cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing Sufficient to Produce Conditional Discriminations?

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the sufficiency of stimulus-stimulus pairing in establishing conditional discriminations in adult humans. The task involved learning 32 different conditional discriminations. During training, a correct pair of sample and comparison stimuli was presented after the subjects made a sample-observing response but before (prompt) or after (feedback) the subjects made a comparison-selection response. During testing, the same conditional relations were presented without prompting or feedback to assess the development of conditional relations among the stimuli. Despite the fact that accuracy on prompt trials was quite high from the beginning of training, accuracy on prompt trials dropped substantially during the test conditions for three out of four subjects. By contrast, accuracy on the feedback trials was well maintained under test conditions. These results suggest that, in this preparation, the contemporaneous presentation of experimenter-designated correct sa...
A Comprehensive Assessment of Employment Drug Testing: Legal Battles Over Delicate Interests

During the past ten years, evidence has mounted that drug and alcohol abuse have critical workplace ramifications. The concern about drugs in the workplace heightened as consumption rose in the 1980s. Employers began paying more attention to data suggesting that their employees might be abusing drugs or alcohol, and that such abuse had, among other things, serious safety and financial implications for their businesses.
Service Learning in the Sullivan Literacy Center

The preservice teacher candidates (PTCs) in the Department of Early Childhood and Special Education at Valdosta State University (VSU) participate in three SERVICE LEARNING experiences during their first, second, and third professional semesters which occur prior to their full-time student teaching semester. The back-to-back consecutive SERVICE LEARNING experiences specifically help the PTCs apply what they are learning in their literacy methods courses with the local community children who are struggling/reluctant readers and writers. In this chapter, we will be following one cohort of PTCs’ (n = 98) journey throughout their SERVICE LEARNING experiences over the three semesters. Qualitative data consists of the PTCs’ field reflections and course evaluations, as well as parent exit surveys regarding program quality and effectiveness for their child’s specific literacy needs. Quantitative data consists of the PTCs’ scores on their literacy lessons and literacy assessment data. These SERVICE LEARNING experiences are meaningful, relevant, and purposeful for these VSU PTCs.
Discriminant vector tranformations in neural network classifiers

We review the fact that several kinds of neural networks can be trained to approximate other types of discriminant functions, thereby throwing some doubt upon the utility of the No Free Lunch theorem. Using a license plate recognition database with 36 classes, we then demonstrate that multilayer perceptrons estimate posterior probabilities very poorly when the number of classes is large. A method for generating desired posterior probability values is provided. Then an algorithm is developed and demonstrated for warping neural net discriminants into approximate posterior probabilities.
Electrochemical corrosion behavior of surface nanocrystallized steel and aluminum alloys by air blast shot peening (ABSP)

Nanocrystalline (NC) materials have been researched extensively in recent years as they can exhibit superior mechanical, physical and chemical properties. They are characterized by their small grain sizes (<100 nm) and high volume fraction of grain boundaries, giving rise the unique properties as compared with those of their conventional polycrystalline counterparts. Such a unique grain structure and properties have aroused the interest in the study of their corrosion behavior in recent times. In this study ABSP has been carried out to obtain NC layers on two types of aluminum alloys viz. Al 6061 and Al 7075 and two types of steels viz. AISI 1018 and pearlitic AISI 1075. Corrosion tests were performed in a simulated body fluid (Hank's solution) to ascertain the corrosion rates and corrosion potentials of the samples. The samples were characterized using SEM after corrosion tests and the bulk vs. NC characteristics of the specimens were compared. The results show that the corrosion rates for the NC samples of steel and aluminum alloys are higher than their bulk counterparts. The NC corroded surfaces for both steel and aluminum alloys reveal ample corrosion debris whereas the bulk surfaces show very little corrosion products confirming the higher corrosion currents predicted by the polarization curves. The NC corroded debris form flakes but the bulk form globules.
The Privacy, Security and Discoverability of Data on Wearable Health Devices: Fitness or Folly?

With data from wearable health devices increasing at a rapid rate, it is important for lawmakers to make sure that this data remains well protected. This paper will question the perceptions of people with respect to current and future use of wearable health devices, especially if the security and privacy risks to their data are more commonly understood, and particularly if this data is discoverable and admissible in court. It will explore the electronic discovery issues with data from wearable health devices in the context of litigation and examine how the current rules of court procedure and evidence would be applied. The paper will review the federal and state legislation that may or may not provide protection for data from wearable health devices. The authors intend to use their paper as a vehicle to advocate for stronger statutory protection and greater clarity about the use of and potential risks to this data, including when the data becomes evidence in litigation.
Flame spectroscopy of TiO: Photoluminescence of the α(C3Δ-X3Δ) system

