cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PHASE-DIFFERENCE DIAGNOSING METHOD FOR SHAFT VIBRATION FAULT OF TURBO-GENERATOR SET

The directivity of vibration fault diagnosed by using the general frequency spectrum analysis method was not clear,hence,in order to interpret the information of vibration measurement more accurately,and determine the basic nature of vibration faults,the differential equations of rotor vibration and their solutions of displacement on x and y direction as well as the corner have been given in the fixed Cartesian coordinate system,the cross-correlation functions at different measuring points along the axial direction,and along x,y directions at a same point,can be obtained.Based on these,the characters of cross-correlation and phase-difference of the rotor vibration under typical excitation and hinged by ideal supports have been analysed,and the phase-difference diagnosing method of shaft vibration being put forward.Practical application shows that the said theory tallies very well with reality,and can be used as an effective diagnosis method for shaft vibration of turbo-generator sets.
On angular-point extracting method based on SUSAN and point matching method

A SUSAN based corner point extracting method is adopted in this paper.SUSAN corner point extracting method implements angle-point extraction by use of the texture distribution property around the point, i.e.the pixel grey scale and the comparability of angle points in certain area of the angle point.Based on this theory,we put forward an improved SUSAN approach for corner detection.This arithmetic extracts the angle point by using the texture property of the points around the corner,which means: to judge if the focus point is corner or not by controlling the connectivity and the number of the points around the focus point.Considering the issue of the fixed threshold,we adopted a new method that can select the threshold automatically.Then we tested the practicability of the extracted corners by point matching method.Simulation was made for verification.
The evolving spectrum of eosinophilia myalgia syndrome

Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS) is a toxin-induced illness that provides a model for the understanding of idiopathic immune-mediated diseases that have overlapping features. The clinical development and chronic sequelae of EMS, its relationship to related disorders, and the accumulating data suggesting an important role for immune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of this disease are reviewed in this article.
The evolution of laparoscopic sterilization.

The development of various methods of laparoscopic tubal sterilization has resulted in the removal of a major obstacle--technical capability--and the refinement and evaluation of its concept. It is now accepted by physicians as an excellent method of providing female sterilization. However on a worldwide level utilization is limited by a number of factors: 1) inadequacies in support of the operations technical aspects; 2) reluctance on the part of officials to accept new sterilization methods and 3) the lack of family planning programs in some countries. Basic principles of laparoscopic sterilization methods of tubal occlusion complications and recent trends emphasize the scope versatility technicality failure and complication rates associated with laparoscopic sterilization. Minilaparotomy may be a safe and inexpensive alternative to laparoscopy in areas where proper laparoscopic equipment is unavailable because of expense service repair and technically untrained staff.
Extracting phenotypes from patient claim records using nonnegative tensor factorization

Electronic health records (EHRs) are becoming an increasingly important source of patient information. Unfortunately, EHR data do not always directly and reliably map to medical concepts that clinical researchers need or use. Some recent studies have focused on EHR-derived phenotyping, which aims at mapping the EHR data to specific medical concepts; however, most of these approaches require labor intensive supervision from experienced clinical professionals.
Applications, Enrollment, Attendance, and Student Performance in Rebuilt School Facilities: A Case Study

ABSTRACTPublic school construction represents a significant portion of all construction spending in the United States; yet, the average age of United States’ public schools is 42 years old. This article focuses on magnet schools in a large urban school district in the United States. The study examines whether construction, building age, and building condition have an impact on magnet applications, enrollment, attendance, and student achievement measures. Twenty-eight magnet elementary schools in the school district were chosen for analysis. The experimental group (n=14) included all magnet elementary schools (kindergarten to 5th grade [K-5]) rebuilt under three school bond programs. The control group (n=14) included randomly selected elementary schools (K-5) from the 32 remaining elementary schools in the district that were not rebuilt. Multiple regressions were conducted using building and student data gathered during the 2011-2012 school year. Results indicate that building composite score and building ...
With Extreme Computing, the Rules Have Changed

On the eve of exascale computing, traditional wisdom no longer applies. High-performance computing is gone as we know it. This article discusses a range of new algorithmic techniques emerging in the context of exascale computing, many of which defy the common wisdom of high-performance computing and are considered unorthodox, but could turn out to be a necessity in near future.
Fixed Final Time: Second Differential

In this chapter, the second differential is investigated to obtain the LegendreClebsch condition and the Jacobi or conjugate point condition. First, the second differential is obtained by taking the differential of the first differential. Second, the Legendre-Clebsch condition is derived from the second differential. Third, for the class of nonsingular problems (H uu > 0) conditions are developed for the existence of a neighboring optimal path. Finally, these conditions are used to develop a sufficient condition for the existence of a weak relative minimum.
Neuromonitoring in the neonatal ECMO patient

