cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Near-surface and internal lamellar structure and orientation in thin films of rod–coil block copolymers

Controlling the three-dimensional structure of rod–coil block copolymer thin films is critical for the optimization of the carrier transport properties and exciton dissociation or carrier recombination efficiencies at interfaces in optoelectronic polymers. Using a model rod–coil block copolymer based on poly(alkoxyphenylenevinylene-b-isoprene) (PPV-b-PI), the structure and orientation of thermally self-assembled rod–coil block copolymer thin films is investigated with grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (DSIMS), scanning force microscopy (SFM), and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Grains of lamellae are grown in films with one supported and one free interface by thermal annealing below the order–disorder transition from an initially structureless solution-cast state. In films only a few lamellar layers thick, parallel lamellar grains that span the entire film thickness are formed due to surface templating of lamellar orientation. As film thickness is increased, the lamellar block copolymers take on a bimodal orientation, with parallel and perpendicularly oriented microphases distributed uniformly throughout the center of the film. The vacuum interface is coated in a ∼10 nm thick layer of perpendicular lamellae, while the supported interface is covered with a single parallel oriented layer of block copolymer due to surface segregation of the polyisoprene block. Further increasing the thickness results in partial loss of orientational order as the bulk structure is approached. Strong suppression of the primary scattering peak is observed near a coil fraction of 0.7 for parallel lamellae, indicating changes in form factor from the bulk or perpendicularly oriented structures. Large dilations in the average perpendicular lamellar domain spacing are also observed in thin films as defects between perpendicular lamellar grains. As the film thickness increases, the lamellar period asymptotically decreases to the bulk value. The lamellae dilate rather than bending due to the high modulus of the PPV liquid crystalline nanodomains. Parallel lamellae show no dilation because of the free interface.
The capacity of MIMO systems with increasing SNR by electromagnetic analysis

The dependence of the communication capacity of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems on the average received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), assuming the channel is unknown at the transmitter and perfectly known at the receiver, is studied through full wave electromagnetic tools. Although it is commonly accepted that the capacity of a MIMO system increases linearly at high SNRs when plotted versus the SNR expressed in dB, the fact that the number of effective degrees of freedom (DOF) of the system increases with SNR in many practical environments calls this conclusion into question for reasonably high SNRs. Based on a full wave electromagnetic investigation, we are able to analytically predict and then confirm a significant region on the MIMO capacity curve where the capacity grows quadratically when plotted versus the SNR in dB. This gives analytical insight into a portion of the capacity curve that may previously be (incorrectly) attributed to the concavity of the logarithm function rather than the increase in electromagnetic degrees of freedom. The quadratic, rather than linear, growth of capacity suggests that it may be worthwhile to invest more transmit power to achieve higher performance gains. However, to fully take advantage of this second order benefit, the numbers of antennas at the transmitter and the receiver must be close to or slightly larger than the wavevector-aperture-product (WAP) of the corresponding EM system.
Assessing Posture in Surgery: Video Sampling of Microsurgery:

Prolonged static work postures and posture constraints imposed by surgical equipment may increase the risk of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort in surgeons. Four surgeons were video recorded perf...
Cloning and characterization of two pyruvate decarboxylase genes from Pichia stipitis CBS 6054.

In Pichia stipitis, fermentative and pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) activities increase with diminished oxygen rather than in response to fermentable sugars. To better characterize PDC expression and regulation, two genes for PDC (PsPDC1 and PsPDC2) were cloned and sequenced from P. stipitis CBS 6054. Aside from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, from which three PDC genes have been characterized, P. stipitis is the only organism from which multiple genes for PDC have been identified and characterized. PsPDC1 and PsPDC2 have diverged almost as far from one another as they have from the next most closely related known yeast gene. PsPDC1 contains an open reading frame of 1,791 nucleotides encoding 597 amino acids. PsPDC2 contains a reading frame of 1,710 nucleotides encoding 570 amino acids. An 81-nucleotide segment in the middle of the β domain of PsPDC1 codes for a unique segment of 27 amino acids, which may play a role in allosteric regulation. The 5′ regions of both P. stipitis genes include two putative TATA elements that make them similar to the PDC genes from S. cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Hanseniaspora uvarum.
Tissue Targeting of Multivalent LeX-terminated N-Linked Oligosaccharides in Mice

