cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linear–Nonlinear Interaction and Passive Intermodulation Distortion

This paper describes several consequences of a linear-nonlinear interaction that was recently found to be of importance in microwave circuits that produce passive intermodulation (PIM) distortion. This paper briefly discusses how this linear-nonlinear interaction operates in an example system. It then discusses how an understanding of the linear-nonlinear interaction allows us to distinguish between different types of nonlinearities from the power dependence of the third-order intermodulation distortion product. Next, an example uses a multiphysics simulator to demonstrate that electrothermal nonlinearities behave as expected from the linear-nonlinear interaction model. Lastly, it illustrates how simple nonlinear models characterized with one circuit can accurately predict distortion levels when the nonlinearity is placed within a very different circuit, showing that knowledge of the interaction gives the ability to accurately predict the behavior of PIM-producing components in a variety of circuits such as resonators, filters, and matching networks.
The Moral Economies of Homeless Heroin Addicts: Confronting Ethnography, HIV Risk, and Everyday Violence in San Francisco Shooting Encampments

Ethnographic immersion among homeless heroin addicts in San Francisco documents far more risky practices than the public health literature routinely reports. The logics of street-based income-generating strategies and the moral economy of social networking among self-identified "dope fiends" results in almost daily shares of drug preparation paraphernalia. Public health researchers need to reconceptualize their psychological behaviorist paradigm of "individual health risk behavior" because the pragmatics of income-generating strategies and the social symbolic hierarchies of respect, identity, and mutual dependence shape risky behavior. The explanatory potentials and the applied interventions that participant-observation anthropological approaches could bring to epidemiological public health research have not been utilized effectively in the field of HIV prevention and substance use. The accuracy of quantitative public health databases and our understanding of the who/why/how/where of HIV infection could be improved by a cross-methodological dialogue with participant-observation fieldworkers and by a greater theoretical sophistication with respect to power, violence, and extreme social marginalization.
Statistically optimal synthesis banks for subband coders

In maximally decimated filter banks, the perfect reconstruction or biorthogonal solution is not necessarily the best choice when subband quantizers are present. Under suitable statistical assumptions, expressions for the best synthesis bank can be derived in terms of the analysis bank and other statistical quantities. We explore this topic for subband coders and the special case of transform coders. We highlight the statistical conditions under which the biorthogonal solution is still the best. We derive expressions for the Wiener filter matrix in terms of the joint statistics of appropriate signals. Special cases where the optimal synthesis filter bank is the biorthogonal system followed by a scalar post filter are also considered. >
Hypertension and Insulin Resistance Are Not Directly Related in Obese Dogs

In dogs fed a high-fat diet, we determined whether there was a direct relation between obesity-induced insulin resistance and obesity-induced hypertension. Thirty-six adult mongrel dogs were chronically instrumented and assigned to receive either a high-fat diet alone (n=7) or a high-fat diet combined with a low-sodium diet plus furosemide (n=6), prazosin plus atenolol (n=7), clonidine (n=10), or aspirin (n=6). Blood pressure, heart rate, and body weight were measured daily. Insulin resistance was assessed with a single-dose euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (2 mU x kg(-1) x min(-1)) before and after 1, 3, and 6 weeks of the high-fat diet. The low-salt diet plus furosemide, prazosin plus atenolol, and clonidine treatments prevented the hypertension associated with feeding the dogs a high-fat diet. Only clonidine treatment totally prevented the development of insulin resistance, and high-dose aspirin, known to prevent insulin resistance by inhibition of the activity of IkappaB kinase-beta, decreased the degree of insulin resistance by almost 70%. However, aspirin had no effect on the development of hypertension. We conclude that obesity-induced hypertension and obesity-induced insulin resistance are not directly related. In addition, there is a suggestion that insulin resistance in this experimental model is mediated through the central and or peripheral alpha2-adrenoceptors, whereas hypertension is mediated through the alpha1- and or beta-adrenoceptors.
The relogo agent-based modeling language

ReLogo is a new agent-based modeling (ABM) domain specific language (DSL) for developing agent-based models in the free and open source Repast Suite of ABM tools; the Java based Repast Simphony ABM toolkit and the C++ high performance computing Repast HPC toolkit both incorporate ReLogo. The language is geared towards a wide range of modeling and programming expertise, combining the sophisticated and powerful ABM infrastructure and capabilities in the Repast Suite with the ease of use of the Logo programming language and its associated programming idioms. This paper will present how ReLogo combines a number of concepts, including object-oriented programming, simple integration of existing code libraries, statically and dynamically typed languages, domain specific languages, and the use of integrated development environments, to create an ABM tool that is easy to learn yet is also capable of creating large scale ABMs of real world complex systems.
Improving cache locality by a combination of loop and data transformations

