cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collaboration in Metagenomics: Sequence Databases and the Organization of Scientific Work

In this paper we conduct an ethnographic study of work to explore the interaction between scientific collaboration and computing technologies in the emerging science of metagenomics. In particular, we explore how databases serve to organize scientific collaboration. We find databases existing across scientific communities where scientists have different practices and priorities. We suggest while these databases appear to be boundary objects, they are better understood as boundary negotiating artifacts. Due to rapid scientific and technical innovation the tools, practices, and scientific questions change over the course of merely a few years resulting in challenges for collaboration.
The application of HITCE ceramic material for LGA-type chip scale package

Needs for the Chip Scale Package (CSP) is acceleratingly increased in the package market, where low cost, light weight, smaller, and thinner package is required. The increasing signal performance and number of functions of a signal processing system also require higher pin count and higher wiring density. To satisfy these needs, we have developed a high thermal coefficient of expansion (TCE) ceramic material, HITCE. This material enables a fine and flexible design of a package for high performance, and high reliability.
Resilience is more than availability

In applied sciences there is a tendency to rely on terminology that is either ill-defined or applied inconsistently across areas of research and application domains. Examples in information assurance include the terms resilience, robustness and survivability, where there exists subtle shades of meaning between researchers. These nuances can result in confusion and misinterpretations of goals and results, hampering communication and complicating collaboration. In this paper, we propose security-related definitions for these terms. Using this terminology, we argue that research in these areas must consider the functionality of the system holistically, beginning with a careful examination of what we actually want the system to do. We note that much of the published research focuses on a single aspect of a system -- availability -- as opposed to the system's ability to complete its function without disclosing confidential information or, to a lesser extent, with the correct output. Finally, we discuss ways in which researchers can explore resilience with respect to integrity, availability and confidentiality.
Evaluating the Impact of Different Factors on Voxel-Based Classification Methods of ADNI Structural MRI Brain Images

In this work we introduce the use of penalized logistic regression (PLR) to the problem of classification of MRI images and automatic detection of Alzheimer's disease. Classification of sMRI is approached as a large scale regularization problem which uses voxels as input features. We evaluate how differences in sMRI pre- processing steps such as smoothing, normalization, and template selection affect the performance of high- dimensional classification methods. In addition, we compared the relative performance of PLR to a different approach based on support vector machines. To study these questions we used data from the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). The ADNI project follows a protocol consisting of acquisition of two images in each session, image correction steps and further evaluation by experts to obtain the optimized images. We evaluated here the impact of this optimization process on the performance of high-dimensional machine learning techniques.
Lotus 123 as a Gradebook: A Means of Increasing Teacher Productivity

This paper describes use of a powerful commercial spreadsheet program, Lotus 1–2-3, to design a computerized gradebook for foreign language classes. Reduction in teacher time spent on grade calculation, convenience of frequent and detailed feedback to students, enhanced accuracy, and efficiency are discussed as benefits ofcomputerized gradebooks.
Structural limits on verb mapping: the role of abstract structure in 2.5‐year‐olds’ interpretations of novel verbs

Two experiments showed that 2.5-year-olds, as well as older children, interpret new verbs in accord with their number of arguments. When interpreting new verbs describing the same motion events, children who heard transitive sentences were more likely than were children who heard intransitive sentences to assume that the verb referred to the actions of the causal agent. The sentences were designed so that only the number of noun-phrase arguments differed across conditions (e.g. She’s pilking her over there versus She’s pilking over there). These experiments isolate number of noun-phrase arguments (or number of nouns) as an early constraint on sentence interpretation and verb learning, and provide strong evidence that children as young as 2.5 years of age attend to a sentence’s overall structure in interpreting it.
Automated Quality Monitoring in the Call Center with ASR and Maximum Entropy

This paper describes an automated system for assigning quality scores to recorded call center conversations. The system combines speech recognition, pattern matching, and maximum entropy classification to rank calls according to their measured quality. Calls at both end of the spectrum are flagged as "interesting" and made available for further human monitoring. In this process, pattern matching on the ASR transcript is used to answer a set of standard quality control questions such as "did the agent use courteous words and phrases," and to generate a question-based score. This is interpolated with the probability of a call being "bad," as determined by maximum entropy operating on a set of ASR-derived features such as "maximum silence length" and the occurrence of selected n-gram word sequences. The system is trained on a set of calls with associated manual evaluation forms. We present precision and recall results from IBM's North American Help Desk indicating that for a given amount of listening effort, this system triples the number of bad calls that are identified, over the current policy of randomly sampling calls
Evaluation of in vitro spectra of activity of azithromycin, clarithromycin, and erythromycin tested against strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by reference agar dilution, disk diffusion, and Etest methods.

