cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fabrication and performance of InAs-based heterojunction bipolar transistors

InAs-based heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) have great potential for applications requiring high speed and low power integrated circuits. Significant advantages of the InAs material properties over those of InGaAs and GaAs have motivated recent research into InAs-based HBTs. The advantages of InAs include a low bandgap, low electron effective mass, high peak velocity and high electron mobility. InAs/InAsP and InAs/InAlAs SHBT and DHBTs have been grown on both InAs and InP substrates. Initial results from InAsP/InAs HBTs grown on InAs and transferred to sapphire substrates show comparable performance to the well established InGaAs/InAlAs HBT. An Ft of 181 GHz has been measured at a collector-emitter voltage of 0.6 V and collector current of 7.6 mA. for 1/spl times/3 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ sized emitter devices. Divide-by-16 circuits have been fabricated to demonstrate the basic building blocks for digital ICs.
Analysis of crabmeat volatile compounds.

Boiled and pasteurized blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) meat samples were analyzed for volatile flavor components by dynamic headspace sampling, capillary column gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Fifty-three compounds were identified including aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, aromatics, furans, sulfur-containing compounds, terpenes, alkanes, and miscellaneous compounds. Levels in both samples were compared and boiled crabmeat contained higher levels of most compounds.
Virulence Functions of Autotransporter Proteins

Bacterial pathogens must execute a prodigious array of complex functions in order to survive, multiply, and disseminate within mammalian hosts. Virulence determinants are usually proteinaceous in nature and are often either secreted to the bacterial cell surface or released into the external
The effects of search engines and query operators on top ranked results

We examine whether the use of query operators changes the documents retrieved by three popular Web search engines. One hundred queries containing query operators were selected from the transaction log of a major Web search service. The query operators were then removed from these one hundred advanced queries. Both the original and modified queries were submitted to three major Web search engines. A total of 600 queries were submitted, and 5748 of the documents retrieved were examined. Changes in the ranking of the top documents retrieved were examined. The significant results of our research are that the effectiveness of query operators is dependent on the specific search engine utilized, and that generally there is approximately 60% similarity between retrieved results across all search engines. Implications on the effectiveness of current searching techniques, for future search engine design, and of future research are discussed.
Winning the Peace: American Planning for a Profitable Post-War World

Shortly after the end of World War II, on 11 December 1945, James Webb Young, Chairman of the Advertising Council and Director of the J. Walter Thompson Company, spoke to the annual meeting of the American Association of Advertising Agencies at the Continental Hotel in Chicago. The title of his speech was, “What Advertising Learned From the War,” and in it Young talked about an immediate post-war period that was, by most accounts, an exuberant time for an America flushed by a victory that finally marked it as a true global power. The American government proclaimed it, the American people believed it, and American business stood ready to sell it through an advertising industry that itself had come of age during, and because of, the war.
RISK FACTORS FOR SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION IN DATING : A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF COLLEGE WOMEN

In this longitudinal study of college women, nine risk characteristics assessed prior to the start of college were examined in the effort to identify predictors of sexual victimization in college dating. A total of 100 women were followed for 32 months, with information about personal history, behaviors, and attitudes collected at Time 1 and information about subsequent sexual victimization collected at Time 2. Although four risk factors were significantly associated with victimization, a logistic regression analysis revealed that the best prediction model contained only two variables: Precollege sexual victimization in dating was positively correlated with college victimization, and sexual conservatism was negatively correlated with college victimization. Discussion focused on the needs for improved sex education for teenagers, prevention programs aimed at the precollege level, and increased research and clinical attention to the phenomenon of revictimization.
What Is an “Explanation” of Behavior?

The cognitive “revolution” in psychology introduced a new concept of explanation and somewhat novel methods of gathering and interpreting evidence. These innovations assume that it is essential to explain complex phenomena at several levels, symbolic as well as physiological; complementary, not competitive. As with the other sciences, such complementarity makes possible a comprehensive and unified experimental psychology. Contemporary cognitive psychology also introduced complementarity of another kind, drawing upon, and drawing together, both the behaviorist and the Gestalt traditions.
Reason for Visit: Is Migrant Health Care That Different?

Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the reasons for which migrant agricultural workers in Pennsylvania seek health care. Methods Participants were individuals 14 years of age and over, actively involved in agricultural labor and presenting for medical care at 6 migrant health care centers. Bilingual health care providers randomly selected and interviewed the participants. Findings The most commonly reported reason for visiting the health care provider was for physical examination. The most frequent acute problems were related to the musculoskeletal and integumentary systems. Frequently cited problems in the medical history were hypertension, musculoskeletal/back pain, and gastrointestinal conditions. Most medications being taken were for cardiovascular or pain-related problems. Conclusions These results suggest that migrant workers present with medical problems that are similar to those of the general primary care population. Many problems were recurrent and represented common chronic medical conditions.
Sociology of Professions: Application to the Civil Engineering "Raise the Bar" Initiative

This paper applies the sociological theory of professions, as espoused by Abbott and Freidson, as a conceptual framework to assess the critical issues associated with the ongoing implementation of ASCE Policy Statement 465—also called the “Raise the Bar” initiative. The sociology of professions provides an objective basis for evaluating key aspects of the initiative, including publication of the civil engineering body of knowledge, raising educational standards for licensure, collaboration with other engineering disciplines, and defining the role of paraprofessionals. The analysis demonstrates the following: (1) the models of professionalism by Abbott and Freidson are highly applicable to civil engineering; (2) most aspects of Policy Statement 465 implementation are consistent with these models; (3) the initiative is contributing to the strength of the profession as intended; and (4) some future additions and adjustments appear to be warranted. From this analysis, the author derives recommendations for th...
Signatures: a language extension for improving type abstraction and subtype polymorphism in C++

C++ uses inheritance as a substitute for subtype polymorphism. We give examples where this makes the type system too inflexible. We then describe a conservative language extension that allows a programmer to define an abstract type hierarchy independent of any implementation hierarchies, to retroactively abstract over an implementation, and to decouple subtyping from inheritance. This extension gives the user more of the flexibility of dynamic typing while retaining the efficiency and security of static typing. With default implementations and views flexible mechanisms are provided for implementing an abstract type by different concrete class types. We first show how the language extension can be implemented in a preprocessor to a C++ compiler, and then detail and analyse the efficiency of an implementation we directly incorporated in the GNU C++ compiler.
Racial and ethnic disparities in work-related injuries and socio-economic resources among nursing assistants employed in US nursing homes.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to estimate the proportion of nursing assistants (NAs) in the US with work-related injuries and insufficient socio-economic resources by race/ethnicity. METHODS: Data from the 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey (NNAS), a nationally representative sample survey of NAs employed in United States nursing homes, were analyzed accounting for the complex survey design. RESULTS: Among 2,880 participants, 44% reported "scratch, open wounds, or cuts" followed by "back injuries" (17%), "black eyes or other types of bruising" (16%), and "human bites" (12%). When compared to non-Hispanic white NAs, the adjusted rate ratio (RR) for wound/cut was 0.74 for non-Hispanic black NAs (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65-0.85). RRs for black eyes/bruises were 0.18 for non-Hispanic black NAs (95% CI: 0.12-0.26), and 0.55 for Hispanic NAs (95% CI: 0.37-0.82). CONCLUSIONS: Minority racial and ethnic groups were less likely to report having experienced injuries compared with non-Hispanic white NAs. Future research should focus on identifying preventable risk factors, such as differences by race and ethnicity in the nature of NA jobs and the extent of their engagement in assisting patients with activities of daily living. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:951-959, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Language: en
Effects of Lifestyle Physical Activity on Health Status, Pain, and Function in Adults with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Objective: To test the effects of a lifestyle physical activity [LPA] program on health status, pain, fatigue, and function in adults with the fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS]. Methods: Forty-eight sedentary adults with FMS were randomized to either LPA or a FMS education control [FME] group. The LPA participants gradually worked toward accumulating 30 minutes of self-selected moderate-intensity LPA, five to seven days per week. Thirty-four participants [71 percent] completed the study.Results: The LPA group increased their physical activity by 70 percent, as assessed by pedometer. Seventy-one percent of participants randomized to LPA reported that their health status was improved, compared with 25 percent of the FME group [P = 0.013]. There were no statistically significant post-intervention differences between the LPA and FME groups in pain, fatigue, FMS impact, or six-minute walk distance.Conclusion: The LPA group increased their physical activity and improved global ratings of FMS-related change. Lifestyle...
The double-edged role of nitric oxide in brain function and superoxide-mediated injury.

Fetal ischemia or hypoxia can lead to cerebral palsy, mental retardation and epilepsy. We propose that the production of nitric oxide and oxygen radicals by neurons when ischemic or hypoxic brain is reperfused may contribute to cerebral injury. Ischemia will depolarize neuronal membranes causing the synaptic discharge of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, which in turn opens the voltage-dependent, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-specific glutamate receptor/ionophore, allowing calcium to accumulate in the neuron. Calcium in turn activates an oxygen-dependent neuronal nitric oxide synthetase, which oxidizes arginine to produce nitric oxide (.NO) when oxygen is readmitted to brain by reperfusion. Nitric oxide reacts with the oxygen radical superoxide (O2-), also produced by reperfusion, to form peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Peroxynitrite can diffuse for several micrometers before decomposing to form the powerful and cytotoxic oxidants hydroxyl radical and nitrogen dioxide. The hypothesis is consistent with available evidence on the protective action of glutamate antagonists and of oxygen radical scavengers for limiting cerebral infarction following focal ischemia.
Conditions of Stability for Liquid-Crystalline Phospholipid Membranes

