cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic Analysis of Correctness of High-Level Robot Behavior with Sensor Error

This paper presents a method for reasoning about the effects of sensor error on high-level robot behavior. We consider robot controllers that are synthesized from a set of highlevel, temporal logic task specifications, such that the resulting robot behavior is guaranteed to satisfy these specifications when assuming perfect sensors and actuators. We relax the assumption of perfect sensing, and calculate the probability with which the controller satisfies a set of temporal logic specifications. We consider parametric representations, where the satisfaction probability is found as a function of the model parameters, and numerical representations, allowing for the analysis of large examples. We illustrate our approach with three examples of varying size that provide insight into unintuitive effects of sensor error that can inform the specification design process.
The effect of dietary nitrogen and protein on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen flux across the portal-drained viscera and liver of sheep consuming high-concentrate diets ad libitum

Our objectives were to determine the influences of supplemental nonprotein N or protein on feed intake, digestibility, and postabsorptive N metabolism in sheep fed a high-concentrate diet for ad libitum consumption. Nine Romanov-sired, crossbred wethers (13 mo old; 52 kg) were fitted with catheters in a mesenteric artery, mesenteric vein, portal vein, and hepatic vein. Wethers consumed a 95% concentrate diet ad libitum. Treatments consisted of control (no supplemental N; 6.6% CP) or supplemental urea (11.4% CP), soybean meal (SBM; 11.2% CP) or ruminally undegradable protein (BFM; 11.2% CP; 50:50 blood meal and feather meal). Intake or apparently digested intake of DM, OM, and energy did not differ between control and N-supplemented (P > 0.40), or between urea- and protein-supplemented (P > 0.40), but were greater (P 0.15) among treatments. Net portal release and hepatic uptake of alpha-amino N and ammonia N and hepatic release of urea N were greater (P 0.40) among diets. Splanchnic release of a-amino N and ammonia N did not differ from 0 or among diets (P > 0.10), but net release of urea N was less (P = 0.05) for control than for sheep receiving N supplementation. No differences (P > 0.10) in blood concentration within vessel or net flux across PDV, hepatic, or splanchnic tissues of alpha-amino N, ammonia N, or urea N were observed among wethers receiving supplemental N. Net uptake of oxygen by the PDV did not differ among diets, but hepatic uptake was less (P < 0.05) in control and urea-supplemented sheep than in sheep receiving SBM or BFM. These observations suggest that the source of supplemental N had no large effects on the overall N economy of the animals used in this study.
Notes on Native Myrmeleonidae

Since my revision of our Myrmeleonidae in 1927, various specimens have come to the Museum, some of new species, others of records of Central American forms in the United States. A few years ago I described (Psyche XLII, 53, 1935) two additional forms of Psammoleon, so that now eleven species are added to the list of 1927.
Evaluating Physiological Load of Workers with Wearable Sensors

The U.S. construction industry suffers from high rates of fatalities, injuries and illnesses. Non-fatal injuries and illnesses also lead to low construction productivity. Among various types of hazards construction workers are exposed to, excessive physiological loads have generated unnoticed but profound negative impacts on construction productivity and safety. This research aims at automatically detecting the physiological load of construction workers by using wearable sensors. The research utilized off-the-shelf bio-sensors that collect heart rate and energy expenditure in real time. Biomedical measurements were carried out during masonry wall construction. The collected data were analyzed statistically and compared with the subjective feedback from test participants. The authors introduced an index to quantify the level of physiological load for construction workers. The ultimate goal is to develop a prevention system that reduces fatalities and injuries, and increases construction productivity on construction sites by automatically monitoring workers’ physiological conditions in real time.
Lymphocytic ChoriomeningitisA Discussion of its Diagnosis in Man

It has become increasingly clear that the aseptic lymphocytic meningitis of Wallgren1 may be due to a variety of causes, and the differential diagnosis among them presents many difficulties. The isolation of a virus from the spinal fluid of human cases by Rivers and Scott2 and the immunological identification of this virus with choriomeningitis of mice and monkeys3 has provided evidence concerning the etiological factor in one group of these cases. It was but natural that epidemiologic studies should follow in an endeavor to determine the prevalence of infections with the virus of choriomeningitis. This may be determined in one of two ways: by the isolation of the virus itself, or by the detection of neutralizing antibodies in the serum of recovered cases when tested against a known strain of the virus. When these methods were applied to suspected cases, surprisingly few fulfilled the requirements laid down by Baird and Rivers.4 On the other hand, Armstrong et al.5 felt that approximately lO*?^ of 1,200 random serums studied for neutralizing antibodies gave evidence of protection in mice, suggesting that the infection had existed. What was surprising, however, was the fact that on review of many of the cases, no previous history of a meningeal infection could be elicited. This suggests that cases infected with the virus of benign lymphocytic choriomeningitis may escape attention, if the clinical criteria of Wallgren are not always fulfilled. Lepine6 demonstrated that humans inoculated with a strain of the virus isolated from mice did not always develop meningeal signs though they did develop antiviral bodies in their serums on
Graphene Growth Using a Solid Carbon Feedstock and Hydrogen

