cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A linear bound for sliding-block decoder window size. II

For pt.I see ibid., vol.34, p. 389-99, 1988. An input-constrained channel is the set S of finite sequences of symbols generated by the walks on a labeled finite directed graph G (which is said to present S). We introduce a new construction of finite-state encoders for input-constrained channels. The construction is a hybrid of the state-splitting technique of Adler, Coppersmith, and Hassner (1983) and the stethering technique of Ashley, Marcus, and Roth (see ibid., vol.41, p.55-76, 1995). When S has finite memory, and p and g are integers where p/g is at most the capacity of S, the construction guarantees an encoder at rate p:g and having a sliding-block decoder (literally at rate q:p) with look-ahead that is linear in the number of states of the smallest graph G presenting S. This contrasts with previous constructions. The straight Adler, Coppersmith, and Hassner construction provides an encoder having a sliding-block decoder at rate q:p, but the best proven upper bound on the decoder look-ahead is exponential in the number of states of G. A previous construction of Ashley provides an encoder having a sliding-block decoder whose look-ahead has been proven to be linear in the number of states of G, but the decoding is at rate tq:tp, where t is linear in the number of states of G.
Diesel Spray Rate-of-Momentum Measurement Uncertainties and Diagnostic Considerations

Interpretation of combustion and emissions outcomes in diesel engines is often enhanced by accurate knowledge of the transient fuel delivery rate and flow characteristics of the injector nozzle. Important physical characteristics of these flows, including velocity profile and flow separation or cavitation effects, are difficult to measure directly, but can be characterized from a flow-averaged perspective through the measurement of nozzle flow coefficients, namely the discharge, velocity, and area contraction coefficients. Both the transient fuel mass flow rate and the flow-averaged nozzle coefficients can be found by measuring the mass and momentum flux of the fuel stream leaving the nozzle during injection through the application of an impingement technique, where fuel is sprayed onto the face of a transducer calibrated for force measurement in close proximity to the nozzle. While several published experiments have employed the spray impingement method to quantify rate-of-injection, the experimental setup and equipment selections vary widely and may contribute to disagreements in measured rate-of-injection. This paper identifies and provides estimates of measurement uncertainties that can arise when employing different experimental setups using the impingement method. It was observed that the impingement technique was sensitive to the design of the strike cap, specifically the contact area between the cap and transducer diaphragm, in addition to fuel temperature. Conversely, we observed that the impingement technique was relatively insensitive to angular and vertical misalignment, where the uncertainty can be estimated using control volume analysis. Transducer selection, specifically those with low acceleration sensitivity, high resonant frequency, and integrated electronics piezoelectric circuitry substantially reduce the noise in the measurement.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Mid-Scale Shot Classification for Detecting Narrative Transitions in Movie Clips

This paper examines classification of shots in video streams for indexing and semantic analysis. We describe an approach to obtain shot motion by making use of motion estimation algorithms to estimate camera movement. We improve prior work by using the four edge regions of a frame to classify No Motion shots. We analyze a neighborhood of shots and provide a new concept, middle-scale classification. This approach relies on automated labeling of frame transitions in terms of motion across adjacent frames. These annotations form a sequential scene-group that correlates with narrative events in the videos. We introduce six middle-scale classes and the corresponding likely sequence content from three clips of the movie The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King , demonstrate that the middle-scale classification approach successfully extracts a summary of the salient aspects of the movie. We also show direct comparison with prior work on the full movie Matrix .
Toward a Consumer-Centric Grid: A Behavioral Perspective

Active consumer participation is seen as an integral part of the emerging smart grid. Examples include demand-side management programs, incorporation of consumer-owned energy storage or renewable energy units, and active energy trading. However, despite the foreseen technological benefits of such consumer-centric grid features, to date, their widespread adoption in practice remains modest. To shed light on this challenge, this paper explores the potential of prospect theory, a Nobel-prize winning theory, as a decision-making framework that can help understand how risk and uncertainty can impact the decisions of smart grid consumers. After introducing the basic notions of prospect theory, several examples drawn from a number of smart grid applications are developed. These results show that a better understanding of the role of human decision making within the smart grid is paramount for optimizing its operation and expediting the deployment of its various technologies.
Posthuman Rights: Dimensions of Transhuman Worlds

There are at least three dimensions to rights. We may have and lack freedom to 1) be, 2) do, and 3) have. These dimensions reformulate Locke’s categories, and are further complicated by placing them within the context of domains such as natural or civil rights. Here the question of the origins of rights is not addressed, but issues concerning how we may contextualize them are discussed. Within the framework developed, this paper makes use of Actor-Network Theory and Enlightenment values to examine the multidimensionality and appropriateness of animal rights and human rights for posthumans. The core position here is that rights may be universal and constant, but they can only be accessed within a matrix of relative cultural dimensions. This will be true for posthumans, and their rights will be relative to human rights and dependent on human and posthuman responsibilities.
Contextual Eactors Influencing Control Strategy of Multinational Corporations

The article discusses contextual factors influencing control strategy of multinational corporations (MNCs). The term control is defined as the mechanisms used to assure the execution of organizatio...
Therapeutic principles in management of peptic ulcer. 4. Radiation therapy with cobalt-60.

