cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determining the spatial variability of personal sampler inlet locations.

This article examines the spatial variability of dust concentrations within a coal miner's breathing zone and the impact of sampling location at the cap lamp, nose, and lapel. Tests were conducted in the National Institute for Safety and Health Pittsburgh Research Laboratory full-scale, continuous miner gallery using three prototype personal dust monitors (PDM). The dust masses detected by the PDMs were used to calculate the percentage difference of dust mass between the cap lamp and the nose and between the lapel and the nose. The calculated percentage differences of the masses ranged from plus 12% to minus 25%. Breathing zone tests were also conducted in four underground coal mines using the torso of a mannequin to simulate a miner. Coal mine dust was sampled with multi-cyclone sampling cans mounted directly in front of the mannequin near the cap lamp, nose, and lapel. These four coal mine tests found that the spatial variability of dust levels and imprecision of the current personal sampler is a greate...
Corrigendum to “Vgll2a is required for neural crest cell survival during zebrafish craniofacial development” [Dev. Biol. 357 (2011) 269–281]

Corrigendum to “Vgll2a is required for neural crest cell survival during zebrafish craniofacial development” [Dev. Biol. 357 (2011) 269–281] Christopher W. Johnson , Laura Hernandez-Lagunas , Weiguo Feng , Vida Senkus Melvin , Trevor Williams , Kristin Bruk Artinger a,⁎ a Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Denver, School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA b Molecular Biology Program, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Experimental nuclear energy levels of Mg 25 and their interpretation

Abstract Using the reaction Al27 (d, α)Mg25 and a magnetic spectrograph, 66 levels in Mg25 have been determined below 8.7 MeV excitation. An interpretation of the levels utilizing the Bohr-Mottelson collective model and an empirical rule is attempted. Results indicate that below 4.4 MeV, agreement with the model is good, while above this energy, deviations from experimental level density and energies can be qualitatively explained by additional intrinsic and vibrational states, Coriolis coupling and the uncoupling of paired nucleons in higher-spin rotational states. A statistical treatment, used in determining the nuclear temperature of Mg25 as ≈ 2.45 MeV, indicates that the level spacing begins to become smaller than experimental energy resolution above 7.7 MeV.
Roughening and Lower Critical Dimension in the Random-Field Ising Model

It is argued on the basis of a new interface model that the lower critical dimension of random-field Ising systems is two, in agreement with simple domain estimates.
Local Policy Subsystems and Issue Definition: An Analysis of Community Development Policy Change

Using a policy subsystem approach, the authors examine the politics of community development in Minneapolis. A cohesive and stable community development subsystem evolved during the 1970s and early 1980s, dominated by community development corporations and the city's multifamily housing development bureaucracy. Recent changes in community development policy reflect changes in the subsystem dynamics, including a challenge to the dominant coalition by neighborhood groups and external factors such as the redefinition of policy objectives. Subsystem analysis helps to explain policy change at the local level; explicit consideration of the social construction of issues and of the impact of issue redefinition will enrich subsystem analysis.
The Academic Ethics of Graduate Business Students: A Survey

Abstract Questionnaires returned by 207 graduate business students suggest that their academic ethics are similar to those of undergraduates as reported in the literature. Eighty percent had engaged in at least 1 of 15 unethical academic practices more than infrequently in graduate school. However, no relationship was found between the ethical behavior and attitude of graduate business students and student characteristics, a relationship that has been found in studies of undergraduates. The unethical graduate student was seen as wanting a high grade but not having or taking the time to prepare adequately to earn it, believing no one is hurt by his or her behavior, and seeing little chance of getting caught.
Concepts of Interdisciplinarity: Configurations of Knowledge and Action

Twelve faculty directors of graduate liberal studies programs primarily in the US were interviewed by recorded telephone conversation in an effort to understand how they define interdisciplinarity, the intellectual aims to which they aspire, and their views about the nature of reality in knowledge development. Classification of their comments reinforces other writers’ observations that scholars differ in the degree to which knowledge integration defines interdisciplinarity and they differ in the degree to which they believe interdisciplinary knowledge is endogenous or exogenous to the university. Based on their views of knowledge integration and the social relevance of knowledge, four types of interdisciplinary scholars are hypothesized. Of additional interest are the perceived functions of interdisciplinary work and the way that these scholars by-pass philosophical debates about the nature of reality in favor of their practices of scholarship. Implications for the nature, meaning, and practice of interdi...
ASSESSMENT OF A TRANSIENT TESTING TECHNIQUE FOR JET NOISE RESEARCH

