cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statement-level independent partitioning of uniform recurrences

This papers presents an approach to statement-level independent partitioning of uniform recurrences, i.e., loops with constant dependence distance vectors. Uniform recurrences may be partitioned into independent subsets-of the set of all statement instances-that require no communication or synchronization on a multiprocessor. Therefore, independent partitioning is highly efficient and desirable. This paper presents a method to partition uniform recurrences using statement-level affine schedules, and an algorithm for code generation. We consider a statement instance as a basic unit that can be allocated to a processor, in contrast to existing methods that use an iteration instance. Using this approach, we not only find maximal independent partitions for problems with a single statement inside a perfectly nested loop, but also solve the partitioning problem for multiple statements in a single or multiple nested loops. The method uses schedules derived using linear programming, which is very fast in practice. >
Breast cancer diagnosis based on ultrasound RF echo modeling and physician's level of confidence

A number of researchers have shown that the ultrasound RF echo from tissue exhibits (1/f ) /sup /spl beta// characteristics and developed tissue characterization methods based on the fractal parameter of the received signal. In this paper a new model for the received ultrasound RF data has been proposed, namely the fractional differencing auto regressive moving-average (FARMA) model, whose parameters were investigated for their ability to differentiate between benign and malignant tumors. Along with the FARMA model parameters, the patient's age and the radiologist's pre-biopsy level of suspicion (LOS) were used as additional features to increase the characterization performance. 120 in vivo B-scan images obtained from 90 patients were used during the modeling and estimation procedures. The area under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve yields a value of 0.8723, with a confidence interval of [0.8512, 0.8945], at a significance level of 0.05. These results indicate that the proposed tissue characterization method can be used as a second opinion to aid the radiologist decision criteria.
Wafer bonding of damascene-patterned metal/adhesive redistribution layers for via-first three-dimensional (3D) interconnect

A novel via-first, back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) compatible, monolithic wafer-level three-dimensional (3D) integration technology platform is being developed, which employs wafer bonding of damascene-patterned metal/adhesive redistribution layers on two wafers, thus facilitating both high density of inter-wafer electrical interconnects and strong adhesive bond of two wafers in one unit processing step. Two key steps for this approach are 1) fabrication of a metal/adhesive redistribution layer on the top of the BEOL-processed wafer by damascene patterning and 2) face-to-face alignment and bonding of two wafers utilizing the metal/adhesive redistribution layers. Repeating a whole 3D process flow, the third wafer (or more) can then be added. Copper/tantalum (Cu/Ta) and benzocyclobutene (BCB) are selected as the metal and adhesive for the feasibility demonstration of the via-first 3D approach. Critical processing challenges are investigated, including: 1) BCB partial curing and patterning; 2) Ta and Cu deposition; 3) Cu/BCB chemical mechanical planarization (CMP); 4) post-CMP treatment; and 5) bonding process parameters. Wet chemical and dry plasma surface preparation techniques are used for post-CMP treatment and pre-bonding surface preparation, a critical step in facilitating a strong, reliable bond between BCB-to-BCB regions as well as a low contact resistance between Cu-to-Cu regions. Results on blanket BCB/Si wafers show a strong BCB-to-BCB bond with mean critical adhesion energy in a range of 14-31 J/m . For patterned Cu/BCB wafers, interfaces of bonded BCB-to-BCB, Cu-to-Cu, and BCB-to-Cu areas are imaged by focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM), showing the feasibility of these bonds. Specific contact resistance of the Cu-to-Cu interconnect is on the order of 1 /spl times/ 10/sup -7/ /spl Omega/-cm/sup 2/, a promising preliminary result indicating electrical contact is possible using this new 3D technology platform.
Flag Preference as an Indicator of Patriotism in Israeli Children

To determine attitudes toward world powers as well as their own national/ethnic group, 960 boys and girls divided into Arab-Christian, Arab-Moslem, Jewish non-Orthodox, and Jewish Orthodox groups, in grades 2 through 12, gave responses to a projective test of flag preference. Factors of ethnicity, religion, sex, and grade level evaluated by analysis of variance indicated some similarities, but also important differences between the various groups. In ranking the flags non-Orthodox and Orthodox Jews had very high agreement, Christians and Moslems had high agreement, but combined Arabs versus combined Jewish groups showed little agreement. Christians and Moslems showed some differences. Sex and grade level were not major factors in attitude differences.
The measurement of whole-word productions.

