cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tennessee Valley Authority EnergyRight Solutions for Higher Education Intern Program at Maryville College

Among the ways students in higher education prepare for the ever-changing fields of energy efficiency analysis and workplace sustainabil ity, few experiences match the strong learning outcomes found when students work alongside professional organizations currently engaged in finding sustainable energy solutions. The Ten nessee Valley Authority (TVA) EnergyRight Solutions for Higher Education® (ERSHE) Intern Program is such an experience. TVA ERSHE has hired students as interns from four East Tennessee colleges or universities to participate in the program. The schools are expected to focus on generating real energy savings and promoting campus awareness of energy efficiency and renewable energy through student/staff-focused projects that the interns propose, research, and implement. Staff from TVA, the nation’s larg est public utility, and consultants from Willdan Energy Solutions, working with campus faculty sponsors, train and communicate with the interns. Program benefits include tangible campus energy savings, student professional career and team-building skills training, along with learning of content knowledge in the field of sustainable energy auditing. Student communication with energy industry professionals, writing and submission of progress reports and project updates, and development of energy project scopes of work all develop individual skill-building in such areas including, but not limited to, data analysis and interpretation, collaborative communication, and self-assessment towards meeting goals to succeed in an energy-related career. One college’s student intern cohort, representative of diverse majors including design, environmental studies, business and management, and biochemistry, exhibited strong collaborative team work, and utilized their wider educational experiences to help inform them of the energy issues on their campus and provide holistic, productive solutions to a variety of campus and workplace energy problems.
Integrity of Membrane Lipid Rafts Is Necessary for the Ordered Assembly and Release of Infectious Newcastle Disease Virus Particles

Membrane lipid raft domains are thought to be sites of assembly for many enveloped viruses. The roles of both classical lipid rafts and lipid rafts associated with the membrane cytoskeleton in the assembly of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) were investigated. The lipid raft-associated proteins caveolin-1, flotillin-2, and actin were incorporated into virions, while the non-lipid raft-associated transferrin receptor was excluded. Kinetic analyses of the distribution of viral proteins in lipid rafts, as defined by detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), in non-lipid raft membranes, and in virions showed an accumulation of HN, F, and NP viral proteins in lipid rafts early after synthesis. Subsequently, these proteins exited the DRMs and were recovered quantitatively in purified virions, while levels of these proteins in detergent-soluble cell fractions remained relatively constant. Cholesterol depletion of infected cells drastically altered the association of viral proteins with DRMs and resulted in an enhanced release of virus particles with reduced infectivity. Decreased infectivity was not due to effects on subsequent virus entry, since the extraction of cholesterol from intact virus did not significantly reduce infectivity. Particles released from cholesterol-depleted cells had very heterogeneous densities and altered ratios of NP and glycoproteins, demonstrating structural abnormalities which potentially contributed to their lowered infectivity. Taken together, these results indicate that lipid rafts, including cytoskeleton-associated lipid rafts, are sites of NDV assembly and that these domains are important for ordered assembly and release of infectious Newcastle disease virus particles.
Note on Nonisothermal Flow in Field-Flow Fractionation

Abstract Myers et al. (1) derived an expression for the velocity profile of a fluid flowing under an applied pressure gradient between parallel flat plates separated by a small distance h. The coefficient of viscosity (μ) was allowed to vary between the plates, say, as the result of a (linear) temperature gradient established by controlling the temperature on each plate to a different value. In this note an error in their hydrodynamic analysis is corrected, and sample calculations are given to demonstrate the possible quantitative effect of this error on the fluid velocity profile.
Endothelial cell behaviour on gas‐plasma‐treated PLA surfaces: the roles of surface chemistry and roughness

Glow-discharge gas-plasma (GP) treatment has been shown to induce surface modifications such that cell adhesion and growth are enhanced. However, it is not known which gas used in GP treatment is optimal for endothelial cell function. Polylactic acid (PLA) films treated oxygen, argon, or nitrogen GP were characterized using contact angles, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, optical profilometry, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All three GP treatments decreased the carbon atomic concentration and surface roughness and increased the oxygen atomic concentration. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured on the PLA films for up to 7 days. Based on proliferation and live/dead assays, surface chemistry was shown to have the greatest effect on the attachment, proliferation, and viability of these cells, while roughness did not have a significant influence. Of the different gases, endothelial cell viability, attachment and proliferation were most significantly increased on PLA surfaces treated with oxygen and argon gas plasma. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modular Organization of Frequency Integration in Primary Auditory Cortex

