cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heregulin/ErbB3 Signaling Enhances CXCR4-Driven Rac1 Activation and Breast Cancer Cell Motility via Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α

The growth factor heregulin (HRG), a ligand of ErbB3 and ErbB4 receptors, contributes to breast cancer development and the promotion of metastatic disease, and its expression in breast tumors has been associated with poor clinical outcome and resistance to therapy. In this study, we found that breast cancer cells exposed to sustained HRG treatment show markedly enhanced Rac1 activation and migratory activity in response to the CXCR4 ligand SDF-1/CXCL12, effects mediated by P-Rex1, a Rac-guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) aberrantly expressed in breast cancer. Notably, HRG treatment upregulates surface expression levels of CXCR4, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) implicated in breast cancer metastasis and an indicator of poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. A detailed mechanistic analysis revealed that CXCR4 upregulation and sensitization of the Rac response/motility by HRG are mediated by the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) via ErbB3 and independently of ErbB4. HRG caused prominent induction in the nuclear expression of HIF-1α, which transcriptionally activates the CXCR4 gene via binding to a responsive element located in positions -1376 to -1372 in the CXCR4 promoter, as revealed by mutagenesis analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Our results uncovered a novel function for ErbB3 in enhancing breast cancer cell motility and sensitization of the P-Rex1/Rac1 pathway through HIF-1α-mediated transcriptional induction of CXCR4.
Nuclear Weapons & Nuclear Use

While nuclear weapons were conceived to end a war, in the aftermath of their operational use at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they became the central (and controversial) means to prevent a war. Nuclear deterrence formed the foundation of U.S. Cold War doctrine and the basis of an extended security guarantee to our allies. But the Cold War ended one-quarter century ago, and questions about the efficacy of deterrence, the need for nuclear weapons, and the ethics surrounding them have resurfaced as some call for further major reductions in inventory or the complete elimination of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Discussed from the perspective of a military practitioner, this essay highlights the continuing need for U.S. nuclear weapons in a global security environment that is highly complex and uncertain, and describes the means by which the credibility of the nuclear portion of the strategic deterrent is being preserved even as the role and prominence of these weapons have been reduced.
Understanding the immunopathogenesis of inclusion-body myositis: present and future prospects.

Les myosites a inclusions sporadiques sont les plus frequentes des myopathies inflammatoires acquises. Leur tableau clinique est stereotype et leur evolution se fait vers un deficit moteur severe avec impotence fonctionnelle permanente. L'association d'une inflammation endomysiale primaire avec lesions autoimmunes comparables a celles de la polymyosite, et de signes degeneratifs avec vacuolisation des fibres musculaires et depots de minuscule depots d'amyloide, est caracteristique de cette affection. Dans cette revue, l'immunopathologie de la myosite a inclusions est detaillee. L'inflammation qui est predominante meme aux stades tardifs de la maladie, se caracterise par des lymphocytes cytotoxiques CD8+ actives qui secretent la perforine et envahissent les fibres musculaires exprimant MHC-I. Les cellules T sont probablement dirigees contre un antigene, comme le suggerent un rearrangement specifique du recepteur T, une restriction de la region CDR3, la stimulation d'autres molecules et de leurs ligands sur les fibres musculaires, et l'activation de cytokines, chemokines et molecules d'adhesion. La myosite a inclusions peut s'observer en association avec les infections a VIH ou a HTLV-I, mais aucun virus n'a pu etre isole a partir des fibres musculaires et les antigenes ou les facteurs qui initient l'inflammation restent inconnus. La myosite a inclusions est resistante aux therapeutiques a visee immunologique, malgre des similarites neuropathologiques avec la polymyosite. La cause de la formation de vacuoles et le role eventuel des minuscules depots d'amyloide demeurent egalement inconnus. Les approches therapeutiques actuelles et futures sont discutees.
Methodology and Research Strategy in the Study of Developmental Change

ABSTRACT This paper treats selected methodological issues arising in developmental research, starting from the premise that the analysis of the characteristics of the function relating variation in response to age belongs at the focus of developmental research. It examines the possibilities for utilizing selected aspects of such functions as dependent variables, and shows the dependence of this type of analysis on the level of measurement utilized in assessing the behavioral variable. Scalogram-analytic approaches to constructing developmental scales are reviewed. The distinction between qualitative and quantitative change is given particular emphasis, and the limitations of attempts to translate the former into the latter are pointed out. The paper proceeds to a consideration of the place of the longitudinal method in developmental research, and to the problems of design involved in separating out effects of chronological age from secular shifts associated with historical time. The latter half of the paper is devoted to an examination of modes of descriptive analysis of developmental change, to a treatment of general problems arising in the correlational study of the patterning of developmental change for two or more variables, and to a discussion of the assessment of stability of behavior over the course of development, as part of the more general problem of the study of individual differences in development.
A rare case of plastid protein-coding gene duplication in the chloroplast genome of Euglena archaeoplastidiata (Euglenophyta).