Graphene has been grown on Cu at elevated temperatures with different carbon sources (gaseous hydrocarbons and solids such as polymers); however the detailed chemistry occurring at the Cu surface is not yet known. Here, we explored the possibility of obtaining graphene using amorphous-carbon thin films, without and with hydrogen gas added. Graphene is formed only in the presence of H2(g), which strongly suggests that gaseous hydrocarbons and/or their intermediates are what yield graphene on Cu through the reaction of H2(g) and the amorphous carbon. The large area, uniform monolayer graphene obtained had electron and hole mobilities of 2520 and 2050 cm2 V–1 s–1, respectively.
Optimization of computation efficiency in underwater acoustic navigation system

This paper presents a technique for the estimation of the relative bearing angle between the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) and the base station for the homing and docking operations. The key requirement of this project includes computation efficiency and estimation accuracy for direct implementation onto the UUV electronic hardware, subject to the extreme constraints of physical limitation of the hardware due to the size and dimension of the UUV housing, electric power consumption for the requirement of UUV survey duration and range coverage, and heat dissipation of the hardware. Subsequent to the design and development of the algorithm, two phases of experiments were conducted to illustrate the feasibility and capability of this technique. The presentation of this paper includes system modeling, mathematical analysis, and results from laboratory experiments and full-scale sea tests.
Catastrophic health expenditure among migrants with tuberculosis in Putuo District,Shanghai

[Objective] To study catastrophic health expenditure among migrants with tuberculosis for completion of policy system and improvement of patient compliance with treatment in Putuo District,Shanghai.[Methods] A retrospective study was conducted to acquire the information about the newly registered domestic migrant patients with completed treatment in 2008 and their family situation that resulted from tuberculosis treatment.[Results] For the 97 patients included,the proportions of direct medical cost,direct cost and total cost for tuberculosis treatment to patients′ capacity to pay were 11.02%,15.60% and 23.06% while they fell to 4.97%,6.13% and 12.27% due to the relief policy of the government.There were 15.46%,23.71% and 34.02% families of target patients that encountered catastrophic health expenditure because of direct medical cost,direct cost and total cost for tuberculosis treatment and the proportions were reduced to 8.25%,15.46% and 25.77% with the help of the relief policy.The mean catastrophic expenditure gaps were reduced from 10.12%,15.03% and 24.76% to 8.23%,12.28% and 21.33% respectively,and the mean positive gap were from 65.47%,63.39% and 72.79% down to 53.20%,51.78% and 62.70% owing to the policy.[Conclusion] There were not many target families found to have suffered from catastrophic effect caused by tuberculosis treatment but some families still should be concerned about in this regard.Better relief policy should be explored to protect the families from economic risk of the disease.
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy The New Must Have Tool in the Intensive Care Unit?

Standard hemodynamic monitoring such as blood pressure and pulse oximetry may only provide a crude estimation of organ perfusion in the critical care setting. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is based on the same principle as a pulse oximeter and allows continuous noninvasive monitoring of hemoglobin oxygenation and deoxygenation and thus tissue saturation "StO2" This review aims to provide an overview of NIRS technology principles and discuss its current clinical use in the critical care setting. The study selection was performed using the PubMed database to find studies that investigated the use of NIRS in both the critical care setting and in the intensive care unit. Currently, NIRS in the critical care setting is predominantly being used for infants and neonates. A number of studies in the past decade have shown promising results for the use of NIRS in surgical/trauma intensive care units during shock management as a prognostic tool and in guiding resuscitation. It is evident that over the past 2 decades, NIRS has gone from being a laboratory fascination to an actively employed clinical tool. Even though the benefit of routine use of this technology to achieve better outcomes is still questionable, the fact that NIRS is a low-cost, noninvasive monitoring modality improves the attractiveness of the technology. However, more research may be warranted before recommending its routine use in the critical care setting.
Improved reagent for detection of allantoin in thin-layer chromatographic method for urine stains on foods and packaging

Ten detection reagents known to react with either primary amine groups or indole derivatives were tested to improve sensitivity for allantoin (ALN) and indican (IND) in the official AOAC thin-layer chromatographic method for urine metabolites (44.175-44.177). The lowest levels found using the official method were 500 ng ALN and 6 ng IND. The best reagent was p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (pDMAC), which yielded intensely colored spots with both compounds. The lowest amounts consistently found were 125 ng ALN and 13 ng IND. pDMAC was also used as an overspray for ALN after the spray specified in the official method, p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (pDMAB), was applied. This resulted in a detection limit of 250 ng. The overspray procedure was incompatible with IND detection, but provided an easy way to gain slightly greater sensitivity for ALN when use of pDMAB gave negative or borderline results. The combined use of pDMAC for ALN, and the official sprays (pDMAB and sodium acetate) for IND, maximized sensitivity for both compounds.
MicroRNA-203 mimics age-related aortic smooth muscle dysfunction of cytoskeletal pathways

