cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exact robot navigation using cost functions: the case of distinct spherical boundaries in E/sup n/

The utility of artificial potential functions is explored as a means of translating automatically a robot task description into a feedback control law to drive the robot actuators. A class of functions is sought which will guide a point robot amid any finite number of spherically bounded obstacles in Euclidean n-space toward an arbitrary destination point. By introducing a set of additional constraints, the subclass of navigation functions is defined. This class is dynamically sound in the sense that the actual mechanical system will inherit the essential aspects of the qualitative behavior of the gradient lines of the cost function. An existence proof is given by constructing a one parameter family of such functions; the parameter is used to guarantee the absence of local minima. >
Approval of ACGME Training as an AOA-approved internship: history and review of current data.

Context: The policy of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) on the approval of allopathic residency training has evolved since the mid-1980s, when such a policy became necessary because of the low number of osteopathic medical residency positions compared with the number of students graduating from colleges of osteopathic medicine. Resolution 42 (A/2000), the Approval of ACGME (Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education) Training as an AOAApproved Internship, requires that trainees justify a special circumstance requiring them to seek ACGME-accredited training, and complete all rotational requirements of an AOA-approved osteopathic internship. Objective: To examine the evolution of AOA approval of allopathic residency training and to present the available data on Resolution 42 as it points to the future of osteopathic graduate medical education (OGME). Methods: An electronic review of the literature was conducted using Medline, the search engine on the JAOA’s Web site, and Google. Bibliographies from relevant articles were used to find related citations, and further searches were done using the names of authors of major articles on OGME. Finally, the AOA’s database of Resolution 42 petitions was cross-referenced with the AOA’s membership database. Results: Nine hundred thirty-seven trainees had applied for Resolution 42. Almost two thirds of the applicants were in family medicine and internal medicine residency programs, and most (55%) programs were in six states: New York, Illinois, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The special circumstance most documented was location preference. Conclusion: The sustained advancement of the osteopathic medical profession is dependent on OGME and accreditation policy. By regularly assessing the achievements of policies and programs, educators can better shape the future of osteopathic medicine.
A linked-HMM model for robust voicing and speech detection

We present a novel method for simultaneous voicing and speech detection based on a linked-HMM architecture, with robust features that are independent of the signal energy. Because this approach models the change in dynamics between speech and nonspeech regions, it is robust to low sampling rates, significant levels of additive noise, and large distances from the microphone. We demonstrate the performance of our method in a variety of testing conditions and also compare it to other methods reported in the literature.
Ensuring safety for infants undergoing magnetic resonance imaging.

and Introduction Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful and versatile diagnostic tool. Applications of MR technology are rapidly expanding for all patient populations, including infants receiving newborn intensive care. Millions of MR examinations have been conducted without incident or harm, yet rare accidents in the MR environment continue to occur. The infant is vulnerable to many of the potential hazards of MRI, including projectile accidents, radiofrequency electromagnetic field effects, noise hazards, physiologic instability, and adverse effects of transport, positioning, handling, and sedation. The MRI-compatible incubator is a promising means for safe imaging of smaller and less stable infants than previously possible. Proper education of staff and meticulous attention to detail in preparing the infants for MR examinations are the keys to safety during neonatal MRI.
Whole animal HTS of small molecules for antifungal compounds.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The high morbidity and mortality among patients with invasive fungal infections and the growing problem of fungal resistance have resulted in an urgent need for new antifungal agents. Areas covered: This review covers the importance of antifungal drug discovery with an emphasis on whole-animal high-throughput techniques. More specifically, the authors focus on Caenorhabditis elegans, as a substitute model host and discuss C. elegans as an alternative model host for the study of microbial pathogenesis and the identification of novel antifungal compounds. Expert opinion: There are significant advantages from using the substitute model host C. elegans in high-throughput drug discovery. The C. elegans-microbe model provides a whole animal system where host–pathogen interactions can be studied along with the evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of compounds. This approach allows the study of compound characteristics, such as toxicity and solubility, during the initial screen and compounds...
Faith-Inspired Initiatives to Tackle the Social Determinants of Child Marriage

A recent UNFPA (2012) report presents data on child marriage, including the correlates of the practice and its consequences. The report comments on the general situation of child marriage and provi...
Challenges and Opportunities for Support of Nutritional Science Conferences and Scientific Meetings at National Institutes of Health

