cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous plaque rupture and secondary thrombosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient and LDL receptor-deficient mice

Apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) and LDL receptor-deficient (LDLR(-/-)) mice develop extensive atherosclerosis, but the occurrence of spontaneous plaque rupture and secondary thrombosis in these models has not been established. The goal of this study was to provide histological evidence of acute complications of atherosclerotic lesions in these mice and to assess their prevalence. Complications of atherosclerosis were initially studied in aortas of control mice which died during previous intervention studies. Coronary arteries and the aortic origin were then systematically assessed in serial sections through the heart of apoE(-/-) and LDLR(-/-) mice. Aortic plaque rupture and/or thrombi were seen in 3 of 82 untreated mice from past intervention studies. Screening of heart sections of 33 older apoE(-/-) mice (age 9-20 months) showed extensive atherosclerosis in one or more coronary arteries of 18 animals. In three coronary arteries, the presence of blood-filled channels within advanced atherosclerotic lesions suggested previous plaque disruption/thrombotic events followed by recanalization. In the aortic origin of the same mice, four deep plaque ruptures (or erosions reaching necrotic core areas) and a large thrombus originating from the core of a disrupted atherosclerotic lesion were observed. Although plaque ruptures/deep erosions were far less frequent than in human populations, these observations demonstrate that spontaneous plaque rupture and secondary thrombosis do occur in apoE(-/-) and LDLR(-/-) mice. These mice may therefore be suitable for studying factors contributing to thrombotic complications of atherosclerosis. However, the frequent absence of a clearly defined single fibrous cap in murine coronary lesions limits their usefulness as a model of fibrous cap rupture.
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria are structured by geography in biological soil crusts across North American arid lands

Introduction Biological soil crusts (BSCs) can dominate surface cover in dry lands worldwide, playing an integral role in arid land biogeochemistry, particularly in N fertilization through fixation and cycling. Nitrification is a characteristic and universal N transformation in BSCs that becomes important for the export of N beyond the microscopic bounds of the crust itself. The contribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in BSCs has been shown, but the role and extent of the recently discovered ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) have not.
An Oceanic Current against the Wind: How Does Taiwan Island Steer Warm Water into the East China Sea?

Abstract Along the Taiwan Strait (<100 m in depth) a northeastward flow persists in all seasons despite the annually averaged wind stress that is strongly southwestward. The forcing mechanism of this countercurrent is examined by using a simple ocean model. The results from a suite of experiments demonstrate that it is the Kuroshio that plays the deciding role for setting the flow direction along the Taiwan Strait. The momentum balance along the strait is mainly between the wind stress, friction, and pressure gradient. Since both wind stress and friction act against the northward flow, it is most likely the pressure gradient that forces the northward flow, as noted in some previous studies. What remains unknown is why there is a considerable pressure difference between the southern and northern strait. The Kuroshio flows along the east coast of Taiwan, and thus the western boundary current layer dynamics applies there. Integrating the momentum equation along Taiwan’s east coast shows that there must be a ...
Factors associated with independent pharmacy owners' satisfaction with Medicare Part D contracts

Abstract Background As Medicare Part D contracts apply pressure on the profitability of independent pharmacies, there is concern about their owners' willingness to sign such contracts. Identifying factors affecting independent pharmacy owners' satisfaction with Medicare Part D contracts could inform policy makers in managing Medicare Part D. Objectives (1) To identify influences on independent pharmacy owners' satisfaction with Medicare Part D contracts and (2) to characterize comments made by independent pharmacy owners about Medicare Part D. Methods This cross-sectional study used a mail survey of independent pharmacy owners in 15 states comprising 6 Medicare regions to collect information on their most- and least-favorable Medicare Part D contracts, including satisfaction, contract management activities, market position, pharmacy operation, and specific payment levels on brand and generic drugs. Results Of the 1649 surveys mailed, 296 surveys were analyzed. The regression models for satisfaction with both the least and the most-favorable Part D contracts were significant ( P Conclusion Equity, contending, negotiation, generic rate bonus, and MTM payments were identified as the influences of independent pharmacy owners' satisfaction toward Medicare Part D contracts. Generic rate bonus and MTM payment provide additional financial incentives to less financially favorable contracts and, in turn, contribute to independent pharmacy owner's satisfaction toward these contracts.
The time-transgressive termination of the African Humid Period