Two fundamental aspects of frequency analysis shape the functional organization of primary auditory cortex. For one, the decomposition of complex sounds into different frequency components is reflected in the tonotopic organization of auditory cortical fields. Second, recent findings suggest that this decomposition is carried out in parallel for a wide range of frequency resolutions by neurons with frequency receptive fields of different sizes (bandwidths). A systematic representation of the range of frequency resolution and, equivalently, spectral integration shapes the functional organization of the iso-frequency domain. Distinct subregions, or "mod- ules," along the iso-frequency domain can be demonstrated with various measures of spectral integration, including pure-tone tuning curves, noise masking, and electrical cochlear stimulation. This modularity in the representation of spectral integration is expressed by intrinsic cortical connections. This organization has implications for our understanding of psychophysical spectral integration measures such as the critical band and general cortical coding strategies.
The C. elegans spe-9 Gene Encodes a Sperm Transmembrane Protein that Contains EGF-like Repeats and Is Required for Fertilization

Abstract In the nematode worm C. elegans , individuals with mutations in the spe-9 gene produce spermatozoa with wild-type morphology and motility that cannot fertilize oocytes even after contact between gametes. Therefore, disruption of spe-9 function affects either gamete recognition, adhesion, signaling, and/or fusion. The spe-9 gene encodes a sperm transmembrane protein with an extracellular domain that contains ten epidermal growth factor–like repeats. A common feature of proteins that include epidermal growth factor–like motifs is their involvement in extracellular functions such as adhesive and ligand–receptor interactions. Additionally, the overall structure of the predicted SPE-9 protein is similar to that of ligands for the Notch/LIN-12/GLP-1 family of transmembrane receptors. These results suggest that SPE-9 functions in the specialized cell–cell interactions required for fertilization.
Black-white earnings gap among restaurant servers: A replication, extension, and exploration of consumer racial discrimination in tipping

There is a rich history of social science research centering on racial inequalities that continue to be observed across various markets (e.g., labor, housing, and credit markets) and social milieus. Existing research on racial discrimination in consumer markets is, however, relatively scarce and that which has been done has disproportionately focused on consumers as the victims of race-based mistreatment. As such, we know relatively little about how consumers contribute to inequalities in their roles as perpetrators of racial discrimination. In response, in this article, we elaborate on a line of research that is only in its infancy stages of development and yet is ripe with opportunities to advance the literature on consumer racial discrimination and racial earnings inequities among tip-dependent employees in the United States. Specifically, we analyze data derived from an exit survey of restaurant consumers (N = 394) in an attempt to replicate, extend, and further explore the recently documented effect of service providers’ race on restaurant consumers’ tipping decisions. Our results indicate that both white and black restaurant customers discriminate against black servers by tipping them less than their white co-workers. Importantly, we find no evidence that this black tip penalty is the result of inter-racial differences in service skills possessed by black and white servers. We conclude by delineating directions for future research in this neglected but salient area of study.
A Model for Radar Images and Its Application to Adaptive Digital Filtering of Multiplicative Noise

Standard image processing techniques which are used to enhance noncoherent optically produced images are not applicable to radar images due to the coherent nature of the radar imaging process. A model for the radar imaging process is derived in this paper and a method for smoothing noisy radar images is also presented. The imaging model shows that the radar image is corrupted by multiplicative noise. The model leads to the functional form of an optimum (minimum MSE) filter for smoothing radar images. By using locally estimated parameter values the filter is made adaptive so that it provides minimum MSE estimates inside homogeneous areas of an image while preserving the edge structure. It is shown that the filter can be easily implemented in the spatial domain and is computationally efficient. The performance of the adaptive filter is compared (qualitatively and quantitatively) with several standard filters using real and simulated radar images.
Interleukin-13 (IL-13) Pathway

Interleukin-13 (IL-13), like IL-4, is a cytokine produced by T(H)2 type helper T cells in response to signaling through the T cell antigen receptor and by mast cells and basophils upon cross-linkage of the high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (IgE). It is also produced by activated eosinophils. IL-13 induces many of the same responses as IL-4 and shares a receptor subunit with IL-4. IL-13 has been implicated in airway hypersensitivity and mucus hypersecretion, inflammatory bowel disease, and parasitic nematode expulsion.
Teaching OOP With Financial Literacy

Students lose interest in learning programming when the materials are not related to their lives. A challenge facing most students is that they lack the financial literacy necessary to manage their debts. An approach is developed to integrate financial literacy into an object-oriented programming (OOP) course. The approach is effective in motivating students and improving the learning outcomes.
Vitrification of high-level radioactive waste in a small-scale joule-heated ceramic melter

Vitrification is the reference process for the immobilization of radioactive waste from the production of defense materials at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). Since 1979, a small vitrification facility (1 lb/h) has been operated at the Savannah River Laboratory using actual SRP waste. In previous studies, dried waste was fed to this smaller melter. This report discusses direct feeding of actual liquid-waste slurries to the small melter. These liquid-feeding tests demonstrated that addition of premelted glass frit to the waste slurry reduces the amount of material volatilized. Results of these tests are in accord with results of large-scale tests with actual waste.
Clinical pharmacology of carvedilol in normal volunteers