Increased aortic stiffness is a biomarker for subsequent adverse cardiovascular events. We have previously reported that vascular smooth muscle Src-dependent cytoskeletal remodelling, which contributes to aortic plasticity, is impaired with ageing. Here, we use a multi-scale approach to determine the molecular mechanisms behind defective Src-dependent signalling in an aged C57BL/6 male mouse model. Increased aortic stiffness, as measured in vivo by pulse wave velocity, was found to have a comparable time course to that in humans. Bioinformatic analyses predicted several miRs to regulate Src-dependent cytoskeletal remodelling. qRT-PCR was used to determine the relative levels of predicted miRs in aortas and, notably, the expression of miR-203 increased almost twofold in aged aorta. Increased miR-203 expression was associated with a decrease in both mRNA and protein expression of Src, caveolin-1 and paxillin in aged aorta. Probing with phospho-specific antibodies confirmed that overexpression of miR-203 significantly attenuated Src and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signalling, which we have previously found to regulate vascular smooth muscle stiffness. In addition, transfection of miR-203 into aortic tissue from young mice increased phenylephrine-induced aortic stiffness ex vivo, mimicking the aged phenotype. Upstream of miR-203, we found that DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) 1, 3a, and 3b are also significantly decreased in the aged mouse aorta and that DNMT inhibition significantly increases miR-203 expression. Thus, the age-induced increase in miR-203 may be caused by epigenetic promoter hypomethylation in the aorta. These findings indicate that miR-203 promotes a re-programming of Src/ERK signalling pathways in vascular smooth muscle, impairing the regulation of stiffness in aged aorta.
Christian Theism: Ultimate Reality and Meaning in the Philosophy of Alvin Plantinga

L'idee de Realite et Sens Ultimes de Plantinga est le concept theiste chretien traditionnel de Dieu. En tant que Realite Ultime, Dieu est l'unique source de toute realite autre que Dieu. L'A. donne d'abord un resume de la vie et des ecrits de Plantinga, ainsi que des principales influences qui ont forme sa pensee. Ensuite, il expose quelques-uns des elemments essentiels de l'idee de Realite et Sens Ultimes de Plantinga, en considerant plusieurs des manieres dont elle est porteuse de sens au debut du XXIe siecle.
Comparison Between Tc-99m WBC SPECT/CT and MRI for the Diagnosis of Biopsy-proven Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis.

Objective Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the recommended diagnostic imaging technique for diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO), with a reported accuracy of 79%. The gold standard to diagnose osteomyelitis is bone biopsy, with a positive culture and/or histopathology findings consistent with osteomyelitis. The purposes of this study are to assess the accuracy of technetium-99m (Tc-99m) labeled white blood cell (WBC) single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) hybrid imaging for diagnosing DFO confirmed by bone biopsy and to compare that to the diagnostic accuracy of an MRI. Materials and methods The authors performed a retrospective chart review of 166 patients who received a bone biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of a suspected DFO at a large municipal hospital between 2010 and 2013. Patients were selected on the basis of whether they received an MRI or a SPECT/CT. Patients whose scans were not within a clinically relevant time frame of the biopsy were excluded. Imaging results were correlated with probability of osteomyelitis determined by bone biopsy. Results For inclusion criteria, 110 patients met the study's criteria: 52 SPECT/CT patients and 58 MRI patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of SPECT/CT were 89%, 35%, 74%, and 60%, respectively; the corresponding values for MRI were 87%, 37%, 74%, and 58%, respectively. There were no significant differences in accuracy of diagnosing DFO between imaging techniques. Conclusion This data suggests that the diagnostic accuracy of SPECT/CT imaging in DFOs is similar to an MRI.
Poselets: Body part detectors trained using 3D human pose annotations

We address the classic problems of detection, segmentation and pose estimation of people in images with a novel definition of a part, a poselet. We postulate two criteria (1) It should be easy to find a poselet given an input image (2) it should be easy to localize the 3D configuration of the person conditioned on the detection of a poselet. To permit this we have built a new dataset, H3D, of annotations of humans in 2D photographs with 3D joint information, inferred using anthropometric constraints. This enables us to implement a data-driven search procedure for finding poselets that are tightly clustered in both 3D joint configuration space as well as 2D image appearance. The algorithm discovers poselets that correspond to frontal and profile faces, pedestrians, head and shoulder views, among others. Each poselet provides examples for training a linear SVM classifier which can then be run over the image in a multiscale scanning mode. The outputs of these poselet detectors can be thought of as an intermediate layer of nodes, on top of which one can run a second layer of classification or regression. We show how this permits detection and localization of torsos or keypoints such as left shoulder, nose, etc. Experimental results show that we obtain state of the art performance on people detection in the PASCAL VOC 2007 challenge, among other datasets. We are making publicly available both the H3D dataset as well as the poselet parameters for use by other researchers.
Developmental DNA methyltransferase expression in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta

DNA methylation is accomplished in animals by 2 classes of enzymes known as DNA methyltransferases, DNMT3 and DNMT1, which perform de novo methylation and maintenance methylation, respectively. Several studies of hymenopteran eusocial insects suggest that DNA methylation is capable of influencing developmental plasticity. However, fundamental questions remain about the patterning of DNA methylation during the course of insect development. In this study, we performed quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) on transcripts from the single-copy orthologs of DNMT1 and DNMT3 in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. In particular, we assessed the expression of S. invicta Dnmt1 and Dnmt3 mRNA during 7 stages of worker development, among behaviorally distinct adults, and among male and female gonads. Dnmt3 was most highly expressed during embryonic development, whereas Dnmt1 was similarly expressed throughout the course of development. Moreover, Dnmt1 and Dnmt3 were highly expressed in testes and ovaries. Neither Dnmt was significantly differentially expressed among heads of behaviorally distinct adult castes. Our results support the hypothesis that extensive patterning of DNA methylation occurs during gametogenesis and embryogenesis in the insect order Hymenoptera.
It’s About Me: A study of journalists’ self-presentation of their visual and verbal selves

Media sociology literature supports the assumption that freelancing as a way of life should have an impact on the self-presentation behaviors of journalists. The present research is concerned with ...
The Role of Sexual Selection in Local Adaptation and Speciation

Sexual selection plays several intricate and complex roles in the related processes of local adaptation and speciation. In some cases sexual selection can promote these processes, but in others it can be inhibitory. We present theoretical and empirical evidence supporting these dual effects of sexual selection during local adaptation, allopatric speciation, and speciation with gene flow. Much of the empirical evidence for sexual selection promoting speciation is suggestive rather than conclusive; we present what would constitute strong evidence for sexual selection driving speciation. We conclude that although there is ample evidence that sexual selection contributes to the speciation process, it is very likely to do so only in concert with natural selection.
Defined Benefit Plans vs. Defined Contribution Plans: An Evaluation Framework Using Random Returns

This paper analyzes a tentative defined contribution plan, and compares it to the extant defined benefit plan. The analysis uses a general framework with different employee service assumptions and random investment returns to generate distributions for defined contribution plan accumulations and compare these with present values of the defined benefit plan. The results indicate no clear dominance for one structure over the other. Employees, in general, should find it beneficial to be offered the choice of both structures and be able to choose one or the other depending on one’s expected longevity with the employer and personal risk tolerance.
The Economic Impacts of 2015 Avian Influenza Outbreak on the U.S. Turkey Industry and the Loss Mitigating Role of Free Trade Agreements

We investigate the economic impacts of the 2015 HPAI outbreak on turkey producers in Minnesota and the United States. Using a partial equilibrium model of the meat and poultry industry we find that the cost of the outbreak to U.S turkey producers was $225 million; $207 million of which were due to the loss in exports. However, it could have been worse if not for implementation of regional bans by trading partners who have negotiated free trade agreements with the United States. Our results show that for every percentage point of additional exports, U.S. turkey producers avoided a loss of about $6 million.
Demand for collective food-safety standards

In 2007, leading members of the U.S. fresh-tomato industry responded to pressure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the industry's long history of poor food-safety outcomes and adopted a set of standards for production practices related to food safety at all levels of the fresh-tomato supply chain. Adherence to these standards was required under a federal marketing order that applied to essentially all tomatoes grown in Florida. The California Tomato Farmers cooperative, whose members produced the vast majority of fresh tomatoes grown in California, also required that its members adopt these standards. The collective food-safety standards for fresh tomatoes closely resemble the requirements of the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, so the collective adoption of these standards provides an excellent case study to illustrate the possible effects of FSMA implementation on demand. I assess the hypothesis that demand for tomatoes from Florida and California increased following the adoption of standards for food-safety practices by growers in those states, relative to demand for tomatoes from other regions. My analysis demonstrates essentially no evidence that demand for fresh tomatoes responded positively to the implementation of collective food-safety practices.
Emergency airway and ventilator procedures for community based home care staff validation of an educational program.