Four different classes of phospholipids, extracted and purified from natural sources, have been studied as model membranes in the fors of 1) multilamellar, liquid-crystalline particles; 2) unilamellar vesicles produced 3y sonication; and 3) thin films of approximately bimolecular thickness (black films). The study centers around the importance of the polar groups and the aqueous environment on the stability and permeability properties of the resulting membranes. All the phospholipids, studied at physiological ionic strength (0.1M) and ambient temperature (22°–30°C), produce stable membranes, exhibiting high electrical resistance and low permeability to ions. However, differences in the chemical composition of the head-groups of phospholipids, ionic strength, ion composition or pH of the aqueous phase, produce substantial differences in ion self-diffusion rates and electrical resistance. These observations suggest two types of dynamic conformational changes of the orientation of the phospholipid molecules. One: a micelle-bilayer transformation as a result of charge-charge interaction on the same plane, and second: an “inversion” of the orientation of molecules or clusters of molecules resulting from asymmetricity of the surface energy between the two planes of a bilayer.
Using the Matrix Algebra Capabilities of the TI59 Calculator for Teaching Ration Formulation

Abstract Procedures are illustrated for using the matrix algebra capabilities of the TI59 calculator to rapidly and accurately calculate rations involving several requirements and ingredients. A broiler ration example is given in which requirements for energy, protein, calcium, and available phosphorus are met by corn, soybean meal, tallow, mono-dicalcium phosphate, limestone, and fixed ingredients.
Variability in cyst fluid carcinoembryonic antigen level, fluid viscosity, amylase content, and cytologic findings among multiple loculi of a pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasm

The procedure of percutaneous aspiration and analysis of cyst contents has been advocated to provide a preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions (pseudocysts and cystic tumors), but it is not known whether variation in the contents of separate loculi of a multilocular neoplasm might misrepresent the identity of the tumor. The authors measured the cyst fluid carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, fluid viscosity, and amylase content and performed cytologic analysis on aspirates rates from ten different loculi of a single mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreas. The CEA levels were highly variable (median, 6,326 ng/mL; range, 962-64,670 ng/mL) but in all cases were diagnostic of a mucinous tumor. Fluid relative viscosity values were also variable (median, 2.4; range, 1.3-10+) but diagnostic in eight of nine aspirates. The amylase content in all of the loculi was low (< 91 U/L), and values were consistent with a cystic tumor. Cytologic analysis showed diagnostic mucin-secreting epithelial cells in nine of ten loculi. Although cytologic examination was nondiagnostic in one loculus, there were no false-positive results for malignancy. The combination of all four tests would not have resulted in misclassification of any of the tumors. The authors conclude that the characteristics of the contents of different loculi of pancreatic cystic neoplasms may be variable, but the use of a combination of tests still ensures accurate diagnosis.
Short Interfering RNA Guide Strand Modifiers from Computational Screening

Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are promising drug candidates for a wide range of targets including those previously considered "undruggable". However, properties associated with the native RNA structure limit drug development, and chemical modifications are necessary. Here we describe the structure-guided discovery of functional modifications for the guide strand 5'-end using computational screening with the high-resolution structure of human Ago2, the key nuclease on the RNA interference pathway. Our results indicate the guide strand 5'-end nucleotide need not engage in Watson-Crick (W/C) H-bonding but must fit the general shape of the 5'-end binding site in MID/PIWI domains of hAgo2 for efficient knockdown. 1,2,3-Triazol-4-yl bases formed from the CuAAC reaction of azides and 1-ethynylribose, which is readily incorporated into RNA via the phosphoramidite, perform well at the guide strand 5'-end. In contrast, purine derivatives with modified Hoogsteen faces or N2 substituents are poor choices for 5'-end modifications. Finally, we identified a 1,2,3-triazol-4-yl base incapable of W/C H-bonding that performs well at guide strand position 12, where base pairing to target was expected to be important. This work expands the repertoire of functional nucleotide analogues for siRNAs.
Peripheral Mechanosensory Neuron Dysfunction Underlies Tactile and Behavioral Deficits in Mouse Models of ASDs

Patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) commonly experience aberrant tactile sensitivity, yet the neural alterations underlying somatosensory dysfunction and the extent to which tactile deficits contribute to ASD characteristics are unknown. We report that mice harboring mutations in Mecp2, Gabrb3, Shank3, and Fmr1 genes associated with ASDs in humans exhibit altered tactile discrimination and hypersensitivity to gentle touch. Deletion of Mecp2 or Gabrb3 in peripheral somatosensory neurons causes mechanosensory dysfunction through loss of GABAA receptor-mediated presynaptic inhibition of inputs to the CNS. Remarkably, tactile defects resulting from Mecp2 or Gabrb3 deletion in somatosensory neurons during development, but not in adulthood, cause social interaction deficits and anxiety-like behavior. Restoring Mecp2 expression exclusively in the somatosensory neurons of Mecp2-null mice rescues tactile sensitivity, anxiety-like behavior, and social interaction deficits, but not lethality, memory, or motor deficits. Thus, mechanosensory processing defects contribute to anxiety-like behavior and social interaction deficits in ASD mouse models. PAPERCLIP.
Open compute-equipment design specification as a standard for cloud computing

