cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generating dynamically feasible trajectories for quadrotor cameras

When designing trajectories for quadrotor cameras, it is important that the trajectories respect the dynamics and physical limits of quadrotor hardware. We refer to such trajectories as being feasible. In this paper, we introduce a fast and user-friendly algorithm for generating feasible quadrotor camera trajectories. Our algorithm takes as input an infeasible trajectory designed by a user, and produces as output a feasible trajectory that is as similar as possible to the user's input. By design, our algorithm does not change the spatial layout or visual contents of the input trajectory. Instead, our algorithm guarantees the feasibility of the output trajectory by re-timing the input trajectory, perturbing its timing as little as possible while remaining within velocity and control force limits. Our choice to perturb the timing of a shot, while leaving the spatial layout and visual contents of the shot intact, leads to a well-behaved non-convex optimization problem that can be solved at interactive rates. We implement our algorithm in an open-source tool for designing quadrotor camera shots, where we achieve interactive performance across a wide range of camera trajectories. We demonstrate that our algorithm is between 25x and 45x faster than a spacetime constraints approach implemented using a commercially available solver. As we scale to more finely discretized trajectories, this performance gap widens, with our algorithm outperforming spacetime constraints by between 90x and 180x. Finally, we fly 5 feasible trajectories generated by our algorithm on a real quadrotor camera, producing video footage that is faithful to Google Earth shot previews, even when the trajectories are at the quadrotor's physical limits.
Honey bee sociometry: tracking honey bee colonies and their nest contents from colony founding until death

Sociometry is the description and analysis of the physical and numerical attributes of social insect colonies over their lifetimes. Sociometric data, such as worker number and nest size are essential for understanding how colonies develop but are rarely collected. Even Apis mellifera, the most intensively studied social insect, has never received a broad-scale sociometric study. To help fill this gap, we monitored four honey bee colonies living in large observation hives from when they began as swarms (July 2012), to when they died (January 2014). We tracked multiple colony parameters, including worker and drone populations, comb area and use, swarming rate, and colony death. Each colony’s life history is described through its founding, ergonomic, and reproductive stages.
Commentary: Why Was Inhaled Insulin a Failure in the Market?

Just a few years shy of a century ago, a group of Canadian researchers discovered a viable method of extracting insulin, filling a large and critical gap in the therapeutic treatment of diabetes (1). Since then, insulin and its associated delivery devices have become an integral part of the care and management of patients living with diabetes. Shortly after the first insulin injection was successfully delivered, vials of insulin became available commercially. At this time, large glass syringes were used to administer insulin, and each injection required sterilization of the syringe, as well as sharpening of the syringe needle with a pumice stone. Through the years, insulin syringes modernized, but it was not until the 1970s that an alternate delivery system—the insulin pump, used in continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) regimens—became available. Fifteen years later, the first insulin pen was introduced to the marketplace, providing evidence that, as time progresses, there is no shortage of innovation in the diabetes arena. The first two rapid-acting inhaled insulins on the market—Exubera in 2006 and Afrezza in 2014—represented yet another innovation milestone. In theory, inhaled insulin completely eliminated the psychological barriers associated with subcutaneous insulin delivery, such as needle phobia and incorrect injection technique. However, in October 2007, Pfizer withdrew Exubera from the market, and in January 2016, Sanofi withdrew from a $925 million marketing agreement with MannKind for Afrezza; both removals were due to poor sales volume. Although patients and providers have been searching for years for alternatives to injecting insulin, Exubera has already failed, and Afrezza’s destiny is uncertain. In 2006, Exubera was the first inhaled insulin approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It showed noninferiority in efficacy with regard to A1C lowering in both type 1 diabetes (2) and type 2 diabetes (3) compared to mixed regular/NPH …
JTE-852, a novel spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor, blocks mediator secretion from mast cells with immunoglobulin E crosslinking

Mast cells stimulated by immunoglobulin E (IgE)-crosslinking secrete mediators, which are mainly categorized into three groups: granule contents, arachidonate metabolites, and cytokines. These mediators play important roles in pathogenesis of allergic diseases; indeed, some conventional drugs which target the mediators are used in clinical practices. However, these drugs are not yet sufficient enough in their efficacy. That is because most of them are blockers of single mediators and are unable to prevent simultaneously various reactions caused by the three group mediators. Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase. In mast cells, Syk locates at almost top of the signal cascades induced by IgE-crosslinking and plays pivotal roles in secretion of the three groups of mediators. Therefore, inhibition of Syk would suppress the secretion of all the mediators from mast cells and be a promising-treatment strategy for allergic diseases. In the present study, we characterized pharmacological profiles of JTE-852, which was identified as a novel Syk inhibitor. JTE-852 inhibited kinase activity of Syk in an adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-competitive fashion. JTE-852 also blocked the secretion of granule contents, arachidonate metabolites, and cytokines from mast cells stimulated by IgE-crosslinking, with similar potencies. The results suggest that JTE-852 is supposed to prevent various allergic reactions caused by the three group mediators in vivo. In fact, oral gavage of JTE-852 attenuated an allergic reaction mediated by histamine, which is a representative of the three groups of mediators. JTE-852 is expected to be a novel, highly-efficacious, and orally available anti-allergic drug.
HS1BP3 provides a novel mechanism of negative autophagy regulation through membrane lipids

