cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated spectral smoothing with spatially adaptive penalized least squares.

A variety of data smoothing techniques exist to address the issue of noise in spectroscopic data. The vast majority, however, require parameter specification by a knowledgeable user, which is typically accomplished by trial and error. In most situations, optimized parameters represent a compromise between noise reduction and signal preservation. In this work, we demonstrate a nonparametric regression approach to spectral smoothing using a spatially adaptive penalized least squares (SAPLS) approach. An iterative optimization procedure is employed that permits gradual flexibility in the smooth fit when statistically significant trends based on multiscale statistics assuming white Gaussian noise are detected. With an estimate of the noise level in the spectrum the procedure is fully automatic with a specified confidence level for the statistics. Potential application to the heteroscedastic noise case is also demonstrated. Performance was assessed in simulations conducted on several synthetic spectra using traditional error measures as well as comparisons of local extrema in the resulting smoothed signals to those in the true spectra. For the simulated spectra, a best case comparison with the Savitzky–Golay smoothing via an exhaustive parameter search was performed while the SAPLS method was assessed for automated application. The application to several dissimilar experimentally obtained Raman spectra is also presented.
Beginners remember orthography when they learn to read words: The case of doubled letters

Sight word learning and memory were studied to clarify how early during development readers process visual letter patterns that are not dictated by phonology, and whether their word learning is influenced by the legality of letter patterns. Forty kindergartners and first graders were taught to read 12 words containing either single consonants (e.g., FAN) or doubled consonants in initial illegal or final legal positions (e.g., RRUG or JETT). Children required fewer trials to learn to read legally spelled words with single or doubled consonants than illegally spelled words containing initial doublets. On a spelling posttest, children recalled single consonants somewhat better than final doublets, and final doublets much better than initial illegal doublets. More advanced beginning readers tended to regularize illegal initial doublets by doubling the final rather than initial consonants when they wrote these words. Poorer learning and memory for initial doublets occurred despite the salience of their position in words. Findings indicate that beginning readers use orthographic patterns to read and remember words earlier than predicted by phase theory, but their memory is constrained by their knowledge of written word structure.
“Aging Can Be Fun!” How Seniors Inform Others to Maintain Cognitive Health

Purpose Cognitive health is vital to the aging population. Substantial evidence suggests that physical activity and other healthy behaviors may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. To better understand attitudes about, and perceived strategies for, maintaining cognitive function, this study assessed how seniors obtain and share information about health behaviors that maintain cognitive health. Methods Nine focus groups were conducted in South Carolina: five with African Americans (n=43) and four with non-Hispanic whites (n=38). Groups were conducted by trained moderators using a 9-item interview guide. Participants were asked, “If we put you in charge of getting the word out to others about the importance of physical activity, a healthy diet, and being involved socially for healthy brains, what would you do to make sure everybody knew about this?” All focus group sessions were audio taped, transcribed verbatim, and then analyzed using grounded theory and the constant comparison method, with Atlas.ti software. Results Participants’ mean age was 72, with the majority reporting at least a high school education. Thematic comparisons revealed that seniors perceive eye-catching pamphlets and flyers to be the best strategy to inform others about brain health, followed by the use of existing group meetings, such as churches and senior centers. Participants also suggested the use of creative slogans, such as “Aging can be fun!” and “Wake up and live!” Finally, organizing brain health seminars, health fairs, and media broadcasts were offered as ways to inform others about brain health. Conclusion Health promotion efforts may be most effective if delivered through multiple methods. Multiple methods may increase the likelihood that a larger number of seniors are reached with information about health behaviors that promote cognitive health. Specifically, disseminating information via brochures and flyers, using creative slogans, and working through community centers may enhance health promotion efforts.
AAV display--homing in on the target.

Random peptide libraries displayed in the viral capsid enable the selection of AAV vectors for targeted gene delivery.
Dynamic changes in acid mucopolysaccharides during mineralization of the mandibular condylar cartilage.

Sequential histochemical changes related to acid mucopolysaccharides (AMPS) were studied in the calcifying cartilage of the mandibular condyle. Non-decalcified, 1 μ Eponembedded sections were subjected to a variety of histochemical procedures. The results indicate that AMPS are synthesized and secreted mainly by hypertrophic chondrocytes in the premineralizing zone. Within the matrix at the mineralization front the AMPS complexes are apparently degraded by lysosomal enzymes to yield a highly anionic fraction which is maintained in the matrix. This fraction could function as the site for mineralization and cationic dye reaction which allows for histochemical visualization.
Visual capacities of the owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus)—II. Spatial contrast sensitivity

