cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of SRAM and eDRAM Cache Memories Under Spatial Temperature Variations

In scaled technologies, cache memories which are traditionally known as “cold” sections of the chip are expected to occupy a larger die area. Hence, different sections of a cache memory may experience different temperature profiles depending on their proximity to the active logic units such as the execution unit. In this paper, we performed thermal analysis of cache memories under the influence of hot-spots. In particular, 6-transistor (T) static random access memory (SRAM), 8-T SRAM, and embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) cache memories were investigated. Thermal maps of the entire caches were generated using hierarchical compact thermal models while solving the leakage and temperature self-consistently. The 6-T and the 8-T SRAM bitcells were investigated in terms of stability, noise immunity, and performance under temperature variations for various technology nodes. The 3-T micro sense amplifier used in eDRAM cache memories was investigated for its robustness. Thermal-aware circuit design techniques were explored to improve cache stability under thermal gradients. Results show that, for all cache memories, spatial temperature variations have to be considered to achieve the optimal memory design.
How Can We Advance Our Weather and Climate Models as a Community

Abstract A common modeling infrastructure ad hoc working group evolved from an NSF/NCEP workshop in 1998, in recognition of the need for the climate and weather modeling communities to develop a more organized approach to building the software that underlies modeling and data analyses. With its significant investment of pro bono time, the working group made the first steps in this direction. It suggested standards for model data and model physics and explored the concept of a modeling software framework. An overall software infrastructure would facilitate separation of the scientific and computational aspects of comprehensive models. Consequently, it would allow otherwise isolated scientists to effectively contribute to core U.S. modeling activities, and would provide a larger market to computational scientists and computer vendors, hence encouraging their support.
Work in progress - introduction to computers: An interdisciplinary approach

Computing is now a necessary part of all academic disciplines, not just the one labeled Computer Science. However, most of our service courses in computing fail to adequately address these interdisciplinary needs. In the past, the typical computer literacy course has been an overview of Microsoft Office, or some similar set of tools. Most students entering the university today already have a working knowledge of these programs. Instead, they need a more in-depth understanding of the computing tools required for a specific discipline. Our current research is exploring the possibility of a new computer literacy curriculum designed to better meet the needs of the entire student population. The concept includes developing one unit modules to cover topics of interest to a particular major or group of majors. Each discipline could choose one or two modules to include in their required curriculum, or to recommend to their students. This paper presents the techniques used for, and preliminary results of a study designed to understand the computing needs of the various disciplines as a precursor to designing such modules.
Against Religious Institutionalism

The idea that religious institutions should play a central role in understanding the First Amendment has become increasingly prominent in recent years. Litigation over the application of civil rights laws to ministers and the requirement that religious employers provide contraception coverage to their employees have elicited calls for a doctrine of church sovereignty based on an institutional conception of the Religion Clauses. In this Article, we present grounds for skepticism about this new religious institutionalism, especially the concept of “freedom of the church,” which we distinguish from the seemingly related but importantly distinct idea of church autonomy. We further explain why individual rights of conscience are sufficient to protect the free exercise and anti-establishment values of the First Amendment. Our argument, contrary to some recent scholarship, is that religious institutions do not give rise to a special set of rights, autonomy, or sovereignty, and that what might be called institutional or church autonomy is ultimately derived from individual rights of conscience. Indeed, for purposes of understanding religious liberty, we contend that any notion of institutional autonomy — to the extent it exists — can come from nowhere else.
Kiva and the Birth of Person-to-Person Microfinance

allows individuals in the developed world to loan to small business people in the developing world. Kiva operates in the microfinance space and works with a growing network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in more than thirty countries. Our MFI partners post the profiles of their loan applicants to the website. Internet users in the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond make small loans via PayPal to these businesses. The businesses pay the lenders back over a period of about a year. Since starting, Kiva lenders have funded $6 million in loans this way. In its first year, the site featured a spinach farmer in Cambodia, a hot dog stand man in Nicaragua, a carpenter in Gaza, a bee keeper in Ghana, and a fish seller in Uganda. Behind each of these businesses lies a story. (See Textbox 1.) Each is unique, but patterns emerge—patterns that get us closer to understanding what it means to be in poverty and the difficult process of trying to escape. These stories are at the heart of Kiva’s goal and strategy: the human connections we build between lenders and borrowers have brought new lenders to the microfinance movement, and foster in them a new awareness and connection to the people who briefly use their money. By telling stories, we allow MFIs that lack access to capital markets to efficiently raise money and serve more clients. This case tells the story of Kiva—how Jessica and I came to the decision to create Kiva, what the effort involved, and our progress to date. We had no idea what we were getting into.
A GIS-enabled Cost Estimation Tool for Road Upgrade and Maintenance to Assist Road Asset Management Systems

Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have had a problem in determining cost estimates to maintain road assets so that they can operate at a high level of service. These cost estimates are very crucial during budget planning for road maintenance activities. DOT managers have to plan a budget for road maintenance activities before the beginning of each fiscal year. For this, they need information regarding the conditions of the road assets and the cost to improve the level of service of these assets. The main goal of this study was to build a tool that would assist DOT managers in cost estimation of road improvement programs. Using this tool, DOT personnel enter the conditions of the road assets, using a grading system similar to that used by American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) annual ‘report card,’ and enters the cost of the maintenance work needed in order to improve the grade. Once these data are entered into the system, the tool calculates the cost to improve the road assets. This tool links the database with an interactive map using the Geographical Information System (GIS); in this way, managers can view the condition of road assets.
Fuel Crossover and Energy Conversion in Lifetime Operation of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

A method of simultaneous measurement of multiple electrochemical parameters was employed to examine the lifetime operation of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), which includes not only time duration, operational voltage and current, but also the fuel crossover, energy density, cumulative capacity, and cumulative energy. The lifetime performance of two types of DMFCs under different operating conditions was quantitatively compared based on their maximum capability to generate electric energy. A phenomenon of delamination between the anode electrode and electrolyte membrane was observed during lifetime operation. The long-term effects of heat, methanol solution, and CO 2 gas may gradually reduce the binding force between the anode electrode and the electrolyte membrane until its physical separation, which results in gradual increase of the resistance of the interface and causes discharge performance degradation. Such performance degradation from the anode side is apparently different from that of ruthenium crossover, which was previously reported, that inhibits the catalytic reduction of oxygen by the presence of ruthenium on the cathode catalyst.
Supporting knowledge-base evolution with incremental formalization

A number of systems have been built which integrate the knowledge representations of hypermedia and knowledge-based systems. Experiences with such have shown users are willing to use the semi-formal mechanisms of such systems systems leaving much structure implicit rather than use the formal mechanisms provided. The problem remains that it is hard (1) to encode knowledge in the formal languages required by knowledge-based systems and (2) to provide support with the semi-formal knowledge found in hypermedia systems. Incremental formalization enables users to enter information into the system in an informal or semi-formal representation and to have computer support for the formalization of this information. The domain independent Hyper-Object Substrate (HOS) differs from other systems that integrate hypermedia and knowledge-based system styles of representations in that it enables the incremental addition of formalism to any piece of information in the system. HOS actively supports incremental formalization with a set of tools which suggest new formalizations to be added to the information space. These suggestions are based on patterns in the informally and semi-formally represented information and the existing formalized knowledge in the information space. An important assumption is that suggestions need not be completely accurate to be of general benefit to users. These suggestions provide a starting point which can be edited, thus changing part of of formalization from creation to modification. XNetwork, an environment the process supporting the design of computer networks, is one of several applications that have been created with HOS. Experiences with HOS show that its flexibility for incrementally adding and formalizing information is useful for the rapid prototyping and modification of semi-formal information spaces.
Discussion of series and parallel resonance phenomena in the input impedance of antennas

[1] The series and parallel resonances of an antenna's input impedance are explained through the theory of characteristic modes (CM). We are showing for the first time that the parallel resonance phenomenon corresponds to the interaction of at least two nearby CM, each having eigenvalues of opposite sign. Additionally, the series resonance phenomenon is shown to be mainly due to the resonance of a single characteristic mode. Analysis of a simple wire dipole antenna, an edge-fed patch antenna, and a loop antenna are used to validate this finding.
Lewis Acid-Base Interactions and Adhesion Theory

Abstract The above results are intended to be suggestive rather than definitive. Nevertheless, they strongly support the premise that a cross-fertilization of both concepts and experimental data from the apparently unrelated fields of Lewis acid-base chemistry and adhesion theory can lead to potentially valuable results for both fields, emphasizing again the value of using a generalized acid-base vocabulary in describing the phenomena of chemistry, whatever one's area of specialization.
Risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD) in pediatric sarcoma survivors

9059 Background: The incidence of and risk factors for low BMD in patients treated for sarcoma in childhood is unknown. Methods: Retrospective medical record review of 99 patients with pediatric sa...
Co-variation in methanotroph community composition and activity in three temperate grassland soils

