cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending the 'Cross-Disorder' Relevance of Executive Functions to Dimensional Neuropsychiatric Traits in Youth

Background Evidence that different neuropsychiatric conditions share genetic liability has increased interest in phenotypes with ‘cross-disorder’ relevance, as they may contribute to revised models of psychopathology. Cognition is a promising construct for study; yet, evidence that the same cognitive functions are impaired across different forms of psychopathology comes primarily from separate studies of individual categorical diagnoses versus controls. Given growing support for dimensional models that cut across traditional diagnostic boundaries, we aimed to determine, within a single cohort, whether performance on measures of executive functions (EFs) predicted dimensions of different psychopathological conditions known to share genetic liability. Methods Data are from 393 participants, ages 8–17, consecutively enrolled in the Longitudinal Study of Genetic Influences on Cognition (LOGIC). This project is conducting deep phenotyping and genomic analyses in youth referred for neuropsychiatric evaluation. Using structural equation modeling, we examined whether EFs predicted variation in core dimensions of the autism spectrum disorder, bipolar illness, and schizophrenia (including social responsiveness, mania/emotion regulation, and positive symptoms of psychosis, respectively). Results We modeled three cognitive factors (working memory, shifting, and executive processing speed) that loaded on a second-order EF factor. The EF factor predicted variation in our three target traits, but not in a negative control (somatization). Moreover, this EF factor was primarily associated with the overlapping (rather than unique) variance across the three outcome measures, suggesting that it related to a general increase in psychopathology symptoms across those dimensions. Conclusions Findings extend support for the relevance of cognition to neuropsychiatric conditions that share underlying genetic risk. They suggest that higher-order cognition, including EFs, relates to the dimensional spectrum of each of these disorders and not just the clinical diagnoses. Moreover, results have implications for bottom-up models linking genes, cognition, and a general psychopathology liability.
A bivariate cumulative probit regression model for ordered categorical data

This paper proposes a latent variable regression model for bivariate ordered categorical data and develops the necessary numerical procedure for parameter estimation. The proposed model is an extension of the standard bivariate probit model for dichotomous data to ordered categorical data with more than two categories for each margin. In addition, the proposed model allows for different covariates for the margins, which is characteristic of data from typical ophthalmological studies. It utilizes the stochastic ordering implicit in the data and the correlation coefficient of the bivariate normal distribution in expressing intra-subject dependency. Illustration of the proposed model uses data from the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy for identifying risk factors for diabetic retinopathy among younger-onset diabetics. The proposed regression model also applies to other clinical or epidemiological studies that involve paired organs.
Camelot: a flexible, distributed transaction processing system

The Camelot Project has constructed a distributed transaction facility intended to support widespread use of transaction processing techniques. Camelot executes on a variety of uni- and multiprocessors on top of the Unix-compatible, Mach operating system. The authors describe the design decisions that make Camelot a flexible, easy-to-use system and briefly describe Camelot's programming interfaces and algorithms. They discuss two applications of Camelot: an implementation of distributed ET-1 and a graphical room reservation system that uses the X Window Manager. >
Is it Science Yet?: Intelligent Design Creationism and the Constitution

On several occasions during the last eighty years states have attempted to either prohibit the teaching of evolution in public school science classes or counter the teaching of evolution with mandatory references to the religious doctrine of creationism. The Supreme Court struck down examples of the first two generations of these statutes, holding that they violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. A third generation of creationist legislation is now being proposed. Under this new generation of creationism legislation, science teachers would present so-called intelligent design theory as an alternative to evolution. Intelligent design theory asserts that a supernatural intelligence intervened in the natural world to dictate the nature and ordering of all biological species, which do not evolve from lower- to higher-order beings. This article considers whether these intelligent design creationism proposals can survive constitutional scrutiny. The authors analyze the religious, philosophical, and scientific details of intelligent design theory, and assess these details in light of the constitutional doctrine developed by the Court in its previous creationism decisions. The article discusses several factors that pose problems for intelligent design theory, including the absence of objective scientific support for intelligent design, evidence of strong links between intelligent design and religious doctrine, the use of intelligent design to limit the dissemination of scientific theories that are perceived as contradicting religious teachings, and the fact that the irreducible core of intelligent design theory is what the Court has called the manifestly religious concept of a God or Supreme Being. Based on these details, the authors conclude that intelligent design theory cannot survive scrutiny under the constitutional framework used by the Court to invalidate earlier creationism mandates.
Theories and Applications of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs): The Case for Hybrid Design

Initial studies of learning in massive open online courses (MOOCs) primarily focused on participation patterns and participant experiences. More recently, research has addressed learning theories and offered case studies of different pedagogical designs for MOOCs. Based on a meta-analysis and synthesis of the research literature, this study develops a conceptual model of prominent theories and applications of MOOCs. It proposes a continuum of MOOC learning design that consolidates previous theories into a tripartite scheme corresponding to primary types of MOOCs including content-based, community/tasked-based, and network-based applications. A series of MOOC hybrids are analyzed to demonstrate the value of this model while also clarifying appropriate applications and significant design challenges for MOOCs. Results indicate that hybrid design may support the greatest diversity of learners and scaffold engagement with networked and emergent learning contexts.
61-Year-Old Man With Chronic Diarrhea.

