cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control algorithms for a vertically-constrained one-legged hopping machine

A physical prototype of a vertically-constrained, one-legged hopping machine is presented. The machine consists of an elevated body supported by a single springy leg and a leg actuator used to manipulate the leg's length. The body of the machine is a DC motor. The leg and leg actuator are a system of tubes and a mechanical spring that allow smooth and repeatable hopping. Three control algorithms that regulate the machine's hopping height are presented and tested experimentally. These are: (i) a tabular control scheme that selects the control input on the basis of the desired steady-state hopping height; (ii) a near-inverse controller based on a discrete, hop-to-hop model of the plant dynamics; and (iii) a near-inverse controller with integral error feedback. The machine's transient and steady-state behavior is evaluated for each controller. The effectiveness of the algorithms is further assessed by subjecting the controlled system to abrupt changes in the body mass. Experimental data indicate that the near-inverse controller with integral height-error feedback gives the best results in compensating for parameter variations. >
Standard deviation of anthropometric Z-scores as a data quality assessment tool using the 2006 WHO growth standards: a cross country analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Height- and weight-based anthropometric indicators are used worldwide to characterize the nutritional status of populations. Based on the 1978 WHO/National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth reference, the World Health Organization has previously indicated that the standard deviation (SD) of Z-scores of these indicators is relatively constant across populations, irrespective of nutritional status. As such, the SD of Z-scores can be used as quality indicators for anthropometric data. In 2006, WHO published new growth standards. Here, we aim to assess whether the SD of height- and weight-based Z-score indicators from the 2006 WHO growth standards can still be used to assess data quality. METHODS: We examined data on children aged 0-59 months from 51 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in 34 developing countries. We used 2006 growth standards to assign height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-scores (WAZ), weight-for-height Z-scores (WHZ) and body-mass-index-for-age Z-scores (BMIZ). We also did a stratified analysis by age group. FINDINGS: The SD for all four indicators were independent of their respective mean Z-scores across countries. Overall, the 5th and 95th percentiles of the SD were 1.35 and 1.95 for HAZ, 1.17 and 1.46 for WAZ, 1.08 and 1.50 for WHZ and 1.08 and 1.55 for BMIZ. CONCLUSION: Our results concur with the WHO assertion that SD is in a relatively small range for each indicator irrespective of where the Z-score mean lies, and support the use of SD as a quality indicator for anthropometric data. However, the ranges of SDs for all four indicators analysed were consistently wider than those published previously by WHO.
Connoisseur's Choice: Conichalcite, Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia

An article appeared in a recent issue of Mineral News that examined special collector supplements in the Mineralogical Record (Chamberlain, Robinson, and Robinson 2015). In it the authors studied t...
Q-Sort security and first-year nonmaternal care.

Can a Q-Sort measure of attachment security take the place of a Strange Situation Assessment to study infant day care? Apparently not, but it can be used in conjunction with the more traditional measurement strategy.
Behavioral Assessment in Alcoholism Research and Treatment: Current Techniques

(1973). Behavioral Assessment in Alcoholism Research and Treatment: Current Techniques. International Journal of the Addictions: Vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 831-837.
Critical Analysis of Renal Duplex Ultrasound Parameters in Detecting Significant Renal Artery Stenosis

Background Several published studies have reported differing results of renal duplex ultrasound (RDU) imaging in detecting significant renal artery stenosis (RAS) using different Doppler parameters. This study is the largest to date to compare RDU imaging vs angiography and assess various published Doppler criteria. Methods RDU imaging and angiography were both done in 313 patients (606 renal arteries). RAS was classified as normal, Results The mean PSVs and RARs for normal, P P P P = .075; EDV vs RAR, P P P = .0003), and 5.6% (34 of 606) had accessory renal arteries on angiography, with six detected on RDU imaging. The presence of accessory renal arteries, solitary kidneys, or renal fibromuscular dysplasia had no influence on overall accuracy of using PSV values for detecting ≥60% stenosis. Conclusions A PSV of 285 cm/s or an RAR of 3.7 alone can be used in detecting ≥60% RAS. Previously published data must be validated in individual vascular laboratories.
Progress on a new control system for the Bevalac

Progress in replacing a heterogeneous triplex of outdated control systems with a single system is reported. Hardware and software standards are prominently used to allow incremental upgrades, for best use of rapidly changing technology, for off-the-shelf computer and I/O (input/output) hardware, and for several commercial software packages. A nonhierarchical architecture with a distributed run-time database is employed. >
Phase diagram and compressibility of neptunium

Abstract The compressibility and pressure-temperature phase diagram of neptunium were measured to 35 kb. The compressibility was similar to that of neighboring actinides such as uranium and plutonium. The phase diagram showed 1 triple-point, tetragonal-b.c.c.-liquid, at 725†C and 32 kb.
An advanced design of the Carlson-Crittenden cup for collection of parotid fluid.