Opportunities exist throughout the institutes, centers, and offices of the NIH for obtaining support for conferences and scientific meetings. The number of conferences funded by NIH that thematically involve nutrition, health, and biomedical research is very small relative to the total number of conference grants awarded by NIH. Only 4% of conference grant (R13 and U13) applications awarded by all institutes and centers of the NIH over the last 5 y were determined to be focused on nutrition in some way. The National Cancer Institute has the largest proportion of these awards, and the numbers of such applications submitted each year appear to be increasing. Only approximately 18 nutrition research-related conference grant applications appear to have been funded, on average, per year over the last 5 y. Success rates are high; an average of 85% of nutrition-related applications submitted over the last 5 y were funded. The purpose of this article is to encourage applications from the nutrition community and to provide information for consideration when developing an application for a conference or workshop.
Ostrom and Liberal Education: The College Classroom as Knowledge Commons

In this paper prepared for the Miller Upton Forum on the Wealth and Well-Being of Nations, Garnett examines the commons-like properties of knowledge in the context of the college classroom. Garnett argues that, despite the hard work and good faith of college and university professors, the “expert-centered” model of education is a comparatively ineffective means of managing the knowledge commons. Garnett draws from Elinor Ostrom’s insights on CPR management (and the evolving dialogue on the rights and duties of instructors and students that comprises the U.S. tradition of academic freedom) to advance an alternative approach to classroom governance in which teachers and students can be understood as cooperating, not as expert and novice, but as co-occupants and co-explorers of a polycentric knowledge commons. With the right rules of the game, Garnett argues, professors and students co-create a more robust learning environment in which shared learning resources and opportunities are more effectively tapped.
Advancing technician roles: an essential step in pharmacy practice model reform.

Advancing the role of pharmacy technicians is recognized as an imperative in order for pharmacists to practice “at the top of their license.” This was one of the key themes of the Pharmacy Practice Model Summit.[1][1] In this issue of AJHP , Adams et al.[2][2] provide a timely review of the
R&D and Application of Key Technologies for HVDC Equipment

A large number of advanced power equipment will be provided to push forward large-scale optimization of electric power resources,promote efficient utilization of renewable energy,improve both efficiency and flexibility of power grid operation,implement strong and smart power grid.Hence active engagement in RD and application of key technologies for HVDC equipment is an important means to promote power equipment manufacturing industry and achieve coordinative development of China's power grid.This paper presents the results related to the development and application of key equipment for HVDC transmission.The HVDC/UHVDC converter valves are the core equipment to form the backbone of a strong power grid;the voltage sourced converter-HVDC(VSC-HVDC) transmission system is to guarantee the construction of smart grid;converter valve testing technology is the necessary presupposition to ensure reliable operation of HVDC transmission equipment and therefore the power grid.The achievements in these aspects provide useful technical and engineering means for the construction of strong and smart power grid,and obviously promote overall technical devolopment of electric power in China.
Arguments for Desegregation in Higher Education

This chapter provides a review of studies on Black educational opportunities, in order to show the interconnecting links in the legacy of desegregation. Majority of these studies are descriptive in nature, showing the status of African Americans in higher education. Some include theoretical discussions of terminology, such as equal educational opportunity, equal access, equity, and affirmative action. Others use demographic descriptors of socioeconomic conditions influencing enrollment, and explore empirical dimensions in the relationships between enrollment and socioeconomic phenomena. However, none of the early desegregation studies focuses on political influences on the environment that promotes (or hinders) the enrollment of African Americans in higher education
The Main Strands of the Idea

Every serious discussion of economic integration, national, multinational, or worldwide, is based on concepts and issues of international-trade theory. Movements of goods, services, people, capital funds, and moneys across natural or political frontiers are what interregional and international economic relations are all about — and all of these movements are part and parcel of economic integration. Trade is usually regarded as the quintessence of economic integration, and division of labour in several of its aspects as its underlying principle. This holds for intranational as well as international trade.
Retinitis Pigmentosa Research in the Era of Precision Medicine: Discovery to Translation

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) encompasses many different hereditary retinal degenerations that are caused by a vast array of different gene mutations and have highly variable disease presentations and severities. Work over the past 25 years has resulted in the identification of genes responsible for ~50% of the RP cases, and it’s predicted that most of the remaining disease-causing genes will be identified by the year 2020, and probably sooner. This marked acceleration is the result of dramatic improvements in DNA-sequencing technologies and the associated analysis. The advent of two recent innovations, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) mediated genome editing, are changing the landscape of RP research, with causative genes being identified at an accelerating rate and great potential to translate these discoveries into personalized therapeutic strategies.
Efficacy of Environmental DNA to Detect and Quantify Brook Trout Populations in Headwater Streams of the Adirondack Mountains, New York

AbstractEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is rapidly evolving as a tool for monitoring the distributions of aquatic species. Detection of species’ populations in streams may be challenging because the persistence time for intact DNA fragments is unknown and because eDNA is diluted and dispersed by dynamic hydrological processes. During 2015, the DNA of Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis was analyzed from water samples collected at 40 streams across the Adirondack region of upstate New York, where Brook Trout populations were recently quantified. Study objectives were to evaluate different sampling methods and the ability of eDNA to accurately predict the presence and abundance of resident Brook Trout populations. Results from three-pass electrofishing surveys indicated that Brook Trout were absent from 10 sites and were present in low ( 300 fish/0.1 ha) densities at 9, 11, and 10 sites, respectively. The eDNA results correctly predicted the prese...
Nanoscale martensitic phase transition at interfaces in shape memory materials

In polycrystalline shape memory materials, mechanical interactions between martensitic transformation and grain boundaries at small scales play a critical role. Using a cobalt-based shape memory alloy, instrumented nanoindentation that probes nanoscale behavior reveals that grain boundary regions are resistant to transformation and have an adverse effect on shape memory possibly because an increase in strain energy outweighs reduction in interface energy. When grain boundaries are replaced by a thin, intergranular layer of a ductile and more malleable phase, grain boundary constraints are greatly alleviated, and transformation nearby can be well accommodated. Statistical analysis of results from a large number of nanoindents shows a decrease in shape recovery near grain boundaries and an increase in shape recovery near the new grain boundary phase, compared to grain interior. This is corroborated by analysis of nanoscale hardness and energy dissipation. Nanoscale martensitic transformation near interfaces...
Electromagnetic propagation in an idealized earth crust waveguide, part II

Further calculations for the mode characteristics for an idealized model of the earth crust waveguide have been carried out. Specifically, we consider a homogeneous waveguide region bounded below by a homogeneous transition layer whose conductivity is intermediate between that of the main waveguide region and the bottom conductive region. It is shown that the presence of the transition layer usually increases the attenuation rate of the dominant modes although there are some interesting exceptions.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide and Astrocyte Mitogenesis: In Vitro and in Vivo Studies

In the central nervous system, in addition to their recognized action on synaptic transmission, neurotransmitters and neuromodulators may also regulate the numbers and functions of various cell types, including astroglia. Communication between neurons and glial cells is of fundamental importance in the regulation of nervous system development with the flow of interacting substances moving in both directions. Neurons provide substances that influence glial function1,2,3 and glia produce substances important for the survival and growth of neurons4,5,6,7,8,9.
Visualization of NCAR's Wind Forecast Improvement Project 2

At the end of 2016, the state of Oregon had an installed wind generating power capacity of over 3 Gigawatts. Wind power, while clean and renewable, requires constant load balancing due to variable weather conditions. These conditions must be met with state of the art forecasting methods in order to maximize load balancing efficiency. New techniques in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) have been developed to better optimize load balancing. Visualizations of these new NWP simulations show how winds behave on the leeward side of Mt. Hood. These winds generate a wake that affects Oregon wind farms; causing swings in power that require dynamic load balancing.
Regularizing Unpredictable Variation: Evidence from a Natural Language Setting

ABSTRACTWhile previous sociolinguistic research has demonstrated that children faithfully acquire probabilistic input constrained by sociolinguistic and linguistic factors (e.g., gender and socioeconomic status), research suggests children regularize inconsistent input—probabilistic input that is not sociolinguistically constrained (e.g., Hudson Kam & Newport, 2005, 2009; Singleton & Newport, 2004). The current study extends this research to investigate how children acquire grammatical forms when they are exposed to inconsistent input at the community-wide level by investigating the acquisition of inconsistently produced gender in Fering, a dialect of North Frisian. The results of a gender elicitation task show that some children regularize inconsistently produced features, while others approximated the adult-like probability patterns in their input. Those children who approximated the adult-like patterns were exposed to more Fering input than their peers who regularized gender. These results highlight th...
Transitioning Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders from Most-to-Least Possible Restrictive Environments: Views of Transition Service Providers