The formation and maturation of the autophagosome, a morphological hallmark of macroautophagy/autophagy, is tightly controlled with regard to location, timing and intensity. Various proteins have been characterized to be essential in regulating autophagosome biogenesis, whereas little is known about the roles of specific lipids and their metabolizing enzymes in this process. In a recent paper, Holland et al. identified the phosphoinositide-binding protein HS1BP3 as a novel negative regulator of autophagosome formation. HS1BP3 is proposed to act by inhibiting PLD1 (phospholipase D1) activity and localization to ATG16L1 and TFRC (transferrin receptor)-positive vesicles thereby modulating the phosphatidic acid (PA) levels and lipid composition of autophagosome precursor membranes.
The limits to language in doing systems design

We employ a conversational genre of performative research in order to explore foundational issues of language and design in information system practice. Initially, Sir Geoffrey Vickers (†2004), C. West Churchman (†1999), Hans-Georg Gadamer (†1982) and Jurgen Habermas are portrayed as engaging in a roundtable discussion on the topic: “Are there Limits to Language in Doing System Design?” We employ an updated, AI-enhanced version of Memex, an intelligent agent originally described by Vannevar Bush at the end of WWII, to serve as a plausible digital platform for enabling a discussion among intelligent agents, both living and dead. The Memex system conducts a spirited conversation among the four scholars and later brings Pierre Bourdieu (†2002) and Bruno Latour into the discussion in order to enrich the unfolding conversation. After the roundtable, Jurgen Habermas and Sir Geoffrey Vickers synthesize the learning from their perspectives.
(2,2′-Bi­pyrazine-κ2N1,N1′)[1,2-bis­(di­phenyl­phosphan­yl)methane-κP]tri­carbonyl­rhenium(I) tri­fluoro­methane­sulfonate monohydrate

The title compound, [Re(C8H6N4)(C25H22P2)(CO)3]CF3SO3·H2O, crystallizes with one [Re(C8N4H6){P(Ph)2CH2P(Ph)2}(CO)3]+ cation, where Ph is a phenyl group, one CF3SO3− anion and one water mol­ecule of hydration. The three C atoms of the facial oriented carbonyl groups, two N atoms from the bi­pyrazine ligand and one P atom from the (bis­)di­phenyl­phosphanyl­methane ligand define a distorted octa­hedral coordination environment about the central ReI atom. The Re—Ccarbon­yl bond length trans to the P atom is longer than the the two Re—Ccarbon­yl bond lengths in the plane with the bi­pyrazine ligand. Hydrogen-bonding inter­actions between the solvent water mol­ecule and the cation, as well as weak C—H⋯O inter­actions, consolidate a three-dimensional network structure.
The CVS-aetna merger: Another large bet on the changing U.S. health care landscape

Through mergers and acquisitions, health care organizations are making large bets about the future of the U.S. medical landscape and the types of organizations that can ultimately succeed in it. Th...
Evaluation of Actual Delamination Strength of REBCO-Coated Conductors Based on the Weibull Analysis Considering Size Effect

Fujikura has developed production techniques of REBa 2 Cu 3 O y (REBCO, RE = rare earth) coated conductors (CCs) and provided high-performance REBCO CCs with long-length and high homogeneity of the critical current. REBCO CCs have a low c-axis strength (delamination strength) which originates from the layered structure. When an epoxy-impregnated REBCO coil is cooled, the radial thermal stress is generated. The stress could cause the delamination of REBCO CCs and lead to degradation of the coil. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the exact delamination strength of the CCs. In this paper, we evaluated the failure probability of the epoxy-impregnated coils at 77 K. We introduced Weibull analysis considering the stress distribution and the sample size effect, and estimated the actual delamination strength of the REBCO CCs. By using the evaluation method, we confirmed the strength enhancement by process improvement.
RHEED Transmission Mode and RHEED Pole Figure

In the last chapter, we presented the principles of x-ray diffraction and the construction of a pole figure, particularly the pole figure constructed from the diffraction patterns obtained by an area detector. In this chapter, we describe the similarities and differences between reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) transmission mode and x-ray diffraction. Detailed descriptions of the diffraction space characteristics of RHEED transmission for a variety of crystal textures are given. We discuss kinematic simulations of RHEED patterns and the construction of RHEED pole figures from RHEED patterns. The relationship between RHEED pole figures and the orientation distribution function of biaxial texture is presented with examples.
Virtual reality perspective-taking increases cognitive empathy for specific others.