The background, fabrication, cleaning, sterilization, and advantages of a nylon parotid collecting cup are described. The easily modifiable materials lends itself for use on adults, children, and animals. Using the Carlson-Crittenden principles of eliminating direct cannulation and suction on the duct orifice, the nylon “exogenator” offers a simple method for collecting exogenous oral fluids in a physiologically natural system utilizing glandular kinetics for collection.
Saharan Jews and the Fate of French Algeria

In Saharan Jews, Sarah Abrevaya Stein compellingly explores how colonial law created a special, often contradictory and problematic, southern-Algerian Jewish identity from the late-nineteenth centu...
Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem.

Social networking sites (SNSs), such as Facebook, provide abundant social comparison opportunities. Given the widespread use of SNSs, the purpose of the present set of studies was to examine the impact of chronic and temporary exposure to social media-based social comparison information on self-este
NIST gravimetrically prepared atmospheric level methane in dry air standards suite.

The Gas Metrology Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology was tasked, by a congressional climate change act, to support the atmospheric measurement community through standards development of key greenhouse gases. This paper discusses the development of a methane (CH4) primary standard gas mixture (PSM) suite to support CH4 measurement needs over a large amount-of-substance fraction range 0.3–20 000 μmol mol–1, but with emphasis at the atmospheric level 300–4000 nmol mol–1. Thirty-six CH4 in dry air PSMs were prepared in 5.9 L high-pressure aluminum cylinders with use of a time-tested gravimetric technique. Ultimately 14 of these 36 PSMs define a CH4 standard suite covering the nominal ambient atmospheric range of 300–4000 nmol mol–1. Starting materials of pure CH4 and cylinders of dry air were exhaustively analyzed to determine the purity and air composition. Gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) was used to determine a CH4 response for each of the 14 PSMs where t...
APOMICTIC-HETEROTHALLIC CONVERSION IN A MYXOMYCETE, DIDYMIUM IRIDIS

SUMMARY In the Pan 4 isolate of Didymium iridis, a heterothallic line was spontaneously derived from an apomictic one. Genetical and cytological evidence shows that in the heterothallic state amoebal clones are self-sterile and crossfertile, whereas in the apomictic condition each clone produces plasmodia without benefit of crossing. Myxomycetes (true slime molds) are a small homogeneous class of holotrophs whose life cycles generally follow a single morphological sequence. That is, sporophores develop which contain spores, and these germinate by releasing amoeboflagellates. The amoeboflagel
A Study of the Interrelation of Verb-object Structure “VN & the Possible Verb-object“V's N”

The Chinese word" 的" can be added between verb and noun to make up a "V的N" structure. This thesis discusses the relativity between the verb - object structure "VN" and the structure "V 的 N" that has potential verb - object relation. According to the author, generally the "的" can be inserted into the structure "VN"to get the structure "V 的N". The structure "V 的 N" indudes two constrastive types: substantive structure that indicates definition and non - substantive structure that indicates narration.
12 RESPIRATORY FAILURE DUE TO CYSTIC FIBROSIS IN A 7 MONTH OLD AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE

Background Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that is a significant cause of severe respiratory disease and failure to thrive in the pediatric population. The key to diagnosis of CF is first to have a high index of suspicion. Case Report We report a 7-month-old black female with a history significant for failure to thrive, who presented to our facility with acute respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. Past medical history was significant for hospitalization at 4 months of age for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonia and respiratory failure. Both of her parents were of African American descent and her two older siblings had no history of infections or failure to thrive. On admission to our facility the patient appeared to be undernourished with a weight less than 5% for age. Initial laboratory examination revealed total white blood count 13,900/mm3 with 65% granulocytes, 20% bands, 9% lymphocytes, PT 20.5 sec. Chest radiography revealed bilateral interstitial infiltrates. Respiratory cultures obtained via the endotracheal tube grew methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter. A workup for immunodeficiency and failure to thrive was undertaken. A sweat chloride test was preformed and was reported to be 95 mmol/L (normal range, 0-40 mmol/L). The patient was started on total parenteral nutrition and pancreatic enzymes. A high calorie formula was subsequently introduced with good results. The baby was successfully extubated and was weaned to room air. At the time of discharge, the patient was tolerating her formula well and had gained 500 grams. Discussion Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive disorder in which carriers of the gene are asymptomatic. CF is most often thought of as a disease affecting those of Caucasian descent. Children who present with failure to thrive with or without respiratory symptoms should have a sweat chloride test performed as part of their workup, regardless of race or family history.
Aesthetic Pleasure and the Rhythms of Infancy

Aesthetic experience involves the resolution of contradiction, accomplished in part through the viewer's mental oscillations between antithetical constructs. These oscillatory phenomena evoke enjoy...
The development of a national nutrition policy.

