cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partitions with Non-Repeating Odd Parts and Combinatorial Identities

Continuing our earlier work on partitions with non-repeating odd parts and q-hypergeometric identities, we now study these partitions combinatorially by representing them in terms of 2-modular Ferrers graphs. This yields certain weighted partition identities with free parameters. By special choices of these parameters, we connect them to the Gollnitz-Gordon partitions, and combinatorially prove a modular identity and some parity results. As a consequence, we derive a shifted partition theorem mod 32 of Andrews. Finally we discuss basis partitions in connection with the 2-modular representation of partitions with non-repeating odd parts, and deduce two new parity results involving partial theta series.
On the etiology of epididymitis.

An exceptionally high frequency of acute epididymitis has been observed among military recruits in basic training. 28 soldiers presenting with an episode of acute tender swelling of the epididymis were evaluated. Average age was 21 years. 8 patients reported gonorrheal infection within the preceding 2 months. None had a recent history of trauma or prior operation and no systemic symptoms or upper respiratory infections were noted. Acute tubular destruction with some micro abscesses in the tubules and some degree of interstitial inflammation was observed in 13 of the 24 cases for which laboratory specimens were adequate. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes were the predominant cells and some cases showed vasculitis. In 8 of the specimens with no tubular involvement a chronic type of interstitial inflammation was noted. Lymphocytes were the main cells found in these cases. Testicular tissue was normal in 8 patients. Depressed spermatogenesis was noted in 20 patients 9 of whom manifested inflammation. All viral and culture studies were negative. It was concluded that acute epididymitis is not caused by any culturable bacteria or virus; however a chemical etiology is possible. Epididymitis appears to be mainly a disease of people who have extended periods of unaccumstomed strenuous physical exertion. Reflux up the vas deferens induced by the physical strain of basic training may be a major cause of the high rate of acute epididymitis observed among military recruits. Gonorrhea may also be a contributing factor. Antibiotic use is recommended in such cases to prevent secondary testicular atrophy.
Complete Genome and Methylome Sequences of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Panama (ATCC 7378) and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Sloterdijk (ATCC 15791).

ABSTRACT Salmonella enterica spp. are pathogenic bacteria commonly associated with food-borne outbreaks in human and animals. Salmonella enterica spp. are characterized into more than 2,500 different serotypes, which makes epidemiological surveillance and outbreak control more difficult. In this report, we announce the first complete genome and methylome sequences from two Salmonella type strains associated with food-borne outbreaks, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Panama (ATCC 7378) and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Sloterdijk (ATCC 15791).
Family/social problems as a greater barrier to treatment entry for women than men

s / Drug and Alcohol Dependence 146 (2015) e118–e201 e139 Family/social problems as a greater barrier to treatment entry for women than men Angela M. Heads, Robert Suchting, C. Green, Joy Schmitz, N. Rathnayaka, Scott D. Lane University of Texas HSC at Houston, Houston, TX,
Class, corpulence, and neoliberal citizenship: Melissa McCarthy on Saturday Night Live

Examining Melissa McCarthy’s performances as host of Saturday Night Live, this paper demonstrates how stereotypes of low social class are used to manage the seeming contradictions of obesity within contemporary US media culture. Despite the so-called obesity epidemic – in which obesity signifies moral and social decay – body image heroines such as the plus-sized McCarthy offer uplifting narratives of self-confidence and self-acceptance. These contradictory impulses, however, are simply two complementary modes of neoliberal self-governance, offering different forms of cultural citizenship based on self-transformation and self-promotion. McCarthy’s stardom reveals the role that social class plays in managing these neoliberal trajectories. McCarthy’s comic performances rely heavily on caricatures of vulgar, low-class obesity, and yet her public persona is that of a polite, middle-class everywoman. In this way, McCarthy’s persona indicates how the stereotypes of the obesity epidemic can be appropriated by mid...
Do Entrenched Managers Prefer Bonds

Prior research has documented both positive (John and Litov, 2009) and negative (Berger, Ofek, and Yermack, 1997) relationships between managerial entrenchment and the use of debt. This paper further investigates the impact of corporate governance on firm leverage by taking into account the substitution effect of different governance mechanisms. Consistent with John and Litov (2009), we find that antitakeover provisions have a positive effect on firm leverage. However, this effect disappears when we control for the interaction effect between antitakeover provisions and board power, measured by board independence. More specifically, we find that entrenched managers operate highly leveraged firms only if they are exposed to powerful boards. The result of this positive relationship between firm leverage and the interaction of board power and antitakeover provisions continues to hold even after we consider other governance variables.
Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for Topology and Layout Optimization of Oilfield Water Injection System