Utilization of extraocorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become increasingly widespread as a bridging therapy for neonates with severe, reversible respiratory or cardiac diseases. While significant risks remain, due to advances in medical and surgical management, overall mortality has decreased. However, short and long-term neurological morbidity has remained high. Therefore, increasing attention has been focused on multimodal neuromonitoring to track and optimally, minimize or prevent intracranial injury. This review will explore the the indications, advantages, disadvantages, timing, frequency, duration, and any known correlation with neurodevelopmental outcomes of common types of neuromonitoring in the neonatal ECMO population. Investigational monitoring techniques such as NIRS will be briefly reviewed.
Acquired Sleep-Related Hypermotor Epilepsy with Disrupted White Matter Tracts Assessed by Multishell Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE) (previously frontal lobe epilepsy) is a rare seizure disorder commonly misdiagnosed or unrecognized, causing negative patient sequelae. While usually reported in familial studies, it is more commonly acquired. Diagnosis is a challenge due to its low incidence in comparison to the more common sleep disorders or psychogenic etiologies in the differential diagnosis. Diagnosis is scaled on degree of certainty based on described or clinically documented semiology, with video EEG as a helpful, but not necessary, adjunct. Current treatment is similar to other focal epilepsies. We studied a 36-year-old active duty male soldier who presented with two years of predominantly sleep related, abrupt, short, anamnestic hyperkinetic movements with unstructured vocalizations. Prior work-up included non-contributory video electroencephalography (EEG) and polysomnography (PSG) as well as normal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Treatments for presumed psychiatric and parasomnia disturbances were not effective in establishing diagnosis or relief. Evaluation at our tertiary, multi-disciplinary care institution recorded events consistent with the diagnosis of clinical SHE. He was enrolled in an advanced multi-shell diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) MRI research study to evaluate white matter tracts, given his history of mild, repetitive, non-penetrating traumatic brain injuries (TBI), not otherwise requiring hospitalization. Multishell diffusion MRI tractography found changes not previously described in the right frontal lobe white matter tracts. These changes were consistent with neurological localization and serve as a potential nidus for this patient’s seizure disorder. Misdiagnosis of SHE can result in detrimental biopsychosocial sequelae of untreated epilepsy, unnecessary or harmful intervention, or the stigmata of a behavioral disorder. Further investigation into diagnosis and etiology of acquired SHE is needed. Assessment for white matter abnormalities can potentially provide information into pathogenesis of epilepsy disorders.
Cognition in circadian rhythm sleep disorders

Circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior exist in all living organisms, from cells to humans. The most evident rhythms are the recurrent cycles of sleep and wake as well as changes in alertness and cognitive performance across the 24h. Clearly, sleep pressure can exert a strong influence on cognitive performance, but the influence of circadian modulation of alertness and cognitive function is evident even when the pressure for sleep is high. Circadian rhythms also influence more complex cognitive tasks, such as selective attention and executive function, which are important for work performance and safety. The circadian timekeeping system also ensures that circadian rhythms are appropriately synchronized to the external physical environment and work and social schedules. Circadian misalignment is the basis for all circadian rhythm sleep disorders. These disorders are often associated with impairments of cognitive performance that can have adverse effects on school and work performance, overall quality of life, and safety.
DIGITAL ULTRASONIC IMAGING AND ITS APPLICATION TO SKELETAL TISSUES

An ultrasonic transmission imaging system has been developed for the purpose of imaging a wide range of human and animal skeletal tissues. Ultrasonic imaging can provide powerful information regarding the mechanical properties of biological hard tissues, including both porosity and microstructure content. This technique provides a necessary tool in the evaluation of mineralized tissue, often complementing traditional histological approaches. The system employed is capable of delivering both velocity and attenuation information of a sample over a wide range of magnifications and resolutions. The subject of this paper is to present the authors' continued work in the application of this system to the study of biological hard tissues.
Suppression of PDHX by microRNA-27b deregulates cell metabolism and promotes growth in breast cancer

The disruption of normal gene regulation due to microRNA dysfunction is a common event in cancer pathogenesis. MicroRNA-27b is an example of an oncogenic miRNA, and it is frequently upregulated in breast cancer. MicroRNAs have been found to deregulate tumor metabolism, which typically manifests as heightened cellular glucose uptake in consort with increased flux through glycolysis, followed by the preferential conversion of glycolytic pyruvate into lactate (a phenomenon known as the Warburg Effect). Pyruvate Dehydrogenase, an enzyme complex linking glycolysis with downstream oxidative metabolism, represents a key location where regulation of metabolism occurs; PDHX is a key structural component of this complex and is essential for its function. We sought to characterize the role of miR-27b in breast cancer by identifying novel transcripts under its control. We began by utilizing luciferase, RNA, and protein assays to establish PDHX as a novel target of miR-27b. We then tested whether miR-27b could alter metabolism using several metabolite assay kits and performed a seahorse analysis. We also examined how the altered metabolism might affect cell proliferation. Lastly, we confirmed the relevance of our findings in human breast tumor samples. Our data indicate that Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Protein X is a credible target of miR-27b in breast cancer. Mechanistically, by suppressing PDHX, miR-27b altered levels of pyruvate, lactate and citrate, as well as reducing mitochondrial oxidation and promoting extracellular acidification. These changes corresponded with an increased capacity for cell proliferation. In human breast tumor samples, PDHX expression was deficient, and low levels of PDHX were associated with reduced patient survival. MicroRNA-27b targets PDHX, resulting in an altered metabolic configuration that is better suited to fuel biosynthetic processes and cell proliferation, thereby promoting breast cancer progression.
Singling out the out-of-tune in lymphoma