Abstract Spatial contrast sensitivity functions were measured for the owl monkey ( Aotus trivirgatus ) in a forced-choice discrimination task in which the animals discriminated sinusoidal luminance gratings variant in contrast from homogeneous fields of the same average luminance. At photopic light levels the Aotus monkey is maximally sensitive to gratings having a spatial frequency of 1.5–2.0 c/deg. As target luminance was decreased, both the peak location and the form of the function changed. From a consideration of these functions, and from measurements of square-wave grating acuity, it was con cluded that the maximal resolution for the Aotus monkey is about 10 c/deg. In comparison to the human observer, this monkey shows poorer spatial resolution at moderate light levels but better resolution when the target is very dim.
Optical transmission of millimeter-wave signals through polyimide channel waveguides fabricated using direct laser writing

High speed wafer-scale optical interconnections have been achieved using hybrid opto- electronic integrated circuits (OEICs). Polyimide channel waveguides fabricated using direct laser writing (DLW) served as the interconnect media between the high frequency signal sources and the high speed detectors. The 50 GHz optical interconnection reported here could potentially be used in the implementation of sophisticated wafer scale systems such as phased array radars.
ModeMaker and ModeQuiz: Tools for Enhancing Student Learning Estimation Skills of Rock-Component Abundance

ABSTRACT Mode estimation, the visual determination of the proportions of the components of a rock, is a valuable tool in geology, providing one of the most efficient means of describing rock mineralogy and chemistry. However, current methods of teaching mode estimation suffer from the often-mediocre mode-estimation skills of the instructors. Fifty-nine academic and professional geologists was surveyed online to assess their mode estimation skills, and they scored 65.9 ± 7.5 (SD) out of a possible 100. Instructors with poor skills cannot provide the correct answers to mode questions and, thus, cannot create valid assessments of student mode-estimation skills. Two computer programs may help address this problem. ModeMaker is a tool for the instructor to use to create images with up to five phases, each with known modes. Each phase can have a number of additional specified properties, such as shape, size, and orientation. The instructor can, thus, provide valid assessments of student abilities to estimate mo...
Evidence suggesting the importance of fatty acids and the fatty acid moieties of sperm membrane phospholipids in the acrosome reaction of guinea pig spermatozoa

When guinea pig spermatozoa were preincubated 1 hr in Ca2+-free medium containing dilysocardiolipin (100--125 micrograms/ml) then exposed to Ca2+, the majority underwent an immediate acrosome reaction. Monolysocardiolipin was much less effective and the native cardiolipin was totally ineffective. Some fatty acids added to the medium could also render the spermatozoa capable of undergoing their acrosome reactions, arachidonic acid in methyl ester form being most potent. It is known that sperm membrane contains phospholipase A which cleaves membrane phospholipids into lysophospholipids and fatty acids. Most lysophospholipids are known to be potent acrosome reaction-promoting agents. As some forms of fatty acids are also potent acrosome reaction-promoting agents, both products of membrane phospholipid hydrolysis by phospholipase A (i.e., both fatty acids and lysophospholipids) may work synergistically to effect the conversion of stable sperm membranes to a fusion competent state capable of engaging in the acrosome reaction.
Representations of Affine Lie Algebras and Soliton Equations [Abstract Only]

A few years ago the 'hidden symmetries’ of the soliton equations had been identified as affine Lie groups, also known as loop groups. The first extensive use of the representation theory of affine Lie algebras for the soliton equations have been developed in a series of works by mathematicians of the Kyoto school. We will review some of their results and develop them further on the basis of the representation theory. Thus an orbit of the simplest affine Lie group SL(2, C)^ in the fundamental representation V will provide the solutions of the Korteweg-de Vries equation, and similarly the solutions of the sine-Gordon equation will come from an orbit of the group (SL(2, C) x SL(2, C)) ^ in V x V*.
Surface-effects-dominated thermal and mechanical responses of zinc oxide nanobelts

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are carried out to characterize the mechanical and thermal responses of Open image in new window-oriented ZnO nanobelts with lateral dimensions of 21.22 A×18.95 A, 31.02 A × 29.42 A and 40.81A × 39.89 A over the temperature range of 300-1000 K. The Young's modulus and thermal conductivity of the nanobelts are evaluated. Significant surface effects on properties due to the high- surface-to-volume ratios of the nanobelts are observed. For the mechanical response, surface-stress-induced internal stress plays an important role. For the thermal response, surface scattering of phonons dominates. Calculations show that the Young's modulus is higher than the corresponding value for bulk ZnO and decreases by ~ 33% as the lateral dimensions increase from 21.22 A × 18.95 A to 40.81 A × 39.89 A. The thermal conductivity is one order of magnitude lower than the corresponding value for bulk ZnO single crystal and decreases with wire size. Specifically, the conductivity of the 21.22 A × 18.95 A belt is approximately (31-18)% lower than that of the 40.81 A × 39.89 A belt over the temperature range analyzed. A significant dependence of properties on temperature is also observed, with the Young's modulus decreasing on average by 12% and the conductivity decreasing by 50% as temperature increases from 300 K to 1000 K.
Antioxidant evaluation and oxidative stability of structured lipids from extravirgin olive oil and conjugated linoleic acid.