During the early to mid-Holocene, Africa was more humid than today. Precipitation reconstructions from across Africa suggest that the termination of humidity was spatially variable, moving towards progressively lower latitudes.
Revisiting Reputation: How Past Actions Matter in International Politics

Policy-makers and political scientists have long believed that states must make policy with an eye to maintaining a good reputation, especially a good reputation for resolve. Recent work, however, has argued that reputations for resolve do not form, and hence that past actions do not influence observers' behavior in subsequent interactions. This conclusion is theoretically problematic and unsupported by the evidence offered by reputation critics. In particular, juxtaposing reputation for resolve to power and interests is misleading when past actions influence observers' beliefs about interests, while the common approach of looking at crisis decision making misses the impact of reputation on general deterrence. We thus derive hypotheses about conflict onset from both the arguments of reputation critics and the logic of more standard reputation arguments, which we put to statistical test. We find that past action is closely connected to subsequent dispute initiation and that the effects of reputation generalize beyond the immediate circumstances of the past dispute. Although reputation is not all-important, leaders are well advised to consider the reputational implications of policy decisions in international conflict.
The retardation of aging by caloric restriction: studies in rodents and primates.

Caloric restriction (CR), which has been investigated by gerontologists for more than 60 yr, provides the only intervention tested to date in mammals (typically mice and rats) that repeatedly and strongly increases maximum life span while retarding the appearance of age-associated pathologic and biologic changes. Although the large majority of rodent studies have initiated CR early in life (1-3 mo of age), CR started in midadulthood (at 12 mo) also extends maximum life span in mice. Two main questions now face gerontologists investigating CR. By what mechanisms does CR retard aging and disease processes in rodents? There is evidence to suggest that age-associated increases in oxidative damage may represent a primary aging process that is attenuated by CR. Will CR exert similar actions in primates? Studies in rhesus monkeys subjected to CR and limited human epidemiological data support the notion of human translatability. However, no matter what the answers are to these questions, the prolongation of the h...
Modifying the ground plane and its effect on planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs) for mobile phone handsets

The ground plane of a mobile phone plays an important role on the performance of a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA). In addition to exploring novel antennas, the effective utilization of the mobile phone ground plane and its associated volume is crucial to a successful design. We propose a uniquely modified ground plane configuration to design ultra-thin PIFAs. Both singleand dual-band design examples are provided. Computed and measured data for 900 and 1900 MHz band cases show that, by utilizing this technique, the height of PIFAs can effectively be reduced by more than 50%, thereby reducing the overall phone thickness.
Structure, biochemistry, and assembly of epithelial tight junctions

The zonula occludens (ZO), also referred to as the tight junction, forms the barrier to the diffusion of molecules and ions across the epithelial cell layer through the paracellular space. The level of electrical resistance of the paracellular pathway seems to depend on the number of strands in the ZO observed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy (EM). The ZO also forms the boundary between the compositionally distinct apical and basolateral plasma membrane domains because it is a barrier to the lateral diffusion of lipids and membrane proteins that reside in the extracytoplasmic leaflet of the membrane bilayer. In contrast to its appearance in transmission EM, the tight junction is not a fusion between the outer membrane leaflets of neighboring cells. Rather it consists of protein molecules, including the newly discovered protein ZO-1 and probably others, which bring the plasma membranes into extremely close apposition so as to occlude the extracellular space. Very little is known about the assembly of tight junctions, but several kinds of evidence suggest that they are very dynamic structures. Other elements of the epithelial junctional complex including the zonula adherens (ZA), the Ca2+-dependent cell adhesion molecule uvomorulin, or L-CAM, and actin filaments of the cytoskeleton may participate in the assembly of the ZO.
Pharmacokinetic Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Vancomycin in Young Children With Various Degrees of Renal Function

