cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modelling the dimensionality effects on brand placement effectiveness in stereoscopic 3-D versus 2-D sports games

ABSTRACTThis current study explores how stereoscopic three-dimensional (3-D) dimensionality affects the process by which viewers’ memory of brand names embedded in a soccer game is formed compared to the memory process in traditional 2-D display. To this end, we conduct two studies: a qualitative observation using an eye tracker; and an experiment to identify the difference and similarity of the viewing process across these two display technologies. Statistical test results reveal that sports involvement enhances viewers’ attention to a sports game, which is moderated by game enjoyment and negative viewing experience generated from the media features. Most importantly, it is found that as viewers pay more attention to a sports game in stereoscopic 3-D display, they are less likely to remember the brands embedded in the stadium, while the opposite is found in 2-D display. More findings and implications are discussed in the discussion section.
Grasping with Your Brain: A Brain-Computer Interface for Fast Grasp Selection

Brain-Computer Interfaces are promising technologies that can improve Human-Robot Interaction, especially for disabled and impaired individuals. Non-invasive BCI’s, which are very desirable from a medical and therapeutic perspective, are only able to deliver noisy, low-bandwidth signals, making their use in complex tasks difficult. To this end, we present a shared control online grasp planning framework using an advanced EEG-based interface. Unlike commonly used paradigms, the EEG interface we incorporate allows online generation of a flexible number of options. This online planning framework allows the user to direct the planner towards grasps that reflect their intent for using the grasped object by successively selecting grasps that approach the desired approach direction of the hand. The planner divides the grasping task into phases, and generates images that reflect the choices that the planner can make at each phase. The EEG interface is used to recognize the user’s preference among a set of options presented by the planner. The EEG signal classifier is fast and simple to train, and the system as a whole requires almost no learning on the part of the subject. Three subjects were able to successfully use the system to grasp and pick up a number of objects in a cluttered scene.
Recent Changes in U.S. Regional Heat Wave Characteristics in Observations and Reanalyses

AbstractHumidity is a key determinant of heat wave impacts, but studies investigating changes in extreme heat events have not differentiated between events characterized by high temperatures and those characterized by simultaneously elevated temperature and humidity. The authors present a framework, using air temperature (T) and equivalent temperature (TE; a measure combining temperature and specific humidity), to examine changes in local percentile-based extreme heat events characterized by high temperature (T only) and those with high temperature and humidity (T-and-TE events). Application to one observational dataset (PRISM), four reanalysis products (1981–2015), and seven U.S. regions reveals widespread changes in heat wave characteristics over the 35-yr period. Agreement among the datasets employed on several heat wave metrics suggests that many of the findings are robust. With the exception of the northern plains region, all regions experienced increases in both T-only and T-and-TE heat wave day (HW...
Observational Learning in Large-Scale Congested Service Systems

We study the impact of observational learning in large scale congested service systems with servers having heterogenous quality levels and customers that are heterogonously informed about the server quality. Providing congestion information to all customers allows them to avoid congested servers, but, also implies that less informed customers learn about the quality from observing the choices of other customers. Due to an exponentially growing state space in the number of servers, identifying Bayesian equilibria is intractable with a large, discrete number of servers. In this paper, we develop a tractable model with a continuum of servers. We find that the impact of observational learning on the customers' choice behavior may lead to severe "imbalance" of server load in the system, such that a decentralized system significantly under-performs in terms of the social welfare, compared with a centralized system. The decentralized system performs well only when (a) either the congestion costs are high and there are sufficient informed customers, or (b) when the congestion costs are medium or low and the aggregate capacity of high-quality servers matches the aggregate demand of informed customers. We also find situations in which making more customers informed about service quality leads to a decrease in social welfare. Our paper highlights the tension between observational learning and social welfare maximization and thus observational learning in large-scale service systems might require intervention of the platform manager.
Intersectional motherhood: investigating public support for child care subsidies*

Past research shows that beneficiary characteristics shape public support for social welfare programs. Intergroup attitudes and stereotypes can determine whether a group is seen as deserving of aid...
Targeting habits in anorexia nervosa: A proof-of-concept randomized trial

BackgroundHabits are behavioral routines that are automatic and frequent, relatively independent of any desired outcome, and have potent antecedent cues. Among individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), behaviors that promote the starved state appear habitual, and this is the foundation of a recent neurobiological model of AN. In this proof-of-concept study, we tested the habit model of AN by examining the impact of an intervention focused on antecedent cues for eating disorder routines.MethodsThe primary intervention target was habit strength; we also measured clinical impact via eating disorder psychopathology and actual eating. Twenty-two hospitalized patients with AN were randomly assigned to 12 sessions of either Supportive Psychotherapy or a behavioral intervention aimed at cues for maladaptive behavioral routines, Regulating Emotions and Changing Habits (REaCH).ResultsCovarying for baseline, REaCH was associated with a significantly lower Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) score and significantly lower Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) global score at the end-of-treatment. The end-of-treatment effect size for SRHI was d = 1.28, for EDE-Q was d = 0.81, and for caloric intake was d = 1.16.ConclusionsREaCH changed habit strength of maladaptive routines more than an active control therapy, and targeting habit strength yielded improvement in clinically meaningful measures. These findings support a habit-based model of AN, and suggest habit strength as a mechanism-based target for intervention.
Arqueologías de la mobilidad: cruzando los límites espaciales y temporales