1. Cobalt-60 teletherapy has been given to 72 patients with complicated peptic ulcer as a supplement to medical treatment.
Study on Evaluation Method of MAC Protocol for Tactical Data Links

Medium Access Control(MAC) protocol has a decisive influence on the overall performance of tactical data links,and how to evaluate the performance of MAC protocol is an important part of the life cycle of tactical data links.TDMA is the most widely used access method in tactical data links,so,the evaluation indexes of slot assignment protocol were proposed,and a simulation evaluation method of slot assignment protocol for tactical data links was proposed.Then,the simulation evaluation framework was designed,the simulation models and the process of the framework were discussed.Finally,the validity of the method was verified by a simulation evaluation example.
Analysis on incidence of rabies and risk assessment in Baoshan,Yunnan,2004-2014

Objective To understand the incidence and public health risk of rabies in Baoshan,Yunnan province,and provide evidence for the prevention and control of rabies. Methods The analyses were conducted on the data of rabies incidence,epidemiological characteristics,vaccination and prevention / control. Results From 2004 to 10 September,2014,a total of 13 rabies cases were reported in Baoshan,in which 5 were reported in Shidian in 2014. The incubation period of the 5 cases ranged from 41 days to 167 days with the median of 113 days. The cases were mainly distributed in the villages on the both sides of the road from Jiucheng( south) to Suichang( north). The overall incidence of dog bite was 2. 75 / lakh,and it was 19. 51 / lakh in Shidian,1. 19 / lakh in Longling,0. 38 / lakh in Changning,0. 33 / lakh in Tenchong and 0. 29 / lakh in Longyang. The incidence of dog bite in Shidian was 61. 49 times higher than that in Longyang( χ2= 169. 990,P 0. 05),compared with other counties the differences were not statistical significant. There were significant differences in dog vaccination rate among Shidian,Longling and Longyong( χ2= 32 415. 930,P 0.05). The rate was highest in Shidian. Conclusion The risk of 5 cases occurring was low,the risk of 3-4 cases occurring was moderate and the risk of 1-2 cases occurring was high in Baoshan,The risk in Shidian,Longling and Longyang was high and the risk in Changning and Tenchong was moderate.
K-Nearest-Neighbor rule based on diffusion maps used in semiconductor industry process fault detection

In the semiconductor industry process, because of the features of multi-mode, nonlinear and non-Gaussian, this paper proposed a fault detection method diffusion maps based K-Nearest-Neighbor(DMKNN) used in batch process is proposed. First,the proposed method takes full advantage of the dimensionality reduction and information preserving properties of to extract the low dimensional manifold feature that optimally preserves the intrinsic nonlinear structure of the data set. Then the method of fault detection based the adapted KNN is applied to the low dimensional manifold feature space to detect potential faults. The research results of an industrial semiconductor example show that the fault detection rate of DMKNN is higher than that of the traditional statistical algorithms based KNN, and it improves the ability of fetching relevance information in data samples, keeps the performance of KNN rule to deal with nonlinear and multi-mode characteristics, and verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Post hoc Interlaboratory Comparison of Single Particle ICP-MS Size Measurements of NIST Gold Nanoparticle Reference Materials

Single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) is an emerging technique that enables simultaneous measurement of nanoparticle size and number quantification of metal-containing nanoparticles at realistic environmental exposure concentrations. Such measurements are needed to understand the potential environmental and human health risks of nanoparticles. Before spICP-MS can be considered a mature methodology, additional work is needed to standardize this technique including an assessment of the reliability and variability of size distribution measurements and the transferability of the technique among laboratories. This paper presents the first post hoc interlaboratory comparison study of the spICP-MS technique. Measurement results provided by six expert laboratories for two National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) gold nanoparticle reference materials (RM 8012 and RM 8013) were employed. The general agreement in particle size between spICP-MS measurements and measureme...
Kinetics of Reduction of SiO2 in SiO2-Al2O3-CaO Slags by Al in Fe-Al(-Si) Melts

Kinetic models considering mass transport in, (i) metal phase only and (ii) both metal and slag phases (mixed control or two-phase mass transfer) were developed for the reduction of SiO2 in a SiO2-Al2O3-CaO slag by Al in an Al-Fe melt. The models were validated with experiments of the reaction with Fe-Al melt and SiO2-Al2O3-CaO-MgOsat slags at 1873 K (1600 °C). The models predict that the rate of reaction is slower in the mixed control model because of the added resistance of slag phase mass transport. The mixed control becomes applicable when the slag contains low amounts of SiO2. In this case, when the initial Al content in the metal increases, the normalized rate of reaction decreases. The increased Al content in the metal retards the reaction due to the limited SiO2 provided to the reaction interface in the mixed control model. Sensitivity analyses were done using the models for the ratios of mass transfer coefficients of Si to Al, and Al2O3 to Si, along with slag density, which did not impose a significant effect.
Not just lumber--Using wood in the sustainable future of materials, chemicals, and fuels