Attempts to measure phonological acquisition have largely focused on segments, with less effort made to examine whole-word productions. This article proposes four measures designed to estimate a child's whole-word abilities: 1. the phonological mean length of utterance, a measure of whole-word complexity for both child and target words, 2. the proportion of whole-word proximity, a measure of the proximity between the child's word and its target form, 3. The Proportion of whole-word correctness, a measure of the number of words produced correctly relative to the sample size, and 4. the proportion of whole-word variability, a measure of how often a child produces words in distinct phonological shapes. The central measure is the Phonological Mean Length of Utterance, which can be used to identify a child's stage of acquisition, to assess proximity to target words, and to evaluate the complexity of words. The value of the new measures will be demonstrated through preliminary applications to a range of contexts; i.e. monolingual children acquiring English (five children, 0;11 to 1;5), Cantonese (one child, 1;7), and Spanish (5 children, 2;2 to 2;11), bilingual children acquiring Hungarian-English (one child, 2;0) and Spanish-English (3 children, 2;4 to 2;11), children with phonological impairment (eighteen children, 2;11 to 5;3), and children with cochlear implants (six children, 4;5 to 7;11).
Differential effects of mineralocorticoid blockade on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in pregnant and nonpregnant ewes

During pregnancy, plasma ACTH and cortisol are chronically increased; this appears to occur through a reset of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity. We have hypothesized that differences in mineralocorticoid receptor activity in pregnancy may alter feedback inhibition of the HPA axis. We tested the effect of MR antagonism in pregnant and nonpregnant ewes infused for 4 h with saline or the MR antagonist canrenoate. Pregnancy significantly increased plasma ACTH, cortisol, angiotensin II, and aldosterone. Infusion of canrenoate increased plasma ACTH, cortisol, and aldosterone in both pregnant and nonpregnant ewes; however, the temporal pattern of these responses differed between these two reproductive states. In nonpregnant ewes, plasma ACTH and cortisol transiently increased at 1 h of infusion, whereas in pregnant ewes the levels gradually increased and were significantly elevated from 2 to 4 h of infusion. MR blockade increased plasma aldosterone from 2 to 4 h in the pregnant ewes but only at 4 h in the nonpregnant ewes. In both pregnant and nonpregnant ewes, the increase in plasma aldosterone was significantly related to the timing and magnitude of the increase in plasma potassium. The results indicate a differential effect of MR activity in pregnant and nonpregnant ewes and suggest that the slow changes in ACTH, cortisol, and aldosterone are likely to be related to blockade of MR effects in the kidney rather than to effects of MR blockade in hippocampus or hypothalamus.
Structured flow-based gridding and upscaling for modeling subsurface flow

The combined use of flow-based grid generation and equivalent property calculation offers an effective means for generating subsurface flow simulation models from highly detailed geological descriptions. In this paper, several structured grid generation procedures, specifically a streamline-based method, a Jacobian-based elliptic grid generation approach, and an optimization technique, are investigated for this purpose. The ability of the more advanced methods to resolve both flow information and geological features is illustrated. In addition, both (local) permeability and (global) transmissibility upscaling methods are implemented in conjunction with the gridding approaches. The benefits of structured flow-based grids over uniform Cartesian grids are demonstrated for several three-dimensional cases. It is shown that these grids are most effective when a limited number of features dominate the flow. In addition, consistent with earlier work, global transmissibility upscaling is found to be preferable to permeability upscaling for highly heterogeneous systems.
Microgrid-Based Co-Optimization of Generation and Transmission Planning in Power Systems

This paper presents an algorithm for the microgrid planning as an alternative to the co-optimization of generation and transmission expansion planning in electric power systems. The integration of microgrids in distribution systems will offer a decentralized control of local resources for satisfying the network reliability and the power quality required by local loads. The objective in this paper is to minimize the total system planning cost comprising investment and operation costs of local microgrids, the co-optimized planning of large generating units and transmission lines, and the expected cost of unserved energy. The cost of unserved energy reflects the cost of load shedding which is added to the objective function for reliability considerations. The microgrid-based co-optimization planning problem is decomposed into a planning problem and annual reliability subproblem. The optimal integer planning decisions calculated in the planning problem will be examined against the system reliability limits in the subproblem and the planning decisions will be revised using proper feasibility cuts if the annual reliability limits are violated. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed microgrid-based co-optimization planning in power systems and explore the economic and reliability merits of microgrid planning as compared to grid-based generation and transmission upgrades.
Utility and Limitation of the Red Guard Publications as Source Publications: A Bibliographical Survey

D URING the Cultural Revolution (CR) the numerous "Red Guard" and "Revolutionary Rebel" organizations published an enormous amount of printed materials in various forms, all of them now referred to as "Red Guard publications." Some of them have become available to the academic community outside China, thus providing China specialists with their best opportunity for the foreseeable future-until we are able to interview Chinese people freely-to study Chinese politics. This paper contains a general bibliographical survey of the available Red Guard publications and an appraisal of their potential valuLe as source materials.
Following the intersubunit conformation of the ribosome during translation in real time