En este articulo se delinea la historia de los enfoques arqueologicos sobre el movimiento y la movilidad y se discute la reciente aparicion de un “nuevo paradigma de movilidades” en muchas disciplinas, incluyendo la arqueologia, en el que los temas mas frecuentemente explorados se centran en torno a redes, flujos, tierra natal, globalizacion, migracion, colonialismo y colonizacion, arqueologia multi-local, transiciones y transformaciones, y affordances de lugar y espacio. Los autores respaldan un enfoque basado en la trayectoria del movimiento que se centra en las relaciones fluidas entre personas, objetos, tiempo y espacio y proporcionan una vision general de la literatura reciente sobre estudios de casos en arqueologias de la movilidad.
The Association between Adolescent's Weight Perception and Health Behaviors: Analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data, 2011-2014.

The association between adolescents’ weight perception and their physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors remains unclear. Therefore, these associations were explored using data from 2438 adolescents aged 12–19 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination 2011–2014 Survey. Respondents reported weight perception, and their weight perception accuracy was determined by examining whether the measured weight and perceived weight were concordant. Respondents also reported sedentary time (sitting time and screen time), PA, and intention to lose weight. Linear and logistic regression models were conducted to determine whether adolescents’ PA, sedentary behaviors, and weight loss intention differed by weight perception and weight perception accuracy adjusted for demographic variables accounting for complex sampling. About one-quarter (21.4%) of the respondents had obesity. For respondents who perceived themselves as being overweight/fat, despite greater weight loss intention, males reported more sitting time (512.7 ± 16.3 versus 474.1 ± 10.2 minutes/day, ) and females reported less PA (48.7 ± 5.0 versus 64.6 ± 3.3 minutes/day, ) than respondents who perceived themselves as being normal weight. Similar patterns were observed for weight perception accuracy among individuals with obesity. Study results show that perceiving oneself as being overweight/fat regardless of accuracy was associated with more sedentary time for males or less PA for females despite higher weight loss intention.
Poverty, Work, and Mental Health: The Experience of Low-Income Mothers 1

This paper examines the relationship between work and well-being for low-income mothers with young children. For these women, paid work can be a means of raising income and reducing the severity of poverty, yet it is likely to offer low wages, few benefits, and few opportunities for advancement while reducing considerably the time and energy needed to perform the tasks associated with motherhood. Because of the stresses of poverty and the responsibility for young children, low- income mothers are a high-risk group for such mental health problems as depression.2 An important consideration of this study is to determine whether work is a protective factor for these women or simply an additional stress.
The impact of reimbursement changes on doctors' office testing.

Most of the recent changes that have revolutionized the way health care is financed include powerful pecuniary incentives to move care out of the hospital and into such outpatient settings as doctors’ offices. However, many of these changes also include aggressive utilization reviews with stiff penalties for noncompliance. Thus, although doctors’ office testing will continue to expand, this growth may bring more external oversight into doctors’ offices.
Intimations of the Gap

Once I overheard a conversation in a local biker-bar between several of the regulars and a biker-sociologist, or better, a sociologist cum biker. The question was whether, in point of fact (a locution gleaned from PBS docudramas), the scientist refers to the same reality of the social world that appears to your average biker, or your average anyone else, or whether there is more than one reality and if so, whether they are coinciding or separated by a gap and unrelated to each other, or even whether one is an appearance of the other. It was clear that by “average” was understood anyone who had the good fortune not to have a Phd in one or another of the social or natural sciences. The question, moreover, was posed in such a way that, as is generally the case in biker-bars, a yes or no answer was required (the ultimate fate of the Scholastic sic et non). Because there seemed to be neither a yes or a no, the issue was settled in the only way fashionable in a dehumanized, industrialized community: tire irons and chains. Social reality, as it appears to your average biker, prevailed, and the bikersociologist was carried off in a squishing plastic sack to the dumpster across the street.
Ultrasensitive Protein Detection and Imaging: Comparison of Lumitein™, ProteoSilver™, SYPRO ® Ruby, and Coomassie ® Brilliant Blue Gel Stains

