cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Electrochemical Sensing with Carbon Nanotubes Modified with Bismuth and Magnetic Nanoparticles in a Lab-on-a-Chip

Iron plays an especially important role in human physiological functions and pathological impairments. The superior properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their modification with bismuth and magnetic nanoparticles as developed in this work have led to an extraordinary and novel material to facilitate ultrasensitive detection in the nanomolar range. Here, we present the development of an electrochemical sensor for detection of ferrous (Fe2+) and ferric (Fe3+) iron by means of CNTs modified with bismuth and magnetic nanoparticles for higher sensitivity of detection. The sensor fabrication includes microfabrication methodologies, soft lithography, and electrodeposition. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry are used for the electroanalytical studies and detection of the ions in samples. The sensor has a dynamic range of detection from 0.01 nm to 10 mm. The performance of the sensor with modified CNTs was explored for sensitivity and specificity. CNTs, modified with bismuth and magnetic nanoparticles by means of electrodeposition, enhanced the detection limit significantly down to 0.01 nm.
The Umayyad Caliphate of Cordova

When ‘Abd-al-Raḥmān III succeeded his grandfather, ‘Abdullāh, in 912, he was barely twenty-three years of age. ‘Abdullāh had instigated one of his own sons to kill the other, ‘Abd-al-Raḥmān’s father, Muḥammad, on a mere suspicion of disloyalty.1 Later he connived at the murder of his other son, the fratricide, leaving himself childless. At the accession of ‘Abd-al-Raḥmān the vast Moslem state organized by his first namesake had shrunk to Cordova and its environs.
Donor ALT Testing as Means to Reduce Posttransfusion Hepatitis

The policy of testing all blood donors for the presence of HBsAg has not succeeded in eliminating posttransfusion hepatitis. This is because the majority of cases are non-A, non- B (NANB) hepatitis; serologic tests for carriers of this disease are not available. The incidence of apparent NANB infection among blood recipients maybe as high as 10-12%. Recent studies suggest that blood donors with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are more often associated with this infection in recipients. Implementation of donor ALT testing would result in a number of problems including attrition of the blood resource, difficulties in test standardization and interpretation, development of a rationale for donordeferral and counseling, and significant additional costs for provision of blood. There is a lack of information about the extent and severity of clinically significant posttransfusion NANB hepatitis. A careful analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of ALT testing should be completed before any measures are taken to develop policies in this area.
Ethical foundations of behavioral health care

Abstract Professional ethics must be incorporated into the foundational conceptual framework for health service psychology because scientific knowledge alone cannot address many critical aspects of behavioral health care. This chapter also argues that scientific knowledge of human moral reasoning and behavior is necessary for understanding people’s behavior generally. Ethics codes, guidelines, and legal requirements are obviously critical in professional practice, but psychologists must also be familiar with the nature of human moral reasoning and behavior to understand the motivations for and morality of human behavior, why people engage in self- and other-destructive behavior, and many other topics. This knowledge is critical for working effectively not just with clients and patients but also with students, colleagues, managers, and all the other stakeholders involved in professional practice, research, and education. This chapter briefly reviews the research on moral reasoning and behavior along with the foundational ethical theories and principles necessary for evaluating moral behavior and engaging in ethical health care practice. The need for a deeper appreciation of ethical theory and research is growing as psychologists practice, conduct research, and teach in an increasingly diverse society and interconnected global community where technological, scientific, and social developments are presenting major new challenges and opportunities.
Elastic Constants of Particle and Fiber Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites

Abstract A model has been developed to predict the elastic moduli in composites reinforced with both particles and fibers. In the model the matrix material and the particles, which are assumed to be homogeneously distributed, form an effective matrix. The characteristics of this effective matrix is calculated using a theory formulated by Ledbetter and Datta. The effective matrix is then considered to be reinforced with fibers lying in one plane but randomly oriented in that plane. The effect of the 2-dimensionally random orientation of the fibers on the elastic moduli of the composites is determined in two steps. First the composite cylinders model by Hashin and Rosen for an aligned fiber system is employed, and then a geometric averaging procedure suggested by Christensen and Waals is performed. Using this model, the Young's and shear moduli were calculated for three samples with different aluminum matrices and volume fractions of particles (9, 13, and 17%) but the same fiber content (6%). The same elast...
Filth in Foods: Implications for Health1

Filth is defined in this context as any objectionable matter contributed by animal contamination of a food product, such as insect, rodent or bird matter, or any other objectionable matter contributed by insanitary conditions. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act insists upon high levels of sanitary practice in the food industry as a means of both preventing filth from getting into food and preventing any disease that may be associated with such filth. There are three categories of pest-food relationships: (a) accidental (e.g., bird feathers, bat feces), (b) opportunistic (e.g., foraging by ants, rats), and (c) obligatory (i.e., pest survival largely dependent upon food gathered and cached by man). Food pests or fragments thereof may act as direct agents of disease by causing dermatosis, allergy, myiasis, and toxicogenic effects (the latter as yet unproved in man). Food pests may also serve as mechanical or biological vectors of human pathogens. In contrast to the sort of mainline vectoring done by ma...
Non-surgical Orthodontic Adult Molar Crossbite Correction and Sleep Apnea

