cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary Computation for the identification of emergent behavior in autonomous systems

Over the past several years the Center for Evolutionary Computation and Automated Design at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a technique based on Evolutionary Computational Methods (ECM) that allows for the automated optimization of complex computationally modeled systems. An important application of this technique is for the identification of emergent behaviors in autonomous systems. Mobility platforms such as rovers or airborne vehicles are now being designed with autonomous mission controllers that can find trajectories over a solution space that is larger than can reasonably be tested. It is critical to identify control behaviors that are not predicted and can have surprising results (both good and bad). These emergent behaviors need to be identified, characterized and either incorporated into or isolated from the acceptable range of control characteristics. We use cluster analysis of automatically retrieved solutions to identify isolated populations of solutions with divergent behaviors.
Nonlinear spatio-temporal noise suppression techniques with applications in image sequence processing

Statistical properties of the spatiotemporal center weighted median (CWM) filter for image sequences are investigated. It is statistically shown that the CWM filter preserves image structures under motion at the expense of noise suppression. To improve the CWM filter, an adaptive CWM (ACWM) filter having a variable central weight is presented. It is shown that the ACWM filter can preserve image structures under motion while suppressing noise, and thus can be effectively used in image sequence filtering. >
Recent progress in designing inhibitors that target the drug‐resistant M2 proton channels from the influenza A viruses

Influenza viruses are the causative agents for seasonal influenza, which results in thousands of deaths and millions of hospitalizations each year. Moreover, sporadic transmission of avian or swan influenza viruses to humans often leads to an influenza pandemic, as there is no preimmunity in the human body to fight against such novel strains. The metastable genome of the influenza viruses, coupled with the reassortment of different strains from a wide range of host origins, leads to the continuous evolution of the influenza virus diversity. Such characteristics of influenza viruses present a grand challenge in devising therapeutic strategies to combat influenza virus infection. This review summarizes recent progress in designing small molecule inhibitors that target the drug-resistant influenza A virus M2 proton channels and highlights the contribution of mechanistic studies of proton conductance to drug discovery. The lessons learned throughout the course of M2 drug discovery might provide insights for designing inhibitors that target other therapeutically important ion channels.
A Serum protein-based algorithm for the detection of Alzheimer's disease

Conclusions: These initial data suggest that serum protein-based biomarkers can be combined with clinical information to accurately classify AD. A disproportionate number of inflammatory and vascular markers were weighted most heavily in the analyses. Additionally, these markers consistently distinguished cases from controls in significant analysis of microarray, logistic regression, and Wilcoxon analyses, suggesting the existence of an inflammatory-related endophenotype of AD that may provide targeted therapeutic opportunities for this subset of patients.
Societal Development, Social Equality, and Homicide: A Cross-National Test of a Durkheimian Model

The purpose of this paper is to formulate and test a Durkheimian model of societal development and homicide. Relying heavily on Anthony Giddens' recent reinterpretation of the Division of Labor, we argue that development has no overall effect on the societal homicide rate primarily because the egalitarian changes accompanying development make for new forms of social solidarity. Our theory leads us to predict that there will be no significant zeroorder relationship between development and homicide, a positive partial effect of measures of moral individualism on homicide, and a negative partial effect of a measure of equality on homicide. The results of a cross-sectional analysis for a sample of 50 nations provide partial support for the theory. In a series of works spanning roughly the past decade, Anthony Giddens (a, b, c) has challenged the orthodox interpretation of Durkheim's social theory. This interpretation, developed most fully by Parsons and Nisbet, stresses the conservative nature of Durkheim's thought. Durkheim is depicted as an order theorist. His main concern, according to this view, is to propose a solution to the Hobbessian problem of order, a solution which emphasizes the need for a strong consensus to prevent the degeneration of society into the war of each against all. Social change, the argument continues, potentially threatens the strength of the extremely fragile societal consensus. Durkheim is thus seen as being highly suspicious of social change and fearful of its consequences. Giddens argues forcefully against this conservative interpretation of Durkheim's thought and proceeds to draw out the implications for political sociology of a revised reading of Durkheim. These implications, however, are not confined to political sociology per se. It is our position that Gid
The Negative Consequences of Threat A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Investigation of the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Women's Underperformance in Math

This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify the neural structures associated with women's underperformance on math tasks. Although women in a control condition recruited neural networks that are associated with mathematical learning (i.e., angular gyrus, left parietal and prefrontal cortex), women who were reminded of gender stereotypes about math ability did not recruit these regions, and instead revealed heightened activation in a neural region associated with social and emotional processing (ventral anterior cingulate cortex).
Fluorination by Sulfur Tetrafluoride