An optimization model of topology and layout optimization for water injection system is established,in which the minimum investment is taken as objective function.According to the model characteristics,the problem is divided into two layers,the genetic algorithm and nonlinear optimization are used to solve.The operational process of genetic algorithm is improved,the fitness function is adjusted,the cross and mutation method are improved,simulated annealing algorithm is combined with,and restrictions are satisfied,infeasible solutions are reduced,optimum performance of genetic algorithm is enhanced.Optimization results show that the algorithm is efficient.
Strategies for the management of acute myocardial infarction: selecting patients for thrombolytic therapy

Strategies for managing acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with a focus on thrombolytics, are reviewed. Revised guidelines published by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association strongly recommend the use of thrombolytic therapy in carefully selected patients to promote reperfusion of ischemic myocardium. Thrombolytics reduce in-hospital mortality, and the mortality benefit is maintained for at least one year. Which patients are the best candidates for thrombolytics has been debated; variables that have been analyzed include infarct location, time after onset of symptoms, age, sex, blood pressure, and prior AMI. Clinicians should be thoroughly familiar with the absolute and relative contraindications to thrombolytic therapy to minimize potential hemorrhagic complications. The diagnosis of AMI should be clearly established. All patients should receive thrombolytic therapy if they arrive for treatment within 12 hours of the onset of symptoms of AMI and have appropriate ECG changes. Aspirin should be given to all patients, and beta-blockers should also be given if there are no contraindications. Heparin may be given as antithrombotic therapy in patients not receiving thrombolytics or as adjuvant therapy in those receiving thrombolytics. Other adjuvant treatments, notably angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, are used as indicated. Primary angioplasty may have a role in selected patients. Long-term interventions are intended to prevent recurrence of AMI. Thrombolytic therapy can substantially improve survival and function in patients with AMI, especially when it is given within six hours of the onset of symptoms.
Long-term effects of transdermal estradiol with and without medroxyprogesterone acetate

Objective To study the long-term biological and metabolical effects of estradiol (E 2 ) administered by transdermal therapeutic systems with and without the addition of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Design Open, randomized, comparative trial. Setting The reproductive endocrine unit of a tertiary care university-affiliated hospital. Patients Fifty-seven postmenopausal women were given E 2 transdermally, whereas 28 were randomized to take MPA by mouth. Fifteen premenopausal women were studied for comparison. Interventions Estradiol, 0.1 mg, was administered by a transdermal therapeutic system for 24.5 of 28 days and was cycled for 96 weeks. Medroxyprogesterone acetate, 10 mg, was given for days 13 to 25 of each 28-day cycle (E+P group), whereas the remainder received E 2 only. Main Outcome Measures Serum E 2 , estrone (E 1 ), luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, low-density, high-density, very low-density, and total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, renin substrate, plasma renin activity, and serum aldosterone levels were measured in all subjects at baseline and in the postmenopausal women every 24 weeks until the end of study. Results Mean±SE levels of E 2 rose significantly from baseline at 24 weeks to 426 and 355 pmol/L for the E only and E+P groups, respectively. Smaller increases of estrone (E 1 ) were observed to 263 and 244 pmol/L for the same respective groups. As expected, baseline levels of both gonadotropins were elevated, fell significantly with E 2 administration, but remained increased in comparison with values observed in younger women. Decreases of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were observed in both groups that reached statistical significance at 48 weeks or later with the exception of LDL cholesterol in the E only group. No significant change of high-density lipoprotein or very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or triglycerides was observed. There were reductions of mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures in both groups that reached significance at 72 weeks. Mean baseline plasma renin substrate, plasma renin activity, and serum aldosterone levels were within the ranges observed in younger, healthy women and did not change significantly with E 2 administration in either group. Conclusion These data support the long-term efficacy and safety of this form of replacement therapy, particularly in combination with MPA, in women with a uterus.
The Relative Effectiveness of Diagnostic and Positive Test Strategies is Logically Indeterminable

Research Into the cognitive processes underlying inductive inference has not only yielded valuable data on the ways in which people go about testing hypotheses; it has also raised important questions as to what constitutes a normative test. One widely accepted assumption regarding test normativeness is the idea that diagnostic test strategy (the method of conducting crucial tests to distinguish between competing hypotheses) is generally superior to positive test strategy (the method of testing for the occurrence of events predicted by a single hypothesis). This seemingly obvious assumption, however, fails to stand up to close inspection. The relative effectiveness of positive and diagnostic test strategies varies with a factor that is, even in principle, unknowable. Specifically, test effectiveness depends upon the logical relationship between the sets of events predicted by the hypotheses under investigation and the set of events that logically follows from the truth; and the tester never knows what this relationship is. Considerations of a test’s potential to falsify, including Bayesian considerations of the probability of predicted events given that a particular hypothesis is not true, are essential to optimal hypothesis testing. However, the construction and consideration of specified alternatives prior to testing is not essential.
What is Present and Absent in Critical Analyses of Neoliberalism in Education