Abstract Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and the uptake of methane by methanotrophic bacteria in oxic, well-drained soils is a key global sink. Field studies at the ecosystem scale have observed significant temporal and spatial variation in methane uptake rates, but there is considerable uncertainty about the roles of abiotic and biotic factors, including methanotroph community composition, in structuring these patterns. Here, we present an analysis of Michaelis–Menten kinetics of methane uptake in soils collected from three North American temperate grassland sites of differing soil moisture regimes and their methanotroph community composition. The three sites were Konza Prairie in Kansas, Shortgrass Steppe in Colorado and Sevilleta in New Mexico with mean annual precipitation of 835, 320 and 244 mm, respectively. Michaelis–Menten kinetics and methanotroph community were assessed via lab incubation and pmoA -based phylogeny, respectively. Across the precipitation gradient we observed distinct variation in Michaelis–Menten kinetics and methanotroph community composition. Both K M and V Max values of the Michaelis–Menten kinetics followed the trend of the mean annual precipitation (Konza Prairie > Shortgrass Steppe > Sevilleta). The observed six methanotroph clades were all within the γ-proteobacteria division, and included two novel clades found in Shortgrass Steppe and Sevilleta. The methanotroph communities were dominated by Methylococcus spp, JR2 clade, and USC gamma, in Konza Prairie, Shortgrass Steppe and Sevilleta soils, respectively. The distinct differences in the community composition among the three sites may help explain the functional variation of upland methanotrophy observed in K M . Taken together, the coincident differences in Michaelis–Menten kinetics we observed suggest that methanotroph community composition can be important for CH 4 uptake in controlled environments, potentially playing a role in the variation in methane uptake in the fields.
A NEW KIND OF IPV6 TUNNEL DESIGN TO SUPPORT NAT

In the process of building IPv6 transition network, three common methods of transition are used: double-stack technology, tunnel technology and address translation. Considering the condition that none of the above technologies can transverse NAT, this paper advances a new solution based on Client / Server technology. It summarizes the technological challenges and analyzes possible scenarios during the transition from IPv4 to IPv6, and proposes a new protocol based on tunnel technology which needs less equipment and it can greatly facilitate users. The result of the experiment shows it attains superior effect.
Apparatus for Recording Electromyograms from Tethered Flying Moths

The electromyogram (EMG) from flying moths can be of use in measuring the behavioral responses of such moths to various stimuli. The EMG's have been recorded in several large Lepidoptera— Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer), Hyalophora cecropia (L.), Manduca sexta (L.), and Smerinthus cerisyi Kirby by Kammer (1967, 1970). The muscle potentials of tethered flying noctuid moths and other small Lepidoptera have not been recorded. The apparatus described below was developed specifically for the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) but a number of other noctuids were tested. The apparatus was constructed so that nearly normal flight could be attained and at the same time the EMG's could be recorded.
Unmasking Class: How Upwardly Mobile Poor and Working-Class Emerging Adults Negotiate an “Invisible” Identity

This study examined class identity negotiation among upwardly mobile poor and working-class emerging adults. Twenty-one ethnically diverse emerging adults narrated class-related experiences during ...
ZAJ and Futurism: from Henri Bergson to Tomás Marco

This article explores the distant but significant relation, which has been overlooked so far, between the ideals of Italian Futurism and those of ZAJ, an Spanish avant-garde musical movement of the 1960s, tracing the far-reaching line that unites Henri Bergson’s philosophy with the anarchist ideas of Georges Sorel, the way those ideas influenced Italian Futurism, as reflected on the key notions employed in their manifestos, and how some of those notions defined the artistic agenda of the Spanish movement. Tomas Marco’s collaborations with ZAJ are taken both as an implicit point of departure, given the previously analyzed connection between his musical ideas and Bergson’s thought, and as an explicit point of arrival. The article opens with a consideration of the great significance that Bergson’s philosophy had at the beginning of the twentieth century before it explores its relation to Sorel’s thinking as well as to the intellectual and aesthetic basis of Italian Futurism, and in doing so it focuses on def...
Evaluation of Raman parameters using visible Raman microscopy for soot oxidative reactivity

Soot crystalline structure was evaluated for four soot samples and one carbon black using Raman parameters obtained from first-order Raman spectra. For this work, different numbers of peaks from three to as many as five curves with combined Lorentzian and Gaussian bands were fitted for the spectra, and Raman parameters were compared with soot oxidative reactivity, in order to investigate the correlation between the Raman parameters and the oxidative reactivity for each curve-fitting method. Among these methods, the combination of three Lorentzian-shaped bands at about 1200 (D4), 1360 (D1), and 1580 cm–1 (G), and one Gaussian-shaped band at about 1500 cm–1 (D3), which is designated as 3L1G, shows the most consistent results for various Raman parameters with respect to soot oxidative reactivity; amorphous carbon fraction, crystallite size, and distribution of crystallite size are in good agreement with soot oxidative reactivity. Also, crystallite sizes from several empirical formulas using Raman spectroscop...
Decomposition of Malonic Anhydrides

Malonic anhydrides decompose at or below room temperature, to form a ketene and carbon dioxide. Rate constants for the thermal decomposition of malonic, methylmalonic, and dimethylmalonic anhydrides were measured by NMR spectroscopy at various temperatures, and activation parameters were evaluated from the temperature dependence of the rate constants. Methylmalonic anhydride is the fastest, with the lowest ΔH⧧, and dimethylmalonic anhydride is the slowest. The nonlinear dependence on the number of methyl groups is discussed in terms of a concerted [2s + (2s + 2s)] or [2s + 2a] cycloreversion that proceeds via a twisted transition-state structure, supported by computations.
The Yi-ology conceived in the Yi copied on silk unearthed at Mawangdui to CHENG Yi-chuan’s Yi-ology