61-year-old man presented with an 18-month history of progressively worsening diarrhea with multiple nonbloody stools of varying volume per day. His medical history included atrial fibrillation with onset at age 40 years, hypothyroidism, hyperlipidemia, and bilateral surgical release for carpal tunnel syndrome. He reported a 14-kg weight loss since the onset of diarrhea, which included intermittent nocturnal stools and occasional urge fecal incontinence. He hadnoabdominaloranorectal pain,abdominal bloating, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, or night sweats. Empirical trials of lactose- and gluten-free diets resulted in no symptom improvement. At the time of presentation, he reported no recent travel or medication changes over the symptomatic interval, including the use of antidiarrheal agents. The patient appeared well and was in no acute distress. His vital signs included the following: temperature, 36.2 � C; heart rate, 79 beats/min; respiratory rate, 12 breaths/ min; and blood pressure, 117/77 mm Hg. Physical examination revealed a soft, nontender, and nondistended abdomen with normoactive bowel sounds. A rectal examination revealed intact perianal sensation with 2 to 3 cm of perianal descent on simulated defecation. Resting and squeeze anal sphincter pressures were adequate. There was no excessive tenderness on digital rectal examination and appropriate relaxation of the puborectalis muscle and external anal sphincter. The remainder of the examination findings were unremarkable except for an irregularly irregular pulse consistent with known atrial fibrillation.
A Feature-Rich Constituent Context Model for Grammar Induction

We present LLCCM, a log-linear variant of the constituent context model (CCM) of grammar induction. LLCCM retains the simplicity of the original CCM but extends robustly to long sentences. On sentences of up to length 40, LLCCM outperforms CCM by 13.9% bracketing F1 and outperforms a right-branching baseline in regimes where CCM does not.
Mothering with Neuroscience in a Neoliberal Age: Child Disorders and Embodied Brains

The chapter examines the proliferating use of neuroscientific discourse to frame child development through qualitative data from two sources: narratives from mothers of children with invisible social-emotional-behavioral or brain disabilities (such as ADHD) and recent best-selling parenting advice literature – suggesting the phenomenon must be understood in the context of neoliberal privatization. With a critical perspective on the naturalization of invisible child disorders and the inequalities to which they tend to give rise, it is suggested that the explosion of neuroscientific discourse results from the increasing prevalence of such disorders within the neoliberal context in which mothers are held accountable to take personal responsibility to prevent or offset them. These mothers do not represent an exception but are rather becoming the new norm for what is increasingly expected of all “good” mothers, the task of taking personal responsibility for their children’s brains. Further, the authors argue that anxieties are intensified by, and exclusive maternal responsibility used to veil, the lack of public responsibility for economic change and the likelihood of precarious futures for children facing a shrinking middle class and a Walmart economy. In this sense, the new discursive focus on the child’s embodied brain and mothers’ building such brain power may evidence a reconfigured ideal of the child who will build the nation’s future productivity in an innovation and information-based economy.
Expected value prioritization of prompts and reminders.

Abstract Computer-based prompting and reminder systems have been shown to be highly effective in increasing rates of preventive services delivery. However, there are many more recommended preventive services than can be practically included in a typical clinic visit. Therefore prioritization of preventive services prompts is necessary. We describe two approaches to prioritizing preventive services prompts based on expected value decision making. One method involves a static, global prioritization across all preventive services and has been used in a production system for almost 7 years. The second method uses influence diagrams to prioritize prompts dynamically, based on individual patient data. The latter approach is still under development. Both methods are labor intensive and require a combination of epidemiologic data and expert judgment. Compromises in strictly normative process were necessary to achieve user satisfaction.
Zodiac: Organizing Large Deployment of Sensors to Create Reusable Applications for Buildings

Large scale deployment of sensors is essential to practical applications in cyber physical systems. For instance, instrumenting a commercial building for 'smart energy' management requires deployment and operation of thousands of measurement and metering sensors and actuators that direct operation of the HVAC system. Each of these sensors need to be named consistently and constantly calibrated. Doing this process manually is not only time consuming but also error prone given the scale, heterogeneity and complexity of buildings as well as lack of uniform naming schemas. To address this challenge, we propose Zodiac - a framework for automatically classifying, naming and managing sensors based on active learning from sensor metadata. In contrast to prior work, Zodiac requires minimal user input in terms of labelling examples while being more accurate. To evaluate Zodiac, we deploy it across four real buildings on our campus and label the ground truth metadata for all the sensors in these buildings manually. Using a combination of hierarchical clustering and random forest classifiers we show that Zodiac can successfully classify sensors with an average accuracy of 98% with 28% fewer training examples when compared to a regular expression based method.
Mechanism and Method for Generating Tumor-Free iPS Cells Using Intronic MicroRNA miR-302 Induction