The mechanism of the vasodilatory action of carvedilol (BM 14190), a new antihypertensive agent, was investigated in normal volunteers. Intra-arterial blood pressure and ECG were monitored continuously. Carvedilol (1 mg/min for 15 minutes) produced a rapid reduction in blood pressure and a transient increase in heart rate. At the end of infusion, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were reduced by 23% (-32.3 mm Hg) and 18% (-13.6 mm Hg), respectively, whereas heart rate was not different from baseline. At the doses used, the hypotensive effect of carvedilol was greater than that of labetalol (36 and 72 mg in 15 minutes). Carvedilol and labetalol antagonized isoproterenol-induced hypotension and tachycardia, at serum levels greater than or equal to 8 and 20 mg/ml, respectively. Both drugs antagonized phenylephrine pressor effects. A similar degree of inhibition (25% of control) of pressor effects was observed for carvedilol and labetalol when their respective serum concentrations were 23 ng/ml and 80 ng/ml. Neither carvedilol nor labetalol had any effect on AII pressor responses. Carvedilol serum levels as high as 150 ng/ml failed to inhibit AII-induced pressor responses. Our results suggest that at the doses used in this study, carvedilol has both alpha 1-and nonselective beta-receptor blocking properties. Moreover, carvedilol is approximately three to five times more potent than labetalol in blocking alpha 1-and beta-receptors and in reducing blood pressure.
What is it about very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Is it the triglycerides or the cholesterol?

Evidence continues to support a relationship between fastingand non-fasting plasma triglycerides (TG) and coronary heart dis-ease (CHD), but is it the triglycerides that are causative or is it thelipid/lipoprotein company they keep, e.g. reductions in HDLcholesterol [1]. And in patients with type 2 diabetes, a populationwherein hypertriglyceridemia is more common [2,3], plasma TGappear to be an important contributor to CVD risk [4,5]. This as-sociation could very well be causal; the major TG-containing lipo-protein in fasted subjects is very low density lipoproteins (VLDL)and to a lesser extent intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL)(d > 1.006 but 0. Moreover, a CAC score distribution is not provided and thereproducibility of the method is not stated. Thus, a comparison oftwo scans may have revealed one at 0 and another >0, e.g. 8. Ac-cording to the method by which scores were calculated (Agatston),thespeciﬁcityofaCAC score of1wasreportedas61%but increasedto 87% at 25 [9]. Moreover, the validation studies of Hokanson et al.[10]indicatethata cut-pointof 6.25 provided >99% certainty thatthe CAC score is not 0. With values <6.25 one cannot reliably statetheCACscore isdifferentthan0.Inaddition,ithasalsobeenshownthat a cut-point of 6.25 to deﬁne progression of CAC is the bestpredictor of future mortality compared to other methods ofassessing CAC [11]. Perhaps the unacceptably low threshold forpositivity used in PDHS could have inﬂuenced the VLDL-C/CACresults?The stronger relationship between VLDL-C and CAC in womenthan men extends previous observations that suggested a strongerassociation of hypertriglyceridemia with coronary heart disease(CHD) risk in women than men. In the 1980s data from Framing-ham demonstrated a more robust relationship between fastingplasma TG with cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in womenthan men [12]. And, more recent analyses have conﬁrmed astronger relationship of both fasting and non-fasting plasma TGwith CVD in women than men [13]. However, despite the conve-nience of non-fasting vs. fasting plasma TG and a similar if notbetter CVD risk prediction of non-fasting than fasting values [14],the most recent ACC/AHA Cholesterol Guideline is based on lipidsmeasured in fasted not non-fasted subjects [15,16].An expected relationship between plasma VLDL-C and TG wasfound (r ¼ 0.88, P < 0.0001), yet using Akaike information criteriaand Bayesian information criteria the authors provide evidence to
Molecular mechanism of Thioflavin-T binding to amyloid fibrils.

Abstract Intense efforts to detect, diagnose, and analyze the kinetic and structural properties of amyloid fibrils have generated a powerful toolkit of amyloid-specific molecular probes. Since its first description in 1959, the fluorescent dye Thioflavin-T (ThT) has become among the most widely used “gold standards” for selectively staining and identifying amyloid fibrils both in vivo and in vitro . The large enhancement of its fluorescence emission upon binding to fibrils makes ThT a particularly powerful and convenient tool. Despite its widespread use in clinical and basic science applications, the molecular mechanism for the ability of ThT to recognize diverse types of amyloid fibrils and for the dye's characteristic fluorescence has only begun to be elucidated. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of ThT–fibril interactions at an atomic resolution. These studies have yielded important insights into amyloid structures and the processes of fibril formation, and they also offer guidance for designing the next generation of amyloid assembly diagnostics, inhibitors, and therapeutics.
The fish fauna associated with deep coral banks off the southeastern United States