Abstract The target site for N-linked biantennary and triantennary oligosaccharides containing multiple terminal LeX determinants was analyzed in mice. N-Linked oligosaccharides containing a single tert-butoxycarbonyl-tyrosine attached to the reducing end were used as synthons for human milk α-3/4-fucosyltransferase to prepare multivalent LeX (Galβ1-4[Fucα1-3]GlcNAc) terminated tyrosinamide oligosaccharides. The oligosaccharides were radioiodinated and examined for their pharmacokinetics and biodistribution in mice. The liver was the major target site in mice at 30 min, which accumulated 18% of the dose for LeX biantennary compared with 6% for a nonfucosylated Gal biantennary. By comparison, LeX- and Gal-terminated triantennary accumulated in the liver with a targeting efficiency of 66 and 59%, respectively. The liver targeting of LeX biantennary was partially blocked by co-administration with either galactose or L-fucose whereas LeX triantennary targeting was only reduced by co-administration with galactose. In contrast to these results in mice, in vivo experiments performed in rats established that both LeX and Gal terminated biantennary target the liver with nearly identical efficiency (6-7%). It is concluded that the asialoglycoprotein receptor in mice preferentially recognize LeX biantennary over Gal biantennary, whereas little or no differentiation exists in rats. Thereby, the mouse asialoglycoprotein receptor apparently possesses additional binding pockets that accommodate a fucose residue when presented as LeX.
Techniques and Philosophy in Industrial Relations

SOCIAL SCIENTISTS have developed many useful techniques for the improvement of industrial relations. An enumeration of these industrial relations techniques includes time study, incentive systems, and job evaluation for more equitable wage administration; testing devices for improved selection, and placement of workers; procedure for the orientation and training of new employees; socio-metric devices and the socio-drama; treatment of "taccident prone" workers and the removal of safety hazards; clinical assistance for maladjusted workers; non-directive guidance; plans for economic security such as pensions, profit sharing, stock participation and an annual wage; provision for optimum standards of health and comfort for the reduction of illness and fatigue; and improved methods of communication through suggestion boxes, opinionaires, polls, depth interviews, company newspapers, and captive audiences. Accompanying these techniques there is frequently a philosophy of industrial relations, sometimes explicit but too often implied to be the logical inference drawn from the techniques. The techniques themselves, however, are neutral and impersonal. It is the way in which they are used that is importaxt. The same technique may be used to achieve different objectives (just as an axe may be used either to cut firewood or to commit murder). Confusion arising from failure to distinguish between technique and philosophy has led critics to reject a useful technique because of the philosophy which accompanied it. In spite of efforts to draw philosophical implications from these techniques, however, they do not carry connotations of how the socio-economic order should be arranged or where justice lies. It is not the techniques, it is the labor relations specialists who have a philosophy. Unfortunately, they often confuse their techniques, knowingly or unknowingly, with their philosophy. From these techniques two conflicting philosophies (if extremes may be used) are developed; and it is the purpose of this paper to separate techniques from philosophies in labor relations. One philosophy is totalitarian in nature in that it seeks to keep all power in the hands of management, restrict the rights of workers, and shut out all competing loyalties and
Hydrogen Populations in PECVD a-Si:H,D

Proton NMR and deuteron NMR (DMR) have been used to measure hydrogen populations in a series of PECVD a-Si:H,D films. The sharp DMR doublet from Si-D is fitted and subtracted out. The residual spectra then show specific signatures for molecular D{sub 2} and HD. The fitting procedures yield quantitative measures of Si-bonded and molecular species. A particular comparison is made between a pair of films prepared as the powered and unpowered electrodes in the same plasma deposition. Both silicon-bonded and molecular populations are significantly different in the two films and correlate with photoresponse products {eta}{mu}{tau} and with IR as well as other materials characterizations.
Lens changes in hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome.

Abstract PURPOSE: To provide detailed description and illustration of the lens changes found in hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome, a newly reported autosomal dominant condition. METHODS: Observational case reports. A 19-year-old man was referred for evaluation of possible hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome. His serum ferritin level was increased at 1291 μg/L during a routine screening examination. Genetic analysis revealed mutation G51C on chromosome 19, predicting an altered iron response element in L-ferritin mRNA. Subsequent evaluation of his 46-year-old father revealed similar findings. RESULTS: Multiple breadcrumb-like nuclear and cortical lens opacities were seen in this father-son pair. These cases represent the first detailed description and illustration of hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome cataracts in the ophthalmic literature. CONCLUSION: Hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome can be associated with distinct breadcrumb-like lens opacities. Recognition of these characteristic cataracts may aid identification and study of patients with this unusual disorder and provide insight into mechanisms of cataract formation.
Quantitative Evaluation of Half-Cone-Beam Scan Paths in Triple-Camera Brain SPECT