An assessment of a low-cost transient testing technique for obtaining acoustic measurements from hot, high-speed nozzle flows is presented. A shock tunnel was utilized to produce short duration (lo-20 ms) underexpanded supersonic air jets from a series of ASME standard axisymmetric nozzles. A comparison between shock tunnel transient noise data and steadystate data is presented. The assessment establishes the uncertainty bounds on sound pressure level measurements over the range of frequency bands, nozzle pressure ratios, total temperature ratios, and nozzle scales for which the facility can be successfully utilized as a substitute for steady-state hot-flow test facilities. Far-field narrow-band spectra were obtained at directivity angles from 65 to 145 degrees and the data were extrapolated to flight conditions. Nozzle pressure ratio and total temperature ratio were repeatable to within 1 percent of desired conditions. The constraint of short test duration is shown to be alleviated through the use of multiple runs to reduce the uncertainty associated with transient acoustic measurements. Sound pressure level versus frequency trends with nozzle pressure ratio and directivity angle are shown to be comparable between steady-state and transient data. In general, results demonstrated that the transient noise data replicates the steady-state data to within f 23 dB, and the magnitude of EPNL values are shown to agree within 1-3 dB depending on test condition and scale.
Toxicological Profiles of Nanomaterials

With the passage of the National Nanoscale Initiative in 2001 there has been increasing attention and funding given to nanomaterial research. This has led to a number of new materials developed at the nanoscale (< 100 nm) level, which often possess chemical and physical properties distinct from those of their bulk materials. These unique qualities are proving to be quite useful in a number of new applications. For example, biological applications in imaging, treatment, and drug delivery are particularly promising as well as the increasing engineering potential of nanocircuitry and materials science. As the number of applications increases however, so too does the potential for human exposure to nanomaterials through a number of routes: dermal, ingestion, inhalation, and even injection. Interestingly some of the properties of these nanomaterials that make them useful in these emerging technologies are the same properties that can increase their toxic potential. This is leading to an emerging discipline – nanotoxicology, which can be defined as safety evaluation of engineered nanostructures and nanodevices. Nanotoxicology research will not only provide information for risk assessment of nanomaterials based on data for hazard identification, dose response relationships and biokinetics, but will also help to further advance the field of nanoresearch by providing information to alter undesirable nanomaterials properties. Although nanotoxicology is in its infancy, there are some preliminary studies with newly developed materials that provide some insight into potential effects, which when coupled with older studies provides some insight on how these nanomaterials impact the biological system. This presentation summarizes results of studies with nanosized particles with a focus on the respiratory system and skin as portals of entry. The ability of particles to translocate from their site of entry, their ability to elicit biological responses, and their presumed mechanisms of action will be highlighted. This will be an attempt to illustrate how pervasive these materials can be, which may or may not be detrimental. With proper toxicological assessment this potential may be harnessed leading to breakthroughs at the nanotechnology – biology interface.
A rapid beam-swinging experiment in transhorizon propagation

By using a broadside phased array for an antenna, a narrow beam can be swung rapidly and in quick succession through a limited sector by fast control of the phasing, rather than by movement of the entire antenna structure. This technique is used at the receiving end of a 101-mile beyond-the-horizon transmission path in order to probe the portion of the troposphere through which the signal is propagated. At the frequency employed of 3.12 kmc, a 0.49- degree beam is swung in azimuth through a 4.2-degree sector each tenth of a second. A variety of phenomena are observed with this technique which have not been directly apparent in slower beam-swinging experiments. The beam-broadening effect attributed to atmospheric scattering is not always evident on any one sector scan. However, the change from scan to scan is frequently rapid enough so that a time average would show the broadening. At times the scan-to-scan changes are systematic and show a continuity indicative of a motion of the scattering or reflecting regions; in some cases this motion is too rapid to be accounted for by transport of air, thus implying a wave motion rippling through the atmosphere. At other times the atmospheric structure is too fine to be resolved by the beamwidth employed, and the time variations are too rapid to reveal a continuity from one scan to the next.
Architecting Principles for Self-Managing Enterprise IT Systems

Economic mega-shifts and technology advances have created an entirely new context for the enterprise IT systems. It is now a very common expectation that the cost/performance ratios will be constantly improving while always offering better services and novel IT features. To fit such expectations, enterprise IT systems should be architected differently. In general, cost savings should be used to finance innovative projects fitting into enterprise architecting blueprints. In this paper we give a top-level view into typical enterprise IT system and outline four architecting principles to guide the implementation of these innovative projects articulated together as 'renewal program' across entire IT. After describing in more depth each principle, we conclude with some practical challenges and outline a few interesting research directions. We also share some practical insights from an internal HP project.
Resistance of Poncirus and Citrus × Poncirus Germplasm to the Asian Citrus Psyllid