This study examined the transition from most-to-least possible restrictive environments for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Components of positive transition experiences were identif...
Involvement of DNA mismatch repair in the maintenance of heterochromatic DNA stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Heterochromatin contains a significant part of nuclear DNA. Little is known about the mechanisms that govern heterochromatic DNA stability. We show here that in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (i) DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is required for the maintenance of heterochromatic DNA stability, (ii) MutLα (Mlh1-Pms1 heterodimer), MutSα (Msh2-Msh6 heterodimer), MutSβ (Msh2-Msh3 heterodimer), and Exo1 are involved in MMR at heterochromatin, (iii) Exo1-independent MMR at heterochromatin frequently leads to the formation of Pol ζ-dependent mutations, (iv) MMR cooperates with the proofreading activity of Pol e and the histone acetyltransferase Rtt109 in the maintenance of heterochromatic DNA stability, (v) repair of base-base mismatches at heterochromatin is less efficient than repair of base-base mismatches at euchromatin, and (vi) the efficiency of repair of 1-nt insertion/deletion loops at heterochromatin is similar to the efficiency of repair of 1-nt insertion/deletion loops at euchromatin.
Women's Rights=Human Rights: Pakistani Women against Gender Violence

Gender-based violence constitutes a major public health risk and is a serious violation of basic human rights throughout the world. Counter to many Western images of Muslim women as passive victims womens groups in Pakistan have begun to organize to respond to these conditions. This study is based upon in-depth interviews conducted with the founders and senior staff of Dastak (Knock on the Door) a shelter for women in Lahore Pakistan that uses a human rights framework to provide services and advocate for public support for womens rights to safety and security. The study explores how Pakistani women are taking action against violence within their social cultural and political reality and analyzes how the of human rights approach has been applied in a non-Western Muslim developing country.
Large Elasto-Plastic Deformations of Work-Hardening Metal Alloys*

The work outlined in this research demonstrates the applicability and effectiveness of the elasto-plastic model presented by the First author in [1] in solving complex (i.e., any shape and any deformation) finite deformation problems. The use of the Lagrangian formulation in this work eliminates the controversy regarding the choice of the appropriate co-rotational stress rate, and provides a more convenient theory than the more common spatial formulation. The aluminum alloy 2024 is used in this work as it closely displays the properties outlined by the proposed constitutive equations [1]. The problem of analysis of displacements, stresses, and strains in elements made of this material subject to arbitrarily large deformations under the conditions of plane strain or plane stress is formulated in terms of the finite element method. Numerical examples include the bending of a moderately thick plate and the stress concentration problem of a plate with a hole subjected to an uniform uniaxial loading. Experimen...
Oxidative insults disrupt OPA1-mediated mitochondrial dynamics in cultured mammalian cells.

Objective: To explore the impact of oxidative insults on mitochondrial dynamics. In mammalian cells, oxidative insults activate stress response pathways including inflammation, cytokine secretion, ...
Metric-Based Pairwise and Multiple Image Registration

Registering pairs or groups of images is a widely-studied problem that has seen a variety of solutions in recent years. Most of these solutions are variational, using objective functions that should satisfy several basic and desired properties. In this paper, we pursue two additional properties – (1) invariance of objective function under identical warping of input images and (2) the objective function induces a proper metric on the set of equivalence classes of images – and motivate their importance. Then, a registration framework that satisfies these properties, using the L 2-norm between a novel representation of images, is introduced. Additionally, for multiple images, the induced metric enables us to compute a mean image, or a template, and perform joint registration. We demonstrate this framework using examples from a variety of image types and compare performances with some recent methods.
Cervical Spinal Stability and Decision Making

Cervical spinal trauma occurs with high frequency. Despite its high frequency, the treatment of cervical trauma remains controversial. A primary determinant of surgical decision making is the degree of spinal instability present after the injury. Because this level of stability is difficult to determine, there are wide variations in the treatment of spine trauma. A number of classification systems have been developed, but none have been highly reliable orgained widespread acceptance. Despite this, a number of critical variables in medical decision making, including injury morphology, discoligamentous integrity, and neurological status, have been identified. The Subaxial Cervical Injury Classification (SLIC) system has been developed to define these critical variables and, through a severity score, provide guidelines for treatment.
An InVitro Leakage and Viscosity Analysis of Root End Filling Materials

AN INVITRO LEAKAGE AND VISCOSITY ANALYSIS OF ROOT END FILLING MATERIALS By Paul D. Clark, D.D.S. A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007 Major Director: Karan J. Replogle, D.D.S., M.S. Interim Chairman and Director, Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry The purpose of this study was to determine if the viscosity of MTA Angelus Fluid is lower than that of Pro Root MTA and MTA Angelus; and to compare the viscosity, leakage and particle size of these materials to determine whether a relationship exists between these properties. The viscosity of each material was measured and compared with the Student’s t test. MTA Angelus Fluid’s viscosity was significantly lower than the other two materials tested. Microleakage of root end fillings was assessed in a passive diffusion model. Leakage groups were compared with a one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). No significant
Development of reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR assays for detection of the cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 in chelonians.