Today's researchers generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells or iPSCs) usually consider the pluripotency first, then, the potential tumorigenicity. Oncogenic factors such as c-Myc and Klf4 were frequently used to boost the survival and proliferative rates of iPSCs, creating the inevitable problem of tumorigenicity that hindered the therapeutic usefulness of the iPSCs. To prevent tumorigenecity in stem cells, we have examined mechanism(s) by which the cell cycle genes of embryonic cells were regulated. Naturally occurring embryonic stem cells (ESCs) possess two unique stemness properties: pluripotent differentiation into almost all cell types and self-renewal with no risk of tumor formation. These two features are also important for the use of ESCs or iPSCs in therapy. Currently, despite overwhelming reports describing iPSC pluripotency, there have been no observations of tumor prevention mechanism(s) that suppresses tumor formation similar to that in naturally occurring ESCs. Our recent studies have revealed, for the first time, a ESC-specific microRNA (miRNA), miR-302, which was responsible for regulating human iPSC tumorigenicity through co-suppression of both cyclin E-CDK2 and cyclin D-CDK4/6 cell cycle pathways during G1-S phase transition. Additionally, miR-302 also silenced BMI-1, a cancer stem cell marker gene, to promote the expression of two senescence-associated tumor suppressor genes, p16Ink4a and p14/p19Arf. Together, the combinatory effect of reducing G1-S cell cycle transition and increasing p16/p14(p19) expression resulted in a relatively attenuated cell cycle rate similar to that of 2-8-cell-stage embryonic cells in early mammalian zygotes (20-24 h/cycle), as compared to the fast proliferation rate of iPSCs induced by four defined factors Oct4-Sox2-Klf4-c-Myc (12-16 h/cycle). These findings provide a means to control iPSC tumorigenicity and improve the safety of iPSCs in the therapeutic use. In this chapter, we reviewed the mechanism underlying miR-302-mediated tumor suppression and then applied this mechanism to generate tumor-free iPSCs. The same strategy can also be used to prevent ESC tumorigenicity.
Rapid screening of testosterone in the aquatic environment using direct analysis in real-time (DART) mass spectrometry

Testosterone (TES) in the aquatic environment was analyzed for the first time using direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART MS) without any sample pre-treatment. TES with the addition of 2H and its dehydration products was observed. The instrument parameters were studied systematically and optimized concerning the specific analyte. Limits of detection for the pure compound were 2.5 ng for TES spiked in raw wastewater samples and 500 pg in TES standards. The whole analysis time was within 1 min. A simple derivatization of TES by hydroxylamine and introducing ammonia as dopant gas for the sensitivity and intensity enhancement were also investigated. Both methods improved the intensity of the TES signal by about twofold. The results of this study illustrate that DART MS is capable to detect TES in complicated matrixes and could realize the rapid and direct screening of TES in the aquatic environment at a low nanogram range for pure compound without coupling with any pre-treatment tools.
Probiotics for Digestive Health: A Review of Information Resources

ABSTRACTProbiotics may play a role in aiding digestion for patients suffering from some digestive diseases. Consumers looking for more information on the effectiveness of various diseases need to find reliable sources to answer their questions. Eight Internet resources are presented that provide quality information on probiotics and their effectiveness with some common digestive diseases.
Engaging Young Children in Physical Play

Rhymes and ditties (short songs), in particular traditional, and familiar to most in Western culture, nursery rhymes, have long been used by children in their play. As a play genre they have been used not only as entertainment but also as a means by which to develop language, music, and physical skills. They effectively address the gamut of children’s development, whether cognitive, physical, emotional, or social.
Hero Versus Saint: Considerations From the Phenomenology of Embodiment:

This article contributes to the conceptual clarification of “heroism” as the central idea of “heroism science,” by outlining an approach to heroic action, in its distinction from “moral saintliness...
Practical statistical analyses of simulation output data: The state of the art