1. Abstract 1.1.Introduction:Diagnosis and treatment planning for a bilateral molar crossbite of an adult patient involves understanding its etiology, quantifying the discrepancy while considering the potential for surgical maxillary expansion due to the limitations of conventional orthodontic systems. This case report illustrates a highly successfully and novel non-surgical, non-extraction approach to correction of an adult bilateral molar crossbite with new orthodontics mechanics. It also provides the adjunctive effect of alleviating a constricted upper airway potentially benefitting patients with sleep apnea. 1.2.Case report:The patient, who is a 24-year-old female with a bilateral molar crossbite and transverse discrepancy of 5mm associated with an anterior open bite, successfully completes treatment with a maxillary expansion appliance immediately followed by non-surgical, non-extraction orthodontic treatment in a little over 12 months. Post treatment clinical and radiographic results show dramatic esthetic and functional improvement with the elimination of a bilateral molar crossbite and the establishment of a stable occlusion with good intercuspation. In addition, the post treatment cephalogram shows radiographic evidence of an increased upper airway dimension. Conclusion:This case report demonstrates the potential of using a maxillary expansion appliance with non-surgical, non-extraction orthodontic therapy for an adult bilateral molar crossbite followed by the use of a system of braces that immediately moves the tooth root(s) to their final position with alveolar bone remodeling and short treatment time. In addition, it illustrates the possible adjunctive benefit of increasing the patient’s airway which could provide relief for the sleep apnea patient.
When Politics Overwhelms Administration: Historical Proofs for Fesler’s Maxim against State-based Federal Regions, 1934-1943

This is an historical inquiry into the events that led to Fesler’s 1949 maxim that federal field administrative regions should always be larger than an individual state. When he proclaimed that principle he concluded that state-based regions caused political problems for personnel and locational reasons, but only presented a single contemporary example for each of those reasons. Relying on primary and archival sources, this article provides additional historical proofs for Fesler’s maxim. It discusses several largely forgotten political controversies that occurred during the Presidency of Franklin Roosevelt regarding state-based federal administrative regions. This reconstruction is a form of forensic public administration history, seeking to give a clearer understanding of why Fesler addressed the subject at all and providing additional factual substantiation for his axiom.
IS DURATION OF SYMPTOMS PREDICTIVE OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Background: Patient interviews regarding the duration of symptoms are commonly conducted when evaluating a patient with possible acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and are believed to distinguish between AMI and non-AMI symptoms. Methods: In a single center, 569 patients that were evaluated in the
Utility of PET/CT After Cryoablation for Early Identification of Local Tumor Progression in Osseous Metastatic Disease.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of combined PET/CT for the detection of early local tumor progression after cryoablation of bone metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective single-institution review revealed 61 consecutive patients with 80 separate bone metastases treated with cryoablation who were evaluated with a preablation PET/CT and at least two postablation PET/CT examinations between September 2007 and July 2015. Patients were excluded if they had local therapy or pathologic fracture after ablation. The patients were grouped according to postcryoablation disease status (i.e., local tumor progression or not) and PET radiotracer (i.e., 11C-choline or 18F-FDG) used. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) ratio (i.e., ratio of SUVmax to blood pool) was calculated within each osseous metastasis before and after cryoablation, and these were then compared between groups. RESULTS. Of the 61 patients and 80 ablations performed, 32 patients were imaged with FDG ...
Proton Transport Mechanism of M2 Proton Channel Studied by Laser-Induced pH Jump

The M2 proton transport channel of the influenza virus A is an important model system because it conducts protons with high selectivity and unidirectionally when activated at low pH, despite the relative simplicity of its structure. Although it has been studied extensively, the molecular details of the pH-dependent gating and proton conductance mechanisms are incompletely understood. We report direct observation of the M2 proton channel activation process using a laser-induced pH jump coupled with tryptophan fluorescence as a probe. Biphasic kinetics is observed, with the fast phase corresponding to the His37 protonation, and the slow phase associated with the subsequent conformation change. Unusually fast His37 protonation was observed (2.0 × 1010 M–1 s–1), implying the existence of proton collecting antennae for expedited proton transport. The conformation change (4 × 103 s–1) was about 2 orders of magnitude slower than protonation at endosomal pH, suggesting that a transporter model is likely not feasible.
Nearshore Influences of Upwelling, Waves, and Currents On A Tropical Carbonate Ramp: Holocene, Northwestern Yucatán Shelf, Mexico