Following sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, proteins can be visualized by various methods of detection and imaging. Traditional methods of protein gel detection and imaging have been improved and expanded through technological advancement. Today, the detection of proteins, resolved on gels, can be accomplished with a variety of stains with various sensitivities. Digital cameras used in the imaging of protein gels are not only more sensitive than their film precursors, but they can be used in combination with imaging software that offers a host of useful applications. Here we describe the UVP BioImaging System in combination with LabWorks Image and Acquisition software to provide a comparison of four different protein gel stains: Lumitein™, ProteoSilver™, SYPRO(®) Ruby, and Coomassie(®) Brilliant Blue. We demonstrate that the detection sensitivity limit appears to be between 100 and 500 ng/protein band of protein with Coomassie(®) Brilliant Blue, 10-50 ng/protein band with Lumitein™ and SYPRO(®) Ruby, and as little as 5 ng/protein band with the ProteoSilver™ stain.
Emission Conscious Scheduling of Crude Unloading, Transferring, and Processing for Petroleum Refineries

Abstract Emission reduction becomes increasingly important for petroleum refineries nowadays as more environmental concerns and stringent regulations have been posted. Cost-effective solution strategies require emission reductions to be addressed from the entire plant point of view, where emission source generation and utilization should be well balanced. In this paper, a new methodology framework and a general plant-wide scheduling model have been developed for emission-conscious crude unloading, transferring, and processing (ECUTP) operations, which couple generic production activities and characterizations of major air emissions from refineries, such as CO2, VOCs, NOX, and PM. The efficacy of the proposed ECUTP scheduling model has been demonstrated by a large-scale case study.
Expanding Brain–Computer Interfaces for Controlling Epilepsy Networks: Novel Thalamic Responsive Neurostimulation in Refractory Epilepsy

Seizures have traditionally been considered hypersynchronous excitatory events and epilepsy has been separated into focal and generalized epilepsy based largely on the spatial distribution of brain regions involved at seizure onset. Epilepsy, however, is increasingly recognized as a complex network disorder that may be distributed and dynamic. Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) is a recent technology that utilizes intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) to detect seizures and delivers stimulation to cortical and subcortical brain structures for seizure control. RNS has particular significance in the clinical treatment of medically refractory epilepsy and brain-computer interfaces in epilepsy. Closed loop RNS represents an important step forward to understand and target nodes in the seizure network. The thalamus is a central network node within several functional networks and regulates input to the cortex; clinically, several thalamic nuclei are safe and feasible targets. We highlight the network theory of epilepsy, potential targets for neuromodulation in epilepsy and the first reported use of RNS as a first generation brain-computer interface to detect and stimulate the centromedian intralaminar thalamic nucleus in a patient with bilateral cortical onset of seizures. We propose that advances in network analysis and neuromodulatory techniques using brain-computer interfaces will significantly improve outcomes in patients with epilepsy. There are numerous avenues of future direction in brain-computer interface devices including multi-modal sensors, flexible electrode arrays, multi-site targeting, and wireless communication.
Changes in Abundance of Eight Sagebrush-Steppe Bunchgrass Species 13 Yr After Coplanting

Abstract Stable bunchgrass populations are essential to resilience and restoration of sagebrush steppe rangelands, yet few studies have assessed long-term variation in plant abundance from a known starting point. We capitalized on a previous paddock study by reestablishing in 2011 nine replicate blocks consisting of 29 × 29 grid of cells, each planted in 1998 with a single individual of one of eight sagebrush steppe bunchgrasses, including the widely planted exotic, crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum). Plant species and numbers were determined in 2011 for each cell, which were classified as holds or cedes, with ceded cells used to determine species-specific gains. We hypothesized the competitive crested wheatgrass would proportionally occur more in gained cells compared with native grasses. While crested wheatgrass did proportionally hold and gain the greatest number of cells, the relative number of plants within holds and gains was constant across all species, with most plants (80 − 87%) occurring outside cells originally planted with them. Crested wheatgrass had greater proportions of holds and gains where it was the only species within the cell and showed even presence across all cells planted with other grass species in 1998. Native grasses were underrepresented in 1998 crested wheatgrass cells and sometimes overrepresented in other native species cells. The ratio of total crested wheatgrass to native bunchgrass plants followed a sigmoidal step increase with increasing crested wheatgrass density. These results show population changes in sagebrush steppe bunchgrasses are determined by seed production and emergent seedling survival, both of which are stronger in the exotic bunchgrass. This study also showed that native grasses can maintain presence via seed in areas depending on crested wheatgrass density. This information could help shape management strategies capitalizing on the utility of crested wheatgrass and sustaining desirable levels of native grass productivity and diversity.
Occupational Therapy in Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Energy Conservation and Work Simplification Techniques

Comprehensive rehabilitation of the pulmonary patient requires the consideration of functional capacity and daily life activities. Occupational therapists are vital members of the rehabilitation team who help patients to strive toward the goal of functional independence. Interventions include breathing retraining, increased patient awareness, activity modifications, patient compensation, self-care training, and stress management. This article focuses on the theory, goals, evaluation, and treatment aspects of occupational therapy in pulmonary rehabilitation. A case study is included.
Coupled oxidation resistance and thermal stability in sputter deposited nanograined alloys