In Can Education Change Society? (Apple, 2013), I describe a number of tasks in which the critical scholar/activist needs to engage. Among them are telling the truth about what is happening in the ...
Fatigue testing of MEMS device developed by MetalMUMPs fabrication process

A very important aspect to fabricate MEMS devices, is understanding of the mechanical properties at micro-scale level. The mechanical properties of components not only depend upon the material but also on the micro-structure. Unlike other devices, MEMS components are developed from specialized micro fabrication processes in which they are subjected to cyclic loads thus producing intrinsic stresses. Loading is also produced during actuation of these devices that leads to the development of fatigue. Fatigue phenomenon is of immense importance while deliberating upon reliability of MEMS devices. In this paper, a test specimen has been tested for fatigue testing for assessment of the yield strength. Design rules of MetalMUMPs process have been followed while designing the test device. The tests were performed in FEM analysis software and the results were compared with the previously designed gold structure. The paper is aimed at incisive review of fatigue behavior in the specimen tested with designed MEMS device at specified voltage limit with a view to present analytical results and conclusions.
Test Your Knowledge.

(1) What are the structures indicated by the blue arrows?(2) In this silver stain, which step/reagent is omitted that would normally prevent the yellow background staining?(3) What disease often pr...
Additive Phenotypes Underlie Epistasis of Fitness Effects

Gene interactions, or epistasis, play a large role in determining evolutionary outcomes. The ruggedness of fitness landscapes, and thus the predictability of evolution and the accessibility of high-fitness genotypes, is determined largely by the pervasiveness of epistasis and the degree of correlation between similar genotypes. We created all possible pairings of three sets of five beneficial first-step mutations fixed during adaptive walks under three different regimes: selection on growth rate alone, on growth rate and thermal stability, and on growth rate and pH stability. All 30 double-mutants displayed negative, antagonistic epistasis with regard to growth rate and fitness, but positive epistasis and additivity were common for the stability phenotypes. This suggested that biophysically simple phenotypes, such as capsid stability, may on average behave more additively than complex phenotypes like viral growth rate. Growth rate epistasis was also smaller in magnitude when the individual effects of single mutations were smaller. Significant sign epistasis, such that the effect of a mutation that is beneficial in the wild-type background is deleterious in combination with a second mutation, emerged more frequently in intragenic mutational pairings than in intergenic pairs, and was evident in nearly half of the double-mutants, indicating that the fitness landscape is moderately uncorrelated and of intermediate ruggedness. Together, our results indicated that mutations may interact additively with regard to phenotype when considered at a basic, biophysical level, but that epistasis arises as a result of pleiotropic interactions between the individual components of complex phenotypes and diminishing returns arising from intermediate phenotypic optima.
Human-Powered Electricity Generation as a Renewable Resource

Energy and human's ability to transform energy into useful work has been the cornerstone of the development of civilizations. Throughout the majority of human existence, we relied solely on metabolic energy derived from plants and animals. In only a few centuries, society has almost completely transformed, from relying on somatic energy to become almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels. The combustion of hydrocarbon energy resources has had detrimental impacts on our environment, which has initiated a push for clean energy. This research study explores the metabolic energy output of humans, specifically within an exercise facility, to evaluate the feasibility of electrical power to be sustained from human-powered energy. Two rowing workouts were evaluated and then compared to solar photovoltaic as an alternative renewable energy. The result of the study demonstrates that 40 members of various physical abilities can collaboratively provide 3–5% of the gym’s average daily electricity demand if converted at an efficiency of 64%. The cost of converting the rowing machines resulted in a 33-year payback period.
Temporally multiplexed multispectral ladar with Raman-based waveforms

In order to develop LADAR-based sensors that satisfy the cost, size, weight, and power constraints imposed by increasingly demanding systems, new LADAR architectures need to be developed to support requirements in areas such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Knowledge of the spectral reflectivity of objects in a complex scene may prove useful to distinguish object from background, or even to identify partially occluded objects where a full set of identifying pixels may be impossible to measure. We present a novel LADAR architecture to enable spectral reflectivity measurement with a single pulse of a multispectral laser and a single receiver detector, eliminating spectrally dispersive elements which spatially multiplex the return signal to multiple detectors. This is accomplished by exploiting the wavelength-dependent temporal waveforms that arise from stimulated Raman scattering based multispectral laser sources to multiplex multispectral signals inside a single pulse envelope. With knowledge of these effects in a transmitted laser pulse, a measured pulse envelope at the receiver can be modeled as a sum of reflectivity-scaled spectral components, and the individual object reflectivities estimated. The system performance of this architecture is evaluated using measured pulses of a Raman-based multispectral fiber laser to simulate the measurement of objects of interest, including the influence of detector noise. System performance is quantified by calculating the target reflectivity estimation error as a function of signal-to-noise ratio, receiver bandwidth, and receiver sample rate, demonstrating the feasibility of a temporally multiplexed architecture.
Quick Git setup: tutorial presentation