The macrolide-azilide susceptibility testing (agar dilution, disk diffusion, Etest) criteria for 105 Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains were evaluated. In addition, the potencies of azithromycin, clarithromycin, and erythromycin were studied. The most active macrolide-azilide agent was azithromycin (MIC at which 90% of the isolates are inhibited [MIC90], 0.5 microgram/ml) compared with clarithromycin (MIC90, 1.5 to 2 micrograms/ml) and erythromycin (MIC90, 2 to 4 micrograms/ml). The Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden) was observed to produce MIC results very similar to those of the reference agar dilution test (GC agar base), with 100% of the results within 1 log2 dilution step of the reference MICs. The disk diffusion test zone diameters for all three drugs correlated at an acceptable level (r = -0.81 to -0.92) with the reference agar dilution MICs. Interpretive criteria for susceptibility were proposed for azithromycin at a MIC of or = 25 mm. No category for resistance was proposed because of the paucity of strains for which MICs were > 2 micrograms/ml. These tentative criteria should be further validated by correlations with clinical trial data for gonococcal strains (as they emerge) that have azithromycin MICs above the proposed susceptible category range.
Revisiting Maine’s lobster commons: rescaling political subjects

Calls for cross-scalar theoretical and methodological approaches are not new to commons scholarship. Such efforts might be hastened by channelling poststructuralist and critical theory perspectives through the geographic subfield of political ecology, including attention to political scales and subjects. Toward this end, this paper reconsiders Maine’s lobster fishery. This case has provided rich material for watershed commons scholarship, demonstrating the ability of social groups to conserve resources independent of government or markets, and it continues to offer new findings. Recent fieldwork shows that as lobster boat captains advance collective interests through state-supported co-management governance arrangements, concerns of crew and non-fishing community members may be marginalized. Regulatory exclusion prevents broader distribution of resource benefits at a time when employment alternatives are scarce. More pluralistic approaches to commons theory and its policy application have utility well beyond the lobster case.
A Comprehensive Review of Immunoreceptor Regulation of Osteoclasts

Osteoclasts require coordinated co-stimulation by several signaling pathways to initiate and regulate their cellular differentiation. Receptor activator for NF-κB ligand (RANKL or TNFSF11), a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily member, is the master cytokine required for osteoclastogenesis with essential co-stimulatory signals mediated by immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-signaling adaptors, DNAX-associated protein 12 kDa size (DAP12) and FceRI gamma chain (FcRγ). The ITAM-signaling adaptors do not have an extracellular ligand-binding domain and, therefore, must pair with ligand-binding immunoreceptors to interact with their extracellular environment. DAP12 pairs with a number of different immunoreceptors including triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), myeloid DAP12-associated lectin (MDL-1), and sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-type lectin 15 (Siglec-15); while FcRγ pairs with a different set of receptors including osteoclast-specific activating receptor (OSCAR), paired immunoglobulin receptor A (PIR-A), and Fc receptors. The ligands for many of these receptors in the bone microenvironment remain unknown. Here, we will review immunoreceptors known to pair with either DAP12 or FcRγ that have been shown to regulate osteoclastogenesis. Co-stimulation and the effects of ITAM-signaling have turned out to be complex, and now include paradoxical findings that ITAM-signaling adaptor-associated receptors can inhibit osteoclastogenesis and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) receptors can promote osteoclastogenesis. Thus, co-stimulation of osteoclastogenesis continues to reveal additional complexities that are important in the regulatory mechanisms that seek to maintain bone homeostasis.
Pro-Atrial Natriuretic Peptide: A Novel Guanylyl Cyclase-A Receptor Activator That Goes Beyond Atrial and B-Type Natriuretic Peptides.

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to determine if the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) precursor proANP is biologically active compared with ANP and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Background ProANP is produced in the atria and processed to ANP and activates the guanylyl cyclase receptor–A (GC-A) and its second messenger, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). ProANP is found in the human circulation, but its bioavailability is undefined. Methods The in vivo actions of proANP compared with ANP, BNP, and placebo were investigated in normal canines (667 pmol/kg, n = 5/group). cGMP activation in human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing GC-A or guanylyl cyclase receptor–B was also determined. ProANP processing and degradation were observed in serum from normal subjects (n = 13) and patients with heart failure (n = 14) ex vivo. Results ProANP had greater diuretic and natriuretic properties, with more sustained renal tubular actions, compared with ANP and BNP in vivo in normal canines, including marked renal vasodilation not observed with ANP or BNP. ProANP also resulted in greater and more prolonged cardiac unloading than ANP but much less hypotensive effects than BNP. ProANP stimulated cGMP generation by GC-A as much as ANP. ProANP was processed to ANP in serum from normal control subjects and patients with heart failure ex vivo. Conclusions ProANP represents a novel activator of GC-A with enhanced diuretic, natriuretic, and renal vasodilating properties, and it may represent a key circulating natriuretic peptide in cardiorenal and blood pressure homeostasis. These results support the concepts that proANP may be a potential innovative therapeutic beyond ANP or BNP for cardiorenal diseases, including heart failure.
Computational modeling of N-body collisions