Background Children discharged home with tracheostomy and chronic mechanical ventilator support are at high risk for complications and adverse events. Private duty nursing and home respiratory care services are a critical support necessary for successful discharge. The literature suggests that there are opportunities for home care staff (HCS) to improve upon the skills necessary to assess and intervene in an emergency thereby increasing the likelihood of improving long-term outcomes. Methods HCS (RN, LPN, RRT) participated in a 4-h session comprised of lecture and simulation. Lecture content focused on tracheostomy safety, operation of the Trilogy and LTV home ventilators, and review of their common alarms. Simulation included two scenarios simulating tracheostomy decannulation and mucous plugging events. Participant comfort with tracheostomy and ventilator management skills were measured on a five item self-assessment tool and clinical knowledge was measured using an 11 item multiple choice skills test, both of which were completed before and after the session. We tested to see if there was a change in test scores from pre- to post-intervention. Results Fifty-four HCS participated in the program and provided complete data sets. The vast majority (68%) were registered nurses, followed by licensed practical nurses (19%) and respiratory therapists (12%). Participant self-reported comfort with emergency skills prior to intervention was 3.2/5 which increased to 4.1/5 after intervention (P > 0.0001). Average test score prior to intervention was 62%, post intervention score increased to 82% which represented significant improvement (P > 0.0001). Discussion HCS are generally unprepared to intervene in an acute airway or ventilator emergency. This short, manageable program provided education that resulted in a significant improvement in both skill level and confidence.
Solid solution softening and enhanced ductility in concentrated FCC silver solid solution alloys

Abstract The major adoptions of silver-based bonding wires and silver-sintering methods in the electronic packaging industry have incited the fundamental material properties research on the silver-based alloys. Recently, an abnormal phenomenon, namely, solid solution softening, was observed in stress vs. strain characterization of Ag-In solid solution. In this paper, the mechanical properties of additional concentrated silver solid solution phases with other solute elements, Al, Ga and Sn, have been experimentally determined, with their work hardening behaviors and the corresponding fractography further analyzed. Particularly, the concentrated Ag-Ga solid solution has been discovered to possess the best combination of mechanical properties, namely, lowest yield strength, highest ductility and highest strength, among the concentrated solid solutions of the current study. Microscopically, a clear evidence of narrow twin lamella feature has been observed in the Ag-Ga solid solution, and further identified as the deformation twinning, using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). To explain solid solution softening mechanism in low Peierls potential FCC metals, the authors have proposed a self-contained theoretical interpretation associated with fractional kink-pairs formation, and originally introduced the concept of the short range order (SRO) induced localized homologous temperature (LHT). Furthermore, the mechanism of twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) can be referred as the underlying reason of the enhanced ductility in the Ag-Ga solid solution alloy. With such excellent mechanical properties, the Ag-Ga solid solution alloy is expected to have a great potential in the development of advanced joining materials for the various applications in electronics industries.
Widening Phenotypic Spectrum of AADC Deficiency, a Disorder of Dopamine and Serotonin Synthesis

Objectives: Aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency presents with prominent extrapyramidal and autonomic features and CSF monoamine deficiency with increased 3-O-methyldopa, a by-product of accumulated L-DOPA. Less than 100 cases have been identified. The disease is typically associated with a severe phenotype and worse prognosis in females. Gene transfer technology has been implemented using an adeno-associated virus encoding AADC in the putamen bilaterally.
Weibull Probability Papers

Two new Weibull probability plotting papers are presented. Their use is explained, and they are compared with other Weibull papers...
Introduction to Discontinuous Wavelets

Wavelets provide a tool for efficient representation of functions. This efficient representation has proven useful in the numerical solution of non-linear evolution equations. In this paper we provide a brief review of the use of wavelets for efficient representation of functions, and in particular we describe the piecewise-discontinuous basis of wavelets proposed by Alpert. We review the useful properties this basis has for the solution of PDE’s, and introduce an illustrative approach to the representation of boundary conditions. We also discuss the extension to higher dimensional problems.
What Influences Audience Response to Figure Painting

According to Mechner (2017), the aesthetic response is characterized by a “surprise-tinged” emotion that has no immediate function and tends to be reinforcing, and is influenced by the social context and priming history of the respondent. Consistent with Mechner’s views, I illustrate how cultural and individual factors affect the aesthetic response using examples of realistic figure paintings of American artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. Cultural factors such as established values, publicity, and market price influence the reaction of many people in similar ways. Individual factors such as knowledge of the subject, resonance to character, emotional history, and exposure to elements of composition depend on viewers’ unique repertoires and affect their response. I conclude with a call to expand the scope of behavior science to include further analysis and research on aesthetics.
A comparison of low-intensity physical activity, growth, and sleep behavior in 6-month old infants.

Abstract This study examined low-intensity physical activity (PA), sleep behavior (24-hour accelerometry), and growth in 22 6-month old infants. Relationships were assessed using bivariate correlations. Infants accumulating less ‘total’ sleep spent more time in low-intensity PA (r = −.524, p = .012). Those with less ‘nighttime’ sleep had greater nap frequency (r = −.460, p = .031), nap duration (r = −.529, p = .011) and weight-for-length z-scores (r = −.481, p = .024), but still accumulated less total sleep (r = .608, p = .003). These preliminary data highlight the importance of promoting healthy nighttime sleep behavior during infancy.
Development and Optimization of an ELISA to Quantitate C3(H 2 O) as a Marker of Human Disease.