Abstract The oxidation behavior of nanograined and coarse-grained alloys may differ significantly. This empirical observation has been justified on the basis of accelerated grain boundary diffusion. However, thermal destabilization of nanograined microstructures studied in model sputter deposited NiCrAl alloys progresses concurrently with the onset of oxidation. This phenomenon makes it challenging to pinpoint the specific contribution of the original grain boundary network. In this study, dilute additions of Y are used to delay the onset of microstructural evolution at elevated temperatures through nanocluster formation and grain boundary pinning. The enhanced microstructural stability resulted in measurably different oxide morphologies during the transient stages of oxidation and slower oxidation rates overall. This coupling between the earliest stages of oxidation and microstructural evolution are directly manipulated to study fundamental oxidation processes in sputtered NiCrAl. Insights gained from this study may ultimately be used to develop novel strategies for improved oxidation resistance in structural alloys.
Backlash on the Border: Conservatism and the Rise of the New Economy in the San Diego–Tijuana Corridor:

The cities of San Diego and Tijuana have long been economically interdependent. Today, each represents the bifurcated character of the new economy wherein low wage labor in Mexico is used to underw...
A randomization-based perspective on analysis of variance: a test statistic robust to treatment effect heterogeneity

Summary Fisher randomization tests for Neyman’s null hypothesis of no average treatment effect are considered in a finite-population setting associated with completely randomized experiments involving more than two treatments. The consequences of using the $F$ statistic to conduct such a test are examined, and we argue that under treatment effect heterogeneity, use of the $F$ statistic in the Fisher randomization test can severely inflate the Type I error under Neyman’s null hypothesis. We propose to use an alternative test statistic, derive its asymptotic distributions under Fisher’s and Neyman’s null hypotheses, and demonstrate its advantages through simulations.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Dental Students Seek Academically Productive Mentors.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether a strong statistical correlation exists between the involvement of trainee groups and the academic productivity of the senior author. Materials and Methods A retrospective cohort study of publications in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from 2002 to 2016 was designed and implemented. The primary predictor variables were the presence of a trainee (dental student or oral and maxillofacial surgery [OMS] resident), year of publication, and study design and topic. The outcome variable was the Hirsch index (h-index) of the senior author. Author affiliations were queried using ScienceDirect, and the Scopus database was used to identify the h-index of the senior author from each publication spanning the previous 15 years. Descriptive statistics and t tests were performed to determine significance. Results Of the 6,398 articles published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from January 2002 to December 2016, 1,341 (21.0%) met the inclusion criteria. The mean h-index of senior authors of articles with trainees or OMS residents was not significantly different from the mean h-index of senior authors without trainees (P = .50) or OMS residents (P = .37), whereas the mean h-index of senior authors working with dental students was significantly greater than the h-index of those not working with dental students (P Conclusions Dental students seek more academically productive mentors to a greater degree. More studies should be conducted to elucidate the attributes of the ideal mentor in academic OMS and to determine whether differences in mentorship exist between domestic and foreign OMS programs.
Advances in Financial Machine Learning: Lecture 6/10 (seminar slides)

Machine learning (ML) is changing virtually every aspect of our lives. Today ML algorithms accomplish tasks that until recently only expert humans could perform. As it relates to finance, this is the most exciting time to adopt a disruptive technology that will transform how everyone invests for generations. In this course, we discuss scientifically sound ML tools that have been successfully applied to the management of large pools of funds.
Normal anterior-posterior diameters of the spinal cord and spinal canal in healthy term newborns on sonography

There are no published normal values for spinal cord and canal diameters in newborns. Spinal cord and spinal canal diameters are assessed subjectively by radiologists without any objective values for the upper limit of normal. To determine normal values for anteroposterior (AP) diameters of the spinal cord and spinal canal on sonography in healthy term newborns. We performed ultrasound of the entire spine on 37 healthy newborns (23 male, 14 female). The AP diameters of the spinal canal and spinal cord were measured at representative levels of the cervical (C4, C5, C6), thoracic (T5, T6, T7, T8) and lumbar spine (lumbar enlargement and above and below the lumbar enlargement level). Statistical analysis was performed to determine the mean and standard deviation of the spinal canal and spinal cord AP diameter at each aforementioned vertebral level, and their correlations with birth weight, length and head circumference. The mean AP spinal cord diameter was 4.1±0.5 mm at the cervical level, 3.3±0.3 mm at the thoracic level and 4.4±0.6 mm at the lumbar level. The mean AP spinal canal diameter was 7.7±0.7 mm at the cervical level, 6.2±0.8 mm at the thoracic level, and 8.4±0.7 mm at the lumbar level. In this prospective study, we have determined normal values for AP diameters of the spinal cord and spinal canal on sonography in healthy newborns at representative cervical, thoracic and lumbar levels. This data may assist in evaluating the neonatal spine in clinical situations such as suspected spinal cord injury.
Microrheology reveals simultaneous cell-mediated matrix stiffening and fluidization that underlie breast cancer invasion

