Texas A&M University

In the tritone paradox, tones separated by a half octave are heard by some as descending and by others as ascending. Different accounts of this phenomenon have been put forth, highlighting psychoacoustic variables or pitch class templates shaped by early language experience. If early language experience is a critical factor affecting tritone perception, would the paradox be perceived differently depending on whether the language experience was monolingual or bilingual?

Performance modeling is a key bottleneck for analog design automation. Although machine learning-based models have advanced the state-of-the-art, they have so far suffered from huge data preparation cost, very limited reusability, and inadequate accuracy for large circuits. We introduce ML-based macro-modeling techniques to mitigate these problems for linear analog ICs and ADC/DACs. The modeling techniques are based on macro-models, which can be assembled to evaluate circuit system performance, and more appealingly can be reused across different circuit topologies. On representative testcases, our method achieves more than 1700× speedup for data preparation and remarkably smaller model errors compared to recent ML approaches. It also attains 3600× acceleration over SPICE simulation with very small errors and reduces data preparation time for an ADC design from 40 days to 9.6 hours.

Analog photonic links that leverage silicon photonic components offer potential advantages for building future wireless communication systems. A wideband electrical front-end circuit and a high speed electro-optic modulator are essential parts of the photonic receiver links. This paper presents a co-integrated 16-32GHz front-end link with an electrical driver in a 22nm CMOS FD-SOI process and a silicon photonic travelling-wave Mach-Zehnder modulator (TW-MZM) in a 220nm SOI process. A Magnetically-coupled resonator technique is adopted to realize wideband impedance matching network and a stack-FET structure is utilized for higher supply voltage operation, providing 13dBm output power from the driver. In the TW-MZM, a slow-wave transmission line electrode is implemented to improve its bandwidth by impedance and velocity matching. The CMOS and silicon photonic chips are co-designed considering the bond-wire and input impedance of TW-MZM. The calculated spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) of the link with a grating coupler is 89 $dB*Hz^{(2/3)}$ and it is possible to achieve 105 $dB*Hz^{(2/3)}$ using a lower-loss edge coupler.

This paper considers the problem of sequentially detecting a change in the joint distribution of multiple data sources under a sampling constraint. Specifically, the channels or sources generate observations that are independent over time, but not necessarily across channels. The joint distribution of an unknown subset of sources changes at an unknown time instant. Moreover, there is a hard constraint that only a fixed number of sources can be sampled at each time instant, but the sources can be selected dynamically based on the already collected data. The goal is to sequentially observe the sources according to the constraint, and stop sampling as quickly as possible after the change while controlling the false alarm rate below a user-specified level. Thus, a policy for this problem consists of a joint sampling and change-detection rule. A non-randomized policy is studied, and an upper bound is established on its worst-case conditional expected detection delay with respect to both the change point and the observations from the affected sources before the change. In certain cases, this rule achieves first-order asymptotic optimality as the false alarm rate tends to zero, simultaneously under every possible post-change distribution and among all schemes that satisfy the same sampling and false alarm constraints. These general results are subsequently applied to the problems of (i) detecting a change in the marginal distributions of (not necessarily independent) information sources, and (ii) detecting a change in the covariance structure of Gaussian information sources.

Recent advances have improved autonomous navigation and mapping under payload constraints, but current multi-robot inspection algorithms are unsuitable for nano-drones, due to their need for heavy sensors and high computational resources. To address these challenges, we introduce ExploreBug , a novel hybrid frontier range-bug algorithm designed to handle limited sensing capabilities for a swarm of nano-drones. This system includes three primary components: a mapping subsystem, an exploration subsystem, and a navigation subsystem. Additionally, an intra-swarm collision avoidance system is integrated to prevent collisions between drones. We validate the efficacy of our approach through extensive simulations and real-world exploration experiments, involving up to seven drones in simulations and three in real-world settings, across various obstacle configurations and with a maximum navigation speed of 0.75 m/s. Our tests prove that the algorithm efficiently completes exploration tasks, even with minimal sensing, across different swarm sizes and obstacle densities. Furthermore, our frontier allocation heuristic ensures an equal distribution of explored areas and paths traveled by each drone in the swarm. We publicly release the source code of the proposed system to foster further developments in mapping and exploration using autonomous nano drones.