It has been our observation that in many simulation studies a large amount of time and money is spent on model development and programming, but little effort is made to analyze the simulation output data in an appropriate manner. As a matter of fact, a common mode of operation is to make a single simulation run of somewhat arbitrary length and then treat the resulting simulation estimates as being the “true” answers for the model. Since these estimates are random variables which may have large variances, these estimates may, in a particular simulation run, differ greatly from the corresponding true answers. The net effect is, of course, that there may be a significant probability of making erroneous inferences about the system under study.One reason for the historical lack of definitive output data analyses is that simulation output data are rarely, if ever, independent. Thus, classical statistical analyses based on independent identically distributed observations are not directly applicable. At the present time, there are still several output analysis problems for which there is no completely accepted solution, and the solutions that do exist are often complicated to apply. Another impediment to getting accurate estimates of a model's true parameters or characteristics is the computer cost associated with collecting the necessary amount of simulation output data. Indeed, there are situations where an appropriate statistical procedure is available, but the cost of collecting the amount of data dictated by the procedure is prohibitive. We expect this latter problem to become less important as the cost of computer time continues to drop.Our goal in this talk is to give a state-of-the-art treatment of statistical analyses for simulation output data, and to present the material with a practical focus which should be accessible by a reader having a basic understanding of statistics. The emphasis will be on statistical procedures which are relatively easy to understand and apply, have been shown to perform well in practice, and have applicability to real-world problems.Most of the material presented in this talk may be found in Law and Kelton (1981).
Pediatric Markers of Adult Cardiovascular Disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in the United States [1]. Atherosclerotic CV events do not occur until adulthood, except in the context of rare genetic disorders such as homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. However, the atherogenic process that leads to CVD begins in childhood and progresses throughout the lifespan [2]. The degree of atherosclerosis early in life is associated with established risk factors for CVD (e.g. family history, obesity, dyslipidemia), indicating that the development and progression of atherosclerosis in childhood is driven by genetic as well as environmental factors. Therefore, although CV events do not occur in childhood, establishing heart healthy behaviors and managing CV risk factors in childhood may prevent or delay the development of atherosclerosis and, in turn, reduce the risk of CVD later in life. The purpose of this review is to 1) outline the evidence that atherosclerosis begins in childhood, 2) identify the risk factors associated with childhood atherosclerosis, and 3) identify the risk factors present in childhood that are associated with adult CVD. The information presented in this review will lay the foundation for the pediatric origins of CVD and conceptually support primordial and primary prevention strategies to reduce the overall burden of CVD.
The combined use of SCF-MO calculations and experimental data in the evaluation of quadratic force fields: MOCIC potential functions for fluoroform, methyl acetylene, and methyl cyanide

Abstract A semiempirical method combining SCF-MO calculations and limited vibrational data has been employed to evaluate the completely general quadratic potential fields of fluoroform, methyl acetylene, and acetonitrile. MOCIC (molecular orbital constraint using interaction coordinates) potential fields are presented for gas phase molecules of intermediate size. Here general harmonic force fields or excellent approximations utilizing extensive experimental data are available as standards. A statistical evaluation of the interaction potentials shows that there is some improvement in going from MNDO or ab initio SCF-MO force fields to the MOCIC functions which reliably reproduce the off-diagonal vibrational potential constants in most instances. The MOCIC primary compliants are excellent approximations of their vibrational counterparts, as expected. Comparison of the calculated isotopic frequencies, Coriolis coupling constants, and centrifugal distortion constants for the SCF-MO, MOCIC, and vibrational spectroscopic potential fields with the corresponding experimental values also shows MOCICs reliability for molecules with many interaction potentials. There is substantial improvement in the calculated isotopic frequency shifts and centrifugal distortion constants in going from SCF-MO to MOCIC functions.
Die Konservierung und die Transfusion einzelner Blutbestandteile

Die Isolierung und die Transfusion einzelner Blutbestandteile beruhrt die Blutkonservierung insofern, als dazu — abgesehen vom Serum — flussig gehaltenes Blut notwendig ist. Ferner werden die einzelnen Bestandteile des Blutes vielfach in konservierter Form verwendet. Das gilt namentlich fur die Plasma-und Serumtransfusion, die heute eine wichtige praktische Entwicklung durchmacht. Die Transfusion der zelligen Elemente beschrankt sich mehr auf Einzelvorschlage und -versuche.
The Nature of a Process

A business process is defined as an ordered collection of business tasks that is to achieve a specific goal. A distinction is made between business activities that fit this definition and those that do not.
Elastic Constants at Low Temperatures: Recent Measurements on Technological Materials at NBS

Solid-state low-temperature elastic properties have been studied experimentally at the NBS Cryogenics Division for four years [1–18]. Most studies were between room temperature and liquid-helium temperature; some were only to liquid-nitrogen temperature. In this paper these studies are reviewed for 47 technological materials—metals, alloys, and composites—listed in Table I. Elastic constants primarily discussed are Young’s modulus, the shear modulus, the bulk modulus (reciprocal compressibility), and Poisson’s ratio. Young’s modulus, E, the shear modulus, G, and the bulk modulus, B, are the elastic resistances to uniaxial, shear or torsional, and hydrostatic stresses, respectively. All these moduli have units of stress. Poisson’s ratio, ν, is the dimensionless negative ratio of transverse strain to longitudinal strain under uniaxial stress.
National Trends and Procedural Complications from Endomyocardial Biopsy: Results from the National Inpatient Sample, 2007-2014.