Living tissues embody a unique class of hybrid materials in which active and thermal forces are inextricably linked. Mechanical characterization of tissues demands descriptors that respect this hybrid nature. In this work, we develop a microrheology-based force spectrum analysis (FSA) technique to dissect the active and passive fluctuations of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models. In two different stromal models and a 3D breast cancer spheroid model, our FSA reveals emergent hybrid dynamics that involve both high-frequency stress stiffening and low-frequency fluidization of the ECM. We show that this is a general consequence of nonlinear coupling between active forces and the frequency-dependent viscoelasticity of stress-stiffening networks. In 3D breast cancer spheroids, this dual active stiffening and fluidization is tightly connected with invasion. Our results suggest a mechanism whereby breast cancer cells reconcile the seemingly contradictory requirements for both tension and malleability in the ECM during invasion.
Quantification of the mesh structure of bundled actin filaments

Biopolymer networks are essential for a wide variety of cellular functions. The biopolymer actin is known to self-assemble into a variety of spatial structures in response to physiological and physical mechanisms. So far, the mechanics of networks of single actin filaments and bundles has previously been described. However, the spatial structure of actin bundles remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate this question by bundling actin filaments with systematically varied concentrations of known physical bundling agents (MgCl2 and PEG) and physiological bundling agents (α-actinin and fascin). We image bundled actin networks with confocal microscopy and perform analysis to describe their mesh size and the nearest-distance distribution, which we call “mesh structure”. We find that the mesh size ξ scales universally with actin concentration as ξ ∼ [actin]−1/2. However, the dependence of ξ on the concentration of the bundling agent depends on the agent used. Finally, we find that nearest-distance distributions are best fit by Weibull and Gamma distributions. A complete understanding of the mesh structure of biopolymer networks leads to a more mechanistic understanding of the structure of the cytoskeleton, and can be exploited to design filters with variable porosity for microfluidic devices.
Beyond burnout: Understanding the well-being gender gap in general surgery by examining professional fulfillment and control over schedule.

Abstract Background Prior research has revealed a gender gap in physician burnout. Our study attempts to elucidate the cause for the differences in burnout among male and female general surgeons (GS). Methods The study is based on a sample of 431 GS from 11 healthcare organizations participating in the Physician Wellness Academic Consortium. Results Female (N = 154) and male (N = 277) GS significantly differed in burnout (46% vs 33%, p = 0.008) and professional fulfillment (PF), (37% vs 56% p Conclusions This study demonstrates that the observed differences in burnout between female and male GS are due to their differences in PF and COS. Longitudinal research is needed to determine whether interventions targeting PF and COS may mitigate burnout among female GS.
A DC Solid-State Circuit Breaker Based on Transient Current Commutation

This paper proposes a new dc solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) based on silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. There are two main contributions. First, a transient current commutation (TCC) is obtained in the main switch during current interruption. To achieve this, a compact and fast active injection circuit (AIC) is employed. TCC brings two main benefits: 1) it eliminates the effects of parasitic inductances in circuit connections and removes voltage oscillations on the gate of the main switch, which prevents spurious turn-on; 2) it eliminates the transient power shock on the switch during turn-off, which extends the life-time of SSCB and increases its reliability. Second, the voltage on the employed metal oxide varistor (MOV) is reduced to zero during the off-state. This extends the maximum allowable dc bus voltage on the SSCB and solves the MOV reliability issue in the SSCBs. The presented SSCB employs a time-sequence control and needs no real-time detections of the dc current, which simplify the design. LTspice simulations of 380 V/80 A and 600 V/80 A are presented, and the results are compared with MOV based SSCBs and MOV resistor-capacitor-diode (MOV-RCD) based SSCBs. Also, experiments of a 380 V/80 A prototype validate the effectiveness of the proposed SSCB in practice where the voltage on the SSCB is clamped to 721 V with a fixed response time of 9.4 μs.
God et al.— World-Making as Collaborative Improvisation: New Metaphors for Open Theists

The Abrahamic traditions regard God as the world’s author. But what kind of author? A novelist? A playwright? Perhaps a composer of classical music? I will argue that it is best to regard God as like an improvisational play director or the leader of a jazz ensemble. Each determines the broad melodic contours or coarse-grained plot beforehand, while allowing their musicians or actors, and chance, to fill in the more fine-grained details. This analogy allows us to regard God as the ultimate author of this world, while allowing us to be, while less than co-authors, more than mere enactors of a pre-written piece. These metaphors are particularly well-suited to illustrate and flesh out an Open Theistic view of things.
Who's to Blame for Law Reviews