Version control is widely adopted in industry because it enables software development in groups, yet few students gain sufficient experience through their undergraduate courses. Even though version control is ideal for work submission, faculty may avoid it in favor of course management systems used only in academia. This tutorial introduces software to automate setting up version control with cloud project hosting services, and gives experience with version control as a side-effect of work submission and collection. This tutorial assumes no prior experience.
The benefits of nuclear flexibility in power system operations with renewable energy

Abstract Nuclear power plants are commonly operated in a “baseload” mode at maximum rated capacity whenever online. However, nuclear power plants are technically capable of flexible operation, including changing power output over time (ramping or load following) and providing frequency regulation and operating reserves. At the same time, flexibility is becoming more valuable as many regions transition to low-carbon power systems with higher shares of variable renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power. We present a novel mixed integer linear programming formulation to more accurately represent the distinct technical operating constraints of nuclear power stations, including impacts of xenon transients in the reactor core and changing core reactivity over the fuel irradiation cycle. This novel representation of nuclear flexibility is integrated into a unit commitment and economic dispatch model for the power system. In a case study using representative utility data from the Southwest United States, we investigate the potential impacts of flexible nuclear operations in a power system with significant solar and wind energy penetration. We find that flexible nuclear operation lowers power system operating costs, increases reactor owner revenues, and substantially reduces curtailment of renewables.
Chenery Unmasked: Reasonable Limits on the Duty to Give Reasons

Eighty years ago in SEC v. Chenery, the Supreme Court declared, “an administrative order cannot be upheld unless the grounds upon which the agency acted in exercising its powers were those upon which its actions can be sustained.” Translation: Courts and agencies must not deploy post hoc rationales during judicial review to save discretionary administrative actions. Over time, this contemporaneous-rationale rule has seeped deep into the marrow of administrative law. But this Chenery rule is wrong — or at least not quite right. Chenery’s basic, procrustean mistake was to state a categorical rule even though reliance on post hoc rationales is sometimes sensible. Courts have reasonably responded to this overreach by cheating on Chenery. The law in this area is therefore more confused than it should be, which impedes clear thinking about how post hoc rationales could be integrated into administrative and judicial procedures to improve them both. Chenery's bar is, at bottom, a judicially-crafted, common-law style rule designed to encourage agency responsibility and judicial efficiency. It is not constitutionally compelled. Courts therefore can change it, and they should do so, giving up Chenery's misleading clarity for a pragmatic, rule-of-reason approach. Or, as Judge Friendly suggested over forty years ago, courts should recognize that applying Chenery is “perhaps more art than science.”
Simulations of arbitrary crack path deflection at a material interface in layered structures

Abstract The competition between crack deflection along the interface or penetration across the interface is numerically modeled in this paper using two novel, isogeometric, numerical approaches. In the first, cracks are modeled as discontinuous enrichments defined isoparametrically on lower dimensional geometrical entities and composed with underlying continuous behavioral approximation. In the second approach, the underlying material description is enriched with a cohesive damage description whose stiffness is evolved according to a prescribed damage law. An automatic crack propagation algorithm is developed for simulating fracture in layered structures, which is demonstrated on a practical, multilayered example problem derived from the semiconductor industry.
Reading socially: Transforming the in-home reading experience with a learning-companion robot.

Social robots hold great promise as companions and peer learners for children, yet little is known about how they can be best designed for this population, what interaction scenarios can benefit from their use, and how they might fit into learning activities and environments. We aimed to close this gap by designing a learning-companion robot to augment guided reading activity and examined the robot’s impact on an in-home reading experience. In this paper, we compared the experiences of early adolescent children aged 10 to 12 years ( N = 24) who completed guided reading activities either with a learning-companion robot or as a paper-based activity in a 2-week-long, in-home field study. We found similar reading frequency and duration in both conditions and that both guided reading activities were described as positive experiences that helped to build reading skill and to sustain engagement. Children who read with the learning-companion robot further reported that the activities supported reading comprehension and motivated them to read and indicated a deepening social connection (i.e., companionship or affiliation) with the robot. We conclude that, rather than the activity falling off after a novelty effect, our simple prototype social robot is capable of preserving the benefits of an existing in-home learning activity while transforming the reading experience into a valuable, social one. Our findings contribute to an understanding of how we might capitalize on the capacity of social robots to serve as a transformative learning tool as robots become more widely available to the public.
Atrial Fibrillation and Anticoagulation: One Size Fits All?