Abstract Laser-induced photoluminescence has been observed from TiO molecules produced in a chemiluminescent flame. Using Ar+ and cw dye lasers, a detailed study has been made of photoluminescence of the α(C3Δ-X3Δ) system. Techniques are developed for assigning photoluminescence transitions involving states of high multiplicity in molecules with several isotopes. Assignment of a new C3Δ3-a1Δ transition places the a1Δ state at 3444 ± 10 cm−1 above the X3Δ state. Photoluminescence of the 0-0 band of the β(c1Φ-a1Δ) system, observed with 476.5 nm excitation, is shown to result from collisional relaxation of the C3Δ (v = 2) to c1Φ (v = 0) states.
Earning, Spending, and Drug Use in a Therapeutic Workplace

Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing health problem that is associated with the degree to which individuals choose small, immediate monetary outcomes over larger, delayed outcomes. This study was a secondary analysis exploring the relation between financial choices and drug use in opioid-dependent adults in a therapeutic workplace intervention. Sixty-seven participants were randomly assigned to a condition in which access to paid job training was contingent upon naltrexone adherence (N = 35) or independent of naltrexone adherence (N = 32). Participants could earn approximately $10 per hour for 4 hours every weekday and could exchange earnings for gift cards or bill payments each weekday. Urine was collected and tested for opiates and cocaine thrice weekly. Participants' earning, spending, and drug use were not related to measures of delay discounting obtained prior to the intervention. When financial choices were categorized based on drug use during the intervention, however, those with less frequent drug use or frequent use of one drug spent a smaller proportion of their daily earnings and maintained a higher daily balance than those who frequently tested positive for both drugs (i.e., opiates and cocaine). Several patterns described the relation between cumulative earning and spending including no saving, periods of saving, and sustained saving. One destructive effect of drug use may be that it creates a perpetual zero-balance situation in the lives of users, which in turn prevents them from gaining materials that could help to break the cycle of addiction.
Bilateral Internal Mammary Artery Use Can Be Safely Taught Without Increasing Morbidity or Mortality

Background Evidence shows a likely survival benefit with the use of bilateral internal mammary arteries (BIMA) compared with a single internal mammary artery (SIMA). Nonetheless, BIMA use is often not used or taught because of a perceived increase in operative time and complexity. This study aimed to evaluate operative time, morbidity, and mortality in both resident and nonresident cases using BIMA compared with SIMA. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (October 2012 to April 2015) at a single institution were reviewed. Cases were stratified on the basis of the use of SIMA versus BIMA and resident teaching versus nonresident teaching cases. Primary outcomes included operative time, postoperative morbidity, and mortality. Results A total of 416 patients were identified; 335 of 416 (81%) patients received a SIMA, and 81 of 416 (19%) patients received BIMA. A total of 184 of 416 (44%) were resident cases: 143 of the 335 (43%) SIMA cases and 41 of the 81 (51%) BIMA cases. Use of BIMA in resident cases was associated with a longer operative and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time than resident SIMA cases, but this increased time did not affect morbidity or mortality. Use of SIMA versus BIMA in nonresident cases had no significant difference on total operative time, CPB time, postoperative morbidity, or mortality. Overall, operative and 1-year mortality rates were similar in the SIMA and BIMA groups (SIMA: 1.2%, 1.8%, respectively; BIMA: 0%, 0%, respectively; p = NS). Conclusions In the hands of an experienced surgeon, BIMA use can be effectively performed without an increase in operative or CPB time. In resident teaching cases, BIMA use may increase operative time, but it can be safely taught without affecting morbidity or mortality.
PhLock: A Cache Energy Saving Technique Using Phase-Based Cache Locking

Caches are commonly used to bridge the processor-memory performance gap in embedded systems. Since embedded systems typically have stringent design constraints imposed by physical size, battery capacity, and real-time deadlines much research focuses on cache optimizations, such as improved performance and/or reduced energy consumption. Cache locking is a popular cache optimization that loads and retains/locks selected memory contents from an executing application into the cache to increase the cache’s predictability. Previous work has shown that cache locking also has the potential to improve cache energy consumption. In this paper, we introduce phase-based cache locking, PhLock , which leverages an application’s varying runtime characteristics to dynamically select the locked memory contents to optimize cache energy consumption. Using a variety of applications from the SPEC2006 and MiBench benchmark suites, experimental results show that PhLock is promising for reducing both the instruction and data caches’ energy consumption. As compared to a nonlocking cache, PhLock reduced the instruction and data cache energy consumption by an average of 5% and 39%, respectively, for SPEC2006 applications, and by 75% and 14%, respectively, for MiBench benchmarks.
Cognitive mechanisms of inhibitory control deficits in autism spectrum disorder