Exploiting locality of reference is key to realizing high levels of performance on modern processors. This paper describes a compiler algorithm for optimizing cache locality in scientific codes on uniprocessor and multiprocessor machines. A distinctive characteristic of our algorithm is that it considers loop and data layout transformations in a unified framework. Our approach is very effective at reducing cache misses and can optimize some nests for which optimization techniques based on loop transformations alone are not successful. An important special case is one in which data layouts of some arrays are fixed and cannot be changed. We show how our algorithm can accommodate this case and demonstrate how it can be used to optimize multiple loop nests. Experiments on several benchmarks show that the techniques presented in this paper result in substantial improvement in cache performance.
Improved cavity model parameters for calculation of resonant frequency of rectangular microstrip antennas

Models for the resonant frequency proposed by other authors are shown to produce misleading results for frequencies greater than about 3 GHz. However, a cavity model with a novel empirically determined edge extension parameter provides calculated frequencies within 2% of measurements for antennas operating between 600 MHz and 5 GHz. >
The first high pH structure of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase

The activity and cooperativity of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) vary as a function of pH, with a maximum of both parameters at approximately pH 8.3. Here we report the first X-ray structure of unliganded ATCase at pH 8.5, to establish a structural basis for the observed Bohr effect. The overall conformation of the active site at pH 8.5 more closely resembles the active site of the enzyme in the R-state structure than other T-state structures. In the structure of the enzyme at pH 8.5 the 80's loop is closer to its position in R-state structures. A unique electropositive channel, comprised of residues from the 50's region, is observed in this structure, with Arg54 positioned in the center of the channel. The planar angle between the carbamoyl phosphate and aspartate domains of the catalytic chain is more open at pH 8.5 than in ATCase structures determined at lower pH values. The structure of the enzyme at pH 8.5 also exhibits lengthening of a number of interactions in the interface between the catalytic and regulatory chains, whereas a number of interactions between the two catalytic trimers are shortened. These alterations in the interface between the upper and lower trimers may directly shift the allosteric equilibrium and thus the cooperativity of the enzyme. Alterations in the electropositive environment of the active site and alterations in the position of the catalytic chain domains may be responsible for the enhanced activity of the enzyme at pH 8.5. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Rule refinement using the probabilistic rule generator

This work treats the case of expert-originated hypotheses which are to be modified or refined by training event data. The method accepts the hypotheses in the form of weighted VL1 expressions and uses the probabilistic rule generator, PRG. The theory of operation, verified by experimental results, provides for any degree of hypothesis modification, ranging from minor perturbation to complete replacement according to supplied confidence weightings.
Engineered Infiltration Systems for Urban Stormwater Reclamation

Abstract Urban stormwater contains a variety of contaminants that can adversely impact receiving waters. Contaminants of greatest concern include compounds derived from paving materials and automobile tires, biocides, and pathogens. Low-impact development systems built to manage urban stormwater often utilize some form of engineered infiltration or subsurface filtration to reduce the volume of runoff leaving a developed site. Use of infiltration techniques without proper consideration of contaminants in stormwater risks further degradation of urban ecosystems and water resources. Although engineered infiltration systems also have the capacity to remove contaminants from stormwater, the potential of these systems has not yet been fully exploited or optimized. With improved designs based on known mechanisms of contaminant removal, engineered infiltration has the potential to provide reliable treatment of urban stormwater, resulting in a water resource that is safe for aquifer recharge or urban stream restor...
Cytogenetic findings in lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Chromosomal abnormalities are associated with the polymorphous subtype and an aggressive clinical course.

We correlated bone marrow cytogenetic findings with morphologic and immunophenotypic data in 37 patients with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL)/Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). Each LPL/WM case was classified as lymphoplasmacytoid (n = 18), lymphoplasmacytic (n = 10), or polymorphous (n = 9) using the Kiel criteria. Of 12 cases with chromosomal abnormalities, a single numeric abnormality was present in 4 and a complex karyotype in 8. The most common numeric abnormalities were and -8 in 3 cases each; the most common structural abnormality was del(6q) in 6 cases. Cytogenetic abnormalities were significantly less common in the lymphoplasmacytic and lymphoplasmacytoid groups (5/28 [18%]) compared with the polymorphous group (7/9 [78%]). Clinical follow-up was available for 28 patients for a median of 36 months. Six (67%) of 9 patients with aneuploid tumors, including 4 with polymorphous subtype, subsequently had clinical progression or developed high-grade lymphoma. In contrast, 4 (21%) of 19 patients with diploid tumors, including 1 of polymorphous type, developed clinical progression or high-grade lymphoma. We conclude that abnormal cytogenetic findings in LPL/WM correlate with the polymorphous subtype and poor prognosis.
Leveraging the Cloud for Big Data Biometrics: Meeting the Performance Requirements of the Next Generation Biometric Systems