Abstract: Many ancient carbonate strata represent deposition on gently dipping ramp systems, yet processes and patterns of carbonate accumulations of modern carbonate ramps are not as extensively studied as those on modern isolated platforms and rimmed shelves. To better understand controls on sediment accumulations of the shallowest parts of tropical carbonate ramp systems, this study investigates geomorphology, sediment, and organic-matter abundance on the nearshore areas of the Holocene ramp system on the northwestern Yucatan Shelf, Mexico. Currents generated by the day-to-day easterly trade winds, and larger waves caused by winter cold fronts, have the net effect of transporting sediment and upwelled nutrient-rich (occasionally in excess of 5 mg/m 3 , eutrophic to hypertrophic) and cooler (∼ 16–20°C) water southward. The upper shoreface includes shore-parallel belts of mollusk- and Halimeda -rich muddy sand to gravel. Longshore sediment transport along the coast forms barrier-island spits of molluscan coquina beach ridges which have prograded southward and westward. The islands in turn act as barriers to form protected lagoons that accumulate ubiquitous fine sediment. A broad supratidal to freshwater marsh landward of the lagoons includes dominantly fine-grained carbonate sediment. Across the area, mollusks are the primary sediment contributors, although Halimeda is locally ubiquitous offshore. Barnacles, benthic foraminifera, sponges, bryozoans, and serpulid worm tubes dominate the remainder of carbonate sediment producers, although echinoderms and planktonic forams are present as well. Corals are notably absent, as are peloids and ooids. Biosiliceous organisms (diatoms, sponge spicules, dinoflagellates) contribute up to 20% of sediment throughout the shoreface and lagoon, and the greater part of carbonate mud is calcitic. This assemblage, which includes many biota of the heterozoan association, is interpreted to be related to upwelled cool nutrient-rich water, although local freshwater springs may provide nutrients in the lagoons. The results of this study illustrate the roles of energy level, sea-surface temperature, upwelled nutrient-rich waters, and possibly freshwater mixing on the geomorphology, biota, and sedimentology of the nearshore parts of this Holocene ramp system. The insights provide an actualistic model for sedimentological character and depositional heterogeneity of shoreface regions of ancient carbonate ramps influenced by upwelling.
Applications of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in the analysis of nanoparticles in the environment

The rise of nanotechnology has introduced a large number of nano-enabled consumer products into the market. Stakeholders either interested in or concerned about the applications of nanoparticles (NPs) have questions on their exposure pathways, behavior and fate in the environment. Currently, detection and analysis of NPs in complex environmental samples are difficult and challenging. This review summarizes the emerging attempts to use surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a valuable tool for NP analysis. The critical factors influencing the feasibility of SERS for NP analysis are the material type, individual size, primary shape, surface chemistry and spatial arrangement of NPs. Current SERS methods for the identification, characterization and potential quantification of NPs are summarized and compared, with key limitations and issues recognized. Further, SERS applications in investigating the environmental behavior and fate of NPs are discussed. Probing and monitoring NPs using SERS yields important insights into the roles that NPs play in the environment. By studying the potential of SERS to detect NPs and track their environmental behavior and fate, environmental scientists are able to achieve an in-depth understanding of the benefits and risks of NPs. Also, knowledge from SERS can guide the nanotechnology research community to develop and apply NPs in a safe and effective manner. With an outlook on the key challenges and potential solutions in the end, this review is expected to appeal to a broad audience in the fields of nanotechnology, interfacial chemistry, analytical chemistry, soil science, environmental science, food science, and nanotoxicology.
Effects of copper and molybdenum supplements on the copper and selenium status of pregnant ewes and lambs.

The aim of this work was to investigate whether Cu, alone or in combination with Mo, reduces the Se status of sheep. Thirty-six Hampshire ewes were separated prior to mating into four treatment groups of nine sheep each. The four groups consisted of 1) basal (alfalfa hay or legume-grass low-moisture silage, corn, oats), 2) basal plus 10 mg Cu/kg diet, 3) basal plus 10 mg Mo/kg and 4) basal plus Cu and Mo (each 10 mg/kg). Copper and Mo were added to both ewe and lamb diets. Treatments continued until lambs were weaned at 10 wk postpartum. The basal ewe diet contained, in mg/kg, 5.6 Cu, .05 Se and 1.0 Mo. The basal lamb diet contained, in mg/kg, 6.1 Cu, .07 Se and less than 1.0 Mo. Sulfur concentrations in the ewe and lamb diets were .24% and .20%, respectively. Copper supplements increased, and Mo supplements decreased, the concentration of Cu in the livers of ewes and lambs (P less than .05). Despite this, there were no effects of treatment on Se concentration or glutathione peroxidase activity in blood or tissues. Selenium levels in plasma of all ewes declined throughout pregnancy and lactation, indicating that .05 mg/kg Se was insufficient for the maintenance of Se status during pregnancy in Hampshire ewes. Copper and Se levels (mg/kg fresh weight) in the liver of lambs at weaning for Treatments 1 through 4 were 48 and .13, 158 and .10, 11 and .11, and 136 and .13, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ewe lamb vaginal temperatures in hardwood silvopastures