In their article, Shah and colleagues demonstrated vulnerability in the assumption of a universal net benefit of anticoagulation for a specific CHA2DS2-VASc score by applying analytic models of the...
Mason Impact: Curriculum Improvement Grants

BRIEF SESSION DESCRIPTION:Curriculum Impact grants are a major initiative from the Office of the Provost rewarding the creation or redesign of curriculum initiatives with a multidisciplinary lens and involve high impact, or Mason Impact, courses. In this workshop, the Office of Undergraduate Education and current recipients of curriculum impact grants will discuss the challenges of creating multidisciplinary courses within the infrastructure of Mason, best practices for scaffolding learning to create successful high impact assignments, and the support needed for these programs to be sustainable. Â Participants will learn about the upcoming grant cycle and requirements and have the opportunity to ask questions/get tips from current grant awardees.______________________________________________________________FULL ABSTRACT:Â Curriculum Impact grants are a major initiative from the Office of the Provost rewarding the creation or redesign of curriculum initiatives with a multidisciplinary lens and involve high impact, or Mason Impact, courses. In this workshop, the Office of Undergraduate Education and current recipients of curriculum impact grants will discuss the challenges of creating multidisciplinary courses within the infrastructure of Mason, best practices for scaffolding learning to create successful high impact assignments, and the support needed for these programs to be sustainable. Â Participants will learn about the upcoming grant cycle and requirements and have the opportunity to ask questions/get tips from current grant awardees.Session Chair: Jesse GuessfordRoundtable panelists: TBA
CRISPR-Cas9 Screens Identify the RNA Helicase DDX3X as a Repressor of C9ORF72 (GGGGCC)n Repeat-Associated Non-AUG Translation

Summary Hexanucleotide GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most prevalent genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). One pathogenic mechanism is the aberrant accumulation of dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins produced by the unconventional translation of expanded RNA repeats. Here, we performed genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens for modifiers of DPR protein production in human cells. We found that DDX3X, an RNA helicase, suppresses the repeat-associated non-AUG translation of GGGGCC repeats. DDX3X directly binds to (GGGGCC)n RNAs but not antisense (CCCCGG)n RNAs. Its helicase activity is essential for the translation repression. Reduction of DDX3X increases DPR levels in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD patient cells and enhances (GGGGCC)n-mediated toxicity in Drosophila. Elevating DDX3X expression is sufficient to decrease DPR levels, rescue nucleocytoplasmic transport abnormalities, and improve survival of patient iPSC-differentiated neurons. This work identifies genetic modifiers of DPR protein production and provides potential therapeutic targets for C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
Pathologic complete response following neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: defining the incidence, predictors, and outcomes.

Abstract Background Neoadjuvant therapy (NT) is increasingly utilized for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) but the nationwide incidence and long-term prognosis of a pathologic complete response (pCR) remains poorly understood. Methods Patients with localized PDAC and known cT and pT stage who received NT prior to pancreatectomy from 2004 to 2016 were identified using the National Cancer Database. The clinicopathologic characteristics and long-term outcomes of patients who did and did not experience a pCR were compared. Results Among 7,902 patients who underwent NT prior to pancreatectomy, 244 (3.1%) experienced a pCR while 7,658 (96.9%) did not. On multivariable regression, longer duration of NT (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.14–1.27 per month) and use of preoperative radiation (OR 9.98, 95% CI 3.05–32.71) were independently associated with a pCR. Median overall survival (OS) was longer among patients who experienced a pCR (77 vs 26 months, p Conclusion A pCR following NT for PDAC occurs infrequently but is associated with significantly improved OS. Better predictors of response and more effective preoperative regimens should be aggressively sought.
Gender Differences in COVID-19 Conspiracy Theory Beliefs

In this article, we evaluate gender differences in COVID-19 conspiracy theory beliefs. We find that women are significantly less likely than men to endorse COVID-19 conspiracy theories and that this gender difference cuts across party lines. Our analysis suggests that this gender gap is partially explained by two dispositional factors: learned helplessness and conspiratorial thinking. Our findings qualify past work on the antecedents of conspiracy theory beliefs, which does not uncover robust and significant gender differences. The results highlight the need for work in this area to better theorize about the significance of gender.
Perceived Stress is Associated with Alzheimer's Disease Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in African Americans with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background African Americans (AA) have a higher Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevalence and report more perceived stress than White Americans. The biological basis of the stress-AD link is unclear. This study investigates the connection between stress and AD biomarkers in a biracial cohort. Objective Establish biomarker evidence for the observed association between stress and AD, especially in AA. Methods A cross-sectional study (n = 364, 41.8% AA) administering cognitive tests and the perceived stress scale (PSS) questionnaire. A subset (n = 309) provided cerebrospinal fluid for measurement of Aβ42, Tau, Ptau, Tau/Aβ42 (TAR), and Ptau/Aβ42 (PTAR). Multivariate linear regression, including factors that confound racial differences in AD, was performed. Results Higher PSS scores were associated with higher Ptau (β= 0.43, p = 0.01) and PTAR (β= 0.005, p = 0.03) in AA with impaired cognition (mild cognitive impairment). Conclusion Higher PSS scores were associated with Tau-related AD biomarker indices in AA/MCI, suggesting a potential biological connection for stress with AD and its racial disparity.
RF Device Identification using CNN based PUF