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACp), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, has spread to citrus growing regions nearly worldwide and transmits phloem-limited bacteria ( Candidatus Liberibacter spp.) that are putatively responsible for citrus greening disease. Host plant resistance may provide the most effective control, but AC p has a broad host range and resistance in Citrus spp. and relatives to ACp has not been widely documented. Very low abundances of ACp were found on two accessions of Poncirus trifoliata (L.) raf. (hardy-orange) in a field survey. Therefore, we tested whether 81 accessions of P. trifoliata and ´Citroncirus spp. (hybrids of P. trifoliata and Citrus spp.) from the USDA-A rS National Clonal Germplasm repository for Citrus and Dates were resistant to AC p by determining whether these accessions influence oviposition and lifespan of adults in no-choice tests. There was a higher abundance of eggs on the control ( Citrus macrophylla Wester (alemow)) than nearly all accessions of P. trifoliata, and zero eggs were laid on 36% of the accessions. Additionally,
System design optimization for MCM

Many performance/cost advantages can be gained if a chip-set is optimally redesigned to take advantage of the high wire density, fast interconnect delays, and high pin-counts available in MCM-D/flip-chip technology. Examples are given showing for what conditions the cost of the system can be reduced through chip partitioning and how the performance/cost of a computer core can be increased by 81%.
Electron tomography, three-dimensional Fourier analysis and colour prediction of a three-dimensional amorphous biophotonic nanostructure

Organismal colour can be created by selective absorption of light by pigments or light scattering by photonic nanostructures. Photonic nanostructures may vary in refractive index over one, two or three dimensions and may be periodic over large spatial scales or amorphous with short-range order. Theoretical optical analysis of three-dimensional amorphous nanostructures has been challenging because these structures are difficult to describe accurately from conventional two-dimensional electron microscopy alone. Intermediate voltage electron microscopy (IVEM) with tomographic reconstruction adds three-dimensional data by using a high-power electron beam to penetrate and image sections of material sufficiently thick to contain a significant portion of the structure. Here, we use IVEM tomography to characterize a non-iridescent, three-dimensional biophotonic nanostructure: the spongy medullary layer from eastern bluebird Sialia sialis feather barbs. Tomography and three-dimensional Fourier analysis reveal that it is an amorphous, interconnected bicontinuous matrix that is appropriately ordered at local spatial scales in all three dimensions to coherently scatter light. The predicted reflectance spectra from the three-dimensional Fourier analysis are more precise than those predicted by previous twodimensional Fourier analysis of transmission electron microscopy sections. These results highlight the usefulness, and obstacles, of tomography in the description and analysis of three-dimensional photonic structures.
Density-Dependent Growth and Survival of Larval Ambystoma: Evidence from Whole-Pond Manipulations

To determine whether growth and survival of marbled salamander larvae were density dependent under natural conditions, I established hatchlings at either natural density or one—fourth natural density in paired halves of 11 natural ponds. I sampled ponds at 7, 11, and 15 wk and at the initiation of metamorphosis, comparing percentage of larvae injured, larval size, and larval survivorship. I also compared density, size, and biomass of zooplankton, the dietary staple of larvae. Reducing density increased mean larval body size on all sample dates except week 7, and mean size at the initiation of metamorphosis was negatively correlated with average larval density during the larval period. Mean size at the initiation of metamorphosis was correlated positively with average zooplankton biomass during the larval period, which suggests that food was limiting in many ponds. Surprizingly, however, reducing larval density did not increase zooplankton biomass, number, or density relative to controls. Density reductions significantly increased larval survival on all sample dates. Many populations exhibited Type II survival, but survival tended towards Type I at sites where ponds contracted severely near the end of the larval period. Mortality associated with pond contraction was due to changes in biotic or physical factors associated with pond contraction, and not to desiccation per se. Most larvae suffered tail damage caused by attacks from conspecifics and/or invertebrates. high larval mortality in contracted ponds was associated with increased larval density and injury frequency. The proportion of animals showing tail damage was significantly less in reduced—density treatments compared to natural—density treatments. Tail—damaged animals were smaller than undamaged animals, perhaps because loss of tail tissue compromised growth. Because larvae did not reduce zooplankton biomass, it is unlikely that exploitative competition for zooplankton was the primary cause of density—dependent growth and survival. My data suggest that intraspecific aggression may be more important than exploitative competition in explaining density dependence in Ambystoma larvae.
Unleashing innovation: making the FCC user-friendly

Purpose – This paper aims to describe a case study of the FCC, dealing with relieving the tension between technical innovation and the regulation of applications of technology.Design/methodology/approach – The author's experience as Chief Scientist of the FCC is used to show how the innovations of the information age were accommodated under the procedures governing the regulation of communications.Findings – The success of the rapid introduction of digital information technology and networking, replacing analog telephony and inflexible technical rules governing the use of the electromagnetic spectrum, resulted from relatively minor modifications in staffing of a technical planning office lacking currency with the innovations in the technology supporting the communication and broadcasting industries. The support of the chairman, the commissioners, and their confidence in the leadership of the office were critical to success.Originality/value – Leading a regulatory agency to helping rather than hindering pr...
Comparison of the Effectiveness and Safety of Linezolid and Daptomycin in Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcal Bloodstream Infection: A National Cohort Study of Veterans Affairs Patients

