cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Variability in Egg Size and Energetic Content Among Intertidal Mussels

Maternal investment is a fundamentally impor- tant parameter in life-history theory and models, yet the scales at which it varies (among individuals vs. among populations) is rarely reported. In this study, variability in attributes of eggs and early larvae of Mytilus californianus was examined from four sites spanning Point Conception, California, in June and September 2001. The effects of female, site, and month were examined for the following variables: egg volume (l), egg energy content (g carbon per egg), and initial larval size (m). The only significant effect on both egg traits was that of female. Females dif- fered by up to 57% in mean egg volume and 116% in mean egg energetic content. Although there were significant ef- fects of rearing environment, female, site, and month on initial larval size, variability in larval length was small compared to the egg traits. Mean larval length was maxi- mally 11% different among females. Neither female body weight nor length was correlated to mean offspring traits, and there were also no significant relationships between egg traits and initial larval size. The primary source of variation in maternal investment in this system appears to be among individual females rather than over space or time.
Towards event source unobservability with minimum network traffic in sensor networks

Sensors deployed to monitor the surrounding environment report such information as event type, location, and time when a real event of interest is detected. An adversary may identify the real event source through eavesdropping and traffic analysis. Previous work has studied the source location privacy problem under a local adversary model. In this work, we aim to provide a stronger notion: event source unobservability, which promises that a global adversary cannot know whether a real event has ever occurred even if he is capable of collecting and analyzing all the messages in the network at all the time. Clearly, event source unobservability is a desirable and critical security property for event monitoring applications, but unfortunately it is also very difficult and expensive to achieve for resource-constrained sensor network.Our main idea is to introduce carefully chosen dummy traffic to hide the real event sources in combination with mechanisms to drop dummy messages to prevent explosion of network traffic. To achieve the latter, we select some sensors as proxies that proactively filter dummy messages on their way to the base station. Since the problem of optimal proxy placement is NP-hard, we employ local search heuristics. We propose two schemes (i) Proxy-based Filtering Scheme (PFS) and (ii) Tree-based Filtering Scheme (TFS) to accurately locate proxies. Simulation results show that our schemes not only quickly find nearly optimal proxy placement, but also significantly reduce message overhead and improve message delivery ratio. A prototype of our scheme was implemented for TinyOS-based Mica2 motes.
Development of a Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric generator with high aspect-ratio free-standing legs.

A bismuth telluride alloy-based thermoelectric generator with high-aspect ratio, free-standing legs was fabricated. Such legs are desirable for efficient generator performance from low-grade heat sources but are difficult to assemble because they are fragile and difficult to handle and position. Plunge and wire electro-discharge machining (EDM) were used to produce 150 μm × 300 μm legs, approximately 6-mm long, with high fidelity. Removal of recast material from EDM was necessary for good adhesion of metallization, but sputter etching was found to deteriorate the mechanical strength of the contacts. A wet chemical cleaning process was developed instead that resulted in good adhesion under test conditions. Au was preferred for designs where interconnects could be patterned directly on the module. Module figure of merit (ZT) was 0.72, close to the 0.85 value expected from bulk material property measurements. Impedance spectroscopy and the Harman technique were shown to significantly underestimate module ZT in the present test configuration. Shear and fatigue testing were performed on arrays of high-aspect ratio legs. Legs survived over 104 cycles of shear loading at 90% of the load to failure.
A low-voltage lateral MEMS switch with high RF performance

MEMS switches are one of the most promising future micromachined products that have attracted numerous research efforts in recent years. The majority of MEMS switches reported to date employ electrostatic actuation, which requires large actuation voltages. Few are lateral relays and those often require nonstandard post process, and none of them is intended for high-frequency applications. We have developed an electrothermally actuated lateral-contact microrelay for RF applications. It is designed and fabricated on both low-resistivity and high-resistivity silicon substrate using surface micromachining techniques. The microrelay utilizing the parallel six-beam actuator requires an actuation voltage of 2.5-3.5 V. Time response is measured to be 300 /spl mu/s and maximum operating frequency is 2.1 kHz. The RF signal line has a current handling capability of approximately 50 mA. The microrelay's power consumption is in the range of 60-100 mW. The lateral contact mechanism of the microrelay provides a high RF performance. The microrelay has an off-state isolation of -20 dB at 40 GHz and an insertion loss of -0.1 dB up to 50 GHz. The simplicity of this 4-mask fabrication process enables the possibility of integrating the microrelay with other passive RF MEMS components.
The Impact of Business Education on Moral Judgment Competence: An Empirical Study