Background Inhibitory control deficits are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated with more severe repetitive behaviors. Inhibitory control deficits may reflect slower execution of stopping processes, or a reduced ability to delay the onset of behavioral responses in contexts of uncertainty. Previous studies have documented relatively spared stopping processes in ASD, but whether inhibitory control deficits in ASD reflect failures to delay response onset has not been systematically assessed. Further, while improvements in stopping abilities and response slowing are seen through adolescence/early adulthood in health, their development in ASD is less clear. Methods A stop-signal test (SST) was administered to 121 individuals with ASD and 76 age and IQ-matched healthy controls (ages 5–28). This test included ‘GO trials’ in which participants pressed a button when a peripheral target appeared and interleaved ‘STOP trials’ in which they were cued to inhibit button-presses when a stop-signal appeared at variable times following the GO cue. STOP trial accuracy, RT of the stopping process (SSRT), and reaction time (RT) slowing during GO trials were examined. Results Relative to controls, individuals with ASD had reduced accuracy on STOP trials. SSRTs were similar across control and ASD participants, but RT slowing was reduced in patients compared to controls. Age-related increases in stopping ability and RT slowing were attenuated in ASD. Reduced stopping accuracy and RT slowing were associated with more severe repetitive behaviors in ASD. Discussion Our findings show that inhibitory control deficits in ASD involve failures to strategically delay behavioral response onset. These results suggest that reduced preparatory behavioral control may underpin inhibitory control deficits as well as repetitive behaviors in ASD. Typical age-related improvements in inhibitory control during late childhood/early adolescence are reduced in ASD, highlighting an important developmental window during which treatments may mitigate cognitive alterations contributing to repetitive behaviors.
A Topological Screening Heuristic for Low-Energy, High-Index Surfaces

Abstract Robust ab initio investigations of nanoparticle surface properties require a method to identify candidate low-energy surface facets a priori. By assuming that low-energy surfaces are planes with high atomic density, we devise an efficient algorithm to screen for low-energy surface orientations, even if they have high (hkl) miller indices. We successfully predict the observed low-energy, high-index { 10 12 ¯ } and { 10 1 ¯ 4 } surfaces of hematite α-Fe2O3, the {311} surfaces of cuprite Cu2O, and the {112} surfaces of anatase TiO2. We further tabulate candidate low-energy surface orientations for nine of the most common binary oxide structures. Screened surfaces are found to be generally applicable across isostructural compounds with varying chemistries, although relative surface energies between facets may vary based on the preferred coordination of the surface atoms.
Reflections on casualization and pathways to reprofessionalize the professoriate: a conversation between communication studies colleagues

ABSTRACTThis essay considers academic labor in communication studies through the lens of Michael Berube and Jennifer Ruth’s The Humanities, Higher Education, and Academic Freedom. Berube and Ruth argue that, by and large, knowledge production in the humanities is in “fine shape,” but that the decades-long trend away from tenure-track towards contingent faculty employment has “hollowed out” the profession of college teaching—a de-professionalization that departments, disciplines, and institutions have yet to fully reckon with. We find Berube’s and Ruth’s policy prescription for this exigent moment—the creation of a teaching-intensive tenure-track for contingent faculty—to be a provocative frame through which to begin addressing casualization in communication studies. Our hope is to spark conversation in response to a rather large question: At a time when every profession, from law to medicine to journalism, faces varying degrees and consequences of casualization, what would it mean to reprofessionalize our...
Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) as a Substrate Component Effects Growth of Three Tree Species

Sustainable and local alternative substrates are being explored for nursery crop production due to concern over pine bark (PB) supplies and costs. This study evaluated a tree species which is weedy in the Great Plains region of the United States, eastern redcedar, processed through a hammer mill equipped with a 19 mm (3/4 in) screen size to create six substrates consisting of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80% eastern redcedar chips (ERC) and 20% sand; the remaining volume was composed of PB. Each of these substrates were then used to grow baldcypress (Taxodium distichum), Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis), and silver maple (Acer saccharinum) under two fertilizer rates: either a 4.5 kg·m−3 (7.5 lbs·yd−3) low fertilizer rate or a 8.9 kg·m−3 (15 lbs·yd−3) high fertilizer rate. Substrates composed of 40 and 80% ERC had reduced container capacity, resulting in less growth of all three species. Plants responded similarly to both fertilizer rates suggesting that the limiting factor to plant growth is substrate physi...
Wildfire Management Across Rangeland Ownerships: Factors Influencing Rangeland Fire Protection Association Establishment and Functioning