Gene duplication is an important evolutionary process that allows duplicate functions to diverge, or, in some cases, allows for new functional gains. However, in contrast to the nuclear genome, gene duplications within the chloroplast are extremely rare. Here, we present the chloroplast genome of the photosynthetic protist Euglena archaeoplastidiata. Upon annotation, it was found that the chloroplast genome contained a novel tandem direct duplication that encoded a portion of RuBisCO large subunit (rbcL) followed by a complete copy of ribosomal protein L32 (rpl32), as well as the associated intergenic sequences. Analyses of the duplicated rpl32 were inconclusive regarding selective pressures, although it was found that substitutions in the duplicated region, all non-synonymous, likely had a neutral functional effect. The duplicated region did not exhibit patterns consistent with previously described mechanisms for tandem direct duplications, and demonstrated an unknown mechanism of duplication. In addition, a comparison of this chloroplast genome to other previously characterized chloroplast genomes from the same family revealed characteristics that indicated E. archaeoplastidiata was probably more closely related to taxa in the genera Monomorphina, Cryptoglena, and Euglenaria than it was to other Euglena taxa. Taken together, the chloroplast genome of E. archaeoplastidiata demonstrated multiple characteristics unique to the euglenoid world, and has justified the longstanding curiosity regarding this enigmatic taxon.
Reduced Positive Emotion and Underarousal Are Uniquely Associated With Subclinical Depression Symptoms: Evidence From Psychophysiology, Self‐Report, and Symptom Clusters

Multiple models of aberrant emotional processing in depression have been advanced. However, it is unclear which of these models best applies to emotional disturbances in subclinical depressive symptoms. The current study employed a battery of psychophysiological measures and emotional ratings in a picture-viewing paradigm to examine whether the underarousal, low positive emotion, heightened negative emotion, or emotion context insensitivity model of emotional dysfunction in subclinical depressive symptoms received greatest support. Postauricular reflex and skin conductance response potentiation for pleasant minus neutral pictures (measuring low positive emotion), overall skin conductance magnitude and late positive potential (LPP) amplitude (measuring underarousal), and pleasant minus aversive valence ratings (measuring emotion context insensitivity) and aversive minus neutral arousal ratings (measuring heightened negative emotionality) were all negatively related to depressive symptomatology. Of these, postauricular reflex potentiation and overall LPP amplitude were incrementally associated with depressive symptoms over the other measures. Postauricular reflex potentiation, overall skin conductance magnitude, and aversive minus neutral arousal ratings were incrementally associated with depressive symptomatology after controlling for other symptoms of internalizing disorders. Though no model was unequivocally superior, the low positive emotion and underarousal models received the most support from physiological measures and symptom reports, with self-report data matching patterns consistent with the emotion context insensitivity model.
Feature Enhancement in Visually Impaired Images

One of the major open problems in computer vision is feature detection in visually impaired images. In this paper, we describe a potential solution using phase stretch transform, a new computational approach for image analysis, edge detection and resolution enhancement that is inspired by the physics of the photonic time stretch technique. We mathematically derive the intrinsic nonlinear transfer function and demonstrate how it leads to: 1) superior performance at low contrast levels and 2) a reconfigurable operator for hyper-dimensional classification. We prove that the phase stretch transform equalizes the input image brightness across a range of intensities resulting in high dynamic range in visually impaired images. We also show further improvement in the dynamic range by combining our method with the conventional techniques. Finally, our results propose a new paradigm for the computation of mathematical derivatives via group delay dispersion operations.
Experimental observation of the effect of cleansing agents on the performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Abstract Regular maintenance/cleaning of fuel pipeline and system hardware is an essential requirement in fuel cell operation to prevent contamination. An experimental and analytical study is performed to aid the selection of appropriate cleansers to be used as cleaning agents in polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). Screening tests for several cleansers are carried out during the injection of samples into the PEFC cathode inlet. One proper agent (naphtha) has shown a fully recoverable and minimal effect on the fuel cell performance and as such is determined as the best cleansing agent. Unlike other samples, naphtha does not contain any metallic components such as sodium or potassium in its composition. Furthermore, PEFC can still operate at ∼0.4 V at constant current (1 A/cm 2 ) even with a considerable flow rate (250 μl/min) of the selected cleanser. Detailed analytical analysis of this cleanser is provided by curve fitting the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data, and evaluation of binary gas diffusion coefficients. It is indicated that performance loss during naphtha exposure is mainly due to the adsorption of contaminants on active Pt sites and an increase in mass transfer resistance.
Analytical Approach for Detroit Urban Redevelopment and Rehabilitation