This paper holds that it is not enough for us to trace the tradition of Yi-chuan’s (a famous neo-Confucianist of the Northern Song Dynasty) Yi-ology only back to WANG Bi's (a famous scholar at metaphysics of the Wei and Jin dynasties) Yi-ology.Yi-chuan’s theory of “realizing the Principle of Heaven in daily conducts”had attained to the profound connotations of Zhouyi in a religious level and could be traced back to the Yi-ology conceived in the Yi copied on silk unearthed at Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan Province. Different from WANG Bi's Yi-ology, when he attached importance to the philosophical connotations conceived in Zhouyi, Yi-chuan did not completely deny image-numberology, but simultaneously took the basic qualities of the images of the hexagrams and lines into consideration as the Yi-ology of Mawangdui did. Comparing Yi-chuan’s Yi-ology and Zhouyi copied on silk, we could further recognize the origin of the Yi-ology formed in the Song Dynasty: not only the philosophical school of the Song Yi was closely related to the Yi-ology on silk, the correlation between the image-numberology in the Song Yi and that on silk ought not to be ignored. In examining the origin of the Song Yi, only if we transcend the partiality between the philosophical school and that of the image-numberology, could we get a true recognition over this issue: the origin of the Song Yi which occupies an important position in the neo-Confucianism of the Song Dynasty maybe closely related to the Yi-ology embraced in the Zhouyi copied on silk of Mawangdui.
Direct stimulation of cells expressing receptors for macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) by a plasma membrane-bound precursor of human CSF-1.

Secreted forms of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF or CSF-1) are generated by proteolytic cleavage of membrane-bound glycoprotein precursors. Alternatively spliced transcripts of the human CSF-1 gene encode at least two different transmembrane precursors that are differentially processed in mammalian expression systems. The larger precursor rapidly undergoes proteolysis to yield the secreted growth factor and does not give rise to forms of CSF-1 detected on the cell surface. By contrast, the smaller human CSF-1 precursor is stably expressed on the plasma membrane where it is inefficiently cleaved to release a soluble molecule. To determine whether the smaller precursor is biologically active on the cell surface, mouse NIH-3T3 fibroblasts expressing the different forms of human CSF-1 were killed by chemical fixation and tested for their ability to support the proliferation of cells that require this growth factor. Only fixed cells expressing human CSF-1 precursors on their surface stimulated the growth in vitro of a murine macrophage cell line or normal mouse bone marrow-derived mononuclear phagocytes. The ability of these nonviable fibroblasts to induce the proliferation of CSF-1-dependent cells was not mediated by release of soluble growth factor, required direct contact with the target cells, and was blocked by neutralizing antiserum to CSF-1. These results demonstrate that the cell surface form of the human CSF-1 precursor is biologically active and indicate that plasma membrane- bound growth factors can functionally interact with receptor-bearing targets by direct cell-cell contact.
Review: the cosyntropin-stimulation test has limited value for detecting and excluding adrenal insufficiency.

Source Citation Dorin RI, Qualls CR, Crapo LM. Diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139:194-204. 12899587
Distinct properties of proteases and nucleases in the gut, salivary gland and saliva of southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula

Stink bugs negatively impact numerous plant species of agricultural and horticultural importance. While efforts to develop effective control measures are underway, the unique digestive physiology of these pests presents a significant hurdle for either protein- or nucleotide-based management options. Here we report the comparative biochemical and proteomic characterization of proteases and nucleases from the gut, salivary gland and saliva of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula. The pH optimum for protease activity was acidic (5 to 6) in the gut with the primary proteases being cysteine proteases, and alkaline (8 to 9) in the saliva and salivary gland with the primary proteases being serine proteases. The serine proteases in saliva differ biochemically from trypsin and chymotrypsin, and the cathepsins in the gut and saliva showed distinct properties in inhibitor assays. Nuclease activity (DNase, RNase, dsRNase) was concentrated in the salivary gland and saliva with negligible activity in the gut. The most abundant proteins of the gut (530) and salivary gland (631) identified by proteomic analysis included four gut proteases along with eight proteases and one nuclease from the salivary gland. Understanding of N. viridula digestive physiology will facilitate the design of new strategies for management of this significant pest.
Fail Again, Fail Better: Embracing Failure as a Paradigm for Creative Learning in the Arts

“All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”—Samuel Beckett (O'Connell, 2014)“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is kn...
Case 23: How Long Should a Study Go On?