Previous research shows that virtual reality perspective-taking experiences (VRPT) can increase prosocial behavior toward others. We extend this research by exploring whether this effect of VRPT is driven by increased empathy and whether the effect extends to ostensibly real-stakes behavioral games. In a pre-registered laboratory experiment (N = 180), participants interacted with an ostensible partner (a student from the same university as them) on a series of real-stakes economic games after (a) taking the perspective of the partner in a virtual reality, “day-in-the-life” simulation, (b) taking the perspective of a different person in a “day-in-the-life” simulation, or (c) doing a neutral activity in a virtual environment. The VRPT experience successfully increased participants’ subsequent propensity to take the perspective of their partner (a facet of empathy), but only if the partner was the same person whose perspective participants assumed in the virtual reality simulation. Further, this effect of VRPT on perspective-taking was moderated by participants’ reported feeling of immersion in the virtual environment. However, we found no effects of VRPT experience on behavior in the economic games.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of pembrolizumab in cancer therapy: A systematic review.

109Background: Cancer treatment is very costly and is further complexed by barriers to healthcare such as the lack of health insurance. Cancer detected at a later stage is more expensive to treat a...
Generations, political attitudes and voting behavior in Taiwan and Hong Kong

Abstract Society changes with the addition of new members. Different generations have distinct historical experiences, which may shape their political stance across a spectrum of attitudes and behaviors. This symposium includes four articles analyzing generational politics in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The studies show that there are behavioral and attitudinal differences between the young and the old in both places. As overall voter turnout has declined in Taiwan, youth turnout has declined even more. In particular, the “China factor” is the main driving force to the younger generations’ political activism. Youths in both Taiwan and Hong Kong exhibit a strong local identity that differentiates them from the Chinese. The stronger the identity is, the more politically active they are.
Mechanical Utility Structure for Testing High Field Superconducting Dipole Magnets

The U.S. Magnet Development Program (MDP) collaboration is designing a utility mechanical structure for testing various high-field superconducting dipole coils. The design uses a shell-based structure concept, which allows applying preload in two steps: during a room temperature assembly and during a cool down to a cryogenic temperature. The structure is designed to accommodate various coil designs-including Nb3Sn Cosine Theta (CT) and Canted CT magnets as well as hybrid magnets with high temperature superconductor cables. Superconducting coils, enclosed by bolted pads to form an octagonal coil pack, will be inserted into a reusable yoke-shell subassembly and precisely preloaded during the assembly using a bladder-and-key technology. Due to a differential thermal contraction between an external aluminum shell and the magnet core, the coil preload increases during the cool down up to level required for 17-T excitation. Such a reusable structure will serve as a testing fixture supporting goals of the MDP program, decreasing cost and simplifying coil performance testing at different preload levels. We present a finite-element analysis of the structure preloading various coil designs and examine the predicted coil stress at each step of the magnet assembly and excitation.
Radiocarbon Evidence for Initial Early Formative Period Occupation in Coastal Oaxaca, Mexico

Seven AMS radiocarbon dates (1950–1525 cal BC) from controlled contexts demonstrate Early Formative period occupation in coastal Oaxaca, Mexico. These dated elements from the site of La Consentida include hearths, occupational surfaces, carbon adhering to pottery from a midden, and human bone collagen processed with XAD purification. They were excavated from primary contexts and do not represent redeposited materials. An eighth sample, dated to the Middle Formative period, is considered postoccupational. The diversity of dated deposits and features, their distribution, and their overlapping calibrated ranges indicate settlement by an initial Early Formative period village.
Peatland microbial community response to altered climate tempered by nutrient availability

Abstract Northern latitude peatlands contain large reserves of soil carbon (C) due in part to climatic constraints on decomposition, including low temperatures and water inundated soils. Under future climate change scenarios these peatlands will experience warmer temperatures, extended growing seasons, and a potential draw down of the water table, all of which improve conditions for decomposition, as well as photosynthesis. Increased photosynthesis may feedback to increase decomposition of soil C through increased root exudates to belowground decomposer communities, primarily as low molecular weight carbon compounds (LMWCC). In this study, we examine the interactive effects of climate, a combination of three temperatures and two moisture regimes, and root exudates on microbial decomposer function, measured as CO2 respiration, biomass, and potential enzyme activity. We had four substrate treatments: two common LMWCC (glycine or glucose + citric acid), chitin to simulate fungal necromass, and DI as the control. Our results support our first hypothesis that increasing temperature will increase C respiration across substrate and moisture treatments. Our second hypothesis was that compared to control and chitin, soluble substrates (i.e., LMWCC) will enhance respiration across all climate treatments. This was only partially supported. As expected, the two LMWCC substrate additions increased C respiration above the two other substrate additions at current recorded growing season average (12 °C, low treatment) and high (20 °C, med treatment) temperature treatments. Surprisingly, when the system was pushed to a higher temperature extreme (28 °C, high treatment), the low moisture controls respired more C than the other substrate × climate treatments. Potential enzyme activity and demand for phosphorus appear to explain these trends as opposed to changes to microbial biomass. Our results indicate that under projected future high temperatures, the peatland microbial community allocates additional labile C resources to enzyme production to meet nutrient demands, and as such, dampens C lost through respiration.
The long-noncoding RNA MALAT1 regulates TGF-β/Smad signaling through formation of a lncRNA-protein complex with Smads, SETD2 and PPM1A in hepatic cells