Structured lipid (SL) was synthesized from extravirgin olive oil (EVOO) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) via a lipase-catalyzed reaction. CLA provides a variety of health benefits, but it is not consumed in free fatty acid form. The synthesized SL olive oil contained 42.5 mol % CLA isomers, and the major isomers were cis-9,trans-11-CLA (16.9 mol %) and trans-10,cis-12-CLA (24.2 mol %). The antioxidant activity determined by the radical scavenging capacity with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical was lower in SL olive oil than in EVOO. The oxidative stability was also lower in SL olive oil since it had a higher peroxide value, ρ-anisidine value, and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values during 20 days of storage at 60 °C. This observation could be due to the reduction in the natural phenolic compounds (97%) and tocopherols (56%), and the incorporated CLA with two conjugated double bonds in the SL olive oil. The oxidative stability of SL olive oil was increased by added rosemary extracts ...
Two-way relaying for energy constrained systems: Joint transmit power optimization

We consider an energy constrained two-way wireless relay system, where a bidirectional connection between two terminals T A and T B is established via one decode-and-forward (DF) relay ℝ. We study the optimal power allocation that minimizes the total transmit power consumption, under given requirements on the end-to-end bit error rate (BER) at T A and T B . By approximating the non-convex BER constraints, we formulate a convex optimization problem and provide closed form solutions for the optimal power assignment problem. Comparing the resulting overall transmit power consumption with that achieved through the individual link requirement strategy (where power is assigned under a per-link BER constraint), we show that the proposed power allocation scheme can achieve a maximum of 50% power reduction.
INTERACTION OF MEAN AND PULSE PRESSURES IN THE CIRCULATION OF THE ISOLATED DOG TONGUE.

In the isolated, perfused dog's tongue, alterations of pulse pressure, at constant mean pressure, can produce parallel or oppositely directed changes in blood flow or can leave the flow unaffected. Parallel changes occur when the vascular bed is passively distensible; opposite changes occur when active contraction of smooth muscle overcomes the effects of passive distensibility, and no change is found when the two effects balance. The first is seen at mean pressures below 80 mm Hg or peak pressures above 155 to 165 mm Hg. The other reactions are produced in the mean pressure range in which autoregulatory reactions occur, viz. opposite changes when the pulse pressure is low and no change under conditions close to in situ mean and pulse pressure. Even when pulse pressure has no observable influence on flow, therefore, it modifies vascular tone. The active response of vascular smooth muscle to pulse pressure persists in part after the removal of the stimulus, opposing stress-relaxation of resistance vessels....
Purification and Properties of HuD, a Neuronal RNA-binding Protein

HuD is a human neuronal specific RNA-binding protein. In this study we have purified HuD and examined its RNA binding properties in detail. HuD binds to mRNAs that contain an AU-rich element with high affinity. In the case of the c-fos AU-rich element, HuD binds to a 27-nucleotide core element comprising AUUUA, AUUUUA, and AUUUUUA motifs. Mutation in any two of these motifs abrogates binding. HuD contains two tandem RNA recognition motifs (RRM), a basic domain, and a third RRM. Deletion analysis has shown that only the first and second RRMs are essential for RNA binding. Thus, these specific RNA binding properties support the idea that the HuD regulates gene expression at the posttranscriptional level.
Pathologic diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in an aborted fetus

In a fetus at risk for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and aborted at 21 weeks, an increase in variability in muscle fiber diameter was found in comparison to two control fetuses.
Implementation and outcomes of a live continuing education program on pharmacogenomics

Aim: This study evaluated the implementation and outcomes of a pharmacogenomics education program among pharmacists. Materials & methods: Continuing education lectures were presented at local, state and national pharmacy conferences. Results: Six hundred and seventy three pharmacist participants (mean ± standard deviation: 45 ± 14 years of age with 19 ± 13 years of practice experience) completed program evaluations. Participants’ knowledge and overall ability to address pharmacogenomics testing significantly improved (p < 0.001). More than 50% rated self-efficacy for putting pharmacogenomics knowledge into clinical practice to be likely or very likely. Attitudes toward increasing the number of patients to educate, updating pharmacogenomics knowledge, and providing advice were 39, 76 and 64%, respectively. Participants rated program components to be useful or very useful, and the quality of the program format, program content and audience response system as good, very good or excellent. Conclusion: Through...
Male μαστoι in Revelation 1.13

This essay explains the strange occurrence of `male breasts' in the vision of the Son of Man (Rev. 1.13) by appealing to an anomaly in the LXX Song of Songs. The author of Revelation alludes to the...
Heart Rate Variability: Just a Surrogate for Mean Heart Rate?