In this study related to human brain SPECT imaging, simulation of half-cone-beam (HCB) collimation with different scan paths is performed and compared with simulated fan-beam and parallel-hole circular orbit acquisitions of disk-phantom projection data. Acquisition types are quantitatively evaluated based on the photon detection efficiency, the root-mean-squared error, contrast and signal-to-noise ratio measurements of the reconstructed images. We demonstrate that a triple-camera SPECT system with half-cone-beam collimators and circle-and-helix scan paths can offer up to a 26% efficiency increase over fan-beam, and up to a 128% increase over parallel-hole collimators for equal spatial resolutions, and display no visible axial sampling artifacts in reconstructed disk-phantom images. In addition, we perform qualitative experimental evaluation of triple-HCB circle-and-helix acquisition using a Hoffman 3D brain phantom. Reconstructed brain phantom images show improved quality due to reduced noise and no apparent sampling artifacts. Triple-HCB circle-and-helix SPECT has a potential for improved brain imaging, producing higher image quality with a smaller reconstruction error and better lesion detectability due to increased efficiency for equal spatial resolution compared to conventional fan-beam and parallel-hole SPECT.
A Comparison of Skill between Two Versions of the NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFS) and CPC’s Operational Short-Lead Seasonal Outlooks

AbstractAnalyses of the relative prediction skills of NOAA’s Climate Forecast System versions 1 and 2 (CFSv1 and CFSv2, respectively), and the NOAA/Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) operational seasonal outlook, are conducted over the 15-yr common period of 1995–2009. The analyses are applied to predictions of seasonal mean surface temperature and total precipitation over the conterminous United States for the shortest and most commonly used lead time of 0.5 months. The assessments include both categorical and probabilistic verification diagnostics—their seasonalities, spatial distributions, and probabilistic reliability. Attribution of skill to specific physical sources is attempted when possible. Motivations for the analyses are to document improvements in skill between two generations of NOAA’s dynamical seasonal prediction system and to inform the forecast producers, but more importantly the user community, of the skill of the CFS model now in use (CFSv2) to help guide the users’ decision-making proce...
The microstructure of active and quiet sleep as cortical delta activity emerges in infant rats.

SLEEP AND WAKEFULNESS ARE BEHAVIORAL STATES COMPRISING TONIC AND PHASIC CHANGES IN MUSCLE AND BRAIN ACTIVITY. TRADITIONALLY, THESE states are identified by monitoring muscle tone, (electromyogram [EMG]), eye movements, (electrooculogram [EOG]), and neocortical activity (electroencephalogram [EEG]).1 In infant rats, state-dependent EEG activity—in the form of 1- to 4-Hz delta waves—does not emerge until around postnatal day (P)11.2–5 Nonetheless, nuchal EMG and EOG activity reliably mirror behavioral assessments of state, including quiet sleep (QS) and active sleep (AS), as early as P2-3,6,7 and is sufficient for demonstrating state-dependent neural activity within the brainstem as early as P8.8,9 Thus, significant progress has been made in our understanding of sleep development at ages during which EEG measures are unavailable. Nonetheless, rightly or not, for many the EEG remains the gold standard of sleep measurement. This emphasis on the EEG has engendered some confusion concerning the definition, quantity, and structure of infant sleep before and after the emergence of delta activity. For example, Jouvet-Mounier et al5 reported that AS is prominent soon after birth but that the quantity of QS is negligible during the early postnatal period and increases explosively with the emergence of delta activity at P11. This observation suggested to them that the brain mechanisms needed to express QS develop later than those needed to express AS. Furthermore, Jouvet-Mounier et al5 reported that, in the days after their emergence, bouts of delta activity are often intermixed with AS-related myoclonic twitching, which they designated as “half-activated” AS. Subsequent investigators have reported similar results.3,10,11 The presence of such ambiguous sleep states provided a foundation for Frank and Heller's “presleep hypothesis.”3,12 In contrast, in a previous study, we found no evidence for half-activated AS in P14 rats.7 Nonetheless, because we did not examine younger infants as delta activity was emerging, it remained unclear how delta integrates with already-existing QS and AS at the very earliest moments of its developmental expression. Therefore, here we provide a detailed analysis of sleep-state organization in P9, P11, and P13 rats, that is, during the 5-day period surrounding the emergence of delta activity. At all ages, nuchal EMG and behavioral criteria were used to identify bouts of QS and AS, and, for comparison, these criteria were supplemented with EEG activity at P11 and P13. We found no evidence of disorganization (i.e., half-activated AS) or reorganization (i.e., explosive increase in QS) of sleep structure across the emergence of delta activity. All together, these results reveal general principles of state organization that hold true across an important developmental transition.
Robust composition: towards a unified approach to access control and concurrency control

When separately written programs are composed so that they may cooperate, they may instead destructively interfere in unanticipated ways. These hazards limit the scale and functionality of the software systems we can successfully compose. This dissertation presents a framework for enabling those interactions between components needed for the cooperation we intend, while minimizing the hazards of destructive interference. Great progress on the composition problem has been made within the object paradigm, chiefly in the context of sequential, single-machine programming among benign components. We show how to extend this success to support robust composition of concurrent and potentially malicious components distributed over potentially malicious machines. We present E, a distributed, persistent, secure programming language, and CapDesk, a virus-safe desktop built in E, as embodiments of the techniques we explain.
Martian high latitude permafrost depth and surface cover thermal inertia distributions