Although sulfur tetrafluoride is a remarkably versatile agent for selectively introducing fluorine atoms into organic compounds, its existence was doubted as late as 1950. A colorless gas boiling at -38o C, sulfur tetrafluoride was probably first made by treatment of sulfur with uranium hexafluoride and subsequently by the reaction of sulfur with cobalt(III) fluoride. Both products were of questionable purity. In 1950 sulfur tetrafluoride was unequivocally synthesized by electrical decomposition of trifluormethylsulfur pentafluoride. It was not until 1955 that gram amounts were prepared and thus making sulfur tetrafluoride a viable compound. This led the way for the discovery of its remarkable fluorinating ability. The ability of sulfur tetrafluoride to replace carbonyl oxygen selectively is probably the most useful synthetic application. Keywords: sulfur tetrafluoride; fluorination; aldehydes; alcohols; ketones; carboxylic acids; esters; amides; anhydrides; organic halides; amines; carbon-nitrogen bonds; thiocarbonyl compounds; haloalkanes; preparation; experimental conditions
Land Subsidence Due to Ground-Water Development

In several areas in California, intensive development of ground water has been accompanied by marked subsidence of the land surface. This paper presents a brief description of the subsidence in six areas, outlines the principal problems that have developed, describes what is being dont at the present time to determine the causes, and suggests additional work needed as a basis for making plans to alleviate or minimize the various problems caused by land subsidence.
Statistical–Dynamical Seasonal Forecast of North Atlantic and U.S. Landfalling Tropical Cyclones Using the High-Resolution GFDL FLOR Coupled Model

AbstractRetrospective seasonal forecasts of North Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the period 1980–2014 are conducted using a GFDL high-resolution coupled climate model [Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution (FLOR)]. The focus is on basin-total TC and U.S. landfall frequency. The correlations between observed and model predicted basin-total TC counts range from 0.4 to 0.6 depending on the month of the initial forecast. The correlation values for U.S. landfalling activity based on individual TCs tracked from the model are smaller and between 0.1 and 0.4. Given the limited skill from the model, statistical methods are used to complement the dynamical seasonal TC prediction from the FLOR model. Observed and predicted TC tracks were classified into four groups using fuzzy c-mean clustering to evaluate the model’s predictability in observed classification of TC tracks. Analyses revealed that the FLOR model has the highest skill in predicting TC frequency for the cluster of TCs that tracks through ...
Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum Certification of the Premier I Business Jet

Recent implementation of the reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) has reduced the vertical separation between aircraft to 1,000 feet for altitudes between 29,000 and 41,000 feet in the North Atlantic airspace and in Europe. During initial certification RVSM flight testing of the Raytheon Premier I (Model 390), it was determined that the altitude errors varied from one aircraft to another such that the statistical requirements for group RVSM certification could not be met. Laser tracking of specific production aircraft identified variability in the manufacturing of the fuselage and radome in the vicinity of the altitude measuring pitot-static probes. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, in concert with a comprehensive flight test program, confirmed the relationship between the airframe variations and altitude errors. To minimize variations in altitude measurement between aircraft, the pitotstatic probes were moved to a new location on the fuselage and the altitude and airspeed systems recertified. A comprehensive examination of manufacturing methods suggested additional means for controlling the airframe variability in the vicinity of the pitot-static probes. The Premier I received group RVSM certification in December of 2002 as a result of the combined efforts of manufacturing, flight test, and technical groups.
Radiation belt electron acceleration by chorus waves during the 17 March 2013 storm

Local acceleration driven by whistler-mode chorus waves is fundamentally important for accelerating seed electron populations to highly relativistic energies in the outer radiation belt. In this study, we quantitatively evaluate chorus-driven electron acceleration during the 17 March 2013 storm, when the Van Allen Probes observed very rapid electron acceleration up to several MeV within ~12 hours. A clear radial peak in electron phase space density (PSD) observed near L* ~4 indicates that an internal local acceleration process was operating. We construct the global distribution of chorus wave intensity from the low-altitude electron measurements made by multiple Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES) satellites over a broad region, which is ultimately used to simulate the radiation belt electron dynamics driven by chorus waves. Our simulation results show remarkable agreement in magnitude, timing, energy dependence, and pitch angle distribution with the observed electron PSD near its peak location. However, radial diffusion and other loss processes may be required to explain the differences between the observation and simulation at other locations away from the PSD peak. Our simulation results, together with previous studies, suggest that local acceleration by chorus waves is a robust and ubiquitous process and plays a critical role in accelerating injected seed electrons with convective energies (~100 keV) to highly relativistic energies (several MeV).
“Tell Something About the Pictures”: The Content and the Process of Autobiographical Work Among Scrapbookers

Viewing the popular process of making “scrapbooks” as a particular type of autobiographical occasion, I analyze interviews with scrapbookers and others who make up the scrapbooker's community, including industry workers and biographical others (i.e., family and friends). By considering scrapbooks within the autobiographical community in which they are created, I am able to scrutinize the structure of the narratives they contain, the role of the audience in their creation, and the emergence of norms of remembrance among scrapbookers. The narratives recorded in scrapbooks emerge from the bottom up and suggest that scrapbooking is a way to demonstrate the biographical stability necessary to craft an authenticity narrative. Further, I explore how scrapbookers “do autobiography” by uncovering their decision-making process regarding what is worth memorializing. Scrapbookers work through a mnemonic checklist assessing special events and everyday life for its “scrapworthiness.” This paper's contribution centers on describing the process and the content of these atypical autobiographical occasions.
Nonoperative management of esophageal perforations in the newborn.