Abstract Deep-sea or cold-water corals form substantial habitat along many continental slopes, including the southeastern United States (SEUS). Despite increasing research on deep coral systems and growing appreciation of their importance to fishes, quantitative data on fish communities occupying these ecosystems are relatively lacking. Our overall goals were to document the fish species and their relative abundances and to describe the degree of general habitat specificity of the fishes on and around deep coral habitats on the SEUS slope. From 2000 to 2006, we used the Johnson-Sea-Link (JSL) submersible (65 dives, 366–783 m), supplemented with otter trawls (33 tows, 365–910 m) to document fishes and habitats from off North Carolina to east-central Florida. Eight areas with high concentrations of deep-sea corals were surveyed repeatedly. Three general habitat types (prime reef, transition reef, and off reef) were defined to determine large-scale habitat use patterns. Throughout the area, at least 99 fish species were identified, many (19%) of which yielded new distributional data. Most species observed with the JSL were on prime reef ( n =50) and transition reef ( n =42) habitats, but the off reef habitat supported a well developed, but different fauna ( n =25 species). Prime reef was characterized by Laemonema melanurum (21% of total), Nezumia sclerorhynchus (17% of total), Beryx decadactylus (14% of total), and Helicolenus dactylopterus (10% of total). The off reef areas were dominated by Fenestraja plutonia (19% of total), Laemonema barbatulum (18% of total), Myxine glutinosa (8% of total), and Chlorophthalmus agassizi (7% of total). Transition habitat exhibited a mixture of species that were also found on either prime reef or off reef habitats. Nezumia sclerorhynchus was the most abundant (25% of total) transition habitat species, followed by L. barbatulum (16% of total) and L. melanurum (14% of total). Several species (e.g., Anthias woodsi , B. decadactylus , Conger oceanicus , and Dysommina rugosa ) demonstrated specificity to deep-reef habitats, while others (e.g., C. agassizi , Benthobatis marcida , F. plutonia , and Phycis chesteri ) were always more common away from reefs. In addition to new distributional data, we provide behavioral and biological observations for dominant species.
Intradural inclusion cysts following in utero closure of myelomeningocele: clinical implications and follow-up findings.

Object The goal in this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical implications of the development of cutaneously derived intradural inclusion cysts (ICs) following fetal myelomeningocele (fMMC) closure. Methods Retrospective databases and responses to a parental questionnaire were reviewed to determine the incidence, clinical presentation, and outcomes of fMMCs in children in whom ICs developed at follow-up. Results Prior to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS), 54 patients underwent fMMC closure at the authors' institution. Sixteen (30%) presented with symptomatic tethered cord syndrome (TCS) at a median age of 27 months (range 4–93 months). Ten (63%) of the 16 (19% of the total) developed TCS in association with an intradural IC. In 9 (90%) of 10 patients, the IC was seen on preoperative MR imaging, and in 1 it was found during surgery. Four additional children (7% of the total) with evidence of an IC on surveillance MR imaging are currentl...
Personality subtypes in patients with panic disorder.

Abstract Objective This study examined personality subtypes of adults diagnosed with panic disorder (PD). Methods As part of a National Institute of Mental Health–funded study on personality in a clinical population, randomly selected psychologists and psychiatrists used a Q-sort instrument to describe 96 adults diagnosed with PD. Results Q-factor analysis yielded 4 personality subtypes: high functioning, emotionally dysregulated, inhibited/avoidant, and somatizing. Within the sample, the subtypes differed on Axis I and II pathology, adaptive functioning, and developmental and family history variables. Personality constellations in the sample showed substantial incremental validity in predicting adaptive functioning and treatment response above and beyond the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Axis I diagnoses. Conclusions These distinctions may elucidate the high rates of comorbidity among patients with PD and are important in understanding treatment choice and outcome.
An industry-academia team-teaching case study for software engineering capstone courses

Exposing software engineering students to newest industry practices and latest research and theories allows them to acquire and maintain the technical skills necessary to continually adjust to the rapid changes that occur in technology. Close interaction with industry members help the university and engineering programs identify real-world problems and their solutions and incorporate them into the curriculum. Software engineering capstone projects require the development of major software products and are usually either industry-generated or research-based. They are either assigned for the overall supervision of one instructor or each project is supervised by different instructors independently. In this paper, the authors present a case study in which the software engineering capstone projects have been team-coordinated by two instructors: one full-time faculty and one part-time faculty (full-time industry practitioner), thus combining two complementary sets of skills towards the mentoring of the software engineering students. Two capstone projects (one industry-generated and the other research-based) are also presented with the contribution of each instructor described.
Deciding Not to Adopt: The Role of Normative Family Ideologies in Adoption Consideration

