cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preferential infection of dividing cells by Cryptosporidium parvum

In spite of its limitations, the culture of Cryptosporidium parvum in monolayers of epithelial cells is a suitable model to study the interaction of this protozoan parasite with the host cell, to assay oocyst infectivity, and to screen drugs for anti-cryptosporidial activity. For unknown reasons, growth of Cryptosporidium in culture is limited in time and generally does not lead to the production of significant numbers of oocysts. In monolayers infected with high doses of oocysts, we observed that many cells remain uninfected, suggesting that some cells are less susceptible to the infection. Since C. parvum and the related species C. hominis lack many essential biosynthetic pathways, we tested whether the dependence of the parasite on host cell metabolites may favour the infection of cells in mitosis. The proportion of monolayer cells in stationary (G0/G1) phase and in mitosis (S/G2/M) was determined and the prevalence of infected cells in each subpopulation was quantified. Although C. parvum infects and develops in dividing and stationary cells, a significant preference for cells in S/G2/M phase was observed. Consistent with previous observations showing that C. parvum induces apoptosis in cell monolayers, infection was accompanied by a significant increase in the proportion of mitotic cells.
Application of the double slip plane crack model to temperature and strain rate sensitive BCC metals

Abstract The double slip plane crack model proposed by Weertman, Lin and Thomson (1982) has been applied to model the effect of temperature and strain rate on the stress intensity factor at a crack tip in temperature and strain rate sensitive materials. Increase in temperature or decrease in strain rate (as well as a decrease in slip plane spacing) are shown to increase the shielding of the crack tip by dislocation distributions on the slip planes. Furthermore, the effect of temperature on the fracture toughness, K llc , at various strain rates was shown to exhibit the same sigmoidal shaped curve seen for K lc data in typical alloy steels.
Trans-spinal direct current stimulation modulates motor cortex-induced muscle contraction in mice

The present study investigated the effect of trans-spinal direct current (tsDC) on the firing rate, pattern, and amplitude of spontaneous activity of the tibial nerve and on the magnitude of cortic...
Effects of soil water on seed production and photosynthesis of pink smartweed (polygonum pensylvanicum l.) in playa wetlands

Soil moisture is frequently manipulated by wetland managers to achieve a desired composition and production of plant species. Pink smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) is a species valued by wetland managers because of its potential seed production and food base for migrating and wintering waterbirds. To improve ability to manage pink smartweed, we measured the influence of four growing-season soil moisture regimes (flooded, field capacity, prescribed moist-soil management, and continuously dry) in playa wetlands of the Southern High Plains of Texas. We used xylem water potential as an index of soil moisture available to the plants and compared vegetation and seed production among the four moisture treatments. Daily net photosynthesis was measured in each playa at 0900, 1200, and 1700 hours. The continuously-flooded wetland had the lowest absolute xylem water potential value (−0.294 MPa), followed by the playa at field capacity (−0.446 MPa), moist-soil managed playa (−0.758 MPa), and dry playa (−1.039 MPa). Vegetation biomass (F3,40 = 97.7, P < 0.001) and seed production (F3,40 = 54.3, P < 0.001) of pink smartweed differed among soil moisture treatments. Conducting moist-soil management (x = 6816 kg/ha) increased vegetation biomass by 44% over the dry treatment (x = 4706 kg/ha). As soil moisture increased to field capacity (x = 9010 kg/ha) vegetation increased by 32% above the moist-soil treatment. Maintaining standing water in a playa maximized vegetation production (x = 12497 kg/ha) of pink smartweed. Seed production was greatest when soil moisture was maintained at field capacity (x = 695 kg/ha). There was no difference in seed production between the moist-soil managed (x = 492 kg/ha) and flooded playas (x = 514 kg/ha), which was 28% lower than the field capacity treatment. Seed production in the dry treatment (x = 377 kg/ha) was 46% lower than the field capacity treatment and 25% below the flooded and moist-soil managed treatments. Net photosynthesis and xylem water potential decreased throughout the day in all treatments except continuously flooded, which corresponded to the increased vegetation production in this treatment. Slight increases in water stress relative to the continuously flooded treatment resulted in a redistribution of resources from vegetation to seed production. Managers should consider maintaining wetland soils at field capacity to increase seed production of pink smartweed.
Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis

1. Dennis A. Conrad, MD* 1. *Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Chairman for Continuing Medical Education, Department of Pediatrics/Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; Medical Director, Infection Control, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital, San Antonio, Tex. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the pathophysiology of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis. 2. Correlate most common infectious causes of osteomyelitis with the age of the patient. 3. Recognize the typical clinical manifestations of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis. 4. Explain the appropriate use of ancillary information obtained by laboratory determinations and imaging studies to establish the diagnosis of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis. 5. Discuss the medical and surgical principles of management in the treatment of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis. The most common type of osteomyelitis, an infection of bone, that occurs in children is acute hematogenous osteomyelitis. Infection initially is established in the metaphyseal region of tubular bones, beginning as a metaphysitis following seeding by bacteria. The appendicular skeleton is the most common site of osteomyelitis. The lower extremity, especially the femur, is involved more often than the upper extremity, where the humerus is most likely to be infected. The pelvic bones or clavicles are less likely to be involved than the long bones of the extremities. The most common bone involved in acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in children is the femur. The axial skeleton is less likely to be the site of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis. Manifestations of osteomyelitis involving the axial skeleton are most commonly discitis, vertebral osteomyelitis, and infection involving the ribs and cranial bones. In most cases, the preceding bacteremia leading to acute hematogenous osteomyelitis is cryptic and asymptomatic, although osteomyelitis can be a focal complication of clinically symptomatic bacteremia and even overt septicemia. The nidus of infection begins in the valveless sinusoidal loops of the venules at their reflection at the epiphysis and is attributed to slow and nonlaminar blood flow through this vascular …
Residual stress distribution in FeAl weld overlay on steel

Neutron diffraction was used to measure the residual stress distribution in an FeAl weld overlay on steel. It was found that the residual stresses accumulated during welding were essentially removed by the post-weld heat treatment that was applied to the specimen; most residual stresses in the specimen developed during cooling following the post-weld heat treatment. The experimental data were compared with a plasto-elastic finite element analysis. While some disagreement exists in absolute strain values, there is satisfactory agreement in strain spatial distribution between the experimental data and the finite element analysis.
Incidence of non-rhotic vowel errors in children: data from the Memphis Vowel Project.

Attention to vowels in phonological development and disorders has increased in recent years, but the incidence of vowel errors in children with phonological disorders has not yet been determined. In the present study, percentage of non-rhotic vowels correct (PVC-NR) was measured in single word productions of 314 monolingual American English-speaking children, 165 with normal phonology (NP) and 149 with delayed/disordered phonology (DP). Three cutoffs (PVC-NR or = 36 months) was minimal (0 to 4%). In the DP group (age range 30 to 81 months), 11 to 32% exhibited vowel errors. DP children with moderate to severe consonant errors were at greatest risk for concurrent vowel errors.
NetLogo, a Multi-agent Simulation Environment

NetLogo [41, 40] is a freely downloadable, agent-based software package that was created at the Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling (CCL) at Northwestern University, directed by Uri Wilensky. It is the latest in a series of multi-agent simulation environments that includes StarLogo [28, 33], which was developed at the MIT Media Lab by Wilensky and Mitchel Resnick. In these environments, agents are represented as ‘‘turtles’’ and are programmed with a variant of Seymour Papert’s LOGO [8, 19]. Designed to be simple enough for children to program, NetLogo illustrates what can happen when populations of turtles are given sets of rules to obey. Despite the entry-level programming interface, NetLogo is capable of quite sophisticated modeling and allows experienced programmers to add their own Java extensions. As a result, NetLogo has been widely used by a broad audience, from elementary school children to academics in the social, computer, and ‘‘hard’’ sciences; and the on-line community page includes models constructed by a wide range of representatives from each of these segments of the population. The NetLogo home page (http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/) includes a download area, models pages, sample downloadable extensions, user manuals, a FAQ, and links to various resources. The software package comes with a large number of demonstration models, each of which can be executed and modified, since the source for each demo is included in the package. These demos are also available on the ‘‘models’’ portion of the home page, where they can be run in a Web browser. They are contributed by community members and are tested and supported by the development team at CCL. Model application areas range from biology to computer science to art to artificial life and include simulations such as predator-prey, spread of disease, rumor mill, traffic jams, small worlds, fractals, erosion, dining philosophers, cellular automata, crystallization, and radioactivity. In addition, on the ‘‘community models’’ portion of the home page, an even larger and more diverse set of models is available. These, too, have been contributed by community members, but they are not checked by CCL staff; they are supported by their authors, whose contact details are listed on the Web page. NetLogo was first released in 1999, and the most recent release (as of this writing) is version 3.1.2 (August 9, 2006). NetLogo runs on virtually any of today’s most popular platforms—Microsoft Windows, Mac OS-X, and Linux. For each version released, the Web page (URL) enumerates the operating systems on which NetLogo has been successfully installed and executed. NetLogo is written in Java, which aids its portability and compatibility. One of the most convenient features of NetLogo allows programmers to save models as Java applets, permitting seamless publication of simulations from NetLogo’s built-in integrated development environment to a Web page.
Acoustic Levitation and Manipulation for Space Applications

A wide spectrum of experiments to be performed in space in a microgravity environment require levitation and manipulation of liquid or molten samples. A novel acoustic method has been developed at JPL for controlling liquid samples without physical contacts. This method utilizes the static pressure generated by three orthogonal acoustic standing waves excited within an enclosure. Furthermore, this method will allow the sample to be rotated and/or oscillated by modifying the phase angles and/or the amplitude of the acoustic field. This technique has been proven both in our laboratory and in a microgravity environment provided by KC-135 flights. Samples placed within our chamber driven at (1,0,0), (0,1,0), and (0,0,1), modes were indeed levitated, rotated, and oscillated.
Metal-substituted Ti8C12 metallocarbohedrynes: toward less reactive clusters as building blocks of cluster-assembled materials.