We report the direct observation of conformational rearrangements of the ribosome during multiple rounds of elongation. Using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we monitored the intersubunit conformation of the ribosome in real time as it proceeds from codon to codon. During each elongation cycle, the ribosome unlocks upon peptide bond formation, then reverts to the locked state upon translocation onto the next codon. Our data reveal both the specific and cumulative effects of antibiotics on individual steps of translation and uncover the processivity of the ribosome as it elongates. Our approach interrogates the precise molecular events occurring at each codon of the mRNA within the full context of ongoing translation.
SPECTROCHEMICAL DETERMINATION OF IMPURITIES IN NEPTUNIUM

The spectrochemical determination of impurities in neptunium should be similar to the determination of impurities in other actinide elements. The most common spectrochemical methods are various modifications of the carrier distillation method and methods involving prior separation of the actinide element by liquid extraction or ion exchange. Because of the complexity of the spectra of the transuranic elements, direct methods not involving a separation, either before or during arcing, have not been generally successful or sufficiently sensitive.
Potential for creation of artificial radiation belts during space testing of an NPB

Because of the potential for the charged effluence from an orbital neutral particle beam (NPB) system to become trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, the creation of long-lived fluxes is possible. The circumstances that can lead to trapping of protons from an H/sup 0/ NPB system operated at altitudes of 300-1000 km are considered. A first-order assessment of the flux levels and decay rates of the relic protons produced is presented. An NPB could significantly enhance the near-Earth radiation environment for up to several years, and as such could contributed to the radiation hazard. >
Farm-Scale Production Cost of Switchgrass for Biomass

The economic potential of cellulosic biomass from switchgrass has heretofore been evaluated using estimates of farm costs based on extrapolation from experimental data and budget estimates. The objective of the project reported here was to estimate the cost of production that would be experienced by farmers on commercial production situations. Switchgrass was pro- duced as a biomass crop on commercial-scale fields by ten contracting farmers located from northern North Dakota to southern Nebraska. Results showed a wide range of yields and costs across the five production years and ten sites, with an overall average cost of $65.86 Mg −1 of biomass dry matter, and annualized yield of 5.0 Mg ha −1 . The low- cost half of the producers were able to produce at an average cost of $51.95 Mg −1 over the 5-year period. When projected to a full 10-year rotation, their cost fell further to $46.26 Mg −1 . We conclude that substantial quantities of biomass feedstock could have been produced in this region at a cost of about $50 Mg −1 at the farm gate, which trans- lates to about $0.13/l of ethanol. These results provide a more reliable benchmark for current commercial production costs as compared to other estimates, which range from $25 to $100 Mg −1 .
Susceptibility of Tubifex tubifex (Annelida: Oligochaeta: Tubificidae) from the Rock Creek Drainage of West Central Montana, U.S.A., to Myxobolus cerebralis (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Myxobolidae), the Causative Agent of Salmonid Whirling Disease

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine whether the low prevalence of Tubifex tubifex infected with Myxobolus cerebralis in a Montana stream was due to a large percentage of worms being resistant to the parasite or whether other factors were involved. For this, specimens of T. tubifex were collected from various localities throughout the Rock Creek drainage of west central Montana, U.S.A., a stream known to be heavily contaminated with M. cerebralis, the causative agent of salmonid whirling disease. The natural occurring prevalence of infection was determined, and then noninfected worms were exposed to myxospores of M. cerebralis under controlled, laboratory conditions. Results showed that the percentage of noninfected T. tubifex that became infected with M. cerebralis was always greater than the percentage of naturally infected worms found at the same locality. Further, T. tubifex susceptible to infection were found at localities where no naturally infected worms were recovered. However, th...
Harvey Cushing's case series of trigeminal neuralgia at the Johns Hopkins Hospital: a surgeon's quest to advance the treatment of the 'suicide disease'.

Background A review of Dr. Harvey Cushing’s surgical cases at the Johns Hopkins Hospital provided insight into his early work on trigeminal neuralgia (TN). There was perhaps no other affliction that captured his attention in the way that TN did, and he built a remarkable legacy of successful treatment. At the time, surgical interventions carried an operative mortality of 20%.
Marks of Distinction: Framing and Audience Appreciation in the Context of Investment Advice

In examining how framing influences an audience’s appreciation of products, practices, and people, including the framer, we take the perspective of the audience that evaluates the framing. We exami...
Use of Antidiabetic Drugs in the U.S., 2003–2012