Detroit had been the leader city in manufacturing in the 20th century in the US. The automobile industry created and continued the thriving economy in Detroit, MI in the early to mid-1900s. When outsourcing impacted the industry, people began to leave the city. That turned into a demographic catastrophe in Detroit. Economy had continuously felt and many of the properties were foreclosed. After the housing market crash in 2008, a big economic crisis effected all country. After such a strong economic crisis, Detroit has been desperately need of economic revival which has begun to turn around very slowly in last ten years. In this paper, while defining the nature of the problem, workable solutions for Detroit area are discussed with certain and framed techniques. The main purpose is to understand the current case for Detroit after a decade of the economic crisis and bring solutions for urban redevelopment and rehabilitation for Detroit area with real examples. A detailed evaluation is carried through comparison with other cities. Paper also details the problems in Detroit area, reasons behind the complications, components/parameters, constraints/limitations, solutions, people involved and expected results.
Oscar Wilde’s Fairy Tales and the Evolution of Lying

This chapter argues that The Happy Prince and Other Tales and A House of Pomegranates illustrate the supreme importance of literary untruths. In the two centuries leading up to Wilde’s collections, the fairy tale was first attacked by Christian moralists and Enlightenment thinkers for lying to young readers, and second brought into line with Victorian natural history and reformed into an honest genre. Focusing on “The Happy Prince” and “The Birthday of the Infanta,” this chapter contends that Wilde’s tales exemplify his aesthetic theory, laid out in “The Decay of Lying,” that contrasts the dull facts of natural history with the higher beauty expressed by fiction. But the tales also explode any simple dichotomy between science and art, for Wilde’s aestheticism, this chapter shows, grew out of his appreciation for evolutionary thinkers and their visions of human progress.
Second Order Constant Coefficient Linear Differential Equations

This chapter begins our study of second order linear differential equations, which are equations of the form $$a(t)y\prime\prime + b(t)y\prime + c(t)y = f(t),$$ where a(t), b(t), c(t), called the coefficient functions, and f(t), known as the forcing function, are all defined on a common interval I. Equation (1) is frequently made into an initial value problem by imposing initial conditions: y(t0) = y0 and y′(t0) = y1, where t0 ∈ I.
How should we move the field of chemopreventive agent development forward in a productive manner

Epidemiologic observations and preclinical experimental investigations suggest that the prevention or reversal of precancers should be an effective strategy in humans to control cancer. Although "proof of principle" has been established in humans, the results of randomized trials have not been confirmatory in most cases. Toxicity in normal or near-normal populations has also been greater than anticipated. We examine the problems associated with testing chemoprevention agents in humans and offer a process and guidelines that may better inform the logical development of this relatively young clinical field.
An Overview of Autoimmune and Paraneoplastic Encephalitides

The understanding of the manifestations, mechanisms, and management of autoimmune encephalitis has expanded dramatically in recent decades. Immune-mediated encephalitides are comparable in incidence and prevalence to infectious etiologies, and are associated with significant morbidity, especially when there is a delay in recognition and treatment. As such, clinicians from many specialties must develop a functional understanding of these disorders. Herein we provide an overview of the autoimmune and paraneoplastic encephalitides, including those associated with either intracellular or cell surface/synaptic neuronal autoantibodies. After briefly reviewing the current understanding of the pathobiology of autoimmune encephalitis, we combine a neuroanatomical approach with specific antibody syndromes to provide the reader with a clinically relevant review of these disorders. The clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of autoimmune encephalitis are reviewed, with an emphasis on clinical relevance. We also introduce updates in the field, including autoimmune encephalitis associated with novel cancer immunotherapies, infectious triggers of autoimmune encephalitis, and autoimmune encephalitis with demyelinating overlap syndromes.
Survival and glycemic control in patients with colorectal cancer and diabetes mellitus.

Aim: The impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on survival in patients with colorectal cancer and the impact of colorectal cancer on glycemic control were examined. Materials & methods: Patients with co...
Working with Children and Adolescents in Residential Care: A Strengths-Based Approach

Working with Children and Adolescents in Residential Care: A Strengths-Based Approach is written for professionals who work with children and youth in out of home placements, be they social services workers, child welfare or family court workers, educators, or mental health professionals in general. The book offers an approach that professionals can use to positively impact the lives of young people in residential facilities. The book emphasizes the strengths and abilities of young people from the assessment phase of treatment through discharge, and helps readers to take into account the views and actions of youth in order to provide clients appropriate services. This new volume includes sections on principles of effective youth care work, personal philosophy, positive youth development, teamwork, staffings, and crisis management.
Making Do with What You Don't Have: Disabled Black Motherhood in Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents

The article analyzes themes of black motherhood through the lens of disability in Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower (1993) and Parable of the Talents (1998). It positions the series’ protago...
Delayed maturation of GABAergic signaling in the Scn1a and Scn1b mouse models of Dravet Syndrome.