Cases of stallion subfertility due to acrosome dysfunction have been recognized since the 1990s. While some of these were observed in stallions with reduced sperm motility and morphology, a more severe form has been reported in stallions with normal-to-excellent sperm quality parameters, which is also uniquely observed in individuals of the Thoroughbred registry. These stallions carry a susceptibility genotype (A/A-A A in the gene FKBP6, exon 5) for Impaired Acrosomal Exocytosis (IAE). Current clinical observations from our group have identified a few highly subfertile stallions from other breed registries that also display a lower ability to undergo acrosomal exocytosis (AE) but do not carry the A/A-A/A genotype. This document provides a concise review of the role of acrosome dysfunction as a cause of stallion subfertility, including methods to estimate acrosome function and clinical descriptions of IAE in TB and non-TB stallions.

It is vital to have precise specifications and verification of UML class diagrams to ensure the correctness of complex software systems. However, current specification and verification methods often face a challenge known as the frame problem. This problem occurs due to incomplete operation specifications that can lead to unintended system behavior. To tackle this issue, we have developed an automated solution to autonomously identify and define frame conditions, effectively minimizing the frame problem’s impact on class diagram verification. Frame conditions are explicit contracts that meticulously outline the permissible effects of operations within the system. Our approach carefully analyzes the behavioral blueprint of a class diagram and extracts crucial information to create these conditions. Through rigorous evaluations encompassing diverse UML diagrams and simulated execution scenarios, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach in preventing unintended system behavior caused by the frame problem. We have integrated the approach into the Temporal Property Validator tool, empowering practitioners to leverage its benefits for practical class diagram specification and verification.

Background Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, progressive disease of excess adiposity that increases the risk of dying from at least 16 types of cancer. The prevalence of obesity has increased more rapidly in cancer survivors compared with the general population. Tailored weight management strategies are needed to improve prognosis and health outcomes in the growing population of cancer survivors. However, certain cancer survivor population subgroups require unique consideration when developing weight management strategies. Methods In a symposium convened by The Obesity Society during ObesityWeek 2023 titled “From Surviving to Thriving: Key Considerations for Weight Control Across Diverse Cancer Survivorship Populations,” experts presented the current state of the science and highlighted existing research gaps. Results Topics included key considerations for weight management in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, older adult cancer survivors, and understudied cancer survivor subgroups at high risk for poor health outcomes and innovative interventions that can be tested to improve cancer survivorship. Conclusions This report reviews the symposium and offers perspectives from the expert panel about unique opportunities for future research on tailored weight management strategies to equitably improve prognosis and health outcomes in the diverse and growing population of cancer survivors.