Shade for livestock during periods of heat stress is likely to be one of the biggest drivers for silvopasture adoption by livestock producers, yet the degree of physiological benefit for animals in silvopastures is generally unquantified. The greatest challenge for measuring body temperatures and assessing heat stress in animals on pasture is in collecting the data while minimizing disturbance to the animal. In this study, intravaginal temperature sensors were constructed from blank controlled internal drug release devices and small temperature loggers. Body temperatures of ewe lambs (n = 9) were recorded within a replicate within a week, and these measures were taken sequentially within each of three experimental periods. During the hottest part of the day (1200–1900 h), ewe lambs in the open pasture had hotter vaginal temperatures than lambs in the black walnut (Juglans nigra) silvopastures (P ≤ 0.0338). Ewe lambs in the honeylocust silvopastures (Gleditsia triacanthos) had cooler body temperatures than lambs in the open pastures at 1500 h (P = 0.0469). Ewe lambs in the open pasture experienced more fluctuation in day to nighttime core temperature change (P < 0.0001). Ewe lambs in the honeylocust silvopastures and the open pastures exhibited increasing vaginal temperatures each successive month. The trees within these silvopastures moderated the impact of ambient conditions on lamb body temperatures.
Earth-Mover's distance as a tracking regularizer

Tracking time-varying signals is an important part of many engineering systems. Recently, signal processing techniques have been developed to improve tracking performance when the signal of interest is known a-priori to be sparse. Leveraging sparsity, however, depends heavily on gridding the space, treating the signal as a collection of active or inactive pixels in an image, rather than traditional methods which track the continuous spatial coordinates. Using the dynamics constraint in this setting is challenging, as a model which approximately predicts target location may result in seemingly large errors, as measured by the l p -norm typically used in such algorithms. To take advantage of approximate spatial priors without introducing unnecessary penalties, we present a tracking algorithm using the earth-mover's distance (EMD) as an alternate dynamics regularization term. We note that while requiring a higher computational burden, the EMD can more effectively utilize target location prediction when the space is gridded.
Mosaic-based figure-ground segmentation along with static segmentation by mean shift

This work deals with the problem of background-foreground segmentation in video scenes. We propose an approach that makes use of feature extraction and matching, robust estimation, background mosaic generation, mosaic back-projection, and segmentation. We make contributions in each of these steps. SIFT features are extracted from the video and then, features between consecutive frames are matched. There are mismatches as well as errors in the feature location. To surmount this, we use a robust approach that employs a modified version of the RANSAC algorithm and weighted total least squares. Knowing the global motion allows creating an initial foreground segmentation and the generation of a mosaic mainly using background data. The moving object extraction is done by combining a mean shift-based frame segmentation along with the information given by the error of the mosaic back-projection into each frame.
THE IDENTIFICATION OF p-NITROANILINE AS A METABOLITE OF THE RODENTICIDE VACOR IN HUMAN LIVER

ABSTRACT. The liver of a human accidental poisoning victim who injested the rodenticide Vacor was examined for residues of the active ingredient 1-(3-pyridylmethyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl) urea (RH787). A trace analytical method for RH787 using the polarographic reduction of the nitro function was developed using differential pulse polarography (DPP) which permitted detection of 2 × 10 −8 M RH787 (17 ng RH787/3 ml). The nitroaromatic metabolite identified in the sample was p-nitroaniline (PNA), which has polarographic behavior similar to that of RH787. Peak potentials in DPP were: unknown, −571 vM vs SCE; RH787, −585 mV; PNA, −570 mV). Thin layer chromatographic R f values for the metabolite corresponded to those for PNA. The identification was confirmed by gas-liquid partition chromatography on 5% OV-210 and 1.5% OV-17/1.5% OV-210 columns. The presence of PNA at 5.1 ± 1.0 mg PNA/kg liver suggests amide hydrolysis of RH787 .
FROM FIELD-BASED STUDIES TO MODELS TO DECISION AIDS - AN APPROACH FOR SUPPORTING HUMAN DECISION-MAKING IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

Abstract This paper presents a methodology for supporting human decision-making in advanced manufacturing systems. The methodology is comprised of three components: 1) a conceptual framework to organize descriptions of human role in a manufacturing shop floor, (2) a computational architecture to represent both the automated aspects of a discrete-parts manufacturing system as well as the associated operator problem solving, and (3) guidelines for translating model results into operational decision aids. The methodology is illustrated with an application to electronic assembly systems.
Early Infant Nutrition: Bottle Feeding