We do not question the need for a national nutrition policy. But, what will it involve? The author, a world nutrition authority, considers the implications.
Topographic confinement of epithelial clusters induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in compliant matrices

Epithelial cells disengage from their clusters and become motile by undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an essential process for both embryonic development and tumor metastasis. Growing evidence suggests that high extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness induces EMT. In reality, epithelial clusters reside in a heterogeneous microenvironment whose mechanical properties vary not only in terms of stiffness, but also topography, dimensionality, and confinement. Yet, very little is known about how various geometrical parameters of the ECM might influence EMT. Here, we adapt a hydrogel-microchannels based matrix platform to culture mammary epithelial cell clusters in ECMs of tunable stiffness and confinement. We report a previously unidentified role of ECM confinement in EMT induction. Surprisingly, confinement induces EMT even in the cell clusters surrounded by a soft matrix, which otherwise protects against EMT in unconfined environments. Further, we demonstrate that stiffness-induced and confinement-induced EMT work through cell-matrix adhesions and cytoskeletal polarization, respectively. These findings highlight that both the structure and the stiffness of the ECM can independently regulate EMT, which brings a fresh perspective to the existing paradigm of matrix stiffness-dependent dissemination and invasion of tumor cells.
A Modern View of Hadrons

Theoretical discussions of hadrons remind me of the parable of the blind men and the elephant. You may remember that the blind men give dramatically different descriptions of the elephant depending on what part of the elephant they are feeling, the trunk, the leg, the ear, the body, etc. The problem for hadrons is far worse.
Socrates and Jesus on Non-Retaliation and Love of Enemies

This essay is a comparison of the teachings of Socrates and Jesus on non-retaliation and love of enemies as they appear in Crito 47c-49d and Republic I, 331e-336a, and in Matthew 5:38-48 and Luke 6:27-36. It asks in each case precisely what the authors meant and how they grounded their conclusions. Socrates held that one must never do harm to another even in return for harm received. His arguments were based on his general theory of virtue and on certain ambiguities in Greek ethical language. Ultimately the arguments are based on a form of self-interest; retaliation is a form of injustice and hence harmful to the one who practices it. He does not propose a doctrine of general non-violence, nor does he ever say that one must actually love one's enemy. The gospel texts go beyond simple non-retaliation and make positive love of all enemies, inside and outside the community, an absolute command of Jesus. It is a positive attitude and is not based on hope of love in return. God will reward it, but the primary motive is imitation of the Heavenly Father, whose daughters and sons the disciples are. Enemy love does not give them this status; rather it flows from the fact of discipleship.
Development of Expectancies About Own- and Other-Gender Group Interactions and Their School-Related Consequences.

This study examined children's expectancies about interactions with own- and other-gender peers. Goals were to examine expectancies about the outcomes related to own- versus other-gender group interactions, assess cohort and temporal changes in expectancies, and assess the effect of expectancies on school-related outcomes. Students in second and fourth grades (N = 412, 47% girls, Mage = 7.15 and 9.10 years, respectively) were followed longitudinally for 1 year. Results supported hypotheses that social costs and inclusion–enjoyment that children expect in interactions with own- and other-gender peers represent four constructs. Expectancies varied by gender, age, and differentially predicted school outcomes with inclusion expectancies more strongly relating to outcomes than cost expectancies. Implications of children's expectancies about gendered contexts are discussed.
Efficacy of post-harvest rinsing and bleach disinfection of E. coli O157:H7 on spinach leaf surfaces.

Attachment and detachment kinetics of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from baby spinach leaf epicuticle layers were investigated using a parallel plate flow chamber. Mass transfer rate coefficients were used to determine the impact of water chemistry and common bleach disinfection rinses on the removal and inactivation of the pathogen. Attachment mass transfer rate coefficients generally increased with ionic strength. Detachment mass transfer rate coefficients were nearly the same in KCl and AGW rinses; however, the detachment phase lasted longer in KCl than AGW (18 ± 4 min and 4 ± 2 min, respectively), indicating that the ions present during attachment play a significant role in the cells' ability to remain attached. Specifically, increasing bleach rinse concentration by two orders of magnitude was found to increase the detachment mass transfer rate coefficient by 20 times (from 5.7 ± 0.7 × 10-11 m/s to 112.1 ± 26.8 × 10-11 m/s for 10 ppb and 1000 ppb, respectively), and up to 88 ± 4% of attached cells remained alive. The spinach leaf texture was incorporated within a COMSOL model of disinfectant concentration gradients, which revealed nearly 15% of the leaf surface is exposed to almost 1000 times lower concentration than the bulk rinse solution.
Unno Jūza and the Uses of Science in Prewar Japanese Popular Fiction