ABSTRACTAmericans view adoption favorably, yet few consider adopting or actually adopt a child. Using qualitative data from the representative National Survey of Fertility Barriers, we explored why women who had considered adoption decided not to pursue it as a pathway to parenthood. Our sample includes responses from 1,747 women who considered adoption at some point. Seven themes emerged: prioritization of biology, economic concerns, family building prerequisites, relationship barriers, barriers to adoption, family barriers, and change of heart. Findings highlight that barriers to adoption are not always the primary reasons women opt out of adoption; normative conceptualizations of “family” are also important.
Characteristics of Radio Commercials and Their Recall Effectiveness

Although copy testing of advertisements is common, the accumulated results of such tests are rarely used to assess the relative importance of different presentation characteristics. An analysis of ...
Real Estate Investment Decision-making Scheme Based on DEA Evaluation

Real estate project has a long recovery period,need large amount of investment,and is restricted by factors such as economy,politics,and environment. How to choose the best schemes in many investment projects to invest is one key problem that a real estate enterprise must consider. In order to explore more reasonable and scientific methods in real estate investment decision-making,the article adopts the method of DEA(data envelopment analysis)to establish the corresponding input-output indicators in real estate investment decision-making model. Real estate enterprises need consider the benefits of each solution may bring and the input problem in the process of investment decision-making in face of multiple construction schemes. The article divides the indicators into cost and efficiency indicators which overcome oneness of the other indicators,so as to improve the scientific nature of the evaluation system. We verify the effectiveness of the proposed method through analysis of typical examples. It ensures the objectivity and accuracy of the evaluation program by using the DEA method.
Pre- and postweaning performance of pigs injected with dexamethasone at birth.

A trial was conducted to determine pre- and postweaning performance of pigs injected with dex- amethasone either 1 or 24 h after birth. In Exp. 1, 225 pigs (Triumph4 × PIC Camborough 22) were assigned according to birth weight and sex to three treatments. Treatments included either saline (Control), Dex1 (2 mg/kg BW i.m. injection of dexamethasone within 1 h of birth), or Dex24 (2 mg/kg BW i.m. injection of dexamethasone within 24 h after birth). Birth weights (1.56 ± 0.06 kg) did not differ among treatments (P > 0.10) or between sexes (P > 0.10). There was a treatment × sex interaction on BW at weaning (15 d; P 0.05). In Exp. 2, 180 pigs from Exp. 1 were transported to a segregated early weaning nursery facility where each sex was assigned to 10 pens per treatment (60 pens total). Pigs were fed fortified corn-soybean meal diets in a three-phase feeding program. At the end of Exp. 2 (49-d period), there was a treatment × sex inter- action (P < 0.01) for BW with Dex1 and Dex24 barrows
Contention and Corporate Social Responsibility: PRIVATE AND CONTENTIOUS POLITICS IN THE POST-1990 ERA

Thus far in this book I have examined anticorporate activism that occurred in the United States between 1960 and 1990. From this examination, I have emphasized two key dimensions that should be considered when attempting to understand the causes and consequences of anticorporate activism. First, in Chapter 3, I described the importance of examining and understanding the claims expressed by anticorporate activists. By looking carefully at anticorporate activism as reported in the New York Times , I found that most protests initiated by anticorporate activists over this thirty-one-year period articulated claims that fell into one of the following three categories: antiproduct, antipolicy , and negligence . While in many cases activists articulated multiple claims, in general I was able to locate a primary claim that fell into one of these three categories in each report of public protest events that I examined. Second, in Chapters 2 and 3 I noted the importance of identifying what the target or focal point of a given anticorporate protest event is, noting that oftentimes anticorporate activism is directed at both corporations and the government. This led me to charge that it is critical for scholars of organizations and movements to move beyond their focus on “private politics” and “contentious politics” respectively and recognize that anticorporate activism is sometimes a hybrid of the two. Recall that private politics is the term used by organizations scholars for the class of politics that occurs without any state intervention, activity, or targeting. And, contentious politics is the term used by social movement scholars to refer to instances of activism in which one party (typically the focal point) is the state.
Statistical and Wave Viewpoints in Hamilton–Jacobi Theory

The development of geometrical and geometric optics concepts of the Hamilton-Jacobi theory allows for a natural association of a bundle of trajectories and the corresponding fields with an ensemble of identical particles.
As Relações Civis-Militares em Portugal: O Longo Processo para o Controle Civil e a Eficácia Militar

O artigo trata das relacoes entre civis e militares em Portugal usando um quadro analitico baseado em indicadores empiricos relativos a tres dimensoes: controle democratico por parte de civis, eficacia no desempenho de tarefas e missoes, e eficiencia. Apesar da crise economica e da consequente falta de recursos do governo, esta analise se mostra positiva numa perspectiva comparada. Ademais da influencia e dos incentivos de organizacoes internacionais, especificamente da OTAN, da Uniao Europeia e das Nacoes Unidas, o artigo examina a utilizacao de politicas de defesa e das Forcas Armadas, tanto pelos civis quanto pelos militares, na perseguicao de objetivos estrategicos.
Resource allocation in food-restricted male Physocyclus mexicanus Banks, 1898 spiders does not favor proportionally larger testes (Araneae: Pholcidae)