Background. Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus bloodstream infections (VRE-BSIs) are becoming increasingly common. Linezolid and daptomycin are the primary treatment options for VRE-BSI, but optimal treatment is unclear. Methods. This was a national retrospective cohort study comparing linezolid and daptomycin for the treatment of VRE-BSI among Veterans Affairs Medical Center patients admitted during 2004–2013. The primary outcome was treatment failure, defined as a composite of (1) 30-day all-cause mortality; (2) microbiologic failure; and (3) 60-day VRE-BSI recurrence. Poisson regression was conducted to determine if antimicrobial treatment was independently associated with clinical outcomes. Results. A total of 644 patients were included (linezolid, n = 319; daptomycin, n = 325). Overall, treatment failure was 60.9% (n = 392/644), and 30-day all-cause mortality was 38.2% (n = 246/644). Linezolid was associated with a significantly higher risk of treatment failure compared with daptomycin (risk ratio [RR], 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–1.67; P = .001). After adjusting for confounding factors in Poisson regression, the relationship between linezolid use and treatment failure persisted (adjusted RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02–1.30; P = .026). Linezolid was also associated with higher 30-day mortality (42.9% vs 33.5%; RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04–1.32; P = .014) and microbiologic failure rates (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02–1.18; P = .011). No difference in 60-day VRE-BSI recurrence was observed between treatment groups. Conclusions. Treatment with linezolid for VRE-BSI resulted in significantly higher treatment failure in comparison to daptomycin. Linezolid treatment was also associated with greater 30-day all-cause mortality and microbiologic failure in this cohort.
Paper what? [electronic paper]

The advantages of electronic paper or what is called raster technology are discussed. Rasters capture the engineering drawing in a format that a personal computer (PC) can use. Raster files can then be shipped across the continent or an office building via computer networks, stored on diskettes or laser storage systems, retrieved simultaneously by hundreds of reviewers, annotated electronically, and then transmitted back to the design organization. Additional benefits accrue from the fact that tedious paper scanning is eliminated, delay in handling and mailing is avoided, rooms of flat file storage cabinets are replaced by a single laser juke box, and in general, the need for paper is reduced. Equipped with a raster system, an engineer can conduct the searching, retrieving, and mailing of the drawings without having to move away from the PC. In the case presented, the DoD CALS standard is used in a raster drawing system for reviewing the design of Space Station Freedom.
Inflection points and the power spectrum

Inection point ination generically includes a deviation from slow-roll when the inaton ap- proaches the inection point. Such deviations are shown to be generated by transitions between singular trajectories. The eects on the power spectrum are studied within the context of univer- sality classes for small-eld models. These eects are shown to scale with universality parameters, and can explain the anomalously low power at large scales observed in the CMB. The reduction of power is related to the inection point's basin of attraction. Implications for the likelihood of ination are discussed.
Temporomandibular Disorders: Etiology and Classification

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a group of disorders that have their origin in the musculoskeletal structures of the masticatory system [1]. Therefore, symptoms of TMDs are associated with either the muscles of mastication or the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), or both. Pain can be a common symptom associated with TMDs. These disorders are quite common in the general population. In fact, after dental pains, TMDs are the next most common pain complaint reported by patients in the dental office. Depending on which epidemiologic studies are reviewed the numbers of signs and symptoms associated with TMDs range from 40 % and 60 % of the general population [2, p. 102–28]. However, the numbers of patients requiring professional TMD treatment are reported to be only in the range of 10–15 % [3, 4]. Because TMDs are so common, every dentist needs to have a basic understanding of the etiology, diagnosis, and management of these conditions. This chapter will focus on the etiology and diagnosis of the most common TMD conditions seen in the dental office. Other texts should be reviewed for a more complete overview [2].
Tests on scalability of a strip-line based TOF PET signal readout method

We have investigated the strip-line based SiPM signal readout method for TOF PET application; output of multiple SiPMs are connected on a single transmission-line, and signal waveforms from SiPMs are acquired at both ends of the strip-line by using high speed waveform sampler. This approach enables to decode the position of interaction along the transmission-line by using arrival time difference, and thus could reduce the number of readout electronics channels efficiently while keeping the fast time response of SiPMs. The scalability is one of the features of the strip-line readout method; the length of strip-line and the number of SiPMs connected on the strip can be easily extendable without increasing electronics channels. Previously we have built a prototype board with four strip-lines each with eight SiPMs (5.2mm pitch) installed on it, and demonstrated that the strip-line readout method is applicable for TOF PET. To check the scalability of the readout method, we modified the prototype board to connect two separate strip-lines into one single strip-line. From the laser test bench, the electronic time resolution along the strip is measured to be ∼36ps fwhm (equivalent to 1.7mm fwhm in position) and found that the time resolution is not degraded by doubling SiPMs on a strip.
Application of proper orthogonal decomposition to hyperspectral tomographic imaging of unsteady flows