For physical layer security, physical unclonable functions (PUFs) have been implemented to improve security. These functions exploit tolerances in components to generate unique fingerprints of devices. Tolerances in radio frequency (RF) transmitters will manifest themselves in the on-air waveform. In this paper, a prototype of a PUF for identifying RF devices is designed and tested using software defined radio (SDR) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs). This approach identifies a transmitter by the imperfections in the on-air waveform. Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) and PLUTO-SDR devices are used to transmit and receive over-the-air signals to be identified. A CNN is defined to identify transmitters by received waveforms. MATLAB toolboxes are used to define, train, and evaluate the CNN.
Modeling Crop Phenology in the US Corn Belt Using Spatially Referenced SMOS Satellite Data

Satellite measurements follow the growth and senescence of vegetation aid in monitoring crop development within and across growing seasons. For example, identifying when crops reach their peak growth stage or modeling the seasonal growing cycle is useful for agronomists and climatologists. In this paper, we analyze remote sensing data from an intensively cultivated agricultural region in the Midwest to provide new information about crop phenology. There is both a temporal and spatial dimension to the data as they are collected every 12 – 36 hours over regions approximately the size of a 45 km diameter circle. We represent the measurements using a functional data approach and account for spatial dependence between locations through the functional curve coefficients. Modeling across multiple growing years, and including growing degree days as a covariate, we estimate the timing for when crops reach their peak each season and make predictions at unobserved locations. Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear online.
Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles (PGNs) with Adjustable Graft-Density and Inter-Particle Hydrogen Bonding Interaction

Polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNs) receive great attention because they possess the advantages of both the grafted polymer and inorganic cores, and thus demonstrate superior optical, electronic, and mechanical properties. Thus, PGNs with tailorable interparticle interactions are indispensable for the formation of a superlattice with a defined and ordered structure. In this work, the synthesis of PGNs is reported which can form interparticle hydrogen-bonding to enhance the formation of well-defined 2D nanoparticle arrays. Various polymers, including poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (P4VP), poly(dimethyl aminoethyl acrylate) (PDMAEMA), and poly(4-acetoxy styrene) (PAcS), are attached to silica cores by a "grafting from" in a mini emulsion-like synthesis approach. SiO2 -PAcS brushes are deprotected by hydrazinolysis and converted into poly(4-vinyl phenol) (PVP), containing hydroxyl groups as potential hydrogen-bonding donor sites. Understanding and controlling interparticle interactions by varying grafting density in the range of 10-2 -10-3 chain nm-2 , and the formation of interparticle hydrogen bonding relevant for self-assembly of PGNs and potential formation of PGN superlattice structures are the motivations for this study.
Beyond transition state theory—Non-statistical dynamic effects for organic reactions

Abstract Transition state theory (TST) is applicable to most reactions in most environments. However, some reactions do not adhere to its tenets. That does not mean is a bad model of reactivity, but rather that it is incomplete and therefore should not be wielded indiscriminately. Here, limitations of TST are outlined and general guidelines are given that should help one decide whether worry about applying TST is warranted for a given reaction.
Recovery of Presumptive Alicyclobacillus Strains from Orange Fruit Surfaces

Objectives of this research were to investigate the detection frequency of presumptive Alicyclobacillus strains, also known as thermoacidophilic or acidothermophilic bacteria, on oranges entering juice-processing facilities and to compare results from three common isolation agars (acidified potato dextrose agar, Ali agar, and K agar). A total of 1,575 fruits were sampled from three points (ungraded fruits, graded sound fruits, and graded defective fruits) at two juice-processing facilities during two harvest seasons. Buffer used to rinse individual fruits was assayed for the presence of thermoacidophilic bacteria using an enrichment procedure. Isolates were considered presumptive Alicyclobacillus if they were gram-positive, sporogenous, rod-shaped bacteria, with growth at 45 degrees C and no or slight growth at 25 degrees C on a low pH medium (pH 3.7) coupled with lack of growth on a neutral pH medium (pH 7.0) at both temperatures and a lack of growth in Sulfobacillus broth medium (pH 2.0). More than one third of all fruits sampled at the two facilities were contaminated with presumptive Alicyclobacillus strains. Therefore, incoming fruits are a substantial means by which these organisms gain entrance to the processing facility. Significantly (P < or = 0.05) more detection was observed with a mineral-containing medium (Ali agar) than with nonmineral containing media (K agar and acidified potato dextrose agar).
Improving User Taught Task Models