The physiological effects of resource allocation due to dietary restriction in spiders are poorly understood; in fact, the system-wide effects of any environmental stresses on spider physiology remain relatively unstudied. The aim of this study was to show the consequences of dietary restriction in the pholcid spider Physocyclus mexicanus Banks, 1898. Male spiders were fed either a high (ad libitum) diet (n = 43) or low (5–8 Drosophila melanogaster/week) diet (n = 32) through their penultimate instar. We found significant differences in testis volume, body mass, and tibia-patella length [TPL] between the two groups. Linear regression analysis reveals that the differences in testis volume between the two groups are not solely due to differences in body mass; for any given body mass, the low diet group has a smaller mean testis size than the high diet group. Our results suggest that P. mexicanus males allocate resources away from testis volume in times of scarcity.
A gentle introduction to GPU programming: conference tutorial

Initially HPC was limited to a single core per node, eventually evolving to multicore CPUs, during all that time the computational power of multicore architectures was harnessed either by making use of distributed memory programming (MPI) and/or shared memory (OpenMP, Pthreads). In recent years, and thanks to the development of many-core GPUs, things have radically improved in the HPC arena, thanks to its outstanding computational capabilities. In todays world, a high percentage of the solutions to the most computational challenging problems owe their fast, innovate, and accurate solution to the correct balancing between multicore CPUs and many-core GPUs (Nvidia Products). GPU-accelerated computing leverages the parallel processing capabilities of GPU accelerators and enabling software to deliver dramatic increases in performance for scientific, artificial intelligence, deep learning, graphics, engineering, and other demanding applications. This tutorial will cover architectural concepts associated with Nvidia GPUs, as well as programming concepts. During the first part of this tutorial, multiple simple and easy to follow examples will be presented to highlight the mapping from hardware to programming, building important concepts that will allow the audience to understand to a more complex example (Matrix Multiplication).
Explaining temporal differences to create useful concepts for evaluating states

We describe a technique for improving problem-solving performance by creating concepts that allow problem states to be evaluated through an efficient recognition process. A temporal-difference (TD) method is used to bootstrap a collection of useful concepts by backing up evaluations from recognized states to their predecessors. This procedure is combined with explanation- based generalization (EBG) and goal regression to use knowledge of the problem domain to help generalize the new concept definitions. This maintains the efficiency of using the concepts and accelerates the learning process in comparison to knowledge-free approaches. Also, because the learned definitions may describe negative conditions, it becomes possible to use EBG to explain why some instance is not an example of a concept. The learning technique has been elaborated for minimax gameplaying and tested on a Tic-Tat-Toe system, T2. Given only concepts defining the end-game states and constrained to a two-ply search bound, experiments show that T2 learns concepts for achieving near-perfect play. T2's total searching time, including concept recognition, is within acceptable performance limits while perfect play without the concepts requires searches taking well over 100 times longer than T2's.
Organize or die: Farm school pedagogy and the political ecology of the agroecological transition in rural Haiti

This article examines the political and pedagogical role of the farm school in Haiti's largest and oldest peasants' movement, the Peasants' Movement of Papaye (MPP). It draws upon ongoing ethnograp...
“I am not a nurse!”: femininity, maternalism, and heritage in A Mind at Peace

ABSTRACTIn Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar’s novel A Mind at Peace, Nuran plays a central role as the beloved and provides the title for one of the four chapters, yet, much like the female characters in Tanpinar’s other works, receives little critical attention. This article examines Nuran through her femininity, maternalism, and heritage as the representation of a changing cultural and social identity tied to the Ottoman past but focused on the future. While Mumtaz, the male protagonist, inhabits a juvenile or deferred present, Nuran is rooted in the present through her multifaceted female identity and maintains a conflicted connection to the past and to her progeny through her family’s legacy, the “Song in the Mahur Mode.” This discord manifests in Nuran’s maternal duty to protect her daughter Fatma, who also bears the inheritance and emerges as Mumtaz’s main rival for Nuran’s affections. Nuran’s choice to pursue a transgressive relationship within the structure of her familial fate posits a feminine and cyclical ...
ROLE OF DIABETES AND INSULIN USE IN THE RISK OF STROKE AND ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: A MEDICARE ANALYSIS

Thromboembolism and atherothrombosis are the 2 predominant mechanisms associating atrial fibrillation (AF) with cardiovascular outcomes. Recent evidence has shown that insulin use in patients with DM probably increases risk of thromboembolic outcomes like ischemic stroke in patients with AF. It
Renal lymph and interstitial fluid concentration of co-trimazine: an experimental study in dogs.