Discovery of a C3(H2O) uptake pathway has led to renewed interest in this alternative pathway triggering form of C3 in human biospecimens. Previously, a quantifiable method to measure C3(H2O), not confounded by other complement activation products, was unavailable. Herein, we describe a sensitive and specific ELISA for C3(H2O). We initially utilized this assay to determine baseline C3(H2O) levels in healthy human fluids and to define optimal sample storage and handling conditions. We detected ~500 ng/ml of C3(H2O) in fresh serum and plasma, a value substantially lower than what was predicted based on previous studies with purified C3 preparations. After a single freeze-thaw cycle, the C3(H2O) concentration increased 3- to 4-fold (~2,000 ng/ml). Subsequent freeze-thaw cycles had a lesser impact on C3(H2O) generation. Further, we found that storage of human sera or plasma samples at 4°C for up to 22 h did not generate additional C3(H2O). To determine the potential use of C3(H2O) as a biomarker, we evaluated specimens from patients with inflammatory-driven diseases. C3(H2O) concentrations were moderately increased (1.5- to 2-fold) at baseline in sera from active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients compared to healthy controls. In addition, upon challenge with multiple freeze-thaw cycles or incubation at 22 or 37°C, C3(H2O) generation was significantly enhanced in SLE and RA patients' sera. In bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from lung-transplant recipients, we noted a substantial increase in C3(H2O) within 3 months of acute antibody-mediated rejection. In conclusion, we have established an ELISA for assessing C3(H2O) as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in human diseases.
Examining the Accuracy of the Polar A360 Monitor.

ABSTRACT Rider, BC, Conger, SA, Ditzenberger, GL, Besteman, SS, Bouret, CM, and Coughlin, AM. Examining the accuracy of the Polar A360 monitor. J Strength Cond Res 35(8): 2165-2169, 2021-The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Polar A360 heart rate (HR) monitor during periods of rest, walking/running, and active/passive recovery from exercise. Thirty collegiate athletes (women n = 15 and men n = 15) wore an A360 monitor and a previously validated chest HR monitor (Polar RS400) that served as the criterion measurement across a range of resting and walking/running intensities. First, subjects rested in a supine, seated, and standing position. Next, each subject walked on a treadmill at 1.6 kilometers per hour (kph). Speed was increased by 1.6 kph every 2 minutes until volitional fatigue. Then, subjects walked at 4.8 kph followed by a seated recovery stage. Heart rate was recorded in 30-second increments. Total mean difference in HR readings, percent accuracy, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis established the level of agreement between devices. Bland-Altman plots and a regression were used to examine the agreement between devices. The A360 demonstrated a strong correlation with the RS400 (r2 = 0.98) across time points. The analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated an overall significant difference (p < 0.001) between devices. The A360 significantly underestimated HR during the 6.4-kph speed only (p < 0.05) (effect size 0.26). The greatest percent accuracy occurred during rest (91%) and recovery (90%). An ICC of 0.98 (SEM: 0.35) demonstrates a strong level of agreement between devices. The A360 is accurate at rest and during various walking and running speeds and thus is a device that can be used with confidence by athletes for specific training purposes. Future research should examine accuracy during weight training and other sport-specific activities.
Hey Google, Do Unicorns Exist?: Conversational Agents as a Path to Answers to Children's Questions

Children are known to be curious and persistent questionaskers. The pervasiveness of voice interfaces represents an opportunity for children who are not yet fluent readers to independently search the Internet by asking questions through conversational agents such as Amazon Alexa, Apple's Siri, and the Google Assistant. Through a two-week, in-home deployment study involving 18 families (children aged 5-6 and their parents), we report on which questions children choose to ask the conversational agent, the answers the agent provided, challenges in use, and their perceptions of the technology. Based on our analysis, we identify several considerations for the design of voice-based conversational agents that aim to support young children's question-asking behavior and subsequent development.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Darbepoetin Alfa in Conjunction with Hypothermia for the Treatment of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

The aim of this study was to determine the population pharmacokinetics of darbepoetin alfa in hypothermic neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia. Neonates ≥36 weeks gestation and <12 h postpartum with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy who were undergoing hypothermia treatment were recruited in this randomized, multicenter, investigational, new drug pharmacokinetic study. Two intravenous darbepoetin alfa treatment groups were evaluated: 2 and 10 µg/kg. Serum erythropoietin concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Monolix 4.3.1 was used to estimate darbepoetin alfa clearance and volume of distribution. Covariates tested included: birthweight, gestational age, postnatal age, postmenstrual age, sex, Sarnat score, and study site. Darbepoetin alfa pharmacokinetics were well described by a one-compartment model with exponential error. Clearance and the volume of distribution were scaled by birthweight (centered on the mean) a priori. Additionally, gestational age (also centered on the mean) significantly affected darbepoetin alfa clearance. Clearance and volume of distribution were estimated as 0.0465 L/h (95 % confidence interval 0.0392–0.0537) and 1.58 L (95 % confidence interval 1.29–1.87), respectively. A one-compartment model successfully described the pharmacokinetics of darbepoetin alfa among hypothermic neonates treated for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Clearance decreased with increasing gestational age.
The Growing Climate Divide