This paper presents an impulse-based model for n-body collisions with or without friction. In the frictionless case, impulses at all the contacts, initialized via solution of a non-linear system, accumulate over different phases (compression and restitution) tracked through numerical integration. Experiment over Newton's cradle, using vision-based velocity estimation, achieves a close agreement with simulation. The presence of friction requires a contact mode analysis via solution of a linear system to check for contact mode consistencies with Coulomb's friction law. Simulation of nine-ball break shots, drawing upon a recent trajectory study [6], yields realistic scenarios. The modeling approach is part of our efforts toward planning for robotic manipulation strategies using impulsive forces.
Variable priming of a docked synaptic vesicle

The priming of a docked synaptic vesicle determines the probability of its membrane (VM) fusing with the presynaptic membrane (PM) when a nerve impulse arrives. To gain insight into the nature of priming, we searched by electron tomography for structural relationships correlated with fusion probability at active zones of axon terminals at frog neuromuscular junctions. For terminals fixed at rest, the contact area between the VM of docked vesicles and PM varied >10-fold with a normal distribution. There was no merging of the membranes. For terminals fixed during repetitive evoked synaptic transmission, the normal distribution of contact areas was shifted to the left, due in part to a decreased number of large contact areas, and there was a subpopulation of large contact areas where the membranes were hemifused, an intermediate preceding complete fusion. Thus, fusion probability of a docked vesicle is related to the extent of its VM–PM contact area. For terminals fixed 1 h after activity, the distribution of contact areas recovered to that at rest, indicating the extent of a VM–PM contact area is dynamic and in equilibrium. The extent of VM–PM contact areas in resting terminals correlated with eccentricity in vesicle shape caused by force toward the PM and with shortness of active zone material macromolecules linking vesicles to PM components, some thought to include Ca2+ channels. We propose that priming is a variable continuum of events imposing variable fusion probability on each vesicle and is regulated by force-generating shortening of active zone material macromolecules in dynamic equilibrium.
Fingerprint security for protecting EMV payment cards

EMV chip based payments cards have been used to combat fraudulent transactions such as counterfeit, lost and stolen cards. Despite of improved security measures payment cards are still not immune to some known threats and vulnerabilities such as card cloning, eavesdropping at POS and shoulder sniffing. A comprehensive study of the all possible threats and present security measures in payments cards is presented. This paper describes how fingerprint can be used for securing payment cards and further enhance the security of EMV environment. Comparison with presently practiced and implemented CHIP and PIN methods is shown elaborating the enhancing security and transaction time reduction by biometric cardholder authentication. Different methods of implementing fingerprint security in payment cards are provided. Major attacks on fingerprinting authentication are discussed and mitigation strategy is presented.
Impact of Regiochemistry and Isoelectronic Bridgehead Substitution on the Molecular Shape and Bulk Organization of Narrow Bandgap Chromophores

A comparison of two classes of small molecules relevant to the field of organic electronics is carried out at the molecular and supramolecular levels. First, two molecules that differ only in the position of a pyridyl N-atom within an acceptor fragment are compared and contrasted. X-ray investigation of single crystals reveals that positioning the pyridyl N-atoms proximal to the molecules center changes the molecular shape by bending the molecule into a banana shape. Second, we demonstrate that the banana shape of the molecule can be controlled by replacing a Si atom within the dithienosilole fragment with a C or Ge atom. Here, utilization of cyclopentadithiophene or dithienogermole as the internal electron-rich unit leads to a decrease or an increase in the bending of the conjugated backbone, respectively. Such molecular shape changes alter intermolecular packing and thus affect bulk properties, leading to large differences in the optical, thermal, and crystallization properties.
Orseillein-aniline Blue. A New Stain for Erythroblasts

Using the dye mixture orseillein-aniline blue, erythroblasts at all stages of maturation in normal and abnormal bone marrow samples showed bright orange punctate material in areas of euchromatin. Simultaneously, cytoplasm of immature erythroblasts stained bright orange, and cytoplasm of more mature erythroblasts stained deep blue. Staining properties of the type described were not observed in other types of blood or marrow cells. Orseillein-aniline blue may be a valuable stain for identification of erythroblasts and their distinction from other types of blood and marrow cells.
Low Calorie Sweetener (LCS) use and energy balance