Dravet syndrome (DS) is a catastrophic developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by severe, pharmacoresistant seizures and the highest risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) of all epilepsy syndromes. Here, we investigated the time course of maturation of neuronal GABAergic signaling in the Scn1b−/− and Scn1a+/− mouse models of DS. We found that GABAergic signaling remains immature in both DS models, with a depolarized reversal potential for GABAA-evoked currents compared to wildtype in the third postnatal week. Treatment of Scn1b−/− mice with bumetanide resulted in a delay in SUDEP onset compared to controls in a subset of mice, without prevention of seizure activity or amelioration of failure to thrive. We propose that delayed maturation of GABAergic signaling may contribute to epileptogenesis in SCN1B- and SCN1A-linked DS. Thus, targeting the polarity of GABAergic signaling in brain may be an effective therapeutic strategy to reduce SUDEP risk in DS.
Investigating Sound Design in Film: A Commentary on Kock and Louven

Kock and Louven (in this issue) examined the effects of music, sound effects, full sound design (music and sound effects) and no sound on self-reported measures of immersion and suspense in real time, as viewers watched very brief original films. This commentary discusses the method, analysis, and implications of their findings within the broader context of the state of the art of film music research, and future directions for investigations in this area.
Tutorial: Speech Motor Chaining Treatment for School-Age Children With Speech Sound Disorders

Purpose Operationalized treatments for school-age children with speech sound disorders may result in more replicable and evidence-based interventions. This tutorial describes Speech Motor Chaining ...
Magnetothermodynamics in SSX: Measuring the Equations of State of a Compressible Magnetized Plasma

AbstractMagnetothermodynamics is the study of compression and expansion of magnetized plasma with an eye toward identifying equations of state (EOSs) for magneto-inertial fusion experiments. We present recent results from Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment (SSX) experiments on the thermodynamics of compressed magnetized plasmas called Taylor states. In these experiments, we generate twisted flux ropes of magnetized, relaxed plasma accelerated from one end of a 1.5-m-long copper flux conserver and observe their compression in a closed conducting boundary installed at the other end. Plasma parameters are measured during compression. The instances of ion heating during compression are identified by constructing a pressure-volume diagram using measured density, temperature, and volume of the magnetized plasma. While we only measure compression up to 30%, we speculate that if higher compression ratios could be achieved, the compressed Taylor states could form the basis of a new kind of fusion engine. The theoreti...
ICNN: The Iterative Convolutional Neural Network

Modern and recent architectures of vision-based Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) have improved detection and prediction accuracy significantly. However, these algorithms are extremely computationally intensive. To break the power and performance wall of CNN computation, we reformulate the CNN computation into an iterative process, where each iteration processes a sub-sample of input features with smaller network and ingests additional features to improve the prediction accuracy. Each smaller network could either classify based on its input set or feed computed and extracted features to the next network to enhance the accuracy. The proposed approach allows early-termination upon reaching acceptable confidence. Moreover, each iteration provides a contextual awareness that allows an intelligent resource allocation and optimization for the proceeding iterations. In this article, we propose various policies to reduce the computational complexity of CNN through the proposed iterative approach. We illustrate how the proposed policies construct a dynamic architecture suitable for a wide range of applications with varied accuracy requirements, resources, and time-budget, without further need for network re-training. Furthermore, we carry out a visualization of the detected features in each iteration through deconvolution network to gain more insight into the successive traversal of the ICNN.
Paradigm Shift: A Call for Conceptualization of a Fast Fashion Sustainable Business Model

Rising consumer distrust levels, troubling labor conditions, and negative environmental and sustainability impacts have all led to the need for a business model for fast fashion retailers that is consumer, profit, and reuse driven. Consumers are purchasing apparel and textile items at unprecedented rates and the current business model utilized by low-cost fashion retailers is inconsistent and varies widely. A fast fashion sustainability business model (FFSBM) is proposed with the consumer as a central component of the model. Furthermore, the key components of the model (form sustainable business strategies, design, production/distribution, greater transparency, collaborations, and reduce/reuse) are all profit focused.
Potential Shortages of Hydroxychloroquine for Patients with Lupus During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a global public health crisis and severe economic disruption There are currently no effective therapies to prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19 To meet this need, the scientific community has mobilized to develop vaccines and drugs to prevent and treat COVID-19 Trials are underway to assess the effectiveness of existing drugs that hold promise in treating COVID-19 While the results of these trials are eagerly awaited, the US Food and Drug Administration recently authorized use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for emergency treatment of COVID-19
Renal ischemia alters expression of mitochondria-related genes and impairs mitochondrial structure and function in swine scattered tubular-like cells