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis shows that B cells experience a continuum of cyclic transitional states during the germinal center (GC) reaction; this pattern is lost in GC-derived follicular lymphoma cells, which seem to be heterogeneous and desynchronized.
Diagnostic accuracy and confidence for otoscopy: Are medical students receiving sufficient training?

Objectives/hypothesis To assess the confidence and abilities of medical students to diagnose specific types of otologic pathology, and to determine how different training experiences in medical school impact these outcomes. Study design Survey analysis. Methods Sixty third- and fourth-year medical students completed a computerized online survey. Participants answered questions about their otoscopic training experience and confidence, and provided diagnoses for 72 digital images taken with a high-definition video otoscope that showed common otologic pathologies of the tympanic membrane and middle ear space. Results Most participants (65%) had received less exposure to otoscopic training in medical school than they expected. Confidence in diagnostic ability was low. For diagnostic ability, the mean percent correct across pathologies was 54% ± 7.7%. Medical school year (P = .006), intended specialty (P = .022), and total number of otolaryngology rotations (P = .048) were predictive of diagnostic accuracy on univariable logistic regression analyses, but medical school year (P = .039) was the only significant independent predictor in multivariable analysis. Intended specialty (P = .047) and total number of otolaryngology rotations (P = .035) were predictive of prequiz diagnostic confidence on univariable logistic regression analyses. Conclusions Medical students were not satisfied with their exposure to otoscopic training. Intended specialty, total number of otolaryngology rotations, and year in medical school predicted diagnostic accuracy. Intended specialty and total number of otolaryngology rotations predicted diagnostic confidence. Additional studies are needed to investigate how training experiences can be improved to optimize otoscopy training during medical school. Level of evidence NA Laryngoscope, 129:1891-1897, 2019.
“Human” Problems in Semi-Autonomous Vehicles: Understanding Drivers’ Reactions to Off-Nominal Scenarios

Research related to autonomous vehicles and to their implications for human-machine interactions is on the rise. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems have become increasingly popular in vehicles curr...
Temporal trends and outcomes of prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy use in acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock in the United States

Abstract Background There are limited data on prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and tracheostomy use in intubated acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) patients. Methods Using the National Inpatient Sample, all admissions with AMI-CS requiring IMV between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2014, were included. Prolonged IMV was defined as IMV use >96 h. Outcomes of interest included temporal trends in use of prolonged IMV and tracheostomy, in-hospital mortality, and resource utilization. Results In this 15-year period, 185,589 intubated AMI-CS admissions met the inclusion criteria. Prolonged IMV (>96 h) and tracheostomy use were noted in 68,544 (36.9%) and 10,645 (5.7%), respectively. Prolonged IMV and tracheostomy were used more commonly in younger patients. The cohort with prolonged IMV had higher organ failure and greater use of cardiac and non-cardiac organ support. Temporal trends showed a decline in prolonged IMV (adjusted odds ratio {aOR} 0.61 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.57–0.65]) and tracheostomy use (aOR 0.80 [95% CI 0.70–0.90]) in 2014 compared to 2000. Prolonged IMV (aOR 0.45 [95% CI 0.44–0.47]; p Conclusions In this cohort of intubated AMI-CS admissions, prolonged IMV and tracheostomy showed a temporal decrease between 2000 and 2014. Prolonged IMV and tracheostomy use was associated with high resource utilization.
Delayed spontaneous hepatitis C virus elimination in a renal transplant patient following graft rejection

While elimination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) following acute infection is not uncommon, spontaneous clearance once the infection becomes chronic is extremely rare. The mechanisms involved in the clearance of chronic HCV infection without intervening antiviral therapy are not well known. Herein we describe a case of a renal transplant recipient who acquired HCV infection while immunosuppressed, experienced a rapid histological progression, and thereafter cleared the virus spontaneously long after withdrawal of immunosuppression following kidney graft rejection and failure. We review the literature and summarize the reports of spontaneous clearance of chronic HCV infection in various settings.
Developing Democratic Citizenship Among Youth