Abstract Policymakers and managers are promoting Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPA) as one way to better incorporate private citizens as active participants who contribute to fire suppression efforts on public rangelands. While the RFPA program is growing in popularity, little is known about the way that RFPAs establish and operate. This is especially true in mosaic management scenarios characterized by fragmented landownerships and a variety of land or fire management entities responsible for wildfire suppression. Our goal was to investigate how an RFPA forms and functions in a management scenario characterized by: 1) proximity to exurban residential development; 2) agreements with multiple local, state, and federal wildfire suppression entities; and 3) a geographically disperse protection district. We conducted in-depth interviews with RFPA members, land or fire management professionals, emergency managers, and local interest groups who interact with the Black Canyon RFPA (BCRFPA) in southwestern Idaho. We found that the BCRFPA leveraged the insights, documents and support of existing RFPAs during their establishment, but ultimately had to adapt the RFPA idea to specific elements of their local context. Members of nearby rural fire districts were initially apprehensive about the formation of the BCRFPA due to concerns about resource competition (e.g., funding and large equipment). RFPA members with professional firefighting experience helped alleviate those tensions by explaining how the RFPA would integrate into existing wildfire management networks. The BCRFPA provided local knowledge about road conditions, water resources, and fuel conditions and initial attack to fill in gaps in landscape-level wildfire protection. However, the proximity of residential areas to the BCRFPA protection district made decisions about fire suppression more complex by introducing trade-offs between residential and rangeland resource protections. Ultimately, our results indicate that RFPAs can help rangeland human populations better adapt to wildfire risk, but that social fragmentation may challenge RFPA functioning.
Histopathologic findings of duodenal biopsy specimens in HIV-infected patients with and without diarrhea and malabsorption.

The significance of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the small intestinal lamina propria in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome or conditions related to that syndrome who have chronic diarrhea and malabsorption is unclear. To investigate this issue, upper endoscopy (after a 12- to 16-hour fast) with duodenal biopsy and aspirate was performed in 20 HIV-infected seropositive homosexual men referred for diarrhea of more than 8 weeks duration (Group 2) and in 9 HIVinfected homosexual men referred for dysphagia or dyspepsia with no symptoms of malabsorption (Group 1). All biopsy specimens were examined by light microscopy and immunochemical staining with monoclonal antibody against HIV glycoprotein gp41. Electron microscopy was performed in 18 patients in Group 2 and in all patients in Group 1. Immunogold electron microscopy was used as a confirmatory test for identified HIV particles. In addition, D-xylose absorption was measured in all patients after a 25-g dose of D-xylose with measurement of serum D-xylose concentration 1 hour after the dose and measurement of 5-hour urinary D-xylose excretion. Mean serum D-xylose was 35.4 ± 4.5 mg/dL in Group 1 and 15.8 ± 2.3 mg/dL in Group 2 ( P < 0.001), whereas mean urine D-xylose was 5.5 ± 0.6 g in Group 1 and 2.0 ± 0.4 g in Group 2 ( P < 0.001). Immunoperoxidase for gp41 was positive in 5 (56%) patients in Group 1 and in 12 (60%) patients in Group 2. Lamina propria HIV viral particles were identified by electron microscopy in both patient groups. Viral particles were seen within and adjacent to the cytoplasm of mononuclear cells and were not present in enterocytes or neuroendocrine cells. There were no significant differences in serum or urine D-xylose tests between patients with and without lamina propria HIV. In addition, lipid accumulation in intercellular spaces near the basolateral membrane of adjacent enterocytes was seen in 33% of patients with chronic diarrhea. These findings suggest that lamina propria HIV is not a direct cause of enteropathy in HIV-infected patients and that lymphatic obstruction may be one pathophysiologic mechanism producing this malabsorptive state.
Termini. Cornerstone of modern Rome

This desirable volume is a publication of the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome – one of the many important contributions of the foreign institutes in the city.The physicality of the book is appe...
Pediatric and Young Adult Vulvovaginal Graft-versus-Host Disease

ABSTRACT Vulvovaginal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is an underdiagnosed and poorly recognized complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Previous studies have reported findings restricted to predominantly adult populations. We report a case series of pediatric and young adult vulvovaginal GVHD, which was identified in 19 patients (median age, 11.8 years; range, 2.4 to 21.9 years) out of a total 302 female patients who underwent transplantation over an 8-year period at a pediatric HSCT center. The majority of patients had concomitant nongenital GVHD; only 1 patient had isolated vulvovaginal GVHD. The median time from bone marrow transplantation to diagnosis of vulvovaginal GVHD was 30 months (range, 2.3 to 97.5 months). A high percentage of the patients in our series were without vulvar or vaginal symptoms (n = 8; 42%), even though 17 patients (89%) presented with grade 3 disease based on current adult grading scales. Vulvar examination findings most frequently included interlabial and clitoral hood adhesions (89%), loss of architecture of the labia minora or clitoral hood (42%), and skin erosions or fissures (37%). Only 5 patients underwent a speculum exam, none of whom had vaginal GVHD. Examination findings of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) can overlap with those of GVHD, and 6 patients (32%) in our cohort were diagnosed with POI. Only 1 patient was on systemic hormone replacement therapy at the time of vulvovaginal GVHD diagnosis. The majority of patients (n = 16) were treated with topical steroid therapy, with a median time to response of 43 days. Five patients (26%) had a complete response to therapy, and 10 patients (53%) had a partial response. This case series provides valuable insight into pediatric and young adult vulvovaginal GVHD and highlights the need for increased screening for vulvar disease in this population.
Generalizing the notion of rank to noncommutative quadratic forms