Abstract In response to viral pathogens, a host releases pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-10 (IL-10). While several approaches exist to measure cytokine responses, evaluating gene transcription through reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) provides a fast, reproducible, and sensitive method for quantifying this response. The objective of this study was to develop an effective and sensitive RT-qPCR assay for the quantification of red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) and eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) cytokines: IL-1β, TNFα, IL-10 and the reference gene β-actin. RNA was isolated from the buffy coat layer of whole blood, comprised mainly of circulating leukocytes, and complimentary DNA (cDNA) was produced. Conventional PCR was performed to obtain cytokine mRNA sequences, products were sequenced, and a hydrolysis probe-based RT-qPCR assay was designed for each cytokine. Standard curves were generated using the target gene sequences cloned within a plasmid. Efficiencies for each assay were between of 85–110%, R2 > 0.98, and limits of detection of 10–100 copies per reaction. The initial samples used to identify the novel target sequences were then used to evaluate the performance of the qPCR assays. Consistent transcription of beta actin across individuals in both species and measurable transcription of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 transcript targets in individuals of both species were observed. The assays are a novel technique in chelonians to evaluate host innate immune response.
US military bases and anti-military organizing: an ethnography of an air force base in Ecuador

The United States maintains a large global network of military bases; at times, it elicits local resistance from political elites and activists. The burgeoning literature on base-related politics f...
Charting the coming synergy between lattice QCD and high-energy phenomenology

Building upon the PDFSense framework developed in Wang et al. [Phys. Rev. D 98, 094030 (2018)], we perform a comprehensive analysis of the sensitivity of present and future high-energy data to a number of quantities commonly evaluated in lattice gauge theory, with a particular focus on the integrated Mellin moments of nucleon parton distribution functions, such as $⟨x{⟩}_{{u}^{+}\ensuremath{-}{d}^{+}}$ and $⟨x{⟩}_{g}$, as well as $x$-dependent quark quasidistributions---in particular, that of the isovector combination. Our results demonstrate the potential for lattice calculations and phenomenological quark distributions informed by high-energy experimental data to cooperatively improve the picture of the nucleon's collinear structure. This will increasingly be the case as computational resources for lattice calculations further expand, and QCD global analyses continue to grow in sophistication. Our sensitivity analysis suggests that a future lepton-hadron collider would be especially instrumental in providing phenomenological constraints to lattice observables.
Turbulent Flow with the Inner Cylinder Rotating

The dissipation theorem does a respectable job of describing turbulent mass transfer in the rotating-cylinder system, although parameters still need to be obtained by fitting against experimental data. Unfortunately the available experimental data show discrepancies that hamper theoretical development. This is part of a long-range program to compare the predictions of the dissipation theorem to systems ranging from pipe flow and rotating cylinders to developing flows on a rotating disk and on a flat plate at zero incidence, where extensive experimental data exist. One learns that values of the eddy viscosity should superpose after dividing by the stress parameter R+ in order to obtain coherent behavior at very large Reynolds numbers. One innovation here is to use the mass-transfer data as a proxy for the absence of torque data. One finds that the data of Eisenberg and of Mohr do not constitute a single coherent data set even though they were obtained on the same apparatus and with the same chemical system. New experimental data are needed to resolve these discrepancies. The dissipation theorem is supposed to enhance our understanding of turbulence and permit prediction of the behavior of turbulence in a variety of systems. The next step is to apply it to developing flows on a flat plate and a rotating disk.
Line roughness estimation and Poisson denoising in scanning electron microscope images using deep learning

We propose the use of deep supervised learning for the estimation of line edge roughness (LER) and line width roughness (LWR) in low-dose scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. We simulate a supervised learning dataset of 100,800 SEM rough line images constructed by means of the Thorsos method and the ARTIMAGEN library developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. We also devise two separate deep convolutional neural networks called SEMNet and EDGENet, each of which has 17 convolutional layers, 16 batch normalization layers, and 16 dropout layers. SEMNet performs the Poisson denoising of SEM images, and it is trained with a dataset of simulated noisy-original SEM image pairs. EDGENet directly estimates the edge geometries from noisy SEM images, and it is trained with a dataset of simulated noisy SEM image-edge array pairs. SEMNet achieved considerable improvements in peak signal-to-noise ratio as well as the best LER/LWR estimation accuracy compared with standard image denoisers. EDGENet offers excellent LER and LWR estimation as well as roughness spectrum estimation.
Preparation and Characterization of Crosslinked Hydrophilic Networks