This study uses theories of moral reasoning and moral competence to investigate how university codes of ethics, perceptions of ethical culture, academic pressure from significant others, and ethics pedagogy are related to the moral development of students. Results suggest that ethical codes and student perceptions of such codes affect their perceptions of the ethical nature of the cultures within these institutions. In addition, faculty and student discussion of ethics in business courses is significantly and positively related to moral competence among students. Our results point to the need to further examine the connections among academic institutional structures, ethics pedagogy, and students’ moral development.
Implementation, Characterization, and Evaluation of an Inexpensive Low-Power Low-Noise Infrasound Sensor Based on a Micromachined Differential Pressure Transducer and a Mechanical Filter

AbstractThe implementation, characterization, and evaluation of a low-cost infrasound sensor developed at the Infrasound Laboratory at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Infra-NMT) are described. This sensor is based on a commercial micromachined piezoresistive differential pressure transducer that uses a mechanical high-pass filter to reject low-frequency outband energy. The sensor features a low-noise, 2.02-mPa rms (0.5–2 Hz), 5.47-mPa rms (0.1–20 Hz), or 5.62-mPa rms (0.05–20 Hz), flat response between 0.01 and at least 40 Hz; inband sensitivity of 45.13 ± 0.23 μV Pa−1; and a nominal linear range from −124.5 to +124.5 Pa. Intended for outdoor applications, the influence of thermal changes in the sensor’s response has been minimized by using a thermal compensated pressure transducer powered by an ultralow drift (<5 ppm °C−1) and noise (<4μV from peak to peak) voltage reference. The sensor consumes a minimum of 24 mW and operates with voltages above 8 V while drawing 3 mA of current. The ...
A pairwise additive description of sedimentation and diffusion in concentrated suspensions of hard spheres

Abstract Both general and specific results are presented for the sedimentation velocity and the mutual and self-diffusion coefficients in concentrated suspensions of monodisperse spheres. A statistical mechanical analysis of sedimentation-diffusion equilibrium affirms the generalized Stokes-Einstein equation relating the mutual diffusion coefficient to the sedimentation coefficient and the osmotic compressibility. An integral representation of velocities within a homogeneous suspension of particles subject to an external force leads to the mean sedimentation velocity in terms of ensemble averages of nearfield hydrodynamic interactions plus far-field contributions arising from the renormalization of non-convergent integrals. A simpler analysis determines the self-diffusion coefficient. All three results apply to arbitrary volume fractions and interaction potentials. To evaluate these explicitly we assume particle velocities to be pairwise additive and thus determined from the exact two sphere mobilities. Then the equilibrium radial distribution function for hard spheres, available from the Percus-Yevick theory for dense fluids, characterizes the microstructure, in the absence of long-ranged potentials, for low Peclet numbers. The results conform to the known dilute limits and deviate correctly at slightly higher volume fractions. Unfortunately, at still higher concentrations all three coefficients become negative, indicating the failure of pairwise additivity. Nonetheless, the formal approach provides an exact and general treatment of these transport processes in concentrated suspensions. Furthermore the shortcomings of pairwise additivity, which arise from screening due to intervening particles, can be corrected by either an ad hoc mean-field treatment suggested here or systematic inclusion of three-body effects.
Auditor Fees and Going-Concern Reporting Decisions on Bankrupt Companies: Additional Evidence

SUMMARY: The recent growth in non-audit services (NAS) at the major audit firms has the attention of auditing regulators. On several occasions recently, board members of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) have indicated that the rise in NAS may place auditor independence at risk (Harris 2014; Tysiac 2014). Impaired independence can result in audit failure, which includes situations when auditors fail to issue going-concern (GC) audit opinions to soon-to-be bankrupt companies. In this paper, I examine the association between the propensity of auditors to issue GC opinions and NAS fees (and audit fees) to 203 bankrupt companies during 2002–2013. In analysis, I find no significant relation between GC decisions and NAS fees and audit fees. My results may interest U.S. regulators, who recently expressed concerns about the threat to auditor independence from the spike in NAS at the major firms. Data Availability: Publicly available from sources identified in the paper.
Quantitative Tracking of Isotope Flows in Proteomes of Microbial Communities

Stable isotope probing (SIP) has been used to track nutrient flows in microbial communities, but existing protein-based SIP methods capable of quantifying the degree of label incorporation into peptides and proteins have been demonstrated only by targeting usually less than 100 proteins per sample. Our method automatically (i) identifies the sequence of and (ii) quantifies the degree of heavy atom enrichment for thousands of proteins from microbial community proteome samples. These features make our method suitable for comparing isotopic differences between closely related protein sequences, and for detecting labeling patterns in low-abundance proteins or proteins derived from rare community members. The proteomic SIP method was validated using proteome samples of known stable isotope incorporation levels at 0.4%, ∼50%, and ∼98%. The method was then used to monitor incorporation of (15)N into established and regrowing microbial biofilms. The results indicate organism-specific migration patterns from established communities into regrowing communities and provide insights into metabolism during biofilm formation. The proteomic SIP method can be extended to many systems to track fluxes of (13)C or (15)N in microbial communities.
Generalizing Apprenticeship Learning across Hypothesis Classes