Recent studies have demonstrated the implication of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. However, the majority of lncRNAs are functionally unknown. The current study describes that the lncRNA MALAT1 regulates TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway through formation of a lncRNA-protein complex containing Smads, SETD2 and PPM1A. Our data show that this lncRNA-proteins complex facilitates the dephosphorylation of pSmad2/3 by providing the interaction niche for pSmad2/3 and their specific phosphatase PPM1A, thus terminating TGF-β/Smad signaling in hepatic cells. Based on these mechanistic studies, we performed further experiments to determine whether depletion of MALAT1 would augment cellular TGF-β/Smad signaling. We observed that MALAT1 depletion enhanced TGF-β/Smad signaling response, as reflect by amplification of Smad-mediated differentiation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to hepatocytes. Our experimental results demonstrate an important role of MALAT1 for regulation of TGF-β/Smad signaling in hepatic cells. Given the diverse functions of TGF-β/Smad pathway in various physiological and pathogenic processes, our results described in the current study will have broad implications for further understanding the role of MALAT1 in TGF-β/Smad pathway in human biology and disease.
GPS Positioning in Reduced Coverage Environments Using Batched Doppler and Pseudorange Measurements

This paper summarizes Doppler positioning and clock modeling. A combined pseudorange and Doppler measurement model is discussed, as well as implications of using Doppler for positioning with the GPS constellation. The combined Doppler and pseudorange algorithm is compared to the standard GPS positioning method, and the constraints on the Doppler positioning will be analyzed. The accuracy of the batched results is compared to GPS positioning. Results for various scenarios with varying satellite visibility are shown. The results of the batched solutions are compared to the performance of standard GPS positioning in different environments.
A study of calcium ion intercalation in perovskite calcium manganese oxide

Abstract We report on the synthesis and characterization of perovskite calcium manganese oxide (CaMnO3) as an intercalation compound for calcium ion insertion and extraction. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate calcium ion insertion and de-insertion into and from the CaMnO3 host. Differential capacity analysis delineates the potentials at which the insertion and extraction redox processes occur (at −0.4 V and + 0.1 V vs. Ag/Ag+, respectively). The insertion and extraction of calcium ions is supported by post-mortem x-ray analysis, which indicates loss of Ca2+ ions from the native CaMnO3 phase as well as the presence of manganese oxide phases. This study shows that perovskite calcium manganese oxide is a promising intercalation host.
Traumatic Brain Injury in Children.

Much attention in the media has been given to concussion, a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Depending on the severity of the injury, the visual systems of children with TBI are at risk, ...
Epidemiology and Etiology of Constipation and Obstructed Defecation: An Overview

Constipation is the most common digestive complaint, effecting up to 30% of the population, with considerable healthcare, social, and economic implications. The diagnosis of constipation is often based on the Rome criteria and may be divided into primary constipation and secondary constipation. Primary constipation can be further subdivided into three major categories: normal transit constipation, slow transit constipation, and constipation due to outlet obstruction. This chapter focuses on the definition, epidemiology, and etiology of constipation.
Understanding Technology, Fuel, Market and Policy Drivers for New York State’s Power Sector Transformation

A thorough understanding of the drivers that affect the emission levels from electricity generation, support sound design and the implementation of further emission reduction goals are presented here. For instance, New York State has already committed a transition to 100% clean energy by 2040. This paper identifies the relationships among driving factors and the changes in emissions levels between 1990 and 2050 using the logarithmic mean divisia index analysis. The analysis relies on historical data and outputs from techno-economic-energy system modeling to elucidate future power sector pathways. Three scenarios, including a business-as-usual scenario and two policy scenarios, explore the changes in utility structure, efficiency, fuel type, generation, and emission factors, considering the non-fossil-based technology options and air regulations. We present retrospective and prospective analysis of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide emissions for the New York State’s power sector. Based on our findings, although the intensity varies by period and emission type, in aggregate, fossil fuel mix change can be defined as the main contributor to reduce emissions. Electricity generation level variations and technical efficiency have relatively smaller impacts. We also observe that increased emissions due to nuclear phase-out will be avoided by the onshore and offshore wind with a lower fraction met by solar until 2050.
Negative Urgency as a Risk Factor for Hazardous Alcohol Use: Dual Influences of Cognitive Control and Reinforcement Processing