The development of science fiction in early twentieth-century Japan traced a noticeably distinct trajectory from its western predecessors and counterparts. In Europe and North America, science fiction was fairly well established by the 1920s, having appropriated tenets from modernism as well as other genres of popular fiction—fantasy, adventure, mystery, romance and so on—and from authors as varied as Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Auguste Villiers d’Isle Adam and Karel Capek. Its standing was further buttressed by the rise of mass-market publications such as Amazing Stories, first published in New York in April 1926. Although science fiction continued to overlap with other genres, it could thus also be conceptualised as an independent category. In Japan, too, one may point to belles lettristic works by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Jun’ichirō Tanizaki and others prior to 1920 that inhabited the discursive space between mass culture and the avant garde or, more broadly, between the cultural productions and reactions occasioned by the increasing expansion and complexity of industrial modernity. Nor was it coincidental that the very same writers experimented with silent cinema and incorporated the burgeoning media technologies of the era into their fiction. Yet it was in the pages of Shin seinen (‘New Youth’), a magazine published from January 1920 until July 1950, that science fiction in Japan decisively arose from within the fold of detective fiction.
Injectable Bioengineered Hydrogel Therapy in the Treatment of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Over the past two decades, the field of cardiovascular medicine has seen the rapid development of multiple different modalities for the treatment of ischemic myocardial disease. Most research efforts have focused on strategies aimed at coronary revascularization, with significant technological advances made in percutaneous coronary interventions as well as coronary artery bypass graft surgery. However, recent research efforts have shifted towards ways to address the downstream effects of myocardial infarction on both cellular and molecular levels. To this end, the broad application of injectable hydrogel therapy after myocardial infarction has stimulated tremendous interest. In this article, we will review what hydrogels are, how they can be bioengineered in unique ways to optimize therapeutic potential, and how they can be used as part of a treatment strategy after myocardial infarction.
Experimental evidence of low-density liquid water upon rapid decompression.

Water is an extraordinary liquid, having a number of anomalous properties which become strongly enhanced in the supercooled region. Due to rapid crystallization of supercooled water, there exists a region that has been experimentally inaccessible for studying deeply supercooled bulk water. Using a rapid decompression technique integrated with in situ X-ray diffraction, we show that a high-pressure ice phase transforms to a low-density noncrystalline (LDN) form upon rapid release of pressure at temperatures of 140–165 K. The LDN subsequently crystallizes into ice-Ic through a diffusion-controlled process. Together with the change in crystallization rate with temperature, the experimental evidence indicates that the LDN is a low-density liquid (LDL). The measured X-ray diffraction data show that the LDL is tetrahedrally coordinated with the tetrahedral network fully developed and clearly linked to low-density amorphous ices. On the other hand, there is a distinct difference in structure between the LDL and supercooled water or liquid water in terms of the tetrahedral order parameter.
Synthesis of Sm–Al metallic glasses designed by molecular dynamics simulations

Solidification of the Sm-rich Al–Sm alloys has been studied using a newly developed Al–Sm embedded atom model potential by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We use descriptors for glass forming ability that have been previously validated for Al-rich Al–Sm alloys, and we predict that among the Sm-rich alloys the best glass formers have compositions between 65 and 75 at.% of Sm. To test this prediction, Al35Sm65 and Al25Sm75 alloys were synthesized by melt spinning. These alloys have been found to be good glass formers, in agreement with predictions from MD simulations. We also synthesized Al10Sm90, which according to MD results should have a low glass forming ability. Indeed, after the melt spinning, the Al10Sm90 was found to be crystalline as verified by multiple experimental characterization techniques. This is the first time that Sm-rich Al–Sm metallic glasses with enhanced glass forming ability have been experimentally synthesized. Our results also demonstrate the capability of specific structural descriptors to predict glass forming ability of Al-based alloys.
An improved metrics for osteoclast multinucleation

Cell-cell fusion is a key stage in development and maintenance of multinucleated cells that resorb bones and form our skeletal muscles and placenta. Here, we focus on osteoclast formation to suggest new ways of unbiased presentation of cell fusion at given conditions that combine empirical cumulative distribution function for the sizes of multinucleated cells with the total number of cell-cell fusion events, which generate these cells.
Physics and Dosimetry of Clinical 252Cf Sources

Californium-252 is the most useful neutron emitter out of all the ~ 3000 radionuclides. Though isotopes like 254Cf and 260Md have higher rates of spontaneous fission, their half-lives are too short, weeks, to permit large scale fabrication. The majority, 96.9%, of 252Cf decays are through alpha decay, but due to the nature of the encapsulation, these 4He nuclei do not escape the confines of the source. A small, 3.092%, but significant proportion of 252Cf decays go via spontaneous fission which produce fission fragments as well as a neutron yield of 3.768. These neutrons have an energy spectrum which may be modeled as either a Maxwellian or a Watt fission spectrum, are shown in Figure 1, and are readily thermalized in hydrogenous media such as human tissue. Other 252Cf emissions include prompt gammas and also photons from the fission products [1]. Properties of 252Cf emissions; neutron and photon energy spectrum is presented in tables 1,2, and 3.
The forkhead transcription factors play important roles in vascular pathology and immunology.