Abstract Background Esophageal perforation in neonates occurs most often in cases of extreme prematurity and is commonly due to iatrogenic causes. Treatment over recent decades has become more conservative. The purpose of this study was to review cases of esophageal perforation in neonates and to describe the presentation, management, and outcomes. Materials and methods A retrospective chart review was performed for patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code for esophageal perforation treated at our institution between the years 2009 and 2015. Data collected included demographic information, etiology of perforation (specifically focusing on cases secondary to orogastric tube placement), treatment course, time to resumption of enteral feeds, length of antibiotic use, time to subsequent radiographic resolution, and mortality. Results Twenty-five patients met study criteria. The average post-conceptual age at time of diagnosis was 26.5 ± 2.3 wk. All 25 patients were managed nonoperatively with bowel rest, parenteral nutrition, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Enteral feeds were resumed after a median of 8 d (interquartile range [IQR]: 7-11), the median antibiotic duration was 7 d (IQR: 7-10), and the median time to follow-up esophagram was 7 d (IQR: 7-10). Overall, 24 of 25 patients (96%) demonstrated radiological resolution of perforation on initial follow-up esophagram. Four patients died during the study period, but no deaths were related to the diagnosis of esophageal perforation. Conclusions In this largest reported sample of neonates treated for esophageal perforation, nonoperative management with bowel rest, parenteral nutrition, and antibiotics was successful.
Probing quantumness with joint continuous measurements of noncommuting qubit observables

We analyze the continuous measurement of two noncommuting observables for a qubit, and investigate whether the simultaneously observed noisy signals are consistent with the evolution of an equivalent classical system. Following the approach outlined by Leggett and Garg, we show that the readouts violate macrorealistic inequalities for arbitrarily short temporal correlations. Moreover, the derived inequalities are manifestly violated even in the absence of Hamiltonian evolution, unlike for Leggett-Garg inequalities that use a single continuous measurement. Such a violation should indicate the failure of at least one postulate of macrorealism: either physical quantities do not have well-defined values at all times or the measurement process itself disturbs what is being measured. Nevertheless, for measurements of equal strength we are able to construct a classical stochastic model for a spin that perfectly emulates both the qubit evolution and the observed noisy signals, thus emulating the violations; interestingly, this model also requires an unphysical noise to emulate the readouts, which effectively restricts the ability of an observer to learn information about the spin.
Sound Propagation in the Atmosphere

Velocity of Sound. The velocity C with which a change in volume is propagated in a material with Lame’s constants λ and μ, and with the density ρ is given by (1)
Adiposity, Change in Adiposity, and Cognitive Decline in Mid- and Late Life.

Objectives To examine associations between adiposity and adiposity change (loss, stable, gain) and subsequent longitudinal cognitive performance in African Americans in mid and late life. Design Cohort study using linear mixed models. Setting Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy. Participants African-American sibships with hypertension in Jackson, Mississippi (N = 1,108). Measurements Waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) were measured at two examinations 5 years apart. Stable adiposity was defined as values within 5% of the first measure. A composite cognitive Z-score was derived from individual cognitive test Z-scores at two study visits 6 years apart. Results Larger waist circumference was associated with greater rate of cognitive decline during follow-up (beta = −0.0009 per year, P = .001); BMI, change in waist circumference, and change in BMI were not associated with rate of decline. Loss of adiposity in midlife was associated with higher cognitive Z-scores in middle-aged individuals, and loss of adiposity in late life was associated with lower Z-scores in older adults (P = .01 for interaction between waist circumference and age; P = .04 for interaction between BMI and age). Simultaneous inclusion of waist circumference and BMI in the cross-sectional model suggested an association between larger waist circumference and poorer cognitive performance (beta = −0.009, P = .006) and between higher BMI and better cognitive performance (beta = 0.014, P = .06). Conclusion The results suggested a differential pattern of the relationship between adiposity and cognition according to age (mid- or late life) and regional distribution of adiposity.
The Lorentz Force