[1] Martian high latitudes have thermal properties consistent with an extensive high thermal inertia permafrost layer near the surface. Surface cover thermal inertias and permafrost depths at Martian high latitudes (50°–80°N/S) are derived from Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data and compared with previously published water ice depths determined from the Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer (MONS). The depth to the permafrost layer is correlated with surface cover thermal inertia, albedo, and latitude in general agreement with predicted trends of water ice stability. Comparison of permafrost depths with water ice rich layer depths derived from MONS data displays good qualitative agreement, although a divergence is present at greater burial depths. This disparity may be due to the presence of hydrated minerals at shallow depths or a lower than expected permafrost thermal inertia corresponding with low water ice concentrations at greater depths. Surface cover thermal inertias are greater in the northern high latitudes than in the south and differences between these and previous results will have significant effects on the predicted depth of Martian water ice stability. Several regions in the northern hemisphere display high surface cover thermal inertia associated with possible receding water ice deposits that are shallow enough to influence diurnal surface temperatures. Significant lateral and vertical heterogeneity in water ice distributions are present and the Martian regolith is likely more complicated than can be described by simple two layered models and a single mode of water ice emplacement.
Infrared spectroscopic characterization of synthetic Alzheimer peptides

We have used IR spectroscopy to study the conformational properties of synthetic analogues of peptides known to be involved in the formation of neuritic plaques in the brains of victims of Alzheimer's disease. We have also investigated the influence of naturally occurring point mutations and amino acid isomerization upon the tendency of the peptides to aggregate which is related to the amount of plaque found.
Vapor and liquid flow in an asymmetrical flat plate heat pipe: a three-dimensional analytical and numerical investigation

Abstract In this work, an analytical and numerical study was carried out for the steady incompressible vapor and liquid flow in an asymmetrical flat plate heat pipe. The pseudo-three-dimensional analytical model employs the boundary layer approximation to describe the vapor flow under conditions including strong flow reversal and the method of matched asymptotic expansions to incorporate the non-Darcian effects for the liquid flow through the porous wicks. The coupling of the liquid flow in the top, bottom and vertical wicks is also included in the model. In the numerical study, a finite element scheme based on the Galerkin method of weighted residuals was used to solve the full set of nonlinear differential elliptical equations of motion and the continuity equation for the three-dimensional vapor flow. The analytical and numerical results for various injection Reynolds numbers are presented. The three-dimensional effects are discussed and the results show that a three-dimensional analysis is necessary if the vapor channel width-to-height ratio is less than 2.5. Very good agreement was found between the analytical and the numerical results. While showing, qualitatively and quantitatively, the pertinence and the effects of various physical parameters, the analytical results are quite useful for practical engineering purposes by providing an effective and rapid prediction method for the flat plate heat pipe operation.
A critical-time-point approach to all-start-time lagrangian shortest paths: a summary of results

Given a spatio-temporal network, a source, a destination, and a start-time interval, the All-start-time Lagrangian Shortest Paths (ALSP) problem determines a path set which includes the shortest path for every start time in the given interval. ALSP is important for critical societal applications related to air travel, road travel, and other spatiotemporal networks. However, ALSP is computationally challenging due to the non-stationary ranking of the candidate paths, meaning that a candidate path which is optimal for one start time may not be optimal for others. Determining a shortest path for each start-time leads to redundant computations across consecutive start times sharing a common solution. The proposed approach reduces this redundancy by determining the critical time points at which an optimal path may change. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that this approach performs better than naive approaches particularly when there are few critical time points.
Romantic Anarchism: Asceticism, Aestheticism, and Education

Many anarchists of the late 19th and early 20th expressed a deeply anti-romantic – one might even say chauvinistic – attitude marked by hostility toward artists, intellectuals, bohemians, and other “sentimentalists”; an unwavering commitment to austerity and personal self-denial; and contempt for non-political feelings and relationships, including family relationships. To this extent, many anarchists were simultaneously “romantic” (in the sense of being idealistic) as well as “anti-romantic” (in the sense of being austere, pragmatic, and opposed to sentimentality). In this essay, I argue that the “anti-romantic” tendency exemplified by some anarchists – which I will call “Romantic asceticism” – is actually profoundly Romantic (upper-case ‘R’) insofar as it draws upon various political and philosophical ideas associated with 19th-century Romanticism. At the same time, I will explore the existence of an alternative and countervailing tendency – which I will call “Romantic aestheticism” – which, although it is at least as indebted to Romanticism, stands in fundamental opposition to the former tendency. Further, I will argue that the latter tendency is not only more prevalent among the anarchists of this period but also more influential and significant in the history of anarchist thought and practice.
Semifield planes of order p4 and kernel GF(p2)