Scattered tubular-like cells (STCs) are dedifferentiated surviving tubular epithelial cells that repair neighboring injured cells. Experimental renal artery stenosis (RAS) impairs STC reparative potency by inducing mitochondrial injury, but the exact mechanisms of mitochondrial damage remain unknown. We hypothesized that RAS alters expression of mitochondria-related genes, contributing to mitochondrial structural damage and dysfunction in swine STCs. CD24+/CD133+ STCs were isolated from pig kidneys after 10 wk of RAS or sham (n = 3 each). mRNA sequencing was performed, and nuclear DNA (nDNA)-encoded mitochondrial genes and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded genes were identified. Mitochondrial structure, ATP generation, biogenesis, and expression of mitochondria-associated microRNAs were also assessed. There were 96 nDNA-encoded mitochondrial genes upregulated and 12 mtDNA-encoded genes downregulated in RAS-STCs versus normal STCs. Functional analysis revealed that nDNA-encoded and mtDNA-encoded differentially expressed genes were primarily implicated in mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis. Mitochondria from RAS STCs were swollen and showed cristae remodeling and loss and decreased ATP production. Immunoreactivity of the mitochondrial biogenesis marker peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α and expression of the mitochondria-associated microRNAs miR-15a, miR-181a, miR-196a, and miR-296-3p, which target several mtDNA genes, were higher in RAS-STCs compared with normal STCs, suggesting a potential modulation of mitochondria-related gene expression. These results demonstrate that RAS induces an imbalance in mtDNA- and nDNA-mitochondrial gene expression, impairing mitochondrial structure and function in swine STCs. These observations support development of gene gain- and loss-of-function strategies to ameliorate mitochondrial damage and preserve the reparative potency of STCs in patients with renal ischemia.
Individual-Level Mindfulness and Organizational Creativity

This chapter surveys contemporary research on individual-level mindfulness in the workplace, illustrating how mindfulness and contemplative arts practices can support individual-level openness, receptivity, relaxation, well-being, self-awareness, and creativity in organizational contexts. The second part of the chapter introduces specific mindfulness and contemplative arts exercises designed to enhance mindfulness in the workplace on an individual level. The practices introduced in this chapter lay the foundation for the group- and team-level exercises presented in the following chapters. They can be used very effectively as standalone exercises, or to introduce and contextualize the exercises that appear later in the book.
Vibration at Low and Extreme Cold Temp for QFN Assembly Reliability

This paper first briefly updates the failure test data in Weibull plots for QFN package assemblies under standard thermal cycle/shock conditions. The same test vehicle configuration was used to perform combined vibration at low/extreme cold temperatures. Two QFN assemblies were subjected to 50g three-dimensional random vibration under two temperature conditions. One QFN assembly was subject to random vibration in a highly accelerated life test (HALT) chamber held at a low temperature of −20°C whereas the other one was tested at an extreme cold temperature of −100°C.These temperatures were chosen based on a predictive analytical model that showed the QFN solder joints at −20°C and at −100°C will be at the static elastic/inelastic strain ranges, respectively. Only four representative daisy-chain QFN assemblies were monitored during HALT testing, but all daisy-chains were verified manually after test. In addition, failure analyses were performed by optical inspection, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cross-sectional microscopy to determine failure mechanisms. The paper presents a brief discussion on analytical approach, it provides detailed testing results, and optical/SEM images from failure analyses.
Ascending Aortoplasty in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Aortic Valve Procedures.

Background The risks of ascending aortic dilation and indications for intervention in pediatric patients are unclear. Given the concern for aortic size mismatch with growth, larger ascending aortic diameters have been accepted in pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ascending aortic reduction at the time of aortic valve surgery and its effect on recurrent aortic regurgitation. Methods A retrospective 8-year observational review (2010-2018) was conducted in pediatric patients with dilated ascending aorta undergoing aortic valve surgery at a single institution. Results Forty-seven patients underwent ascending aortoplasty during aortic valve surgery, of which 39 patients with complete data points had preoperative mean ascending aortic Z-scores of 5.35 ± 1.52 reduced to 1.22 ± 1.63 (P Conclusions Ascending aortoplasty is effective in reducing ascending aortic dimensions and recurrent aortic regurgitation in pediatric patients. Longer-term follow-up is necessary to determine continued rate of growth.
Electromechanics and MEMS