Negative Urgency (NU) is a prominent risk factor for hazardous alcohol use. While research has helped elucidate how NU relates to neurobiological functioning with respect to alcohol use, no known work has contextualized such functioning within existing neurobiological theories in addiction. Therefore, we elucidated mechanisms contributing to the NU-hazardous alcohol use relationship by combining NU theories with neurobiological dual models of addiction, which posit addiction is related to cognitive control and reinforcement processing. Fifty-five undergraduates self-reported NU and hazardous alcohol use. We recorded EEG while participants performed a reinforced flanker task. We measured cognitive control using N2 activation time-locked to the incongruent flanker stimulus, and we measured reinforcement processing using the feedback-related negativity (FRN) time-locked to better-than-expected negative reinforcement feedback. We modeled hazardous drinking using hierarchical regression, with NU, N2, and FRN plus their interactions as predictors. The regression model significantly predicted hazardous alcohol use, and the three-way interaction (NU X N2 X FRN) significantly improved model fit. In the context of inefficient processing (i.e., larger N2s and FRNs), NU demonstrated a strong relationship with hazardous alcohol use. In the context of efficient processing (i.e., smaller N2s and FRNs), NU was unrelated to hazardous alcohol use. This analysis provides preliminary evidence that brain mechanisms of cognitive control and reinforcement processing influence the relationship between NU and hazardous alcohol use, and confirms a specific influence of negative reinforcement processing. Future clinical research could leverage these neurobiological moderators for substance misuse treatment.
Dynamic Panel Data Modeling and Surveillance of COVID-19 in Metropolitan Areas in the United States: Longitudinal Trend Analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound and differential impacts on metropolitan areas across the United States and around the world. Within the United States, metropolitan areas that were hit earliest with the pandemic and reacted with scientifically based health policy were able to contain the virus by late spring. For other areas that kept businesses open, the first wave in the United States hit in mid-summer. As the weather turns colder, universities resume classes, and people tire of lockdowns, a second wave is ascending in both metropolitan and rural areas. It becomes more obvious that additional SARS-CoV-2 surveillance is needed at the local level to track recent shifts in the pandemic, rates of increase, and persistence. Objective: The goal of this study is to provide advanced surveillance metrics for COVID-19 transmission that account for speed, acceleration, jerk and persistence, and weekly shifts, to better understand and manage risk in metropolitan areas. Existing surveillance measures coupled with our dynamic metrics of transmission will inform health policy to control the COVID-19 pandemic until, and after, an effective vaccine is developed. Here, we provide values for novel indicators to measure COVID-19 transmission at the metropolitan area level. Methods: Using a longitudinal trend analysis study design, we extracted 260 days of COVID-19 data from public health registries. We used an empirical difference equation to measure the daily number of cases in the 25 largest US metropolitan areas as a function of the prior number of cases and weekly shift variables based on a dynamic panel data model that was estimated using the generalized method of moments approach by implementing the Arellano-Bond estimator in R. Results: Minneapolis and Chicago have the greatest average number of daily new positive results per standardized 100,000 population (which we refer to as speed). Extreme behavior in Minneapolis showed an increase in speed from 17 to 30 (67%) in 1 week. The jerk and acceleration calculated for these areas also showed extreme behavior. The dynamic panel data model shows that Minneapolis, Chicago, and Detroit have the largest persistence effects, meaning that new cases pertaining to a specific week are statistically attributable to new cases from the prior week. Conclusions: Three of the metropolitan areas with historically early and harsh winters have the highest persistence effects out of the top 25 most populous metropolitan areas in the United States at the beginning of their cold weather season. With these persistence effects, and with indoor activities becoming more popular as the weather gets colder, stringent COVID-19 regulations will be more important than ever to flatten the second wave of the pandemic. As colder weather grips more of the nation, southern metropolitan areas may also see large spikes in the number of cases. Trial Registration:
Shallow donor qubits in ZnO for quantum memory applications

Neutral shallow donors in ZnO are promising candidates for solid-state spin qubits. Here, we report on the suitability of shallow donor qubit ensembles for quantum memory applications.
RNA helicase DDX6 in P-bodies is essential for the assembly of stress granules

Two prominent cytoplasmic RNA granules, ubiquitous RNA-processing bodies (PB) and inducible stress granules (SG), regulate storage of translationally arrested mRNAs and are intimately related. In this study, we found the dependence of SG formation on PB in the cells under arsenite (ARS) stress, but not the other way around. GW182, 4E-T and DDX6 essential for PB formation differentially affect SG formation in the cells under ARS stress, with DDX6 being the most prominent. The cells with DDX6 deficiency display irregular shape of SG which could be rescued by ectopic wt DDX6, but not its helicase mutant E247A DDX6, which induces SG in the cells without stress, indicating that DDX6 helicase activity is essential for PB, but suppressive for SG. DDX6s dual roles are independent of DDX6 interactors EDC3, CNOT1, and PAT1B. This study provides a conceptual advance of how DDX6 involves in the biogenesis of PB and SG. HighlightsO_LIPB act as the seeds for SG nucleation C_LIO_LIPB components colocalize with SG C_LIO_LIDDX6 plays a critical role in biogenesis of both PB and SG C_LIO_LIDDX6 helicase activity prevents SG formation in normal cells C_LI
Application of Borate Glasses in Electronics