Recent efforts have shown that hyperspectral tomography (HT) is a promising technique to simultaneously measure two-dimensional distributions of temperature and species concentration in reacting flows. This paper discuss es a method based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to facilitate the post-processi ng work of the HT technique, to minimize the computational time while still maintaining a hi gh level of precision, and to extract the information contained in large amount of measurement data. This paper discusses the application of POD to analyze HT data, and to obtain three-dimensional and/or timecorrelated measurements. The use of POD in this paper, will be shown to significantly decrease computational time and improve the precision of tomographic reconstructions. The paper will also discuss the application of the POD method on two-dimensional data taken in a practical aero-propulsion engine (General Electri c J85) with a temporal resolution of 50 kHz, with the intention of demonstrating the POD’s effectiveness in processing a large volume of data obtained from actual testing, and in identifying the fundamental flow/combustion patterns in real-world engines.
Characterization of N-glycosylation profiles from mammalian and insect cell derived chikungunya VLP

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes severe arthralgia. The envelope of CHIKV is composed of 240 copies of two glycoproteins: E1 and E2. In this work, we have characterized the N-glycosylation patterns of CHIKV virus-like particles (VLPs), containing both E1 and E2 proteins, derived from mammalian and insect cells using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) with fluorescence (FL) and mass spectrometry (MS) detection. While HEK293 derived CHIKV VLPs contain oligomannose, hybrid and complex glycans, VLPs derived from SfBasic predominantly contain oligomannose glycans. This strong host dependence of N-glycosylation pattern resembles other alphaviruses such as SINV. The VLPs from HEK293 and SfBasic, with significantly different N-glycosylation profiles, are valuable reagents enabling future in-depth correlation studies between immunogenicity and glycosylation. In addition, the characterization tools presented here allow one to monitor glycosylation during vaccine process development and ensure process consistency.
Discussion on Strengthening Safety Management of Drug

Drug play the vital role in prevent and treat disease in humanity. In recent years, the frequency drug security event warn that the drug security problem is not allow to neglect. We must establish and consummate the drug safety control system as soon as possible to ensure drug security.
Surface Ozone Variability in Synoptic Pattern Perspectives

Synoptic weather pattern plays an important role in regional air quality. It influences strongly the daily maximum surface level ozone concentrations. We utilize Spatial Synoptic Classification methodology, surface ozone simulations from the NOAA National Air Quality Forecast Capability and observations from the US EPA Air Quality System, to investigate the behavior of surface ozone and air quality model’s performance in different synoptic weather patterns. This study was conducted for the following six air quality air-shed regions: California (CA), Michigan Lake (MI), Ohio River Valley (OV), Northeastern (NE), Southeastern (SE), and Texas (TX), during the ozone season (May to September) in years 2009–2011. Based on air mass’ thermal characteristics and origins, the SSC methodology provides six types of air mass classifications: Dry Polar (DP), Dry Moderate (DM), Dry Tropical (DT), Moisture Polar (MP), Moisture Moderate (MM), and Moisture Tropical (MT). Results show distinct behaviors of ozone’s magnitude and model’s performance among the various air mass types, implying the impact of synoptic weather patterns to regional air quality, and NAQFC’s success in reproducing these patterns. The MT and DT air mass types are the most important types conducive to high surface ozone episodes throughout theiroccurrence frequency and high ozone production efficiency, respectively. The MT air mass also shows highest in both mean bias and root mean square error, implying the high uncertainty in model performance due to cloudy or unstable atmospheric conditions.
Teaching NeuroImages: Recurrent oculomotor palsies caused by neurosarcoidosis.

A 53-year-old man presented with a recurrent left fourth nerve and acute left third nerve palsy (figure 1). Brain MRI showed leptomeningeal and oculomotor nerve contrast enhancement (figure 2). CSF examination indicated chronic lymphocytic meningitis with massively increased soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor and IL-6.1 Extensive infectious disease workup remained unremarkable. [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/CT revealed active deep cervical lymph nodes containing noncaseating granulomas (figure 2). No pulmonary or other systemic manifestation was found, consistent with clinically isolated neurosarcoidosis.2 Upon immunosuppressive treatment,1,2 the oculomotor palsies rapidly remitted. Neurosarcoidosis is a rare condition lacking specific biomarkers.2 When suspected, FDG-PET/CT can guide diagnosis and prevent CNS biopsy.1 The authors thank the patient for consenting to the publication, the colleagues who were involved in treatment of the patient, and the photographers P. Bar and P. Breitschmid.
Cardiac electrical biomarker response during percutaneous coronary intervention

Background: A new cardiac electrical biomarker (CEB) has been identified that is a measure of dipolar energy in a 12-lead ECG derived from 3 leads (I, aVF, V2). The CEB can potentially detect myocardial ischemia in real time. During PCI an obstruction to blood flow is induced causing localized
Development and Description of a Synthetic, High-Fidelity, Emergency Department Patient Dataset for the Evaluation of Healthcare IT Products:

Developing novel interfaces for high-risk situations, such as the Emergency Department, requires a sufficient quantity of detailed patient data to support usability and evaluation activities, yet p...
Merging Art and Educative Practice: Using Paintings as an Approach to Developing Antiracist Pedagogy

This chapter describes how painting can be utilized as a method for instructing antiracist pedagogy.
A complete neuromorphic solution to outdoor navigation and path planning

Recent developments in neuromorphic engineering have enabled low-powered processing and sensing in robotics, leading to more efficient brain-like computation for many robotic tasks such as motion planning and navigation. However, present experiments in neuromorphic robotic systems have mostly been performed under controlled indoor settings, often with unlimited power supply. While this may be suitable for many applications, these algorithms often fail in outdoor dynamic environments that could benefit the most from the low size, weight, and power of neuromorphic devices. We present the current challenges of outdoor robotics, how current neuromorphic solutions can address these problems, our current approaches to the task, and what further needs to be achieved to create a complete neuromorphic solution to outdoor navigation and path planning.
Optimization of Activities of Immobilized Lysozyme, α-Chymotrypsin, and Lipase

Two areas of recent development are enzyme immobilization on solid matrices (1) and chemical modification of proteins by soluble reagents (2). Surprisingly, in development of optimum immobilization recipes, there appear to have been no attempts to correlate results between these clearly related areas of enzyme catalysis. As the specific activity (rate per enzyme) of soluble modified enzymes is easily determined by comparison with that of immobilized enzymes, it may be expected that the existence of such correlations would prove a useful screening device for new immobilization recipes. Prior to presenting this study, several pertinent papers are summarized.
Measurements of snow cover using an improved UWB 2–18 GHz airborne radar testbed

An improved UWB airborne radar testbed was developed and implemented to map the air-snow and snow-ice interfaces on marine ice as well as near-surface internal layers on land ice sheets. The system operates in the 2–18 GHz frequency range and was tested onboard the NASA P-3 airborne science laboratory. The radar testbed expands the capabilities of the 2–8 GHz and 12–18 GHz systems previously deployed on NASA Operation IceBridge (OIB) and serves as performance baseline to guide future efforts for the miniaturization and integration of the radar electronics. We collected radar data with the system over various targets in the Arctic and Antarctic. We demonstrate the system's capability to measure snow cover thickness on sea ice at cm-scale with very low range sidelobes and present sample radar images showing the system's ability to map internal snow accumulation layers to depths exceeding 30 m.
Biochemical Aspects of Transmission at Inhibitory Synapses: The Role of Glycine

The biochemical aspects of the neurophysiology of transmission have been clarified during the years since the late 1950s. Thus, it is interesting to recall that during this period many biochemists became aware for the first time that most neurons in the central nervous system of higher vertebrates do not touch. With the aid of the electron microscope, the neuroanatomists have shown that a space of approximately 200 A separates the terminal endings of the axon of one neuron and the cellular membranes of the next neuron. This space is called the synaptic cleft and can vary from 100 to 500 A depending on the tissue and the location; this whole minute region in the nervous system (i.e., the terminal ending of one neuron, the cellular membrane of the second neuron in juxtaposition to the specific nerve ending, and the synaptic cleft) is called a synapse. Various organic compounds can be released from the axonal endings of the presynaptic cell into the synaptic cleft. The compounds which reach and can affect the conductance across the postsynaptic membrane at this region of the synapse in a specific manner are called transmitters and the whole process is called transmission. This latter process is chemical in nature.
Gender Differences in Career Advancement: A Job Requirements Approach

This paper examines gender disparities in the careers of college graduates across a wide variety of occupations and industries. While prior research has examined career advancement within single or...
Computational Comparison of Convex Underestimators for Use in a Branch-and-Bound Global Optimization Framework

Applications that require the optimization of nonlinear functions involving nonconvex terms include reactor network synthesis, separations design and synthesis, robust process control, batch process design, protein folding, and molecular structure prediction. The global optimization method α-branch-and-bound (αBB; Adjiman and Floudas, J. Glob. Optim. 9(1):23–40, 1996; Adjiman et al., Comput. Chem. Eng. 22(9):1137–1158, 1998; Adjiman et al., Comput. Chem. Eng. 22(9):1159–1179, 1998; Androulakis et al., J. Glob. Optim. 7(4):337–363, 1995; Floudas, Deterministic Global Optimization: Theory, Methods and Applications, vol. 37. Springer, New York, 2000; Maranas and Floudas, J. Glob. Optim. 4(2):135–170, 1994), guarantees the global optimum with e-convergence for any \(\mathcal{C}^{2}\)-continuous function within a finite number of iterations via fathoming nodes of a branch-and-bound tree through assignment of lower and upper bounds. Lower bounds are generated through convexification over a node’s subdomain to yield a convex nonlinear program at each node. This chapter explores the performance of the αBB method as well as number of competing methods designed to provide tight, convex underestimators, including the piecewise (Meyer and Floudas, J. Glob. Optim. 32(2):221–258, 2005), generalized (Akrotirianakis and Floudas, J. Glob. Optim. 30(4):367–390, 2004; Akrotirianakis and Floudas, J. Glob. Optim. 29(3):249–264, 2004), and nondiagonal (Skjal et al., J. Optim. Theory Appl. 154(2):462–490, 2012) αBB methods, the Brauer and Rohn+E (Skjal and Westerlund, J. Glob. Optim. 1–17, 2013) αBB methods, and the moment approach (Lasserre and Thanh, J. Glob. Optim. 56(1):1–25, 2013). Their performance is gauged through a test suite of 20 multivariate, box-constrained, nonconvex functions.
Foundations for simultaneous momentum, energy, and mass transfer