This paper presents a modified trust-region approach for computing approximations to the complete Pareto front of multiobjective derivative-free optimization problems. It is assumed that the derivatives of the objective function components are not available, impossible or very expensive to estimate, such as in simulation optimization, bandit optimization, and adversarial black-box machine learning. The algorithm alternates between two main steps, namely, the extreme point step and the scalarization step, until predefined stopping criteria are met. The goal of the extreme point step is to expand the approximation to the complete Pareto front, by moving towards the extreme points of it, corresponding to the individual minimization of each objective function component. The scalarization step attempts to minimize the size of gaps in the Pareto front approximation, by solving a suitable scalarization problem. The scalarization step includes a pivotal additional step, referred to as the middle point step. This step plays a significant role in determining initial points for solving the scalarization problem. To overcome the absence of derivatives, a new technique based on polynomial interpolation and minimum Frobenius norm approaches is proposed to build models that approximate different objective function components. The convergence analysis is well established, even with the extra complexity introduced by the challenge of lacking derivative information. Numerical results are presented, indicating that this algorithm is efficiently and robustly competitive against state-of-the-art multiobjective derivative-free optimization algorithms that also aim to approximate complete Pareto fronts.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) free‐to‐total ratio (FTR) and International Society of Urological Pathology Grade Group ≥2, clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) in men with a low PSA level (≤4 ng/mL). Patients and Methods Data were obtained from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Patients with a PSA level of ≤4 ng/mL and who received a biopsy within a year of this PSA measurement were included. Associations between FTR and csPCa were investigated with logistic regression, adjusting for age and PSA, a re‐scaled Brier score (index of predictive accuracy), and decision curve analysis. Results A total of 406 patients were analysed with 139 (34%) having csPCa and 204 (50%) having any grade PCa. For those with an FTR ≤0.15, 46% had csPCa, vs 22% for those with a ratio ≥0.20. In a regression model, the predicted probability of csPCa for a 60‐year‐old with a PSA of 3 ng/mL was 61% if the FTR was 0.05, falling to 18% if the FTR was 0.30. A clear negative relationship between increasing FTR and probability of csPCa was observed. A model containing FTR additional to PSA and age provides greater net benefit as per decision curve analysis and likely superior discrimination and calibration measured by a higher index of predictive accuracy. Conclusions In middle‐aged men with a PSA level between 1.5 and 4 ng/mL but otherwise indicated for biopsy, a low FTR is associated with higher rates of csPCa. It should be utilised as an additional, readily available and inexpensive test to improve prediction of csPCa and aid in patient counselling.

A combined biomaterial and cell‐based solution to heal critical size bone defects in the craniomaxillofacial area is a promising alternative therapeutic option to improve upon autografting, the current gold standard. A shape memory polymer (SMP) scaffold, composed of biodegradable poly(ε‐caprolactone) and coated with bioactive polydopamine, was evaluated with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from adipose (ADSC), bone marrow (BMSC), or umbilical cord (UCSC) tissue in their undifferentiated state or pre‐differentiated toward osteoblasts for bone healing in a rat calvarial defect model. Pre‐differentiating ADSCs and UCSCs resulted in higher new bone volume fraction (15.69% ± 1.64%) compared to empty (i.e., untreated) defects and scaffold‐only (i.e., unseeded) groups (4.41% ± 1.11%). Notably, only differentiated UCSCs exhibited a significant increase in new bone volume, surpassing both undifferentiated UCSCs and unseeded scaffolds. Further, differentiated ADSCs and UCSCs had significantly higher trabecular numbers than their undifferentiated counterparts, unseeded scaffolds, and untreated defects. Although the mineral density regenerated within the unseeded scaffold surpassed that achieved with cell seeding, the connectivity of this bone was diminished, as the regenerated tissue confined itself to the spherical morphology of the scaffold pores. The SMP scaffold alone, with undifferentiated BMSCs, with undifferentiated and differentiated ADSCs, and differentiated UCSCs (29.72 ± 1.49 N) demonstrated significant osseointegration compared to empty defects (14.34 ± 2.21 N) after 12 weeks of healing when assessed by mechanical push‐out testing. Based on these results and tissue availability to obtain the cells, pre‐differentiated ADSCs and UCSCs emerge as particularly promising candidates when paired with the SMP scaffold for repairing critical size bone defects in the craniofacial skeleton.

Motivated by recent results concerning the asymptotic behaviour of differential operators with highly contrasting coefficients, whose effective descriptions have involved generalised resolvents, we construct the functional model for a typical example of the latter. This provides a spectral representation for the generalised resolvent, which can be utilised for further analysis, in particular the construction of the scattering operator in related wave propagation setups.