In 2010, Cassidy and Vancliff extended the notion of a quadratic form on n generators to the noncommutative setting. In this article, we suggest a notion of rank for such noncommutative quadratic forms, where n = 2 or 3. Since writing an arbitrary quadratic form as a sum of squares fails in this context, our methods entail rewriting an arbitrary quadratic form as a sum of products. In so doing, we find analogs for 2 x 2 minors and determinant of a 3 x 3 matrix in this noncommutative setting.
Demonstration of GestureCalc: An Eyes-Free Calculator for Touch Screens

Keypad-based character input in existing digital calculator applications on touch screen devices requires precise, targeted key presses that are time-consuming and error-prone for many screen reader users. We demonstrate GestureCalc, a digital calculator that uses target-free gestures for arithmetic tasks. It allows eyes-free target-less input of digits and operations through taps and directional swipes with one to three fingers, guided by minimal audio feedback. A study of the effectiveness of GestureCalc for screen reader users appears in a full paper by the authors at this conference.
In vitro evaluation of a new aortic valved conduit.

Abstract Background This study examined whether the presence of a sinus of Valsalva equivalent in the KONECT RESILIA aortic valved conduit (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, Calif) improves valve hemodynamics, kinematics, and performance. Methods A 28-mm KONECT RESILIA aortic valved conduit was used to create an in vitro flow test model, and the same aortic valved conduit model without a sinus section was used as a control. Particle image velocimetry and hydrodynamic characterization experiments were conducted in the vicinity of the valves in a validated left-heart simulator at 3 cardiac output levels. In addition, leaflet kinematics of the valves were determined through en face high-speed imaging. Results The KONECT RESILIA aortic valved conduit model exhibited lower mean and peak transvalvular pressure gradients than the control model at all 3 cardiac outputs. In addition, its leaflets opened more fully than did those of the valved conduit without the sinuses, yielding greater effective and geometric orifice areas. It was found that the presence of the sinuses not only facilitated the development of larger and more stable vortices at the initial stages of the cardiac cycle but also helped to maintain these vortices during the late stages of the cardiac cycle, leading to smoother valve closure. Conclusions The KONECT RESILIA aortic valved conduit reproduces the bulged section of the aortic root corresponding to the sinuses of Valsalva. With this Valsalva-type conduit, larger orifice areas were observed, improving valve hemodynamics that may enhance performance.
Identification of novel, clinically correlated autoantigens in the monogenic autoimmune syndrome APS1 by PhIP-Seq

ABSTRACT The identification of autoantigens remains a critical challenge for understanding and treating autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS1), a rare monogenic form of autoimmunity, presents as widespread autoimmunity with T and B cell responses to multiple organs. Importantly, autoantibody discovery in APS1 can illuminate fundamental disease pathogenesis, and many of the antigens found in APS1 extend to common autoimmune diseases. Here, we performed proteome-wide programmable phage-display (PhIP-Seq) on sera from an APS1 cohort and discovered multiple common antibody targets. These novel autoantigens exhibit tissue-restricted expression, including expression in enteroendocrine cells and dental enamel. Using detailed clinical phenotyping, we find novel associations between autoantibodies and organ-restricted autoimmunity, including between anti-KHDC3L autoantibodies and premature ovarian insufficiency, and between anti-RFX6 autoantibodies and diarrheal-type intestinal dysfunction. Our study highlights the utility of PhIP-Seq for interrogating antigenic repertoires in human autoimmunity and the importance of antigen discovery for improved understanding of disease mechanisms.
Wildfire and prescribed burning impacts on air quality in the United States.

Air quality impacts from wildfires have been dramatic in recent years, with millions of people exposed to elevated and sometimes hazardous fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations for exten...
Greener gas? Impact of biosolids on carbon intensity of switchgrass ethanol.

Synthetic fertilizers make up a significant fraction of the energy required to grow switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) for ethanol production. A field study compared biosolids and synthetic fertilizers on biomass yield, ethanol production, and nitrous oxide (N2 O) emissions of switchgrass to determine if using an alternative source of nutrient would lower the energy density of the fuel. Minimal N2 O emissions were observed the first year of the study (0.99 ± 1.5 g N2 O ha-1 d-1 for biosolids), with no difference between treatments. Biosolids were added in excess of agronomic rates, and gas samples were collected immediately after irrigation for the subsequent years to examine maximum N2 O emissions. Mean Year 2 emissions increased for fertilizers to 1.8 ± 8 g N2 O ha-1 d-1 (n = 131) and to 3.73 ± 10.2 g N2 O ha-1 d-1 (n = 130) for biosolids-amended soils. Emissions in Year 3 were similar to Year 2. Yield was similar and ranged from 3.7 ± 5 to 11 ± 1.1 and from 5.0 ± 0.2 to 13.4 ± 1.7 Mg ha-1 for biosolids and fertilizer, respectively. The potential ethanol yield was 365 ± 28 L Mg-1 and 374 ± 34 L Mg-1 for the biosolids- and fertilizer-grown grass, respectively. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with fertilizer production were considered for N, P, and K and totaled 1,653 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 e) ha-1 . The equivalent credits for substitution of biosolids (18 Mg ha-1 ) were -2,492 kg CO2 e ha-1 . Nitrous oxide emissions were calculated based on 1% of total N applied for agronomic applications and were 8,600 and 3,500 g N2 O ha-1 for the biosolids and fertilizer treatments, respectively. Total carbon costs associated with fertilization were 2,700 kg CO2 e ha-1 for fertilizer and 60 kg CO2 e ha-1 for biosolids. Using measured N2 O data would have resulted in lower emissions for both treatments.
The Belize Project: A Host School Perspective