This paper develops a generalized apprenticeship learning protocol for reinforcement-learning agents with access to a teacher who provides policy traces (transition and reward observations). We characterize sufficient conditions of the underlying models for efficient apprenticeship learning and link this criteria to two established learnability classes (KWIK and Mistake Bound). We then construct efficient apprenticeship-learning algorithms in a number of domains, including two types of relational MDPs. We instantiate our approach in a software agent and a robot agent that learn effectively from a human teacher.
Pricing Restaurant Reservations: Dealing with No-Shows

Reservation no-shows lead to wasted capacity in restaurants. In this paper we consider two remedies: punishing no-shows by charging fees and encouraging show-ups by giving discounts. We model the restaurant as a service queue and its reservation policy as an advance selling strategy. When customers make reservations in advance, they face uncertainty in the value of (future) consumption. Reservation holders commit to show up and bear the risk of incurring a no-show penalty in return for a no-wait guarantee. We solve for the restaurant’s optimal pricing policy and no-show penalty. Our analysis suggests that restaurants should charge a no-show penalty as high as the price of meal while giving a discount to reservation holders for the meal. These results are consistent with the current practice of some high-end restaurants selling non-refundable tickets for their prix-xe menus where ticket holders lose the face value of the ticket when they fail to show up. Also, there are online reservation systems that give discounts to customers making restaurant reservations through their website. Our results also suggest that as a restaurant faces a larger potential market, it should allocate less capacity for reservation customers. When the market size exceeds a certain threshold, the restaurant is better o if it stops taking reservations.
Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes

Of the many causes of bone marrow failure, some are associated with syndromes that affect only hematopoiesis and peripheral blood counts, whereas others present with more systemic manifestations. The genetic and molecular basis of many of these disorders is being investigated with better understanding of the pathogenesis as the goal of research. Most of these syndromes can be treated with supportive care for variable periods of time, but stem cell transplant offers the only hope for cure in many cases.
Reduction of immature Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in woodlots by application of desiccant and insecticidal soap formulations.

The efficacy of two commerically available formulations of a desiccant and insecticidal soap were compared with chlorpyrifos wettable powder (0.6 kg [AI]/ha) against the immatures of Ixodes scapularis Say in a woodlot in Westchester County, New York. The desiccant formulation (Drione) was applied at 61.04 kg/ha and an insecticidal soap (Safer's) was applied as a mixture (39 ml concentrate per liter of water) at 107 liters/ha. By 1 wk after application, all treatments significantly reduced the density of nymphs in comparison to untreated plots. Only plots treated with chlorpyrifos had significantly reduced nymphal densities 2 wk after application. By 6 wk after application, there were no differences in nymphal density between treated and untreated plots, which was likely the result of a decline in overall nymphal populations. None of the treatments against nymphs affected larval densities sampled 6 wk after application. Larval density was significantly lower 1 wk after application in plots treated with chlorpyrifos and Safer's insecticidal soap than in untreated plots. By 2 wk after treatment, only plots treated with chlorpyrifos had lower larval densities than untreated plots. Results indicate that the desiccant Drione and Safer's insecticidal soap are good for short-term control of immature I. scapularis .
Popcorn moments: Feminist principles in family medicine education

Feminist principles are rare in medical education and in the practice of medicine. The authors are feminist family therapists and feminist health communication scholars who are faculty in a department of family medicine. In this paper, they present their use of a feminist perspective and feminist methods in their teaching of family physicians in training. The use of a live supervision practicum, imported from marriage and family therapy training, is described as an example of how feminist family therapists can bring a much-needed but rarely taught perspective to medical education. This perspective represents a paradigm shift away from the traditional model in medicine, one that is based on objectivity and separateness, to a more empathic and connected stance which shifts power in the physician-patient relationship.
Charge and Size Selective Molecular Transport by Amphiphilic Organic Nanotubes

Amphiphilic constructs with accessible, nanometer-size cavities can enable selective encapsulation, separation, and purification of nanomaterials and biomacromolecules on a similar length scale. We have developed a new method for the fabrication of amphiphilic organic nanotubes from multicomponent bottlebrush copolymers with triblock terpolymer side chains. The obtained nanotubes were demonstrated to be very effective and highly selective carriers for positively charged molecules and nanometer-size macromolecules by means of liquid–liquid extractions. Unprecedented discrimination between dendrimers with about 2 nm size differential was achieved.
Parental investment responses to a low birth weight outcome: who compensates and who reinforces?