Within the established framework of structure formation, galaxies start as systems of low stellar mass and gradually grow into far more massive galaxies. The existence of massive galaxies in the first billion years of the Universe, as suggested by recent observations, seems to challenge this model, as such galaxies would require highly efficient conversion of baryons into stars. An even greater challenge in this epoch is the existence of massive galaxies that have already ceased forming stars. However, robust detections of early massive quiescent galaxies have been challenging due to the coarse wavelength sampling of photometric surveys. Here we report the spectroscopic confirmation with the James Webb Space Telescope of the quiescent galaxy RUBIES-EGS-QG-1 at redshift z = 4.90, 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. Deep stellar absorption features in the spectrum reveal that the stellar mass of the galaxy of 10¹¹ M⊙ formed in a short 200 Myr burst of star formation, after which star formation activity dropped rapidly and persistently. According to current galaxy formation models, systems with such rapid stellar mass growth and early quenching are too rare to plausibly occur in the small area probed spectroscopically with JWST. Instead, the discovery of RUBIES-EGS-QG-1 implies that early massive quiescent galaxies can be quenched earlier or exhaust gas available for star formation more efficiently than assumed at present.

This study evaluated the effects of different sources (sulfate vs. hydroxychloride) of Cu, Mn, and Zn during feed restriction and high-starch diet on heifer growth performance. On day 0, Nelore heifers (n = 40) were stratified by body weight (BW = 238 ± 38 kg) and age (21 ± 1 mo), and individually allocated into 1 of 40 drylot pens. The study was divided into periods of pen acclimation (day 0 to 27), nutrient surplus (day 28 to 55), nutrient restriction (day 56 to 83), and step-up adaptation to a high-starch diet (day 84 to 112). Heifers had free choice access to Tifton hay (Cynodon sp.) and salt from day 0 to 27. On day 28, 20 heifers/treatment were randomly assigned to receive free choice access to Tifton hay and protein supplementation at 0.10% of BW (dry matter, DM) added with sulfate (SUL) or hydroxychloride (HYD) sources of Cu, Mn, and Zn from day 28 to 112. From day 56 to 83, heifers were offered 50% of the average hay DM intake obtained from day 50 to 55. From day 84 to 112, each respective protein supplement was mixed with a starch-based total mixed ration (TMR) and concentrate DM amount was gradually increased every 7 days (starting with 35% concentrate and 65% hay on day 84 and ending with 80% concentrate and 20% hay from day 106 to 112). Effects of treatment × day and treatment were not detected (P ≥ 0.37) for heifer BW, fecal pH, average daily gain (ADG), and DM intake, except for ADG from day 28 to 56, which was less (P = 0.05) for SUL vs. HYD heifers. Effects of treatment × day were detected (P = 0.02) for plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and haptoglobin. Plasma concentrations of IGF-1 were greater (P ≤ 0.05) for HYD vs. SUL heifers on days 56, 70, 77, 84, and 91. Plasma concentration of haptoglobin was greater (P = 0.05) for SUL vs. HYD heifers on day 63. Effects of treatment × day of the study and treatment were not detected (P ≥ 0.35) for plasma concentrations of cortisol, ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). Thus, Nelore heifers offered hydroxychloride sources of Cu, Mn, and Zn exhibited greater plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and a temporary increase in ADG during nutrient surplus compared to those receiving sulfate sources. While hydroxychloride supplementation reduced the acute phase response early in nutrient restriction, it did not improve growth and plasma concentrations of haptoglobin, cortisol, NEFA and BHBA during nutrient restriction and adaptation to a high-starch diet.

Organizations inevitably face various forms of disruptive events (e.g., external crises), and sustaining long‐term prosperity requires them to stay resilient when encountering unexpected adversity. Prior crisis management research predominantly relied on qualitative case studies to examine efforts after a crisis had occurred, treating the crisis as a “given” rather than a variable. The exceptionality of crisis situations and the ad hoc nature of crisis countermeasures largely limit current knowledge about how organizations may manage employees to remain in a preparative stance for disruptive events. Integrating the inclusion literature, crisis management research, and event system theory, we propose inclusion management practices as a viable pathway for organizations to develop resilience resources and capabilities prior to a crisis, allowing them to exhibit greater robustness and agility when a crisis arises. Such robustness and agility, in turn, enhance organizational performance thereafter. We further pinpoint the strength of a crisis event as an important contingency shaping the effects of pre‐crisis inclusion management practices on organizations’ resilient responses and thereby performance. We tested our hypotheses in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic crisis using longitudinal manager‐report survey data (N = 884 workplaces). We found that workplaces that implemented more inclusion management practices before COVID‐19 were more robust and agile in response to the pandemic crisis. Agility (but not robustness), in turn, was positively related to organizational performance. In addition, the effect of inclusion management practices on agility was stronger for workplaces with greater COVID‐19 event strength.