Up to this point, I have been concerned with bodies composed of a single species. Such a body is a special type of multicomponent material. We are fortunate that, with a few relatively minor modifications, all we have said in chapters 1 and 2 about single-component systems can be applied to multicomponent ones.
Codon-dependent noise dictates cell-to-cell variability in nutrient poor environments

Under nutrient-rich conditions, stochasticity of transcription drives protein expression noise. However, by shifting the environment to amino acid-limited conditions, we identified in E. coli a source of noise whose strength is dictated by translational processes. Specifically, we discovered that cell-to-cell variations in fluorescent protein expression depend on codon choice, with codons yielding lower mean expression after amino acid downshift also resulting in greater noise. We propose that ultra-sensitivity in the tRNA charging/discharging cycle shapes the strength of the observed noise by amplifying fluctuations in global intracellular parameters, such as the concentrations of amino acid, synthetase, and tRNA. We hypothesize that this codon-dependent noise may allow bacteria to selectively optimize cell-to-cell variability in poor environments without relying on low molecular numbers.
Combined Nucleotide and Protein Extractions in Caenorhabditis elegans.

A single biological sample holds a plethora of information, and it is now common practice to simultaneously investigate several macromolecules to capture a full picture of the multiple levels of molecular processing and changes between different conditions. This protocol presents the method of isolating DNA, RNA, and protein from the same sample of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to remove the variation introduced when these biomolecules are isolated from replicates of similarly treated but ultimately different samples. Nucleic acids and protein are extracted from the nematode using the acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction method, with subsequent precipitation, washing, and solubilization of each. We show the successful isolation of RNA, DNA, and protein from a single sample from three strains of nematode and HeLa cells, with better protein isolation results in adult animals. Additionally, guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform-extracted protein from nematodes improves the resolution of larger proteins, with enhanced detectable levels as observed by immunoblotting, compared to the traditional RIPA extraction of protein. The method presented here is useful when investigating samples using a multiomic approach, specifically for the exploration of the proteome and transcriptome. Techniques that simultaneously assess multiomics are appealing because molecular signaling underlying complex biological phenomena is thought to occur at complementary levels; however, it has become increasingly common to see that changes in mRNA levels do not always reflect the same change in protein levels and that the time of collection is relevant in the context of circadian regulations. This method removes any intersample variation when assaying different contents within the same sample (intrasample.)
Where do labels come from

The use of machine learning in remote sensing often depends on the use of labels to guide an algorithm as to what matters in the data. This supervised learning can effectively transfer human understanding to algorithms such as those used in Deep Learning to analyze large complex data sets. However, this approach can be brittle and lead to poor performance and confusion in decision making. Here we provide an analysis of labels to reveal their limitations in learning algorithms. We frame the supervised learning problem as a simplification of an interaction between unsupervised and reinforcement learning. From this perspective, we develop a formalism of specific value to remote sensing that uses information-theoretic techniques to determine the forward model that preserves the information content between two supervised learning problems using different data but sharing the same labels.
Paraguay and the Complexities of a Bilingual Nation: The Contradiction of the Guarani Language as a National Symbol and its Condition of Diglossia

Paraguay is one of the few countries in South America that has two official languages. Guarani is one of them and it is a staple of national identity. Nonetheless, the use of Guarani seems to be decreasing steadily. The government and Guarani speakers do not actively promote its use in society. This research seeks to identify the link between the tacit appreciation that Paraguayans confess towards Guarani and—conversely—the negative connotations attributed to its use in society.
Bringing order to the matrix

Aligned anisotropic organization of the extracellular matrix by fibroblasts has now been shown to depend on cell reorientation following collision, with the cell collision guidance dependent on the transcription factor, TFAP2C.
Trees and Global Warming: The Role of Forests in Cooling and Warming the Atmosphere