This study analyzes how parental investment responds to a low birth weight (LBW) outcome and finds important differences in investment responses by maternal education. High school dropouts reinforce a LBW outcome by providing less investment in the human capital of their LBW children relative to their normal birth weight children whereas higher educated mothers compensate by investing more in their LBW children. In addition, an increase in the number of LBW siblings present in the home raises investment in a child, which is consistent with reinforcement, but this positive effect tends to be concentrated among high school dropouts. These results suggest that studies analyzing the effects of LBW on child outcomes that do not account for heterogeneity in investment responses to a LBW outcome by maternal education may overestimate effects of LBW on child outcomes for those born to low-educated mothers and underestimate such effects for those born to high-educated mothers.
Incentivizing Decentralized Sanitation: The Role of Discount Rates

In adoption decisions for decentralized sanitation technologies, two decision makers are involved: the public utility and the individual homeowner. Standard life cycle cost is calculated from the perspective of the utility, which uses a market-based discount rate in these calculations. However, both decision-makers must be considered, including their differing perceptions of the time trade-offs inherent in a stream of costs and benefits. This study uses the discount rate as a proxy for these perceptions and decision-maker preferences. The results in two case studies emphasize the dependence on location of such analyses. Falmouth, Massachusetts, appears to be a good candidate for incentivizing decentralized sanitation while the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority service area in Pennsylvania appears to have no need for similar incentives. This method can be applied to any two-party decision in which the parties are expected to have different discount rates.
The Epistemology of Constitutional Discourse (II)

In two imposing works entitled Constitutional Interpretation and Constitutional Construction , Keith Whittington has offered one of the most sophisticated accounts of constitutional interpretation in the recent literature of constitutional theory. The former volume, in particular, addresses the question of whether that form of constitutionalism centered on a written text dictates the originalist approach to interpretation as a, if not the , necessary condition of its possibility. Originalism, of course, is the theory that we should understand constitutional provisions in the terms in which they were understood by those who wrote and ratified those provisions. In Whittington's words: The critical originalist directive is that the Constitution should be interpreted according to the understandings made public at the time of the drafting and ratification. The primary source of those understandings is the text of the Constitution itself, including both its wording and structure. The text is supplemented by a variety of secondary sources of information, however. Historical sources are to be used to elucidate the understanding of the terms involved and to indicate the principles that were supposed to be embodied in them. The guiding principle is that the judge should be seeking to make plain the “meaning understood at the time of the law's enactment.” Does constitutionalism indeed require originalism? Whittington's answer, simply and resoundingly, is: yes. The virtue of Whittington's approach to this question is that he recognizes that we cannot ground adherence to the intentions of the Framers on the claim that the Framers intended that we do so.
Blood rheology and RBC aggregation in patients with angina pectoris and a prior history of myocardial infarction

Several rheological variables were examined in 15 patients with stable or unstable angina pectoris and a prior history of myocardial infarction (MI). Rheologic parameters measured included: hematocrit, whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, degree of RBC aggregation (ZSR), extent and rate of RBC aggregation following statis (Myrenne Aggregometer)
Cardiovascular disease in cancer survivors

Certain cancer therapies, including radiation therapy and some types of chemotherapies, are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and events. Some of these effects such as those presented by anthracyclines, radiation therapy, cisplatin, as well as those presented by hormone therapy for breast cancer-usually taken for many years for some breast and prostate cancers-are long-lasting and associated with cardiovascular events risk more than 20 years after cancer treatment. Cardiovascular testing, diagnostic assessment of suspected cardiovascular symptomatology, as well as laboratory tests for CVD risk factors are imperative. The early recognition and treatment of CVD processes that arise in survivorship years is pivotal, with specific attention to some CVD processes with specific suggested treatment modalities. Preventive measures include adequate screening, the use of medications such as ACE inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers and/or beta blockers, statin therapy and aspirin in persons who warrant these medications, as well as therapeutic lifestyle modifications such as exercise/physical activity, weight loss and appropriate diet for a healthy lifestyle. Periodic follow-up with a good primary care physician who understands the risks associated with cancer therapy is important, and referral to onco-cardiology for further management of cardiovascular risk in these survivors is based on a patient's cardiovascular risk level and the type, amount and duration of cancer therapies received during the patient's lifetime.
Using triangular voltage sweep to detect mobile ions in silicon carbide MOS