While the research literature is replete with studies on student perspectives and their development of cross-cultural sensitivity, research on the perspectives of educators who host international preservice teachers is woefully lacking. This study seeks to fill that gap by assessing the experiences of 15 educators at an elementary host school in Belize. It draws on their experiences with hosting the Belize Project, a week-long international field experience. Our findings lead to two major conclusions. Culture and completing a field experience in a classroom in another country are two closely intertwined and difficult to disentangle experiences. It is a reciprocal process in which both participating partners, the teacher candidates and host school community, reap the benefits of both a cultural and educational exchange. Not only does it benefit the student teachers, it also contributes to the professional development of the host school community and its educators. Despite the short length of the project, the mentor teachers and administrators unanimously agreed that its benefits clearly outweigh its challenges.
Implications for the delta n pi interaction and sigma term from low-energy pi n scattering

A model for low-energy $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ scattering consisting of $N$, $\ensuremath{\rho}$, $\ensuremath{\Delta}$, and $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ exchanges together with current-algebra constraints is presented. We derive the $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ contributions to the scattering amplitude using a general $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ propagator and $\ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\Delta}$ interaction. We show that the data are consistent with the simplest structure for both the $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ propagator and the interaction, A $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ term of 42 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 10 MeV at the Cheng-Dashen point is found, and predictions of the $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ term at $t=0$, the $\ensuremath{\pi}\mathrm{NN}$ coupling constant, and the isospin-even $s$-wave scattering length are made.
A Primer on Zeroth-Order Optimization in Signal Processing and Machine Learning: Principals, Recent Advances, and Applications

Zeroth-order (ZO) optimization is a subset of gradient-free optimization that emerges in many signal processing and machine learning (ML) applications. It is used for solving optimization problems similarly to gradient-based methods. However, it does not require the gradient, using only function evaluations. Specifically, ZO optimization iteratively performs three major steps: gradient estimation, descent direction computation, and the solution update. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of ZO optimization, with an emphasis on showing the underlying intuition, optimization principles, and recent advances in convergence analysis. Moreover, we demonstrate promising applications of ZO optimization, such as evaluating robustness and generating explanations from black-box deep learning (DL) models and efficient online sensor management.
How to Use a Mutant Library to Identify Genes Required for Biofilm Formation in the Pathogenic Fungus Candida albicans

With over 1 billion infections and the causative agents showing critical diseases such as pancreatic cancer the study of pathogenic fungi has never been more critical. In 2017, the United States spent $7.2 billion on fungal diseases. $4.5 billion was allocated to 75,055 hospitalizations while $2.6 billion went to 8,993,230 outpatient visits. For Candida infections specifically, the cost was $1.4 billion. In an attempt to identify. Currently there are few classes of antifungals available and resistance is growing. The identification of genes required for biofilm formation is essential for new antifungal development. In this paper we will detail how to screen a mutant library to identify genes required for biofilm formation. Included in this review is how to run an in vitro biofilm formation assay, how to create clean deletions using the modified CRISPR-Cas9 system, how to assay to identify the potential causes of the defect, and how to create complementation strains to confirm the mutant defect.
Ageism in COVID-Related Newspaper Coverage: The First Month of a Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES Media sources have consistently described older adults as a medically vulnerable population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, yet a lack of concern over their health and safety has resulted in dismissal and devaluation. This unprecedented situation highlights ongoing societal ageism and its manifestations in public discourse. This analysis asks how national news sources performed explicit and implicit ageism during the first month of the pandemic. METHOD Using content and critical discourse analysis methods, we analyzed 287 articles concerning older adults and COVID-19 published between March 11 and April 10, 2020, in 4 major U.S.-based newspapers. RESULTS Findings indicate that while ageism was rarely discussed explicitly, ageist bias was evident in implicit reporting patterns (e.g., frequent use of the term "elderly," portrayals of older adults as "vulnerable"). Infection and death rates and institutionalized care were among the most commonly reported topics, providing a limited portrait of aging during the pandemic. The older "survivor" narrative offers a positive alternative by suggesting exceptional examples of resilience and grit. However, the survivor narrative may also implicitly place blame on those unable to survive or thrive in later life. DISCUSSION This study provides insight for policy makers, researchers, and practitioners exploring societal perceptions of older adults and how these perceptions are disseminated and maintained by the media.
Are We Ready to Build Back Healthier?" An Exploratory Analysis of U.S. State-Level Disaster Recovery Plans."