Aim: The aim of this study is to report recent trends in the performance of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and its in-hospital complications (and their predictors) in the United States (US). Method: We analyzed Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from years 2007 through 2014 to identify patients who underwent EMB. Once identified, the patients were subdivided into those with no history of heart transplant (HT) (cohort 1) and those with history of HT (cohort 2). We then studied the major complication of pericardial effusion, hemopericardium or/and cardiac tamponade that required a pericardiocentesis or a pericardial window (CTRPD) following the EMB procedure. Results: We observed a steady increase in the in-patient EMB procedures, with more EMB procedures being performed in males and in Caucasians. In cohort 1, the CTRPD was higher (0.70%) as compared to cohort 2 (0.19; p = 0.01). CTRPD in women was higher compared to men (0.94 vs. 0.53% p = 0.022). Most of the EMB procedures are performed in teaching hospitals. The CTRPD rate was significantly higher in the nonteaching hospitals when compared to teaching hospitals in both cohort 1 and cohort 2 (3.4 vs. 0.53% and 1 vs.0.18%, respectively; p = 0.01 and < 0.001, respectively). The overall mortality in cohort 1 was 4.3% as compared to 2.5% in cohort 2; p = 0.01. In cohort 1, the mortality was significantly higher in the group that had EMB-related complications versus the group without the complications (20 vs. 2.5%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: There has been an increase in the number of EMB procedures in the US in recent years. Though the overall risk of CTRPD is very low, the risk is significantly higher in cohort 1, women, and in nonteaching hospitals. The study results provide data benchmarks for assessing EMB outcomes in the US.
Commercial mindfulness aid does not aid short-term stress reduction compared to unassisted relaxation.

Abstract Increased public interest in mindfulness has generated a burgeoning market in new consumer technologies. Two exploratory studies examined effects of InteraXon's "Muse" electroencephalography (EEG)-based neurofeedback device and mobile application on mindfulness-based relaxation activities. Psychophysiological outcomes (heart rate variability (HRV), electro-dermal activity (EDA), saliva amylase activity (sAA) and Muse application EEG "calm percent") were collected for two 7-minute conditions: Muse-assisted relaxation exercise (MARE), and unassisted relaxation exercise (URE). In the first study, participants (n = 99) performed both conditions in a randomized sequential design. A follow-up study used a randomized parallel condition (n = 44) to test for differences in HRV effects between the two conditions and extended follow-up observation. Generalized estimating equation models demonstrated a moderate increase in HRV following relaxation exercises, with no observable difference between MARE and URE conditions. Both MARE and URE conditions produced equally effective short-term increases in heart rate variability, without additional benefit from neurofeedback.
Pharmacological management of cardiac cachexia: a review of potential therapy options

Cardiac cachexia is a syndrome of progressive skeletal muscle and fat loss affecting a significant number of congestive heart failure patients. With the potential detrimental effects of cardiac muscle wasting, greater attention is needed to understanding the prevention and treatment of the condition. Potential therapeutic approaches are aimed at the various mechanisms for the pathogenesis of cardiac cachexia including neurohormonal abnormalities, immune activation and inflammation, metabolic hormonal imbalance, and gastrointestinal abnormalities. While there are no current guideline-recommended treatments for the prevention of cardiac cachexia, targeting an imbalance of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers appears to be the most well-studied therapeutic approaches. Treatment of inflammation with monoclonal antibodies, hormonal imbalance with testosterone, and nutritional deficiencies with appetite stimulants has also been suggested. Proposed therapies may prove beneficial in heart failure patients; however, further studies specifically focusing on the cardiac component of cachexia are needed before definitive therapy options can be established.
Blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum): A Review on Chemistry, Processing, and Health Benefits

Blackcurrants (BC; Ribes nigrum) are relatively new to the U.S. market; however, they are well known and popular in Europe and Asia. The use of BC has been trending worldwide, particularly in the United States. We believe that demand for BC will grow as consumers become aware of the several potential health benefits these berries offer. The objectives of this review were to provide an up-to-date summary of information on BC based on articles published within the last decade; furthermore, to provide the food industry insights into possibilities for the utilization of BC. The chemistry, processing methods, and health benefits have been highlighted in addition to how the environment and variety impact the chemical constituents of BC. A search for journal publications on BC was conducted, which included keywords such as chemical characterization, health benefits, processing, technologies, anthocyanins (ANC), and proanthocyanidins. This review provides up-to-date information available on the subject. In conclusion, BC and their products have industrial uses from which extractions can be made to produce natural pigments to be used as food additives. BC contain flavonoids, specifically ANC, which provide the fruits with their purple color. BC are a rich source of phytochemicals with potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Also, BC have the potential to improve overall human health particularly with diseases associated with inflammation and regulation of blood glucose.
Synthesizing PET and food waste into refuse plastic fuel (RPF): optimization and kinetic modeling

