulating haptoglobin (Hp) was observed and Hp was greatest among CONV 1 d pre- and 12 d postcastration. Compared with precastration, CONV had increased Hp at 1, 5, and 12 d, whereas MOD had increased Hp at 5 d, and Hp remained similar within MAX. A treatment × time tendency for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated whole blood was observed; at 1 d postcastration, MOD had the most TNF-α, whereas MAX had the least. Within MAX, calves had increased TNF-α from precastration to 5 d postcastration. A treatment × time interaction was observed for whole blood bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli (WB anti-E). The CONV tended to have the greatest WB anti-E at d −1, but at d 1 and 5 postcastration, CONV had the least WB anti-E. Overall, MAX had less intensity of neutrophil oxidative burst versus CONV and MOD. The lower response of neutrophil oxidative burst and slower Hp secretion after castration is indicative that the wound site likely had less microbial exposure. The findings of this study suggest that calves housed with more space are potentially at less risk of too much inflammation after castration, which may likely be due to the effects of increased space on hide cleanliness and increased standing time.
Inequality Between and Within Skill Groups: The Curious Case of India

Summary Wage inequality has risen in India over the past three decades. A similar phenomenon has been documented widely for other developing countries. However, unlike in other countries, which saw widening wage structures both between and within skill groups, I show that inequality in India increased between groups but fell within them over the period 1983–2005. Returns to education increased with the wages of college graduates rising relative to high school graduates who, in turn, earned increasingly more than less educated workers. But workers within education groups witnessed lower wage dispersion over time. Defining demographic groups more narrowly, by additionally including characteristics such as experience, gender, industry, and state, among others, regression results show that inequality increased between them while simultaneously declining within them, as indicated by a compression of the residual wage inequality. Decomposition analysis attributes the decline in wage dispersion within groups to falling returns to unobservable characteristics. This, previously undocumented, divergent trend in inequality between and within skill groups in India cannot be explained by the three main arguments in the extant literature for why developing countries have witnessed a rise in wage inequality in recent decades following trade liberalization—greater imports of skill-complementary technology, offshoring, and reallocation of skilled labor toward exporting firms. I provide several pieces of suggestive evidence to argue that reduction in labor market frictions and growth in offshored tasks from developed countries that are routine in content, but performed by high-skilled workers, can lead to the divergent trends in inequality between and within groups. Compositional changes in the labor force do not account for the inequality patterns witnessed in India.
Osteocytes and Their Messengers as Targets for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

Osteocytes, the most abundant cells in the bone, orchestrate the function of osteoblasts and osteocytes to control physiological bone homeostasis. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that alteration of osteocyte function underlies the pathophysiology of several skeletal disorders, and that therapeutic targeting of factors produced by these cells improves skeletal health. Despite the advances in the knowledge of osteocyte biology, the contribution of these cells to the damaging effects of cancer in bone is practically unknown. Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell malignancy characterized by the presence of skeletal lesions and severe bone pain. Recent findings suggest that myeloma cells educate osteocytes to generate a microenvironment that is conducive to tumor progression, skeletal destruction, and bone pain. This review features some of these investigations and discusses the potential of targeting osteocytic pathways and osteocyte messengers for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Preliminary flight test correlations of the X-HALE aeroelastic experiment

An experimental, remotely-piloted aircraft has been designed and fabricated at University of Michigan that is aeroelastically representative of very flexible aircraft. Known as X-HALE, this Experimental High-Altitude Long-Endurance aircraft exhibits geometrically nonlinear behaviour and displays specific aeroelastic characteristics designed into the experiment. This paper presents the data from the initial flight tests of the lightly instrumented X-HALE Risk Reduction Vehicle that confirm the expected aeroelastic characteristics. This opens the way for future flight tests with a fully-instrumented platform which will provide data to support validation of coupled, nonlinear aeroelastic/flight dynamic codes.