See related article, pp 1334–1343 In this issue of Hypertension , Monfredi et al1 address a phenomenon that has been repeatedly described in the literature2–5 but, nevertheless, went largely unnoticed by the scientific community using heart rate variability (HRV) to assess cardiac autonomic control or to predict cardiovascular health. The phenomenon studied by Monfredi et al1 is that most HRV parameters are inversely related to the actual level of HR, such that HRV is usually lower if HR is high and vice versa. The importance of the work by Monfredi et al1 is that it explores the physiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between HR and HRV using mathematical and biophysical models applied to data from various species and even in vitro preparations with differing levels of mean HR. Furthermore, using the standard deviation (SD) of normal to normal intervals6 as an example of one of the more frequently used HRV parameters; they provide a simple equation that can be used to normalize this HRV parameter so that it is independent of the actual level of HR. By convention, HRV is typically calculated from RR-interval and not from HR time series.6 As pointed out in a recent review article by Sacha,4 the relationship between HRV (calculated from RR-intervals) and HR is partly because of the inverse relationship between HR and RR-interval (eg, if HR fluctuates by ±10 bpm, the corresponding fluctuations in RR-intervals are ±250 ms at an average HR of 50 bpm but only ±60 ms at an average HR of 100 bpm). Thus, if HRV is calculated from RR-intervals, a …
Actuator networks for navigating an unmonitored mobile robot

Building on recent work in sensor-actuator networks and distributed manipulation, we consider the use of pure actuator networks for localization-free robotic navigation. We show how an actuator network can be used to guide an unobserved robot to a desired location in space and introduce an algorithm to calculate optimal actuation patterns for such a network. Sets of actuators are sequentially activated to induce a series of static potential fields that robustly drive the robot from a start to an end location under movement uncertainty. Our algorithm constructs a roadmap with probability-weighted edges based on motion uncertainty models and identifies an actuation pattern that maximizes the probability of successfully guiding the robot to its goal. Simulations of the algorithm show that an actuator network can robustly guide robots with various uncertainty models through a two-dimensional space. We experiment with additive Gaussian Cartesian motion uncertainty models and additive Gaussian polar models. Motion randomly chosen destinations within the convex hull of a 10-actuator network succeeds with with up to 93.4% probability. For n actuators, and m samples per transition edge in our roadmap, our runtime is O(mn6).
Source Coding with Limited Side Information Lookahead at the Decoder

We characterize the rate distortion function for the source coding with decoder side information setting when the i-th reconstruction symbol is allowed to depend only on the first i + d side information symbols, for some finite lookahead d, in addition to the index from the encoder. For the case of causal side information, i.e., d = 0, we find that the penalty of causality is the omission of the subtracted mutual information term in the Wyner-Ziv rate distortion function. For d > 0, we derive a computable "infinite-letter" expression for the rate distortion function. When specialized to the near-lossless case, our results characterize the best achievable rate for the Slepian-Wolf source coding problem with limited side information lookahead, and have some surprising implications. We find that side information is useless for any fixed d when the joint PMF of the source and side information satisfies the positivity condition P(x, y) > 0 for all (x, y). More generally, the optimal rate depends on the distribution of the pair X, Y only through the distribution of X and the bipartite graph whose edges represent the pairs x, y for which P(x, y) > 0. On the other hand, if side information lookahead dn is allowed to grow faster than logarithmic in the block length n, then H(X|Y) is achievable. Finally, we apply our approach to derive a computable expression for channel capacity when state information is available at the encoder with limited lookahead.
Virtue Epistemology and the Gettier Problem

Critique de la revendication d'une epistemologie de la vertu a la place de l'epistemologie de la croyance, defendue par L. Zagzebski dans son ouvrage intitule «Les vertus de l'esprit» (1996). Examinant le definition des concepts epistemiques en termes d'etats internes de la personne, l'A. rejette les deux conceptions de la connaissance developpees par Zagzebski et montre qu'aucune ne permet d'eviter les problemes de type Gettier sans recourir aux conditions de defaisabilite.
Processing demands in belief‐desire reasoning: inhibition or general difficulty?

Most 4-year-olds can predict the behavior of a person who wants an object but is mistaken about its location. More difficult is predicting behavior when the person is mistaken about location and wants to avoid the object. We tested between two explanations for children's difficulties with avoidance false belief: the Selection Processing model of inhibitory processing and a General Difficulty account. Children were presented with a false belief task and a control task, in which belief attribution was as difficult as in the false belief task. Predicting behavior in light of the character's desire to avoid the object added more difficulty in the false belief task. This finding is consistent with the Selection Processing model, but not with the General Difficulty account.
SOME NOTES ON THE NATURE OF CLAY1