SUMMARY In preparing and evaluating polymers for use as absorbent materials, it is critical to know those parameters which will govern the nature of the final polymer. This chapter presents different methods of producing and characterizing crosslinked polymers. Mathematical analyses are given to calculate the degree of swelling, molecular weight between crosslinks, and other characteristics of neutral and ionic polymers based upon such values as the polymer/solvent interaction parameter, dissociation constant of the pendant chains within the polymer and number average molecular weight before crosslinking. Typical values of these parameters and appropriate references are given for some of the more common polymers such as poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and Polyacrylamide.
Fully Automatic Photorealistic Facial Expression and Eye Gaze Transfer with a Single Image

Facial expression transfer has many applications in animation, special effects, and social media. Due to the variability in pose and environmental condition, generating a photo-realistic facial expression with a single image under uncon-trolled environment is a challenging problem. In this paper, we present a novel approach to simultaneously transfer both the facial expression and the eye gaze of an actor from one image to another. Based on the estimated facial geometry, the key idea of our work is to use mesh deformation to manipulate the expression of the actor in the target image. We start the process by reconstructing 3D facial geometry from un-constrained 2D images using a two-stage optimization strategy. A non-rigid registration is then used to find correspon-dences and alignment between reconstructed models, while eye gaze transfer is accomplished by piecewise affine warping. Finally we re-render the manipulated image with the use of Poisson image blending. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on images with various lighting conditions, head poses, and facial expressions.
The Case for Robust Adaptation: Autonomic Resource Management is a Vulnerability

Autonomic resource management for distributed edge computing systems provides an effective means of enabling dynamic placement and adaptation in the face of network changes, load dynamics, and failures. However, adaptation in-and-of-itself offers a side channel by which malicious entities can extract valuable information. An attacker can take advantage of autonomic resource management techniques to fool a system into misallocating resources and crippling applications. Using a few scenarios, we outline how attacks can be launched using partial knowledge of the resource management substrate - with as little as a single compromised node. We argue that any system that provides adaptation must consider resource management as an attack surface. As such, we propose ADAPT2, a framework that incorporates concepts taken from Moving-Target Defense and state estimation techniques to ensure correctness and obfuscate resource management, thereby protecting valuable system and application information from leaking.
Iron and zinc homeostases in female rats with physically active and sedentary lifestyles.

To determine the effects of repeated physical activity on iron and zinc homeostases in a living system, we quantified blood and tissue levels of these two metals in sedentary and physically active Long-Evans rats. At post-natal day (PND) 22, female rats were assigned to either a sedentary or an active treatment group (n = 10/group). The physically active rats increased their use of a commercially-constructed stainless steel wire wheel so that, by the end of the study (PND 101), they were running an average of 512.8 ± 31.9 (mean ± standard error) min/night. After euthanization, plasma and aliquots of liver, lung, heart, and gastrocnemius muscle were obtained. Following digestion, non-heme iron and zinc concentrations in plasma and tissues were measured using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Concentrations of both non-heme iron and zinc in plasma and liver were significantly decreased among the physically active rats relative to the sedentary animals. In the lung, both metals were increased in concentration among the physically active animals but the change in zinc did not reach significance. Similarly, tissue non-heme iron and zinc levels were both increased in heart and muscle from the physically active group. It is concluded that repeated physical activity in an animal model can be associated with a translocation of both iron and zinc from sites of storage (e.g. liver) to tissues with increased metabolism (e.g. the lung, heart, and skeletal muscle).
Identifying Antecedents of the Strategic Game Frame: A Longitudinal Analysis

Although election news framing is a burgeoning area of research, empirical studies of what factors influence frame building remain rare, especially in non-Western countries. This study investigates the use of the strategic game frame and the relationship between that frame and system-level and organizational-level factors. The analysis focuses on the coverage of campaign news in six elite Bulgarian newspapers between 1990 and 2009. Results show that the type of electoral system, number of parties in government, and newspaper specialization are significant predictors of game frame use. The results are discussed in relation to framing research in Western Europe and the United States.
Productivity assessment of multiple retail outlets

Abstract One of the main problems in assessing the relative efficiency of multiple retail outlets is the fact that customers are an essential component of the “production process” in retailing. Hence, the efficiency of a particular retail store depends both on the seller's and the buyers' efficiency. While there is often data on each store's inputs to the production of retail services, the contribution of each store's customers to this process is difficult to measure, and often goes unmeasured. In the absence of data on variation in customer efficiency across stores, it is difficult to make comparisons of the relative efficiency of the retailer's operation across stores. In this paper, we propose to solve the problem of missing data on customer inputs by treating stores as members of different latent classes, where the classes are defined by differences in customer inputs and other market characteristics. We consider the clusterwise estimation of multiple translog cost functions, which identifies sets of retail outlets operating under similar conditions and simultaneously estimates multiple cost functions for these classes. The efficiency of each outlet would then be evaluated relative to others in its class, which allows for a more equitable evaluation of each retail outlet, in comparison to other units operating under similar conditions. We apply this approach in the evaluation of multiple branches from a commercial bank in Latin America, and compare the efficiency measures obtained from it with measures obtained from other methods, using the bank's central managers ' classification of markets as a benchmark. Our results indicate that the clusterwise estimation of translog cost functions leads to a more equitable assessment of the branches, more in tune with the market differences perceived by the bank managers.
EGFR Activates a TAZ-Driven Oncogenic Program in Glioblastoma.