The (Lorentz-)force law describing the interaction of charged particles with electromagnetic (EM) fields is based primarily on experimental experience. We consider, example by example, how the well-known nonrelativistic Lorentz force dynamics generalizes to relativistic motion. Throughout we use SI units and the relation to Gauss EM units is described. We study first the motion of a charged particle in a constant magnetic field, then follow with the more complex case of motion in a constant electric field. We show that the motion of charged particles can also be described in terms of the EM-potentials \(V,\;\vec{A}\) that generate these fields. We introduce the (non-covariant) transverse gauge constraint to make the field-potential relation unique. We rewrite and present the modified Lorentz force written in terms of these four electromagnetic potentials. We introduce a relativistic, but not yet covariant formulation, finding a conserved canonical momentum. We identify another conserved quantity, the Hamiltonian (energy). We establish a constraint that bears the signature of a 4-dimensional energy-momentum invariant. We exploit the canonical momentum and energy conservation in the study of charged particle orbits in the presence of the Coulomb potential of an atomic nucleus. We point out parallels with relativistic atomic quantum orbits.
Evaluation of Combination Drug Therapy for Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant Inhalation Anthrax in a Murine Model

Bacillus anthracis is considered a likely agent to be used as a bioweapon, and the use of a strain resistant to the first-line antimicrobial treatments is a concern. We determined treatment efficacies against a ciprofloxacin-resistant strain of B. anthracis (Cipr Ames) in a murine inhalational anthrax model. Ten groups of 46 BALB/c mice were exposed by inhalation to 7 to 35 times the 50% lethal dose (LD50) of B. anthracis Cipr Ames spores. Commencing at 36 h postexposure, groups were administered intraperitoneal doses of sterile water for injections (SWI) and ciprofloxacin alone (control groups), or ciprofloxacin combined with two antimicrobials, including meropenem-linezolid, meropenem-clindamycin, meropenem-rifampin, meropenem-doxycycline, penicillin-linezolid, penicillin-doxycycline, rifampin-linezolid, and rifampin-clindamycin, at appropriate dosing intervals (6 or 12 h) for the respective antibiotics. Ten mice per group were treated for 14 days and observed until day 28. The remaining animals were euthanized every 6 to 12 h, and blood, lungs, and spleens were collected for lethal factor (LF) and/or bacterial load determinations. All combination groups showed significant survival over the SWI and ciprofloxacin controls: meropenem-linezolid (P = 0.004), meropenem-clindamycin (P = 0.005), meropenem-rifampin (P = 0.012), meropenem-doxycycline (P = 0.032), penicillin-doxycycline (P = 0.012), penicillin-linezolid (P = 0.026), rifampin-linezolid (P = 0.001), and rifampin-clindamycin (P = 0.032). In controls, blood, lung, and spleen bacterial counts increased to terminal endpoints. In combination treatment groups, blood and spleen bacterial counts showed low/no colonies after 24-h treatments. The LF fell below the detection limits for all combination groups yet remained elevated in control groups. Combinations with linezolid had the greatest inhibitory effect on mean LF levels.
The Ballance Agri-Nutrients Challenge

In June 2010, Greg Delaney began a four-week executive development program known as TEP at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. Delaney worked at New Zealand's largest fertilizer manufacturer Ballance Agri-Nutrients (BAN) as general manager of distribution and logistics. In this role he was responsible for overseeing 45 distribution centers. He was highly interested in the culture of continuous process improvement (CPI) and hoped to play an instrumental role in developing this culture at BAN. But the conservative nature BAN's loyal employees, its ingrained culture, and limited recognition by its managers and other employees of the need to look for ways to reduce costs had the potential of making any type of continuous improvement program difficult to implement. Delany planned to return to his company after his TEP experience with enough tools, insight, and ideas from other TEP participants to implement the CPI culture. Excerpt UVA-OM-1475 Nov. 13, 2012 THE BALLANCE AGRI-NUTRIENTS CHALLENGE In June 2010, Greg Delaney walked into a classroom at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration to begin a four-week executive development program known as the Executive Program (TEP). Delaney, a native New Zealander, had worked at New Zealand's largest fertilizer manufacturer Ballance Agri-Nutrients (BAN) for 10 years, working his way up from distribution center manager to his current role as general manager of distribution and logistics. In this role, Delaney was responsible for overseeing 45 distribution centers, each staffed with two to five employees. Highly interested in the culture of continuous process improvement (CPI), he hoped to play an instrumental role in developing this culture at BAN. He planned to return to his company after his TEP experience with enough tools, insight, and ideas to implement the CPI culture. Delaney had mentally reviewed the situation at BAN in preparation for presenting his strategic leadership challenge to his TEP classmates. Company Culture Ballance Agri-Nutrients was a successful, farmer-owned cooperative of long standing, with approximately 18,000 shareholder customers. Its mandate was to supply farmers' individual nutrient requirements as cost-effectively as possible. BAN had a history of treating its employees well and managing operational improvement activities without a formal system of training and metrics or significant levels of employee involvement. The manufacturing and distribution employees at BAN were mostly conservative, long-term employees with some high school education. It was not uncommon for an employee to have worked for 30 or 40 years at the company, and the typical BAN employee preferred not to stand out from the crowd or be singled out. Therefore, the conservative nature of these loyal employees had the potential of making any type of continuous improvement program difficult to implement. BAN had produced fertilizer for decades, so its culture was ingrained, which also contributed to its resistance to change. . . .
Hepatitis C virus genotypes in the Middle East and North Africa: Distribution, diversity, and patterns