Critiquing journal articles can be intimidating, especially for new scholars. Many new graduate students focus on the findings and discussion rather than the quality of the research. This methodology review guide is our tool to help scholars identify and evaluate a research article, particularly focusing on the methodology. Although there are some great books out there, we think a simple, short guide is less overwhelming to students. This guide is recommended for use in early coursework for masters and doctoral students. The guide focuses the user on the details of the research rather than just the details of the findings.

Background The Western honey bee, Apis mellifera , is an economically important pollinator, as well as a tractable species for studying the behavioral intricacies of eusociality. Honey bees are currently being challenged by multiple biotic and environmental stressors, many of which act concomitantly to affect colony health and productivity. For instance, developmental stress can lead workers to become precocious foragers and to leave the hive prematurely. Precocious foragers have decreased flight time and lower foraging efficiency, which can ultimately lower colony productivity and even lead to colony collapse. Materials and methods In this study, we tested the hypothesis that stress during pupal development can cause young workers to exit the hive prematurely before they are physically able to fly. This premature exiting behavior results in death outside the hive soon thereafter. To determine how various stressors may lead bees to perform this behavior, we subjected workers during the last pupal stage to either cold stress (26 °C for 24 h), heat stress (39 °C for 24 h), or Varroa destructor mite parasitization, and compared the rate of premature hive exits between stressed bees and their respective control counterparts. Upon emergence, we individually tagged focal bees in all treatment groups and introduced them to a common observation hive. We then followed tagged bees over time and monitored their survivorship, as well as their likelihood of performing the premature hive exiting behavior. We also dissected the hypopharyngeal glands of all treatment and control bees sampled. Results We found that significantly more bees in all three treatment groups exited the hive prematurely compared to their control counterparts. Bees in all treatment groups also had significantly smaller hypopharyngeal glands than control bees. Conclusions Our results suggest that premature hive exiting behavior is driven by stress and is potentially a form of accelerated age polyethism that leads to premature death.

OBJECTIVE To describe clinical presentation, concurrent injuries, common imaging findings, and short-term outcome of dogs and cats diagnosed with prepubic hernia (PPH). ANIMALS 71 dogs and 16 cats. CLINICAL PRESENTATION Medical records were searched at 2 academic referral institutions from August 1, 2008, to August 31, 2023, for dogs and cats diagnosed with PPH. Information regarding patient signalment, imaging, treatment(s) performed, and outcome was recorded. All imaging was reviewed by a board-certified radiologist. RESULTS The majority of animals (77.5% of dogs, 87.5% of cats) presented within 24 hours of injury, most commonly secondary to vehicular trauma. Common concurrent injuries included pubic fractures (76.1% of dogs, 62.5% of cats), sacroiliac luxation (56.3% of dogs, 68.8% of cats), neurologic deficits (50.7% of dogs, 25% of cats), organ herniation (49.3% of dogs, 37.5% of cats), and urinary tract trauma (12.7% of dogs, 12.5% of cats). Most animals were diagnosed with radiographs (60.5% of dogs, 62.5% of cats), with the lateral projection proving most useful. Surgical treatment was pursued in 35 dogs and 7 cats, with muscular apposition being most common in dogs (54.3%) and use of pubic bone tunnels most common in cats (57.1%). Complications were uncommon, and PPH repair failure was reported in only 1 dog. Short-term outcome was good in both dogs and cats. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Prepubic hernia should be suspected in patients that have sustained high-impact trauma and typically can be identified on lateral radiographs. For cases without organ herniation, conservative management may be a reasonable option.