The nutritional principles involved in satisfactory bottle feeding are similar to those of breast feeding. In both, the goals are well-nourished but not over-nourished infants, protected from diseases, imprinted with habits leading to a healthy and productive life, and pleasure for both parents and infants (Barness, 1961; Reina, 1975).
Characterization of Magnetic Nanoparticle-Seeded Microspheres for Magnetomotive and Multimodal Imaging

Magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles have been developed as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and as therapeutic agents in magnetic hyperthermia. They have also recently been demonstrated as contrast and elastography agents in magnetomotive optical coherence tomography (MM-OCT) and elastography. Protein-shell microspheres containing suspensions of these magnetic nanoparticles in lipid cores, and with functionalized outer shells for specific targeting, have also been demonstrated as efficient contrast agents for imaging modalities such as MM-OCT and MRI, and can be easily modified for other modalities such as ultrasound, fluorescence, and luminescence imaging. By leveraging the benefits of these various imaging modalities with the use of only a single agent, a magnetic microsphere, it becomes possible to use a wide-field imaging method (such as MRI or small animal fluorescence imaging) to initially locate the agent, and then use MM-OCT to obtain dynamic contrast images with cellular level morphological resolution. In addition to multimodal contrast-enhanced imaging, these microspheres could serve as drug carriers for targeted delivery under image guidance. Although the preparation and surface modifications of protein microspheres containing iron oxide nanoparticles have been previously described and feasibility studies conducted, many questions regarding their production and properties remain. Since the use of multifunctional microspheres could have high clinical relevance, here we report a detailed characterization of their properties and behavior in different environments to highlight their versatility. The work presented here is an effort for the development and optimization of nanoparticle-based microspheres as multimodal contrast agents that can bridge imaging modalities on different size scales, especially for their use in MM-OCT and MRI.
Male infertility in renal failure and transplantation

The global disease burden of end stage renal disease (ESRD) is growing rapidly, and organ transplantation remains the gold standard for improving both the quality and quantity of life particularly in young adults. It is therefore critical to understand the effect of ESRD and renal transplantation on male fertility. Many men in renal failure exhibit subfertility or infertility due to several factors including hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction (ED), and direct impairment of spermatogenesis with spermatotoxicity and late stage maturational arrest causing oligospermia or azoospermia. Kidney transplantation has been shown to rescue some—but not all—of these defects, with normalization of reproductive hormonal parameters, improvement in semen parameters (sperm count, motility, morphology), and partial restoration of erectile function. This improvement in fertility is sufficient for a subset to father children either naturally or with assisted reproduction. In this review, we summarize the literature regarding fertility in men with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and on dialysis, and we describe the changes associated with renal transplantation.
The Leadership Exploration Project: Development and Analysis of a Leader Definition and Persuasive Presentation:

Students are often frustrated and confused by the study of leadership since the field cannot offer an agreed-upon definition of the construct. Students are expected to develop leadership skills wit...
Defining the Metabolic Pathways and Host-Derived Carbon Substrates Required for Francisella tularensis Intracellular Growth.

ABSTRACT Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative, facultative, intracellular bacterial pathogen and one of the most virulent organisms known. A hallmark of F. tularensis pathogenesis is the bacterium’s ability to replicate to high densities within the cytoplasm of infected cells in over 250 known host species, including humans. This demonstrates that F. tularensis is adept at modulating its metabolism to fluctuating concentrations of host-derived nutrients. The precise metabolic pathways and nutrients utilized by F. tularensis during intracellular growth, however, are poorly understood. Here, we use systematic mutational analysis to identify the carbon catabolic pathways and host-derived nutrients required for F. tularensis intracellular replication. We demonstrate that the glycolytic enzyme phosphofructokinase (PfkA), and thus glycolysis, is dispensable for F. tularensis SchuS4 virulence, and we highlight the importance of the gluconeogenic enzyme fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (GlpX). We found that the specific gluconeogenic enzymes that function upstream of GlpX varied based on infection model, indicating that F. tularensis alters its metabolic flux according to the nutrients available within its replicative niche. Despite this flexibility, we found that glutamate dehydrogenase (GdhA) and glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P) dehydrogenase (GlpA) are essential for F. tularensis intracellular replication in all infection models tested. Finally, we demonstrate that host cell lipolysis is required for F. tularensis intracellular proliferation, suggesting that host triglyceride stores represent a primary source of glycerol during intracellular replication. Altogether, the data presented here reveal common nutritional requirements for a bacterium that exhibits characteristic metabolic flexibility during infection. IMPORTANCE The widespread onset of antibiotic resistance prioritizes the need for novel antimicrobial strategies to prevent the spread of disease. With its low infectious dose, broad host range, and high rate of mortality, F. tularensis poses a severe risk to public health and is considered a potential agent for bioterrorism. F. tularensis reaches extreme densities within the host cell cytosol, often replicating 1,000-fold in a single cell within 24 hours. This remarkable rate of growth demonstrates that F. tularensis is adept at harvesting and utilizing host cell nutrients. However, like most intracellular pathogens, the types of nutrients utilized by F. tularensis and how they are acquired is not fully understood. Identifying the essential pathways for F. tularensis replication may reveal new therapeutic strategies for targeting this highly infectious pathogen and may provide insight for improved targeting of intracellular pathogens in general.
Transforming triangulations