I cannot say that I am beyond complaining about law review editors. Frequently, for example, I bemoan the drift from cite and substance editing to word editing. No longer can we trust the editors to pore over the sources, searching for minute inaccuracies, detecting mischaracterizations, and discovering the misquoted word or the omitted italics. A cite and substance edit subjects the writer to certain pressure. Yet, however difficult it is to hear that your citation does not really mean what you had used it to mean, you need to hear it. Today’s law review editor will most likely linger over word choices and sentence structures. The stress generated here is usually unnecessary.
Combined Controllers that Follow Imperfect Input Motions for Humanoid Robots

Humanoid robots have the potential to become a part of everyday life as their hardware and software challenges are being solved. In this paper we present a system that gets as input a motion trajectory in the form of motion capture data, and produces a controller that controls a humanoid robot in real-time to achieve a motion trajectory that is similar to the input motion data. The controller expects the input motion data not to be dynamically feasible for the robot and employs a combined controller with corrective components to keep the robot balanced while following the motion. Since the system can run in real-time, it can be thought of a candidate for teleoperation of humanoid robots using motion capture hardware. Type of Report: Other Department of Computer Science & Engineering Washington University in St. Louis Campus Box 1045 St. Louis, MO 63130 ph: (314) 935-6160 Combined Controllers that Follow Imperfect Input Motions for Humanoid Robots Gazihan Alankus, O. Burchan Bayazit Washington University in St. Louis {gazihan, bayazit}@cse.wustl.edu Abstract— Humanoid robots have the potential to become a part of everyday life as their hardware and software challenges are being solved. In this paper we present a system that gets as input a motion trajectory in the form of motion capture data, and produces a controller that controls a humanoid robot in real-time to achieve a motion trajectory that is similar to the input motion data. The controller expects the input motion data not to be dynamically feasible for the robot and employs a combined controller with corrective components to keep the robot balanced while following the motion. Since the system can run in real-time, it can be thought of a candidate for teleoperation of humanoid robots using motion capture hardware. Humanoid robots have the potential to become a part of everyday life as their hardware and software challenges are being solved. In this paper we present a system that gets as input a motion trajectory in the form of motion capture data, and produces a controller that controls a humanoid robot in real-time to achieve a motion trajectory that is similar to the input motion data. The controller expects the input motion data not to be dynamically feasible for the robot and employs a combined controller with corrective components to keep the robot balanced while following the motion. Since the system can run in real-time, it can be thought of a candidate for teleoperation of humanoid robots using motion capture hardware.
Drinking Water Quality for the 21st Century — New Technologies for a New Era

The World Health Organization (WHO) ominously suggests that at current growth by the year 2025 the predicted world’s population of nearly 9 billion people would exceed the planet’s supply of drinking water. Conservation, watershed protection, and reclamation will become essential components of water management in our new millenium in order to meet the increased demand. Nevertheless, as our environment breeds more pathogenic organisms, there will be a wider disparity in the distribution of water resources as those countries with the technologies to battle the new threats to our water supply may be able to stem this shortfall. There are, however, approaches that can be taken now to ensure continued supplies of safe drinking water. The new technologies that are available to manage the quality of our water supplies are discussed in this chapter, and it is envisioned that some of these have the potential for global deployment that as part of a worldwide population stabilization progam will suceed in ensuring the presence of drinking water for centuries to come.
Proposal to Misty

of the victims of traffic accidents today. I think they threw their spears with an utter sense of loss, as if they, their weapons, and the enormous animals they pursued were all going to disappear. As we can see, they were right. And they were us. That's what makes it hard for me now to choose one thing over all the others; and yet surrounded by the aroma of this Mexican baking and flowery incense with the kitchen as yellow as the middle of the sun, telling your usually smart-mouthed urchin child about the early inhabitants of this continent who are dead, I figure I '11 marry myself to you and take my chances, stepping onto the rock which is a whale, the ship which is about to set sail and sink
The Surprise Element: How Allaying Parents' Misconceptions Improves a Teacher's Communicative Process.

Challenged by parents' misconceptions about the role of cooperative learning activities in developing their gifted children, a teacher began to mentor the parents. The act of mentoring those parents resulted in the teacher's longer-term professional development: specifically, creating a process of seeking structured feedback from parents and following up through iterative cycles of reflection, appraisal, and revision. Many teachers can identify a critical learning juncture that has had a notable influence on their learning and professional growth. Often, teachers locate such epiphanies within everyday teaching practices, advanced studies, or opportunities for professional development (Clarke and Hollingsworth 1994, 2002). The author, an elementary schoolteacher faced with parental opposition to using cooperative learning (CL) and group work in her classroom, set out to clarify parents' assumptions by designing opportunities to uncover and untangle their beliefs. Surprisingly, as a result of responding to the above challenge and achieving success in her initially established goals, the teacher experienced a transformative growth in her processes of communicating with parents. Disciplines Educational Methods This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/vpul_papers/1 The Surprise Element How Allaying Parents' Misconceptions Improves a Teacher's Communicative Process 5
Electron Microscopy of the Altered Spore Morphology of a Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Mutant of Bacillus subtilis