To form cluster-assembled materials, the clusters should have low reactivity and be characterized by a closed-shell electronic configuration with a large gap between the highest occupied and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (HOMO–LUMO). Using spin-polarized density functional theory calculations, we investigate the M-substituted Ti8C12 metallocarbohedrynes to search for less reactive clusters as building blocks for cluster-assembled materials (M = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Sc, Y). The selected atoms in the correct stoichiometry would produce a metallocarbohedryne that is isoelectronic with the Ti8C122+, which has a closed-shell electronic configuration and an enhanced HOMO–LUMO gap of 1.735 eV. According to our results, the HOMO–LUMO gaps of the M-substituted Ti8C12 metallocarbohedrynes are in the range of 0.715–0.979 eV for the case of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba and in the range of 0.865–1.294 eV for the case of Sc and Y. Among all the M-substituted metallocarbohedrynes we consider here, one of the isomers of Ti6Sc2C12 is not only energetically more favorable but also exhibits a larger HOMO–LUMO gap of 1.294 eV. This result indicates that the Ti6Sc2C12(4) metallocarbohedryne should be less reactive than the Ti8C12 metallocarbohedryne which has a narrow HOMO–LUMO gap of 0.146 eV. Moreover, we show that the intercluster interaction between two individual Ti6Sc2C12(4) metallocarbohedrynes is relatively weak compared to the Ti8C12 dimer.
Exclusive Breastfeeding Protects Against Bacterial Colonization and Day Care Exposure to Otitis Media

Objective. We followed a cohort (N = 306) of infants at well-baby visits in two suburban pediatric practices to assess the relation of exclusive breastfeeding, and other environmental exposures, to episodes of acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME). Methods. Detailed prospective information about the exclusiveness of breastfeeding, parental smoking, day care attendance, and family history was obtained at scheduled clinic visits. Tympanometric and otoscopic examinations were used in the diagnosis of otitis media (OM). Nasopharyngeal cultures were performed at 1–6 months, and at 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, and 24 months of age to detect colonization with middle-ear pathogens. Results. Between 6 and 12 months of age, cumulative incidence of first OM episodes increased from 25% to 51% in infants exclusively breastfed and from 54% to 76% in infants formula-fed from birth. Peak incidence of AOM and OME episodes was inversely related to rates of breastfeeding beyond 3 months of age. A twofold elevated risk of first episodes of AOM or OME was observed in exclusively formula-fed infants compared with infants exclusively breast-fed for 6 months. In the logistic regression analysis, formula-feeding was the most significant predictor of AOM and OME episodes, although age at colonization with middle-ear pathogens and day care (outside the home) were significant competing risk factors. A hazard health model suggested additionally that breastfeeding, even for short durations (3 months), reduced onset of OM episodes in infancy. Conclusions. Modifiable factors in the onset of AOM and OME episodes during the first 2 years of life include early age at colonization (≤3 months of age), day care outside the home, and not being breastfed.
Inside the Creative Sifter: Recognizing Metacognition in Creativity Development

The parallels between cognitive development and creativity are neglected in the literature. Piaget's information transformations are personalized, meaning individual constructions can involve creativity. Vygotsky's work considers the implications and interactions of social influences, conventions, and personal implications for creative development. The Cognitive-Creative Sifting Model is proposed to focus attention on these and other connections between cognitive development and creativity. Other common methods of assessing creativity are compared to the proposed model. It is argued that the model provides a foundation to evaluate individual creative potentials more holistically. Specifically, the conceptual elements of metacognition are described and their role in the development of creativity is suggested. It is argued that future researchers should pay particular attention to the interaction effects metacognition has with traditional measures of creativity focused on ideation and product evaluation.
Interplay between electrical activity and bone morphogenetic protein signaling regulates spinal neuron differentiation

A gradient of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) along the dorsoventral axis of the spinal cord is necessary for the specification of dorsal neurons. Concurrently, a gradient of calcium-mediated electrical activity is present in the developing spinal cord but in an opposing ventrodorsal direction. Whether BMPs and electrical activity interact in embryonic spinal neurons remains unknown. We show that BMP decreases electrical activity by enhancing p38 MAPK-mediated negative modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels. In turn, electrical activity affects the phosphorylation status and nuclear level of activated Smads, the canonical components of BMP signaling. This interaction between calcium spike activity and BMP signaling regulates the specification of the dorsal commissural spinal neuron phenotype. The present study identifies an unexpected interplay between BMPs and electrical activity that is critical for decoding the morphogen gradient during spinal neuron differentiation.
Wetting properties of human hair by means of dynamic contact angle measurement