Transcription factor families are a small number of upstream master genes in “higher hierarchy” that control the expression of a large number of downstream genes. These transcription factors have been found to integrate the signaling pathways underlying the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases with or without autoimmune inflammatory mechanisms. In this chapter, we organize our analysis of recent progress in characterization of forkhead (FOX) transcription factor family members in vascular pathology and immune regulation into the following sections: (1) Introduction of the FOX transcription factor superfamily; (2) FOX transcription factors and endothelial cell pathology; (3) FOX transcription factors and vascular smooth muscle cells; and (4) FOX transcription factors, inflammation and immune system. Advances in these areas suggest that the FOX transcription factor family is important in regulating vascular development and the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory cardiovascular diseases.
The limits of common coins: further results

In [8] it was shown that the coin-tossing functionality $\mathcal{F}_{coin}$ has limited use in 2-party secure function evaluation (SFE) in the computationally unbounded (a.k.a information-theoretic) setting. Further it was shown that for $\mathcal{F}_{coin}$ to be useful in securely realizing any one in a a large class of symmetric SFE (SSFE) functionalities, a certain computational assumption (namely the existence of a semi-honest secure OT protocol) is necessary and sufficient. In this work, we close a gap in the class of SSFE functionalities for which this result was proven in [8]: we show that $\mathcal{F}_{coin}$ can be used to securely realize any SSFE functionality that cannot be realized in the computationally unbounded setting, if and only if there exists a semi-honest secure OT protocol.
Minimal in vitro antimicrobial efficacy and ocular cell toxicity from silver nanoparticles

Silver in various forms has long been recognized for antimicrobial properties, both in biomedical devices and in eyes. However, soluble drugs used on the ocular surface are rapidly cleared through tear ducts and eventually ingested, resulting in decreased efficacy of the drug on its target tissue and potential concern for systemic side effects. Silver nanoparticles were studied as a source of anti-microbial silver for possible controlled-release contact lens controlled delivery formulations. Silver ion release over a period of several weeks from nanoparticle sources of various sizes and doses in vitro was evaluated in vitro against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA01. Mammalian cell viability and cytokine expression in response to silver nanoparticle exposure is evaluated using corneal epithelial cells and eye-associated macrophages cultured in vitro in serum-free media. Minimal microcidal and cell toxic effects were observed for several silver nanoparticle suspensions and aqueous extraction times for bulk total silver concentrations commensurate with comparative silver ion (e.g., Ag(+) ((aq))) toxicity. This indicates that (1) silver particles themselves are not microcidal under conditions tested, and (2) insufficient silver ion is generated from these particles at these loadings to produce observable biological effects in these in vitro assays. If dosing allows substantially increased silver particle loading in the lens, the bactericidal efficacy of silver nanoparticles in vitro is one possible approach to limiting bacterial colonization problems associated with extended-wear contact lenses.
Constraint verification failure recovery in web service composition

Abstract Automated service composition aims at fulfilling complex tasks by combining different existing elementary web services in a workflow and creating value-added services. Many approaches have been proposed for automatic web service composition. Most of these approaches are based on the matching of input/output parameters across different elementary services. However, in addition to input/output parameters, many real-world services have applicable conditions and usage restrictions (i.e., service constraints) that are imposed by their providers. The constraints of a service should be verified prior to service call to ensure its correct execution. However, constraint verification of a composite service is different, as verification of some of the elementary services’ constraints might require execution of other elementary services inside the composite plan. In addition, failure during verification of constraints inside a composite plan results in the failure of execution of the whole composite service, which requires failure recovery for the composite service to continue execution. Composite service failure recovery implies the rollback of certain service transactions during the recovery of the composite plan. Current composite service failure recovery approaches are not adapted to the minimization of service rollbacks due to constraint verification failures. In this paper, a constraint-aware failure recovery approach is proposed to predict failures inside a composite service. Then, a method is proposed to do failure recovery based on those predictions and minimize the number of service rollbacks upon failure resulting from constraint verification. The proposed solution includes a planning-based algorithm and a novel constraint-processing method for service failure prediction and recovery. A publicly available test set generator is used to evaluate and analyze the proposed solution.
A new smart balance rehabilitation system technology platform: Development and preliminary assessment of the Smarter Balance System for home-based balance rehabilitation for individuals with Parkinson’s disease *

Physical and balance rehabilitation programs have been shown to improve postural stability and balance performance and to be more effective than dopaminergic medication and surgical treatments for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). This paper describes the development and assessment of a new Smarter Balance System (SBS) intended for home-based use by individuals with PD. We report the initial results of a long-term study currently underway that quantifies the clinical impacts of using the SBS during a 6-week, home-based rehabilitation program. Preliminary results indicate that individuals with PD improved their balance and postural stability, and maintained the improvements for 1 month after completing the 6-week, homebased rehabilitation program with the SBS.
Semi-Packed Gas Chromatography Columns With Density Modulated Pillars