With rapid urbanization and industrialization, cheap energy supply from fossil fuels has become a problem of great extent, due to the rising fuel prices and greenhouse gas emissions. RPF is becoming the center of research as it is a waste-to-energy conversion concept and provides an alternative energy source. In this research, RPF is made equivalent to the energy content of coal by mixing 60% PET bottles and 40% of food waste. RPF blend and the raw materials were characterized for energy content by using the bomb calorimeter. Compositional analysis of the original samples of PET, food waste and RPF blend with their respective burnt-out char samples was performed by comparing the EDS results. Kinetic study of the synthesized RPF blend was done with TGA at three different temperature increments of 5 °C min−1, 10 °C min−1 and 15 °C min−1. The Friedmann model was applied for the non-isothermal modeling to calculate the activation energy and the Arrhenius factor. The minimum activation energy value for RPF blend was found out to be 15.753 kJ mol−1 for TGA with a heating increment of 5 °C min−1. Synthesized RPF found to require approximately 12 times less activation energy in comparison with PET and 4–10 times less than coal depending upon the coal type. For Pakistan, PET and food waste can provide daily 11,550 RPF energy blocks each of 1 ton with 256 Million MJ of energy which give 71,000 MW of electricity daily that could fulfill energy gap in the country.
Practical Aspects of Frequency-Domain Approaches for Aircraft System Identification

Practical aspects of frequency-domain approaches for aircraft system identification are explained and demonstrated. Topics related to experiment design, flight data analysis, and dynamic modeling a...
Macroscopic changes in sural nerve after gastrocnemius recession: a cadaver study

Abstract Background Gastrocnemius recession is a common foot and ankle procedure and various techniques that have been utilized are mainly delineated by the anatomic position of the gastrocnemius transection; the 2 common ones are the Baumann and Strayer procedure. Both can adversely affect the sural nerve. The objective of this study was to evaluate the macroscopic changes in the sural nerve following gastrocnemius recession, and to compare the efficacy of the two procedures, regarding the improvement of maximal ankle dorsiflexion. Methods Ten fresh-frozen, above knee cadaveric legs were assigned to one of two gastrocnemius recession techniques: Baumann (n = 5) or Strayer (n = 5). A goniometer was used to measure degree of ankle dorsiflexion before and after the surgery. The sural nerve was meticulously dissected and marked with two suture knots, 2 cm apart. The ankle was passively dorsiflexed from 90° to maximal dorsiflexion in 5° degree increments, and the distance between two suture knots was measured at each increment. The distance between the two cut ends of gastrocnemius muscle was measured with the ankle at 90° and at maximal dorsiflexion. Results Overall, a mean increase in length between the suture knots on the sural nerve was 0.2 cm, from 90° to maximum ankle dorsiflexion (130°); both the Baumann and Strayer techniques resulted in 0.2 cm increase. The mean improvement in maximal ankle dorsiflexion in the Baumann and Strayer group was 22.6° and 22°, respectively. The mean change in distance between the two cut ends of the gastrocnemius muscle in the Baumann and Strayer group was 1.0 cm and 0.9 cm, respectively. Conclusion Increased dorsiflexion of the ankle following Strayer or Baumann gastrocnemius recession resulted in similar macroscopic change in the sural nerve, which may contribute to the development of sural neuritis. Further clinical studies are warranted to assess clinical implications of these findings.
With A Little Help from My Friends: Perceived Task Interdependence, Coworker Communication, and Workplace Friendship

Workplace friendships are primary sites of organizing associated with important outcomes including cohesive climates, creativity and innovation, and employee job satisfaction. Research indicates th...
Creation and sustainment of wide pedestal quiescent H-mode with zero net neutral beam torque

Recent experiments on DIII-D have shown it is possible to create and sustain wide pedestal quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) plasmas with zero net torque from neutral beam injection (NBI) for the full discharge duration. Wide pedestal QH-mode has many of the features of the previously investigated QH-mode while having the advantage of increased edge pedestal pressure and energy confinement time. Both QH-mode variants operate without edge localized modes. Accordingly, these discharges demonstrate that significant input torque is not essential to the exploitation of wide pedestal QH-mode in future devices that are expected to have small or non-existent NBI torque. Developing operating conditions that allowed net zero torque access to wide pedestal QH-mode required implementing several techniques to avoid locked modes including minimizing intrinsic error fields, avoiding large sawteeth, and driving toroidal rotation via neoclassical toroidal viscosity.
Prevalence and Consequences of Perceived Vision Difficulty in Aging Adults with HIV Infection.