This paper presents a prototype system for generalized searching of cloud-scale biometric data as well as an application of this system to the task of matching a collection of synthetic human iris images. First, we discuss growth trends in the biometric technology market that warrant the application of new data storage and retrieval technologies. Next, we discuss the considerations that motivated our decisions when designing our prototype framework. We then discuss the underlying open source components that we selected for the prototype, its API design, and the relationship between the API and the underlying architecture. We provide details of our implementation of human iris matching within our prototype framework. Finally, we discuss opportunities for future research.
An architecture for software that adapts to changes in requirements

The goal of the research presented in this paper was to study a new software paradigm ‐ adaptive software ‐ in which the structure of an adaptive program is patterned upon the structure of an adaptive controller. Towards this aim, we implemented a domain-specific (object/target recognition) program (A Reconfigurable Architecture for Adapting to Changes in the Requirements (RAACR)) that can adapt to changes in software requirements through the incorporation of feedback. RAACR is a hierarchy of domains (blackboards). Each domain includes multiple knowledge sources (KSs) and a domain scheduler (DS). In response to feedback, KSs change their processing parameters, while DSs change the scheduling policy of the KSs. A generic communication mechanism is implemented on the CORBA compliant SPRING operating system. The adaptability of the program is evaluated quantitatively using a requirements volatility measure and the probability of correct recognition. ” 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Targeted versus Standard Bait Station Placement Affects Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Infestation Rates

A major challenge to termite baiting in soil habitats is the prolonged time that it may take for subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) to infest stations. The objective of this research study was to determine whether the location of food sources (Sentricon in-ground monitoring stations and wooden monitors) influences the likelihood of infestation by termites. In field trials conducted at 15 structures in central Ohio, standard placement of stations at 3-4.5 m intervals was compared with targeted placements based on evidence of termite activity indoors and outdoors as well as conducive moisture conditions. Termites infested significantly more targeted placements (70/374) than standard placements (35/372) around structures. At the targeted placement sites, termites infested more wooden monitors than Sentricon stations, but this was not statistically significant. This implies that placement, rather than cellulose composition, was the more important factor. Termites first infested stations/monitors an average of 38 d sooner at targeted sites than standard placement sites. This research indicates that evidence of termite activity indoors and outdoors should be a prime consideration when placing in-ground stations.
Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Mediates Stimulation of TGF-β1 and Matrix by High Glucose in Mesangial Cells

High ambient glucose exerts its injurious effects on renal cells through nonenzymatic and enzymatic pathways, including altered signal transduction and upregulation of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) system. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, is activated in mesangial cells cultured in high glucose and in glomeruli of diabetic rats. However, the biologic consequences of ERK activation in the kidney have not been investigated. To clarify the role of ERK activation, mouse mesangial cells were exposed to normal (5.5 mM) or high (25 mM) glucose with or without addition of PD98059, a specific inhibitor of MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK), an upstream kinase activator of ERK. Cells that were exposed to high glucose exhibited significant increases in ERK activity, TGF-beta1 expression (total protein, mRNA levels, and promoter activity), [(3)H]-proline uptake, and alpha1(I) collagen and fibronectin mRNA levels. Treatment with PD98059 (up to 25 microM) significantly inhibited these parameters. In contrast, 25 microM PD98059 had no significant effect on any of the parameters measured in cells that were exposed to normal glucose. Overexpression of MAPK phosphatase CL 100 prevented TGF-beta1 promoter activation by high glucose, confirming the involvement of the MEK-ERK pathway in response to high glucose. The conclusion is that activation of ERK in mesangial cells is responsible for high-glucose-induced stimulation of TGF-beta1 and contributes to the increased extracellular matrix expression.
Mass of /sup 27/P and /sup 31/Cl

The $Q$ values for the ($^{3}\mathrm{He}$, $^{8}\mathrm{Li}$) reaction on $^{32}\mathrm{S}$ and $^{36}\mathrm{Ar}$ have been measured. The resulting masses for the new nuclei $^{27}\mathrm{P}$ and $^{31}\mathrm{Cl}$ are compared with the predictions of various models. The lowest $T=\frac{3}{2}$ state in $^{27}\mathrm{Si}$ was also observed in the $^{29}\mathrm{Si}(p, t)^{27}\mathrm{Si}$ reaction, and its excitation energy and mass excess were determined.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{32}\mathrm{S}$, $^{36}\mathrm{Ar}$($^{3}\mathrm{He}$, $^{8}\mathrm{Li}$) measured $Q$. Deduced mass $^{27}\mathrm{P}$, $^{31}\mathrm{Cl}$. $^{29}\mathrm{Si}(p, t)$ measured $Q$ lowest, $T=\frac{3}{2}$ level.
Phenotypic Variation in Fitness Traits of a Managed Solitary Bee, Osmia ribifloris (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