OBJECTIVE To describe market trends for antidiabetic drugs, focusing on newly approved drugs, concomitant use of antidiabetic drugs, and effects of safety concerns and access restrictions on thiazolidinedione use. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Nationally projected data on antidiabetic prescriptions for adults dispensed from U.S. retail pharmacies were extracted from IMS Health Vector One National and Total Patient Tracker for 2003–2012 and from Encuity Research Treatment Answers and Symphony Health Solutions PHAST Prescription Monthly for 2012. RESULTS Since 2003, the number of adult antidiabetic drug users increased by 42.9% to 18.8 million in 2012. Metformin use increased by 97.0% to 60.4 million prescriptions dispensed in retail pharmacies in 2012. Among antidiabetic drugs newly approved for marketing between 2003 and 2012, the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin had the largest share with 10.5 million prescriptions in 2012. Rosiglitazone use plummeted to CONCLUSIONS The antidiabetic drug market is characterized by steady increases in volume, and newly approved drugs experienced substantial uptake, especially DPP-4 inhibitors. The use of rosiglitazone has been negligible since restrictions were put in place in 2011. Further study is needed to understand why one-third to one-half of other noninsulin antidiabetic drug use was not concomitant with metformin use despite guidelines recommending that metformin be continued when other agents are added to treatment.
PROXIMAL GUT MUCOSAL EPITHELIAL HOMEOSTASIS IN AGED IL-1 TYPE I RECEPTOR KNOCKOUT MICE AFTER STARVATION

Abstract : Background Previous studies have shown that starvation induces small bowel atrophy, and that atrophy diminishes with aging. In this experiment, we assessed whether starvation-induced atrophy of proximal gut mucosa is associated with the Interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) signaling pathway in aged mice. Materials and Methods Thirty 26-month-old IL-1R knockout mice and age-matched wild- type C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into two groups: ad libitum fed and fasted. Mice were euthanized 12 or 48 hours after starvation. The proximal small bowel was harvested for morphologic analysis. Gut epithelial cell proliferation was detected using immunohistochemical staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and apoptosis was identified using terminal deoxyuridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Results Aged IL-1R knockout mice were larger than aged-matched wild-type mice (p less than 0.05). Proximal gut mucosal height and mucosal cell number were not different between aged IL-1R knockout and wild-type groups. The apoptosis index in gut epithelial cells was higher in fed IL-1R knockout versus wild-type mice (p less than 0.05), while no significant difference in cell proliferation between both groups. Mucosal atrophy was induced in both aged IL-1R knockout and wild-type groups by starvation (p less than 0.05), however, aged IL-1R knockout mice experienced greater losses in proximal gut weight, mucosal length, and corresponding cell number than did wild-type mice at the 12-hour time point (p less than 0.05). The apoptosis index in gut epithelial cells significantly increased in both groups after starvation (p less than 0.05). Starvation decreased cell proliferation in IL-1R knockout mice (p less than 0.05), but not in wild-type mice. Conclusions The response in aged IL-1R knockout mice differs from wild-type mice in that starvation increases atrophy and is associated with decreased cell proliferation rather than increased apoptosis.
Discovering Niche Markets: A Comparison of Consumer Willingness to Pay for Local (Colorado Grown), Organic, and GMO-Free Products

Demand for value-added products is highly segmented among different types of consumers. In this article, we assess consumer preferences for local, organic, and GMO-free potatoes in order to discover their potential niche markets. We identify sociodemographic characteristics that affect consumer preferences and compare the effects of different attributes on consumers' willingness to pay. Results suggest that the attribute “Colorado grown” carries a higher willingness to pay than organic and GMO-free attributes.
Charged particle irradiation of sacral chordomas

Abstract Purpose : The purpose of this report is determine the impact of charged particle irradiation at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) in treating patients with sacral chordomas. Overall survival, local control, complications, and predictive parameters are analyzed. Methods and Materials : Fourteen patients with sacral chordomas were treated with the charged particles helium and neon between 1977 and 1989. The median dose was 7565 cGyE and the median follow up is 5 years. All patients were treated post-operatively; ten had gross residual disease. Results : Kaplan-Meier survival at 5 years is 85%. Overall 5-year local control is 55%. A trend to improved local control at 5 years was seen in patients treated with neon when compared to patients treated with helium (62% vs 34%), in patients following complete resection versus patients with gross residual tumor (75% vs 40%), and in patients who had treatment courses under 73 days (61% vs 21%). Distant metastases were seen in two patients (14%). No patient developed neurologic sequelae or pain syndromes. One previously irradiated patient required colostomy, one patient had delayed wound healing following a negative post-radiation biopsy, and one patient developed a second malignancy. There were no genitourinary complications. Conclusion : Our experience indicates that post-operative charged particle irradiation of sacral chordomas appears to result in reasonable local control and survival with acceptable risk, and that additional evaluation on the use of heavy charged particles is warranted.
A STUDY OF THE INSTANTANEOUS AIR VELOCITIES IN A PLANE BEHIND THE WINGS OF CERTAIN DIPTERA FLYING IN A WIND TUNNEL