The interaction between human hair and water occurs continuously in atmospheric air, and even more so, during application of shampoo and conditioner. For this reason the wettability of hair, and how hair care products affect the wetting properties, is of interest to hair care science. In this study, the Wilhelmy balance method is used to measure dynamic contact angle of both conditioner-treated hairs and those left untreated to study the interaction of hair with water. The method uses a microbalance to measure the force exerted on a single fiber when it is immersed into the wetting liquid of interest. This measured force is related to the wetting force of the liquid on the fiber, and the dynamic contact angle can be calculated. The contact angles of chemically damaged, mechanically damaged, virgin (undamaged) as well as conditioner-treated hairs and those left untreated are measured and compared. These samples were measured dry, and then also allowed to soak in water before being measured to determine whether a wet environment affects the wetting properties of the hair surface. Additionally, wettability of hairs from subjects of different ethnicities are measured and compared. Further, the mechanisms driving a significant directionality dependence are studied and discussed. The results are also used to explain tribological properties found in previous studies. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:5255–5265, 2006
Intraluminal acid activates esophageal nodose C fibers after mast cell activation

Acid reflux in the esophagus can induce esophageal painful sensations such as heartburn and noncardiac chest pain. The mechanisms underlying acid-induced esophageal nociception are not clearly understood. In our previous studies, we characterized esophageal vagal nociceptive afferents and defined their responses to noxious mechanical and chemical stimulation. In the present study, we aim to determine their responses to intraluminal acid infusion. Extracellular single-unit recordings were performed in nodose ganglion neurons with intact nerve endings in the esophagus using ex vivo esophageal-vagal preparations. Action potentials evoked by esophageal intraluminal acid perfusion were compared in naive and ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged animals, followed by measurements of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and the expression of tight junction proteins (zona occludens-1 and occludin). In naive guinea pigs, intraluminal infusion with either acid (pH = 2–3) or capsaicin did not evoke an action potential discharge in esophageal nodose C fibers. In OVA-sensitized animals, following esophageal mast cell activation by in vivo OVA inhalation, intraluminal acid infusion for about 20 min started to evoke action potential discharges. This effect is further confirmed by selective mast cell activation using in vitro tissue OVA challenge in esophageal-vagal preparations. OVA inhalation leads to decreased TEER and zona occludens-1 expression, suggesting an impaired esophageal epithelial barrier function after mast cell activation. These data for the first time provide direct evidence of intraluminal acid-induced activation of esophageal nociceptive C fibers and suggest that mast cell activation may make esophageal epithelium more permeable to acid, which subsequently may increase esophageal vagal nociceptive C fiber activation.
On the observability of robot motion under active camera control

Defines a measure of "observability" of robot motion that can be used in evaluating a hand/eye set-up with respect to the ease of achieving vision-based control. This extends the analysis of "manipulability" of a robotic mechanism in Yoshikawa (1983) to incorporate the effect of visual features. The authors discuss how the observability measure can be applied for active camera placement and for robot trajectory planning to improve the visual servo control. The authors use the examples of a planar 2-DOF arm and a PUMA-type 3-DOF arm to show the variation of the observability and manipulability measure with respect to the relative position of the active camera. >
The Benefits and Risks of Telling and Listening to Stories of Difficulty Over Time: Experimentally Testing the Expressive Writing Paradigm in the Context of Interpersonal Communication Between Friends

The overarching goal of the current study was to determine the impact of talking interpersonally over time on emerging adults' individual and relational health. Using an expressive writing study design (see Frattaroli, 2006), we assessed the degree to which psychological health improved over time for college students who told and listened to stories about friends' current difficulties in comparison with tellers in control conditions. We also investigated the effects on tellers' and listeners' perceptions of each other's communication competence, communicated perspective-taking, and the degree to which each threatened the other's face during the interaction over time to better understand the interpersonal communication complexities associated with talking about difficulty over time. After completing prestudy questionnaires, 49 friend pairs engaged in three interpersonal interactions over the course of 1 week wherein one talked about and one listened to a story of difficulty (treatment) or daily events (control). All participants completed a poststudy questionnaire 3 weeks later. Tellers' negative affect decreased over time for participants exposed to the treatment group, although life satisfaction increased and positive affect decreased across time for participants regardless of condition. Perceptions of friends' communication abilities decreased significantly over time for tellers. The current study contributes to the literature on expressive writing and social support by shedding light on the interpersonal implications of talking about difficulty, the often-overlooked effects of disclosure on listeners, and the health effects of talking about problems on college students' health.
Computations of ESR coupling constants in organic radicals. III. Nitro Derivatives of the Benzyl Radical