The porosity and particle spacing was determined for a number of plastic and non-plastic materials under various conditions of wetness and pressure. This was done by pressing the material in a cylindrical mold and measuring the resultant density of both the freshly-molded and the dried specimen. The results show that all of the materials at the lower pressures have a critical water content, beyond which the particles re-orient themselves into a denser packing. This point corresponds to the pores being one-half filled. The clays are differentiated from the nonplastic materials by their ability to hold a stable water film onto the surface of the particles. The maximum stable thickness of this film occurs at or beyond the point where the pores are filled, and for the clays tested averages about 3 × 10−6 Cm. in thickness. This film is so stable as not to be influenced by pressures as high as 800 kilograms per square centimeter. A size analysis of the particles of all the materials was made, and their average sue and diameter computed. All of the materials were found to have some elasticity when the pressure was relieved. These data taken as a whole allow the construction of a comparatively accurate picture of the clay structure.
Solid-state nanopore channels with DNA selectivity

Solid-state nanopores have emerged as possible candidates for next-generation DNA sequencing devices. In such a device, the DNA sequence would be determined by measuring how the forces on the DNA molecules, and also the ion currents through the nanopore, change as the molecules pass through the nanopore. Unlike their biological counterparts, solid-state nanopores have the advantage that they can withstand a wide range of analyte solutions and environments. Here we report solid-state nanopore channels that are selective towards single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Nanopores functionalized with a 'probe' of hair-pin loop DNA can, under an applied electrical field, selectively transport short lengths of 'target' ssDNA that are complementary to the probe. Even a single base mismatch between the probe and the target results in longer translocation pulses and a significantly reduced number of translocation events. Our single-molecule measurements allow us to measure separately the molecular flux and the pulse duration, providing a tool to gain fundamental insight into the channel-molecule interactions. The results can be explained in the conceptual framework of diffusive molecular transport with particle-channel interactions.
On the use of destination set grouping to improve fairness in multicast video distribution

In a fair multicast video distribution scheme each receiver should receive a video stream with a quality that is commensurate with its capabilities or the capabilities of the path leading to it, regardless of other receivers or network paths. This fairness problem results from the fact that multicast communication trades economy of bandwidth with granularity of control. Distributing video using individual feedback-controlled point-to-point streams results in high bandwidth utilization but the granularity of control is high as communication parameters can be negotiated individually with each receiver. In contrast, using a single multicast stream has good bandwidth economy, but very low granularity of control. In this paper we propose, implement and experiment with a system that spans the spectrum represented by the two extremes above. In the scheme, called destination set grouping (DSG), a source maintains a small number of video streams, carrying the same video but each targeted at receivers with different capabilities. Each stream is feedback-controlled within prescribed limits by its group of receivers. Receivers may move among streams as their capabilities or the capabilities of the network paths leading to them change. The scheme is shown to improve fairness significantly at a small bandwidth cost.
Identification of parameters in an accommodation model

An accommodation model has been recently presented which interprets Preisach-type models from a statistical point of view. In this paper an identification strategy for determining the accommodation parameter, /spl beta/, is presented. This method is applicable for more general Preisach distributions where the standard deviation in the interaction field is not equal to the standard deviation in the critical field. Experimental verification of the properties of the accommodation model using a commercial flexible disk recording media is presented. >
Local, Distortional, and Euler Buckling of Thin-Walled Columns

Open cross-section, thin-walled, cold-formed steel columns have at least three competing buckling modes: local, distortional, and Euler ~i.e., flexural or flexural-torsional ! buckling. Closed-form prediction of the buckling stress in the local mode, including interaction of the connected elements, and the distortional mode, including consideration of the elastic and geometric stiffness at the web/flange juncture, are provided and shown to agree well with numerical methods. Numerical analyses and experiments indicate postbuckling capacity in the distortional mode is lower than in the local mode. Current North American design specifications for cold-formed steel columns ignore local buckling interaction and do not provide an explicit check for distortional buckling. Existing experiments on cold-formed channel, zed, and rack columns indicate inconsistency and systematic error in current design methods and provide validation for alternative methods. A new method is proposed for design that explicitly incorporates local, distortional and Euler buckling, does not require calculations of effective width and/or effective properties, gives reliable predictions devoid of systematic error, and provides a means to introduce rational analysis for elastic buckling prediction into the design of thin-walled columns.
Tiberian Hebrew Spirantization and Phonological Derivations

Chomsky (1995) cites Hebrew spirantization as an example of a phonological phenomenon whose conditioning factors are rendered opaque by the operation of later processes in the phonological derivation. Because Optimality Theory (OT; e.g., Prince and Smolensky 1993) is built on surface output conditions (and in more recent versions constraints comparing input and output representations and enforcing uniformity in paradigms), any such cases of intermediate representations raise nontrivial questions for OT. These cases become more interesting and revealing when we try to provide comprehensive OT accounts using the general devices employed in the OT literature. This article examines Tiberian Hebrew spirantization in greater detail and demonstrates that spirantization and related phenomena cannot be adequately handled nonderivationally in OT.
Loop-extended symbolic execution on binary programs