Large-scale tree planting is advocated to provide additional atmospheric cooling and further reduce global warming. This raises a question about the present time: do trees cool or warm the atmosphere? This question does not have a simple yes or no answer. Examination of the greenhouse effect, global warming and the carbon cycle, and how trees and forests function provides the basis for understanding how forests might cool or warm the atmosphere. Results from research and models indicate that cooling or warming depends on where forests are located and the type and color of trees. Cooling generally prevails over warming, but this may change. This book will appeal to anyone interested in climate change, ecology and conservation.
Dworkin, Ronald. Hard Cases, 88 Harv. L. Rev. 1057 (1975)

When considering cases involving the First Amendment, the Communications Commission Acts of 1934 or 1996, and Federal Communications Commission orders, one should begin by considering three overarc...
CTCF and Cohesin link sex-biased distal regulatory elements to sex-biased gene expression in mouse liver

ABSTRACT More than 1,000 genes are differentially expressed between male and female mouse liver. However, ∼90% of 4,000 sex-differential open chromatin regions harboring regulatory elements implicated in liver sex bias are distal enhancers. To elucidate the role of 3D nuclear organization and address the challenge of linking distal regulatory regions to sex-biased gene targets, we performed ChIP-seq for CTCF and cohesin, known mediators of 3D nuclear organization, and identified ∼1,000 binding sites showing significant differential occupancy by these factors in male and female mouse liver. Distal genomic regions showing sex-differential CTCF and/or cohesin binding were evaluated as potential factors in sex-dependent looping controlling sex-biased proximal effects on gene expression. Results were integrated with a study of cohesin depletion in mouse liver to evaluate the impact of cohesin loss on the expression of putative gene targets. Further, circularized chromosome conformation capture with sequencing (4C-seq) was used to discover striking sex-differences in 3D looping, linking distal sex-biased enhancers to proximal sex-biased gene expression for both male-biased (C9, Nudt7, Nox4) and female-biased genes (A1bg, Sult3a2). Our findings also illustrate the importance of a nested intra-TAD loop for insulation of sex-specific enhancer–promoter contacts for Nox4. These studies reveal how chromatin interactions and 3-dimensional genome organization guided both directly and indirectly by CTCF and cohesin looping contribute to liver sex bias.
Internal Fault Diagnosis and Analysis of a 1000kV Shunt Reactor with Abnormal Ground Current of Iron Core and Clamp

For a fault case of abnormal grounding current in a 1000kV shunt reactor of a UHV substation, firstly, this paper conducted a preliminary analysis of the fault type based on offline oil chromatography data tracking. Secondly, combined with the high-frequency partial discharge live detection and the monitoring results of the partial discharge intensive care system, it was judged that there is no obvious discharge phenomenon inside the shunt reactor. Finally, according to the ground current test and the circuit modeling analysis, it was judged that there was overlap in ground loop between the iron core and clamp, and the overlap resistance was small. After the current-limiting resistors were installed, the ground current was significantly reduced, but the chromatographic data continued to increase, proving that there were still other lapped hot spots inside. Due to disassembly results returned to the factory, the validity of the ground current test and circuit modeling analysis method of the iron core clamp was verified, which can provide reference for fault diagnosis of internal overlap and abnormal ground current of UHV shunt reactors.
"Peppering the pons": CLIPPERS or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein associated disease?

Summary Chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS) is a distinct pathologic entity of unknown etiology. Here, we describe the clinical and radiologic presentation of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein associated disease (MOG-AD) with features mimicking CLIPPERS. Three patients met the 2017 CLIPPERS diagnostic criteria, while one patient had a single lesion in the pons that mimicked CLIPPERS lesions. All had an excellent response to steroids, but the three who met the CLIPPERS criteria had a relapsing course. When CLIPPERS is observed, it is crucial to test for mimickers. The ever-expanding spectrum of MOG-AD calls for further research into the immunopathogenesis of its several phenotypes.
Habitat associations of small mammal communities in a restored prairie system in southern Illinois

Extensive habitat loss and degradation have transformed the grasslands of North America into one of the continent's most vulnerable ecosystems and have greatly imperiled the plants and animals that depend on them. Small mammal communities play a pivotal role in maintaining the health and function of grasslands, and managing small mammal populations is an important, though overlooked, part of grassland restoration and management. We identified habitat variables in restored tallgrass prairie patches that were most strongly associated with variation in small mammal abundance and community composition, with the goal of aiding management efforts to manipulate small mammal populations. We found that small mammal abundance at the local vegetation scale was negatively related both to litter depth and plant diversity. At the landscape scale, small mammal abundance was positively associated with the amount of water surrounding a patch, and negatively associated with the amount of grassland surrounding a patch. Variation in small mammal community composition largely was governed by differences in habitat structure at the landscape scale, rather than differences in vegetation structure at the local scale. We suggested that managers interested in influencing small mammal abundance in grasslands employ tools such as prescribed fire to decrease litter depth if increased small mammal abundance is desired, or increase plant diversity by sowing a high diversity of seeds to depress small mammal abundance.