Since power devices such as DMOSFETs will operate at high temperature where mobile ion effects are enhanced, identifying their presence is a key reliability issue for power electronics applications. We have detected the presence of mobile ion contamination in some SiC MOS device sample sets and correlated those results with observed high temperature bias instability. The differing behaviors of these devices to bias stressing as a function of temperature suggests that in some cases mobile ion drift may be counteracting the typical charge trapping effect. Initial triangular voltage sweep (TVS) data indicates the presence of roughly 1–4×1012 cm−2 mobile ions in samples where the bias instability significantly decreased with higher temperature, while samples with a nearly flat or positive-trending response showed overall lower ion contaminations of roughly 6–9×1011 cm−2. These results, although preliminary, support the theory that mobile ion contamination is in some cases masking charge trapping-induced instability. In other cases, mobile ions are dominating the response to bias stressing in SiC MOS, especially at elevated temperature.
Exploring traditional and workbench-style kits to support project- and problem-based learning

As project- and problem-based physical prototyping activities become more common in computing and engineering classrooms, it is important to design kits to support desired learning outcomes. The work explored in this paper looks at the effects of organizing physical prototyping materials in individualized (traditional) kits and community (workbench) kits. The findings suggest a correlation in promoting project- or problem-based approaches with organizing materials as traditional or workbench kits.
Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Immune Complex Priming of the Nlrp3 Inflammasome Involves TLR and FcγR Cooperation and Is Dependent on CARD9.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is known to activate inflammatory responses in a variety of cells, especially macrophages and dendritic cells. Interestingly, much of the oxLDL in circulation is complexed to Abs, and these resulting immune complexes (ICs) are a prominent feature of chronic inflammatory disease, such as atherosclerosis, type-2 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Levels of oxLDL ICs often correlate with disease severity, and studies demonstrated that oxLDL ICs elicit potent inflammatory responses in macrophages. In this article, we show that bone marrow–derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) incubated with oxLDL ICs for 24 h secrete significantly more IL-1β compared with BMDCs treated with free oxLDL, whereas there was no difference in levels of TNF-α or IL-6. Treatment of BMDCs with oxLDL ICs increased expression of inflammasome-related genes Il1a , Il1b , and Nlrp3 , and pretreatment with a caspase 1 inhibitor decreased IL-1β secretion in response to oxLDL ICs. This inflammasome priming was due to oxLDL IC signaling via multiple receptors, because inhibition of CD36, TLR4, and FcγR significantly decreased IL-1β secretion in response to oxLDL ICs. Signaling through these receptors converged on the adaptor protein CARD9, a component of the CARD9–Bcl10–MALT1 signalosome complex involved in NF-κB translocation. Finally, oxLDL IC–mediated IL-1β production resulted in increased Th17 polarization and cytokine secretion. Collectively, these data demonstrate that oxLDL ICs induce inflammasome activation through a separate and more robust mechanism than oxLDL alone and that these ICs may be immunomodulatory in chronic disease and not just biomarkers of severity.
Updating Hardy, Littlewood and Pólya with Linear Programming

Some of the standard inequalities that mathematicians use can be proven with convexity arguments or linear programming.1 Perhaps others cannot, so we might say that an inequality is “simple” if there is a convexity based proof. The Cauchy– Schwarz inequality, which may be the most famous and useful inequality ever found is simple in this sense Steele (2004), but there are so many proofs of it that it seems that almost any method will give one, so it may be that it is simple in any sense. The Schwarz inequality can be stated for a general measure space but it easily reduces to the statement that EX2EY 2 ≥ (EXY )2,
Landsat to monitor an endangered beetle population and its habitat: addressing annual life history and imperfect detection

Habitat-based conservation is a priority for the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus Olivier), but its annual life history, dispersal ability, and low detectability contribute to difficulties explaining its decline, identifying manageable habitat characteristics, and mapping its distribution. Objectives of this study were to (i) assess factors affecting detection of beetles with baited pitfall traps, (ii) identify important habitat characteristics, and (iii) map spatio-temporal patterns of habitat quality and beetle abundance. At a military installation in western Arkansas with one of the largest remaining N. americanus populations, 257 sites were surveyed over 5 years using three nights of baited pitfall trapping at each site. Geographic information systems (GIS)-based habitat assessments included three site radii (100, 800, and 1600 m). Year-specific vegetation condition was quantified using satellite images and other GIS data. N-mixture models were used to account for imperfect detection and to assess competing models of beetle abundance and detection. Detection rates (mean = 20%) were dependent on overnight temperature, dew point, and wind speed with upper and lower temperature thresholds beyond which detection was reduced. Habitat assessments were most effective within 800 m site radii, consistent with previous estimates of N. americanus trap sample range. Beetle abundance was associated with grasslands and open-canopy woodlands with rolling topography, sandy loam soils, and moderate patchy disturbances from wildfire. Landsat, unlike vegetation maps, quantified year-specific habitat quality and allowed spatio-temporal population dynamics to be mapped at a yearly time-step for this annual species.
Machine or Human? Evaluating the Quality of a Language Translation Mobile App for Diabetes Education Material.