Our objective was to characterize the distribution, diversity and patterns of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Source of data was a database of HCV genotype studies in MENA populated using a series of systematic literature searches. Pooled mean proportions were estimated for each genotype and by country using DerSimonian-Laird random-effects meta-analyses. Genotype diversity within countries was assessed using Shannon Diversity Index. Number of chronic infections by genotype and country was calculated using the pooled proportions and country-specific numbers of chronic infection. Analyses were conducted on 338 genotype studies including 82 257 genotyped individuals. Genotype 1 was dominant (≥50%) in Algeria, Iran, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, and UAE, and was overall ubiquitous across the region. Genotype 2 was common (10-50%) in Algeria, Bahrain, Libya, and Morocco. Genotype 3 was dominant in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Genotype 4 was dominant in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Genotypes 5, 6, and 7 had limited or no presence across countries. Genotype diversity varied immensely throughout MENA. Weighted by population size, MENA's chronic infections were highest among genotype 3, followed by genotype 4, genotype 1, genotype 2, genotype 5, and genotype 6. Despite ubiquitous presence of genotype 1, the vast majority of chronic infections were of genotypes 3 or 4, because of the sizable epidemics in Pakistan and Egypt. Three sub-regional patterns were identified: genotype 3 pattern centered in Pakistan, genotype 4 pattern centered in Egypt, and genotype 1 pattern ubiquitous in most MENA countries.
Dimension reduction in nonparametric models of production

Abstract It is well-known that the convergence rates of nonparametric efficiency estimators (e.g., free-disposal hull and data envelopment analysis estimators) become slower with increasing numbers of input and output quantities (i.e., dimensionality). Dimension reduction is often utilized in non-parametric density and regression where similar problems occur, but has been used in only a few instances in the context of efficiency estimation. This paper explains why the problem occurs in nonparametric models of production and proposes three diagnostics for when dimension reduction might lead to more accurate estimation of efficiency. Simulation results provide additional insight, and suggest that in many cases dimension reduction is advantageous in terms of reducing estimation error. The simulation results also suggest that when dimensionality is reduced, free-disposal hull estimators become an attractive, viable alternative to the more frequently used (and more restrictive) data envelopment analysis estimators. In the context of efficiency estimation, these results provide the first quantification of the tradeoff between information lost versus improvement in estimation error due to dimension reduction. Results from several papers in the literature are revisited to show what might be gained from reducing dimensionality and how interpretations might differ.
Sources of Prescription Medication Misuse Among Young Adults in the United States: The Role of Educational Status.

Objective This study examined prescription drug misuse (PDM), sources of PDM, and substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms as a function of educational status among US young adults based on a large nationally representative sample. Methods Data from the 2009-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health came from a sample of 106,845 young adults aged 18-25 years. Respondents were categorized by educational status and PDM, sources of PDM, other substance use, and SUD symptoms, with analyses performed separately for prescription opioids, stimulants, and sedatives/tranquilizers. Results Prescription opioid (past-year: 11.9%) and sedative/tranquilizer (past-year: 5.8%) misuse were most prevalent among young adults not attending college, especially among high school dropouts. In contrast, full-time college students and college graduates had the highest rates of prescription stimulant misuse (past-year: 4.3% and 3.9%, respectively). Obtaining prescription medications from friends/relatives for free was the most common source of PDM, especially among college students/graduates. Prescription drug misusers who obtained medications from theft/fake prescriptions, purchases, or multiple sources were more likely to report past-year SUDs and had the most severe overall risk profile of concurrent substance use and SUD. More than 70% of past-month prescription drug misusers who reported multiple sources for PDM had at least 1 past-year SUD. Conclusions Sources of PDM vary by educational status among US young adults, and the college environment is associated with sharing prescription medications. Clinicians can help assess an individual's risk for SUD by determining whether the individual engaged in PDM and the source of prescription medication the individual is misusing.
Detection of canola flowering using proximal and aerial remote sensing techniques