1. The variations in several kinematic parameters of Calliphora erythrocephala were studied on flies flying in a wind tunnel. Variation was equally pronounced at both the and bottom of the wingstroke. 2. The wakes of Calliphora erythrocephala and Phormia regina flying in moving air exhibited extremely low turbulence, while considerable turbulence indicative of stall was present in the wakes of flies flying in still air. 3. The air velocities recorded as functions of time in the wakes of both Phormia and Calliphora are consistent with most lift being produced in the downstroke, with the first part of the upstroke also contributing to the production of lift.
Genomic Sequence of a Clinical Vancomycin-Resistant Reference Strain, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 51299

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present a draft genome sequence of a quality control reference strain, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 51299 (multilocus sequencing type [MLST] ST6), which is sensitive to teicoplanin but resistant to vancomycin. It is used in an agar screening test for streptomycin, gentamicin, and vancomycin resistance and the resistance marker vanB.
The Determinants of Directionality in Transcriptional Initiation

A new paradigm has emerged in recent years characterizing transcription initiation as a bidirectional process encompassing a larger proportion of the genome than previously thought. Past concepts of coding genes thinly scattered among a vast background of transcriptionally inert noncoding DNA have been abandoned. A richer picture has taken shape, integrating transcription of coding genes, enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), and various other noncoding transcriptional events. In this review we give an overview of recent studies detailing the mechanisms of RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II)-based transcriptional initiation and discuss the ways in which transcriptional direction is established as well as its functional implications.
Validation of Universal Controls Analysis Tool Six Degree of Freedom Kinematics

The NASA Launch Services Program’s Universal Controls Analysis Tool is used to analyze the flight performance of a series of specific launch vehicles. In order to demonstrate the modeling tool as a unique LSP capability, a series of non-proprietary, generic launch vehicles. The main block of the program is the Six Degrees of Freedom Kinematics block which has several coordinate frames any rocket can use. This paper describes the modeling approach of the Hydra 70 M151 warhead missile. This paper has a detailed overview of the Hydra missile, description of the Six-Degrees of Freedom Kinematics, test cases and results.
High Density Display and Recording of Pulse Activity

Entomologists are becoming increasingly involved in research on insect nerve and muscle physiology. Instrumentation can be almost prohibitively expensive, especially where analyses of large numbers of action potentials are required. A simple method, utilizing standard electrophysiological instrumentation, may be employed for recording and analysis of such data; e.g., changes in spontaneous firing rates of nerve and muscle in response to insecticides.
The Dimensions of Cancer Knowledge of Dental Students

IN A RECENT paper, Towner (4) has report ed upon the manner in which medical students at different stages in their formal training organize their knowledge of cancer on twelve parts of an objective achievement examination into a number of clearly discernible factors. In each of four analyses carried out with representative sam ples of students who were freshmen, sopho mores, juniors, and seniors in a majority of the medical schools of the United States, Towner found that between three and five interpretable factors appeared, the nature of each of which was thought to change to some extent with the amount of learning. Because of the importance of cancer knowledge in dental training, a simi lar test was administered during the sp ring se mester of 1955 to more than ten thousand dental students at thirty-seven dental schools through out the United States.
Establishment and characterization of a human myeloid cell line from Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloblastic leukemia arising in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome

A new hematopoietic cell line derived from a patient with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-negative myeloblastic leukemia arising from a form of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is described. This cell line, designated TMM, consists of immature cells with the morphological characteristics of young myeloblasts and grows in suspension culture with a doubling time of about 30 hours. By cytochemical analysis the cultured cells were positive for acid phosphatase. They were free of the Epstein-Barr virus-associated nuclear antigen as well as terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Further phenotypic analysis revealed the expression of the myelomonocytic-specific antigen Leu-M1 and receptors for the Fc portion of IgG. Partial differentiation of these cells could be induced by dimethyl sulfoxide, tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate, or hypoxanthine and resulted in cells of the myeloid series expressing lysozyme and receptors for the C3b complement protein. The karyotype was 46,XY, lacked the Ph1 chromosome, and displayed no abnormalities at the light microscopic level. No rearrangement of the bcr-c-abl gene complex was found. This cell line should be useful for studying an important type of the heterogeneous population constituting Ph1-negative myeloblastic leukemia, arising in this instance from MDS, as well as for studying differentiation and proliferation of human pluripotent stem cells.
Multimodal embryonic imaging using optical coherence tomography, selective plane illumination microscopy, and optical projection tomography

The murine model is commonly utilized for studying developmental diseases. Different optical techniques have been developed to image mouse embryos, but each has its own set of limitations and restrictions. In this study, we compare the performance of the well-established technique of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to the relatively new methods of selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) and optical projection tomography (OPT) to assess murine embryonic development. OCT can provide label free high resolution images of the mouse embryo, but suffers from light attenuation that limits visualization of deeper structures. SPIM is able to image shallow regions with great detail utilizing fluorescent contrast. OPT can provide superior imaging depth, and can also use fluorescence labels but, it requires samples to be fixed and cleared before imaging. OCT requires no modification of the embryo, and thus, can be used in vivo and in utero. In this study, we compare the efficacy of OCT, SPIM, and OPT for imaging murine embryonic development. The data demonstrate the superior capability of SPIM and OPT for imaging fine structures with high resolution while only OCT can provide structural and functional imaging of live embryos with micrometer scale resolution.
Rigorous Science: a How-To Guide