Background: Diabetes is a major health crisis for Hispanics and Asian Americans. Moreover, Spanish and Chinese speakers are more likely to have limited English proficiency in the United States. One potential tool for facilitating language communication between diabetes patients and health care providers is technology, specifically mobile phones. Objective: Previous studies have assessed machine translation quality using only writing inputs. To bridge such a research gap, we conducted a pilot study to evaluate the quality of a mobile language translation app (iTranslate) with a voice recognition feature for translating diabetes patient education material. Methods: The pamphlet, “You are the heart of your family…take care of it,” is a health education sheet for diabetes patients that outlines three recommended questions for patients to ask their clinicians. Two professional translators translated the original English sentences into Spanish and Chinese. We recruited six certified medical translators (three Spanish and three Chinese) to conduct blinded evaluations of the following versions: (1) sentences interpreted by iTranslate, and (2) sentences interpreted by the professional human translators. Evaluators rated the sentences (ranging from 1-5) on four scales: Fluency, Adequacy, Meaning, and Severity. We performed descriptive analyses to examine the differences between these two versions. Results: Cronbach alpha values exhibited high degrees of agreement on the rating outcomes of both evaluator groups: .920 for the Spanish raters and .971 for the Chinese raters. The readability scores generated using MS Word’s Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for these sentences were 0.0, 1.0, and 7.1. We found iTranslate generally provided translation accuracy comparable to human translators on simple sentences. However, iTranslate made more errors when translating difficult sentences. Conclusions: Although the evidence from our study supports iTranslate’s potential for supplementing professional human translators, further evidence is needed. For this reason, mobile language translation apps should be used with caution. [JMIR Diabetes 2017;2(1):e13]
Muon Reconstruction in the Daya Bay Water Pools

Abstract Muon reconstruction in the Daya Bay water pools would serve to verify the simulated muon fluxes and offer the possibility of studying cosmic muons in general. This reconstruction is, however, complicated by many optical obstacles and the small coverage of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) as compared to other large water Cherenkov detectors. The PMTs’ timing information is useful only in the case of direct, unreflected Cherenkov light. This requires PMTs to be added and removed as an hypothesized muon trajectory is iteratively improved, to account for the changing effects of obstacles and direction of light. Therefore, muon reconstruction in the Daya Bay water pools does not lend itself to a general fitting procedure employing smoothly varying functions with continuous derivatives. Here, an algorithm is described which overcomes these complications. It employs the method of Least Mean Squares to determine an hypothesized trajectory from the PMTs’ charge-weighted positions. This initially hypothesized trajectory is then iteratively refined using the PMTs’ timing information. Reconstructions with simulated data reproduce the simulated trajectory to within about 5°in direction and about 45 cm in position at the pool surface, with a bias that tends to pull tracks away from the vertical by about 3°.
Copper Chaperone CupA and Zinc Control CopY Regulation of the Pneumococcal cop Operon

ABSTRACT Any metal in excess can be toxic; therefore, metal homeostasis is critical to bacterial survival. Bacteria have developed specialized metal import and export systems for this purpose. For broadly toxic metals such as copper, bacteria have evolved only export systems. The copper export system ( cop operon) usually consists of the operon repressor, the copper chaperone, and the copper exporter. In Streptococcus pneumoniae , the causative agent of pneumonia, otitis media, sepsis, and meningitis, little is known about operon regulation. This is partly due to the S. pneumoniae repressor, CopY, and copper chaperone, CupA, sharing limited homology to proteins of putative related function and confirmed established systems. In this study, we examined CopY metal crosstalk, CopY interactions with CupA, and how CupA can control the oxidation state of copper. We found that CopY bound zinc and increased the DNA-binding affinity of CopY by roughly an order of magnitude over that of the apo form of CopY. Once copper displaced zinc in CopY, resulting in operon activation, CupA chelated copper from CopY. After copper was acquired from CopY or other sources, if needed, CupA facilitated the reduction of Cu 2+ to Cu 1+ , which is the exported copper state. Taken together, these data show novel mechanisms for copper processing in S. pneumoniae . IMPORTANCE As mechanisms of copper toxicity are emerging, bacterial processing of intracellular copper, specifically inside Streptococcus pneumoniae , remains unclear. In this study, we investigated two proteins encoded by the copper export operon: the repressor, CopY, and the copper chaperone, CupA. Zinc suppressed transcription of the copper export operon by increasing the affinity of CopY for DNA. Furthermore, CupA was able to chelate copper from CopY not bound to DNA and reduce it from Cu 2+ to Cu 1+ . This reduced copper state is essential for bacterial copper export via CopA. In view of the fact that innate immune cells use copper to kill pathogenic bacteria, understanding the mechanisms of copper export could expose new small-molecule therapeutic targets that could work synergistically with copper against pathogenic bacteria.
Detecting self-ion irradiation-induced void swelling in pure copper using transient grating spectroscopy