In plant breeding, the time and length of flowering are important phenotypes that determine the seed yield potential in plants. Currently, flowering traits are visually assessed, which can be time-consuming, less accurate and subjective. To address this challenge, in this study, proximal and remote sensing with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were applied to monitor the canola flowers in a breeding trial with 35 varieties. Visible digital images (RGB) acquired were processed to extract the flowering features. The results indicated that flowering features extracted from both proximal and aerial images were significantly and positively correlated (P < 0.0001) with each other and with visual ratings. In general, aerial imaging overestimated canola flowering rates, which could be resulting from lower resolution at measured altitude (30 m), and rendered lower correlation coefficients (r = 0.53 – 0.62) with visual ratings. Proximal sensing resulted in better estimation of canola flowering with r ranging from 0.65 to 0.91. This study indicated that remote sensing can be used for high-throughput phenotyping of canola flowers with confidence. High-throughput phenotyping techniques will potentially improve the throughput and objectivity of detecting flowers in canola and other crops, and contribute to the development of new cultivars in breeding programs and yield estimation in precision agriculture.
"Parknerships" for sustainable relevance: Perspectives from the San Francisco Bay Area

“Parknerships” (park partnerships) are an innovative means of enhancing people’s connections with conserved spaces and stories, drawing on the combined strengths of multiple organizations. As a specific type of collaboration, a parknership is focused among parks-related organizations sharing common goals of building positive experiences for individuals, the community, and the environment. The need for parknerships is heightened in complex settings like urban areas, and with national organizations concerned with local relevance, such as the National Park Service (NPS). Although parknerships have emerged as a crucial mode of local connection and are increasingly highlighted in park guidance, scant information exists on what mechanisms contribute to their long-term, multi-effort success. We seek to address this by investigating what elements contribute to a sustainable and successful parknership. To frame this inquiry, we drew from the concept of relevance and framework of collective impact. Using semi-structured interviews (n = 14) with NPS and partners in the San Francisco Bay Area (an urban area with rich cultural diversity and long environmental history), we elicited understanding of sustainable parknerships. Participants emphasized the importance of the parknerships’ context, process, and goal. Consideration of these intersectional themes may be critical to sustainable, relevance-related collaborations among parknerships.
Rethinking Evaluations of MHealth Systems for Behavior Change

Much of the recent research in mobile health (mHealth) has focused on the development of apps and wearables for promoting healthy behavior changes, such as losing weight, increasing physical activity, or adhering to a medication regimen. These interactive systems help users make changes in their behavior by, for instance, tracking healthrelated activities and states, providing feedback, helping users set and track goals, and facilitating supportive social interactions. We refer to the features that implement such functionality as the system's "intervention components," as they are designed to actuate psychosocial mechanisms (e.g., modeling, selfefficacy, positive reinforcement, etc.) thought to mediate the behavior change process. As with any other type of behavioral intervention, mHealth systems are only effective for some users and some of the time, but insofar as they do work, they do so mainly through the mechanisms of change that are activated via users' interactions with the system's intervention components.
Adversarial Geometry-Aware Human Motion Prediction

We explore an approach to forecasting human motion in a few milliseconds given an input 3D skeleton sequence based on a recurrent encoder-decoder framework. Current approaches suffer from the problem of prediction discontinuities and may fail to predict human-like motion in longer time horizons due to error accumulation. We address these critical issues by incorporating local geometric structure constraints and regularizing predictions with plausible temporal smoothness and continuity from a global perspective. Specifically, rather than using the conventional Euclidean loss, we propose a novel frame-wise geodesic loss as a geometrically meaningful, more precise distance measurement. Moreover, inspired by the adversarial training mechanism, we present a new learning procedure to simultaneously validate the sequence-level plausibility of the prediction and its coherence with the input sequence by introducing two global recurrent discriminators. An unconditional, fidelity discriminator and a conditional, continuity discriminator are jointly trained along with the predictor in an adversarial manner. Our resulting adversarial geometry-aware encoder-decoder (AGED) model significantly outperforms state-of-the-art deep learning based approaches on the heavily benchmarked H3.6M dataset in both short-term and long-term predictions.
Danger in Public Spaces: Strengths and Limitations of Image- and Text-Based Warning Signs.

This study examines the effectiveness of images on warning signs that communicate risk and risk avoidance in public spaces. Specifically, I compared data from 749 survey responses to determine whet...
Accelerating TensorFlow with Adaptive RDMA-Based gRPC