For thirty years there has been a debate about whether low calorie sweeteners (LCS) provide a benefit for body weight management. Early studies showed that when consumed alone in a beverage appetite and food intake were increased. Some, observational longitudinal cohort studies reported an association between LCS usage and increasing BMI, suggesting that LCS may actually promote weight gain. In the ensuing decades numerous additional observational and experimental trials have been conducted with the experimental trials nearly uniformly showing a benefit for LCS, either in weight loss or weight gain prevention. The observational trials have been more inconsistent with two recent meta-analyses indicating either a small positive association between LCS usage and BMI (weighted group mean correlation, p=0.03) or an inverse association with body weight change (-1.35 kg, p=.004). Numerous potential mechanisms have been explored, mostly in animal models, in an attempt to explain this association but none have yet been proven in humans. It is also possible that the association between LCS and BMI increase in the observational studies may be due to reverse causality or residual confounding. Randomized controlled trials are consistent in showing a benefit of LCS which suggests that simple behavioral engagement by individuals attempting to control their weight is a sufficiently strong signal to overcome any potential mechanism that might act to promote energy intake and weight gain. Based on existing evidence, LCS can be a useful tool for people actively engaged in managing their body weight for weight loss and maintenance.
Masters of Illusion: America as Mature Superpower

AMERICAN MILITARY EFFECTIVENESS The major lesson for other countries from America's changed attitude toward its defense strategy, and specifically from the Second Gulf War and its aftermath is that the United States is able to defend itself effectively – it is no paper tiger. We have however developed an extremely effective military; one of which Americans are increasingly proud. A few years ago, in the period between the two Iraqi wars, the Minister of Defense of a major European power at a dinner conversation commented on his meetings with the American military leadership and his assessment of their performance in Iraq in the early 1990s. “You'd be amazed at how good these Americans really are these days,” he said. “They're committed, hard-working, very professional. There's nothing else to match them in the world today. I'm just amazed. It's a totally different situation from the American military in the Vietnam War.” He was right, and his judgment has been confirmed again in the second Iraqi War. That a significant outcome of the Iraq engagement was to demonstrate American military effectiveness is confirmed by the now revealed desire of the French military forces to participate in the invasion (although they were refused the opportunity by French political leaders for reasons that had much to do with the political rivalry between France/EC on one side and the United States on the other).
Methods for the Determination of Aerodynamic Parameters and Trajectory Reconstruction of the Orion Command Module from Scale Model Aeroballistic Flight Data

The determination of aerodynamic coecients and stability derivatives is necessary to dene a dynamic model of the Orion CEV. This involves reducing experimental data, which can include acceleration, angular rate, or orientation data. This extraction of dynamics from experimental data is often performed on data gathered from experiments conducted on uninstrumented models at indoor ballistics ranges. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has developed a high-g survivable stand-alone instrumentation package that can transmit in-ight measurements of acceleration, angular rate, local magnetic eld, and forebody pressures. This telemetry module was installed in a scale model of the Orion CEV, which was red from the 180mm High Altitude Research Project (HARP) cannon at the ARL range. A minimum variance with a priori method was formulated to solve for both the \local" ight parameters of Mach number, angle of attack, and sideslip angle at each time and the \global" parameters of scale factor and bias for each pressure transducer. Results obtianed using both simulated and experimental data indicates that these parameters may be estimated and used to compute stability coecients. Low pressure dierentials between symmetrically-opposed pressure transducers, however, increased uncertainty in the parameter estimates. Validation of this method of data generation and analysis supports a low-cost method of vehicle testing.
Abstract IA13: Chemicals in the environment: BPA and other worries.

Abstract While early-life estrogens are thought to play a physiological role in normal prostate gland development and function, inappropriate estrogenic exposures either in timing, dose or type can reprogram the gland and increase susceptibility to abnormal growth with aging including carcinogenesis. Our research using a rat model indicates that estrogen imprinting of the prostate is mediated through structural reorganization of the gland early in life as well as epigenomic reprogramming that together permits life-long memory of the inappropriate developmental exposures. While high-dose estrogen exposures during a critical developmental window (as a model for pharmacologic agents such as DES) lead directly to prostate neoplasia that can progress to carcinoma with aging, early-life exposure to low-dose estradiol or the endocrtine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) over a range of doses (0.1 to 5,000 ug BPA/kg BW) increases susceptibility of the adult prostate to carcinogenesis driven by elevated estradiol, as occurs in aging males. Data presented will provide a conceptual frame-work for understanding how early life estrogen-exposures via epigenetic reprogramming interact with later-life events through the disruption of pre-set gene expression programs for multiple genes. To assess whether the human prostate may be similarly reprogrammed during early life by hormones and EDCs, we have developed in vitro and in vivo models using normal human prostate stem/progenitor cells. Cultured prostaspheres composed of prostate stem and early-stage progenitor cells express robust levels of ERα, ERβ and GPR30 and exhibit a proliferative response with increased stem cell side populations to low-dose estradiol and BPA. Although AR negative, prostasphere cells express RARs, RXRs and aryl hydrocarbon receptor. While low-dose retinoic acid stimulated prostasphere cell differentiation, arsenic and dioxin perturbed their growth. Together these findings indicate that early stage progenitor and stem cells in the human prostate may be direct targets of EDCs and suggest that humans may be susceptible to prostate disease in a manner similar to the rodent models. Citation Format: Gail S. Prins. Chemicals in the environment: BPA and other worries. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Post-GWAS Horizons in Molecular Epidemiology: Digging Deeper into the Environment; 2012 Nov 11-14; Hollywood, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(11 Suppl):Abstract nr IA13.
Biologic fatigue in psoriasis.