Electron microscopy was used to analyze sporulating cells and spores of Bacillus subtilis mutants (Rif r ) which are resistant to rifampin, an inhibitor of ribonucleic acid polymerase. The spores of Rif-18 are pleomorphic and frequently exhibit terminal knobs. These knobs first occur during late stage IV and early stage V of sporulation and are extensions of the inner and outer spore coats. Since the rifampin resistance and altered spore morphology of Rif-18 are 100% cotransformable, these data suggest that the altered spore morphology is the result of an alteration in ribonucleic acid polymerase genes. The morphology and physical dimensions are also reported for spores from Rif-11, Rif-15, and Rif-21. Significant differences in size from the wild type were observed for these mutants. Images
Classical and minimal models of the moduli space of curves of genus two

We discuss the log minimal model program as applied to the moduli space of curves, especially in the case of curves of genus two. Log canonical models for these moduli spaces can often be constructed using the techniques of Geometric Invariant Theory. In genus two, this boils down to the invariant theory of binary sextics, which was developed systematically in the 19th century.
The role of cerebellar circuitry alterations in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders

The cerebellum has been repeatedly implicated in gene expression, rodent model and post-mortem studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). How cellular and molecular anomalies of the cerebellum relate to clinical manifestations of ASD remains unclear. Separate circuits of the cerebellum control different sensorimotor behaviors, such as maintaining balance, walking, making eye movements, reaching and grasping. Each of these behaviors has been found to be impaired in ASD, suggesting that multiple distinct circuits of the cerebellum may be involved in the pathogenesis of patients’ sensorimotor impairments. We will review evidence that the development of these circuits is disrupted in individuals with ASD and that their study may help elucidate the pathophysiology of sensorimotor deficits and core symptoms of the disorder. Preclinical studies of monogenetic conditions associated with ASD also have identified selective defects of the cerebellum and documented behavioral rescues when the cerebellum is targeted. Based on these findings, we propose that cerebellar circuits may prove to be promising targets for therapeutic development aimed at rescuing sensorimotor and other clinical symptoms of different forms of ASD.
Design across length scales: a reduced-order model of polycrystal plasticity for the control of microstructure-sensitive material properties

Development of techniques for the control of material properties of polycrystal materials that are inherently dependent on preferred orientations (texture) is addressed. To account for the infinite degrees of freedom of microstructural features, a model reduction on the micro-scale is introduced. Reduced-order models are developed to model the evolution of microstructure described by an orientation distribution function using a finite element discretization of the orientation space. This reduced-order modeling approach is based on the technique of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and the method of snapshots. Furthermore, novel design problems are introduced for the control of microstructure based on realistic polycrystalline plasticity. Specifically, a gradient based optimization framework is introduced using a multi-length scale continuum sensitivity method (CSM). The model reduction is extended to the sensitivity analysis and is a key element for the success of computational design of deformation processes. Numerical examples that highlight the benefits of the continuum sensitivity method and model reduction are presented. In addition, the potential of the presented techniques towards process design for obtaining desired material properties is demonstrated with the control at a material point of the elastic modulus in fcc copper. A desired distribution of the elastic modulus is achieved through an optimal selection of the velocity gradient.
Role of Nucleoid-Associated Proteins Hha and H-NS in Expression of Salmonella enterica Activators HilD, HilC, and RtsA Required for Cell Invasion

The coordinate expression of Salmonella enterica invasion genes on Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 is under the control of the complex circuits of regulation that involve the AraC/XylS family transcriptional activators HilD, HilC, and RtsA and nucleoid-associated proteins. Single-copy transcription fusions were used to assess the effects of nucleoid-associated proteins Hha and H-NS on hilD, hilC, and rtsA expression. The data show that all three genes, hilD, hilC, and rtsA, were repressed by H-NS and/or Hha. The repression of rtsA was the highest among tested genes. The level of rtsA-lac was equally elevated in hns and hha mutants and was further enhanced in the hns hha double mutant under low-osmolarity conditions. Electrophoretic mobility shift experiments showed that H-NS and Hha directly bind to the rtsA promoter. In addition to the negative control that was exerted by H-NS/Hha under low-osmolarity conditions, the homologous virulence activators HilD, HilC, and RtsA (Hil activators) induced rtsA-lac expression in a high-salt medium. A DNase footprinting assay of the rtsA promoter revealed one common DNA-binding site for all three Hil activators centered at position -54 relative to the transcriptional start site. In the absence of Hha and H-NS, however, osmoregulation of the rtsA promoter was lost, and Hil activators were not required for rtsA transcription. These results taken together suggest that the HilD, HilC, and RtsA proteins induce the transcription of the rtsA promoter by counteracting H-NS/Hha-mediated repression.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF A SOLOMONS-JAPANESE JOINT VENTURE

Comment l'industrialisation influence-t-elle les systemes sociaux indigenes? Exemple d'une compagnie de peche industrielle et de l'accord commercial passe entre le Japon et les Iles Salomon
Enzymatic defect in "X-linked" sideroblastic anemia: molecular evidence for erythroid delta-aminolevulinate synthase deficiency.