Forest-derived biomaterials can play an integral role in a sustainable and renewable future. Research across a range of disciplines is required to develop the knowledge necessary to overcome the challenges of incorporating more renewable forest resources in materials, chemicals, and fuels. We focus on wood specifically because in our view, better characterization of wood as a raw material and as a feedstock will lead to its increased utilization. We first give an overview of wood structure and chemical composition and then highlight current topics in forest products research, including (1) industrial chemicals, biofuels, and energy from woody materials; (2) wood-based activated carbon and carbon nanostructures; (3) development of improved wood protection treatments; (4) massive timber construction; (5) wood as a bioinspiring material; and (6) atomic simulations of wood polymers. We conclude with a discussion of the sustainability of wood as a renewable forest resource.
Rethreading Fertility Decisions in New Settings

Immigrant fertility behavior is an important aspect of immigrant life and culture in the host society. In the United States, immigrant fertility is a hotly contested political issue. Framing the fertility debate is the widely held alarmist conception that new immigrants from the relatively poorer countries of Latin America and Africa are pronatal. Anti-immigrant groups have framed the discourse on Latino and African immigrant fertility and reproductive behavior by stressing the economic cost of providing social services (welfare, education, housing, and health care) for the dependents of both legal and illegal workers in the country. In addition, a high birthrate among immigrant minorities is also viewed as culturally oppositional to the dominant society’s reproductive behavior. Cultural representations of Black and Latino women on welfare have been constructed in such a way to portray the women’s reproductive behavior as being out of step with the national norm. In California, the push to pass Proposition 187 was designed in part to withhold prenatal, educational, and social services support for Black and Latino immigrants who are undocumented. Former California Governor Pete Wilson pushed for the curtailment of social services for illegal immigrants and their dependents.
Tissue segmentation of computed tomography images using a Random Forest algorithm: a feasibility study.

There is a need for robust, fully automated whole body organ segmentation for diagnostic CT. This study investigates and optimizes a Random Forest algorithm for automated organ segmentation; explores the limitations of a Random Forest algorithm applied to the CT environment; and demonstrates segmentation accuracy in a feasibility study of pediatric and adult patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate a trainable Weka segmentation (TWS) implementation using Random Forest machine-learning as a means to develop a fully automated tissue segmentation tool developed specifically for pediatric and adult examinations in a diagnostic CT environment. Current innovation in computed tomography (CT) is focused on radiomics, patient-specific radiation dose calculation, and image quality improvement using iterative reconstruction, all of which require specific knowledge of tissue and organ systems within a CT image. The purpose of this study was to develop a fully automated Random Forest classifier algorithm for segmentation of neck–chest–abdomen–pelvis CT examinations based on pediatric and adult CT protocols. Seven materials were classified: background, lung/internal air or gas, fat, muscle, solid organ parenchyma, blood/contrast enhanced fluid, and bone tissue using Matlab and the TWS plugin of FIJI. The following classifier feature filters of TWS were investigated: minimum, maximum, mean, and variance evaluated over a voxel radius of 2 n , (n from 0 to 4), along with noise reduction and edge preserving filters: Gaussian, bilateral, Kuwahara, and anisotropic diffusion. The Random Forest algorithm used 200 trees with 2 features randomly selected per node. The optimized auto-segmentation algorithm resulted in 16 image features including features derived from maximum, mean, variance Gaussian and Kuwahara filters. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) calculations between manually segmented and Random Forest algorithm segmented images from 21 patient image sections, were analyzed. The automated algorithm produced segmentation of seven material classes with a median DSC of 0.86 ± 0.03 for pediatric patient protocols, and 0.85 ± 0.04 for adult patient protocols. Additionally, 100 randomly selected patient examinations were segmented and analyzed, and a mean sensitivity of 0.91 (range: 0.82–0.98), specificity of 0.89 (range: 0.70–0.98), and accuracy of 0.90 (range: 0.76–0.98) were demonstrated. In this study, we demonstrate that this fully automated segmentation tool was able to produce fast and accurate segmentation of the neck and trunk of the body over a wide range of patient habitus and scan parameters.
Dual-mode crystal-bound and X-type passivation of quantum dots

In this report, we present a new path to the control of quantum dot surface chemistry that can lead to a better understanding of nanoscale interfaces and the development of improved photocatalysts. Control of the synthetic methodology leads to QDs that are concomitantly ligated by crystal-bound organics at the surface anion sites and small X-type ligands on the surface cation sites.
Full-Color Plasmonic Metasurface Holograms