We compute the ESR coupling constants and the geometries of ten nitro derivatives of the benzyl radical. We consider the three mononitrobenzyls, the six dinitrobenzyls and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzyl. The computations are based on the use of the Gaussian 82 Program Package with the STO-3G basis set. There are no experimental data available.
Cytoprotective effect of centrally administered neurotensin on stress-induced gastric ulcers

Neurotensin, a peptide common to brain and gastrointestinal tissue, has been reported common to brain and gastrointestinal tissue, has been reported to inhibit both gastric acid secretion and gastric mucosal blood flow after central nervous system administration in rats. Therefore, the effect of intracisternal neurotensin on the development of gastric ulcers induced by cold-plus-restraint stress in the rat was studied. Following intracisternal injection, neurotensin (20-30 micrograms) significantly inhibited the development of gastric ulcers in this model. This effect was shown to be both dose related and route specific, inasmuch as neither lower doses of intracisternal neurotensin nor intravenous neurotensin were cytoprotective. In addition, potential actions of central neurotensin that may have mediated this beneficial effect were tested by administering somatostatin or oxotremorine intracisternally and cimetidine or haloperidol intraperitoneally. In contrast to intracisternal neurotensin, none of these substances reduced the incidence of gastric ulcers in this model. This was true despite the fact that cimetidine, but not neurotensin, significantly increased gastric pH. Finally, when cold-plus-restraint-stressed rats were pretreated with indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, the cytoprotective effect of neurotensin was completely abolished. These results suggest that intracisternal neurotensin exerts a significant cytoprotective effect for stress-induced gastric ulcers in rats. This effect, which is mediated by the central nervous system, does not appear to be related to changes in body temperature, neuroleptic-like properties, or gastric acid secretion but requires an intact prostaglandin synthetic pathway.
Anisotropic modeling of structural components using embedded crystal plasticity constructive laws within finite elements

Abstract Pins are commonly used to join members of mechanical mechanisms. In order to maintain the integrity of the joint and prevent failure, there must be sufficient material of adequate strength around the pin hole to sustain the bearing and tear out loads from the pin connection. In this work, a multi-scale materials simulation model based on finite elements (FE) is developed for design and evaluation of materials for such applications. We specifically examine several constitutive models for simulating the elasto-plastic behavior of the plate material while maintaining computational efficiency. Here, models are developed for two plate materials: copper (Cu) and α-uranium (α-U), with vastly different plastic behaviors owing to their crystal structures and crystallographic textures. For Cu, digital image correlation (DIC) tests are carried out during loading of the plate/pin assembly to characterize the strain distributions in the critical hole/pin area. The corresponding FE simulations are carried out using a combination of constitutive laws involving a fine-scale polycrystal plasticity calculation, a J2 flow theory, or a combination of both. We show that the FE model using the fine-scale polycrystal plasticity constitutive law successfully captures the DIC strain fields in the hole region at different plate displacements. Surprisingly, use of the more computationally efficient J2 plasticity model also produces reasonable results in comparison with the measurements and the fine-scale constitutive law. An interesting finding is that combining fine-scale constitutive laws in the region surrounding the hole and continuum J2 theory elsewhere gives the worst agreement. It also precariously produces non-conservative estimates for the hole opening with applied displacement. These results on Cu helped subsequent simulations on α-U, where use of the fine-scale polycrystal simulation is fundamental considering the highly plastic anisotropic response of this complicated material. We demonstrate that in the α-U plates, the localized deformation in the hole region is highly dependent on the direction of displacement.
Full-Field Strain Monitoring of a Wind Turbine Using Very Limited Set of Displacements Measured With Three-Dimensional Point Tracking

In the current work, the optical three-dimensional point-tracking (3DPT) measurement approach is used in conjunction with a recently developed modal expansion technique. These two approaches (empirical and analytical) complement each other and enable the prediction of the full-field dynamic response on the surface of the structure as well as within the interior points. The practical merit of the approach was verified using a non-spinning and spinning wind turbine rotor. The three-bladed wind turbine rotator was subjected to different loading scenarios and the displacement of optical targets located on the blades was measured using 3DPT. The measured displacement was expanded and applied to the finite element model of the turbine to extract full-field strain on the turbine. The sensitivity of the proposed approach to the number of optical targets was studied in this paper. It is shown the approach can accurately predict the strain even with very few set of measurement points.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The effect of 100% tart cherry juice on serum uric acid levels, biomarkers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk factors

Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis and is a risk factor for CVD and mortality. Obesity, a co-morbidity, is strongly correlated with hyperuricemia, a precipitating factor. Tart cherry juice (TC...
Metric and Involution Scores of Clifford Algebras