As cloud-computing becomes the primary method to run information and communication services, IT related spending toward workload processing must also increase, as it has during the last three years. A substantial portion of spending is presently dedicated to building datacenter deployments across the globe. The compute hardware equipment is at the core of the datacenters. That equipment specification is presently dictated by name-brand proprietary vendors with specific needs that encompasses the vendors offering. The data center operators are thus required to adjust their architecture to the various equipment vendors offerings to best run its service. This solution is suboptimal as specific needs might include the use of generic compute features in large scale that leave some of the system components totally unused or in low utilization limbo. We propose a model that mimics the open source software paradigm and provides a metric for technical measurement of the hardware compute system design. It uses the openCompute community as an illustrative collaboration platform. It allows a continuous improvement in the equipment specifications process based on both customer and operator needs along with evolving vendor constraints. Finally, it employs Systems Engineering theory for mitigating certain risks, and uncertainty where no meaningful data are available.
On radial solutions for singular combined superlinear elliptic systems on annular domains

Abstract We prove the existence of a large positive solution to the system { − ( r N − 1 ϕ 1 ( u ′ ) ) ′ = λ r N − 1 f 1 ( v ) , a r b , − ( r N − 1 ϕ 2 ( v ′ ) ) ′ = λ r N − 1 f 2 ( u ) , a r b , u ( a ) = 0 = u ( b ) , v ( a ) = 0 = v ( b ) , where a > 0 , λ is a small positive parameter, f i : ( 0 , ∞ ) → R are continuous and lim z → ∞ ⁡ ϕ 1 − 1 ( f 1 ( c ( ϕ 2 − 1 ( f 2 ( z ) ) ) z = ∞ for all c > 0 .
Asymmetric total synthesis of tetrahydroprotoberberine derivatives and evaluation of their binding affinities at dopamine receptors

Cocaine addiction remains a serious challenge for clinical and medical research because there is no effective pharmacological treatment. l-THP, a natural product isolated from Corydalis yanhusuo W.T. Wang, is one of the most frequently used traditional herbs to treat drug addiction in China. Our laboratory first reported that its demethylated metabolites l-ICP, l-CD, and l-CP had high affinity at dopamine D1, D2, and D5 receptors. Here we report the chemical synthesis of these metabolites and other derivatives and their binding affinities at dopamine receptors. The synthesis of these bioactive metabolites will allow further in vivo study of their potential in treating cocaine addiction.
Magnitude, origins, and reduction of abdominal ultrasonic clutter

Clutter is a noise artifact in ultrasound images, arising from multiple sources. Experiments were conducted with urine-filled in vivo bladders to differentiate among various clutter sources. Successive-frame image acquisitions with varying transmit PRFs were used to determine the clutter contributions from echoes of previously sent pulses and random electronic and/or acoustic noise. Images acquired during axial displacement of the abdominal wall were assessed to distinguish clutter due to near-field reverberation from clutter due to off-axis scattering. The results indicate that clutter contributions from random noise and echoes of previously sent pulses are weak, while clutter arising from sound reverberation in abdominal tissues are dominant distal to the abdominal wall. Clutter adjacent to the distal and lateral bladder walls is mainly due to off-axis scattering. Clutter was reduced in fundamental and harmonic bladder images by applying Finite Impulse Response (FIR) and Blind Source Separation (BSS) motion filters to images acquired during axial displacement of the abdominal wall.
Killing of Serratia marcescens biofilms with chloramphenicol

Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative bacterium with proven resistance to multiple antibiotics and causative of catheter-associated infections. Bacterial colonization of catheters mainly involves the formation of biofilm. The objectives of this study were to explore the susceptibility of S. marcescens biofilms to high doses of common antibiotics and non-antimicrobial agents. Biofilms formed by a clinical isolate of S. marcescens were treated with ceftriaxone, kanamycin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol at doses corresponding to 10, 100 and 1000 times their planktonic minimum inhibitory concentration. In addition, biofilms were also treated with chemical compounds such as polysorbate-80 and ursolic acid. S. marcescens demonstrated susceptibility to ceftriaxone, kanamycin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol in its planktonic form, however, only chloramphenicol reduced both biofilm biomass and biofilm viability. Polysorbate-80 and ursolic acid had minimal to no effect on either planktonic and biofilm grown S. marcescens. Our results suggest that supratherapeutic doses of chloramphenicol can be used effectively against established S. marcescens biofilms.
Identification and validation of QTLs for seedling salinity tolerance in introgression lines of a salt tolerant rice landrace 'Pokkali'.