Holography is one of the most attractive approaches for reconstructing optical images, due to its capability of recording both the amplitude and phase information on light scattered from objects. Recently, optical metasurfaces for manipulating the wavefront of light with well-controlled amplitude, phase, and polarization have been utilized to reproduce computer-generated holograms. However, the currently available metasurface holograms have only been designed to achieve limited colors and record either amplitude or phase information. This fact significantly limits the performance of metasurface holograms to reconstruct full-color images with low noise and high quality. Here, we report the design and realization of ultrathin plasmonic metasurface holograms made of subwavelength nanoslits for reconstructing both two- and three-dimensional full-color holographic images. The wavelength-multiplexed metasurface holograms with both amplitude and phase modulations at subwavelength scale can faithfully produce not...
An examination of evaluation algorithms for the RBF method

Abstract Radial Basis Function (RBF) methods are important tools for scattered data interpolation and for the solution of PDEs in complexly shaped domains. Several approaches for the evaluation of RBF methods are known. To date, the most noteworthy methods are solving a linear system in the standard RBF basis using both double and extended precision floating point arithmetic and two approaches that make a change of basis for the purpose of obtaining a better conditioned linear system. In this work the approaches are compared and contrasted for the purpose of illustrating the strengths and weakness of each method as well as to give insight into the application of each approach.
Growth characteristics of the intracellular pathogen, Piscirickettsia salmonis, in tissue culture and cell-free media.

Piscirickettsia salmonis is an intracellular bacterium that was first isolated and identified in fish cells. Several types of cell lines have been explored for their ability to provide the bacterium with a host cell to replicate in. Tissue culture has been used for growth and cultivation for nearly two decades, until the facultative nature of P. salmonis was confirmed upon the development of blood- and cysteine-based agar. Since then, research has continued to drive the creation of novel agar and broth formulations in order to improve the efficacy of cultivation of P. salmonis. Until now, the techniques and components used for growth have not been thoroughly discussed. In this review, the methods and formulations for growth of P. salmonis in tissue culture and cell-free media will be examined.
EGFR Gene Amplification and KRAS Mutation Predict Response to Combination Targeted Therapy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Genetic variability in KRAS and EGFR predicts response to cetuximab in irinotecan refractory colorectal cancer. Whether these markers or others remain predictive in combination biologic therapies including bevacizumab is unknown. We identified predictive biomarkers from patients with irinotecan refractory metastatic colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab plus bevacizumab. Patients who received cetuximab plus bevacizumab for irinotecan refractory colorectal cancer in either of two Phase II trials conducted were identified. Tumor tissue was available for 33 patients. Genomic DNA was extracted and used for mutational analysis of KRAS, BRAF, and p53 genes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to assess EGFR copy number. The status of single genes and various combinations were tested for association with response. Seven of 33 patients responded to treatment. KRAS mutations were found in 14/33 cases, and 0 responded to treatment (p = 0.01). EGFR gene amplification was seen in 3/33 of tumors and in every case was associated with response to treatment (p < 0.001). TP53 and BRAF mutations were found in 18/33 and 0/33 tumors, respectively, and there were no associations with response to either gene. EGFR gene amplification and KRAS mutations are predictive markers for patients receiving combination biologic therapy of cetuximab plus bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer. One marker or the other is present in the tumor of half of all patients allowing treatment response to be predicted with a high degree of certainty. The role for molecular markers in combination biologic therapy seems promising.
Differentiating suicide decedents who died using firearms from those who died using other methods

Studies have documented a link between gun ownership and suicide, but little is known about characteristics of those most likely to use a gun in a suicide attempt rather than alternative methods. We examined which factors differentiate suicide decedents who died using a gun from those who died by other methods. We further examined whether such findings are consistent within the subcomponent of our larger sample comprised entirely of gun owning suicide decedents. Data reflect 267 suicide decedents, with data provided by individuals who identified as having lost someone to suicide (loss survivors). Within the full sample, a higher proportion of gun-owning and male suicide decedents died by firearm. Further, individuals who had previously discussed suicide or engaged in one or more non-lethal suicide attempts were less likely to die by suicide using a gun. Within the subsample of gun owning suicide decedents, a greater proportion of decedents who stored guns at home and in unsecure locations died from self-inflected gunshot wounds. These findings add clarity to the relationship between firearm ownership and death by suicide at the individual level. Furthermore, these findings are consistent with the notion that means safety implementation may represent a vital suicide prevention tool.
Detecting Probable Cheating during Online Assessments Based on Time Delay and Head Pose.