In this article we determine the number of non-isomorphic semifield planes of order p4 and kernel GF(p2) for p prime, 3 ≤ p ≤ 11. We show that for each of these values of p, the plane is either desarguesian, p-primitive, or a generalized twisted field plane. We also show that the class of p-primitive planes is the largest. We also discuss the autotopism group of the semifields under study.
Editor's Choice-Clinical impact of delirium and antipsychotic therapy: 10-Year experience from a referral coronary care unit

Background:Little is known about safety of antipsychotic therapy for delirium in the coronary care unit (CCU). Our aim was to examine the effect of delirium and antipsychotic therapy among CCU patients.Methods and results:Pre-study Confusion Assessment Method-Intensive Care Unit (CAM–ICU) criteria were implemented in screening consecutive patients admitted to a referral CCU from 2004–2013. Death status was prospectively ascertained. Of 11,079 study patients, the incidence of delirium was 8.3% (n=925). Delirium was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.49; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08–2.08; p=0.02) and one-year mortality among patients who survived from CCU admission (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.46; 95% CI, 1.12–1.87; p=0.005). A total of 792 doses of haloperidol (5 mg/day; interquartile range (IQR) 3–10) or quetiapine (25 mg/day; IQR 13–50) were given to 244 patients with delirium. The clinical characteristics of patients with delirium who did and di...
Drug sensitivity test of mycobacterium tuberculosis in mountainous area of Lishui during 2010-2012

Objective To understand the drug resistance status of mycobacterium tuberculosis( MTB) to 4 kinds of first-line anti-TB drugs in Lishui and provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of drug-resistant TB. Methods According to the acidic Lowenstein-Jensen culture method recommended by WHO,mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from TB patients in mountainous area of Lishui from 2010 to 2012 for culture,then the positive samples were conducted bacterial type identification and the drug sensitivity test to INH,RFP,SM,EMB. Results A total of 1005 mycobacterium tuberculosis strains were detected. The total drug resistance rate and multi-drug resistant rate were 22. 0% and 8. 0% respectively. The resistance rates of first-line anti-TB drugs from high to low was INH RFP S EMB. The initial drug resistance rate and the acquired drug resistance rate were 18. 0% and 43. 8% respectively,and the initial multi-drug resistance rate and acquired multi-drug resistance rate were 4. 9% and 28. 1% respectively. Conclusion The total drug resistance rate of mycobacterium tuberculosis is lower in Lishui than the contemporaneous rate in Zhejiang province,but multi-drug resistant rate is higher than that of Zhejiang province. The prevalence of MDR-TB indicates more effective measures for control and prevention is necessary.
107 INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION DECREASES INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR 1 MESSENGER RIBONUCLEIC ACID AND PROTEIN LEVELS IN MALE, BUT NOT FEMALE, DAY 0 RAT LUNGS.

Background Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) predisposes neonates towards chronic lung disease. IUGR rats suffer pulmonary hypoplasia. IGF-1 is expressed throughout lung development, and transgenic mice that lack IGF-1 suffer disproportionate decreases in lung growth. However, the effect of IUGR on IGF-1 levels in the lung has not been previously characterized. Objective We hypothesized that IUGR would decrease IGF-1 levels in the lung. To test this hypothesis, we compared IGF-1 mRNA and protein levels in day 0 rat lungs to those of controls. Design/Methods We used a well-characterized model of IUGR in the rat. Lungs were collected from male and female IUGR day 0 rat pups ( n = 4), as well as from male and female control day 0 rat pups ( n = 4). We isolated mRNA from these specimens and used real-time PCR to quantitate relative levels of IGF-1 mRNA as normalized to GAPDH mRNA. Subsequently, total protein extracts were quantified from samples. Western blot analysis determined relative protein levels of IGF-1 as normalized to GAPDH. Results Data are presented as % control ± SEM. IUGR decreased IGF-1 mRNA levels when comparing male IUGR rats versus male controls (87.2% ± 1.9%, p = .011). However, female rat pups failed to exhibit this same difference in mRNA levels (107.7% ± 11.4%, p = .27). Similarly, IUGR significantly reduced IGF-1 protein levels in male IUGR rat lungs as compared to male controls (75.7% ± 9%, p = .037). Female rat pups once again did not exhibit a similar difference (103.6% ± 19.3%, p = .57%). Conclusion We conclude that IUGR decreases IGF-1 mRNA and protein levels in male rat pup lungs as compared to controls. These same differences are not noted in female rats. We speculate that these discrepancies may be related to differences in morbidities between male and female infants.
Molecular Basis for Tumor Immunity

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the molecular basis of host immune response against cancer and to examine how it has guided our approaches to cancer immunotherapy. Despite years of controversy about the concept of immune surveillance against cancer, the collective work on the topic has now affirmed that whether surveillance against developing cancer works or not, once cancer has developed, the host can mount a response against it. The response is mediated by both the cellular and the serologic arms of the immune system and the responses are directed against tumor cell associated antigens with considerable specificity. The molecular basis by which the specificity of the interaction between the immunocompetent cells or a given antibody and the target antigens is mediated, therefore, constitutes a crucial aspect of our understanding of tumor immunity, in general, and on present day cancer immunotherapy, in particular.
A faculty research and training program for undergraduates in the sciences.