For decades, scholars have debated the democratic purposes of schools as training grounds for future citizens. Constance Flanagan's book Teenage Citizens adds to this debate through a broader exami...
New York’s 19th and 22nd Congressional Districts: The Blue Wave Overwhelms the Red Tide

Republicans faced the challenge of defending two first-term US House members in swing districts in upstate New York. Both had defeated strong Democratic challengers in 2016, as Donald Trump carried both districts while losing the state to Hillary Clinton. In 2018, John Faso and Claudia Tenney were vulnerable. Both had supported the repeal of “Obamacare” and Tenney backed Trump’s tax bill, measures that were not popular in New York. Both seats were rated as “toss up” by the Cook Political Report and Roll Call ranked Faso and Tenney as the fifth and sixth most vulnerable incumbents in the House, and Democrats saw them as an opportunity to pick up two of the 23 needed to flip the House of Representatives.
Power consumption in modelling and simulation

Recognised as an important concern in mobile, cloud, and high performance computing, the power and energy consumed by computing applications is growing in importance across an increasingly broad ra...
Security Taxonomy in IoT – A Survey

Internet of Things (IoT) devices have been identified as the primary source or compromised node responsible for the recent increase in reported cases of network intrusion attacks. Research on the vulnerabilities of IoT devices, reveals in most cases the root cause of the vulnerabilities is the incorrect implementation of security features or the absence of security features. The number of network intrusion will increase as new IoT technologies with lacking security features are implemented in many sectors of society such as, transportation, business, industry, and home. There are three goals of this survey. First, classify security features in IoT devices. Second, provide answers to two main questions that researchers, system administrators, and the general public need to know before installing IoT devices in their network: what are the security features offered by the device? and what are the security threats faced by the device? With answers to these questions, we will be able to make well-informed decisions when integrating such devices in our network. Third, highlight the importance of integrating security features in the development and design of IoT devices, rather than treating it as an afterthought.
A structural model of the adaptive human pilot

A compensatory tracking model of the human pilot is offered which attempts to provide a more realistic representation of the human's signal processing structure than that which is exhibited by pilot models currently in use. Two features of the model distinguish it from other representations of the human pilot. First, proprioceptive information from the control stick or manipulator constitutes one of the major feedback paths in the model, providing feedback of vehicle output rate due to control activity. Implicit in this feedback loop is a model of the vehicle dynamics which is valid in and beyond the region of crossover. Second, error-rate information is continuously derived and independently but intermittently controlled. An output injected remnant model is offered and qualitatively justified on the basis of providing a measure of the effect of inaccuracies such as time variations in the pilot's internal model of the controlled element dynamics. The data from experimental tracking tasks involving five different controlled element dynamics and one nonideal viewing condition were matched with model generated describing functions and remnant power spectral densities.
"We Kind of Met In-Between": A Qualitative Analysis of Young Couples' Relationship Dynamics and Negotiations About Pregnancy Intentions

Context The literature on reproductive decision making often focuses on women and neglects the role of men and the importance of relationship context. Research with couples is vital to understanding joint decision making regarding having children at various stages of a couple's relationship and an individual's life course. Methods In-depth, individual interviews were conducted with a socioeconomically, racially and ethnically diverse sample of 50 young heterosexual women and their male partners in northern California in 2015-2016. A dyadic, thematic analytic approach was used to examine whether and how prospective pregnancy intentions and current pregnancy desires are negotiated at the couple level, and how relationship dynamics influence any negotiation and decision-making processes. Results Twenty-three couples described engaging in joint pregnancy decision making, which required purposeful communication and, for some, compromise and acceptance. For nearly all of these couples, these processes led to aligned prospective pregnancy intentions, even when current pregnancy desires differed. The remaining 27 couples described individual pregnancy decision-making processes; many respondents reported intentions that aligned with their partner's by happenstance, despite some respondents having avoided communicating their desires to their partner. Some of these couples faced relationship difficulties, including poor communication, leading some participants to misinterpret or be unaware of their partner's pregnancy intentions and desires. Conclusions The relationship context is important in the formulation of prospective pregnancy intentions among young people. Counseling protocols, interventions and policies that attend to the complex factors that influence young couples' pregnancy decision making are needed to better help couples attain their reproductive goals.
Presymptomatic Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Among Residents and Staff at a Skilled Nursing Facility: Results of Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction and Serologic Testing.

High rates of asymptomatic infection suggest benefits to routine testing in congregate care settings. SARS-CoV-2 screening was undertaken in a single nursing facility without a known case of COVID-19, demonstrating an 85% prevalence among residents and 37% among staff. Serology was not helpful in identifying infections.
Understanding the experiences of self-injurious behavior in autism spectrum disorder: Implications for monitoring technology design.