We investigated fitness in natural populations of a managed solitary bee Osmia ribifloris Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) from sites separated from 400 to 2,700 km. Parental wild bees originated in central Texas (TX), central-northern Utah (UT), and central California (CA). They were then intercrossed and raised inside a mesh enclosure in southern Mississippi (MS). Females from all possible mated pairs of O. ribifloris produced F1 broods with 30–40% female cocoons and outcrossed progeny were 30% heavier. Mitochondrial (COI) genomes of the four populations revealed three distinct clades, a TX-CA clade, a UT clade, and an MS clade, the latter (MS) representing captive progeny of CA and UT bees. Although classified as separate subspecies, TX and CA populations from 30° N to 38° N latitude shared 98% similarity in COI genomes and the greatest brood biomass per nest straw (600- to 700-mg brood). Thus, TX and CA bees show greater adaptation for southern U.S. sites. In contrast, UT-sourced bees were more distantly related to TX and CA bees and also produced ∼50% fewer brood. These results, taken together, confirm that adult O. ribifloris from all trap-nest sites are genetically compatible, but some phenotypic variation exists that could affect this species performance as a commercial blueberry pollinator. Males, their sperm, or perhaps a substance in their sperm helped stabilize our captive bee population by promoting legitimate nesting over nest usurpation. Otherwise, without insemination, 50% fewer females nested (they nested 14 d late) and 20% usurped nests, killing 33–67% of brood in affected nests.
CA2+ Tides in Cardiomyocytes Under Mechanical Loading

AbstractCa2+ signaling is central to cardiac excitation-contraction coupling and extensive studies have revealed various Ca2+ signaling events in ventricular myocytes. In systole, the action potential opens L-type Ca2+ channels and triggers a synchronous release of Ca2+ from SR, which causes a global Ca2+ transient and whole cell contraction. During diastole, Ca2+ is sequestered back into SR and the cytosolic Ca2 concentration is kept low. However, pathological conditions can cause localized and spontaneous Ca2+ release from SR seen as Ca2+ sparks, puffs, embers, and waves. Spontaneous Ca2+ waves can drive Na+/Ca2+ exchange current to depolarize the membrane potential, manifesting as delayed afterdepolarizations and triggered action potentials that are arrhythmogenic. Here we report a new type of Ca2+ release event that is distinct from the previously known forms, named Ca2+ tide. A Ca2+ tide contains many discernable Ca2+ sparks that occur near synchronously, but does not show a propagating wave front. Ca2+ tides spontaneously arise after the systolic Ca2+ transient in a contracting myocyte and can happen several times during diastole. Interestingly and importantly, the Ca2+ tides are induced by mechanical loading of cardiomyocytes (by embedding cells in our Cell-in-Gel elastic matrix). Moreover, the cardiomyocytes isolated from TAC pressure-overload mouse model exhibited pronounced Ca2+ tides under mechanical loading. In contrast, cardiomyocytes under load-free conditions did not show any Ca2+ tides. The mechanisms and conditions that give rise to the ‘new kid on the block’ – Ca2+ tides – will be discussed.
The effect of an educational program on strength-training adherence in older adults

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a strength-training program combined with an educational intervention on resistance-training knowledge, adherence, psychological parameters, and functionality in older individuals residing in assisted living facilities. Twenty-four (mean age: 83.8 ± 8.0 years) participants were divided into three groups; one group participated in strength-training plus an educational program, the second group participated in a strength-training program, and the third group served as a reference group. Both strength-training groups completed an 8-week training program using elastic tubing twice per week. The educational program was offered once a week for 20 minutes and consisted of various strength-training topics. All participants completed the Up and Go test; handgrip strength test; questionnaires to determine quality of life, depression and fatigue; and a strength-training knowledge test before and after 8 weeks of training. Repeated Measures ANOVA was use...
PRACTICAL FOCUSING OF SURFACE-WAVE INVERSION TO IMAGE LEVEES IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO

Existing algorithms for inversion of dispersion-curves estimated from analyzing the seismic surface-wave data provide a reasonable representation of the overall shear-wave velocity structure. However, in some cases these results may not meet the resolution requirement of the survey objectives targeting the upper portion of the subsurface section. Near-surface geophysical surveys often look for greater detail in the very near surface, such as the case for levees, while still being interested in the overall velocity structure at greater depth. The proposed method for applying surface-wave inversion revolves around applying a greater degree of focusing on the very near-surface component of the inversion model through the practical use of existing algorithms. Specifically by eliminating the low frequency portion of the dispersion-curve data and using a shallower model. The proposed inversion technique is demonstrated using the multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) inversion algorithm. As a result of using this near-surface focusing approach, surface-wave velocity estimates of the levees possess greater detail and resolution. Results presented here demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach to more accurately image the very shallow subsurface top portion of other near surface MASW sites.
Cellular Reactions to Insult (Cellular Neuropathology)