Google's TensorFlow is one of the most popular Deep Learning frameworks nowadays. Distributed TensorFlow supports various channels to efficiently transfer tensors, such as gRPC over TCP/IP, gRPC+Verbs, and gRPC+MPI. At present, the community lacks a thorough characterization of distributed TensorFlow communication channels. This is critical because high-performance Deep Learning with TensorFlow needs an efficient communication runtime. Thus, we conduct a thorough analysis of the communication characteristics of distributed TensorFlow. Our studies show that none of the existing channels in TensorFlow can support adaptive and efficient communication for Deep Learning workloads with different message sizes. Moreover, the community needs to maintain these different channels while the users are also expected to tune these channels to get the desired performance. Therefore, this paper proposes a unified approach to have a single gRPC runtime (i.e., AR-gRPC) in TensorFlow with Adaptive and efficient RDMA protocols. In AR-gRPC, we propose designs such as hybrid communication protocols, message pipelining and coalescing, zero-copy transmission etc. to make our runtime be adaptive to different message sizes for Deep Learning workloads. Our performance evaluations show that AR-gRPC can significantly speedup gRPC performance by up to 4.1x and 2.3x compared to the default gRPC design on IPoIB and another RDMA-based gRPC design in the community. Comet supercomputer shows that AR-gRPC design can reduce the Point-to-Point latency by up to 75% compared to the default gRPC design. By integrating our AR-gRPC with TensorFlow, we can achieve up to 3x distributed training speedup over default gRPC-IPoIB based TensorFlow.
Schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports in an alternative education setting: Examining the risk and protective factors of responders and non-responders

This research examined the risk and protective factors of responders and nonresponders to a schoolwide implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW-PBIS) within an alternati...
NEPA, the ESA, and the Tradeoffs of Interagency Coordination

An analysis of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) comparing it to analogous provisions in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) illustrates the value of a careful exploration of interagency coordination-not only the choices that exist for policymakers in deciding the extent to which regulatory authority should be coordinated, but also how policymakers should assess such allocations on a function-by-function basis. Both statutes rely on mechanisms for coordinating certain functions of federal agencies. The chapter argues that NEPA would likely have been more effective if it had extended coordination obligations to information distribution, compliance monitoring, and possibly even project implementation. It suggests that the ESA illustrates one form that formal interagency coordination of implementation and post-decision monitoring might take. The chapter ultimately argues that policymakers should consider the tradeoffs of interagency coordination and independence on a function-by-function basis.
Ubiquitous Power Electronics in Future Power Systems: Recommendations to Fully Utilize Fast Control Capabilities

Power systems worldwide are evolving toward a new mix of generating resources, transmission networks, and consumption devices, driven by economic development, environmental sustainability, and deep electrification. The resource mix has been changing in recent years with rapidly growing inverterbased resources such as wind, solar generation, and battery storage. The electricity infrastructure is also evolving, being augmented with dc power lines, flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS), and solid-state transformers. Electric loads are being transformed by the electrification of end uses such as electric vehicles (EVs) as well as the adoption of new grid interfaces such as variable frequency drives and digital power supplies. All these evolutions have one thing in common-power electronics. They all need power electronics to connect to the rest of the power system (Figure 1). As a result, a high percentage of electricity will be generated, transmitted, and consumed by power electronics in the future power system.
Oncolytic HSV Therapy Modulates Vesicular Trafficking Inducing Cisplatin Sensitivity and Antitumor Immunity.

Purpose: Here we investigated the impact of oncolytic herpes simplex virus (HSV) treatment on cisplatin sensitivity of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, and the impact of the combination on immunotherapy. Experimental Design: Therapeutic efficacy of the combination was assessed in platinum-resistant human and murine ovarian cancer peritoneal metastatic mouse models (n = 9–10/group). RNA sequencing along with flow cytometry of splenocytes from treated mice was employed to examine the effect of antitumor immune response (n = 3/group). Anti-PD-1 antibody was performed to evaluate impact on checkpoint inhibition in vivo. Results: Gene Ontology pathway analysis uncovered disruption of cellular extracellular vesicle (EV)-related pathways in infected cells (FDR = 2.97E-57). Mechanistically, we identified reduced expression of transporters expressed on EV implicated in cisplatin efflux. The increased cisplatin retention led to increased cisplatin–DNA adducts, which resulted in micronuclei and the subsequent activation of cGAS–STING pathway with a significant activation of innate immune cells and translated to an increase in antitumor immunity and efficacy. In mice bearing platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, we also observed a feedback induction of PD-L1 on tumor cells, which sensitized combination-treated mice to anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint therapy. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report to show HSV-induced cisplatin retention in infected cells. The consequential increased damaged DNA was then expelled from cells as micronuclei which resulted in induction of inflammatory responses and education of antitumor immunity. The combination therapy also created an environment that sensitized tumors to immune checkpoint therapy.
The Value of Statistics Contributing to Scoring in the NBA: A Quantitative Approach:

We model three years of National Basketball Association (NBA) data to calculate the number of points generated from assists, offensive rebounds, and steals. We partition the data into eight groups ...
A personal learning environment (PLE) approach to mobile teaching and learning on a short-term study abroad

Abstract This Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research examines the effectiveness of a personal learning environment (PLE) approach in using mobile technology for experiential learning during a study abroad to China. Thematic qualitative analysis of 21 undergraduate students' written post-trip reflections on their experiences revealed valuable benefits and challenges of the PLE utilizing students' personal mobile devices in real time. Recommendations are offered for program leaders, educators, and trainers with a vested interest in learners’ engagement and experiential learning. Sharing these findings with the teaching community at large makes unique and significant contributions to the SoTL literature.
The interactive effect of anxiety sensitivity and negative smoking cessation cognitions on reductions in cigarette consumption during acute cessation.