Salinity is a major threat to rice production worldwide. Several studies have been conducted to elucidate the molecular basis of salinity tolerance in rice. However, the genetic information such as quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and molecular markers, emanating from these studies, were rarely exploited for marker-assisted breeding. To better understand salinity tolerance and to validate previously reported QTLs at seedling stage, a set of introgression lines (ILs) of a salt tolerant donor line ‘Pokkali’ developed in a susceptible high yielding rice cultivar ‘Bengal’ background was evaluated for several morphological and physiological traits under salt stress. Both SSR and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) derived SNP markers were utilized to characterize the ILs and identify QTLs for traits related to salinity tolerance. A total of eighteen and thirty-two QTLs were detected using SSR and SNP markers, respectively. At least fourteen QTLs detected in the RIL population developed from the same cross were validated in IL population. Analysis of phenotypic responses, genomic composition, and QTLs present in the tolerant ILs suggested that the mechanisms of tolerance could be Na+ dilution in leaves, vacuolar Na+ compartmentation, and possibly synthesis of compatible solutes. Our results emphasize the use of salt injury score (SIS) QTLs in marker-assisted breeding to improve salinity tolerance. The tolerant lines identified in this study will serve as improved breeding materials for transferring salinity tolerance without the undesirable traits of Pokkali. Additionally, the lines will be useful for fine mapping and map-based cloning of genes responsible for salinity tolerance.
Diaphragmatic Hernia Associated With Absent Ductus Venosus and Anomalous Connection of an Obliterated Umbilical Vein to the Coronary Sinus.

Umbilical vein anomalies are a rare congenital defect, which have been associated with absent ductus venosus, with few cases also involving a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. We describe a case of ...
Herbivory and drought generate short-term stochasticity and long-term stability in a savanna understory community.

Rainfall and herbivory are fundamental drivers of grassland plant dynamics, yet few studies have examined long-term interactions between these factors in an experimental setting. Understanding such interactions is important, as rainfall is becoming increasingly erratic and native wild herbivores are being replaced by livestock. Livestock grazing and episodic low rainfall are thought to interact, leading to greater community change than either factor alone. We examined patterns of change and stability in herbaceous community composition through four dry periods, or droughts, over 15 years of the Kenya Long-term Exclosure Experiment (KLEE), which consists of six different combinations of cattle, native wild herbivores (e.g., zebras, gazelles), and mega-herbivores (giraffes, elephants). We used principal response curves to analyze the trajectory of change in each herbivore treatment relative to a common initial community and asked how droughts contributed to community change in these treatments. We examined three measures of stability (resistance, variability, and turnover) that correspond to different temporal scales and found that each had a different response to grazing. Treatments that included both cattle and wild herbivores had higher resistance (less net change over 15 years) but were more variable on shorter time scales; in contrast, the more lightly-grazed treatments (no herbivores or wild herbivores only) showed lower resistance due to the accumulation of consistent, linear, short-term change. Community change was greatest during and immediately after droughts in all herbivore treatments. But, while droughts contributed to directional change in the less grazed treatments, it contributed to both higher variability and resistance in the more heavily grazed treatments. Much of the community change in lightly grazed treatments (especially after droughts) was due to substantial increases in cover of the palatable grass Brachiaria lachnantha. These results illustrate how herbivory and drought can act together to cause change in grassland communities at the moderate to low end of a grazing intensity continuum. Livestock grazing at a moderate intensity in a system with a long evolutionary history of grazing contributed to long-term stability. This runs counter to often-held assumptions that livestock grazing leads to directional, destabilizing shifts in grassland systems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Reason-Giving and the Natural Normativity of Argumentation

Argument is a pervasive feature of human interaction, and in its natural contexts of occurrence, it is organized around the management of disagreement. Since disagreement can occur around any kind of speech act whatsoever, not all arguments involve a claim supported by reasons; many involve standpoints attributed to someone but claimed by no one. And although truth and validity are often at issue in naturally occurring arguments, these do not exhaust the standards to which arguers are held. Arguers hold one another accountable for cooperating in the management of disagreement, infusing argumentation with a natural normativity that exists apart from any theorized appraisal standard applied to the claim-reason relationship. Argumentation’s natural normativity is visible not only in how arguments unfold in interaction but also in how humanity continuously strives to improve its methods of disagreement management.
A Comparative Study of Privacy Protection Practices in the US, Europe, and Asia

This article describes how national and international companies in the US and Europe, as well as newly industrialized countries such as China and India, are striving to gain consumer trust by offering visible and meaningful Privacy Protection Policies (PPP) on their websites. This article deploys large sets of data and descriptive indicators to compare and contrast the extent of the visibility, specificity, and lucidity of privacy policies posted by interactive companies on the Internet. Examining about 2000 Interactive companies in the USA, Europe, and Asia provides a measure of divergent responses to the growing demand for privacy protection. The results of this comparative study should help interested readers from the business world, academics, and administrations get a grasp of the extent of efforts by international corporations to protect personal information privacy in an increasingly global economy.
A Micromechanical Model of Porous-Brittle Solids