The notion of a metric score is introduced as a separate tally of the total number of standard (Grassmann) basis elements spanning a Clifford algebra \({C\ell_{p,q}}\) that square to + 1 and −1. A closed-form expression is derived for any given vector space dimension n = p+q. This is then generalized to reversion and Clifford-conjugation. A central application is that two real Clifford algebras are isomorphic if and only if their metric scores are identical.
High-order shock-capturing hyperbolic residual-distribution schemes on irregular triangular grids

Abstract In this paper, we construct second- and third-order non-oscillatory shock-capturing hyperbolic residual-distribution schemes for irregular triangular grids, extending the schemes developed in J. Comput. Phys., 300 (2015), 455–491 to discontinuous problems. We present extended first-order N- and Rusanov-scheme formulations for a hyperbolic advection-diffusion system, and demonstrate that the hyperbolic diffusion term does not have any adverse effect on the solution of inviscid problems for a vanishingly small viscous coefficient. We then construct second- and third-order non-oscillatory hyperbolic residual-distribution schemes by blending the non-monotone second- and third-order schemes with the extended first-order schemes as typically done in the residual-distribution schemes, and examine them for discontinuous problems on irregular triangular grids. We also propose to use the Rusanov scheme to avoid non-physical shocks in combination with an improved characteristics-based nonlinear wave sensor for detecting shocks, compression, and expansion regions. We then verify the design order of accuracy of these blended schemes on irregular triangular grids.
A Review of: “Requiem for Nature”

This book is a new paperback edition of a title that first appeared in 1999. The new preface says that there is both good and bad news to report since the book was first published. On the bad side,...
Workplace Violence against Health Care Workers in the United States.

Violence against health care professionals in the workplace is underreported and understudied. Additional data are needed to understand steps that might be taken to reduce the risk.
Synthesis of Bivalent β2-Adrenergic and Adenosine A1 Receptor Ligands

Research in the area of simutaneously targeting more than one G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) has increased in recent times. By exploiting the cross talk between the β2-adrenergic (β2AR) and adenosine A1 receptors (A1AR) on adenylate cyclase activity, we synthesized a series of bivalent agonists for both GPCRs to generate responses from more than one receptor. We have demonstrated a relationship between the various β2-adrenergic and A1 adenosine bivalent parameters of linker and bifunctionality by using data that are drawn from in vitro assays. The hexyl-linked 12e (Ki, 311 nM) and butyl-linked 12c (Ki, 863 nM) bivalent compounds displayed reasonable binding affinities for the β2AR when compared with the control (−)isoproterenol (Ki, 136 nM), and both compounds also exhibited a persuasive bifunctional trend for both receptors at various drug concentrations. The bivalent compound 12e was also found to have significant EC50 potency (6 nM) at the β2AR in DDT cells.
Adolescents' interest in trying flavoured e-cigarettes.

Background More US adolescents use e-cigarettes than smoke cigarettes. Research suggests flavoured e-cigarettes appeal to youth, but little is known about perceptions of and reasons for attraction to specific flavours. Methods A national sample of adolescents (n=1125) ages 13–17 participated in a phone survey from November 2014 to June 2015. We randomly assigned adolescents to respond to survey items about 1 of 5 e-cigarette flavours (tobacco, alcohol, menthol, candy or fruit) and used regression analysis to examine the impact of flavour on interest in trying e-cigarettes and harm beliefs. Results Adolescents were more likely to report interest in trying an e-cigarette offered by a friend if it were flavoured like menthol (OR=4.00, 95% CI 1.46 to 10.97), candy (OR=4.53, 95% CI 1.67 to 12.31) or fruit (OR=6.49, 95% CI 2.48 to 17.01) compared with tobacco. Adolescents believed that fruit-flavoured e-cigarettes were less harmful to health than tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes (p Discussion Candy-flavoured, fruit-flavoured and menthol-flavoured e-cigarettes appeal to adolescents more than tobacco-flavoured or alcohol-flavoured e-cigarettes. This appeal is only partially explained by beliefs about reduced harm. Given adolescents9 interest in trying e-cigarettes with certain flavours, policymakers should consider restricting advertisements promoting flavoured products in media that reach large numbers of young people. Future research should examine other reasons for the appeal of individual flavours, such as novelty and perceived luxury.
Factors Influencing Tenacity of Dried Milk Films Exposed to High Humidity1,2