Climate change has reached the level of a scientific consensus, but has not yet reached the level of a social consensus. The major obstacle towards achieving that end is the increasing partisan and ideological polarization between conservatives/Republicans and liberals/Democrats over interpretations of climate science.
Prediction of Ligand Transport along Hydrophobic Enzyme Nanochannels

Buried active sites of enzymes are connected to the bulk solvent through a network of hydrophobic channels. We developed a discretized model that can accurately predict ligand transport along hydrophobic channels up to six orders of magnitude faster than any other existing method. The non-dimensional nature of the model makes it applicable to any hydrophobic channel/ligand combination.
Mo Insertion into the H2 Bond in MoxSy- + H2 Reactions.

A combined experimental and computational study of H2 reactions with small 98MoxSy- clusters ranging from subsulfide (x ∼ y) to hypersulfide (y > 2x) is presented. Results suggest that the subsulfides react with H2 primarily by insertion of a more reduced Mo center into the H-H bond, forming a dihydride product. We find that this reaction occurs up to Mo oxidation states of +4. For the subsulfides containing a second metal in a sufficiently low oxidation state, a second insertion of H2 occurs, leading to a tetrahydride product. The reaction mechanisms of the sulfides are found to be very similar, albeit slightly higher energetically to those of the analogous oxosulfides that are also observed at low abundances in the experiments. In addition, the experimental results show an overall reduction of hypersulfides in the presence of H2, suggesting loss of H2S neutral molecules.
Emerging role of extracellular vesicles in liver diseases.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-defined nanoparticles released by most cell types. The EVs released by cells may differ quantitatively and qualitatively from physiological states to disea...
Estimating Trunk Angles During Lifting Using Computer Vision Bounding Boxes

We previously developed a method for classifying lifting postures using dimensions of a rectangular bounding box drawn tightly around the subject for a single camera view that is more tolerable of ...
Pseudo-Doherty Load-Modulated Balanced Amplifier With Wide Bandwidth and Extended Power Back-Off Range

This article presents a novel architecture of load-modulated balanced amplifier (LMBA) with a unique load-modulation characteristic different from any existing LMBAs and Doherty power amplifiers (DPAs), which is named pseudo-Doherty LMBA (PD-LMBA). Based on a special combination of control amplifier (carrier) and balanced amplifier (peaking) together with proper phase and amplitude controls, an optimal load-modulation behavior can be achieved for PD-LMBA, leading to maximized efficiency over extended power back-off range. More importantly, the efficiency optimization can be achieved with only a static setting of phase offset at a given frequency, which greatly simplifies the complexity for phase control. Furthermore, the cooperations of the carrier and peaking amplifiers in PD-LMBA are fully decoupled, thus lifting the fundamental bandwidth barrier imposed on the Doherty-based active load modulation. Upon theoretical proof of these discoveries, a wideband RF-input PD-LMBA is physically developed using the GaN technology for experimental demonstration. The prototype achieves a highly efficient performance from 1.5 to 2.7 GHz, e.g., 58%–72% of efficiency at 42.5-dBm peak power and 47%–58% at 10-dB output back-off (OBO). When stimulated by a 10-MHz long term evolution (LTE) signal with a 9.5-dB peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), the developed PD-LMBA achieves an efficiency of 44%–53% over the entire bandwidth at an average output power of around 33 dBm.
The 2018 Banff Working Group classification of definitive polyomavirus nephropathy: A multicenter validation study in the modern era.

Polyomavirus nephropathy (PVN) remained inadequately classified until 2018 when the Banff Working Group published a new 3-tier morphologic classification scheme derived from in-depth statistical analysis of a large multinational patient cohort. Here we report a multicenter "modern-era" validation study that included 99 patients with definitive PVN transplanted post January 1, 2009 and followed the original 2018 study design. Results validate the PVN classification, that is, the 3 PVN disease classes predicted clinical presentation, allograft function, and outcome independent of therapeutic intervention. PVN class 1 compared to classes 2 and 3 was diagnosed earlier (16.9 weeks posttransplant [median], P = .004), and showed significantly better function at 24 months postindex biopsy (serum creatinine 1.75 mg/dl, geometric mean, vs class 2: P = .037, vs class 3: P = .013). Class 1 presented during long-term follow-up with a low graft failure rate: 5% class 1, vs 30% class 2, vs 50% class 3 (P = .009). Persistent PVN was associated with an increased risk for graft failure (and functional decline in class 2 at 24 months postdiagnosis; serum creatinine with persistence: 2.48 mg/dL vs 1.65 with clearance, geometric means, P = .018). In conclusion, we validate the 2018 Banff Working Group PVN classification that provides significant clinical information and enhances comparative data analysis.
Design tool for estimating metal hydride storage system characteristics for light-duty hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