Purpose Despite well-known ocular complications of HIV-related immune suppression, few studies have examined the prevalence and consequences of visual impairment among aging long-term survivors of HIV. Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Aging HIV-infected (HIV+) men who have sex with men (MSM) and HIV-uninfected (HIV−) MSM controls reported their difficulty performing 6 vision-dependent tasks (difficulty defined as: no, a little, moderate, and extreme difficulty). Relationships were examined using logistic regression, regressing each outcome separately on categorical visual function responses, with missing data multiply imputed. Results There were 634 age-matched pairs for a total sample of 1,268 MSM of 1,700 MSM with available data. The median age was 60 years old (interquartile range [IQR], 54, 66), and 23% were African American. Among HIV+ men, 95% were virally suppressed (viral load Conclusions Perceived vision difficulty was more common among older HIV+ MSM than age-matched HIV− MSM controls and was associated with higher risk of depression and physical function loss among MSM.
Teaching NeuroImages: The Motor Band Sign in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

A 71-year-old woman presented with several months of progressive lower extremity weakness, followed by bulbar weakness. On examination, she had diffuse muscle atrophy, fasciculations, weakness, and hyperreflexia. A diagnosis of clinically definite ALS was made using the El Escorial criteria. At the time of presentation and imaging, she had both severe upper and lower motor neuron involvement. Her ALSFRS-R score was 15, indicating advanced disease. Her brain MRI showed increased signal on susceptibility-weighted imaging, consistent with superficial siderosis along the central sulcus (figure). This finding has been named the “motor band sign”.1 The intracellular iron may be from microglial phagocytosis of degenerated neurons in the motor strip.2 Careful scrutiny of susceptibility-weighted imaging should be performed when considering motor neuron disease, as this can be helpful in making the diagnosis.
Reevaluating Legal Theory

Must a good general theory of law incorporate what is good for persons in general? This question has been at the center of methodological debates in general jurisprudence for decades. Answering “no,” Julie Dickson’s book Evaluation and Legal Theory offered both a clear and concise conspectus of positivist methodology, as well as a response to the longstanding objection that such an approach has to evaluate the data it studies rather than simply describe facts about legal systems. She agreed that legal positivism must evaluate. At the same time, she argued, it is possible to offer an evaluative theory of the nature of law that identifies law’s essential features, takes the views of its participants seriously, and prescinds from moral judgment. Twenty years on, the debate on this question persists and, despite increasing insight and sophistication, some wonder whether we have reached a dead end. To understand this dispute, and general jurisprudence’s methodological cul-de-sac, we need to broaden the range of questions and tools we bring to those arguments. To this end, this Review offers a mixture of the old and the new--demonstrating the usefulness of its approach by exploring the promise and limits of Dickson's work. In terms of the old, it argues that moralized approaches to general jurisprudence, especially the classical natural law tradition of legal theorizing, can better deliver on positivism's promise to offer theories of law that are both general and take seriously the point of view of participants. In terms of the new, it seeks to ground this approach in a broader philosophy of social science that avoids both reductive naturalism and relativistic particularity in its explanations. Law is intertwined with morality, but it is also a social fact: a practice and institution. Any general theory of jurisprudence, like any general theory of human practices and institutions, must reckon with the relationship between law's moral life and its factual existence. This Review begins the work of developing and rendering explicit such a social theory for a jurisprudence that takes both dimensions seriously.
Response of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) and sugarbeet to desmedipham and phenmedipham

A prepackaged mixture of desmedipham + phenmedipham was previously labeled for control of Amaranthus spp. in sugarbeet. Currently, there are no effective POST herbicide options to control glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth in sugarbeet. Sugarbeet growers are interested in using desmedipham + phenmedipham to control escaped Palmer amaranth. In 2019, a greenhouse experiment was initiated near Scottsbluff, NE, to determine the selectivity of desmedipham and phenmedipham between Palmer amaranth and sugarbeet. Three populations of Palmer amaranth and four sugarbeet hybrids were evaluated. Herbicide treatments consisted of desmedipham and phenmedipham applied singly or as mixtures at an equivalent rate. Herbicides were applied when Palmer amaranth and sugarbeet were at the cotyledon stage, or two true-leaf sugarbeet stage and when Palmer amaranth was 7 cm tall. The selectivity indices for desmedipham, phenmedipham, and desmedipham + phenmedipham were 1.61, 2.47, and 3.05, respectively, at the cotyledon stage. At the two true-leaf application stage, the highest rates of desmedipham and phenmedipham were associated with low mortality rates in sugarbeet, resulting in a failed response of death. The highest rates of desmedipham + phenmedipham caused a death response of sugarbeet; the selectivity index was 2.15. Desmedipham treatments resulted in lower LD50 estimates for Palmer amaranth compared to phenmedipham, indicating that desmedipham can provide greater levels of control for Palmer amaranth. However, desmedipham also caused greater injury in sugarbeet, producing lower LD50 estimates compared to phenmedipham. Desmedipham + phenmedipham provided 90% or greater control of cotyledon-size Palmer amaranth at a labeled rate but also caused high levels of sugarbeet injury. Neither desmedipham, phenmedipham, nor desmedipham + phenmedipham was able to control 7-cm tall Palmer amaranth at previously labeled rates. Results indicate that desmedipham + phenmedipham can only control Palmer amaranth if applied at the cotyledon stage and a high level of sugarbeet injury is acceptable. Nomenclature: Desmedipham; phenmedipham; Palmer amaranth; Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson AMPI; sugarbeet; Beta vulgaris L.
Second-look laparotomy for ovarian cancer