Publisher Summary This chapter describes structural changes of cells in the nervous system observed in various neuropathological conditions in human. The structural alterations of neurons and glial cells that are used for the diagnosis of neurological disorders represent the on-going process of such cellular reaction. These alterations may be subtle or massive and some may appear unique in certain disorders but they are in fact the manifestation of cellular responses to the injury or insult. In pathological conditions, neuronal soma become shrunken or atrophic, or enlarged. In dying neurons, the soma is shrunken and deeply acidophilic. These neurons are ultrastructurally characterized by the flocculent mitochondria, disrupted nuclear and cytoplasmic membranes, and fragmented nuclear chromatin. In ceroidlipofuscinosis, genetic neurodegenerative disorders, materials having light microscopic staining characteristics of lipofuscin accumulate in neuronal soma as well as in glial cells. Varieties of neuronal inclusions are associated with degenerative processes in neurons, indicating that they represent neuronal reactions to perturbed cellular function.
Systematic design of communications systems with simulation

A systematic design methodology that uses computer simulation and an expert system is proposed. The problems that arise in using simulation for system design are reviewed, and the corresponding solutions are proposed. A generalized system performance measure is adopted. >
The choice of a constitutive formulation for modeling limb flexion-induced deformations and stresses in the human femoropopliteal arteries of different ages

Open and endovascular treatments for peripheral arterial disease are notorious for high failure rates. Severe mechanical deformations experienced by the femoropopliteal artery (FPA) during limb flexion and interactions between the artery and repair materials play important roles and may contribute to poor clinical outcomes. Computational modeling can help optimize FPA repair, but these simulations heavily depend on the choice of constitutive model describing the arterial behavior. In this study finite element model of the FPA in the standing (straight) and gardening (acutely bent) postures was built using computed tomography data, longitudinal pre-stretch and biaxially determined mechanical properties. Springs and dashpots were used to represent surrounding tissue forces associated with limb flexion-induced deformations. These forces were then used with age-specific longitudinal pre-stretch and mechanical properties to obtain deformed FPA configurations for seven age groups. Four commonly used invariant-based constitutive models were compared to determine the accuracy of capturing deformations and stresses in each age group. The four-fiber FPA model most accurately portrayed arterial behavior in all ages, but in subjects younger than 40 years, the performance of all constitutive formulations was similar. In older subjects, Demiray (Delfino) and classic two-fiber Holzapfel–Gasser–Ogden formulations were better than the Neo-Hookean model for predicting deformations due to limb flexion, but both significantly overestimated principal stresses compared to the FPA or Neo-Hookean models.
Understory Responses to Tree Thinning and Seeding Indicate Stability of Degraded Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands☆

Depauperate understory plant communities resulting from intensive livestock grazing in pinyon-juniper woodlands of the western United States may represent degraded stable states, resistant to ecological restoration treatments. In this study, we analyzed 10-yr understory plant community responses to restoration treatments that included tree thinning to approximate historical densities of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), scattering of thinning slash to improve soil conditions, and seeding at two woodland sites (Craig Ranch and Goose Pond) in northwestern Arizona. Results showed that thinning resulted in significant reductions in tree density at both sites, as well as reductions in tree basal area at the Goose Pond site. Boles, branches, and tops of the thinned trees scattered across the study sites resulted in few changes to woody surface fuel loading. Thinning and addition of woody material, along with seeding, resulted in only minor changes in understory cover and species richness at both sites. However, plant cover and species richness were both negatively correlated with tree density. Degraded conditions at the sites appeared to be stable, and we suggest that treatments implemented in our studies may have not been intensive enough to produce significant understory responses and meet restoration objectives. Managers aiming to restore understory diversity at similar sites may be required to use heavier thinning prescriptions and repeated seeding. More work is needed to test new restoration approaches that are designed to drive degraded pinyon-juniper woodlands over resilience thresholds toward more diverse understory communities.
Antibodies Create Killer Bonds in Myeloma

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Li et al. and Seckinger et al. describe promising results of two T-cell-dependent bi-specific antibodies for the treatment of multiple myeloma: one targets FcRH5 expressed on B cells, whereas the other targets the B cell maturation antigen expressed on plasma cells.
A Note on the Classification of Compact Homogeneous Locally Conformal Kähler Manifolds