You have just been recruited as a young assistant professor in a clinical department. An associate professor in the same department seeks you out as he is keen for you to participate in an ongoing industry-sponsored research project. The study has been ongoing for 12 months, but only 40 % of the required numbers of patients have been enrolled.
Unfunded research? I am shocked, shocked!

The following letter was received after the authors had written their reply .—Ed. To the Editor. —The article entitled "Who Pays for Published Research?" by Stein et al 1 fails to cite our previously published contributions, in which we examined publications (520 articles) in six popular pathology journals and three general science journals. 2,3 Unfunded research (research not supported by a competitive grant) represented the vast majority of research produced by pathologists, accounting for 84% of published articles. Unfunded articles published in 1987 averaged 10.4 citations per article compared with 8.7 citations per funded article. In this study, there were 47 articles first-authored by pathologists that listed a source of funding. Twenty of those articles were funded by NIH grants. Publicly available grant listings were searched to determine the names of the principal investigator of the NIH grants listed. Only four of the 20 NIH-funded publications were first-authored by
Use of stem cells for ischemic cardiomyopathy--reply.

We agree with Dr Zhang and colleagues that the issue of donor characteristics for allogeneic MSC donation is important. We chose male donors aged 21 to 35 years. Donors were carefully screened medically and documented to be free of a panel of viral infections. The age cutoff was selected to optimize the chances of culture expanding sufficient quantities of MSCs for use in several recipients.
Anthropogenic Forcing of Carbonate and Organic Carbon Preservation in Marine Sediments

Carbon preservation in marine sediments, supplemented by that in large lakes, is the primary mechanism that moves carbon from the active surficial carbon cycle to the slower geologic carbon cycle. Preservation rates are low relative to the rates at which carbon moves between surface pools, which has led to the preservation term largely being ignored when evaluating anthropogenic forcing of the global carbon cycle. However, a variety of anthropogenic drivers-including ocean warming, deoxygenation, and acidification, as well as human-induced changes in sediment delivery to the ocean and mixing and irrigation of continental margin sediments-all work to decrease the already small carbon preservation term. These drivers affect the cycling of both carbonate and organic carbon in the ocean. The overall effect of anthropogenic forcing in the modern ocean is to decrease delivery of carbon to sediments, increase sedimentary dissolution and remineralization, and subsequently decrease overall carbon preservation.
Die Lage der jüdischen Musikwissenschaftler an den Universitäten der Weimarer Zeit

Will man den Beginn des Exodus deutscher Musikwissenschaftler fixieren, so last sich zunachst behaupten, das ihre Vertreibung durch die Nationalsozialisten offiziell und offensichtlich im April 1933 begann, als die deutschen Universitaten und ihre Fakultaten gleichgeschaltet wurden. Die Regierung fuhrte das »Gesetz zur Wiederherstellung des Berufsbeamtentums« ein, durch das alle, die bestimmte Kriterien nicht erfullen konnten, sofort in den Ruhestand versetzt wurden. Die Kriterien waren u.a. »die vorgeschriebene oder ubliche Vorbildung oder sonstige Eignung«, also politische Zuverlassigkeit und vor allem die arische Abstammung.
Simulation of computed tomography dose based on voxel phantom

Computed Tomography (CT) is one of the preferred and the most valuable imaging tool used in diagnostic radiology, which provides a high-quality cross-sectional image of the body. It still causes higher doses of radiation to patients comparing to the other radiological procedures. The Monte-Carlo method is appropriate for estimation of the radiation dose during the CT examinations. The simulation of the Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDI) phantom was developed in this paper. Under a similar conditions used in physical measurements, dose profiles were calculated and compared against the measured values that were reported. The results demonstrate a good agreement between the calculated and the measured doses. From different CT exam simulations using the voxel phantom, the highest absorbed dose was recorded for the lung, the brain, the bone surface. A comparison between the different scan type shows that the effective dose for a chest scan is the highest one, whereas the effective dose values during abdomen and pelvis scan are very close, respectively. The lowest effective dose resulted from the head scan. Although, the dose in CT is related to various parameters, such as the tube current, exposure time, beam energy, slice thickness and patient size, this study demonstrates that the MC simulation is a useful tool to accurately estimate the dose delivered to any specific organs for patients undergoing the CT exams and can be also a valuable technique for the design and the optimization of the CT x-ray source.
Remixing Minecraft to broaden participation in computing

Minecraft is one of the most popular games among youth today, experiencing sales over 100 million worldwide and channels on YouTube generating over 47 billion views. Our interest in the game environment is due to its innate computational mechanics that integrate logic, design, and scripting elements. Because of these traits, many organizations and schools are looking to incorporate Minecraft into their curriculum to support computational thinking and computational practices. However, there are challenges surrounding the distribution and availability of individuals who possess the technical and computational expertise needed to support these opportunities. In this poster we introduce the DYN Minecraft Server project. The project is designed to address barriers of entry for adults at schools and youth-serving organizations who want to provide computing-related learning opportunities to diverse youth. We worked with families, city organizations, mentors, and youth to modify the commercially available Minecraft to support adults who may have limited expertise in computing or Minecraft, yet wish to use the platform in order to teach computational content The modifications include the integration of an information network that promotes STEM learning opportunities that are available throughout the city. We discuss our design process, designed activities and interfaces, and feedback from youth, partners, and mentors using the system.
Rigidity Percolation on Trees