Faculty enthusiasm, with actual hands-on involvement, is a critical factor in establishing student research interest and excitement in a university or college science environment. Such faculty involvement is infectious to students and therefore key to restoring United States leadership in science and technology in the next decades. Most scientists acknowledge that they were initially attracted into scientific careers through one or two notable teachers who served as role models. However, with the introduction of so-called "big science" and its distraction of university faculty away from meaningful, direct student contacts, and with associated withdrawal of funding from "little science" in the college teacher's laboratory, research languishes in nearly all undergraduate teaching institutions. The inspiring college science teacher seems essentially gone, tired or burnt out, unable to keep pace with the rigorous demands of an active research lab while simultaneously meeting the exhausting load of 15-18 (or m...
A Survey of Vortices in Gauge Theories

The objects in my talk this evening are possibly the least extended among those discussed in the past few mornings. They are the vortices of gauge theories, the grand daddy of all subsequent extended objects of renormalizable relativistic field theories. While the idea of using vortex filaments as fundamental objects traces back to Thomson1, Dirac2 and Buneman3, it has only recently flowed into the main stream of particle theory. This happened with the key suggestion of Nielsen and Olesen4 as well as Tassie5 that the Abrikosov flux line solution6 of the static Higgs-Kibble (alias Landau-Ginzburg) model can be identified with the celebrated Nambu string of dual resonance model7. Ever since there has been much activity on the subject. A glance at the literature shows a clear leveling off of papers on this topic. So it seems timely for you to sit back and for me to attempt a survey of this field. In a one hour talk, my presentation can only aim at an overview (which is probably what most of you are up to near the end of an active day); I must be very brief. All details are to be filled in at your own pace and leisure. For that purpose and for the record I have accumulated an extensive but certainly incomplete reference list on vortices. I must remark at the outset that much of what I will be talking about is essentially familiar to people in solid or liquid state physics.
The Effect of Changes in the Body Configuration on Anticipatory Postural Adjustments

A number of factors are likely to play a major role in the process of generation of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). Among them are the magnitude and direction of an expected perturbation, properties of a voluntary action associated with the perturbation, and features of the postural task such as a body's configuration prior to the action. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of body configuration on APAs. Experiments were performed on 8 healthy subjects performing fast bilateral shoulder extension movements while standing. Body configuration was modified by instructions to the subjects to stand vertically or with a forward upper body bend varying from 15 to 60 degrees. The electrical activity of postural muscles and displacements of the center of pressure were recorded. Results indicated that APAs were modified with changes in the angular position of the upper body. Decreased anticipatory activation was seen in rectus abdominis and rectus femoris, while increased anticipatory inhibition was observed in erecteor spinae and biceps femoris across conditions with forward bend. As a result, the total anticipatory activity of muscles in a muscle pair in series with a forward bend showed only slight modulation as compared to vertical posture. These results suggest that the CNS uses reorganization of the anticipatory activity of postural muscles by compensating for the changes in APAs of individual muscles in a muscle pair in such a way that the overall anticipatory activity of the muscle pair stays unchanged. Such compensation in counteracting the expected mechanical effects of the perturbation is used to accommodate both changes in the length of postural muscles and diminished stability of the body due to forward bend.
WDM optical IP tag switching with packet-rate wavelength conversion and subcarrier multiplexed addressing

We believe we have demonstrated for the first time wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) all-optical IP tag switching with wavelength conversion and subcarrier multiplexed addressing. Switching over four wavelengths covering 16 nm was demonstrated with noninverting wavelength conversion of 2.5 Gbps payloads and burst mode recovery of tag/headers.
Fusion of infrared and visible images using empirical mode decomposition and spatial opponent processing

Infrared (IR) cameras capture thermal radiations emitted by objects in a scene while Electro-Optical (EO) cameras picture reflected colors from a scene. These sources of different modalities produce complementary data of the same panorama. In aeronautics, medical imaging and rescue operations, these sensors are often utilized simultaneously. The objective of this work is to integrate the content of both streams in order to deliver a unique image presenting more visual cues than any of the originals taken separately. To reach that goal, the synthesis of a robust algorithm is required. The Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) decomposes image signals into Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). In this paper, we proposed a novel approach that integrates the IR and EO IMFs using principles of neural science for multi-spectral fusion. We show how to integrate IR and EO information utilizing spatial opponent processing. We report the performance on images from Octec ltd and compare our result to their Wavelet-based fusion output. Mutual Information is the metric employed for fusion quality assessment in this work. Positive results have been obtained for tests conducted on IR and EO images containing complementary information.
MASS-Based NemoProfile Construction for an Efficient Network Motif Search