Proposals to improve the reproducibility of biomedical research have emphasized scientific rigor. Although the word "rigor" is widely used, there has been little specific discussion as to what it means and how it can be achieved. We suggest that scientific rigor combines elements of mathematics, logic, philosophy, and ethics. We propose a framework for rigor that includes redundant experimental design, sound statistical analysis, recognition of error, avoidance of logical fallacies, and intellectual honesty. These elements lead to five actionable recommendations for research education.
Experimental Performance Assessment of Nearly Full-Scale Reinforced Concrete Columns with Partially Debonded Longitudinal Reinforcement

AbstractThis paper presents an experimental study investigating the effect of partial debonding of longitudinal reinforcement at the location of the plastic hinge on the performance of reinforced c...
The Cost of Human Neglect

(1984). The Cost of Human Neglect. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 921-923.
Control of Reaction Kinetics During Friction Stir Processing

Friction stir processing (FSP) was used to successfully embed galfenol particles into aluminum (AA 1100 Al) matrix uniformly. However, intermetallic layer of Al3Fe was formed around the galfenol particles. Activation energy for Al3Fe formation during FSP was estimated, and attempts were made to minimize the Al3Fe layer thickness. By changing the processing conditions, FSP successfully eliminated the intermetallic layer. Hence, FSP, in addition to microstructural control, can successfully fabricate intermetallic-free embedded regions by controlling the reaction kinetics.
Remote Cost Estimation of Machined Parts

Abstract Cost estimation of machined parts is a curial activity in the business cycle of manufacturing finns. Cost estimation, similar to process planning, requires high level of manufacturing expertise, familiarity with the manufacturing resources and consumes considerable resources. The system presented in this paper perfonns cost estimation for manufacturing customers and design organizations that need the cost feedback. The communication among the various functions of the system relies on the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to this service.
Governed by Experience: Political Careers and Party Loyalty in the Senate

ABSTRACTIn this article, we study the U.S. Senate to understand how legislators' previous experiences in elected office influence their political behavior. We posit that, as a result of their experiences in office, former governors in the Senate are less partisan than their colleagues. We code the political jobs held by senators between 1983 and 2015 and analyze the effects of these careers on party loyalty in Senate floor votes. We find that gubernatorial service is associated with a 7–8% decrease in Party Unity. We test several hypotheses for the observed “governor effect” and find that, relative to their colleagues, former governors are supported by donor networks that are less ideologically extreme. We conclude that the unique experiences associated with serving as governor, along with the personalized nature of governors' electoral support coalitions, affect a senator's relationship with the party. Ultimately, our analysis illuminates how personal attributes, such as prior experience in elected offic...
Desmethyl Metabolites of Serotonergic Uptake Inhibitors Are More Potent for Suppressing Canine Cataplexy Than Their Parent Compounds

Our series of pharmacological studies on canine narcolepsy has suggested that the adrenergic systems are more critically involved in the regulation of cataplexy than the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems. This, however, is an apparent contradiction to data obtained in human patients, which show that chronic oral administration of serotonergic uptake inhibitors, such as clomipramine, zimelidine and fluoxetine, is effective in reducing cataplexy. To explore this discrepancy, we have assessed the anticataplectic effects of various serotonergic uptake inhibitors and their active desmethyl metabolites on canine cataplexy. We found that the anticataplectic effect of the desmethyl metabolites, which are usually more potent for in vitro adrenergic uptake inhibition, was more potent and developed more rapidly than the effect of the parent compounds. Furthermore, the anticataplectic potency was positively correlated to the adrenergic uptake inhibition and was negatively correlated with serotonergic uptake inhibition among the 10 compounds tested. These results are consistent with our hypothesis of a preferential involvement of the adrenergic system in the control of cataplexy. Our results also suggest that the anticataplectic effect of "selective" serotonergic uptake inhibitors in human narcolepsy might be mediated by their less selective active metabolites.
Assuring Chatbot Relevance at Syntactic Level

In this chapter we implement relevance mechanism based on similarity of parse trees for a number of chatbot components including search. We extend the mechanism of logical generalization towards syntactic parse trees and attempt to detect weak semantic signals from them. Generalization of syntactic parse tree as a syntactic similarity measure is defined as the set of maximum common sub-trees and performed at a level of paragraphs, sentences, phrases and individual words. We analyze semantic features of such similarity measure and compare it with semantics of traditional anti-unification of terms. Nearest neighbor machine learning is then applied to relate a sentence to a semantic class.
Predicting limits of detection in real-time sweat-based human performance monitoring