Rinsability of milk films on stainless steel was impaired by exposure to 100% relative humidity (RH). Rinsability was determined by automated Lowry protein tests of detergent used to remove films. Residue of milk films was 1% of the initial soil load when dried on stainless steel plates without humidification, but was 6.35% of the initial load after drying (30 min), humidification (15 min) and redrying (30 min) all at 37 C. Three successive exposures to 100% RH for 7.5 min at 37 C, each followed by 30 min of drying, yielded a residue of nearly 30% of the initial soil load. Exposure at 37 C produced the maximum amount of residue on plates. Experimental temperatures ranged from 0 to 75 C. Temperature of milk applied to plates was of little importance. Raw milk formed more tenacious film than skim milk or major components of milk. Milk produced during colder months yielded less soluble films than milk produced during warmer months. Lowering of milk pH to 5.7, adding soluble calcium, and aging milk at 0 C increased residues. Chelation of soluble calcium with EDTA or dissociation of milk protein with sodium dodecyl sulfate decreased soil residue levels. Exposure of instantized nonfat dry milk to the high humidity treatment decreased its solubility more than tenfold.
Friendly tanning: young adults’ engagement with friends around indoor tanning

Indoor tanning (IT), particularly during early adulthood, increases risk for melanoma and is exceedingly common among youth. Social influence, including social norms, promotes IT but little is known about young adults' engagement with friends around tanning. We examined IT behaviors and tanning-related communication with friends at three universities. Of 837 participants, 261 (31%) reported ever tanning (90% female, 85% White). Of those, 113 (43%) were former tanners and 148 (57%) current tanners. Current tanners reported more social tanning and discussions with friends about tanning, more frequent outdoor tanning, high propensity to tan, and greater lifetime IT exposure than former tanners. Risks-to-benefits discussion ratios were greater for former tanners. In adjusted analyses, current tanners were more likely to make plans to tan and to talk about tanning benefits with friends. Findings confirm IT is a social experience. Future work should examine social tanning's role in the promotion and reduction of IT among youth.
The myth of the secular–Islamist divide in Muslim politics: Evidence from Tunisia:

Many scholars argue that politics in majority-Muslim societies are marked by deep polarization: dominated by struggles between secularists and Islamists who hold fundamentally divergent ideological...
Do Black Lives Really Matter—To Social Work? Introduction to the Special Edition:

This article presents and summarizes the special issue entitled: Practice, Research, and Scholarship on African American. The authors examine the professions’ contradictory actions in partnering with African American scholars, communities, and people to achieve its social justice and civil rights mission. It reintroduces the reader of this collection to June Gary Hopps who originally rung the clarion call to action about the profession’s waffling nature regarding African Americans. The authors overview the collection, which depicts the professions’ lack of focus on issues of race, African American well-being, and oppression experiences. This issue unravels the role played by social work in its meager attention to the plight of African American leaders and faculty, their achievements, and challenges. It also conveys the realities of too few research studies on key issues impacting African Americans. This article concludes with a nudge to the reader to weigh the evidence contained in this serial.
Diagnostic accuracy of multi-lead ECGs obtained using a pocket-sized bipolar handheld event recorder.

Abstract Background Handheld ECG event recorders are useful for rhythm monitoring but only record a single lead, which may limit interpretation. We sought to investigate if a multi-lead ECG may be reconstituted using this device, and aimed to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. Methods A commercially-available handheld bipolar ECG event recorder was used to reconstruct a 9-lead ECG (leads I, II and III, V1–6). Tracings were analyzed independently by a cardiologist and a fellow. Results A total of 52 patients were evaluated. Accuracy was excellent (85–98%) for identifying atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular block, bundle branch block and left ventricular hypertrophy, but lower (77–88%) for ST-segment changes and prolonged QTc. Conclusions A 9-lead ECG can be reconstituted using a handheld single-lead ECG event recorder, and provides good diagnostic accuracy for common findings.
Tracking Three-Phase Untransposed Transmission Line Parameters Using Synchronized Measurements

The purpose of the study that is reported in this paper is to develop a method to estimate the parameters of untransposed overhead transmission lines using synchronized measurements. Considering the noise in the measured bus voltages and line currents, a three-phase static state estimation is employed first to estimate the states. Then, the parameters are tracked dynamically by a Kalman filter. State estimation and parameter tracking process are iteratively carried out to reduce the uncertainties that exist in the estimation function. In addition, a static parameter estimation method is proposed to estimate the initial values of line parameters. Several tests using simulated as well as actual recorded measurements are conducted considering a wide spectrum of line parameter variations. Results of these simulations are provided to illustrate how the proposed approach can successfully track line parameters under a variety of operating conditions.
Kinect v2 accuracy as a body segment measuring tool