Diluted Cayley trees of great generality having only central forces and a rigid boundary seem to always have a first-order rigidity percolation transition due to the enormous “house-of-cards” effect. In additionthere is always a square-root singularity at the spinodal point except for those cases which corresponds to ordinary connectivity percolation. Diluted Cayley trees do not seem to have a simultaneous transition in P∝(p) while having a second-order transition in P∝(p), which has been considered for two-dimensional lattices. Cayley trees (with sufficient numbers of small local closed loops, i.e. b being sufficiently large) do exhibit second-order rigidity percolation for the case of open boundaries. And for partially rigid boundaries the location of the first-order rigidity percolation transition is determined by the number of constraints at the rigid boundary.
Antismoking Ads at the Point of Sale: The Influence of Ad Type and Context on Ad Reactions

Efforts are underway to educate consumers about the dangers of smoking at the point of sale (POS). Research is limited about the efficacy of POS antismoking ads to guide campaign development. This study experimentally tests whether the type of antismoking ad and the context in which ads are viewed influence people's reactions to the ads. A national convenience sample of 7,812 adult current smokers and recent quitters was randomized to 1 of 39 conditions. Participants viewed one of the four types of antismoking ads (negative health consequences-graphic, negative social consequences-intended emotive, benefits of quitting-informational, benefits of quitting-graphic) in one of the three contexts (alone, next to a cigarette ad, POS tobacco display). We assessed participants' reactions to the ads, including perceived effectiveness, negative emotion, affective dissonance, and motivational reaction. Graphic ads elicited more negative emotion and affective dissonance than benefits of quitting ads. Graphic ads elicited higher perceived effectiveness and more affective dissonance than intended emotive ads. Antismoking ads fared best when viewed alone, and graphic ads were least influenced by the context in which they were viewed. These results suggest that in developing POS campaigns, it is important to consider the competitive pro-tobacco context in which antismoking ads will be viewed.
Notable gain enhancement of curvilinear elements using a circular HIS ground plane

Two curvilinear radiating elements (loop and spiral) are placed above a circular HIS ground plane. It is shown through simulations and measurements that in addition to the bandwidth enhancement compared to a rectangular HIS ground plane, the gain increases by an additional 3 dB when a circular HIS is used instead of the conventional HISs due to the radial phase profile.
Web and Mobile Spatial Decision Support as Innovations: Comparison of United States and Hong Kong, China

This chapter is a multiple case study analysis of decision support applications that are web-based and mobile-based. WMSDS is considered as an innovation undergoing adoption and diffusion. The theories of adoption-diffusion (A/D) and use-diffusion (U/D) are presented. Research propositions are given that are based on A/D theory and examined through structured interviews of fourteen government and business organizations in the United States and Hong Kong. Findings indicate that most of the fourteen have achieved middle stage of adoption/diffusion of WMSDS but none has reached a late stage. The five attributes posited for A/D are mostly met for nearly all the organizations. In some cases, resistance to WMSDS is noted. U/D theory would be more useful for well established and widely adopted WMSDS, of which Hong Kong Yellow Pages is the closest example. Future trends point to widespread prevalence and varied, evolving uses of these technologies for decision making.
Structural and Mechanistic Studies of Anticancer Platinum Drugs: Uptake, Activation, and the Cellular Response to DNA Binding

The action of platinum anticancer drugs is a multistep process involving uptake, activation, DNA binding, and cellular responses. Our research investigates these early stages of action of platinum complexes. We demonstrated that the effectiveness of oxaliplatin and cis-diammine(pyridine)chloroplatinum(II) (cDPCP) is a consequence of their selective delivery to cells containing organic cation transporters OCT1 and OCT2. This work inspired us to devise strategies for novel cell-targeting modalities, which include tethering receptor-binding moieties like estrogen or conjugated peptide motifs to a cis-diammineplatinum(II) unit, and the use of single walled carbon nanotubes as “longboat” delivery systems. Structural studies of DNA containing bound platinum complexes resulted in two significant findings. First, an X-ray structure of a site-specific monofunctional platinum-DNA dodecamer duplex containing a guanosine modified by cis-{Pt(NH3)2(py)}2+ resembles that of B-DNA, differing from structures containing a 1,2- or 1,3- intrastrand cross-link. Nevertheless, certain features resemble that of the 1,2-cross-link. Second, 1,3-GTG-intrastrand cis-diammineplatinum(II) cross-links determine and override the natural positioning of DNA on the nucleo-some core particle. Close examination of cellular responses associated with cis-[Pt(NH3)2(py)Cl]Cl, cDPCP, revealed the potency of this compound to be a consequence of a competition between transcription inhibition and excision repair. Photo-cross-linking studies of platinated DNA to proteins in cancer cell nuclear extracts reveal the panoply of factors that process the platinum adducts at the early stage of recognition.
High-Throughput Reconstruction of Ancestral Protein Sequence, Structure, and Molecular Function