Task models are essential components in many approaches to user modelling because they provide the context with which to interpret, predict, and respond to user behavior. The quality of such models is critical to their ability to support these functions. This paper describes work on improving task models that are automatically acquired from demonstration. Modifications to a standard planning algorithm are described and applied to an example learned task model, showing the utility of incorporating plan-based reasoning into task learning systems.
Requirements for low-cost electricity and hydrogen fuel production from multiunit inertial fusion energy plants with a shared driver and target factory

The economy of scale for multiunit inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plants is explored based on the molten salt HYLIFE-II fusion chamber concept, for the purpose of producing lower cost electricity and hydrogen fuel. The cost of electricity (CoE) is minimized with a new IFE systems code IFEFUEL5 for a matrix of plant cases with one to eight fusion chambers of 250 to 2000-MW (electric) net output each, sharing a common heavy-ion driver and target factory. Improvements to previous HYLIFE-II models include a recirculating induction linac driver optimized as a function of driver energy and rep-rate (average driver power), inclusion of beam switchyard costs, a fusion chamber cost scaling dependence on both thermal power and fusion yield, and a more accurate bypass pump power scaling with chamber rep-rate. A CoE less than 3 cents/kW(electric)-h is found for plant outputs greater than 2 GW(electric), allowing hydrogen fuel production by wafer electrolysis to provide lower fuel cost per mile for higher efficiency hydrogen engines compared with gasoline engines. These multiunit, multi-GW(electric) IFE plants allow staged utility plant deployment, lower optimum chamber rep-rates, less sensitivity to driver and target fabrication costs, and a CoE possibly lower than future fission, fossil, and solar competitors.more » 37 refs., 12 figs., 4 tabs.« less
A parametric model of low-loss RF MEMS capacitive switches

This paper is focused on the creation of an efficient electromagnetic model of MEMS switches which operates at microwave frequencies. The switches are first characterized using a full wave analysis based on a finite element method to extract the S-parameters of the switches for different geometrical dimensions. From the S-parameter database, a scalable lumped circuit model is extracted to allow easy implementation of the switch model into commercial microwave CAD software. The lumped circuit model results are compared with published measured data as validation of our model.
Combining discrete and continuous process models

Two notions of process have been used in programs that reason about change* discrete models, which represent changes as instantaneous, and continuous models, which represent changes as processes that act gradually over time. We describe a technique called aggregation which unifies the two types of models and allows both to be used when performing qualitative simulation. Aggregation is a technique for recognizing cycles of processes and generating a continuous process that is equivalent to each cycle. A qualitative simulator may start prediction with a simple discrete model and use aggregation to generate a continuous process model when discrete simulation bogs down in a cycle. Aggregation thereby allows a simulator to switch back and forth between different types of models depending on which type is most expedient. To test these ideas, we have written a program, PEPTIDE, which performs qualitative simulation in the domain of molecular genetics. The flexibility of PEPTIDE'S aggregator allows the program to detect cycles within cycles and predict the behavior of complex situations.
Ultrastructural and virological aspects of Langat virus-induced SSPE in suckling hamsters.

The morphology of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) lesions in hamsters following i.p. inoculation of Langat virus was studied by light microscopy and electron microscopy. The lesions' temporal relationship to virus presence and antibody production was studied by immunofluorescence, virus isolation from brains and brain cell cultures, and by antibody assay of serum and spinal fluid. All 10-day-old hamsters infected with Langat virus developed SSPE lesions, most prominently in the cerebellum, without any overt signs. The lesions appeared 10 days after infection, progressed in severity until Day 21 and persisted unaltered at least 3 months. They consisted of neuronal degeneration, calcification, and intracellular lipid accumulation. Virus was isolated from Days 3 to 15 and disappeared on Day 21. Demonstration by cerebellar immunofluorescence of viral antigen was observed 10 days after inoculation. Antibody appeared in the serum on Day 6, rose to very high titres by Day 21, and thereafter declined. Cell-associated virus was not demonstrable in negative brain-cell cultures. These findings suggest that SSPE in hamsters, associated with Langat virus infection, is biologically different from measles SSPE. Purkinje-cell lipid accumulation and mineralization sparing mitochondria were manifestations of the response of neurons to cell injury at the threshold of irreversibility.
Influence of the ionic liquid [C4mpy][Tf2N] on the structure of the miniprotein Trp-cage