Renal clearance and renal hilar lymph and interstitial fluid concentrations of co-trimazine were investigated in dogs during constant intravenous infusion. The lymph was obtained by direct cannulation of the lymphatics, and the interstitial fluid from small plastic tissue chambers, implanted 4–6 weeks before the experiments. The clearance values for trimethoprim and sulphadiazine, compared to the glomerular filtration rate, as measured by125I-iothalamate clearance, showed a net tubular secretion of trimethoprim and tubular re-absorption of sulphadiazine. Renal lymph and interstitial fluid concentrations were found to be lower than the plasma concentrations, corresponding well with earlier findings for several other antimicrobial agents. We found a statistically significant difference between lymph/plasma and interstitial fluid/plasma ratios, indicating different composition and origin of lymph and interstitial fluid.
Quantum Chemistry on Graphics Processing Units

Abstract We report on the current status of algorithm development and software implementations for acceleration of quantum chemistry and computational condensed matter physics simulations on graphics processing units (GPUs) as documented in the peer-reviewed literature. We give a general overview of programming techniques and concepts that should be considered when porting scientific software to GPUs. This is followed by a discussion of Hartree-Fock and density functional theory, wave function-based electron correlation methods and quantum Monte Carlo in which we outline the underlying problems and present the approaches which aim at exploiting the performance of the massively parallel GPU hardware. We conclude with a critical assessment of the present state of the field and discuss future directions that are likely to be taken.
Taking the Wrong Message: The Legacy of the Identification of the Battered Child Syndrome

Publication of the Battered Child Syndrome (BCS) brought a new focus on a critical problem—severe and repeated abuse of children. However, it also led to a substantial expansion in the scope of the child protection system to situations far different than those discussed in the BCS. By the 1980s, over 15% of all children born each year were reported to CPS before turning 18, most for potential “harms” to their development that did not involve physical or sexual maltreatment. The CPS system is not well-designed to help these children. While children now receive somewhat more protection from severe physical and sexual abuse, the great majority of children who experience other types of seriously inadequate parenting fail to receive needed support. This commentary discusses why the CPS system should be focused on the types of harms to children identified by in the BCS and outlines why a new approach is needed to meet the needs of other children whose futures are seriously compromised because they receive highly inadequate parenting.
Basic and clinical immunology – 3010. The RNA-binding protein HuR coordinately regulates GATA-3 and Th2 cytokine gene expression in dose dependent manner.

Background Naive CD4+ T cells can differentiate into different subsets. Whereas transcriptional regulation of CD4+ T cells is well studied, posttranscriptional control by RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and microRNAs is poorly understood. CD4+ Th2 mediated diseases such as allergen-induced asthma, are driven by GATA-3, IL-4 and IL-13. The RBP, HuR, has been shown to posttranscriptionally regulate many early response genes, including IL-4 and IL-13. GATA-3 contains AU-rich elements (ARE) in its 3’ untranslated region (UTR) which are binding sites for HuR. We first identified GATA-3, IL-4 and IL-13 as HuR targets using RIP-Chip (RNA immunoprecipitation applied to microarrays). We hypothesized that HuR may be coordinately regulating Th2 differentiation.
The Organic Metallic State: Some Physical Aspects and Chemical Trends

To a degree unmatched among other intrinsic conductors, the electronic properties of organic charge-transfer salts1 are subject to chemical control. Among the derivatives and analogs of TTF-TCNQ,2-7 for example, even minor differences in molecular structure often manifest thanselves as sharp contrasts in electrical behavior. Indeed, despite their general chemical and crystallographic similarities, such compounds span the full range from insulators to the best organic conductors known.
Survival impact of treatment delays in surgically managed oropharyngeal cancer and the role of human papillomavirus status.

Background The impact of treatment delays on survival in oropharyngeal cancer and whether the effect varies by human papillomavirus (HPV) status have yet to be defined. Methods Retrospective analysis of the survival impact of time from diagnosis to surgery (DTS), surgery to radiation (SRT), and duration of radiation (RTD) for patients in the National Cancer Database with resected oropharyngeal cancer who underwent adjuvant radiation from 2010 to 2014. Results We identified optimal thresholds of 30, 40, and 51 days for DTS, SRT, and RTD, respectively, with treatment times exceeding these thresholds associated with significantly worse overall survival. Prolonged SRT and RTD were associated with mortality regardless of HPV status, although rising DTS was only predictive among patients with HPV-negative tumors. Conclusions Treatment delays significantly impact survival in oropharyngeal cancer. The consequences of prolonged DTS may be stronger in HPV-negative than HPV-positive disease. These data serve as a foundation for future research and clinical management.
The use of periodization in exercise prescriptions for inactive adults: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Periodization of exercise is a method typically used in sports training, but the impact of periodized exercise on health outcomes in untrained adults is unclear. Purpose This review aims to summarize existing research wherein aerobic or resistance exercise was prescribed to inactive adults using a recognized periodization method. Methods A search of relevant databases, conducted between January and February of 2014, yielded 21 studies published between 2000 and 2013 that assessed the impact of periodized exercise on health outcomes in untrained participants. Results Substantial heterogeneity existed between studies, even under the same periodization method. Compared to baseline values or non-training control groups, prescribing periodized resistance or aerobic exercise yielded significant improvements in health outcomes related to traditional and emerging risk factors for cardiovascular disease, low-back and neck/shoulder pain, disease severity, and quality of life, with mixed results for increasing bone mineral density. Conclusions Although it is premature to conclude that periodized exercise is superior to non-periodized exercise for improving health outcomes, periodization appears to be a feasible means of prescribing exercise to inactive adults within an intervention setting. Further research is necessary to understand the effectiveness of periodizing aerobic exercise, the psychological effects of periodization, and the feasibility of implementing flexible non-linear methods.
Self-assessing and communicating manipulation proficiency through active uncertainty characterization