There are many advantages to micromechanical models of material response. These are models that predict the behavior under load of materials by considering the behavior of microscopic structures embedded in an equivalent continuum1,2. We have derived a theoretical model framework that allows quasistatic plastic pore crush and brittle fracture along three orthogonal sets of crack planes. The contribution of internal energy to the stress is included. We discuss the model, a numerical solution method, and a sample application problem, namely response of rock to an underground explosion.
The effect of background luminance on cone sensitivity functions

Implementations of the Wald-Marre technique have employed fixed luminance backgrounds to isolate cone sensitivity mechanisms. We evaluated the effect of varying the adaptation level on the relative isolation of the different cone types. For MWS and LWS cone isolation we used a 15 Hz flickering test light to isolate the achromatic channel, and we modelled the resulting spectral sensitivity functions as a linear sum of LWS and MWS input. We found only mild improvement in relative cone isolation with increasing adaptation level. The LWS and MWS cone mechanisms showed decreasing sensitivity with adaptation level and reached limiting Weber behavior above 1000 Td. SWS cones were isolated with a 2.4 Hz flickering light. SWS cone isolation improved with adapting level, reaching a plateau above 1000 Td. The SWS cone mechanism showed decreasing sensitivity with adaptation level but did not reach a limiting Weber region. Our data indicate that the use of fixed high adaptation levels has different effects on the cone mechanisms. Absolute sensitivity loss for LWS or MWS mechanism will not be revealed. LWS and MWS thresholds will appear normal unless there is an adaptation abnormality. On the other hand, the SWS cone thresholds would be sensitive to both absolute and increment sensitivity loss. More than one adaptation condition is needed to separate different types of sensitivity loss characteristic of eye disease.
PROGRESS IN THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF FRACTURE MECHANICS

Intended for the nonspecialist, this introduction to fracture mechanics focuses upon a few important concepts and illustrates their use in three application areas: damage tolerance requirements for aircraft structures, toughness requirements for bridges and heat up and cool down schedule and evaluation of inservice NDE indications for nuclear pressure vessels.
Characterizations of Well-Posedness and Sensitivity Analysis

The primary goal of this chapter is to show that the basic principles and tools of variational analysis developed above allow us to provide complete characterizations and efficient applications of fundamental properties in nonlinear studies related to Lipschitzian stability, metric regularity, and covering/openness at a linear rate. These properties indicate a certain well-posedness (i.e., “good behavior”) of set-valued mappings and play a principal role in many aspects of nonlinear analysis, particularly those concerning optimization and sensitivity. We have considered these properties in Chap. 1 in the framework of arbitrary Banach spaces, where necessary conditions for their fulfillment were obtained via coderivatives of set-valued mappings. These conditions were efficiently used in Chaps. 1 and 3 for developing the generalized differential calculus and related issues. In this chapter we show, based on variational arguments, that the conditions obtained are not only necessary but also sufficient for the validity of the mentioned properties in the framework of Asplund spaces. Moreover, we compute the exact bounds of the corresponding moduli in terms of coderivatives and subdifferentials. Two kinds of dual characterizations are derived in this way: neighborhood criteria involving generalized differential constructions around reference points, and pointbased criteria expressed only at the points under consideration.
Using mobile technology to increase safety awareness among dairy workers in the United States.

Background: Modern U.S. dairy farm operations present multiple safety hazards which may result in worker injuries, illnesses and fatalities. The U.S. industry trend towards large-herd milking opera...
Mining Facial Keypoint Data: The Quest Toward Personalized Engineering Applications

Personalized applications have the potential to enhance the performance and motivation of individuals in a wide range of engineering tasks. Current methods focus on predicting the affective state (i.e., emotion) of individuals in order to provide personalized intervention. However, these methods may struggle to predict the affective state of an individual that it has not been trained for. Furthermore, depending on the attributes of the tasks and individuals, the affective state that correlates to good performance could vary. In light of these limitations, in previous studies, the authors proposed a machine learning method to predict the performance of individuals based on their facial expressions captured while reading the instructions of a task. This chapter presents the different steps of the method and introduces a case study in an engineering laboratory environment. Furthermore, a benchmark analysis of multiple machine learning algorithms is presented. The findings support the use of neural networks and individual-specific models that consider task information and individuals’ facial expressions to predict their performance. This work could potentially advance personalized applications in engineering environments and help provide real-time feedback to individuals.
Delayed Update-Tolerant Web Cache Server for E-learning Support