We examine the effect of the ionic liquid [C4mpy][Tf2N] on the structure of the miniprotein Trp-cage and contrast these results with the behavior of Trp-cage in water. We find the ionic liquid has a dramatic effect on Trp-cage, though many similarities with aqueous Trp-cage are observed. We assess Trp-cage folding by monitoring root mean square deviation from the crystallographic structure, radius of gyration, proline cis/trans isomerization state, protein secondary structure, amino acid contact formation and distance, and native and non-native contact formation. Starting from an unfolded configuration, Trp-cage folds in water at 298 K in less than 500 ns of simulation, but has very little mobility in the ionic liquid at the same temperature, which can be ascribed to the higher ionic liquid viscosity. At 365 K, the mobility of the ionic liquid is increased and initial stages of Trp-cage folding are observed, however Trp-cage does not reach the native folded state in 2 μs of simulation in the ionic liquid. Therefore, in addition to conventional molecular dynamics, we also employ scaled molecular dynamics to expedite sampling, and we demonstrate that Trp-cage in the ionic liquid does closely approach the aqueous folded state. Interestingly, while the reduced mobility of the ionic liquid is found to restrict Trp-cage motion, the ionic liquid does facilitate proline cis/trans isomerization events that are not seen in our aqueous simulations.
Sustainable Design and Construction of a Library for Disabled Children of Jamaica

Jacob’s Ladder is a caring facility for disabled adults operated by Mustard Seed Communities in central Jamaica. In partnership with the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), MSC hopes to create a site which will be used to educate both the local and international community about sustainability. Additionally, site planners are developing appropriate sensory stimulation systems capable of meeting the needs of the many future residents. After performing detailed community assessments, a library for use by both the residents and visitors to the site was designed. The library will provide large-scale sensory stimulation to the residents and serve as the focal point for guests to the site desiring to learn about sustainability. The library will house educational material and will incorporate green design features, such as being built from a recycled shipping container and supporting a green roof and solar array. As Penn State begins to implement more sustainable research projects on site, the supporting and educational material will be centrally located in the library where visitors will be able to observe and learn more about the future plans for Jacob’s Ladder.
In the Palm of Leonardo’s Hand: Modeling Polyhedra

George W. Hart presents three examples of new computer-based “3D printing” techniques for recreating the historically important polyhedral models of Leonardo da Vinci and Luca Pacioli. It is hoped that such models will inspire students and the public to appreciate the history and beauty of polyhedra for architectural and other applications.
Effect of feeding treatments and lactation stages on composition and organoleptic quality of goat milk Domiati cheese

Abstract To investigate the effect of pasture feeding with different levels of concentrate on the milk composition and quality of Domiati cheese, a total of 20 lactating Alpine goats were randomly allocated into four groups. Group A was confined and fed alfalfa hay with 0.66 kg per day of concentrate mixture per 1.5 kg of milk (conventional confinement system with feeding). Groups B, C, and D were rotationally grazed and received 0.66, 0.33, and 0 kg per day of concentrate, respectively. Milk from each group was processed into Domiati cheese twice monthly for a 6-month lactation period. Cheeses were sampled fresh and at 1 and 2 months of pickling in whey. Results of the present study indicate that feeding systems of dairy goats with different levels of concentrate supplementation did not affect the composition (fat, protein and total solids) of Domiati cheese. The pasture-grazing without concentrate supplementation (group D) resulted in a lower short-chain fatty acids content and a higher flavor score of Domiati cheese than the confined feeding system (group A). Cheese age during pickling did not change flavor score but increased the total sensory score due to a smoother, creamier body and texture of cheese. As lactation advanced, the contents of total, short- and long-chain fatty acids and the sensory scores of the cheese fluctuated markedly. Further research is needed to investigate the effect of fatty acids in diets on the profile of fatty acids in goat milk and cheese, and to correlate the individual fatty acids in diet, milk and cheese to establish the sensory quality of goat cheese.
Management of the neurological manifestations of APS—what do the trials tell us?

Abstract Purpose : To systematically review evidence from clinical trials about the management of neurological manifestations of Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS). Methods : Articles reporting case-control, cohort and prospective studies and treatment trials of primary or secondary stroke prevention in patients with aPL were identified in an OVID literature search from 1966 to 2004, using the keywords: APS, aPL and cerebrovascular disease. Articles were evaluated according to the standard system for assessing medical evidence to answer the following questions: (1) What is the role of aPL and recurrent stroke risk in both primary and secondary APS populations? (2) What is the evidence to support specific treatment strategies for secondary prevention of aPL-associated stroke? (3) What is the evidence to support specific treatment strategies for primary prevention of aPL-associated stroke? Conclusions : (1) aPL are a risk factor for incident stroke (Grade A, established as useful for the given condition in the specified population). (2) The evidence to support the role of aPL in recurrent stroke is conflicting and, therefore, inconclusive. (3) Warfarin at moderate-intensity doses is equally effective in preventing a recurrent thrombotic event as warfarin at high-intensity doses in patients with APS (Grade A evidence, established as useful for the given condition in the specified population). (4) Warfarin, at moderate-intensity doses is as effective as aspirin (at a dose of 325 mg/day) in preventing recurrent thrombotic events in patients who are aPL-positive at the time of an initial stroke (Grade B evidence, probably useful for the given condition in the given population). (5) Currently there are no data to support the use of any prophylactic therapy in patients with aPL and no clinical manifestations for the purposes of preventing an incident stroke.