Autonomous manipulation has the potential to improve the quality of life of many by assisting in routine household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and organizing. However, for safe, dependable, and effective operation alongside humans, both the robot and the human must have an accurate and reliable assessment of the robot's proficiency at completing the relevant tasks. Such an assessment helps to ensure that the robot does not engage in tasks that it cannot handle and instead engages in tasks that are well-aligned with the robot's abilities. This proposal thus investigates how a robot can actively assess both its proficiency and its confidence in that assessment through appropriate measures of uncertainty that can be efficiently and effectively communicated to a human. The experiments examine how a user's trust and subsequent use of a robot vary as a result of the robot's self-assessment of proficiency.
Early Decoding of Tongue-Hand Movement from EEG Recordings Using Dynamic Functional Connectivity Graphs

In this paper, we consider the problem of early decoding of EEG signals associated with tongue-hand motor execution and imagery tasks. A two-step feature extraction strategy is proposed. In the first step, the EEG data is segmented into sequences of quasi-stationary intervals, during which functional networks sustain their connectivity. The second step localizes the functional networks during each segment, to generate the dynamic functional connectivity graphs. Next, the common spatial pattern (CSP) algorithm is employed to select features for the classification problem. To take advantage of the dynamic nature of the generated graphs, a long short term memory (LSTM) classifier is used for classification. Using the first 500 ms of EEG recordings, the proposed framework is capable of classifying different tongue-hand motor execution and imagery tasks, with an average accuracy of 79%.
Forgotten Fights: Little-Known Raids and Skirmishes on the Frontier, 1823 to 1890

Review of: "Forgotten Fights: Little-Known Raids and Skirmishes on the Frontier, 1823 to 1890," by Gregory F. Michno and Susan J. Michno.
A Systematic Method to Characterize the Soft-Failure Susceptibility of the I/Os on an Integrated Circuit Due to Electrostatic Discharge

In this paper, we present a methodology to characterize the I/O pins of a logic IC such as an application processor or ASIC with respect to soft-failure susceptibility due to electrostatic discharge. With the IC in a functional system, variable stress pulses are injected while the interface under test operates in real-world use cases. This test methodology enables the extraction of the IC behavior during ESD-like stress on a pin-by-pin basis. This characterization is intended to be performed during the validation stages of component development, making it possible to provide system developers with valuable information about potential modes of failure. This early detection of potential soft errors and their sensitivities can then be used to design for soft-failure robustness from the very beginning of system hardware and software design.
Evidence Behind Mental Training

Surgical training has changed at a rapid rate over the last few decades. Introduction of minimally invasive surgery has bought new dimensions but simultaneously has introduced new challenges, including tactile feedback, haptics, and two-dimensional vision. Surgical training has moved toward competency-based assessment both outside and inside the operating room. Several standard-setting, competency-based curricula focusing on cognitive knowledge, surgical skills, and nontechnical skills have been launched.
Object detection on aerial imagery to improve situational awareness for ground vehicles

One aspect of the well-being of a military unit depends on its ability to reliably detect threats and properly prepare for them. While a given sensor mounted on a ground vehicle can adequately capture threats in some scenarios, its viewpoint can be quite limiting. A potential solution to these limitations is mounting the sensor onto an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to provide a more holistic view of the scene. However, this new perspective creates challenges unique to it. Herein, we investigate the performance of an RGB sensor mounted onto a UAV for object detection and classification to enable advanced situational awareness for a manned/unmanned ground vehicle trailing the UAV. To do this, we perform transfer learning with state-of-the-art deep learning models, e.g., ResNet50, Inception-v3. While object detection with machine learning has been actively researched, even on remotely sensed imagery, most of it has been through the context of scene classification. Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore the implications of this new camera perspective on the performance of object detection. Performance is assessed via route-based cross-validation collected by the U.S. Army ERDC at a test site spanning multiple days.