1. Introduction 2. Circuit-based modeling 3. Capacitive lumped parameter electromechanics 4. Small-signal capacitive electromechanical systems 5. Capacitive sensing and resonant drive circuits 6. Distributed 1-D and 2-D electromechanical structures 7. Practical MEMS devices 8. Electromechanics of piezoelectric elements 9. Electromechanics of magnetic MEMS devices A. Review of quasistatic electromagnetics B. Review of mechanical resonators C. Micromachining D. A brief review of solid mechanics.
Social inequities highlighted by the prolonged pandemic: Expanding sick leave

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of federal responses have been enacted in the United States to address the public health crisis, as well as the economic fallout and inequalities caused by the pandemic. A key feature globally in fighting the pandemic has been paid sick leave, as other nations have been successful in flattening the curve of infections by enacting emergency paid sick leave. This work explores best practices globally of paid sick leave used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the theoretical framework of punctuated equilibrium, this work spotlights the increased need to address paid sick leave in the United States. This work contributes further to understanding how policymaking in a federal system of government occurs during times of crisis.
An Automated Post-Mortem Analysis of Vulnerability Relationships using Natural Language Word Embeddings

Abstract The daily activities of cybersecurity experts and software engineers—code reviews, issue tracking, vulnerability reporting—are constantly contributing to a massive wealth of security-specific natural language. In the case of vulnerabilities, understanding their causes, consequences, and mitigations is essential to learning from past mistakes and writing better, more secure code in the future. Many existing vulnerability assessment methodologies, like CVSS, rely on categorization and numerical metrics to glean insights into vulnerabilities, but these tools are unable to capture the subtle complexities and relationships between vulnerabilities because they do not examine the nuanced natural language artifacts left behind by developers. In this work, we want to discover unexpected relationships between vulnerabilities with the goal of improving upon current practices for post-mortem analysis of vulnerabilities. To that end, we trained word embedding models on two corpora of vulnerability descriptions from Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) and the Vulnerability History Project (VHP), performed hierarchical agglomerative clustering on word embedding vectors representing the overall semantic meaning of vulnerability descriptions, and derived insights from vulnerability clusters based on their most common bigrams. We found that (1) vulnerabilities with similar consequences and based on similar weaknesses are often clustered together, (2) clustering word embeddings identified vulnerabilities that need more detailed descriptions, and (3) clusters rarely contained vulnerabilities from a single software project. Our methodology is automated and can be easily applied to other natural language corpora. We release all of the corpora, models, and code used in our work.
In-System Calibration of Position Sensor Offset in PMSM Drives

Permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSM) are widely utilized in applications demanding high torque output and torque density. Among them are hybrid electric powertrain and electric power steering (EPS) systems used in the transportation sector. Field oriented control (FOC), is one of the preferred methods of control for PMSMs due to the unique advantages. Accurate rotor position measurement is of paramount importance for proper field-oriented control of PMSMs. The relative angle offset between the position sensor zero and rotor zero is a key calibration for each PMSM drive system. However, calibration of the position sensor while the machine is in the system is a challenging problem. Certain powertrain architectures and EPSs with dual machines, facilitate the driving of one machine with the other. This paper proposes a unique approach to calibrate the position sensor offset of a PMSM system, while in-system, in machine-drive architectures that allow in-system rotation of the machine needing calibration with another actuator (i.e. internal combustion engine or second electric machine in dual wound machines). Analysis, simulation, and experimental results are provided that validates the proposed method.
Video Capsule Endoscopy and Ingestible Electronics: Emerging Trends in Sensors, Circuits, Materials, Telemetry, Optics, and Rapid Reading Software

Real-time monitoring of the gastrointestinal tract in a safe and comfortable manner is valuable for the diagnosis and therapy of many diseases. Within this realm, our review captures the trends in ingestible capsule systems with a focus on hardware and software technologies used for capsule endoscopy and remote patient monitoring. We introduce the structure and functions of the gastrointestinal tract, and the FDA guidelines for ingestible wireless telemetric medical devices. We survey the advanced features incorporated in ingestible capsule systems, such as microrobotics, closed-loop feedback, physiological sensing, nerve stimulation, sampling and delivery, panoramic imaging with adaptive frame rates, and rapid reading software. Examples of experimental and commercialized capsule systems are presented with descriptions of their sensors, devices, and circuits for gastrointestinal health monitoring. We also show the recent research in biocompatible materials and batteries, edible electronics, and alternative energy sources for ingestible capsule systems. The results from clinical studies are discussed for the assessment of key performance indicators related to the safety and effectiveness of ingestible capsule procedures. Lastly, the present challenges and outlook are summarized with respect to the risks to health, clinical testing and approval process, and technology adoption by patients and clinicians.
REAL-TIME DYNAMIC TRAFFIC ASSIGNMENT FOR ROUTE GUIDANCE: COMPARISON OF GLOBAL PREDICTIVE VS. LOCAL REACTIVE STRATEGIES UNDER STOCHASTIC DEMANDS