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the ability of test takers’ behaviors during online assessments to detect probable cheating incidents. Specifically, this study focused on the role of time delay and head pose for detection of cheating incidences in a lab-based online testing session. The analysis of a test taker’s behavior indicated that not only time delay but also the variation of a student’s head pose relative to computer screen had significant statistical relation to cheating behaviors. Additionally, time delay and head-pose variation relative to a computer screen were predictors in a logit model of cheating prediction with an average accuracy of 75.6%. The current algorithm could automatically flag suspicious student behavior for proctors in large-scale online courses during remotely administered exams.
Scarcity Effects on Consumers' Affective, Cognitive, and Conative Responses: Moderating Role of Shopping Orientation

Scarcity accelerates decision makers' perceived perishability of an offer, limiting their freedom to delay the purchase decision and creating a sense of urgency for an immediate action. Despite the ubiquity of scarcity tactics in marketing, empirical explanations of the integrative psychological mechanism underlying the scarcity effect have been scant. This study examines consumers' affective, cognitive, and conative responses to scarce offerings. Through an online experiment with 203 college consumers, this study revealed that the scarcity effects on consumers' affective response (arousal) and conative response (buying intent) were relatively robust across multiple products, suggesting the strong role of scarcity in leading to consumers' emotional decision making. However, scarcity effects on consumers' cognitive responses regarding the product benefit dimensions differed across products. Further research is needed to delve into the personal or situational factors that lead to differential scarcity effects on consumers' cognitive information processing of product benefits.
My second acts.

“You've got to be f%*@ing stupid!!!” “This is academic career suicide!” “People will believe you didn't get tenure!” “You want to be a housewife!” These are some of the more charitable comments I received from my colleagues and mentors some 20 years ago, when I decided to leave my
Drivers of R&D internationalisation - evidence from US firm investments in developing economies

In today's global competitive environment, multinational corporations (MNCs) continue to internationalise their research and development (R&D) activities by progressively locating their innovatory capacity in developing nations. Hence, a panel study is developed to examine the effects of multiple factors that motivate US R&D investment in developing nations based on the analysis of longitudinal data collected from a variety of governmental, academic and public sources. The empirical results indicate that MNCs locate their foreign R&D activities in developing nations in order to exploit the available resource endowment. Furthermore, targeting the emerging markets does not appear to be a strong motivator that drives MNCs' foreign R&D investment. Instead, developing nations that have advanced telecommunication infrastructure, low labour costs and technology specialisation capabilities attract more foreign R&D investment. The paper concludes by identifying a range of issues, managerial and policy implications.
Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Upon receiving news that results of a chromosome analysis are abnormal (and even sometimes that they are normal), a patient will frequently ask: “How do I know that the lab didn’t make a mistake? How do I know that the sample they reported on was really mine? How can I be certain that this is all correct?” Most would be surprised to learn of the myriad of checks and balances that exist in clinical cytogenetics laboratories. Based on the consensus of professionals and on common sense, The American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Standards and Guidelines for Clinical Genetics Laboratories (ACMG 2009 Edition/Revised 01/2010; www.acmg.net/StaticContent/SGs/Section_E_2011.pdf) are the basis for oversight by regulatory agencies and are intended to prevent clinical and clerical errors. These comprise the area of laboratory medicine known as quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC). They are supplemented by both total quality management (TQM) and complete quality improvement (CQI) programs that seek to minimize errors when the laboratory interfaces with referring physicians and their patients.
Challenges in Turbulent Mixing with Combustion

Turbulent combustion combines the complexities of turbulence and mixing, challenges not met in the twentieth century, with the complexity and subtlety of chemical kinetics. This discussion focuses on progress and some turbulent-mixing issues in chemically reacting flows stemming from experimental, modeling, and direct-numerical simulation (DNS) studies. The mixing transition will be discussed. DNS studies of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in miscible fluids reveal an early-time diffusive growth and a strong sensitivity to initial conditions. Recent experiments address the assumption of isotropy in turbulence and mixing. Experiments in high-speed shear layers elucidate some effects of compressibility on the mixed-fluid field. Issues involving molecular-transport coefficients will also be discussed.
The structure and function of the avian immune system

Among the avian species, the immune system of the chicken has been studied most extensively. There are many similarities between the general immune mechanisms of mammals and chickens. There are also important differences. Birds respond to antigenic stimulation by generating antibodies as well as cellular immunity. There are three principal classes of antibodies in birds i.e., IgM, IgG (also called IgY) and IgA. Antibody diversity is achieved by gene conversion. T cells are the main effector cells of cellular immunity. The avian T cells differentiate into two distinct pathways i.e., alpha/beta and gamma/delta. Avian T cell diversity is likely generated through combinatorial and junctional mechanisms similar to the mechanisms that operate in mammalian T cell receptors. As in mammals, avian T cells engage in helper and cytotoxic functions that are MHC restricted. The innate effector mechanisms include those mediated by natural killer (NK) cells and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Recently, genes of several avian cytokines have been cloned and expressed. A number of naturally occurring viruses cause immunosuppression in chickens. There is much current interest in understanding the mechanisms of immunosuppression and developing strategies to enhance immune responsiveness in commercial poultry.
Individual differences in human–machine trust: A multi-study look at the perfect automation schema