Glasses are widely used in the electronics industry. Such applications as sealing to form hermetic packages, bonding ferrites to form storage heads, depositing coatings on silicon for passivation, forming dielectrics for high speed transmission of signals, and fabrication of displays which may require as many as six different glasses, all require glasses with significant amounts of B2O3 in their composition. While B2O3, by itself, does not have much application, primarily because of its poor chemical durability, glasses containing B2O3 content in the range of 5 to 40% do offer technological properties, one application that takes advantage of the low-melting properties of B2O3 is in a plasma display panel; a schematic of which is shown in Fig. 1. This display which consists of as many as six different glasses to fabricate the assembly, requires approximately 1 mil thick bubble-free coating of a dielectric glass on commercial soda-lime-silica substrates. Since typical soda-lime-silica substrates of any significant size cannot withstand processing temperatures in excess of about 600°C, dielectric glasses with very steep viscosity as a function of temperature had to be developed. Since the sealing of the panel is done to dielectric surfaces, it meant that further low-melting yet thermal expansion matching the dielectric had to be developed. Both these glasses were developed in the lead borate system with modifications to obtain steep viscosity for the dielectric and low-softening and flow out temperatures for the seal.
Educational Advances in Artificial Intelligence

The emergence of massive open online courses has initiated a broad national-wide discussion on higher education practices, models, and pedagogy. Artificial intelligence and machine learning courses were at the forefront of this trend and are also being used to serve personalized, managed content in the back-end systems. Massive open online courses are just one example of the sorts of pedagogical innovations being developed to better teach AI. This column will discuss and share innovative educational approaches that teach or leverage AI and its many subfields, including robotics, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and others at all levels of education (K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels). In particular, this column will serve the community as a venue to learn about the Symposium on Educational Advances in Artificial Intelligence (EAAI) (colocated with AAAI for the past four years); introductions to innovative pedagogy and best practices for AI and across the computer science curricula; resources for teaching AI, including model AI assignments, software packages, online videos and lectures that can be used in your classroom; topic tutorials introducing a subject to students and researchers with links to articles, presentations, and online materials; and discussion of the use of AI methods in education shaping personalized tutorials, learning analytics, and data mining
The Judiciary as Agenda Setter: Explaining Interest Group Participation in the Courts

A body of research explores how Congress and the president act as agenda setters. But, for a variety of reasons, the judiciary receives short shrift in much of the agenda-setting literature. This paper considers how the Court fills that role with specific reference to interest groups. Specifically, I argue that simply by hearing cases on particular issue areas, the Court can affect groups’ allocation of lobbying resources. To demonstrate this point, I examine interest group participation as amicus curiae before the U.S. Supreme Court. I find that cases that help interest groups to serve their dual goals of policy change and organizational maintenance attract higher levels of group participation. This suggests that groups may view these cases as of higher importance, and may be more inclined to devote resources to lobbying the judiciary when it adjudicates these types of cases.
A mechanical ink writing recorder suitable for recording uterine motility during pregnancy and labor

Abstract A simple ink writing lever system suitable for recording uterine activity during pregnancy and labor is described and actual specifications supplied. The recorder provides records which fundamentally are the equivalent of capacigraphic recordings.
A unique palindromic element mediates gamma interferon induction of mig gene expression.

Abstract To define the molecular mechanisms involved in the action of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), we have analyzed the transcriptional regulation of the mig (monokine induced by gamma interferon) gene, a member of the platelet factor 4-interleukin-8 cytokine family that is expressed in murine macrophages specifically in response to IFN-gamma. Analysis of mig/CAT chimeric constructs transiently transfected into the RAW 264.7 mouse monocytic cell line revealed a unique IFN-gamma-responsive element (gamma RE-1). The sequence of this cis regulatory element defined by deletion analysis contains an imperfect inverted repeat extending 27 bp. Examination of mig/CAT constructs with mutations in gamma RE-1 revealed that the palindromic positions in the element were essential for activity. Consistent with its function as an enhancer, a single copy of gamma RE-1 conferred IFN-gamma inducibility to a heterologous (herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase) promoter. Exonuclease III protection assays demonstrated symmetrical protection of a mig promoter fragment centered about the gamma RE-1 palindromic sequence. Using the gel electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we identified a factor (gamma RF-1) present in nuclear extracts prepared from IFN-gamma-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells which binds to gamma RE-1. The activation of gamma RF-1 occurred rapidly (within 1 min) in response to IFN-gamma and was independent of protein synthesis. Similar to the expression of mig mRNA, the formation of gamma RF-1 was selectively induced by IFN-gamma and not IFN-alpha. The regulation of gene expression through gamma RF-1 and gamma RE-1 may explain the preferential activation of a subset of interferon-inducible genes by IFN-gamma.
TRP Ion Channels--Two Proteins in One