This paper establishes the possibility of performing certain transformations of triangulations of finite planar point sets.
Context-Aware Deep Sequence Learning with Multi-View Factor Pooling for Time Series Classification

In this paper, we propose an effective, multi-view, multivariate deep classification model for time-series data. Multi-view methods show promise in their ability to learn correlation and exclusivity properties across different independent information resources. However, most current multi-view integration schemes employ only a linear model and, therefore, do not extensively utilize the relationships observed across different view-specific representations. Moreover, the majority of these methods rely exclusively on sophisticated, handcrafted features to capture local data patterns and, thus, depend heavily on large collections of labeled data. The multi-view, multivariate deep classification model for time-series data proposed in this paper makes important contributions to address these limitations. The proposed model derives a LSTM-based, deep feature descriptor to model both the view-specific data characteristics and cross-view interaction in an integrated deep architecture while driving the learning phase in a data-driven manner. The proposed model employs a compact context descriptor to exploit view-specific affinity information to design a more insightful context representation. Finally, the model uses a multi-view factor-pooling scheme for a context-driven attention learning strategy to weigh the most relevant feature dimensions while eliminating noise from the resulting fused descriptor. As shown by experiments, compared to the existing multi-view methods, the proposed multi-view deep sequential learning approach improves classification performance by roughly 4% in the UCI multi-view activity recognition dataset, while also showing significantly robust generalized representation capacity against its single-view counterparts, in classifying several large-scale multi-view light curve collections.
Model for low incidence special education preservice training

A model for preservice training for teachers of low incidence handicaps is presented that addresses the need to provide qualified personnel in rural school districts. Emphasis is placed on deliveri...
Understanding the Gap of Reading Performance between ELL and EOL Children from Low-Income Families in Elementary School Years

This study explored reading development in low income children of English Language learners (ELLs) from kindergarten to the fourth grade. Data used in this study came from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (ECLS-K: 2011). A sample size was 3,451 students below the poverty threshold. The independent variables were the indicators of home language and gender. The six dependent variables were students’ reading item response theory (IRT) scale scores in the fall and spring semester of the kindergarten year and all the spring semesters from the first to the fourth grade. Six full 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) models were used for the statistical analyses. The results found there is a gender difference in children’s reading performance, with female doing slightly better than male students. The low-income children’s performance in reading IRT scores has shown differences among the three groups. The English Only Learners (EOL) had the highest mean scores throughout the five years. The group of Multilingual Learners (ML) and English Language Learner (ELL) group had mixed results of the second or lowest scores among these three groups. Among the six subgroups the EOL female had the highest mean scores throughout the five years.
Improved Photoabsorption in Thin Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells using Light Trapping Techniques

Thin absorbers for space photovoltaics can achieve higher radiation tolerance, however, they suffer from reduced photoabsorption as the active region is thinned. In this work, increasing the photoabsorption in thin single junction n-i-p GaAs solar cells have been investigated by applying different light trapping structures at the rear of the cell. The main focus has been to develop a random surface texture that varies in three dimensions to increase light scattering and the effective optical path length. From the EQE, the random back surface reflector was successfully applied to a 1.1 μm thick GaAs solar cell which resulted in a notable 38% increase in current output, when compared to the GaAs baseline cell on its substrate without a BSR. The random texture has shown the capability to maintain the current output in the 1.1 μm thick GaAs absorber and shows promise for enhancing the photoabsorption in thin GaAs absorbers that approach the sub-μm thickness regime.
Mechanisms and Functional Consequences of Presynaptic Homeostatic Plasticity at Auditory Nerve Synapses.