OBJECTIVE Monitoring technology may assist in managing self-injurious behavior (SIB), a pervasive concern in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Affiliated stakeholder perspectives should be considered to design effective and accepted SIB monitoring methods. We examined caregiver experiences to generate design guidance for SIB monitoring technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-three educators and 16 parents of individuals with ASD and SIB completed interviews or focus groups to discuss needs related to monitoring SIB and associated technology use. RESULTS Qualitative content analysis of participant responses revealed 7 main themes associated with SIB and technology: triggers, emotional responses, SIB characteristics, management approaches, caregiver impact, child/student impact, and sensory/technology preferences. DISCUSSION The derived themes indicated areas of emphasis for design at the intersection of monitoring and SIB. Systems design at this intersection should consider the range of manifestations of and management approaches for SIB. It should also attend to interactions among children with SIB, their caregivers, and the technology. Design should prioritize the transferability of physical technology and behavioral data as well as the safety, durability, and sensory implications of technology. CONCLUSIONS The collected stakeholder perspectives provide preliminary groundwork for an SIB monitoring system responsive to needs as articulated by caregivers. Technology design based on this groundwork should follow an iterative process that meaningfully engages caregivers and individuals with SIB in naturalistic settings.
Synthesis and characterization of a novel silica nanowire-reinforced SiC thermal material

Abstract When forming a 3D SiC object by thermal oxidation of compacted particles, the resultant solid is often found to have limited strength. A major reason for this lack of structural integrity is believed to be due to poor oxygen diffusion and this, in turn, limits the thickness of the silica bonding layer at the interface between SiC particles. In the present study it is demonstrated that SiC particles treated with NaOH will create a silica gel layer that enhances the bonding during thermal oxidation. The surface modified particles were compacted into discs at an applied pressure of 0.47 ​MPa and then heated at temperatures ranging from 500 to 1000 ​°C. FTIR confirmed the presence of the characteristic peaks for Si–O and Si–O–Si on the surface of the discs characteristic of the formation of a silica gel layer that bonded the particles at room temperature. SEM-EDX analysis revealed the growth of silica nanowires that bridged the walls of the pores between SiC particles during heat treatment. XRD peaks characteristic for α-SiC phase were persistent at all temperatures. After oxidation XRD showed the phase transformation of the silica gel into quartz which was followed by further transformation to cristobalite solid solution at higher temperature. In conjunction with the increased growth of the silica nano wires, the density, strength, toughness and percent weight gain increased significantly without any measurable change in the dimensions of the discs. FTIR analysis of the condensed volatile species released from surface modified SiC discs during heating revealed the involvement of SiO gas released from the silica gel surface layer in the mechanism of nanowires growth. Preliminary thermal shock resistance tests showed stability of the mechanical properties after water quenching of samples treated at 900–1000 ​°C.
Role of HPC in next-generation AI

Scale has been central to the success of deep learning with the availability of large-scale data and compute infrastructure. However, for further progress, scale has to be coupled with novel algorithms. Next-generation AI will be unsupervised, robust and adaptive. It will incorporate more structure and domain knowledge. Examples include tensors, graphs, physical laws, and simulations. I will describe efficient frameworks that enable developers to easily prototype such models, e.g., Tensorly to incorporate tensorized architectures, NVIDIA Isaac to incorporate physically valid simulations and NVIDIA RAPIDS for end-to-end data analytics. I will then lay out some outstanding problems in this area.
Improving the effectiveness of peer code review in identifying security defects

Prior studies found peer code review useful in identifying security defects. That is why most of the commercial and open-source software (OSS) projects embraced peer code review and mandated the use of it in the software development life cycle. However, despite conducting mandatory peer code review practices, many security-critical OSS projects such as Chromium, Mozilla, and Qt are reporting a high number of post-release vulnerabilities to the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database. Practitioners may wonder if there is any missing piece in the puzzle that leads code reviews to miss those security defects. Therefore, the primary objective of this dissertation study is to improve the effectiveness of peer code review in identifying security defects. To meet this goal, I plan to empirically investigate: (i) why security defects escape code reviews, (ii) what are the challenges developers face to conduct effective security code reviews, (iii) how to build effective security code review strategy, and (iv) how to make effective utilization of security experts during code reviews.
Expected Rates of Select Adverse Events following Immunization for COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Monitoring