As communities recover from disasters, it is crucial to understand the extent to which states are prepared to support the recovery of health systems and services. This need has been emphasized by the United States' experience with COVID-19. This study sought to assess public health activities in state disaster recovery implementation plans. In this exploratory, descriptive study, state-wide disaster recovery implementation plans were collected from emergency management agency websites and verified (n = 33). We reviewed and coded the recovery plans to identify health-related activities. While 70% and 64% of reviewed plans included activities to address short-term healthcare and behavioral health needs, respectively, one-third or less of the plans included activities to address long-term healthcare and behavioral health needs. Further, plans have limited descriptions of health-related data collection, analysis, or data-driven processes. Additional evidence-informed public health requirements and activities are needed in disaster recovery implementation plans. State disaster recovery plans would benefit from additional description of public health roles, responsibilities, and activities, as well as additional plans for collecting and analyzing public health data to drive recovery decision making and activities. Plans should include approaches for ongoing evaluation of recovery activities.
Neuronal correlates of attentional selectivity and intensity in visual area V4 are invariant of motivational context

ABSTRACT Flexibly switching attentional strategies is crucial for adaptive behavior in changing environments. Depending on the context, task demand employs different degrees of the two fundamental components of attention– attentional selectivity (preferentially attending to one location in visual space) and effort (the total non-selective intensity of attention). Neuronal responses in the visual cortex that show modulation with changes in either selective attention or effort are reported to partially represent motivational aspect of the task context. The relative contributions and interactions of these two components of attention to modulate neuronal signals and their sensitivity to distinct motivational drives are poorly understood. To address this question, we independently controlled monkeys’ spatially selective attention and non-selective attentional intensity in the same experimental session during a novel visual orientation change detection task. Attention was controlled either by adjusting the relative difficulty of the orientation changes at the two locations or by the reward associated with stimuli at two locations while simultaneously recording spikes from populations of neurons in area V4. We found that V4 neurons are robustly modulated by either selective attention or attentional intensity. Notably, as attentional selectivity for a neuron’s receptive field location decreased, its responses became weaker, despite an increase in the animal’s overall attentional intensity. This strong interaction between attentional selectivity and intensity could be identified in single trial spike trains. A simple divisive normalization of spatially distributed attention performances can explain the interaction between attention components well at the single neuron level. The effects of attentional selectivity and attentional intensity on neuronal responses were the same regardless of whether the changes were motivated by reward or task difficulty. These results provide a detailed cellular-level mechanism of how fundamental components of attention integrate and affect sensory processing in varying motivational and stimulus contexts.
The Coming Transit Apocalypse

With annual subsidies of $50 billion covering 76 percent of its costs, public transit may be the most heavily subsidized consumer-based industry in the country. Since 1970, the industry has received well over $1 trillion (adjusted for inflation) in subsidies, yet the number of transit trips taken by the average urban resident has declined from about 50 per year in 1970 to 39 per year today. Total transit ridership, not just per capita, is declining today, having seen a 4.4 percent drop nationwide from 2014 to 2016 and a 3.0 percent drop in the first seven months of 2017 versus the same months of 2016. Many major transit systems have suffered catastrophic declines in the past few years: since 2009, for example, transit ridership has declined by 27 to 37 percent in the Bakersfield, Detroit, Fresno, Memphis, Richmond, Toledo, and Wichita urban areas. Four trends that are likely to become even more pronounced in the future place the entire industry in jeopardy: low energy prices; growing maintenance backlogs, especially for rail transit systems; unfunded pension and health care obligations; and ride-hailing services. The last is the most serious threat, as some predict that within five years those ride-hailing services will begin using driverless cars, which will reduce their fares to rates competitive with transit, but with far more convenient service. This makes it likely that outside of a few very dense areas, such as New York City, transit will be extinct by the year 2030, leaving behind a huge burden of debt and unfunded obligations to former transit employees. Despite these trends, the transit industry’s main response is to seek greater subsidies to build, maintain, and operate transit, often relying on rail transit and similar modes that were obsolete many years ago and won’t be able to compete against driverless ride-hailing services. Instead, transit agencies should begin to prepare for an orderly phase-out of publicly funded transit services as affordable, shared driverless cars become available in the next decade. This means the industry should stop building new rail lines; replace most existing rail lines with buses as they wear out; pay down debts and unfunded obligations; and target any further subsidies to low-income people rather than continue a futile crusade to attract higher-income people out of their cars.
Evaluating the Cost-effectiveness of Prehospital Plasma Transfusion in Unstable Trauma Patients: A Secondary Analysis of the PAMPer Trial