Abstract Between July 1970 and February 1980, 160 patients were treated for malignant epithelial ovarian cancers. Twenty-seven patients underwent second-look laparotomy for evaluation of chemotherapeutic or radiation therapy effect. These patients were clinically free of disease at the time of exploratory laparotomy. Ten had persistent disease discovered at the time of second-look laparotomy while seventeen had no evidence of cancer. Fourteen of those patients with no evidence of cancer at second-look remain free of disease. Three have recurred. This study indicates that second-look laparotomy is an appropriate step in the proper care of certain patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
"Forever family is like a manufactured Hallmark idea": Adoption discontinuity experiences of intercountry adoptees.

Abstract Background Media stories over the past decade have sensationalized cases of intercountry adoption discontinuity, a phenomenon largely missing from the research literature. Objective This study sought to understand how intercountry adoptees with adoption discontinuity histories experience legal, relational, and residential permanency losses through the framework of ambiguous loss and trauma. Participants and setting Twenty intercountry adoptees in the United States who experienced adoption discontinuity as minor children. Methods Participants were recruited through social media sites and professional and informal organizations serving intercountry adoptees. Results Participants described multiple experiences with legal, residential, and relational permanency losses often in multiple combinations, multiple times, and in multiple settings. Participants also experienced racial, ethnic and cultural identity losses in addition to their permanency ruptures. Conclusion More research on the lived experiences of intercountry adoptees with adoption discontinuity histories is needed. Adoptees experience trauma in their pre-adoptive histories as well as in the adoption process itself and need adoptive parents skilled in trauma-informed parenting. In addition, there is a need for robust trauma-informed support for adoptees throughout their lifetime.
A Review of the Anomalies in Directed Energy Deposition (DED) Processes & Potential Solutions - Part Quality & Defects

Abstract Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes allow additive manufacturing and repair of metallic components with generatively-designed complex geometries, and excellent compositional control. However, its applicability and adoption have been limited when compared to powder bed fusion (PBF) because several issues and anomalies innate to the process are yet to be suitably understood and resolved. This work catalogues and delineates these anomalies in the DED process along with their causes and solutions, based on a state-of-the-art literature review. This work also serves to enumerate and associate the underlying causes to the detrimental effects which manifest as undesirable part/process outcomes. These DED-specific anomalies are categorized under groups related to the part, process, material, productivity, safety, repair, and composition; this paper will specifically report on the first group - part quality and defects, which is further sub-classified into geometrical, morphological and microstructural anomalies. Altogether, this primer acts as a guide to best prepare for and mitigate the problems that are encountered in DED, and also to lay the groundwork to inspire novel solutions to further advance DED into mainstream manufacturing.
Mammalian D-Cysteine is a Physiologic Down Regulator of Insulin Promoter Methylation

Endogenous D-stereoisomers of amino acids are poorly understood in mammals. Here we report the identification and function of endogenous D-cysteine in the pancreas. D-cysteine is present in substantial amounts in the eyes and pancreas of mice. Serine Racemase (SR) is the biosynthetic enzyme for D-cysteine, as it can racemize L-cysteine to D-cysteine. To investigate endogenous D-cysteine, we used SR deficient mice lacking racemizing ability and show 3.5 fold reduction in pancreatic D-cysteine. SR-/- mice produce 6-10 fold higher levels of insulin and are hypoglycemic. The excess insulin is stored in secretory vesicles and plasma exosomes as amyloid. Lack of endogenous D-cysteine results in decreased levels of cAMP. This results in reduced phosphorylation of CREB (S133) leading to lower expression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1, 3A and 3B, resulting in reduced DNMT and DNMT1 promoter activities in the pancreas and eventual decrease in DNA methylation globally and specifically of the Ins1 promoter. D-cysteine is efficiently metabolized by D-amino acid oxidase and transported by ASCT2 and Asc1. Methyl donor dietary supplementation rescues the high insulin levels and low DNMT activity in SR-/- mice. Our data show that endogenous D-cysteine in the pancreas is a physiologic down regulator of insulin promoter methylation.
Signaling Peptide SpoV Is Essential for Streptococcus pyogenes Virulence, and Prophylaxis with Anti-SpoV Decreases Disease Severity

Streptococcal peptide of virulence (SpoV) is a Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus (GAS))-specific peptide that is important for GAS survival in murine blood, and the expression of the virulence factors streptolysin O (slo) and streptolysin S (sagA). We used a spoV mutant in isolate MGAS315 to assess the contribution of the SpoV peptide to virulence by using a murine model of invasive disease and an ex vivo human model (Lancefield assay). We then used antibodies to SpoV in both models to evaluate their ability to decrease morbidity and mortality. Results showed that SpoV is essential for GAS virulence, and targeting the peptide has therapeutic potential.