Abstract Irradiation-induced void swelling remains a major challenge to nuclear reactor operation. Swelling may take years to initiate and often results in rapid material property degradation once started. Alloy development for advanced nuclear systems will require rapid characterization of the swelling breakaway dose in new alloys, yet this capability does not yet exist. We demonstrate that transient grating spectroscopy (TGS) can detect void swelling in single crystal copper via changes in surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) links the TGS-observed changes with void swelling-induced microstructural evolution. These results are considered in the context of previous work to suggest that in situ TGS will be able to rapidly determine when new bulk materials begin void swelling, shortening alloy development and testing times.
Improving School Attendance through Collaboration: A Catalyst for Community Involvement and Change.

Chronic absenteeism is often referred to as a problem hidden in plain sight (Chang & Romero, 2008). In recent years, more communities around the United States have been intentional on improving stu...
Is "Better Data" Better Than "Better Data Miners"?

We report and fix an important systematic error in prior studies that ranked classifiers for software analytics. Those studies did not (a) assess classifiers on multiple criteria and they did not (b) study how variations in the data affect the results. Hence, this paper applies (a) multi-performance criteria while (b) fixing the weaker regions of the training data (using SMOTUNED, which is an auto-tuning version of SMOTE). This approach leads to dramatically large increases in software defect predictions when applied in a 5*5 cross-validation study for 3,681 JAVA classes (containing over a million lines of code) from open source systems, SMOTUNED increased AUC and recall by 60% and 20% respectively. These improvements are independent of the classifier used to predict for defects. Same kind of pattern (improvement) was observed when a comparative analysis of SMOTE and SMOTUNED was done against the most recent class imbalance technique. In conclusion, for software analytic tasks like defect prediction, (1) data pre-processing can be more important than classifier choice, (2) ranking studies are incomplete without such pre-processing, and (3) SMOTUNED is a promising candidate for pre-processing.
Metropolis: Imagining The Global City

This chapter explores the exhibition Metropolis held at the National Gallery of Victoria’s (NGV) in 2004. It focuses on how interactive and immersive digital media can re-imagine human life within the global city. The predominantly North American cinematic works range from animation to documentary. All are connected by the central question of what is the nature of existence within the global city? They show lives punctuated by the need to connect, questions of cultural identity, global economies, terrorism and the remembrance of home. Each artwork presents a different vision of the global city, shaped by heightened flows of people, media, finance, ideas and technologies.
Application to a System of Equations

The quasi-one-dimensional Euler equations, or gas dynamics equations, are of great practical use to represent phenomena taking place in slowly varying channels and ducts. For large Reynolds numbers, the viscous effects can be neglected, and the result will be useful for understanding steady flow in a converging-diverging nozzle, or unsteady flow in a shock tube. As a time-dependent system, we will see that it is hyperbolic and that the solution can be marched in time. As a steady system, it is a challenging coupled set of nonlinear ODEs of first-order, with singular points. For that reason, it will always be preferable to use the unsteady approach and solve for the steady flows in the limit of very large times.
Binary Thinking, Hope, and Realistic Expectations in Communication with Cancer Patients

Sitting for many years on the ethics committee of our medical center, I have come to recognize that when the details of a complex ethical issue are reviewed, examined from different perspectives, and discussed—i.e., “slowed down”—the analog appearance of the process often breaks down to reveal the digital, yes/no nature of our judgments.
Bone Morphogenic Proteins and Angiogenesis in Developing Tumors

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are multipurpose cytokines that act in both a paracrine and self-autonomous manner. BMP-2 was originally identified for its ability to induce bone formation. BMP-2 and BMP-4 have also been shown to have a critical role in the regulation of stem cells promoting their self-renewal and differentiation. More recently, BMP-2 was demonstrated to be aberrantly expressed in lung and other carcinomas. Studies have suggested that BMP-2 has an important role in cancer biology promoting tumor invasion and metastasis. One essential mechanism may be its ability to induce a neovasculature in tumors. This work reviews the literature that high-lights the role of BMPs inducing angiogenesis in tumors.
NLP and Large-Scale Information Retrieval on Mathematical Texts

We present a recommender system covering math and math physics papers from the arXiv, to assist researchers to quickly retrieve theorems and discover similar results from this vast corpus. The retrieval aims to discover not just syntactic, but also semantic similarity. We will discuss the challenges encountered and the experimental methodologies used.
Watching Screencasts Help Students Learn APA Format Better than Reading the Manual.