Hyperactivated EGFR signaling is a driver of various human cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM). Effective EGFR-targeted therapies rely on knowledge of key signaling hubs that transfer and amplify EGFR signaling. Here we focus on the transcription factor TAZ, a potential signaling hub in the EGFR signaling network. TAZ expression was positively associated with EGFR expression in clinical GBM specimens. In patient-derived GBM neurospheres, EGF induced TAZ through EGFR-ERK and EGFR-STAT3 signaling, and the constitutively active EGFRvIII mutation caused EGF-independent hyperactivation of TAZ. Genome-wide analysis showed that the EGFR-TAZ axis activates multiple oncogenic signaling mechanisms, including an EGFR-TAZ-RTK positive feedback loop, as well as upregulating HIF1α and other oncogenic genes. TAZ hyperactivation in GBM stem-like cells induced exogenous mitogen-independent growth and promoted GBM invasion, radioresistance, and tumorigenicity. Screening a panel of brain-penetrating EGFR inhibitors identified osimertinib as the most potent inhibitor of the EGFR-TAZ signaling axis. Systemic osimertinib treatment inhibited the EGFR-TAZ axis and in vivo growth of GBM stem-like cell xenografts. Overall these results show that the therapeutic efficacy of osimertinib relies on effective TAZ inhibition, thus identifying TAZ as a potential biomarker of osimertinib sensitivity.
Magnetic Component Design for Split Duty Cycle Coupled Multi-phase Boost-Buck Converter

The coupled boost and buck cascaded converter has inductors at the input and output ports of the converter, which makes it well suited for bidirectional battery charging applications where accurate current control and low ripple currents are required. This paper proposes magnetic component sizing and design methodology of a novel split duty cycle coupled multi-phase variant of the cascaded boost-buck converter, suitable for bidirectional operation where the low voltage port has high current, requiring a multi-phase buck stage. The paper covers (a) split duty cycle converter operation principle using coupled inductors and (b) magnetic component design and selection guidelines. The selected magnetic component used in coupled inductor is validated by simulation and experimental results.
Skill Needs and Human Resource Development in the Emerging Field of Nanotechnology

Strong societal requirements and consumer acceptance are the driving force of nanotechnology development. The necessity for qualified experts and strong demand on education in the multi-, trans- and interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology is a logical consequence of this driving force. There is the need for a comprehensive national skill-needs-identification study as a first step towards developing the appropriate workforce and to prevent any skill gap or shortage. This paper provides an analytical overview of skill needs and human resources development for the emerging fields of nanotechnology and gives recommendations for further research. Emphasis is placed on the role of vocational educational training (VET) in skill development for nanotechnology. Evidence review and secondary analysis of the literature are used as the methodological approach. A comparative analysis of approaches to nanotechnology workforce development in Germany and the United States is done.
Chevron in the States? Not So Much

In the years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., many in the judiciary and the academy have questioned its compatibility with our Constitution’s separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act. Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito have objected to what they see as excessive Chevron deference, relying on Chief Justice Marshall’s axiom that “[i]t is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.” Before joining the Supreme Court, then-Judge Gorsuch expressed serious doubts about Chevron deference altogether.Yet, Chevron deference in federal courts is still alive, though it is uncertain for how long. Aside from federal law, there has been a recent surge in states abandoning their own standards of judicial deference to administrative agencies’ interpretations of statutes. In 2018 alone, four states relinquished their past deference doctrines and instituted de novo review in questions of statutory interpretation, even where agencies are involved in cases. The Mississippi Supreme Court unanimously decided to no longer grant agencies any level of deference, turning to review of agency interpretations de novo as a matter of law. Over vigorous dissent, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ended its “practice of deferring to administrative agencies’ conclusions of law,” by redefining its doctrine of “due weight” deference and eliminating entirely its “great weight” deference regime. In Florida, voters approved a state constitutional Amendment (“Amendment 6”) which, among other things, eliminated the deference given to administrative agencies in interpreting statutes or rules. Judicial officers in Florida are now required to interpret such statutes and rules de novo. And in Arizona, the legislature enacted a law establishing de novo review of interpretations of state statutes by state agencies. This Comment surveys all fifty states’ and the District of Columbia’s levels of deference to state administrative agencies’ interpretations of state statutes. In this endeavor, this Comment principally analyzes state appellate court decisions, but also state constitutions and state statutes when they are used to explicate the various doctrines in the states. The goal of this Comment is to provide a total picture of all the levels of deference across the United States.
Durable changes in the gut microbiome in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