At the United Nations (UN) summit held in September 2015, the UN declared that it aims to eradicate poverty and achieve a sustainable world. However, today 59 million children cannot go to school and 780 million people cannot read or write. Even if these children have smartphones, they cannot access the Internet because of various technical problems, and thus cannot benefit from e-learning. To solve this lack of learning opportunities, this paper proposes a delayed update-tolerant web cache server system, which enables the user to browse web content even while offline. We have designed a server to which the user in offline mode can send a request for web content and a server that automatically retrieves the requested web content. We implemented the proposed servers on a PC and conducted an experiment with 11 non-Japanese subjects to evaluate the proposed system in terms of the cached data display success rate, the degree of learning satisfaction and the degree of learning motivation enhancement.
The Unreasonable Effectiveness, and Difficulty, of Data in Healthcare

Data and data analysis are widely assumed to be the key part of the solution to healthcare systems' problems. Indeed, there are countless ways in which data can be converted into better medical diagnostic tools, more effective therapeutics, and improved productivity for clinicians. But while there is clearly great potential, some big challenges remain to make this all a reality, including making access to health data easier, addressing privacy and ethics concerns, and ensuring the clinical safety of "learning" systems. This talk illustrates what is possible in healthcare technology, and details key challenges that currently prevent this from becoming a reality.
Perceived health, medical, and psychiatric conditions in individual and dual-use of marijuana and nonprescription opioids.

Objective Marijuana and nonprescription opioids remain the two most commonly used illicit substances in the United States. They have commonalities, yet the use of both at the same time may have a greater impact on psychological and health outcomes. Research is needed to determine whether dual-use is associated with more negative outcomes than individual substance use. Method We used the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) Wave 1 (W1; N = 43,093), Wave 2 (W2; N = 34,653), and the more recent NESARC-III (N3; N = 36,171) to compare nonuse with use of marijuana, nonprescription opioids, or both. We examined perceived health, pain interference, pain-related medical conditions, psychiatric conditions, and suicidality. Results Individual use and dual-use were more common in N3 than in W1. W1 dual-use and nonprescription opioid-only use predicted worse outcomes for most variables prospectively and cross-sectionally, including pain interference and poorer general health. Associations between marijuana-only use and outcomes were not as strong; however, marijuana was associated with depression and suicidal ideation. Conclusion Nonprescription opioid use is concerning with dual-use predicting poorer perceived health and pain interference with work 3 years later along with strong relationships to suicidality and psychiatric conditions. Marijuana and nonprescription opioid dual-use is a possible treatment target. Substance interventions may be enhanced by addressing alternative pain care; chronic conditions; and/or psychiatric comorbidity. Differences in outcomes between substance use and nonuse were smaller recently in N3, particularly for marijuana use only. This may be due to increased access decreasing differences between those using and not using these drugs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Golf courses and property prices: Is it the golf or the open space?

Existing research finds price premiums for homes adjacent to golf courses, but this research fails to empirically examine if the premium is due to the presence of golf or non-golf-related benefits ...
Breaking the geometric complexity of nanostructures using manifold learning

We present a new approach based on manifold learning for breaking the geometrical complexity of the photonic nanostructures during solving the inverse design problem. By encoding the high-dimensional spectral responses of a class of nanostructures into the latent space, we provide intuitive information about the underlying physics of these structures. We discuss the relations between the non-Euclidean distances in the latent space and changes in the optical responses and relate the movements in the latent space to the modifications of the optical responses for a class of nanostructures. Finally, we provide a new approach to use the insight about the role of design parameters to design nanostructures with minimal design complexity for a given functionality.
Black Coffee and Black Cards (A)

This case follows the recently married Shane and Erin as they explore the world of credit cards. Shane, a musician with an irregular salary and a spotty job history, was raised to avoid credit by his parents who had emigrated from a communist Eastern Europe. Erin, a marketing manager in a baby-formula company, has a steady salary but knows little about credit cards. Shane offers to do some research and report back in a week.This case reveals the complexity of the credit card business and the risks and rewards to a consumer that uses a financial product. In particular, users should recognize that the risk of having a credit card is how it might influence their consumption behavior. Credit cards offer a variety of conveniences, but they are an expensive form of short-term debt that can become an onerous burden if used beyond the means of the cardholder. Thus prudent use of credit cards is a key learning objective of both the A and B cases. Excerpt UVA-F-1882 Aug. 5, 2019 Black Coffee and Black Cards (A) Introduction “Need a warm-up?” The scent of fresh coffee drifted over from the pot in the waitress' hand. “Sure,” said Shane, “and when you can, please bring us the check.” As the couple shared what would be their final cups of coffee in the diner, Erin noticed that she only had a $ 10 bill in her purse. “How much cash do you have? With the tip, I think we might be a bit short. I used to be a waitress, and I hate not tipping adequately.” . . .
An in vitro model for studies of attenuation of antibiotic-inhibited growth of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Y4 by polyamines.