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and/or concussion is the leading cause of injury related to recent U.S. military conflicts. Among other symptoms, injured service members often present with impaired balance. Several field-expedient test batteries have been developed to evaluate balance deficits in this context; however, such tests suffer from limitations associated with human observation and scoring. In order to address these limitations, we have developed the Automated Assessment of Postural Stability (AAPS) system, a computerized balance measurement tool which automates the frequently-administered Balance Error Scoring System [1], [2]. The AAPS is based on the Microsoft Kinect v2, a markerless, portable and low-cost alternative to laboratory-grade motion tracking systems. This hardware integrates an array of sensors including an HD camera, infrared, and depth sensors. The Microsoft proprietary skeletal tracking algorithm [3] estimates coordinates for up to 25 body joint centers which are used to recreate a stick model representation of the subject. All tracking data is encapsulated in a “body frame” stream generated at a variable frame rate of up to 30 fps.
Circadian Mechanisms in Alcohol Use Disorder and Tissue Injury

Heavy use of alcohol can lead to addictive behaviors and to eventual alcohol-related tissue damage. While increased consumption of alcohol has been attributed to various factors including level of alcohol exposure and environmental factors such as stress, data from behavioral scientists and physiological researchers are revealing roles for the circadian rhythm in mediating the development of behaviors associated with alcohol use disorder as well as the tissue damage that drives physiological disease. In this work, we compile recent work on the complex mutually influential relationship that exists between the core circadian rhythm and the pharmacodynamics of alcohol. As we do so, we highlight implications of the relationship between alcohol and common circadian mechanisms of effected organs on alcohol consumption, metabolism, toxicity, and pathology.
Importance of sleep in neuropathic pain

This brief review is intended to provide an overview of the importance of disturbed or non-restorative sleep in patients with neuropathic pain. Disturbed sleep is common in neuropathic pain and along with co-morbid anxiety and depression can have profound effects on daytime functioning and quality of life of the patient. It is thus important that the treatment of neuropathic pain should also seek to diagnose and appropriately treat these co-morbidities in order to optimally improve the patient’s functioning.
The relationship between transformational leadership behavior, adult attachment and God attachment

The correspondence hypothesis concerning God attachment posits that a person’s attachment to God will be similar to their adult attachment style. On the other hand, a compensation model of God atta...
An asymptotic and rigorous study of flames with reversible chain branching

1 P.e. Fife et aI., An asymptotic and rigorous study of flames with reversible chain branching, Asymptotic Analysis 5 (1991) 1-26. An asymptotic analysis is given for the system of nonlinear second order ordinary differential equations modeling the propagation of a flame with chemical reactions typical of reversible chain branching kinetics. The basic small parameter is the inverse of the activation energy of first forward reaction, but 2 other parameters enter prominently into the analysis. A thorough formal analysis is given for this problem, and the asymptotics is justified, in its essential features, through a rigorous analysis.
Investigation of the Effectiveness of Graphene for Water Purification

This project proposes another purpose for graphene in tandem with water desalination: water purification. Water consumption surpasses the Earth’s carrying capacity. While steps have been taken, desalination accounts for only 1% of alternative methods in generating clean water. This is mainly due to the large energy footprints and high capital costs. This water that is suitable for human consumption is additionally under new and increasing threats of pollution from industrialization allowing carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to settle within the ocean long after the initial contamination. The danger of PAHs has been acknowledged by various filtration studies, but there has been a particular focus on an ambient air medium. Through researching the effectiveness of multi-layer freestanding graphene with nanometer scale pores to filter NaCl and PAHs from oil using IR spectroscopy to determine residual species after filtration with graphene and tetrahydrofuran (THF). Understanding the interactions of graphene and THF with NaCl and PAHs will allow great insight into new techniques of water filtration; such insight could be furthered with additional surface chemistry software simulations. This research will determine if graphene holds potential in water purification. Desalination is a promising solution to the restricted quantity of freshwater and the ability to attract and remove dangerous PAHs from ocean water could save aquatic life around the world. Synthesizing a device that reduces toxicity and salinity attributes in seawater could revolutionize the water filtration industry.
Distribution and Diversity of Glossiphoniid Leeches on Three Common Species of Freshwater Turtles from Texas, U.S.A.

Spiny softshell turtles (Apalone spinifera), common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina), and red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) were surveyed for leeches at 16 sites across Texas, U.S.A., from March to December of 2017. Five species of leeches were found (3 from 15 A. spinifera sampled, 4 from 9 C. serpentina sampled, and 3 from 55 T. scripta elegans), representing 3 new host records and 1 new locality record. Leech abundance was also compared to water parameters (ammonia, carbon dioxide, chloride, dissolved oxygen, hardness, nitrite, nitrate, pH, salinity, temperature, and turbidity) and qualitative environmental variables (vegetation, sediment, latitude, longitude, season, and water body) through principle components analysis, stepwise regression, and model selection. We found significant effects of sediment composition and seasonality on leech abundance. This study adds novel data on leech–host associations, distributions, and diversity in Texas.
Multi-institutional collaboration in sarcoma and central nervous system tumors.

e23544Background: Rare diseases are defined as conditions that affect less than 200,000 people annually in the United States. Around 17000 cases of sarcoma will be diagnosed in 2020. Collaboration ...