A network motif is a frequent and unique sub-graph pattern defined in a network and it has been appliedin various biological and medical problems. However, findingnetwork motifs is computationally intensive task as it involvesheavily resource-demanding tasks. We have suggested a coupleof parallelization efforts to alleviate the computational intensity inthe past including MASS(Multi-Agent Spatial Simulation)-basedand MapReduce-based methods. MASS library allows softwareagent to crawl a distributed array over a cluster system to findnetwork motifs. Although MASS library can serve as a promisingtool to parallelize graph algorithms intuitively with moderateperformance penalty, current output formats that fail to provideinstances of network motifs, are restricting extensible applicationsfor real-world problems. Therefore, this paper introduces aMASS-based parallelization strategy to construct a new networkmotif representation called, NemoProfile (Network Motif Profile). A sequential implementation has showed that NemoProfile is acompact representation that can be almost effortlessly generatedduring sequential version of motif-finding process. In this paper, we also show that its effectiveness in various parallel implementations including MASS-Agent, MASS-Place, and MPI-basedmethods, by providing various testing results.
Multivalent Molecules as Modulators of RNA Granule Size and Composition

RNA granules are ensembles of specific RNA and protein molecules that mediate localized translation in eukaryotic cells. The mechanisms for formation and selectivity of RNA granules are unknown. Here we present a model for assembly of one type of RNA granule based on experimentally measured binding interactions among three core multivalent molecular components necessary for such assembly: specific RNA molecules that contain a cis-acting sequence called the A2 response element (A2RE), hnRNP A2 proteins that bind specifically (with high affinity) to A2RE sequences or nonspecifically (with lower affinity) to other RNA sequences, and heptavalent protein cytoskeleton-associated protein 5 (CKAP5, an alternative name for TOG protein) that binds both hnRNP A2 molecules and RNA. Non-A2RE RNA molecules (RNA without the A2RE sequence) that may be recruited to the granules through nonspecific interactions are also considered in the model. Modeling multivalent molecular interactions in granules is challenging because of combinatorial complexity in the number of potential molecular complexes among these core components and dynamic changes in granule composition and structure in response to changes in local intracellular environment. We use a hybrid modeling approach (deterministic-stochastic-statistical) that is appropriate when the overall compositions of multimolecular ensembles are of greater importance than the specific interactions among individual molecular components. Modeling studies titrating the concentrations of various granule components and varying effective site pair affinities and RNA valency demonstrate that interactions between multivalent components (TOG and RNA) are modulated by a bivalent adaptor molecule (hnRNP A2). Formation and disruption of granules, as well as RNA selectivity in granule composition are regulated by distinct concentration regimes of A2. Our results suggest that granule assembly is tightly controlled by multivalent molecular interactions among RNA molecules, adaptor proteins, and scaffold proteins.
3D Microtissue Models to Analyze the Effects of Ultralow Dose LPS on Vascular Sprouting Dynamics in the Tumor Microenvironment

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plays a major role in innate immune responses and has been shown to impact vascular dynamics when present at high concentrations. However, the impact of ultralow levels of LPS (<100 pg/mL), present in the body during states of chronic inflammation, on vascular dynamics is unclear. In this study, we have integrated a 3D collagen hydrogel tissue mimic with advanced imaging and cell characterization assays to assess the potential impact of chronic inflammation on vascular dynamics, and uncover any alterations in the vascular response to low vs high dose LPS in the context of tumor progression. Accounting for both frequency of sprouting and invasiveness of the sprouts, the treatments of ultralow dose LPS with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent angiogenic promoter and present in excess in the tumor microenvironment, produced enhanced vascular development of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) in our in vitro model. There was no evidence of altered prol...
Automatic Identification of Research Articles from Crawled Documents

Paper from the Web-Scale Classification: Classifying Big Data from the Web Workshop. This paper proposes novel features that result in effective and efficient classification models for automatic identification of research articles.
The Myofilament Field Revisited in the Age of Cellular and Molecular Biology