Background: Over the past 15 years, biologic medications have greatly advanced psoriasis therapy. However, these medications may lose their efficacy after long-term use, a concept known as biologic fatigue. We sought to review the available data on biologic fatigue in psoriasis and identify strategies to help clinicians optimally manage patients on biologic medications in order to minimize biologic fatigue. Methods: We reviewed phase III clinical trials for the biologic medications used to treat psoriasis and performed a PubMed search for the literature that assessed the loss of response to biologic therapy. Results: In phase III clinical trials of biologic therapies for the treatment of psoriasis, 20–32% of patients lost their PASI-75 response during 0.8–3.9 years of follow-up. A study using infliximab reported the highest percentage of patients who lost their response (32%) over the shortest time-period (0.8 years). Although not consistently reported across all studies, the presence of antidrug antibodi...
"Feminism" and Feminism: A Rhetorical Criticism of Emma Watson's Address to the U.N.

This analysis uses metaphor criticism to decipher how metaphors function in Emma Watson’s address to the UN. Metaphor criticism proves useful in this critique because it can be used to determine the rhetor’s motive, to evaluate the effectiveness of the message, and to decipher the rhetor’s perspective on a particular subject. This critique uncovers two types of metaphors: those that describe “gender stereotypes” and those that describe “feminism.” The first subgroup of metaphors describes gender stereotypes as evil, oppressing entities that can be overcome or defeated. The second, more complex subgroup of metaphors for feminism suggests the term “feminism” has a negative connotation; one that conflicts with the true definition of the term. In addition, Watson’s inconsistent use of the “fight” metaphor suggests she is hesitant to use “feminism” to describe gender equality. In attempt to make the feminist movement more inclusive of men, Watson resists using the term and instead replaces it with phrases such as “he for she.” Watson’s metaphors suggest she is an advocate for gender equality but that she recognizes the stigma behind the term “feminism” and thus she uses metaphors for “feminism” instead of using the term directly. Since her speech aims to galvanize men and boys for change, she may ultimately be trying to create a new label for gender equality that is inclusive of men.
Benzoxazinone-Mediated Triazine Degradation: A Proposed Reaction Mechanism.

The role of benzoxazinones (Bx, 2-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one) in triazine resistance in plants has been studied for over half a century. In this research, fundamental parameters of the reaction between DIBOA-Glc (2-β-d-glucopyranosyloxy-4-hydroxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one) and atrazine (ATR, 6-chloro-N-ethyl-N′-(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) were examined. Through a series of experiments employing a variety of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, the DIBOA-Glc/ATR reaction was characterized in terms of reactant and product kinetics, stoichiometry, identification of a reaction intermediate, and reaction products formed. Results of these experiments demonstrated that the reaction mechanism proceeds via nucleophilic attack of the hydroxamic acid moiety of DIBOA-Glc at the C-2 position of the triazine ring to form hydroxyatrazine (HA, 2-hydroxy-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine), with associated degradation of DIBOA-Glc. Degradation of reactants followed first-order kinetics w...
Research on Congress: The 1970s and Beyond

What is the state of contemporary research on Congress? Entering the decade of the 1980s, the level of research commitment by congressional scholars seems high, the quality of output has been sustained. Books and articles on the workings of Congress continue to multiply. Theory-building, while pluralistic and eclectic, nevertheless shows promise of accumulated findings and at least the hint of unification to come. In general, research on Congress has arrived at a new level of maturation. This essay has two main objectives: (1) to provide an overview of some of the most important books written about Congress over the past decade, and (2) to speculate, briefly, about trends and profitable directions for research in the 1980s. For reasons of space as well as time, only a few of the many excellent articles written during this period will be singled out. Greater attention will be given to books which are appropriate for classroom use rather than those focusing primarily on methodological innovation and/or a li...
Digital in-line holographic microscope based on the grating illumination with improved resolution by interpolation