AbstractThe current article reports the results of three different studies which explored the relationship between the Perfect Automation Schema (PAS) and trust in a human–machine context. It was expected that PAS would be related to higher trust and higher performance expectations for automation. Studies 1 and 2 used a human-robot interaction simulator as the context for human-machine interaction and study 3 used an applied sample of F-16 pilots and their views of the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS) which is an advanced automated safety system. Results from all three studies demonstrated that the high expectations facet of PAS had a positive relationship with trust, but not the all-or-none facet. These results suggest that the PAS as measured by high expectations may be a fruitful construct for researchers in the domain of trust in automation.
Processing Approaches and Challenges of Interdigitated Back Contact Si Solar Cells

Processing approaches and challenges for high efficiency interdigitated back contact (IBC) Si solar cell are discussed in this paper. High efficiency (>25%) solar cells are currently fabricated by a more complex, rate-limiting patterning processes than standard cells contacted on both sides. Therefore, the development of simplified patterning approaches without increasing the carrier recombination rate and degrading performance are of paramount interest for high speed low cost IBC production technology. Several alternative processing techniques are discussed here that show promising early stage results.
NAD+ metabolism governs the proinflammatory senescence-associated secretome

Cellular senescence is a stable growth arrest that is implicated in tissue ageing and cancer. Senescent cells are characterized by an upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, which is termed the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). NAD+ metabolism influences both tissue ageing and cancer. However, the role of NAD+ metabolism in regulating the SASP is poorly understood. Here, we show that nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme of the NAD+ salvage pathway, governs the proinflammatory SASP independent of senescence-associated growth arrest. NAMPT expression is regulated by high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins during senescence. The HMGA-NAMPT-NAD+ signalling axis promotes the proinflammatory SASP by enhancing glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. HMGA proteins and NAMPT promote the proinflammatory SASP through NAD+-mediated suppression of AMPK kinase, which suppresses the p53-mediated inhibition of p38 MAPK to enhance NF-κB activity. We conclude that NAD+ metabolism governs the proinflammatory SASP. Given the tumour-promoting effects of the proinflammatory SASP, our results suggest that anti-ageing dietary NAD+ augmentation should be administered with precision.
A homozygous mutation in GMPPB leads to centronuclear myopathy with combined pre- and postsynaptic defects of neuromuscular transmission

Abstract Mutations in GMPPB cause a wide spectrum of neuromuscular syndromes, including muscular dystrophies and congenital myasthenic syndrome. The mechanisms by which GMPPB mutations impair neuromuscular transmission however remain incompletely understood. We expand here upon a previous report of one such patient presenting with a myopathy-congenital myasthenic syndrome overlap phenotype. Fatigable proximal muscle weakness developed gradually between 13 and 25 years of age, with subsequent stabilization. Low-frequency repetitive nerve stimulation showed a decrement, while a muscle biopsy demonstrated the presence of a centronuclear myopathy. Genetic testing identified a homozygous c.458C > T (p.Thr153Ile) variant in GMPPB. In-vitro microelectrode recordings and ultrastructural studies showed impairment of both pre- and postsynaptic neuromuscular transmission, thus demonstrating the presence of not only postsynaptic, but also presynaptic pathology in GMPPB-related disorders.
Making bad look good: The counterpersuasive effects of natural labels on (dangerous) vice goods

Abstract While Graphic Pictorial Health Warnings (GHWs) are assumed to be an effective counterargument against tobacco marketing, little is known about whether or when promotional messaging can serve as refutational appeals. Drawing from research on cognitive biases, this research posits that natural label claims attenuate the impact of GHWs by reducing risk perceptions, and the presence of these claims result in more favorable brand, product, and marketer evaluations. Two experimental studies show that, through perceived risk, natural label claims reduce the effectiveness of counterpersuasive GHWs on the outcomes of brand attitude, health misperceptions, purchase intentions, and marketer responsibility perceptions. Findings also confirm predictions that a relevant individual difference variable (quit attempt status) moderates the effects of the natural label claim on consumer evaluations. Results enhance our understanding of natural claims as a refutational appeal for vice products. Implications are offered for marketers, public policy makers, and public health advocates.
Fukushima: U.S. Response and the Short-Term Impact on U.S.-Japan Trade in Fish and Seafood

The U.S. regulatory response to the import of potentially contaminated food from Japan following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility meltdown has not been closely examined. The incident caused global concern about the safety of foods imported from Japan. U.S. scientists and policymakers conducted an initial evaluation of the potential health risks, analyzed information and data from foreign governments and international organizations, adopted an import alert, and conducted extensive monitoring. They did not detect radionuclides in, adopt a ban on, or advise consumers to alter their consumption of foods from Japan. Using a modified Global Simulation Model, National Marine Fisheries Service monthly seafood import data and United Nations trade data, we performed a comprehensive retrospective benefit-cost analysis of U.S. actions on U.S.-Japan trade in fish and seafood. We estimate that U.S. regulatory policy preserved approximately 1 million for import sampling), while finding no additional exposure to harmful radionuclides. The lesson of our analysis is that investment in regulatory infrastructure has tangible economic benefits, and that retrospective benefit-cost analysis can be a useful framework for evaluating catastrophe risk-related policy strategies.
Disassembly and degradation of MinD oscillator complexes by Escherichia coli ClpXP