Abstract Background Knowledge of expected rates of potential adverse events of special interest (AESI) that may occur coincidentally following COVID-19 vaccination is essential for vaccine safety surveillance and assessment. We calculated the expected rates of 21 potential AESI following COVID-19 vaccination among vaccinated persons within 1 day, 7 days, and 42 days of vaccination. Methods We used meta-analytic methods to estimate background rates of 21 medical conditions considered potential AESI and calculated expected rates of each potential AESI within 1 day, 7 days, and 42 days of vaccination. Results Background rates of three commonly monitored AESI, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), myopericarditis, and all-cause deaths were 2.0 GBS cases/100,000 person-years, 1.3 myopericarditis cases/100,000 person-years, and 863.8 all-cause deaths/100,000 person-years, respectively. Based on these background rates, if 10,000,000 persons are vaccinated, we would expect 0.5, 3.7, and 22.5 GBS cases; 0.3, 2.4, and 14.3 myopericarditis cases; and 236.5, 1655.5, and 9932.8 all-cause deaths to occur in coincident temporal association (i.e., as a result of background incidence) within 1 day, 7 days, and 42 days of vaccination, respectively. Conclusion Knowledge of expected rates of potential AESI can help contextualize adverse health events associated temporally with immunization, aid in safety signal detection, guide COVID-19 vaccine public health communication, and inform benefit-risk assessments of COVID-19 vaccines.
Weakly Interacting Massive Particles as the Dark Matter of the Universe

There are several reasons to think that we may be on the verge of a new Copernican revolution: not only are we not located at the center of the Universe; we may not even be made of the stuff of which > 90% of the Universe is made! Within the last decade the evidence has become overwhelming that dark matter exists within galaxies and in the Universe at large[1]. The mass density of the Universe Ω is measured in units of the critical density, ρ crit = 3H 0 2 /8πG ≈ 10-29 g cm-3. Visible matter comprises only Ω vis 0.5. The inflationary model of the early universe predicts that Ω = 1 exactly. Thus, as much as 95% of the Universe may be in the form of nonbaryonic particles.
Assessing the Transfer of Simulator Trained Skills to Real Vehicle Control

The Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory is conducting a project to investigate the value of a motion based simulator in teaching vehicle control for off-road driving conditions. A primary goal is to reduce accidents caused by the loss of control of high center-of-gravity military vehicles in situations normally not found in the civilian driving experience. This study presents data from a two year portion of the authors' work to develop metrics to assess the effectiveness of simulator training for developing vehicle control skills. For the first year, 10 drivers were trained using a simulator in an accident avoidance (AA) maneuver. Their performance was compared against 10 untrained drivers in a real vehicle. The second year 5 trained drivers from the first study were given sparse sustainment training in the simulator and again compared against 5 untrained drivers in a real vehicle. The authors considered metrics specifically related to the vehicle control aspects of the training to determine if the trainee acquired the necessary muscle memory to correctly implement the various vehicle control steps involved in the maneuver. They also briefly describe the participant’s views on their training experience.
TU‐G‐210‐03: Acoustic Simulations in Transcranial MRgFUS: Treatment Prediction and Analysis

Modeling can play a vital role in predicting, optimizing and analyzing the results of therapeutic ultrasound treatments. Simulating the propagating acoustic beam in various targeted regions of the body allows for the prediction of the resulting power deposition and temperature profiles. In this session we will apply various modeling approaches to breast, abdominal organ and brain treatments. Of particular interest is the effectiveness of procedures for correcting for phase aberrations caused by intervening irregular tissues, such as the skull in transcranial applications or inhomogeneous breast tissues. Also described are methods to compensate for motion in targeted abdominal organs such as the liver or kidney. Douglas Christensen – Modeling for Breast and Brain HIFU Treatment Planning Tobias Preusser – TRANS-FUSIMO - An Integrative Approach to Model-Based Treatment Planning of Liver FUS Urvi Vyas – Acoustic Simulations in Transcranial MRgFUS: Treatment Prediction and Analysis Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the role of acoustic beam modeling for predicting the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound treatments. 2. Apply acoustic modeling to specific breast, liver, kidney and transcranial anatomies. 3. Determine how to obtain appropriate acoustic modeling parameters from clinical images. 4. Understand the separate role of absorption and scattering in energy delivery to tissues. 5. See how organ motion can be compensated for in ultrasound therapies. 6. Compare simulated data with clinical temperature measurements in transcranial applications. Supported by NIH R01 HL172787 and R01 EB013433 (DC); EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under 270186 (FUSIMO) and 611889 (TRANS-FUSIMO)(TP); and P01 CA159992, GE, FUSF and InSightec (UV).
Creating Synergy between Learning and Service: A University Responds to the Needs of Students and Community

A convergence of internal and external factors has challenged the institutional identity of Indiana State University and presented an opportunity for strategic evolution toward a campus better able to address student learning and serve the needs of the community and region. External drivers, such as fiscal shortfalls, declining population, and a re-envisioning of the roles of state institutions by the legislature, have compelled ISU to examine the academic and demographic composition of its enrollment base and to refocus its mission. Results from the National Survey of Student Engagement suggested that, despite long-standing perceptions of student academic preparation held by faculty and administrators, and supported by entrance data, ISU undergraduates were not adequately challenged within the existing system. In this article, we discuss how ISU decided to address student needs and constraints imposed by the state through a concerted program of experiential learning and community engagement.
Streaming algorithms for selection and approximate sorting