Abstract Recently, the human gene encoding erythroid-specific delta-aminolevulinate synthase was localized to the chromosomal region Xp21-Xq21, identifying this gene as the logical candidate for the enzymatic defect causing "X-linked" sideroblastic anemia. To investigate this hypothesis, the 11 exonic coding regions of the delta-aminolevulinate synthase gene were amplified and sequenced from a 30-year-old Chinese male with a pyridoxine-responsive form of X-linked sideroblastic anemia. A single T----A transition was found in codon 471 in a highly conserved region of exon 9, resulting in an Ile----Asn substitution. This mutation interrupted contiguous hydrophobic residues and was predicted to transform a region of beta-sheet structure to a random-coil structure. Prokaryotic expression of the normal and mutant cDNAs revealed that the mutant construct expressed low levels of enzymatic activity that required higher concentrations of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate to achieve maximal activation than did the normal enzyme. The amino acid substitution occurred in the exon containing the putative pyridoxal 5'-phosphate binding site and may account for the reduced ability of the cofactor to catalyze the formation of delta-aminolevulinic acid.
UPWARD MOVEMENT OF PLUTONIUM TO SURFACE SEDIMENTS DURING AN 11-YEAR FIELD STUDY

Abstract An 11-year lysimeter study was established to monitor the movement of Pu through vadose zone sediments. Sediment Pu concentrations as a function of depth indicated that some Pu moved upward from the buried source material. Subsequent numerical modeling suggested that the upward movement was largely the result of invading grasses taking up the Pu and translocating it upward. The objective of this study was to determine if the Pu of surface sediments originated from atmosphere fallout or from the buried lysimeter source material (weapons-grade Pu), providing additional evidence that plants were involved in the upward migration of Pu. The 240 Pu/ 239 Pu and 242 Pu/ 239 Pu atomic fraction ratios of the lysimeter surface sediments, as determined by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectroscopy (TIMS), were 0.063 and 0.00045, respectively; consistent with the signatures of the weapons-grade Pu. Our numerical simulations indicate that because plants create a large water flux, small concentrations over multiple years may result in a measurable accumulation of Pu on the ground surface. These results may have implications on the conceptual model for calculating risk associated with long-term stewardship and monitored natural attenuation management of Pu contaminated subsurface and surface sediments.
Changes observed in bone during hibernation using procion red dye as a matrical marker

Visual examination of the intensity of Procion dye in hamster femurs revealed that dye incorporation decreased during hibernation. Little or no dye was observed after hibernation lasting longer than 50 days. It seems that hibernation may be associated with increased bone resorption and a loss of bone matrix.
Humean supervenience and rotating homogeneous matter

Humean supervenience (HS) is the thesis that everything supervenes upon the spatiotemporal distribution of local intrinsic qualities. A recent threat to HS, originating in thought experiments by Armstrong and Kripke, claims that the mere possibility of rotating homogeneous discs proves HS false. I argue that the rotating disc argument (RDA) fails. If I am right, Humeans needn’t abandon or alter HS to make sense of rotating homogeneous discs. Homogeneous discs, as necessarily understood by RDA, are not the sorts of things in which we should believe. These discs do not belong in our ontology—n ot because there is a problem with their homogeneity, but (surprisingly) because there is a problem with their rotation. RDA is shown to be a kind of parody of classic arguments for spatial substantivalism.
Photobodies in light signaling

One of the earliest light responses at the cellular level is the translocation of the red and far-red photoreceptors, phytochromes, from the cytoplasm to discrete subnuclear domains named phytochrome nuclear bodies or photobodies. In Arabidopsis, photobodies contain multiple photoreceptors including phytochromes, the ultraviolet-A/blue light sensing cryptochromes, and possibly the ultraviolet-B receptor UVR8. The localization of these photoreceptors to photobodies is triggered by a light-induced conformational switch to their active states. Accumulating evidence suggests that many light signaling molecules, including key transcriptional regulators and proteins involved in their degradation, are colocalized to photobodies and that failure to form photobodies results in defects in light responses. This suggests that photobodies are intimately involved in light signaling events. In this review, we will summarize recent developments related to photobodies and discuss the potential functions of photobodies in relation to light-dependent protein degradation and gene expression.