The separation column is the most important component which influences the performance of gas chromatography systems. Among a number of column designs, the microfabricated semi-packed column has attracted particular attention in micro gas chromatography because it enhances the separation efficiency and provides higher sample capacity compared to the open-channel counterparts. However, these added advantages come at the cost of higher pressure drops per unit length of the separation column. This paper reports new semi-packed column designs through density modulation of the pillars by changing the spacing between rows or the number of pillars per row from. Various geometries were fabricated and tested against regular semi-packed columns having either one pillar or four pillars per row. Different performance metrics were measured including column pressure drop, optimal flow velocity, number of theoretical plates, and separation efficiency. The density-modulated semi-packed columns provide efficiencies comparable with that of semi-packed columns embedding more pillars per row while requiring a lower inlet pressure which is more comparable with the columns embedding one pillar per row. These density-modulated columns were able to successfully separate diesel and kerosene compounds and to identify the major hydrocarbon constituents of these two widely used samples. [2018-0102]
Reliability Oriented Design of Dual Active Bridge Converter for Power Supply on Heavy-Vehicles

The design of power electronic converters is often driven by goals such as full-load efficiency, power density or cost per watt of power transferred. In the paper, application of power electronic conversion system in heavy-duty vehicle industry is considered; in this low-volume industry, system reliability and availability along with economies of scale are also crucial. In this respect, a dual active bridge (DAB) based dc-dc power electronic building block (PEBB) is considered to supply an auxiliary load. Economies of scale are achieved by designing the PEBB for its reliable operation across different vehicle platforms of the original equipment manufacturers (OEM), while catering to their disparate specifications. A method is proposed in the paper to realise a design of a DAB based PEBB for maximum system availability by minimising the lifetime consumption of the semiconductor device for a defined load-cycle. It is illustrated for a load-cycle of air-conditioning compressors in heavy vehicles.
Artificial turf: chemical flux and development of silicone wristband partitioning coefficients

This work uses passive samplers to identify PAHs and OPAHs not previously associated with artificial turf, and to provide the first quantitative measure of in situ flux of semi-volatile contaminants on artificial turf fields. Both air (1.5-m height) and turf air (immediately above turf surface) were sampled using two sampling materials: low-density polyethylene and silicone. Utilizing a broad targeted screen, we assess both artificial turf and samples of crumb rubber for over 1530 chemicals including pesticides, phthalates, and personal care products. We report the presence of 25 chemicals that have not yet been reported in artificial turf literature, including some with known human effects. The samplers were also quantitatively analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons yielding gas-phase concentrations at breathing height and surface level—the first such report on an artificial turf outdoor field. Turf pore-air and air chemicals were highly correlated at all sites, and particularly at the recently installed indoor site. Flux of chemicals between air and turf surface appear to follow field age although more research is needed to confirm this trend. The thermal extraction process and silicone passive samplers used are suitable for larger-scale environmental sampling campaigns that aim for less solvent and sample processing. By co-deploying silicone passive samplers and conventional low-density polyethylene, partitioning coefficients are derived that can be used for future silicone passive air sampling environmental assessment. This study provides an initial demonstration that passive samplers can be used to quantify volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals from artificial turf.
NATURAL ANTIBACTERIAL CLAYS: HISTORICAL USES AND MODERN ADVANCES

Antibacterial clays in nature include a variety of clay mineral assemblages that are capable of killing certain human pathogens. Although clays have been used for medicinal applications historically, only in the last decade have analytical methods and instrumentation been developed that allow researchers to evaluate the antibacterial mechanisms of various clays applied medicinally. Comparisons of the mineralogical and chemical compositions of natural clays that kill bacteria have promoted a better understanding of the mineral properties that are toxic to a broad-spectrum of human pathogens, including bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics. Popular literature is filled with reports of ‘healing’ clays, that, when tested against pathogens in vitro and compared to controls, do not appear to have bactericidal properties. It is important, however, to differentiate what properties make a clay ‘healing,’ versus what makes a clay ‘antibacterial.’ Most antibacterial clays identified to date buffer pH conditions of a hydrated clay outside the range of conditions in which human pathogens thrive (circum-neutral pH) and require oxidation reactions to occur. It is the change in oxidation state and pH imposed by the hydrated clay, applied topically, that leads to a chemical attack of the bacteria. Healing clays, on the other hand, may not kill bacteria but have soothing effects that are palliative. This article reviews some of the historical uses of clays in medicine but focuses primarily on the common characteristics of natural antibacterial clays and early studies of their antibacterial mechanisms. In this era of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, mimicking the antibacterial mechanisms exhibited by natural clays could be advantageous in the development of new antimicrobial agents.
Successful treatment of a Candida auris intra-articular infection.