It is well established that some proteins carry out more than one job in the cell, but so far, ion channels do not appear to exhibit this versatility. In their Perspective, Levitan and Cibulsky discuss a cluster of new findings showing that two members of the long TRP ion channel family, LTRPC7 and LTRPC2, are both ion channels and enzymes.
The Value of Understanding

Over the last several years a number of leading philosophers – including Catherine Elgin, Linda Zagzebski, Jonathan Kvanvig, and Duncan Pritchard – have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the contemporary focus on knowledge in epistemology and have attempted to “recover” the notion of understanding. According to some of these philosophers, in fact, understanding deserves not just to be recovered, but to supplant knowledge as the focus of epistemological inquiry. This entry considers some of the main reasons why philosophers have taken understanding to be more valuable than knowledge, focusing on claims that it is more transparent, that it better reflects or mirrors the world, and that it is a greater intellectual achievement.
Charm Meson Decays to KSKSX at FOCUS

Using data from the FOCUS experiment, we report on the decay of D mesons into states containing more than one . We present evidence for two new Cabibbo favored decay modes, and and measure their combined branching fraction relative to . We also report new measurements of , , , and .
Web accessibility for low bandwidth input

One of the first, most common, and most useful applications that today's computer users access is the World Wide Web (web). One population of users for whom the web is especially important is those with motor disabilities, because it may enable them to do things that they might not otherwise be able to do: shopping; getting an education; running a business. This is particularly important for low bandwidth users: users with such limited motor and speech that they can only produce one or two signals when communicating with a computer. We present requirements for low bandwidth web accessibility, and two tools that address these requirements. The first is a modified web browser, the second a proxy that modifies HTML. Both work without requiring web page authors to modify their pages.
The Conundrum of Low Saving Rates in Latin America

Despite extensive economic reforms during the late 1980s/early 1990s, Latin America's saving rates remain low. This article examines the saving behaviour of 18 Latin American countries in the 1976-2000 period and compares it with that of 25 other developing countries. It finds that lower inflation, income growth and increased real interest rates on deposits have not had the expected effects on saving rates in Latin America. Instead, the determinants of saving behaviour appear to differ between the two groups of countries, and saving rates are affected by a degree of inertia. Although more research is needed, this indicates that the focus of the neoliberal economic reforms of the 1980s was misplaced.
Why study transport of peptides and proteins at the neurovascular interface

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an immense neurovascular interface. In neurodegenerative, ischemic, and traumatic disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), the BBB may hinder the delivery of many therapeutic peptides and proteins to the brain and spinal cord. Fortunately, the mistaken dogma that peptides and proteins do not cross the BBB has been corrected during the past two decades by the accumulating evidence that peptides and proteins in the periphery exert potent effects in the CNS. Not only can peptides and proteins serve as carriers for selective therapeutic agents, but they themselves may directly cross the BBB after delivery into the bloodstream. Their passage may be mediated by simple diffusion or specific transport, both of which can be affected by interactions in the blood compartment (outside the BBB) and within the endothelial cells (at the BBB level). Although the majority of current delivery strategies focuses on modification of the molecule to be delivered, understanding the mechanisms of transport will eventually facilitate regulation of the BBB directly. We review the different aspects of interactions and discuss recent advances in the cell biology of peptide/protein transport across the BBB. Better understanding of the nature and regulation of the transport systems at the BBB will provide a new direction to enhance the interactions of peripheral peptides and proteins with the CNS.
Asymmetry and revenue in first-price auctions

Abstract We show by an example that in first-price IPV auctions, asymmetry in bidders' valuations need not reduce the revenue compared to a benchmark symmetric model with the same amount of social surplus. Asymmetry need not reduce competition in first-price auctions.
A comprehensive cardiovascular disease lifestyle treatment controlled trial among high-risk African Americans

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a comprehensive lifestyle intervention on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors among high-risk African Americans. Methods: The study included a randomized treatment/controlled intervention trial among 136 African Americans residing in Atlanta, GA who were overweight and had elevated blood pressure. The treatment group was exposed to 3-months of a multi-component intervention and the control to an abbreviated 6-week intervention after the completion of the treatment group’s intervention. The main outcomes included mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean waist circumference, mean body mass index (BMI), mean number of times exercise per week, mean number of servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and mean level of daily stress. Data were collected at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. Separate linear regressions were used with an established significance level of P P P = 0.002). Conclusion: These results show that a comprehensive lifestyle intervention can improve cardiovascular risk factor profile among high risk African Americans. Caregivers should encourage patients to participate in such programs and public health policymakers should allocate resources to community based health oriented organizations to implement comprehensive lifestyle program.
FISHTAIL: PracticalF integration on small computers in BASIC and C