Mixed concrete and symbolic execution is an important technique for finding and understanding software bugs, including security-relevant ones. However, existing symbolic execution techniques are limited to examining one execution path at a time, in which symbolic variables reflect only direct data dependencies. We introduce loop-extended symbolic execution, a generalization that broadens the coverage of symbolic results in programs with loops. It introduces symbolic variables for the number of times each loop executes, and links these with features of a known input grammar such as variable-length or repeating fields. This allows the symbolic constraints to cover a class of paths that includes different numbers of loop iterations, expressing loop-dependent program values in terms of properties of the input. By performing more reasoning symbolically, instead of by undirected exploration, applications of loop-extended symbolic execution can achieve better results and/or require fewer program executions. To demonstrate our technique, we apply it to the problem of discovering and diagnosing buffer-overflow vulnerabilities in software given only in binary form. Our tool finds vulnerabilities in both a standard benchmark suite and 3 real-world applications, after generating only a handful of candidate inputs, and also diagnoses general vulnerability conditions.
Energy-Efficient Estimation of Clock Offset for Inactive Nodes in Wireless Sensor Networks

For a meaningful processing of the information sensed by a wireless sensor network (WSN), the clocks of the individual nodes need to be matched through some well-defined procedures. Extending the idea of having silent nodes in a WSN overhear the two-way timing message communication between two active (master and slave) nodes, this paper derives the maximum-likelihood estimator (MLE) for the clock offsets of the listening nodes located within the communication range of the active nodes by assuming an exponential link delay modeling, hence synchronizing with the reference node at a very low cost. A vital advantage for adopting such an approach is that the performance of sender-receiver protocols can be compared with receiver-receiver protocols on equal footings, because their main critical aspect was associated with the high-communication overhead induced by the point-to-point nature of communication links relative to broadcast communications. The MLE is also shown to be the minimum variance unbiased estimator (MVUE) of the clock offset when the mean of exponential link delays is known. Since it is attractive to know in advance the extent to which an estimator can perform through its lower bound, the Chapman-Robbins bound and the Barankin bound for the clock offset estimator are also derived. It is shown that for an exponential link delay model, the mean square error of the clock offset estimator is inversely proportional to the square of the number of observations, and hence its performance is on a similar scale, albeit slightly lesser, as compared to the usual sender-receiver clock offset estimator. In addition, a novel method referred to as the Gaussian mixture Kalman particle filter (GMKPF) is proposed herein to estimate the clock offsets of the listening nodes in a WSN. GMKPF represents a better and flexible alternative to the MLE for the clock offset estimation problem due to its improved performance and applicability in arbitrary and generalized non-Gaussian random delay models.
A kairomone based attract-and-kill system effective against alfalfa looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

A chemical lure derived from flowers that are visited by moths attracts male and female alfalfa loopers, Autographa californica (Speyer) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). This feeding attractant is dispensed from polypropylene bottles that provide controlled release for several weeks. A killing station was tested in the laboratory, in a screenhouse, and in the field in combination with this lure as an “attract-and-kill” system. Starved alfalfa looper adults (moths) were strongly attracted to the attract-and-kill station in a flight tunnel, and 90.9% of female moths and 87.6% of male moths that contacted the station died. In commercial fields of alfalfa hay, female moths captured in monitoring traps were reduced by 80–93% in plots receiving 125 attract-and-kill stations per hectare. In screenhouse trials using two attract-and-kill stations per screenhouse, oviposition on potted lettuce plants by starved female alfalfa looper moths was reduced by 98.5%. Moths were less likely to be attracted to lures when provided sugar before flight tunnel assays, and oviposition by fed moths was much less affected by attract-and-kill stations in screenhouse trials, compared with starved moths. This method has potential as a means to manage alfalfa looper populations in vegetable and other agricultural crops. However, consideration must be given to competing food and odor sources in the field.
Follicular lymphoma: 2015 update on diagnosis and management.

Disease overview: Follicular lymphoma is generally an indolent B cell lymphoproliferative disorder of transformed follicular center B cells. Follicular lymphoma (FL) is characterized by diffuse lymphoadenopathy, bone marrow involvement, splenomegaly, and less commonly other extranodal sites of involvement. In general, cytopenias can occur but constitutional symptoms of fever, night sweats, and weight loss are uncommon. Diagnosis: Diagnosis is based on histology of preferably a biopsy of a lymph node. Immunohistochemical staining is positive in virtually all cases for cell surface CD19, CD20, CD10, and monoclonal immunoglobulin, as well as cytoplasmic expression of bcl-2 protein. The overwhelming majority of cases have the characteristic t(14;18) translocation involving the IgH/bcl-2 genes. Risk stratification: The Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index prognostic model for FL uses five independent predictors of inferior survival: age >60 years, hemoglobin normal, Ann Arbor stage III/IV, number of involved nodal areas > 4. The presence of 0, 1, 2, and ≥ 3 adverse factors defines low, intermediate, and high-risk disease. With the use of more modern therapies, outcomes have improved. Risk-adapted therapy: Observation continues to be adequate for asymptomatic patients with low bulk disease and no cytopenias, with no survival advantage for early treatment with either chemotherapy or rituximab alone. For patients needing therapy, most patients are treated with chemotherapy plus rituximab, which has improved response rates, duration of response and overall survival. Randomized studies have shown additional benefit for maintenance rituximab both following chemotherapy-rituximab and single agent rituximab. Experimental therapies as well as stem cell transplantation (SCT) are considered for recurrent disease. Am. J. Hematol. 90:1172–1178, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
New Crimes and Punishments: A Case Study Regarding the Impact of Over-Criminalization on White Collar Criminal Cases