Abstract This paper describes two strategies for real-time route guidance of equipped motorists in a congested traffic network, and presents a comparative assessment of the strategies’ effectiveness and robustness under stochastic origin-destination (O-D) demands. The first approach consists of a global network-level system optimal assignment algorithm implemented in a rolling-horizon framework, with predicted O-D demands. The second consists of simpler locally-oriented rules that react to measured conditions (no prediction). Results of numerical experiments using a simulation-assignment model (DYNASMART) under different scenarios of demand variability and forecast error are presented with regard to (1) sensitivity of the RH solution to stage length, roll period and forecast errors, and (2) comparative performance and robustness of the two approaches under stochastically varying demands and imperfect forecasts.
Differential response to cold pressor test in normal weight versus overweight college students is blunted by palatable reward (LB767)

There is increasing evidence that obesity contributes to dysregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis; however, the magnitude and direction of dysfunction remains unclear. The objectives of this experiment were to identify differences in non-stress and stress salivary cortisol concentrations in normal weight (NW) and overweight/obese (OW) college students. Furthermore, we aimed to determine if access to palatable reward differentially blunts activation of the HPA axis in response to a physical stressor. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and participants were placed in a reward or no reward group. Participants underwent a cold presser test (CPT), placement of the non-dominant hand into ice water for 90 seconds. The reward group had free access to candy (reward) during the CPT; the control group was not offered candy. Salivary samples were collected before CPT (Pre) and 15 minutes after the start of the CPT (Post). Cortisol was measured by enzyme linked immunoassay (Salimetrics). Pre co...
Establishment of Health Utility Indices for Post-Infectious Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Active Duty US Military.

Introduction Knowledge of disease burden attributable to functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) in travelers is lacking, despite the high incidence of travelers' diarrhea (TD) associated with increased FGD risk. One tool for assessing the impact of disease on health-related quality of life is the health utility index (HUI), which values health states based on preferential health outcomes. Health utilities can be used as preference weights in the estimation of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Methods Six months following travel to Egypt or Turkey, 120 US military personnel completed a survey on TD during deployment, health-related quality of life (SF-36), and the onset of functional bowel disorders (Rome II). Elements from the SF-36 were used to develop SF-6D values, which were combined with health state valuations to enable calculation of HUI scores for each subject. Mean index scores were compared across functional outcomes, specific symptoms, and demographic profiles. Results The presence of FGD significantly reduced index scores, with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and dyspepsia showing the greatest impact (−0.17 and −0.19, respectively) compared with those with no FGD (p < 0.05). Importantly, however, several individuals met multiple FGD outcome definitions. Additionally, a number of symptoms associated with abnormal bowel habits and abdominal pain were associated with reduced index scores regardless of outcome. Conclusion FGD are associated with significant morbidity as assessed by HUIs. Given the strong link between TD and FGD as well as the large number of travelers from the developed to the developing world, additional study is needed to further understand this association and efforts aimed at primary disease prevention are warranted.
Magnet Schools and the Differential Impact of School Quality on Residential Property Values

Previous research has concluded that public school quality is capitalized into local house prices. This result is reasonable if residents are assigned to local schools and have no freedom of school...
Performance analysis of a GPS interferometric attitude determination system for a gravity gradient stabilized spacecraft

The performance of an unaided attitude determination system based on GPS interferometry is examined using linear covariance analysis. The modelled system includes four GPS antennae onboard a gravity gradient stabilized spacecraft, specifically the Air Force's RADCAL satellite. The principal error sources are identified and modelled. The optimal system's sensitivities to these error sources are examined through an error budget and by varying system parameters. The effects of two satellite selection algorithms, Geometric and Attitude Dilution of Precision (GDOP and ADOP, respectively) are examined. The attitude performance of two optimal-suboptimal filters is also presented. Based on this analysis, the limiting factors in attitude accuracy are the knowledge of the relative antenna locations, the electrical path lengths from the antennae to the receiver, and the multipath environment. The performance of the system is found to be fairly insensitive to torque errors, orbital inclination, and the two satellite geometry figures-of-merit tested.
Short-Term Interest Rates and Expected Stock Returns: Evidence from Sri Lanka