A 78-year-old woman with a long-term ankle spacer with antibacterials developed an intra-articular Candida auris infection. Treatment with systemic antifungal therapy plus an amphotericin B moulded...
Evaluation of mesotrione tolerance levels and [14C]mesotrione absorption and translocation in three fine fescue species

Fine fescues (Festuca spp.) are cool-season grasses used in low-maintenance turf areas. Mesotrione is a PRE and early-POST herbicide used during establishment of most cool-season turfgrasses, excluding fine fescues. Currently, efforts are being made to breed for increased tolerance to mesotrione in fine fescues to enhance weed control during establishment. This study was conducted to evaluate the association of foliar and root uptake of [14C]mesotrione with the tolerance of three lines each of Chewings fescue [Festuca rubra ssp. commutata Gaudin; syn. F. rubra ssp. fallax (Thuill.) Nyman], hard fescue [Festuca trachyphylla (Hack.) Hack.], and strong creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. ssp. rubra) lines. From a rate-titration experiment, the hierarchical rank of species for mesotrione tolerance from highest to lowest was: hard > Chewings > strong creeping red fescue. The hierarchical rank of species for foliar uptake from highest to lowest was: Chewings > strong creeping red > hard fescue. Translocation of foliar-absorbed 14C was not associated with differential tolerance levels of the three species. Root absorption was comparable among species, but differences between lines were detected within the species. The most susceptible lines of Chewings and strong creeping red fescue exhibited greater root uptake than lines with greater tolerance. Hard fescue translocated the least amount of root-absorbed radioactivity to shoots, while Chewings and strong creeping red fescues were comparable.
City-scale single family residential building energy consumption prediction using genetic algorithm-based Numerical Moment Matching technique

Abstract Growing energy consumption in urban areas has increased the importance of planning for future energy systems. Thus, improving the modeling abilities for predicting energy consumption at the city scale is critical. In this study, a Genetic Algorithm-Based Numerical Moment Matching (GA-NMM) method is adopted as a primary uncertainty estimation technique to predict the electricity consumption of a large dataset of single family homes by utilizing key features in energy audit and assessors data. This data is used as an input to the GA-NMM to develop a set of index buildings and associated weighting factors that represent statistical characteristics of the dataset. Energy models are then developed for the index buildings using physics-based energy modeling in EnergyPlus. These, in combination, are used to estimate the energy behavior of single family homes of the studied dataset. The proposed method is applied to a large dataset of 8370 single family homes in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where the expected annual and monthly electricity consumption from the model is calculated and compared with measured data. The expected site electricity consumption for single family buildings in Cedar Falls is estimated as 10,219 kWh/yr, which is within 6% of the measured average annual electricity consumption. At a monthly level, the Coefficient of Variation of Root Mean Square Error and Mean Bias Error are 7.8% and 4.5%, respectively. This method can be used to generate small set of representative homes for demonstrating the energy behavior of a larger set of homes.
Case 274: Cardiac Echinococcus

HistoryA 47-year-old Sudanese man without a known remarkable medical history presented to the emergency department for a syncopal episode. The patient denied chest pain, dyspnea, focal weakness, or prior similar episodes. He was originally from north Sudan and eventually moved to Saudi Arabia, where he worked as a farm manager before emigrating to the United States years ago. Physical examination findings and routine laboratory values, including complete blood count and basic metabolic panels, were normal. Electrocardiography revealed nonspecific T-wave inversions, and a series of cardiac biomarkers were negative. A contrast material-enhanced CT angiography pulmonary embolism protocol and cardiac MRI were performed for further evaluation.
Origin and functional heterogeneity of fibroblasts

The inherent plasticity and resiliency of fibroblasts make this cell type a conventional tool for basic research. But where do they come from, are all fibroblasts the same, and how do they function in disease? The first fibroblast lineages in mammalian development emerge from the ooze of primary mesenchyme during gastrulation. They are cells that efficiently create and negotiate the extracellular matrix of the mesoderm in order to migrate and meet their developmental fate. Mature fibroblasts in epithelial tissues live in the interstitial spaces between basement membranes that spatially delimit complex organ structures. While the function of resident fibroblasts in healthy tissues is largely conjecture, the accumulation of fibroblasts in pathologic lesions offers insight into biologic mechanisms that control their function; fibroblasts are poised to coordinate fibrogenesis in tissue injury, neoplasia, and aging. Here, we examine the developmental origin and plasticity of fibroblasts, their molecular and functional definitions, the epigenetic control underlying their identity and activation, and the evolution of their immune regulatory functions. These topics are reviewed through the lens of fate mapping using genetically engineered mouse models and from the perspective of single-cell RNA sequencing. Recent observations suggest dynamic and heterogeneous functions for fibroblasts that underscore their complex molecular signatures and utility in injured tissues.
From TAM to AVRTS: development and validation of the attitudes toward Virtual Reality Technology Scale