Over-criminalization takes many forms and impacts the American criminal justice system in varying ways. This article focuses on a select portion of the over-criminalization phenomenon by examining two types of over-criminalization prevalent in white collar criminal law. The first type of over-criminalization discussed in this article is Congress’s propensity for increasing the maximum criminal penalties for white collar offenses in an effort to punish financial criminals more harshly. The second type of over-criminalization addressed in this article is Congress’s tendency to create vague and overlapping criminal provisions in areas already criminalized in an effort to expand the tools available to prosecutors and increase the number of financial criminals prosecuted each year. While these types of over-criminalization are not the most egregious examples of the phenomenon, they are important to consider because the statutes being affected by these legislative enactments are far from obscure and, in fact, represent some of the most commonly charged offenses in the federal system. While much has been written about the plethora of negative consequences resulting from over-criminalization generally, it is worth noting that not everyone believes these negative consequences outweigh the potential benefits that might flow from the two types of over-criminalization discussed in this article. First, some might argue that repeatedly increasing the statutory maximums for white collar offenses is justified because doing so means culpable individuals will receive longer prison sentences reflective of their conduct and, in addition, others will be deterred from committing such crimes. Second, some might argue that enacting broad new criminal provisions in areas already criminalized is justified because such enactments provide prosecutors with the tools necessary to ensure that creative and sophisticated white collar criminals are brought to justice in larger numbers, thereby deterring others from committing similar offenses. This article will examine the accuracy of the underlying premises utilized by both of these “justifications” for the over-criminalization discussed herein – (a) the assumption that increasing statutory maximums results in ever lengthening sentences for individual white collar defendants, and (b) the assumption that enacting additional laws that are vague and overlapping in areas already criminalized results in increased levels of enforcement against white collar criminals. Through such an examination, this article seeks to understand whether new crimes and punishments really achieve their intended goals and, if not, what this means for the over-criminalization debate and, in particular, the over-criminalization “justifications” discussed above.
Polymer Inhibition of Crystal Growth by Surface Poisoning

Controlling the rate of crystal growth from supersaturated solutions is a desirable capability in the pharmaceutical field. The biological absorption of poorly soluble drugs can be enhanced by inhibiting crystal growth and prolonging the duration of supersaturated solutions formed in vivo by dissolving supersaturating dosage forms. The use of polymeric additives to slow crystal growth is an emerging area of interest, yet the mechanisms of polymer inhibition are still being explored. In this study, the ability of a polymer to poison crystal growth and impact crystal morphology is assessed for felodipine crystallized from the amorphous material under different conditions. It was found that when polymers are present during crystal evolution from an amorphous solid exposed to water, they can impact the size and shape of the resulting crystals. This in turn influences the subsequent rate of crystal growth from supersaturated solutions. Therefore, when testing the ability of polymers to impact crystal growth, a...
Photochemistry of benzylallene: ring-closing reactions to form naphthalene.

Conformer-specific, vibrationally resolved electronic spectroscopy of benzylallene (4-phenyl-1,2-butadiene) is presented along with a detailed analysis of the products formed via its ultraviolet photoexcitation. Benzylallene is the minor product of the recombination of benzyl and propargyl radicals. The mass-selective resonant two-photon ionization spectrum of benzylallene was recorded under jet-cooled conditions, with its S0–S1 origin at 37 483 cm–1. UV–UV holeburning spectroscopy was used to show that only one conformer was present in the expansion. Rotational band contour analysis provided rotational constants and transition dipole moment direction consistent with a conformation in which the allene side chain is in the anti position, pointing away from the phenyl ring. The photochemistry of benzylallene was studied in a pump–probe geometry in which photoexcitation occurred by counter-propagating the expansion with a photoexcitation laser. The laser was timed to interact with the gas pulse in a short tu...
Fostering Self-Regulation Skills in Youth: Examining the Effects of a Mentoring Curriculum in a Summer Recreation Program

ABSTRACTThis study examined the effects of a mentoring curriculum embedded within a recreation program on youth's self-regulation. Self-regulation scores were collected on 64 youth participants: 29 in the comparison group and 35 in the treatment group. Using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (Guy, Isquith, & Gioia, 2004) as a measure of self-regulation, scores were collected pre-, middle, and postrecreation program. Results indicated significant (p <. 008) differences among the treatment and comparison conditions with the treatment site exhibiting greater increases in self-regulation over time compared with the comparison site. Implications from the study suggest that recreation programs are well positioned to incorporate formalized mentoring that supports the development of self-regulation in youth.
Collagen-targeted PET probes for pulmonary fibrosis imaging: effect of the radioisotope on biodistribution.