Air Force Research Laboratory [F A8650-13-2-731 1]; Defense and Security Research Institute through the Technology and Research Initiative FUND (TRIF) of Arizona
A Temporal Study of Cell Death Signaling Responses to Cold Atmospheric Plasma and Electroporation in Human Cancer Cells

As cancer continues to be one of the world’s leading killers, efforts to replace expensive and invasive therapies that cause harmful side effects led to the exploration of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and electroporation (EP) as efficient and selective treatments for the ablation of cancerous tissues. CAP acts by producing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species within irradiated cancer cells, initiating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway through oxidative stress. Another treatment that is also emerging is EP, which compromises plasma membrane stability, resulting in the transmembrane mass transfer or, in extreme electrical field exposure, cell death. The combination of these two methods has not been thoroughly investigated. Although the apoptotic pathway and its components’ responses to cold plasma have been previously explored, there is still a lack of knowledge in the mode of signal propagation and the timeframe in which affected cells begin to feel the plasma’s effects. It has been previously observed that the addition of EP to treatments augments the plasma effects, increasing cancer cell death events. This study tracked apoptotic events through time using flow cytometry and real-time fluorescent microscopy following cold plasma, EP, and a combined plasma/ EP treatment. Flow cytometry analysis of CAP and EP+CAP treated cells suggest that both treatments are effective at killing cancer cells within a short timeframe, with the combined treatment possessing higher killing potential. A 48-h time lapse of treated and untreated live cells reveals that the first 8 h after CAP treatment shows the highest rate of cell death, but the imaging performed on the EP+CAP treatment was largely inconclusive. These treatment methods represent promising emerging technologies in the ongoing battle against cancer but require further investigations.
An Approach to Analysis of Physiological Responses to Stimulus

Recent advances in wearable devices capable of measuring physiological signals such as Electrodermal Activity (EDA) support affective computing and related applications. We present an algorithm that uses EDA signals to detect highlights of a stimulus. To test the accuracy of our method, two different mediums, a scene from a movie, as our ground truth, and a scene from a video game, for testing the algorithm, were selected. We conducted a user study with 20 participants, analyzed the differences between mediums and validated the accuracy of our method for detecting the highlights of the stimulus using only EDA signals. Our approach uses commonalities among users based on their phasic responses for detecting highlights. The result of the study shows a F1 score of 0.93 and 0.89 for movie and video game respectively. We are in a process of conducting a user study with several sensory devices to explore combined physiological responses using IAPS data set as a stimulus.
AACR Cancer Progress Report 2019: Transforming Lives Through Innovative Cancer Science.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is proud to announce the release of the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2019 . This ninth edition of the annual report details how research discoveries are the backbone of progress across the spectrum of cancer care. The full report, and all eight
Sickle Cell Disease and Venous Thromboembolism: Hospital Mortality, Length of Stay and Cost

Abstract Introduction: It is estimated that there are 100,000 Americans living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Patients with SCD experience a number of complications that frequently require hospitalization. SCD is a prothrombotic state that is commonly complicated by venous thromboembolism (VTE) and recurrent VTE. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute do not include VTE as one of the complications of SCD in their latest guidelines, and the topics of prophylaxis and treatment of VTE in SCD are not discussed. There are no guidelines specifically designed for the prophylaxis or treatment of VTE in the SCD population, and traditionally management guidelines for VTE in the general population are followed. Recent information on national prevalence, mortality, length of stay, and cost for hospitalized patients with with SCD complicated by VTE is limited. Methods: We used data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 1999-2014 to examine these variables. The data on SCD from 1999-2014 was analyzed using ICD-9-CM codes for SCD (ICD-9-CM: 282.41, 282.42, 282.6, 282.60, 282.62, 282.63, 282.64, 282.68, 282.69) in the primary diagnosis field, and VTE (ICD-9-CM: 453.40, 453.41, 453.42, 453.82, 453.83, 415.11, 415.19) in the secondary diagnosis field which includes codes for venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Univariate and bivariate statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test. Multivariate analysis was performed using cox proportional hazard regression. The alpha was set at 0.05. Results: Over a 15 year period, from 1999-2014, a total of 217,791 (weighted N = 1,073,215) admissions with SCD were identified. A total of 7,898 admissions were associated with VTE. Mean age at admission of those with VTE was 27.42 (+/- 0.05) years and those without VTE was 34.00 (+/- 0.51) years. In patients with SCD and VTE, the average inpatient mortality was 3.08% (p Conclusions: Patients with SCD and VTE experience significant morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization and increased cost associated with this complication of the disease as was observed in this study. Furthermore, patients who experience VTE are significantly younger than those who do not, with mean age of 27 versus 34. After controlling for multiple confounders like age, race, sex, income, comorbidities, the presence of VTE is associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality in SCD. Currently, there are no prophylaxis or treatment guidelines designed specifically for patients with SCD and VTE. We recommend the use of antithrombotic prophylaxis or therapy in patients with SCD be evaluated in prospective studies. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Leg Joint Stiffness Affects Dynamics of Backward Falling From Standing Height: A Simulation Work.