In this study, we apply a result of H. C. Wang and Hano-Kobayashi on the classification of compact complex homogeneous manifolds with a compact reductive Lie group to give some more homogeneous space involved proofs of recent classification of compact complex homogeneous locally conformal Kahler manifolds. In particular, we prove that the semisimple part S of the Lie group action has hypersurface orbits, i.e., it is of cohomogeneity one with respect to the semisimple Lie group S. We also prove that as an one dimensional complex torus bundle, the metrics on the manifold is completely determined by the metrics (which is the same as the Kahler class) on the base complex manifold and the metrics (same as the Kahler class) on the complex one dimensional torus.
SURVIVAL OF THE PUPAL STAGE OF THE SCREWWORM, COCHLIOMYIA HOMINIVORAX (COQUEREL) (DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE) IN SUBTROPICAL MEXICO

Survival of the screwworm pupal stage was studied under different ecological conditions over a 12-month period in southern Mexico. Survival (measured as successful adult eclosion) differed only sli...
MEMS 3-dimensional scanner for handheld confocal microscope

A MEMS scanning mirror based on a deformable SU-8 membrane mirror supported by a biaxial gimbal with SU-8 flexures delivers 3-dimensional beam scanning for a handheld confocal microscope. Beam scanning and focusing performance are characterized.
Heritage as trope: conceptual etymologies and alternative trajectories

AbstractThe theorization of heritage must necessarily examine the impact of its often concealed status as a metaphor, a figuration framing our use of the term as well as those things described as heritage. Describing elements of the past as heritage is a trope as the past does not leave a testament. This figuration singularizes past, present, and legacy (concealing differences within these terms), as well as ascribing intentionality to the past. These resonances often lend a conservative charge to heritage; however, they might also be viewed as offering a critique of the present. The theorization of heritage should also examine specific histories of how this trope arose. In Britain, John Ruskin’s influential articulation of cultural heritage, for example, drew on the way inheritance featured in political writings of John Locke and Edmund Burke. Theorization of heritage can also be broadened by considering how inheritance is employed in other disciplines, such as its use in phenomenology and poststructural...
Dissociative Adsorption, Dissolution, and Diffusion of Hydrogen in Liquid Metal Membranes. A Phenomenological Model

There is only limited experimental data and theoretical treatment available in the literature on hydrogen sorption and diffusion in liquid metals, in stark contrast with that in solid metals. This paper utilizes our predictive phenomenological model requiring minimal input, the Pauling Bond Valence-Modified Morse Potential (PBV-MMP) model, for estimating the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of hydrogen solution and diffusion in liquid metals treated as quasi-crystalline. The PBV-MMP model is a refinement of the Unity Bond Index-Quadratic Exponential Potential (UBI-QEP) model for estimating the energetics of solid metal surface reactions. The sequential kinetic steps of hydrogen dissociative surface adsorption on the feed side, subsurface penetration, and atomic interstitial diffusion in the bulk, followed by these steps in reverse on the permeate side, are thus treated via the PBV-MMP model within Eyring’s transition-state theory framework, while the entropic changes are evaluated via Eyring’s free vo...
ELECTRON TRANSPORT ACTIVITY AND POLYPEPTIDE COMPOSITION OF THE ISOLATED PHOTOSYSTEM II COMPLEX

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses electron transport activity and polypeptide composition of the isolated photosystem II (PSII) complex. The ability to separate the PSII complex from isolated thylakoid membranes provides a powerful means for examining the properties of the oxygen-evolving reaction in closer detail. The PSII complex undergoes subtle modifications that may produce misleading experimental results. In a study discussed in the chapter, the isolation procedure used for the PSII complex yields a 2-fold purification of oxygen evolution activity on a chlorophyll basis. This doubling of specific activity also yielded an enrichment of Mn2+ and Signal IIs. The effect of pH, specific to the oxidizing side of the PSII complex, is revealed in the exploration of the chloride requirement for oxygen evolution activity. The displacement of chloride from the complex by sulfate is prevented by low pH. This observation and the fact that chloride must be competed out of its site in PSII by another anion suggest that chloride is bound tightly to a site in the oxygen-evolving complex, with stabilization of binding by a low pH environment. The fact that light protects PSII from chloride depletion indicates that the binding site is in the S-state clock itself.
Client-driven price selection for scalable video streaming with advertisements

This paper considers the scalable delivery framework of streaming video content with advertisements. In this framework, the revenues generated from the ads are used to subsidize the cost and thus attract more clients. We analyze a predictive scheme that provides clients with multiple price options, each with a certain number of expected viewed ads. The price depends on the royalty fee of the requested video, its delivery cost based on the current system state, the applied scheduling policy, and the number of viewed ads. The price is lower when the number of viewed ads is larger.
Intracellular pathways linking hypoxia to activation of c-fos and AP-1.