In the not too distant past, myofilament research attracted considerable attention after the discovery that mutations in myofilament genes cause cardiomyopathies. However, basic research has not been completely translated into therapies. This viewpoint discusses the need to develop innovative and integrative technologies and generate translatable models to uncover the complex biology of myofilament proteins to advance the field. The sarcomere, composed of myofilaments, is the fundamental contractile unit of striated skeletal and cardiac muscle.1 Myofilaments, occupying 70% of heart tissue, are composed of thick and thin filament proteins. Post-translational modifications of myofilament proteins regulate the rate and force of contraction.2 Mutations in myofilament proteins cause contractile dysfunction leading to cardiomyopathies.3 Therefore, studying the structure and function of myofilament proteins is essential to understand basic muscle physiology. Since the late 1800s, scientists have studied myofilament biology, and interest in these proteins dramatically increased after the discovery of a point mutation in myosin that caused hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.3 From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, scientists, flush with research funding, made several significant discoveries. Unfortunately, continued reductions in funding and changing interests have conspired to reduce the number of active muscle researchers and the enthusiasm to work in the muscle biology field. Yet, the need for muscle research remains high. The arrangement and interaction of thick and thin filament proteins in the myofilament are not completely defined.4 Increasing prevalence of heart failure demands new solutions. In response, the combination of advanced technology, improved scientific rigor, and interdisciplinary collaboration, including a renewed link to clinicians, is needed to reinvigorate myofilament research. The early pioneers of this field laid the fundamental groundwork for our understanding of myofilament properties by testing conditions that affect muscle behavior. These findings were almost always based on the development of new techniques to study …
Bayesian sequential calibration using detailed sample paths

A simplified simulation model is often used to guide the decision-making for a real complex stochastic system. To faithfully assess the mean performance of the real system, it is necessary to calibrate the simulation model. Existing calibration approaches are typically built on the summary statistics of simulation outputs and ignore the dynamic information carried by the detailed sample paths. In this paper, we develop a new calibration approach incorporating the detailed output sample paths in a sequential manner. Our theoretical development and empirical study demonstrate that we can efficiently use the simulation resources and achieve better calibration accuracy by exploring the system dynamic behaviors.
True Random Number Generation Using Read Noise of Flash Memory Cells

In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a novel technique for true random number generation using commercial off-the-shelf Flash memory. Flash memory cells are known to exhibit thermal noise and random telegraph noise during sensing of their threshold voltage. In order to extract this inherent noise properties of the Flash memory bits through a standard digital Flash memory interface, we utilize the program disturb and read noise characteristics, which are fundamental properties of all NAND Flash memory arrays. The proposed technique is experimentally demonstrated and evaluated using state-of-art Flash memory chips. The experimental evaluation shows that the proposed technique enables extraction of high quality, high throughput, controllable (or tunable), and temperature- and aging-tolerant random bits. The random bits generated by the proposed technique pass all tests in the National Institute of Standards and Technology statistical test suite. The advantages of the proposed technique are as follows: 1) it is cost-effective as it does not require any special circuitry or hardware modification; 2) it is tolerant to aging and temperature effects; 3) it is easy to implement in software and to deploy through software updates; and 4) it is widely applicable to all electronic devices utilizing modern NAND Flash memory chips.
CM Evaluations of the Goswami-Sun Series

In recent work, Sun constructed two q-series, and he showed that their limits as \(q\rightarrow 1\) give new derivations of the Riemann-zeta values \(\zeta (2)=\pi ^2/6\) and \(\zeta (4)=\pi ^4/90\). Goswami extended these series to an infinite family of q-series, which he analogously used to obtain new derivations of the evaluations of \(\zeta (2k)\in \mathbb {Q}\cdot \pi ^{2k}\) for every positive integer k. Since it is well known that \(\varGamma \left( \frac{1}{2}\right) =\sqrt{\pi }\), it is natural to seek further specializations of these series which involve special values of the \(\varGamma \)-function. Thanks to the theory of complex multiplication, we show that the values of these series at all CM points \(\tau \), where \(q:=e^{2\pi i\tau }\), are algebraic multiples of specific ratios of \(\varGamma \)-values. In particular, classical formulas of Ramanujan allow us to explicitly evaluate these series as algebraic multiples of powers of \(\varGamma \left( \frac{1}{4}\right) ^4/\pi ^3\) when \(q=e^{-\pi }\), \(e^{-2\pi }\).
Relaxation and domain formation in incommensurate two-dimensional heterostructures

We introduce configuration space as a natural representation for calculating the mechanical relaxation patterns of incommensurate two-dimensional (2D) bilayers. The approach can be applied to a wide variety of 2D materials through the use of a continuum model in combination with a generalized stacking fault energy for interlayer interactions. We present computational results for small-angle twisted bilayer graphene and molybdenum disulfide (${\mathrm{MoS}}_{2}$), a representative material of the transition-metal dichalcogenide family of 2D semiconductors. We calculate accurate relaxations for ${\mathrm{MoS}}_{2}$ even at small twist-angle values, enabled by the fact that our approach does not rely on empirical atomistic potentials for interlayer coupling. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the configuration space method by computing relaxations with minimal computational cost. We also outline a general explanation of domain formation in 2D bilayers with nearly aligned lattices, taking advantage of the relationship between real space and configuration space. The configuration space approach also enables calculation of relaxations in incommensurate multilayer systems.