Polyamines are ubiquitous polycationic molecules that are present in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and they serve as important modulators of cell growth, stress, and cell proliferation. Polyamines are present at high concentrations in the periodontal pocket and could potentially affect the stress response of periodontal bacteria to antibiotics. The effects of polyamines on inhibition of growth by amoxicillin (AMX), azithromycin (AZM), and doxycycline (DOX) were investigated with the Y4 strain of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa). Bacteria were grown in brain heart infusion broth under the following conditions: (1) Aa only, (2) Aa + polyamine mix (1 mM putrescine, 0.4 mM spermidine, and 0.4 mM spermine), (3) Aa + antibiotic, and (4) Aa + antibiotic + polyamines. Growth curve analysis, minimal inhibitory concentration determination, and transcriptomic studies were conducted. The presence of exogenous polyamines produced a small, but significant increase in Aa growth, and polyamines attenuated the inhibitory effects of AMX, AZM, and DOX on growth. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that polyamines upregulate expression of ribosomal biogenesis proteins and small subunits, attenuate the bacterial stress response to antibiotics, and modulate bacterial nutritional pathways in a manner that could potentially increase the virulence of Aa. In summary, the polyamine-rich environment found in periodontal pockets appears to protect Aa and reduce its susceptibility to several antimicrobial agents in this in vitro model.
Historical Summary and Analytical Conclusions

Eastern Europe between the World Wars found itself on the fringes of the financial and commercial world. This actually is the predicament of most underdeveloped countries today. It certainly has been recognized but hardly elaborated upon that such outstanding international problems as postwar reconstruction, the world agricultural depression of the late 1920’s, and the financial and commercial crisis of the early 1930’s involved also the group of countries which were relatively underdeveloped, poorer, and individually insignificant in the international economy. Until very recently, however, the literature on international economic issues concentrated on problems of “global significance” affecting the major commercial and political powers such as the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany.
Ab Initio Energy Band Methods

The beginning of this work was in 1964, when I was a graduate student. At that point, any detailed experimental data relating to the band structure of the alkali-halide crystals was lacking. The only generally accepted results for these materials was the identification of the shoulder in the optical absorption of these substances on the high energy side of the exciton absorption as being due to a band to band transition at r, the center of the Brillouin Zone. These transitions were identified using the usual BSW notation as being from the p-like valence band (Г15) to an s-like conduction band (Г1) [1]. There appeared, at this time, an attempt by Phillips to identify virtually every spectra feature of these materials in terms of excitons at critical points and in terms of van Hove singularities [2]. The attempts of Phillips were shortly shown to be in error [3 ,4 ,5].
Synaptosomes and Synaptic Vesicles

Synaptosomes are pseudo-organelles formed as a consequence of brain homogenization. They represent synapses where the plasma membrane of the presynaptic axon terminal has resealed. They contain functional mitochondria and synaptic vesicles and can undergo regulated release of synaptic vesicles in response to membrane depolarization. Synaptic vesicles are small membrane-enclosed structures that contain neurotransmitter. These vesicles are present in the axon terminal and fuse with the plasma membrane to release their contents in an activity-dependent manner.
Inhibition of Pepsinogen Activation by Gossypol

Incubation of pepsinogen with gossypol, a polyphenolic compound of plant origin, resulted in an inhibition of the autocatalytic conversion of pepsinogen to pepsin that takes place at low pH values. Essentially complete inhibition of the activation process occurred in reaction mixtures containing 2:1 to 3:1 molar ratios of gossypol to pepsinogen in the presence of 10% ethanol; the interaction between gossypol and the zymogen occurred most readily at pH 8.0 and 35°. Extensive dialysis of gossypol-pepsinogen preparations failed to remove the gossypol, and the gossypol-pepsinogen preparations were hydrolyzed much less extensively by trypsin and papain than was pepsinogen under identical conditions. Determinations of free e-NH2 groups in the gossypol-pepsinogen preparations suggested that lysyl residues are involved in the binding of gossypol to pepsinogen. From the evidence presented, it appears that gossypol reacts with pepsinogen only after the protein has undergone a change in conformation and that after reaction has occurred, the conformation of native pepsinogen cannot be reestablished.
The effect of labor on maternal and fetal circulating catecholamines

Abstract Maternal circulating catecholamines were determined in nonpregnant (n = 15) and antepartum (n = 15) subjects and at spontaneous vaginal (n = 20) and repeat cesarean section (n = 20) deliveries. Newborn levels of catecholamines were determined prior to the onset of respirations in the vaginal delivery (n = 20) and cesarean section (n = 20) groups. Maternal levels of norepinephrine at 36 to 38 weeks' gestation were lower than values in nonpregnant individuals, and did not increase at cesarean section but rose to nonpregnant levels at vaginal delivery. Antepartum levels of epinephrine were lower than levels in nonpregnant subjects and rose above nonpregnant levels in both delivory groups (P