Organisms respond to hypoxia through detection of blood oxygen levels by sensors at peripheral chemoreceptors and by receptors in certain key cells of the body. The pathways over which peripheral chemoreccptor signals are transmitted to respiratory muscles arc well established. However, the intracellular pathways that transmit hypoxic stimulus to gene activation are just being identified. Using anti-sense c-fos strategy, we have shown that c-fos is essential for the activation of activator protein-1 transcription factor complex (AP-1) and subsequent stimulation of downstream genes such as tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; Mishra et al. 1998). The purpose of the present study was to identify intracellular pathways that link hypoxia to activation of c-fos. The results of the present study show that hypoxia causes Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage gated Ca2- channels and that hypoxia-induccd c-fos gene expression is Ca2+/calmodulm dependent. We also demonstrate that hypoxia activates the extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38, but not JNK. Further, phosphorylation of ERK is essential for c-fos activation via SRE cis-element. Further characterization of nuclear signalling pathways provides evidence for the involvement of Src, a non receptor protein tyrosine kinase, and Ras, a small G protein, in the hypoxia-induced c-fos gene expression. These results suggest a possible role for non-receptor protein tyrosine kinases in propagating signals from G-protein coupled receptors to the activation of immediate early genes such as c-fos during hypoxia.
Challenges in the Portuguese textile and clothing industry: a fight for survival

ABSTRACTThe Portuguese textile and clothing industry thrived after 1960, when Portugal joined the European Free Trade Association, and it has been an important industry in Portugal in terms of value added, employment, and exports. Nevertheless, the industry has experienced significant challenges with the final integration of the apparel and textile industry into GATT on 1 January 2005, as well as the admission of relatively low-wage Bulgaria and Romania into the European Union in 2007. This paper describes recent trends in the industry between 1995 and 2016, including a substantial decrease in output after 2005 and recovery in recent years. In addition, a translog cost function is used to examine the existence of economies of scale, the relationships among inputs, and the effects of the 2005 GATT entry on the industry’s costs. The findings include strong evidence of economies of scale, consistent with the many small and mid-sized enterprises in the Portuguese textile and clothing industry. The results are...
Thermodynamic processes and characterisation of dead burned magnesia: a review

In magnesia plant, annular vertical shaft kilns - high temperature processing units, are used for the production of dead burned Magnesia. Vertical Shaft kilns such as those operating at the reference magnesia plant are known to be efficient. However; the knowledge of thermal processes and physical behaviours inside the operating kiln has not yet been studied in detailed. This is mainly due to the high working temperature inside the kiln which makes temperature and pressure measurements very difficult and expensive or almost impossible. The inability to obtain such information has limited the optimisation of the kiln's process variables. With increasing knowledge and computing power, computational modelling is becoming a readily used resource for improving processes that occurs in a vertical shaft kiln. This study represents the review of the thermodynamic processes of dead burned magnesia production with an integrated view to improving energy efficiency of magnesia production and to achieve environmental sustainability.
Evaluating Behavioral and Organizational Outcomes of Leadership Development in Human Service Organizations

The health of the human services sector depends upon equipping both emerging and current leaders with key leadership skills to help them increase their organization’s capacity and effectiveness. Ye...
Does Equity Crowdfunding Facilitate Access to Capital for User Entrepreneurs: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment

Equity crowdfunding broadens the pool of investors and is thus touted to democratize access to capital for non-traditional entrepreneurs such as user entrepreneurs. However, it is unclear whether investors in this context utilize user entrepreneurship information as a signal of performance and whether this signal is positive or negative. Understanding the signaling role of user entrepreneurship has implications for whether equity crowdfunding may improve access to capital for user entrepreneurs. Through two randomized field experiments and a survey of study participants, we examine whether investors in equity crowdfunding respond differently to user innovator firms relative to traditional producer firms and what may drive this relationship. In the first experiment, we find that investors are less interested in investing in user innovator firms relative to producer firms. Our second experiment indicates that investors infer lower future performance from user entrepreneurship, as a form of statistical discrimination. The survey uncovers that investors associate user entrepreneurship with smaller markets and lower founders’ ability to grow the firm. While our results imply that crowdfunding does not necessarily mitigate challenges that user entrepreneurs may face when raising funds through traditional channels, they point to strategies that may mitigate negative perceptions associated with user entrepreneurship.
DNA damage checkpoint activation impairs chromatin homeostasis and promotes mitotic catastrophe during aging

Genome instability is a hallmark of aging and contributes to age-related disorders such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The accumulation of DNA damage during aging has been linked to altered cell cycle dynamics and the failure of cell cycle checkpoints. Here, we use single cell imaging to study the consequences of increased genomic instability during aging in budding yeast and identify striking age-associated genome missegregation events. This breakdown in mitotic fidelity results from the age-related activation of the DNA damage checkpoint and the resulting degradation of histone proteins. Disrupting the ability of cells to degrade histones in response to DNA damage increases replicative lifespan and reduces genomic missegregations. We present several lines of evidence supporting a model of antagonistic pleiotropy in the DNA damage response where histone degradation, and limited histone transcription are beneficial to respond rapidly to damage but reduce lifespan and genomic stability in the long term.
Technical Perspective: Succinct Range Filters