Falling backward can lead to injuries including hip fracture, back injury, and traumatic brain impact among older adults. A loss of consciousness is associated with falling backward and accounts for about 13% of all falls among older adults. Little is known about the dynamics of backward falls, such as the falling duration, the impact severity, and how the fall dynamics are affected by the biomechanical properties of the lower limb joints, particularly the rotational stiffness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the stiffness of individual leg joints on the dynamics of backward falls after losing consciousness in terms of the falling duration and impact velocities. Based on a 15-segment human model, we simulated the process of falling backward by sweeping the parameter space of ankle, knee, and hip's stiffnesses varying from 0 to 8.73 N·m·deg-1 (or 500 N·m·rad-1). The results revealed that the falling duration and impact speeds of the head and hip ranged from 0.27 to 0.63 s, 2.65 to 7.88 m·s-1, and 0.35 to 3.36 m·s-1, respectively, when the stiffness of the leg joints changed within their limits. Overall, the influence of the joint stiffness on the falling dynamics (falling duration and impact speed) is comparable between hip and knee joints, whereas ankle stiffness showed little influence on the backward falling dynamics. Our findings could provide references for designing protective devices to prevent impact-induced injuries after a backward fall.
Electrochemiluminescence Mechanisms Investigated with Smartphone-Based Sensor Data Modeling, Parameter Estimation and Sensitivity Analysis

The present study introduces a unified framework combining a mechanistic model with a genetic algorithm (GA) for the parameter estimation of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) kinetics of the Ru(bpy)32+/TPrA system occurring in a smartphone-based sensor. The framework allows a straightforward solution for simultaneous estimation of multiple parameters which can be, otherwise, time-consuming and lead to non-convergence. Model parameters are estimated by achieving a high correlation between the model prediction and the measured ECL intensity from the ECL sensor. The developed model is used to perform a sensitivity analysis (SA), which provides quantitative effects of the model parameters on the concentrations of chemical species involved in the system. The results demonstrate that the GA-based parameter estimation and the SA approaches are effective in analyzing the kinetics of the ECL mechanism. Therefore, these approaches can be incorporated as analysis tools in the ECL kinetics study with practical application in the calibration of mechanistic models for any required sensing condition.
Rapid method for the determination and confirmation of fluoroquinolone residues in catfish using liquid chromatography/fluorescence detection and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A simplified method for the extraction and determination of four fluoroquinolone (FQ) residues (ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sarafloxacin, and difloxacin) in catfish is presented. In this method, the FQ residues were extracted with acidified acetonitrile, and the extract was defatted with dispersive C 18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent or hexane. A portion of the extract was evaporated and reconstituted in the mobile phase. The quantitative determination was accomplished with LC-fluorescence detection (FLD), and the confirmation was by LC-MS/MS. Fortifications of catfish tissue were carried out at 0.5x, x, 2x, and 4x, where x = 5 ppb (U.S. Food and Drug Administration current regulatory target level). Recoveries for the LC/FLD determination of five replicates (for both cleanup routes) at each level ranged from 64 to 98%, with RSD values <8%. The method quantitation limits for all residues were <1 ng/g. The LC-MS/MS analysis of the same extracts confirmed all FQ residues at all levels. This method is an improvement over existing methodologies since additional cleanup steps, such as cation exchange SPE column cleanup, are not utilized. The C 18 dispersive SPE method represents a novel cleanup approach for FQs in fish tissue.
The Szegö kernel on a class of non-compact CR manifolds of high codimension

We generalize Nagel’s formula for the Szego kernel and use it to compute the Szego kernel on a class of non-compact CR manifolds whose tangent space decomposes into one complex direction and several totally real directions. We also discuss the control metric on these manifolds and relate it to the size of the Szego kernel.
Early return to continence and potency with use of dehydrated human umbilical cord graft at the time of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: A case study and analysis of relevant literature.

Introduction Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy often causes damage to the neurovascular bundle which results in erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Recovery may take months; however, dehydrated umbilical cord allografts appear to offer an advantage in terms of a faster return to continence and potency. Case presentation A 67-year-old male, who presented with intermediate-risk prostate cancer, underwent a bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy and placement of dehydrated human umbilical cord graft. Four weeks post-prostatectomy, the patient reported minimal stress urinary incontinence and erections with 75% rigidity. Three months post-prostatectomy, the patient noted improved continence and erections with 100% rigidity. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the second experience reported in the literature evaluating the use of umbilical cord allograft during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, with promising results, and it is the first reported case to analyze potency as an outcome.