Importance Prehospital plasma transfusion is lifesaving for trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock but is not commonly used owing to cost and feasibility concerns. Objective To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of prehospital thawed plasma transfusion in trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock during air medical transport. Design, setting, and participants A decision tree and Markov model were created to compare standard care and prehospital thawed plasma transfusion using published and unpublished patient-level data from the Prehospital Plasma in Air Medical Transport in Trauma Patients at Risk for Hemorrhagic Shock (PAMPer) trial conducted from May 2014 to October 2017, health care and trauma-specific databases, and the published literature. Prehospital transfusion, short-term inpatient care, and lifetime health care costs and quality of life outcomes were included. One-way, 2-way, and Monte Carlo probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed across clinically plausible ranges. Data were analyzed in December 2019. Main outcomes and measures Relative costs and health-related quality of life were evaluated by an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at a standard willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Results The trial included 501 patients in the modified intention-to-treat cohort. Median (interquartile range) age for patients in the thawed plasma and standard care cohorts were 44 (31-59) and 46 (28-60) years, respectively. Overall, 364 patients (72.7%) were male. Thawed plasma transfusion was cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $50 467.44 per QALY compared with standard care. The preference for thawed plasma was robust across all 1- and 2-way sensitivity analyses. When considering only patients injured by a blunt mechanism, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio decreased to $37 735.19 per QALY. Thawed plasma was preferred in 8140 of 10 000 iterations (81.4%) on probabilistic sensitivity analysis. A detailed analysis of incremental costs between strategies revealed most were attributable to the in-hospital and postdischarge lifetime care of critically ill patients surviving severe trauma. Conclusions and relevance In this study, prehospital thawed plasma transfusion during air medical transport for trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock was lifesaving and cost-effective compared with standard care and should become commonplace.
Optimized CRISPR tools and site-directed transgenesis in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes for gene drive development.

ABSTRACT Culex mosquitoes are a global vector for multiple human and animal diseases, including West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis, and avian malaria, posing a constant threat to public health, livestock, companion animals, and endangered birds. While rising insecticide resistance has threatened the control of Culex mosquitoes, advances in CRISPR genome-editing tools have fostered the development of alternative genetic strategies such as gene drive systems to fight disease vectors. However, though gene-drive technology has quickly progressed in other mosquitoes, advances have been lacking in Culex. Here, we developed a Culex-specific Cas9/gRNA expression toolkit and used site-directed homology-based transgenesis to generate and validate a Culex quinquefasciatus Cas9-expressing line. We showed that gRNA scaffold variants improve transgenesis efficiency in both Culex and Drosophila and boost gene-drive performance in the fruit fly. These findings support future technology development to control Culex mosquitoes and provide valuable insight for improving these tools in other species.
Closure of the plasma membrane around microneedle in Amoeba proteus. An ultrastructural study.

Microneedle perforations of the plasma membrane of Amoeba proteus were studied on the ultrastructural level. In each individual cell one hole was produced, which subsequently was marked with an eyelash left in place. Cells were quickly fixed, and sections cut parallel to the longitudinal axis of the eyelash. It was clear that the eyelash penetrated the plasma membrane, and that its free tip was located in the interior of the cell. A gap remained between the plasma membrane and the eyelash which may correspond to the electrical leak sometimes found by microelectrode punctures. The edges of the broken plasma membrane curled back into the cytoplasm. Here, a great redundancy of the plasma membrane was observed. Within these membrane accumulations, a large quantity of dense droplets was apposed at the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Their involvement in the formation and expansion of the plasma membrane in Amoeba proteus and Xenopus laevis has been suggested previously [1, 18]. Present studies offer more supportive evidence to that effect. Therefore, the interpretation seems to be plausible, that these membrane accumulations are the result of membrane expansion to minimize the hole produced during injury. This is in agreement with Holtfreter's [8] and Bluemink's [1] concept that the wound closure may occur by proliferation of the plasma membrane.
Learning Techniques for Structured Networks

A special class of feedforward neural networks, referred to as structured networks, has recently been introduced as a method for solving matrix algebra problems in an inherently parallel formulation. In this paper we present a convergence analysis for the training of structured networks. Since the learning techniques that are used in structured networks are the same as the ones employed in training of neural networks, the issue of convergence is discussed not only from a numerical perspective but also as a means of deriving insight into connectionist learning. In our analysis, we develop bounds on the learning rate, under which, we prove exponential convergence of the weights to their correct values for a class of matrix algebra problems that includes linear equation solving, matrix inversion and Lyapunov equation solving. For a special class of problems we introduce, what we call, the orthogonalised backpropagation algorithm, an optimal recursive update law for minimising a least-squares cost functional, that guarantees exact convergence in one epoch. Several learning issues, such as normalizing techniques, persistency of excitation, input scaling and non-unique solution sets, are investigated.