Data structures that filter data for point or range queries are prevalent across all data-driven applications, from analytics to transactions, and modern machine learning applications. The primary objective is simple: find whether one or more data items exist in the database. Yet, this simple task is exceptionally hard to perform efficiently, and surprisingly critical for the overall properties of the dataintensive applications that rely on filtering.
Inverse Probability Tilting for Moment Condition Models with Missing Data

We propose a new inverse probability weighting (IPW) estimator for moment condition models with missing data. Our estimator is easy to implement and compares favorably with existing IPW estimators, including augmented inverse probability weighting (AIPW) estimators, in terms of efficiency, robustness, and higher order bias. We illustrate our method with a study of the relationship between early Black-White differences in cognitive achievement and subsequent differences in adult earnings. In our dataset the early childhood achievement measure, the main regressor of interest, is missing for many units.
Abstract 15702: Chronic Use of Electronic or Tobacco Cigarettes Alters Circulating Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Oxidation Status and Cardiovascular Risk in Healthy Young Adults

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (EC) have recently gained unprecedented popularity with over 5 million users in the United States. However, it is not known whether chronic EC use induces cardio...
Safe and High-performance Control Allocation

This paper focuses on the control of nonlinear systems with redundant actuation, where the number of actuators is higher than the controllable degrees of freedom. To effectively handle actuation redundancy, we propose a control allocation (CA) approach that combines numerical optimization methods with control Lyapunov and control barrier functions. The inclusion of control Lyapunov functions enhances the CAs ability to minimize performance loss in the presence of unattainable virtual inputs. The integration of barrier functions allows the CA to exploit actuation redundancy to enforce safety constraints. The proposed approach is applied to the control of an over-actuated system, demonstrating superior transient and safety properties when compared to classical CA algorithms.
On Relationality and Organizationality: Degrees of durability, materiality, and communicatively constituting a fluid social collective:

Recent organizational theorizing contends that loosely structured fluid social collectives may attain degrees of “organizationality” depending on whether or not they achieve certain organization-li...
PET Reconstruction with a Spatially Varying Point Spread Function for a Brain Dedicated PET Insert for PET/MR

Including accurate modeling of the point spread function (PSF) in positron emission tomography (PET) reconstruction algorithms results in improvements in image spatial resolution and contrast. In this work, we sampled the PSF in our first-generation radio-frequency brain dedicated PET insert for simultaneous PET/MR imaging using a 100 µCi NEMA standard 250 µm diameter Na-22 point source at 13 different positions within a subsection of the system field of view (FoV). The acquired list mode data was converted into the canonical sinogram format from which the spatial positioning of the source and standard deviations were calculated. The subset was then used to extrapolate the PSF for the full system FoV. This model was then fed as an input parameter into a graphical processing unit based ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstruction algorithm and used to generate reconstructed images with and without spatially varying PSF modeling for the Na-22 point source and a Hoffman brain phantom. Results indicate that for point source reconstruction, the FWHM of the horizontal profile of the point source is smaller with spatially variant PSF especially closer to the edges. Effect of spatially varying PSF modeling is also presented with Hoffman phantom reconstruction and CNR value has increased with spatially varying PSF.
Predictors of eviction and quality of tenant-landlord relationships during the 2020-2021 eviction moratorium in the U.S.

In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued several agency orders that put into effect a national moratorium on evictions for over one year to limit transmission of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Little is known about landlord and tenant behaviors during the eviction moratorium. The current study used three waves of data from May 2020-April 2021 from a nationally representative sample of U.S. middle- and low-income tenants (n= 3,393 in Wave 1, n= 1,311 in Wave 2, and 814 in Wave 3) to examine tenants who were evicted during the eviction moratorium and the reported effects of the moratorium on tenant rental payments and tenant-landlord relationships. Across three Waves, 4.3% of tenants reported experiencing an eviction during the moratorium and 6-23% of tenants reported delaying paying rent because of the moratorium. Multivariable analyses found that tenants who delayed paying their rent, were female, or had a history of mental illness or substance use disorder were significantly more likely to report the eviction moratorium had a negative effect on the relationship with their landlord. Analyses also revealed that testing positive for COVID-19 was not a significant predictor of eviction but tenants with a history a homelessness were more than 9 times as likely to report an eviction than those without such a history. Together, these findings suggest the eviction moratorium has had some unintended consequences on rent payments and tenant-landlord relationships that need to be considered in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.