Ancestral protein sequence reconstruction is a powerful technique for explicitly testing hypotheses about the evolution of molecular function, allowing researchers to meticulously dissect how historical changes in protein sequence impacted functional repertoire by altering the protein's 3D structure. These techniques have provided concrete, experimentally validated insights into ancient evolutionary processes and help illuminate the complex relationship between protein sequence, structure, and function. Inferring the protein family phylogenies on which ancestral sequence reconstruction depends and reconstructing the sequences, themselves, are amenable to high-throughput computational analysis. However, determining the structures of ancestral-reconstructed proteins and characterizing their functions typically rely on time-consuming and expensive laboratory analyses, limiting most current studies to examining a relatively small number of specific hypotheses. For this reason, we have little detailed, unbiased information about how molecular function evolves across large protein family phylogenies. Here we describe a generalized protocol that integrates ancestral sequence reconstruction with structural homology modeling and structure-based molecular affinity prediction to characterize historical changes in protein function across families with thousands of individual sequences. We highlight key steps in the analysis protocol requiring particularly careful attention to avoid introducing potential errors as well as steps for which computationally efficient subroutines can be substituted for more intensive approaches, allowing researchers to scale the analysis up or down, depending on available resources and requirements for reproducibility and scientific rigor. In our view, this approach provides a compelling compliment to more laboratory-intensive procedures, generating important contextual information that can help guide detailed experiments.
Modelling and control of a bidirectional single-phase single-stage converter for plug-in electric vehicles

In this paper, the modelling and control of a bidirectional single-phase single-stage converter for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is presented. A nonlinear sliding mode controller with boundary layer solution and a redefined sliding manifold is proposed to enforce a pseudo-resistive relation between the input voltage and current. Based on the pseudo-resistive relationship obtained between the input voltage and current, sliding mode control approach is utilised to regulate the input resistance of the converter to a desired value, hence allowing charging and discharging of PEVs. Numerical simulation results are presented that evaluate performance of the proposed modelling and feedback control scheme.
Prediction of Dissolution Profiles From Process Parameters, Formulation, and Spectroscopic Measurements.

Abstract This study utilized multiple modeling approaches to predict immediate release tablet dissolution profiles of 2 model drugs: theophylline and carbamazepine. Two sets of designs of experiments were applied based on individual drug characteristics to build in adequate dissolution variability. The tablets were scanned using a near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer and then subjected to in vitro dissolution test at critical time points. Because of the inherent difference in dissolution profiles, a hierarchical modeling approach was applied for theophylline data, whereas global models were constructed from carbamazepine data. The partial least squares models were trained using 3 predictor sets including (1) formulation, material, and process variables, (2) NIR spectra, and (3) a combination of both. The dependent variables of the models were the dissolution profiles, which were presented either as parameters of Weibull fitting curves or raw data. The comparison among the predictive models revealed that the incorporation of NIR spectral information in calibration reduced prediction error in the carbamazepine case but undermined the performance of theophylline models. It suggests that the modeling strategy for dissolution prediction of pharmaceutical tablets should not be universal but on a case-by-case basis.
Subjunctive nostalgia of postmemorial art: Remediated family archives in the Iranian diaspora:

Family archives have become the source of nostalgic 1.5 and second-generation diasporic cultural work as artists seeking to understand their family histories and to negotiate liminal identities rem...
Synthesis of 2-oxazolidinones from beta-lactams: stereospecific total synthesis of (-)-cytoxazone and all of its stereoisomers.

The synthetic correlation between two different antibiotic frameworks, the β-lactams and 2-oxazolidinones, is described for the first time. In this approach, 2-oxazolidinones are prepared in stereomerically pure form from 3-hydroxy β-lactams by a ring-opening−cyclization isomerization process. Application of this methodology to the total synthesis of the cytokine modulator, (−)-cytoxazone, and its three stereoisomers is demonstrated.
Vector based glyph style transfer

In this work, we solve the problem of real-time transfer of geometric style from a single glyph to the entire glyph set of a vector font. In our solution, a single glyph is defined as one or more closed Bezier paths which is further broken down in primitives to define a set of segments. The modification to these segments is percolated to the entire glyph set by comparing the set of segments across glyphs using techniques like the order and direction of segments and the spatial placement of segments. Once the target segments in other glyphs is identified the transformation from style glyph is applied to the target glyph. Furthermore, we establish user-controlled policies for percolation of style like mapping line segment modification to curve segments. This extension to the algorithm enables the user to create multiple variations of a glyph.
Acromial stress fracture following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: incidence and predictors.