High resolution is always a pursuing target in the imaging field, as a new prospective technique in imaging applications, digital in-line holography has become a very active field for compactness, more information and low-cost. However, for compact system, the resolution is often limited by sensor pixel size. To overcome this problem, we propose an iterative reconstruction method with data interpolation based on the grating illumination. In our method, the Talbot self-image of a Ronchi grating is exerted in the sample plane as a priori constraint which lead to the convergence of the iteration, the iteration between the sample plane and the sensor plane can provide some extra information with interpolation in the sensor plane based on the a priori constraint, furthermore, the iteration reconstruction can also eliminates the twin-image to improve the image quality. Numerical simulation has been conducted to show the effectiveness of this method. In order to make a further verification, we have developed a lensless in-line holographic microscope with a compact and wide field-of-view design. In our setup, the sample was under the Talbot image illumination of the Ronchi grating, which was illuminated by a collimated laser beam, and holograms were recorded by a digital imaging sensor. We can shift the grating laterally to get a wide-field image. We demonstrated the resolution of our imaging system by using the USAF resolution target as a sample, and the results shown the resolution improvement of the image.
Dynamics of electroweak phase transition in singlet-scalar extension of the standard model

An addition to the Standard Model of a real, gauge-singlet scalar field, coupled via a Higgs portal interaction, can reopen the possibility of a strongly first-order electroweak phase transition (EWPT) and successful electroweak baryogenesis (EWBG). If a discrete symmetry that forbids doublet-singlet mixing is present, this model is notoriously difficult to test at the Large Hadron Collider. As a result, it emerged as a useful benchmark for evaluating the capabilities of proposed future colliders to conclusively test EWPT and EWBG. In this paper, we evaluate the bubble nucleation temperature throughout the parameter space of this model where a first-order transition is expected. We find that in large parts of this parameter space, bubbles in fact do not nucleate at any finite temperature, eliminating these models as viable EWBG scenarios. This constraint eliminates most of the region where a ``two-step'' phase transition is naively predicted, while the ``one-step'' transition region is largely unaffected. In addition, expanding bubble walls must not reach relativistic speeds during the transition for baryon asymmetry to be generated. We show that this condition further reduces the parameter space with viable EWBG.
A facile precursor route to highly loaded metal/ceramic nanofibers as a robust surface-enhanced Raman template

Abstract We report silver (Ag)/ceramic nanofibers with highly robust and sensitive optical sensory capabilities that can withstand harsh conditions. These nanofibers are fabricated by first electrospinning solutions of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and metal precursor polymers, followed by subsequent series of heat treatment. The reported fabrication method demonstrate the effects of (i) the location of Ag crystals, (ii) crystal size and shape, and (iii) constituents of the ceramic matrix as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) templates with 10−6 M 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA). Notably, these silver/ceramic nanofibers preserved most of their highly sensitive localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) even under high temperature of 400 °C, in contrast to preformed Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in PVA nanofibers which lost most of its optical property presumably due to (i) Ag oxidation and (ii) loss of the matrix material. Among the ceramic substrates of ZrO2, Al2O3, and ZnO with silver crystals, we discovered that the ZnO substrate showed the most consistent and the strongest signal strength owing to the synergistic chemical and optical properties of the ZnO substrate. Moreover, the pure Ag nanofiber proved to be the best heat-resistant SERS template, owing to its (i) anisotropic morphology and (ii) thicker diameter when compared with other conventional Ag nanomaterials. These results demonstrated simple yet highly controllable fabrication of robust SERS templates, with potential applications in a catalytic sensory which is often exposed to harsh conditions.
Osteoporosis in Gastrointestinal Diseases of Malabsorption and Inflammation

Chronic conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract and its functions can have profound long-term effects on bone. Pathological conditions resulting in malabsorption of key vitamins and minerals, as well as altered metabolism of essential components of bone, can have lasting effects on bone health. Individuals with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, pancreatic insufficiency, celiac disease, and restrictive forms of bariatric surgery, as well as gastric bypass or partial small bowel resection, are at significant risk for osteoporosis. This chapter will cover these topics and offer strategies for clinician awareness and monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment approaches, both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic in nature.
Real-Time Genomic Profiling of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Potential Actionability and Correlation with Clinical Phenotype.