Multiple forms of homeostasis influence synaptic function under diverse activity conditions. Both presynaptic and postsynaptic forms of homeostasis are important, but their relative impact on fidelity is unknown. To address this issue, we studied auditory nerve synapses onto bushy cells in the cochlear nucleus of mice of both sexes. These synapses undergo bidirectional presynaptic and postsynaptic homeostatic changes with increased and decreased acoustic stimulation. We found that both young and mature synapses exhibit similar activity-dependent changes in short-term depression. Experiments using chelators and imaging both indicated that presynaptic Ca2+ influx decreased after noise exposure, and increased after ligating the ear canal. By contrast, Ca2+ cooperativity was unaffected. Experiments using specific antagonists suggest that occlusion leads to changes in the Ca2+ channel subtypes driving neurotransmitter release. Furthermore, dynamic-clamp experiments revealed that spike fidelity primarily depended on changes in presynaptic depression, with some contribution from changes in postsynaptic intrinsic properties. These experiments indicate that presynaptic Ca2+ influx is homeostatically regulated in vivo to enhance synaptic fidelity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Homeostatic mechanisms in synapses maintain stable function in the face of different levels of activity. Both juvenile and mature auditory nerve synapses onto bushy cells modify short-term depression in different acoustic environments, which raises the question of what the underlying presynaptic mechanisms are and the relative importance of presynaptic and postsynaptic contributions to the faithful transfer of information. Changes in short-term depression under different acoustic conditions were a result of changes in presynaptic Ca2+ influx. Spike fidelity was affected by both presynaptic and postsynaptic changes after ear occlusion and was only affected by presynaptic changes after noise-rearing. These findings are important for understanding regulation of auditory synapses under normal conditions and also in disorders following noise exposure or conductive hearing loss.
Palmer Renewable Energy Petition for Further Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Review

Petition to MassDEP to subject the Palmer Renewable Energy Project to further review under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), the state equivalent to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including discretionary "failsafe" review under MEPA.
Traffic collision avoidance system: false injection viability

Safety is a simple concept but an abstract task, specifically with aircraft. One critical safety system, the Traffic Collision Avoidance System II (TCAS), protects against mid-air collisions by predicting the course of other aircraft, determining the possibility of collision, and issuing a resolution advisory for avoidance. Previous research to identify vulnerabilities associated with TCAS’s communication processes discovered that a false injection attack presents the most comprehensive risk to veritable trust in TCAS, allowing for a mid-air collision. This research explores the viability of successfully executing a false injection attack against a target aircraft, triggering a resolution advisory. Monetary constraints precluded access to a physical TCAS unit; instead, this research creates a novel program, TCAS-False Injection Environment (TCAS-FIE), that incorporates real-world distributed computing systems to simulate a ground-based attacker scenario which explores how a false injection attack could target an operational aircraft. TCAS-FIEs’ simulation models are defined by parameters to execute tests that mimic real-world TCAS units during Mode S message processing. TCAS-FIE simulations execute tests over applicable ranges (5–30 miles), altitudes (25–45K ft), and bearings standard for real-world TCAS tracking. The comprehensive tests compare altitude, measure range closure rate, and measure signal strength from another aircraft to determine the delta in bearings over time. In the attack scenario, the ground-based adversary falsely injects a spoofed aircraft with characteristics matching a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, targeting an operational Boeing 737-800 aircraft. TCAS-FIE completes 555,000 simulations using the various ranges, altitudes, and bearings. The simulated success rate to trigger a resolution advisory is 32.63%, representing 181,099 successful resolution advisory triggers out of 555,000 total simulations. The results from additional analysis determine the required ranges, altitudes, and bearing parameters to trigger future resolution advisories, yielding a predictive threat map for aircraft false injection attacks. The resulting map provides situational awareness to pilots in the event of a real-world TCAS anomaly.
The Linear Phase Correction of MIEZE with Magnetic Wollaston Prisms

I propose the use of two magnetic Wollaston prisms to correct the linear Larmor phase aberration of MIEZE, introduced by the transverse size of the sample. With this approach, the resolution function of MIEZE can be optimized for any scattering angle of interest. The optimum magnetic fields required for the magnetic Wollaston prisms depend only on the scattering angle and the frequency of the RF flippers and they are independent of the neutron wavelength and beam divergence, which makes it suitable for both pulsed and constant wavelength neutron sources.
Pollen-inspired enzymatic microparticles to reduce organophosphate toxicity in managed pollinators

Pollinators support the production of the leading food crops worldwide. Organophosphates are a heavily used group of insecticides that pollinators can be exposed to, especially during crop pollination. Exposure to lethal or sublethal doses can impair fitness of wild and managed bees, risking pollination quality and food security. Here we report a low-cost, scalable in vivo detoxification strategy for organophosphate insecticides involving encapsulation of phosphotriesterase (OPT) in pollen-inspired microparticles (PIMs). We developed uniform and consumable PIMs capable of loading OPT at 90% efficiency and protecting OPT from degradation in the pH of a bee gut. Microcolonies of Bombus impatiens fed malathion-contaminated pollen patties demonstrated 100% survival when fed OPT−PIMs but 0% survival with OPT alone, or with plain sucrose within five and four days, respectively. Thus, the detrimental effects of malathion were eliminated when bees consumed OPT−PIMs. This design presents a versatile treatment that can be integrated into supplemental feeds such as pollen patties or dietary syrup for managed pollinators to reduce risk of organophosphate insecticides. Organophosphate insecticides are highly toxic to pollinators. Bumblebees fed pollen patties contaminated with phosphotriesterase insecticide encapsulated in pollen-inspired microparticles demonstrated 100% survival.
Pregnancy Options Counseling, Title X, and social work: what does faith have to do with it?