Abstract The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed the Framework model to simulate fuel cell-based light-duty vehicle operation for various hydrogen storage systems. This transient model simulates the performance of the storage system, fuel cell, and vehicle for comparison to DOE's Technical Targets using four drive cycles. Metal hydride hydrogen storage models have been developed for the Framework model. Despite the utility of this model, it requires that material researchers input system design specifications that cannot be easily estimated. To address this challenge, a design tool has been developed that allows researchers to directly enter physical and thermodynamic metal hydride properties into a simple sizing module that then estimates the systems parameters required to run the storage system model. This design tool can also be used as a standalone MS Excel model to estimate the storage system mass and volume outside of Framework and compare it to the DOE Technical Targets. This model will be explained and exercised with existing hydrogen storage materials.
Generation of 95 fs mid-IR pulses with 1.8 W average power using an Er: ZrF 4 fiber mode-locked oscillator and a nonlinear amplifier

Ultrashort mid-IR pulse train with 95 fs pulse width, 37.4 nJ pulse energy and 1.8 W average power was generated at ~2.85 µm from a simple Er:ZrF 4 fiber nonlinear amplifier seeded by a mode-locked oscillator.
Saving Languages: An Introduction to Language Revitalization

Language endangerment has been the focus of much attention and as a result, a wide range of people are working to revitalize and maintain local languages. This book serves as a general reference guide to language revitalization, written not only for linguists and anthropologists, but also for language activists and community members who believe they should ensure the future use of their languages, despite their predicted loss. Drawing extensively on case studies, it sets out the necessary background and highlights central issues such as literacy, policy decisions, and allocation of resources. Its primary goal is to provide the essential tools for a successful language revitalization program, such as setting and achieving realistic goals, and anticipating and resolving common obstacles. Clearly written and informative, Saving Languages will be an invaluable resource for all those interested in the fate of small language communities around the globe.
Is there a market for partial corporate control? Evidence from REITs

In October of 2002, the Simon Property Group made a hostile takeover bid for Taubman Centers, a bid that the financial press widely reported as the first significant hostile takeover attempt in the U.S. REIT industry. As such, this event provides a natural experiment for estimating the value of the market for corporate control, one of the primary corporate governance mechanisms by which the market ensures that firm managers maximize shareholder value. Contrary to our expectations, we find no significant industry price reaction in response to this announcement, strong evidence that this event did not mark the introduction of a market for corporate control into the REIT industry. We argue that REIT anti-takeover provisions had doomed Simon’s bid from the start and continue to preclude operation of a market for corporate control. However, we do find that Taubman’s shares responded favorably to the announcement, rising by 12 percent on the announcement day. We attribute this to operation of the market for partial corporate control as described by Bethel, Leibeskind and Opler (1998).
Elastomer spatial light modulators for extreme ultraviolet lithography

In this paper, we present an elastomer spatial light modulator (SLM) that can be scaled to meet the requirements of extreme ultraviolet (EUV- 13 nm wavelength) maskless lithography. The feasibility of the proposed process was tested in a series of release and injection experiments, which showed that the surface quality is not adversely affected by the introduction of a soft elastomer in the structure. We fabricated an elastomer SLM with an array of four by four micromirrors and demonstrated localized response. Analysis of the experimental results showed that patterning of the reflective multilayer, as well as its supporting nitride shell and electrode, is required for SLMs with pixel sizes of 1 by 1 /spl mu/m or less.
GOPDE: global optimization in small signal device model parameter extraction

A novel global optimization algorithm, GODPE in C, for small signal model parameter extraction is proposed. A "peel" algorithm is developed to relieve the complexity of the optimization. >
The short toes mutation of the axolotl

The axolotl mutant strain, short toes (s/s), can regenerate spinal cord and tail, but not limbs. This makes s/s potentially very useful for limb regeneration studies. This mutant merits a new examination that integrates the original description of the mutant, existing experimental studies, new data and current thinking about stem cells and regeneration. There are still major gaps in information about this mutant; the gene(s) causing the defects has not yet been discovered, and even the histological description is incomplete, especially regarding muscle abnormalities. In the short toes limb, MyHC (myosin heavy chain)-1, MyHC-2b and pax7 are down-regulated. In particular, all three MyHC genes and pax7 are highly expressed in the normal limb, but almost lost in the s/s limb. MyHC genes are one of the main components of skeletal muscle, and Pax7 is the skeletal muscle satellite cell marker. Histological experiments confirm that severe s/s has lost most skeletal muscle and myosin. These results suggest that skeletal muscle, which includes satellite cells, could play an important role in axolotl limb regeneration.