There are limiteddata on long-term changes in the gut microbiome after acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy. We compared the gut microbial composition in stool samples of nine survivors of childhood ALL with 10 healthy sibling controls using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Analysis of beta diversity within family units demonstrated a significant difference in bacterial strains between patients and healthy siblings. A significant difference in alpha diversity between patients and their healthy siblings was noted using Pielou's evenness. The composition of the gut microbiome differs between pediatric ALL survivors and healthy sibling controls for years after completion of therapy.
Channel bed evolution and sediment transport under declining sand inputs

[1] Coupled field and laboratory investigations explore links between bed surface structure development and sediment transport as sand inputs decline. On the Pasig-Potrero River, we investigated channel recovery following emplacement of sand-rich pyroclastic deposits in the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines. As sediment inputs declined from 1996 to 2003, surface grain size increased, clast structures formed, and sediment mobility and bed load transport rates declined. Our field results parallel those from flume experiments studying highly energetic channels with similar sand contents. As the feed mixture shifted from 70% to 40% sand, surface grain size and gravel interactions increased, forming clusters and armor patches. Bed reorganization into patches initially accommodated coarsening with minimal effect on bed load transport rates, roughness, or friction angle within sandy transport zones. As sand declined further, gravel jams interrupted the connectivity of sandy transport zones, lowering transport rates. Patch development lowered the threshold for the transition from sand-dominated to gravel-dominated transport, focusing this transition over a narrow range of sand content.
Complexity or coherence? Cytokine secretion by B cells.

“Lymphocyte subsets” brings to mind different types of T cells. New work indicates that B cells may also have distinct effector functions
Globin Messenger RNA in Hemoglobin H Disease

Functional messenger RNA (mRNA) for human globin synthesis was isolated from reticulocytes of each of two patients with hemoglobin H disease. The RNA was tested for its capacity to direct globin synthesis in a messenger RNA-dependent cell-free system derived from Krebs Type II mouse ascites tumor cells. In each case, hemoglobin H disease mRNA directed the synthesis of a great excess of β-globin chains relative to α-globin chains of hemoglobin A. The β/α synthetic ratios obtained in the cell-free system at saturating concentrations of mRNA were >22 and >15, respectively, for the two hemoglobin H disease mRNA preparations, whereas the β/α synthetic ratios obtained by incubation of intact reticulocytes from these same patients were 2.6 and 2.8, respectively. The β/α synthetic ratio obtained in the cell-free system did not vary when lower concentrations of hemoglobin H disease mRNA were used. A marked decrease in the amount of functional α-globin-chain mRNA relative to β-chain mRNA is therefore associated with the decreased α-chain synthesis observed in hemoglobin H disease. This decrease in α-chain-specific mRNA activity is greater than expected from the β/α synthetic ratio of intact reticulocytes in hemoglobin H disease.
A control volume finite element solution of unsaturated flow in layered soils

A two-dimensional control volume finite element method is presented for modeling unsaturated flow in a layered soil. The mesh is arranged so that a given element is placed in only in one soil type. A mass conserved solution is employed. At each solution step a search algorithm is used to establish nodal pressure heads, on the interface between two soil layers, that are consistent with an aerial averaged moisture content. Testing of the proposed algorithm indicates no “numerical leaking” between the layers.
RG-EDF: An I/O Scheduling Policy for Flash Equipped Sensor Devices

Flash equipped sensor devices are becoming increasingly complex and are now capable of supporting real-time multiple applications on a single sensor, rich sensing of visual and audio data, and storage of large amounts of data. With this increase in complexity, it is no longer sufficient to provide first in first out (FIFO) type capture of data into more persistent memories. In this paper we propose RG-EDF, a new scheduling policy for flash equipped sensor devices. RG-EDF aims at providing QoS support to multimedia tasks by considering the unique characteristics of flash-based devices. We have implemented our scheme on a CC1010 sensor node with a SD flash card attached and compared our technique to other popular scheduling policies. Our experimental results show the working and benefit of our system.