Companies such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft maintain extremely large data repositories within which searches are frequently conducted. In an article entitled “Data-Intensive Supercomputing: The case for DISC” Randal Bryant describes such data repositories and suggests an agenda for appying them more broadly to massive data set problems of importance to the scientific community and society in general.
Staying In Front

This article examines option to purchase agreements and when the doctrine of relation back applies, with a warning as to the effect of altering the terms of an existing deal.
Spectroscopic studies of ionic solvation—XV: Alkali metal salts in propylene carbonate

Abstract Far infrared and sodium-23 NMR measurements were carried out on several alkali metal salts in propylene carbonate solutions. The frequencies of the cation-solvent vibrational bands were found to be 397 cm −1 for Li + , ~184cm −1 for NH 4 + and Na + , 142 cm −1 for K + , 116cm −1 for Rb + and 112 cm −1 for Cs + ions. In the case of LiBr the frequency of the band was shifted to 385 cm −1 . Plots of integrated intensity of solvation band vs concentration were linear for LiClO 4 , LiBr and NaI solutions. Sodium-23 chemical shifts were essentially independent of salt concentration for NaClO 4 and NaBPh 4 but were strongly concentration dependent for NaBr and NaSCN. An approximate value for the ion pair formation constant of NaSCN was computed from the chemical shift data.
Transcription Factor Binding Probabilities in Orthologous Promoters: An Alignment-Free Approach to the Inference of Functional Regulatory Targets

Using a physically principled method of scoring genomic sequences for the potential to be bound by transcription factors, we have developed an algorithm for assessing the conservation of predicted binding occupancy that does not rely on sequence alignment of promoters. The method, which we call ortholog-weighting, assesses the degree to which the predicted binding occupancy of a transcription factor in a reference gene is also predicted in the promoters of orthologous genes. The analysis was performed separately for over 100 different transcription factors in S. cerevisiae. Statistical significance was evaluated by simulation using permuted versions of the position weight matrices. Ortholog-weighting produced about twice as many significantly high scoring genes as were obtained from the S. cerevisiae genome alone. Gene Ontology analysis found a similar two-fold enrichment of genes. Both analyses suggest that ortholog-weighting improves the prediction of true regulatory targets. Interestingly, the method has only a marginal effect on the prediction of binding by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. We suggest several possibilities for reconciling this result with the improved enrichment that we observe for functionally related promoters and for promoters that are under positive selection.
Generalized seeded growth of Ag-based metal chalcogenide nanorods via controlled chalcogenization of the seeds

Hybrid metal–semiconductor nanostructures are promising candidates for photocatalytic applications because of the efficient charge separation in the nanostructure. Silver nanocrystals can be used as seeds to synthesize hybrid nanostructures, providing great optical and electronic properties. But they are not much explored because they tend to get oxidized or sulfurized. Here, we report a general protocol for synthesizing Ag based hybrid metal chalcogenide nanorods using the complex of oleylamine and chalcogenide as a precursor. This method allows for the epitaxial growth of metal chalcogenides without sulfurization of Ag seeds by controlled release of chalcogenides in the reaction process. From the experimental analysis, we propose a growth mechanism of the heteronanorod formation. That is, the metal sulfide firstly grows on one side of the Ag seeds, while the other side of the Ag seed is sulfurized and the Ag2S phase is formed subsequently in the presence of an excess sulfur precursor. The synthetic method is demonstrated to be widely applicable for organic phase metal chalcogenide nanorod growth, including CdS, ZnS, MnS, and CdSe. Moreover, the hybrid nanorods without sulfurization of the Ag seeds exhibit significantly improved photocatalytic activity, due to the efficient charge separation in these materials.
Synthesis and toxicity of 1,2-bis(trifluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,-pentafluoropropane

Abstract Recent studies have demonstrated that monofluorination of the methoxy group of the diether fluoromethyl 1-methoxy-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propyl ether yields a compound exhibiting sedative/hypnotic properties. In this study an additional fluorinated analog of this parent compound was synthesized, using photochlorination followed by reaction with bromine trifluoride. In this manner, both methoxy groups were converted to trifluoromethoxy moieties, forming 1,2-bis(trifluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropane. This volatile product exhibited no anesthetic effects and was found to be highly toxic in the rat, following both iv infusion and exposure to the vapor.
Biochemical transmethylation of lipids and neuropeptidergic stimulation of pituitary hormone secretion