MinD is a cell division ATPase in Escherichia coli that oscillates from pole to pole and regulates the spatial position of the cell division machinery. Together with MinC and MinE, the Min system restricts assembly of the FtsZ-ring to midcell, oscillating between the opposite ends of the cell and preventing FtsZ-ring misassembly at the poles. Here, we show that the ATP-dependent bacterial proteasome complex ClpXP degrades MinD in reconstituted degradation reactions in vitro, through direct recognition of the MinD N-terminal region, and in vivo. MinD degradation is enhanced during stationary phase, suggesting that ClpXP regulates levels of MinD in cells that are not actively dividing. MinC and MinD are known to co-assemble into linear polymers, therefore we monitored copolymers assembled in vitro after incubation with ClpXP and observed that ClpXP promotes rapid MinCD copolymer disassembly as a result of direct MinD degradation by ClpXP. The N-terminus of MinD, including residue Arg 3, which is near the ATP-binding site, is critical for degradation by ClpXP. Together, these results demonstrate that ClpXP degradation modifies conformational assemblies of MinD in vitro and depresses Min function in vivo during periods of reduced proliferation.
Outer Race Fault Diagnosis by Comparison between the Power Spectral Density and the Kurtogram

Statistically, the outer race of the rolling-element bearing is the most sensitive element used in induction motors. Among the known diagnosis methods, the analysis of the stator current envelope based on its demodulation, makes it possible to directly obtain the signature of the searched faults without the fundamental effect. This paper discusses one of these methods known as the Wavelet-Kurtogram. For this purpose, a comparison between the Wavelet-Kurtogram and the Power Spectral Density using the Periodogram is carried out for bearing faults diagnosis. The experimental results obtained show the superiority and the effectiveness of Wavelet-Kurtogram in the detection of the outer race fault.
Populism, paranoia, and the interwar press: Henri Béraud at Gringoire

This article explores the conspiratorial rhetoric of the political writings of right-wing polemicist Henri Beraud in the 1930s. Beginning in 1934, Beraud served as chief political editorialist at t...
More Discoveries in Linear Algebra.

IN A recent issue of the Mathematics Teacher, Nicolai (1974) detailed several "discoveries" in linear algebra that were made by him and one of his classes. A look at their ideas yielded several discoveries showing that the relationships described by Nicolai are special cases of more general, interesting situations. As Nicolai proved, {(?1, 2)} is the solu tion set of all pairs of linear equations where the coefficients and right-hand members of the equations are terms of any arithmetic sequence; that is, {(*, y) \ ax + (a + d)y = a + 2d A (a + 3d)x + (a + 4d)y = (a + 5d)} = {(-1,2)} where d is the common non zero difference in the arithmetic sequence. But {(?1, 2)} is also the solution set of the following system: 3x + 6y = 9 Ix + lOy = 13.
Let the light be a guide: Chromophore communication in metal-organic frameworks

The photonic characteristics of chromophore-containing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have led to extensive photophysical studies in an effort to capitalize on the potency of precisely controlled chromophore ensembles. Several examples have laid the foundation that demonstrates how photophysical properties of chromophores can be manipulated by tuning their communications (interactions) through integration within a MOF matrix. The main focus of this review is on harnessing the versatile MOF platform to accentuate the photophysical properties of integrated chromophores. In particular, this review will highlight chromophore dynamics that enhance, alter, or tune the photoluminescence response of single- and multi-chromophore-containing scaffolds, as well as alignment-guided anisotropic fluorescence. Building upon this groundwork, utilization of a hybrid crystalline motif can induce preferential orientation of chromophores resulting in enhanced communication and tailored behavior compared to randomly oriented emissive molecules. Moreover, frameworks that produce upconverted emission via sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation (sTTA), excited-state absorption (ESA), energy transfer upconversion (ETU), multi-photon absorption (MPA), or second-harmonic generation (SHG) can invoke dynamic control of material properties using photochromic linkers and will be discussed herein with a focus on the effects of chromophore alignment. Integration within a framework is a vehicle to fuse chromophores into solid-state platforms, opening an avenue for chromophore utilization in applications such as portable electronics that require solids or thin films. For those reasons, the design of chromophore-containing MOFs with desirable properties that rely on the alignment and communication of hundreds of chromophores within a single platform is a pressing demand for the development of futuristic technologies.
Mastering the Complex Targeted Therapy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