To address a deficiency of scales measuring attitudes toward virtual reality technology, the Attitudes toward Virtual Reality Technology Scale (AVRTS) was developed following a three-step procedure. Items were generated based on literature and in a focus group pilot study (n = 20). Using factor analysis with maximum likelihood extraction and direct oblimin rotation, the initial scale was created after administration of these items (n = 314) and further refined after a second survey (n = 473). In the final solution, a total of 22 items clustered into a three-factor solution with the factors being “ease of use” (alpha = .858), “usefulness” (alpha = .857), and “enjoyment” (alpha = .919) and overall reliability of .910. Construct validity was established by correlating the AVRTS with the Technology Readiness Index and an access barrier scale, and internal validity was established by correlating the scale with its sub-scales.
Post-operative disposition and readmission rates in repeat resections for glioblastoma.

e14543Background: Glioblastoma Multiforme is an aggressive primary brain tumor that will inevitably recur despite initial resection and maximal medical treatment, and re-resection is often pursued....
The "sufficient cause" model framework applied to the periodontitis-systemic diseases link.

The premise for the oral-systemic diseases relationship dates to the early 20th century with the introduction of the focal infection theory that posited that oral disease affects overall health and wellbeing. While the biological plausibility for the link has been supported by experimental animal models and observational studies in humans, findings from interventional studies in which periodontal therapy failed to alleviate systemic health outcomes have often been interpreted as evidence against periodontitis contribution to the etiology of systemic health conditions. One concept of causation assumes a one-to-one correspondence between cause and effect. Nevertheless, common chronic diseases to which periodontitis is associated have multifactorial etiologies. This commentary provides an overview of Rothman's "sufficient cause" model as a framework for consideration of the oral-systemic diseases link.
Cognitive Memory Constrained Human Decision Making based on Multi-source Information

Unlike decision making systems made up of physical sensors where the system parameters are known a priori and can be controlled at will, human behavior in decision making is complex and uncertain. The objective of this work is to study how humans make decisions based on internal and external sources of information under cognitive memory limitations. Due to constrained capacity of working memory, humans are known to perform cognitive tasks and update their beliefs in a sequential manner rather than in parallel. In a Bayesian hypothesis testing framework, we derive the metrics for performance evaluation and comparison when the humans use different ordering of information for processing and to update their beliefs. We show that an appropriate order of information sources can help a cognitive memory limited human make better decisions. Simulations are presented to corroborate the theoretical results.
Age of initiation of hookah use among young adults: Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, 2013-2017.

Objective To prospectively estimate the age of initiation of ever, past 30-day, and fairly regular hookah use among young adults (ages 18-24) overall, by sex, by race/ethnicity, and to explore the association of prior use of other tobacco products with these hookah use behaviors. Methods Secondary data analyses of the first four waves (2013-2017) of the PATH study, a nationally representative longitudinal cohort study of US young adults. Young adult never hookah users at the first wave of adult participation in PATH waves 1-3 (2013-2016) were followed-up into waves 2-4 (2014-2017) to estimate the age of initiation of three outcomes: (i) ever use, (ii) past 30-day use, and (iii) fairly regular hookah use. Weighted interval-censoring Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the differences in the estimated age of initiation by sex and by race/ethnicity while controlling for the total number of other tobacco products ever used at participants' first wave of PATH participation. In addition, to examine if prior use of other tobacco products was associated with the age of hookah initiation behaviors, six additional Cox models are reported for each hookah initiation behaviors. Results The largest increase in hookah use occurred between ages 18 and 19: 5.8% for ever use and 2.7% for past 30-day hookah use. By age 21, 10.5%, 4.7% and 1.2% reported initiation of ever, past 30-day and fairly regular hookah use, respectively. There were statistically significance differences in the age of initiation of hookah use behaviors by race/ethnicity. Conclusion Educational interventions should target young adults before the age of 21, focusing efforts specifically on males, non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics, to stall initiation and progression of hookah use behaviors.
Electromagnetic coupling between a thin-wire antenna and a neighboring biological body: theory and experiment

Interaction between the near-zone EM field of a radiating antenna and a neighboring biological body is analyzed by considering the antenna current and the induced electric field in the body as unknown functions. A simultaneous pair of coupled, tensor integral equations is developed for these unknown functions. These equations are solved numerically by the method of moments using pulse function expansions for the unknowns and delta functions for testing. A monopole antenna coupled with a rectangular-cylindrical body model is used for the experimental verification of theoretical results. Accuracy of the numerical solution is substantiated by good agreement between the numerical and experimental results obtained for the antenna impedance and current distribution, as well as the induced electric field in the body. Electromagnetic (EM) radiation effects in various computer models of the human body are investigated to make a realistic assessment of potential radiation hazards associated with the coupled antenna-body system. It is found that an operator in the immediate vicinity of high-power transmitters may be exposed to harmful levels of radiation.