This study examines the ability of interest rates, as measured by Treasury bill yields, to track expected monthly, quarterly and annual returns in the Sri Lankan stock market during the 1990-97 period. Different from the findings in most prior studies on foreign markets, the results indicate a positive relation between interest rates and expected returns. Interest rates reliably track expected returns and the effect becomes larger and stronger with longer maturity Treasury bill yields, particularly in monthly and quarterly return horizons. The explanatory power also tends to increase with return horizon, except in annual returns. Treasury bill yields explain up to 4%, 11%, and 7% of monthly, quarterly, and annual expected returns respectively. The 12-month Treasury bill yield is found to have the most power to track monthly and quarterly expected returns. However, the behaviour of the Sri Lankan stock market suggests that the apparent strong statistical relationship is potentially spurious.
Trans Fats Replacement Solutions in North America

Publisher Summary Trans fat replacements in North America have focused on the food service industry, the baking industry, and myriad fat-containing foods. Replacement of the traditional hydrogenated fats to meet nutritional labeling requirements has evolved over the past decade in the form of new processing technologies, improved oilseeds with trait-enhanced or modified oils, a switch to commodity oils, and the resurgence of tropical oils and animal-based fats in the marketplace. The U.S. food processing industry consists of about 60 plants producing nearly 300 brand names. Many of these products have been reformulated to 0 g trans fat per serving and often contain reduced saturated fatty acid content as well. Major suppliers have taken different approaches to provide customers with trans fat replacements. One supplier includes both chemically and enzymatically interesterified margarine/shortening oils along with a line of naturally stable oils, lauric fats for confections, and palm-based shortening products in their portfolio. Other commercial approaches include baking shortenings made by modified hydrogenation technologies. High stability trait-modified oils serve as trans fat replacements. Federal dietary guidelines have increasingly emphasized the need for consumption of less saturated fat and for foods that contain low/no Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs). This chapter reviews the steps taken by North American companies to replace TFAs and saturated fats in food oils.
Regulation of the mutually exclusive exons 8a and 8 in the CaV1.2 calcium channel transcript by polypyrimidine tract-binding protein.

CaV1.2 calcium channels play roles in diverse cellular processes such as gene regulation, muscle contraction, and membrane excitation and are diversified in their activity through extensive alternative splicing of the CaV1.2 mRNA. The mutually exclusive exons 8a and 8 encode alternate forms of transmembrane segment 6 (IS6) in channel domain 1. The human genetic disorder Timothy syndrome is caused by mutations in either of these two CaV1.2 exons, resulting in disrupted Ca2+ homeostasis and severe pleiotropic disease phenotypes. The tissue-specific pattern of exon 8/8a splicing leads to differences in symptoms between patients with exon 8 or 8a mutations. Elucidating the mechanisms controlling the exon 8/8a splicing choice will be important in understanding the spectrum of defects associated with the disease. We found that the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB) mediates a switch from exon 8 to 8a splicing. PTB and its neuronal homolog, nPTB, are widely studied splicing regulators controlling large sets of alternative exons. During neuronal development, PTB expression is down-regulated with a concurrent increase in nPTB expression. Exon 8a is largely repressed in embryonic mouse brain but is progressively induced during neuronal differentiation as PTB is depleted. This splicing repression is mediated by the direct binding of PTB to sequence elements upstream of exon 8a. The nPTB protein is a weaker repressor of exon 8a, resulting in a shift in exon choice when nPTB replaces PTB in cells. These results provide mechanistic understanding of how these two exons, important for human disease, are controlled.
The autocorrelation function of a pseudointegrable system

Abstract The autocorrelation function of a pseudointegrable system is considered. The system consists of “billiards” on plane surface formed out of three squares arranged in an “L” shape. This system has the important property of being constructed from copies of an integrable subsystem, the single square. The motion can be decomposed into a continuous and a discrete part, the unpredictability in the system being associated with the latter. A discrete autocorrelation function is calculated, and its decay properties investigated. Structure found in this autocorrelation function is associated with the continued fraction expansion of the ratio of velocity components. For repeating continued fractions, such as the golden mean, the autocorrelation function exhibits a selfsimilar structure. For the general case of a randomly chosen velocity ratio, we derive the time dependence of the number of occurences of “large” autocorrelation values, which differs from the behavior in integrable and chaotic systems.
Corticobasal Ganglionic Degeneration With Balint's Syndrome

Corticobasal ganglionic degeneration (CBGD) is a neurodegenerative dementia characterized by asymmetric parkinsonism, ideomotor apraxia, myoclonus, dystonia, and the alien hand syndrome. This report describes a patient with CBGD who developed Balint's syndrome with simultanagnosia, oculomotor apraxia, and optic ataxia.