Purpose: Molecular profiling in cancer has identified potential actionable drug targets that have prompted attempts to discover clinically validated biomarkers to guide therapeutic decision-making and enrollment to clinical trials. We evaluated whether comprehensive genetic analysis of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma is feasible within a clinically relevant timeframe and whether such analyses provide predictive and/or prognostic information along with identification of potential targets for therapy. Experimental Design: Archival or prospectively acquired FFPE samples and matched normal DNA from N = 336 patients with pancreatic cancer were analyzed using a hybridization capture–based, next-generation sequencing assay designed to perform targeted deep sequencing of all exons and selected introns of 410 key cancer-associated genes. Demographic and treatment data were prospectively collected with the goal of correlating treatment outcomes and drug response with molecular profiles. Results: The median time from protocol consent to reporting of the genomic results was 45 days with a median time from tissue delivery of 20 days. All genetic alterations identified were stratified based upon prior evidence that the mutation is a predictive biomarker of drug response using the MSKCC OncoKB classification. Three of 225 patients (1%) received a matched therapy based upon the sequencing results. Conclusions: The practical application of molecular results to guide individual patient treatment is currently limited in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Future prospective molecular profiling efforts should seek to incorporate routine germline genetic analysis and the identification of DNA profiles that predict for clinical benefit from agents that target DNA damage repair and or immunotherapy. Clin Cancer Res; 23(20); 6094–100. ©2017 AACR .
Frequency-Comb Based Double-Quantum Two-Dimensional Spectrum Identifies Collective Hyperfine Resonances in Atomic Vapor Induced by Dipole-Dipole Interactions.

Frequency-comb based multidimensional coherent spectroscopy is a novel optical method that enables high-resolution measurement in a short acquisition time. The method's resolution makes multidimensional coherent spectroscopy relevant for atomic systems that have narrow resonances. We use double-quantum multidimensional coherent spectroscopy to reveal collective hyperfine resonances in rubidium vapor at $100\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$ induced by dipole-dipole interactions. We observe tilted and elongated line shapes in the double-quantum 2D spectra, which have never been reported for Doppler-broadened systems. The elongated line shapes suggest that the signal is predominately from the interacting atoms that have a near zero relative velocity.
Preventing Infectious Disease in Dynamic Populations Under Uncertainty

Treatable infectious diseases are a critical challenge for public health. Outreach campaigns can encourage undiagnosed patients to seek treatment but must be carefully targeted to make the most efficient use of limited resources. We present an algorithm to optimally allocate limited outreach resources among demographic groups in the population. The algorithm uses a novel multiagent model of disease spread which both captures the underlying population dynamics and is amenable to optimization. Our algorithm extends, with provable guarantees, to a stochastic setting where we have only a distribution over parameters such as the contact pattern between agents. We evaluate our algorithm on two instances where this distribution is inferred from real world data: tuberculosis in India and gonorrhea in the United States. Our algorithm produces a policy which is predicted to avert an average of least 8,000 person-years of tuberculosis and 20,000 person-years of gonorrhea annually compared to current policy.
The modifying effect of positive emotion on the relationship between cognitive impairment and disability among older Mexican Americans: a cohort study.

Objective: To determine if positive emotion modifies the relationship between cognitive impairment and activities of daily living disability status over 10 years in Mexican American adults aged 75 ...
7-Step Flow Synthesis of the HIV Integrase Inhibitor Dolutegravir

Dolutegravir (DTG), an important active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) used in combination therapy for the treatment of HIV, has been synthesized in continuous flow. By adapting the reported GlaxoSmithKline process chemistry batch route for Cabotegravir, DTG was produced in 4.5 h in sequential flow operations from commercially available materials. Key features of the synthesis include rapid manufacturing time for pyridone formation, one-step direct amidation of a functionalized pyridone, and telescoping of multiple steps to avoid isolation of intermediates and enable for greater throughput.
MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY FOR PENILE TUMORS

The advantages of the total microscopic control of excision that is provided by Mohs micrographic surgery often justify consideration of this modality in neoplasms of the penis. The excision in successive layers with complete microscopic scanning of the entire underside of each horizontally cut layer assures eradication of the silent outgrowths that often extend well beyond the clinically visible and palpable borders of the cancer. With elimination of all ramifications, the excisions are abruptly stopped, and removal of a substantial surgical margin of normal tissue is obviated. Other advantages are the absence of need for general anesthesia and the fact that most patients remain ambulatory.
Gene-environment effects of SLC4A5 and skin color on blood pressure among African American women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and environmental factors (skin color) on blood pressure among African American women. METHOD: A descriptive study, consisting of 137 African American women from a Midwestern, metropolitan area was conducted. Blood pressure was measured using a digital blood pressure monitor. Self-reporting methods were utilized to obtain information on skin color. Buccal swab saliva samples were obtained for genotyping. RESULTS: Of the four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the sodium bicarbonate co-transporter gene (SLC4A5) examined in this study, only one SNP (rs10177833) and skin color interaction was found to be associated with systolic blood pressure. The additive effect of rs10177833 on systolic blood pressure is statistically different between women with dark skin color and women with medium skin color (P = .0153). No SNP and skin color interaction was found to be associated with blood pressure readings in other SNPs tested (rs8179526, rs6726450 and rs6731545). DISCUSSION: These findings of genetic and skin color relatedness to blood pressure is important when considering appropriate diagnostic and treatment plans for African American women with hypertension. African American women with darker skin color may require further assessment for risk factors such as discrimination related stress when being seen by health professionals for hypertension. Ethn Dis . 2012 Spring;22(2):155-61.
The Co-Evolution of Communication Networks and Drinking Behaviors