In a recent Nature article, Middleton et al. report the National Lung Matrix trial results where patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are assigned to personalized therapy based on the results of a 28-gene next-generation sequencing panel test.
Dysregulated appetitive leptin signaling in male rodent offspring from post-bariatric dams

Bariatric surgery produces significant positive benefits to recipients such as significant body fat loss and resolution of the various obesity-related comorbidities, such as reduced reproductive function. Females of childbearing age seek bariatric surgical remedies to improve their chance of successful pregnancy; however, limited knowledge exists on the impact of surgical weight loss to subsequently born offspring. We previously reported that circulating leptin levels were reduced in pregnant females having previously received vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) in comparison to control dams having received Sham surgery. Furthermore, the levels of leptin receptors in the VSG placenta were also reduced in VSG. These data suggest a significant difference in leptin signaling during pregnancy that may produce an altered developmental environment for the offspring. Here, we investigate the adult offspring of dams having received VSG or Sham-VSG prior to pregnancy. Endogenous fasting plasma leptin levels were not different between Sham and VSG offspring. Fasting leptin receptor mRNA in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) was elevated in VSG offspring in comparison to Sham. Intraperitoneal administration of exogenous leptin produced reductions in acute food intake in male Sham offspring, but did not reduce food intake at any time point measured in male VSG offspring. Using Western blot, we identified elevated pSTAT3 and pSTAT3/STAT3 ratios in the MBH of post-VSG offspring in comparison to controls. Using immunohistochemistry, we found an increased number of pSTAT positive cells in the arcuate nucleus in the Sham offspring in comparison to VSG. In contrast, within the paraventricular and ventromedial nuclei in the hypothalamus of the VSG offspring had elevated numbers of pSTAT-positive cells in comparison to controls. Collectively, these data support our hypothesis that leptin signaling is dysregulated in VSG offspring and may be partially responsible for the long-term impact of maternal bariatric surgery on the metabolic health of offspring.
Impact of an acute heat shock during in vitro maturation on interleukin 6 and its associated receptor component transcripts in bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes

An acute heat stress event after the LH surge increased interleukin 6 (IL6) levels in the follicular fluid of the ovulatory follicle in hyperthermic cows. To examine direct consequences of a physiologically-relevant elevated temperature (41.0°C) on the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC), IL6 transcript abundance and related receptor components were evaluated throughout in vitro maturation. Heat-induced increases in IL6 were first noted at 4 hours of in vitro maturation (hIVM); peak levels occurred at 4.67 versus 6.44 hIVM for 41.0 and 38.5°C COCs, respectively (SEM = 0.23; P < 0.001). Peak IL6ST levels occurred at 6.95 versus 8.29 hIVM for 41.0 and 38.5°C, respectively (SEM = 0.23; P < 0.01). Transcript for LIF differed over time (P < 0.0001) but was not affected by 41.0°C exposure. Blastocyst development after performing IVF was not affected by 41.0°C exposure for 4 or 6 h. When limiting analysis to when IL6 was temporally produced, progesterone levels were only impacted by time and temperature (no interaction). Heat-induced shift in the temporal production of IL6 and IL6ST along with its impact on progesterone likely cooperate in heat-induced hastening of meiotic progression described by others.
Cyclobenzoin Esters as Hosts for Thin Guests

Cyclotetrabenzoin esters can host terminal triple bonds of alkynes and nitriles in their cavities, as revealed by cocrystal structures of four such complexes. Within cyclotetrabenzoin cavities, π-clouds of triple bonds establish favorable and virtually equidistant interactions with the four aromatic walls of the cyclotetrabenzoin skeleton. Binding is selective for aliphatic nitriles and terminal alkynes, with their aromatic counterparts residing outside of the cyclotetrabenzoin cavity.
PITEM: Permutations-based Instruction Tracking Via Electromagnetic Side-Channel Signal Analysis

The emergence of cyber-physical systems (CPS) and internet of things (IoT) devices impose significant security and privacy concerns that necessitate robust monitoring and malware detection systems. This paper proposes PITEM, a framework for instruction-level monitoring and malware detection using electromagnetic (EM) side-channels. PITEM identifies instruction types with similar EM emanations using hierarchical clustering. To track all combinations of these instruction types, we generate EM signatures for all permutations of them. In testing, we predict the permutation class of testing traces by a matched-filter-like predictor. We test the performance on two devices (FPGA-based and ARM-based) with 50 MHz and 1 GHz clock frequencies. We achieve 95.67% and 87.35% accuracies for these devices for single execution of permutations. We note that the accuracy increases to 100% when permutation blocks are repeated. Furthermore, we test the limits of the system by tracking permutations of instructions of the same type. With sufficient bandwidth and number of repetitions, individual instructions can be resolved with 87.5% and 95.78% accuracies for these devices. The performance is evaluated for different relative signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels and performance is stable for relative SNR values > 15 dB. Finally, we demonstrate PITEMs ability to detect fine-grained malware with 99.89% accuracy.