Family Planning Services and Pregnancy Options Counseling (POC), often provided by licensed clinical social workers and registered nurses, have been a vital intervention for women and families for ...
Organizational power and politics: The narcissist's advantage?

Abstract Research has shown that grandiose narcissists often rise to positions of power in organizations, even though there is little evidence that they perform better. Indeed, some studies show various deleterious effects on both their companies and the people who work for them. Prior research suggests that one reason for narcissist's success is that they are more skilled at organizational politics. One plausible implication is that narcissists are more willing to use a broad range of power tactics, in part because research shows that narcissists are less prone to feeling guilt for their behaviors. Using a sample of fully-employed adults (n = 270), we show that narcissism is correlated with a greater willingness to use tougher, more aggressive political tactics, an effect that is stronger to the extent that people are less guilt prone. Because research shows the importance of political skill for career success, our findings help account for why narcissism may produce more favorable career outcomes.
Development and Validation of a Novel Household Grocery Food Purchase Quality Score

Burdensome surveys and convenience sampling limit the ability to assess the quality of grocery food purchases. Our goal was to develop a metric for assessing such purchase data unobtrusively and at...
A Role for the Non-Canonical Wnt-β-Catenin and TGF-β Signaling Pathways in the Induction of Tolerance during the Establishment of a Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Persistent Cecal Infection in Chickens

Non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica induce an early pro-inflammatory response in chickens. However, the response is short-lived, asymptomatic of disease, resulting in a persistent colonization of the ceca, and fecal shedding of bacteria. The underlying mechanisms that control this persistent infection of chickens by Salmonella are unknown. Recently, we found an expansion of the Treg population and subsequent increased in vitro immunosuppressive functions of the CD4+CD25+ cells isolated from the ceca of the Salmonella-infected chickens by day 4 post-infection that increased steadily throughout the course of the 14 days of infection; whereas the number of CD4+CD25+ cells in the non-infected controls remained steady throughout the study. CD4+CD25+ cells from cecal tonsils of S. enteritidis-infected birds had greater expression of IL-10 mRNA content than the CD4+CD25+ cells from the non-infected controls at all the time points studied. These results suggest the development of a tolerogenic immune response in the cecum of Salmonella-infected chickens may lead to the persistance of Salmonella cecal colonization. Using a chicken-specific kinome peptide immune array, we have analyzed the signaling pathways altered during the establishment of this tolerogenic state. This analysis has revealed a role for the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway in the cecum at 4 days post-infection. Infection induced the significant (p < 0.01) phosphorylation of the G-protein-coupled transmembrane protein, Frizzled 1 (FZD1), which results in an influx of intracellular Ca++ that leads to the activation (phosphorylation) of the Ca++-dependent effector molecules calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CamKII), β-catenin, protein kinase C (PKC), JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK) and activation of the transcription factor, NFAT. Nuclear translocation of NFAT resulted in a significant increase in the mRNA expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β. Increased expression of TGF-β4
Ageing and exercise training alter adrenergic vasomotor responses of rat skeletal muscle arterioles

Ageing is associated with increased leg vascular resistance and reductions in leg blood flow during rest and exercise, potentially predisposing older adults to a host of functional and cardiovascular complications. The purpose of these studies was to examine the effects and possible mechanisms of ageing and exercise training on arteriolar adrenergic vasoreactivity. Young and old male Fischer 344 rats were divided into young sedentary (YS), old sedentary (OS), young exercise-trained (YT) or old exercise-trained (OT) groups, where training consisted of chronic treadmill exercise. Isolated soleus (SOL) and gastrocnemius (GAS) muscle arterioles were studied in vitro. Responses to noradrenaline in endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded arterioles, as well as during nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition were determined. Vasodilator responses to isoproterenol and forskolin were also determined. Results: Noradrenaline-mediated vasoconstriction was increased in SOL arterioles with ageing, and exercise training in old rats attenuated α-adrenergic vasoconstriction in arterioles from both muscle types. Removal of the endothelium and NOS inhibition eliminated these ageing and training effects. Isoproterenol-mediated vasodilatation was impaired with ageing in SOL and GAS arterioles, and exercise training had little effect on this response. Forskolin-induced vasodilatation was not affected by age. The data demonstrate that ageing augments α-adrenergic vasoconstriction while exercise training attenuates this response, and both of these alterations are mediated through an endothelial α-receptor-NOS-signalling pathway. In contrast, ageing diminishes β-receptor-mediated vasodilatation, but this impairment is specific to the smooth muscle. These studies indicate that α- and β-adrenergic mechanisms may serve to increase systemic vascular resistance with ageing, and that the effects of exercise training on adrenergic vasomotor properties could contribute to the beneficial effects of exercise on cardiovascular disease.