This study examines the co-evolution of mobile-phone communication networks of 196 undergraduate students and their drinking behaviors over four semesters since 2011. We use stochastic actor-based models to explore the network dynamics and social influences simultaneously, net of other socio-demographic and network factors. We find that individuals with similar alcohol use were more likely to form connections and that individuals adjusted their drinking behaviors to those of their peers. Social influence processes turned out to play a more significant role than selection processes in predicting similarity in alcohol use.
Disrupting Postracial Discourse: Black Millennials’ Response to Postracial Ideology and the Continued Impact of Racial Microaggressions on College Campuses

This study explores the communicative experiences of Black millennials enrolled at predominantly White academic institutions (PWIs). Researchers examine the ways in which Black millennials respond ...
Default and Asset Correlation

If default dependence is the heart of credit-risk modelling, then an empirical estimate of its magnitude is of primordial importance. Unlike estimation of default probabilities, addressed in the previous chapter, the characterization of default dependence is model dependent rendering this task more difficult. Since different models incorporate the relationship between obligor defaults in alternative ways, dependence is governed by some subset of a model’s parameters. As usual, a variety of techniques are presented, examined, and concretely implemented. The first, based on the method of moments, applies quite generally and is conceptually similar to the calibration techniques employed in previous chapters. A second approach, using observed default outcomes, exploits conditional independence to build a likelihood function and applies in both mixture and threshold settings. This permits use of the maximum-likelihood framework for the production of both point and interval estimates. The final, somewhat complex and fragile, approach is only applicable to the family of threshold models. It enjoys the advantage of using all transition data, but simultaneously requires inference of the unobservable global state variable values. The robustness of the final two techniques are assessed within separate simulation studies.
Target control and source estimation metrics for dynamical networks

Abstract This note examines metrics for target control and source estimation in dynamical networks. Specifically, the energy required to control a target node in a network from a remote input, and dually the fidelity with which a source state can be estimated from a noisy remote measurement, are studied. For both problems, spectral and graph-theoretic analyses are undertaken, and a comparison between the two metrics is also developed. The analyses highlight an essential asymmetry between target control and source estimation.
A Compact Single-Ended Dual-band Receiver with Crosstalk and ISI Reductions for High-density I/O Interfaces

A compact single-ended dual-band receiver is presented, consisting of one baseband using PAM-2 signaling and a coherent RF band using PAM-2/PAM-4 signaling. Exploiting the orthogonality between different bands and between adjacent PCB channels, the receiver reduces crosstalk and relaxes equalization requirements, enabling low-BER data transmission at frequencies where channel loss and crosstalk are high. The receiver adopts a passive-mixer-first architecture to improve the linearity and a flipped source-follower-based low-pass filter to improve the energy efficiency. Occupying 0.004 µm2 in TSMC 28nm technode, the proposed single-ended receiver achieves 0.45 pJ/bit at 9 Gb/s/pin for closely spaced 5-inch FR-4 channels and 0.6 pJ/bit at 6 Gb/s/pin for lossy and strongly coupled 22-inch FR-4 channels.
Computational combinatorics of hyperplane colorings of 6D-hypercube for all irreducible representations and applications

Computational generating function techniques are outlined for combinatorics of colorings of all hyperplanes of the 6D-hypercube for 65 irreducible representations of the 6D-hyperoctahedral group isomorphic to the wreath product S6[S2] group of order 46,080. The computational techniques are inspired by a number of physico-chemical and biological applications to molecular chirality, molecular clusters, isomerization reaction graphs, relativistic effects, massively-large data sets, visualization, and genetic regulatory networks. Computational techniques are comprised of computing the generalized character cycle indices of 65 irreducible representations for all hyperplanes of the 6D-hypercube using the Mobius inversion technique followed by the construction of polynomial generators for different cycle types under the hyperoctahedral group action for all six types of hyperplanes of the 6D-hypercube. Subsequently, multinomial generating functions for colorings of all (6-q)-hyperplanes of the 6D-hypercube are constructed for q = 1 through 6. We have presented tables thus computed for the combinatorics for colorings of six hyperplanes of 6D-hypercube for 65 irreducible representations and outline applications to chemical and biological sciences.
A Parametric Study of Numerical Modelling of Water Mist Systems in Protection of Wood Frame Buildings

Water mist systems are considered for the protection of timber buildings because they use significantly less water and consequently less post-suppression water damage. Water mist systems are widely used in the fire protection of electronic equipment and machinery rooms in ships and industrial buildings. However, the use of water mist systems in the protection of residential and office buildings is still limited due to the lack of data on their performance in such buildings. As such, there is a research gap that warrants the work of this paper.