Abstract Introduction Anxiety sensitivity (AS) as well as negative cognitions about one’s ability to quit smoking represent cognitive-affective vulnerabilities implicated in smoking cessation success. However, the extent to which one’s perceived sensitivity to anxiety and cessation-related cognitions uniquely and interactively affect acute abstinence outcomes has not been examined. The current study examined the interactive effects of AS and cessation cognitions on percent reductions in cigarettes smoked during the first 24-h of a quit attempt. Methods Adult cessation-motivated smokers (n = 64; Mage = 34.21, SD = 11.49) completed a planned quit attempt. AS and cessation cognitions were evaluated prior to quit day. Percent cigarette reduction was assessed by number of cigarettes smoked the day before and during the first 24 h of the quit attempt. Results Significant interactive effects between AS and cessation cognitions (i.e., expectation of success in quitting, intolerance of withdrawal symptoms, and lack of cognitive coping) were observed. Consistent with hypotheses, individuals reporting higher AS and a greater perceived ability to tolerate withdrawal as well as a greater expectation of success reported larger reductions in cigarettes post quit compared to those who did not endorse these beliefs. Unexpectedly, individuals reporting lower AS who did not endorse the belief that they should be able to tolerate withdrawal discomfort, or a lack of cognitive coping, reported larger reductions compared to those who did endorse this belief. Conclusion AS may interact with specific cessation cognitions. Pre-cessation beliefs that individuals will be successful and be able to tolerate withdrawal symptoms may support cessation efforts.
Modeling region based regimes for COVID-19 mitigation: An inverse Gompertz approach to coronavirus infections in the USA, New York, and New Jersey

Abstract The world tried to control the spread of COVID-19 at national and regional levels through various mitigation strategies In the first wave of infections the most extreme strategies included large scale national and regional lockdowns or stay-at-home orders One major side-effect of large scale lockdowns was the shuttering of the economy, leading to massive layoffs, loss of income and livelihood Lockdowns were justified in part by scientific models (computer forecast and simulations) that assumed exponential growth in infections and predicted millions of fatalities without these ?Non-pharmaceutical interventions? (NPI) Some scientists questioned these assumptions Regions that followed other softer mitigation strategies such as work from home, crowd limits, use of masks, individual quarantining, basic social-distancing, testing and tracing ? at least in the first wave of infections- saw similar health outcomes Clear results were confusing, complicated and difficult to assess Ultimately, in the US, what kind of mitigation strategy was enforced became a political decision only partly based on scientific models We do not test for what levels of NPI are necessary for appropriate management of the first wave of the pandemic Rather we use the ?inverse-fitting Gompertz function? methodology suggested by anti-lockdown advocate and Nobel Laureate Dr Levitts to estimate the rate of growth/decline in COVID-19 infections as well to determine when disease peaking occurred Our estimates may help predict levels of first wave infections in the future and help a region to monitor new outbreaks prior to opening its economy The inverse fitting function is applied to the first wave of infections in the U S and in the hard hit New York and New Jersey regions for the time period March to June 2020 This is the earliest days of pandemic in the US The estimates for the rates of growth/decline are computed and used to predict underlying future infections, so that decision makers can monitor the disease threat as they open their economies This preliminary and exploratory analysis and findings are discussed briefly and presented primarily in charts and tables but the following waves of disease diffusion are not included and certainly were not anticipated
Activation of KCNQ (KV7) K+ channels in enteric neurons inhibits epithelial Cl- secretion in mouse distal colon.

Voltage-gated Kv7 (KCNQ family) K+ channels are expressed in many neuronal populations and play an important role in regulating membrane potential by generating a hyperpolarizing K+ current and dec...
Investigating the root cause of WAC Vt fliers and Control plan for RF FEM : Yield Enhancement

We investigated and resolved the problem of WAC (wafer acceptable criteria) FET threshold voltage (Vt) fliers in a 130nm technology. Our investigation shows that failed Vt sites on the test maps are due to the incomplete resist removal at boron well implant level (P2 level). Test maps showed strong correlation with subsequent photo defect inspection (PDI) steps. PDI inspections show resist residues of the prior level. We also noticed that the photolithography rework rate increased for the subsequent level. TEM analysis on the failed site confirmed the presence of resist residues, which blocked subsequent implants. We correlated the failed wafers to the P2 level resist removal tools. Our study showed that switching to and customizing a plasma strip tool with direct contact heated chamber improved the resist removal process. With these changes the WAC Vt fliers were removed.