Background Increased use of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) has led to an understanding of unique complications such as acromial stress fractures (ASFs). The factors associated with ASFs are not fully known. This study investigates the incidence and predictors of ASFs following RTSA. Methods All RTSAs performed at a single tertiary referral hospital were retrospectively reviewed. ASF findings were classified as a definitive acromial or scapular spine stress fracture based on radiographic findings or stress reaction based on clinical findings (pain and tenderness at the acromion or acromial spine) without radiographic changes. Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were reviewed for radiographic predictors of postoperative acromial stress pathology. Clinical factors and implant characteristics were also investigated. Results Between September 2010 and January 2017, a total of 1170 RTSAs were performed, with 958 cases (81.9%) having at least 3 months' clinical follow-up (mean, 407 days; range, 90-1698 days). There were 40 ASFs (4.2%) and 61 acromial stress reactions (6.4%). For fractures and reactions, symptom onset averaged 8.8 and 7.3 months (P = .37), respectively, with durations of 4.5 and 2.9 months (P = .02), respectively, following RTSA. Independent predictors of acromial stress pathology were female sex, decreased change in deltoid length, and increased preoperative glenohumeral center-of-rotation medialization. Conclusion Acromion-related symptoms are common following RTSA. Female patients with increased preoperative center-of-rotation medialization had an increased incidence of ASFs. Although this study establishes which patients are at risk of ASFs, methods for prevention of ASFs in these patients remain unclear.
CD8+ T cells regulate liver injury in obesity-related nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Our study demonstrates that CD8+ T cells are the primary hepatic T cell population, are elevated in obese models of NASH, and directly activate hepatic stellate cells. In contrast, we find CD8+ T c...
Revisiting Burr and Northrop’s “The Electro-Dynamic Theory of Life” (1935)

Harold Saxton Burr was a biologist working throughout the 1930s–1950s on an important set of problems related to biological organization and the origin of complex living forms. He was a profound thinker, suggesting a complementary focus on field concepts in addition to the emphasis on particle models and integrating concepts from physics and philosophy in his work. He developed innovations in electrophysiological technique and used them to perform a wide experimental survey of bioelectricity in normal and pathological growth. Here, I briefly review his classic paper with philosopher F. S. C. Northrop, “The Electro-Dynamic Theory of Life,” in the context of advances in this field over the last few decades. Based on recent progress, it is now clear that Burr was a prescient and visionary thinker. His main hypothesis, that bioelectric gradients serve as prepatterns guiding morphogenesis, has been confirmed using modern molecular physiology, as have his ideas about the place of cancer and the nervous system in the question of biological organization. With limited technology but deep insight, he derived insights that anticipated many modern discoveries. Even more importantly, Burr’s view of bioelectricity as a convenient entry point for rigorous investigation of the broader question of self-organizing properties of life highlights a frontier of inquiry that awaits today’s researchers. Burr and Northrop’s “The Electro-Dynamic Theory of Life,” originally published in the Quarterly Review of Biology (10(3):322–333, 1935), is available as supplementary material in the online version of this essay.
Effect of curvature on hyperspectral reflectance images of cereal seed-sized objects

Hyperspectral imaging for quality and safety inspection of agricultural products is frequently confronted with the challenge of handling rounded surfaces. This challenge is especially noted when the objects are as small as cereal grains for which curvature with respect to the spatial dimension of a pixel is large. Diffusely reflected light from regions near the edges of a uniformly illuminated object the size of a wheat kernel will have its intensity reduced greatly, historically modelled by the Lambert Cosine Law, eponymously named after Johann Lambert of the sixteenth century, who theorised that the fraction of energy reflected from a spot on a matte surface is related to the declination angle of the observer. The current study was performed to compare the predicted Lambertian response of reflected light to actual measurement on curved surfaces of mathematically definable shapes, namely cylinders and prolate ellipsoids, with the latter introduced as an approximation to a wheat kernel. Carbon black-doped and sintered PTFE (0.16–0.99 nominal reflectance) cylinders of three diameters, with the smallest on par with the minor dimension of a wheat kernel, were scanned using a benchtop hyperspectral imaging system, as were dull gray-painted prolate spheroids of equivalent size and white wheat kernels. The analysis consisted of comparing the measured reflectances (940–1650 nm) from individual pixels along the curved surface with those determined according to the Lambert Cosine Law. The findings indicate that central pixels responded well to correction, with a greater departure from theory for pixels closest to the edges.
Pandemic pedagogy: Experiential learning illustrating risk and health communication principles

Instructors in medical and health fields have long used experiential learning activities to complement traditional methods of teaching. The following details a scenario developed for a health commu...