Abstract S-adenosyl- l -methionine-dependent methylation of membrane phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine has been shown to exist in a number of tissues including pituitary gland and to play important roles in receptor-mediated functions. The possible role of this phospholipid methylation reaction in pituitary hormone secretion has been studied. To this end, the ability of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) to release thyrotropin (TSH) and prolactin and the ability of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) to release luteinizing hormone (LH) were evaluated after inhibition of pituitary phospholipid methylation. Both TRH and LH-RH stimulated the release of their corresponding pituitary hormone in a dose-dependent manner and this stimulatory effect was inhibited in the presence of phospholipid methylation inhibitors. Non-specific stimulation of TSH release by 55 mM KCl or 0.1 mM veratridine, however, was not affected by the methylation inhibitors. The data suggest that phospholipid methylation may participate in receptor-mediated release of pituitary hormones.
An Improved Reclosing Relay

This paper describes a new reclosing relay which offers several features not included in available automatic, reclosing relays. Among the features included are: reset of the relay a short interval after any successful reclosure, to eliminate needless delay in subsequent reclosures and reduce unnecessary lockouts; a simple internal means of blocking the instantaneous trip circuit after initial circuit breaker trip-out, to facilitate system sectionalizing; immediate first reclosure through an initially closed contact in the relay to reduce first-reclosure time. Operation of the relay and circuit is completely described with emphasis on the operating conditions creating a demand for and the advantages offered by the several improvements. Possible settings and adjustments are discussed which provide a wide degree of versatility in application.
A comparative evaluation of image background subtraction techniques

Many applications generate digital image sequences using a lens system, a light-transducing pixel array, and sample-and-hold A/D electronics. Non-uniformity Correction (NUC) is an image processing operation that is often required in such systems. The NUC operation subtracts the background from a temporally evolving image on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Background estimation must be robust against image features, electronic glitches, and sudden changes in background. The NUC is often applied in conjunction with a mechanical image dithering that enables separation of the image from the static additive background. In real-time applications with large pixe-count focal planes, the NUC must process large data bandwidths. The NUC algorithm must be operationally efficient to process data in real time. This paper examines a number of NUC algorithms. It defines a set of performance metrics and evaluates algorithm performance in terms of trades between these metrics and processing cost. It provides a guide for selecting an appropriate NUC algorithm based on operating conditions and available compute resources.
Optical Systems Research At Texas Tech University

A review of optical processing research performed in the Optical Systems Laboratory at Texas Tech University is presented. The major topic areas covered are (1) space-variant optical processing; (2) real-time electro-optical signal processing and (3) optical experiments for undergraduate engineering laboratories.
A current assessment ofin vitro culture and other rapid multiplication methods in North America and Europe

Micropropagation as a tool for production of nuclear potato seed stocks has clearly made giant steps in the past decade. Almost all seed producing areas of North America and Europe have either built or modified existing structures to accommodate this type of propagation. Micropropagation has all the advantages of stem cuttings, namely, rapid increase of pathogen-free plants and breaking the cycle of tuber-borne soil organisms. This is combined with the additional advantages of higher yield per plant, less labor, a faster rate of multiplication, reduced testing and increased flexibility of scheduling with less dependence on mother tuber physiology. At the present time we are seeing many different applications and modifications of micropropagation. However, as ideas are exchanged and people have time and the opportunity to evaluate alternate ideas, types of application and methods will probably narrow down, at least in areas with similar climates. Length of growing season, insect populations and irrigation certainly control some of the parameters of growing micropropagated plantlets in the field. In the United States more seed growers will start small in vitro programs and, depending on their initial success, perseverance and control of costs, will expand their facilities and capabilities, particularly in states that do not have official seed farms. These procedures enable growers to develop their own “closed system” and to be able to introduce new cultivars into their programs without risk of introducing tuber-borne diseases.
Predicting phase-locking in excitatory hybrid circuits

Introduction Phase-locked activity is thought to be an underlying mechanism controlling aspects of memory, recognition, circadian rhythms, and epileptic seizures, yet no general theoretical framework has been shown to predict the existence of a simple form of phase-locked activity, phaselocking between 2 reciprocally coupled endogenously oscillating neurons. Here, we investigate a general method for predicting the behavior of coupled bursting neurons.
Asymmetric Electron Pair Production on Carbon.

The cross section for the reaction $\ensuremath{\gamma}+\mathrm{C}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{e}^{+}+{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}+\mathrm{C}$ has been measured for a series of kinematic points giving nuclear momentum transfers in the region 0.2-0.7 ${\mathrm{F}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, with incident photon energies in the region for photoproduction of the first two pion-nucleon resonances. Measurements were made, using asymmetric detection geometry, of electron and positron cross sections for each point. The charge-independent yields are shown to be in agreement with predictions of quantum electrodynamics for coherent and quasi-elastic production on carbon. The charge-asymmetric results are shown to be consistent with recent estimates of the interference between Bethe-Heitler and Compton pair production amplitudes with excitation of an intermediate $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}N$ state in the Compton diagram.