Computer algorithms can be used to calculate F sig­ nificance levels directly, thus avoiding the use of tables and resolving questions that arise when the degrees of freedom fall between the values given in an available pub­ lished table or when the exact probability level is of in­ terest. An algorithm is presented that finds F probabili­ ties and that represents a good compromise among the goals of accuracy, speed, and compactness. Unlike several others, this method has the capability of interpolation for approximations to significance levels, when noninteger values are given for the degrees of freedom. The fundamental idea underlying this algorithm was in­ troduced with the Biometrika tables ofthe incomplete beta function, from which the integrals ofF, t, and some other distributions can be obtained by the use of transforma­ tions (Kendall & Stuart, 1963, pp. 375-378). Following the suggestion of Bock (1975, p. 150), a computer al­ gorithm based on incomplete beta has been developed to bypass the tables. The method uses a finite number of terms of an infinite series that is known to converge to the desired value. The convergence is rapid enough for practical computations, under conditions that can be in­ duced. The method is based on the transformation x = V2/(V2 + vIF). In this expression, F is Fisher's F statistic with VI and V2 degrees of freedom for the numerator and the denomi­ nator, respectively. The transformed variate, x, is the var­ iate of a beta distribution with parameters a = v212 and b = vl 12 . The series expression for P, the tail area of Fisher's distribution beyond the point F (Bock, 1975, p. 150), is
Noncontact vibration analysis using innovative laser-based methodology

Vibration is a back and forth mechanical motion with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm about an equilibrium point. There are two types of vibration; natural (or free) and forced. Natural vibration occurs as the result of a disturbing force that is applied once and then removed. Forced vibration occurs as a result of a force applied repeatedly to a system. All machines have some amount of forced vibration. However, in some cases this vibration can cause damage to machinery. Understanding vibration is essential for any system that will be exposed to motion. Equipment such as strain gauges and piezoelectric accelerometers have been adequate in measuring vibration in the past; however, due to increased performance requirements and subsequent reductions in vibration, these methods are slowly being replaced by laserbased measurement systems. One reason for the slow transition is that part of the system in these methods must be mounted on the surface of the object being measured which can change the mass thus alter the frequency and mode shape of the vibrating object. At this time however, the high expenses to monitor precision vibration is a challenge, and there is a need for more cost-effective methods of vibration analysis. This paper outlines a lower cost laser-based method of measuring vibration with minimum surface contact.
Regulation of convergence and extension movements during vertebrate gastrulation by the Wnt/PCP pathway

Vertebrate gastrulation entails massive cell movements that establish and shape the germ layers. During gastrulation, the individual cell behaviors are strictly coordinated in time and space by various signaling pathways. These pathways instruct the cells about proliferation, shape, fate and migration into proper location. Convergence and extension (C&E) movements during vertebrate gastrulation play a major role in the shaping of the embryonic body. In vertebrates, the Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity (Wnt/PCP) pathway is a key regulator of C&E movements, essential for several polarized cell behaviors, including directed cell migration, and mediolateral and radial cell intercalation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the acquisition of Planar Cell Polarity by highly dynamic mesenchymal cells engaged in C&E are still not well understood. Here we review new evidence implicating the Wnt/PCP pathway in specific cell behaviors required for C&E during zebrafish gastrulation, in comparison to other vertebrates. We also discuss findings on the molecular regulation and the interaction of the Wnt/PCP pathway with other signaling pathways during gastrulation movements.
Persistent neurochemical changes following perinatal copper deficiency in rats

Abstract Copper (Cu) levels in the central nervous system are known to be influenced by Cu nutriture during perinatal development. A rat model of dietary Cu deficiency (−Cu), initiated during gestation, was employed to examine changes in regional levels of brain Cu, norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and selected enzymes of month-old female Sprague Dawley offspring. Nutritional repletion of Cu to −Cu rats was studied following 1, 2, or 4 months. Levels of Cu in six different regions of brain from −Cu rats were reduced 80% or greater compared with levels in Cu-adequate (+Cu) controls. Following 4 months of Cu repletion, brain regional Cu levels were still below those measured in +Cu rats. The norepinephrine/dopamine was higher in +Cu compared with −Cu rats for all brain regions except corpus striatum suggesting impairment of dopamine-β-monooxygenase (DBM). Cu repletion normalized these ratios after 1 month. In vitro DBM activity was higher in samples from −Cu compared with +Cu rats and these differences were reversed by Cu supplementation. Cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) activity of 1-month-old −Cu rats was 18 to 50% of that measured in +Cu rats. Small differences in CCO activity remained in all regions, except hypothalamus, even after 4 months of repletion. Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity (Cu,Zn-SOD) in −Cu rats was 75 to 91% of that measured in +Cu rats and was equivalent following repletion for 1 month. Four months of Cu repletion were not sufficient to restore brain Cu and CCO levels of 1-month-old −Cu rats.