6 Objectives There is an unmet need to develop effective methods for noninvasive detection of pulmonary fibrosis.[1] Overexpression of collagen is a hallmark of organ fibrosis. This study describes the pre-clinical evaluation of 4 collagen-targeted PET probes to determine the best candidate for molecular imaging of pulmonary fibrosis. Methods The four probes are all based on the same peptide sequence, which is known to have good affinity and specificity for collagen.[2] The peptide was conjugated to a cyclic chelate (NODAGA or NOTA) and radiolabeled with 64Cu, 68Ga or 18F via complexation of aluminium fluoride.[3] The four probes were evaluated in the bleomycin-induced mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis. In vivo studies include biodistribution, small animal PET-CT imaging, characterization of collagen content and histology. Results CBP7 (64Cu) and CBP8 (68Ga) demonstrated fast blood clearance and high stability with respect to metabolism (>85% intact in blood at 2.5 h after injection). They showed 6- to 8-fold greater uptake in the lungs of bleomycin-treated animals compared to controls while the distribution in other organs was similar between bleomycin-treated and control mice at 2.5 h after injection. They both showed renal clearance and low non-target uptake. On the other hand, the two 18F-labeled probes CBP8 (NODAGA derivative) and CBP9 (NOTA derivative) demonstrated high uptake in lungs of control animals and high non-target uptake in particular in liver and spleen (%ID/g>13 and >9 respectively), suggesting aggregation. Off-target signal in the bone was also evident, especially for CBP8 (%ID/g>9). This effect was probably due to the partial dissociation of 18F-fluoride from the chelate. Conclusions We demonstrated that CBP7 and CBP8 are suitable for molecular imaging of pulmonary fibrosis, and represent very promising candidates for bench-to-bedside translation. Research Support This project is supported the National Heart and Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) R01HL116315. PD was supported by the Harvard/MGH Nuclear Medicine Training program which is funding by the US Dept. of Energy (DE-SC0008430).
214 A MEDICAL STUDENT SERVICE LEARNING ROTATION IN COMMUNITY PEDIATRICS IN A PEDIATRICS CLERKSHIP.

Service learning (SL) is "active participation in service experience with structured time for students to reflect by thinking, discussing and writing " (Corp for National and Community Service). JMS have 1 week on community pediatrics rotation, with (1) clinical: off-campus experiences with faculty including foster care intake evaluations, residential schools for blind and deaf, residential mental health program, local county health unit, federally qualified community rural health centers; and (2) written assignment: (a) define "community " and (b) "list 3 things you learned or feel differently "; and (3) primary community data: use census data to find (a) population and (b) household income of the student9s hometown. Results 27 assignments from July 2004 to October 2005 were available for review. Student hometown population median 18,928 (566-188,138), hometown median income $31,927 ($17,946-$49,389). Consistent themes included new awareness of (1) cyclical family dysfunction; (2) community extends beyond child, family, and pediatrician; (3) income divide in community; () -existence in community of facilities, agencies, and professionals outside of the academic health centers; (5) specific populations of special needs children in a given community. Conclusion SL can be very effectively used in a JMS curriculum. Students benefit from a reflective writing exercise and introduction to primary data sources after community experience.
Division of labor in the growth cone by DSCR1

Local protein synthesis directs growth cone turning of nascent axons, but mechanisms governing this process within compact, largely autonomous microenvironments remain poorly understood. In this issue, Wang et al. (2016. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201510107) demonstrate that the calcineurin regulator Down syndrome critical region 1 protein modulates both basal neurite outgrowth and growth cone turning.
Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Rationale and Outcomes

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), also known in older reports as stereotactic body radiation therapy, represents an evolving and expanding radiation treatment option for many forms of local malignancy, from primary tumors to metastatic and recurrent disease. It involves the precise delivery of higher doses of external-beam radiation per treatment over a shortened treatment course compared with traditional regimens. SABR has become the standard of care for patients with medically inoperable early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is becoming a more viable option for surgical candidates with early-stage primary NSCLCs who prefer noninvasive modalities of treatment. Although SABR is being used for the treatment of primary and metastatic disease in many sites of the body, such as the central nervous system, liver, pancreas, spine metastases, and isolated nodal disease in the mediastinum and abdomen, this article focuses on treatment of NSCLC in the thorax. Specifically, this review provides the rationale, evidence, and indications for treating early-stage lung cancers with SABR.