Improving students’ knowledge and application of American Psychological Association (APA) formatting rules typically involves spending class time reviewing or practicing these rules. Screencasts (n...
Revitalizing SLA’s Sci-Tech Division for its Next Hundred Years

ABSTRACTIn 2017, the SLA Sci-Tech Division began a process of refocusing and revitalizing its approach and efforts in response to the perceived need for a strong generalist organization supporting multidisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) librarians. This article details the process of revising the division’s strategic plan, explains its new direction, its initial steps to implement the plan, and its future direction.
Direct Synthesis of Carbamoyl Fluorides by CO 2 Deoxyfluorination

Herein, a new concept for the direct synthesis of carbamoyl fluoride derivatives is disclosed. The developed method makes use of CO2 as an inexpensive and abundant C1 source; a variety of amines were successfully converted in the presence of a deoxyfluorinating reagent. The corresponding products were often obtained in excellent yields under mild reaction conditions (1 atm and room temperature). The reaction was easily scaled up, demonstrating the efficiency of the developed process.
Discussion: “Analysis of the Impact of Accounting Accruals on Earnings Uncertainty and Response Coefficients”

I am delighted to have this opportunity to comment on Jerry Feltham and Jinhan Pae's paper, "Analysis of the Impact of Accounting Accruals on Earnings Uncertainty and Response Coefficients." Accruals constitute the heart of the system of accounting and financial reporting. It is accruals that distinguish accounting from mere counting of cash. Accrual accounting can be defined by the presence of liabilities and noncash assets on the balance sheet. Without accruals, there would be no liabilities and no assets except cash. Accruals require accountants to anticipate the future, and make difficult judgments about events that are uncertain and yet to occur. A greater part of accountants' professionalism consists of making these judgments. Many people who thought that accountants might be replaced by computers are surprised that 40 years later, no such substitution is in sight. While a large part of bookkeeping can be, and has already been, taken over by computers, determination of accruals has not, and cannot be, taken over by computers. In this sense, accruals are the essence of accounting. Which anticipations about the future should be included in the books of account and financial reports, and which ones should be deferred until a later date? Which ones are, in fact, included, and with what frequency? What are the consequences of different answers to these questions for the relationship between financial reports and security prices? These are critical issues that have been before managers, accountants, security analysts, and regulators for at least the past hundred years since the joint stock companies and stock and bond markets became an important part of the U.S. economy. With the explosion of derivative securities in the recent decades, triggered by the cheaper transaction technologies, these questions about accruals have become both more difficult as well as more important. I therefore look forward to research that promises new insights into the nature and consequences of accruals. For this reason, and knowing Professor Feltham's seminal contributions to accounting in the past, I accepted Professor Callen's invitation to discuss this paper with alacrity. 1 admit to being disappointed on the basis of what I have been able to understand of the paper. The paper opens with a reference to Feltham and Ohlson's 1996
Broadly Conserved TMEM-131 Family Proteins in Collagen Production and Secretory Cargo Trafficking

Abstract Collagen is the most abundant protein in animals. Its dysregulation contributes to ageing and human disorders including tissue fibrosis in major organs. How premature collagens in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) assemble and route for secretion remains molecularly undefined. From an RNAi screen, we identified an uncharacterized C. elegans gene tmem-131, deficiency of which impairs collagen production and activates ER stress response. TMEM-131 N-termini contain bacterial PapD chaperone-like (PapD-L) domains essential for collagen assembly and secretion. Human TMEM131 binds to COL1A2 and TRAPPC8 via N-terminal PapD-L and C-terminal domain, respectively, to drive collagen production. We provide evidence that previously undescribed roles of TMEM131 in collagen recruitment and secretion are evolutionarily conserved in C. elegans, Drosophila and humans.
Optimized Modeled Myofascial Release Enhances Wound Healing in 3-Dimensional Bioengineered Tendons: Key Roles for Fibroblast Proliferation and Collagen Remodeling

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms of action of optimized myofascial release (MFR) on wound healing using a 3-dimensional human tissue construct. Methods Bioengineered tendons were cultured on a deformable matrix, wounded using a steel cutting tip, then strained in an acyclic manner with a modeled MFR paradigm at 103% magnitude for 5 minutes. Imaging and measurements of the width and wound size were performed daily, and the average tissue width of the entire bioengineered tendon was measured, and wound size and major and minor axes of the elliptical wound were additionally measured. Assessments of actin and collagen were performed by immunofluorescence, and Gomori’s trichrome staining and fibroblast nuclei deposition was quantified using the CellProfiler analysis software. Results Optimized modeled MFR treatment significantly reduced the wound size and increased both collagen density and cell deposition at the wound site. All measures of wound healing improvements required the presence of proliferating fibroblasts. Conclusion Myofascial release–induced cell deposition and collagen density at wound sites required actively proliferating fibroblasts. If clinically translatable, our results support a mechanism by which MFR improves patient wound healing.