Although vancomycin pharmacokinetics are affected by age and renal function in adults and older children, its pharmacokinetics in children aged 1 month to 2 years remained unclear. We investigated clinical outcome and nephrotoxicity in younger children with renal insufficiency who were treated with vancomycin. One hundred and ten children aged 1 month to 2 years were enrolled, and they were divided into 3 groups: normal renal function (group A), mild renal insufficiency (group B), and moderate renal insufficiency (group C). A population pharmacokinetic model was established. Significant differences were observed for trough concentration, AUC0-24 h , CL, and t1/2 in the 3 groups. When given at 40 mg/kg per day, 36.4%, 62.5%, and 85.0% of children achieved the target of AUC/MIC ≥ 400, and 47.0%, 70.8%, and 95% of children obtained early good clinical outcomes in groups A, B, and C (P < .05), respectively. One child in group A and 4 children in group C suffered from acute kidney injury. These results indicated that children with renal insufficiency readily achieved the target AUC/MIC but were at increased risk of nephrotoxicity. Vancomycin clearance and creatinine clearance were not correlated with each other in children with renal insufficiency, indicating that both renal function and serum concentration should be monitored during vancomycin therapy.
Separating functional and parallel correctness using nondeterministic sequential specifications

Writing correct explicitly-parallel programs can be very challenging. While the functional correctness of a program can often be understood largely sequentially, a software engineer must simultaneously reason about the nondeterministic parallel interleavings of the program's threads of execution. This complication is similarly a challenge to automated verification efforts. Thus, we argue that it is desirable to decompose a program's correctness into its sequential functional correctness and the correctness of its parallelization. We propose achieving this decomposition by specifying the parallel correctness of a program with a nondeterministic but sequential version of the program. In particular, if a software engineer annotates the intended algorithmic nondeterminism in a program, then the program can act as its own specification in verifying the correctness of its parallelism. We can interpret the annotated program as sequential but nondeterministic, and then verify the correctness of the parallelism by showing that it introduces no additional nondeterminism.
Social-Communication Intervention for Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Eye Gaze in the Context of Requesting and Joint Attention

Beginning in infancy, before a diagnosis is made, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show significant impairments in the foundation for social-communication interactions including eye gaze in the contexts of both requesting and joint attention (JA). Addressing these early impairments as early as possible in toddlers who receive the diagnosis of ASD provides them with a foundational social-communication repertoire necessary for learning. In this study we examined the effects of a social-communication intervention involving prompting and reinforcement to teach gaze shift (GS; shifting gaze from an object to the interventionist’s eyes) in the context of responding to a request and initiating JA to four toddlers with ASD. Intervention lasted 3–9 weeks with all toddlers demonstrating GS to mastery across both contexts. Toddlers also showed generalization to a repertoire of social-communication behavior, including initiating requests and increases in smiling. Some improvements in symptoms of ASD and overall functioning were observed. Results suggest a promising brief intervention to address the earliest form of social communication that remains a part of successful social-communication interactions throughout life.
Alice in the Middle East: An Experience Report from the Formative Phase

In this paper, we describe the initial results of the formative phase of a project that crosses international borders. Alice in the Middle East (Alice ME) is a project designed to adapt the Alice software, develop new curricular materials, and provide professional development for teachers and students in the Middle East. For those who may be considering a collaborative project that would be conducted across international borders, we share lessons learned.
Antinuclear antibodies: role in diagnosing systemic lupus erythrmatosus.

Conventional tests detect only 50 to 76 percent of active cases of systemic lupus erythematosus. This low rate is due to false positive reactions and difficulty in identifying lupus erythematosus cells. Emphasis is now centered on proving the antibody nature of LE cells and developing sensitive and specific immunologic tests. Laboratory use has shown the procedure reported here to be both accurate and reproducible.
Postmenopausal bleeding: A survey of 98 consecutive cases☆☆☆

Abstract 1. 1. Inasmuch as 68.4 per cent of the patients in our series with postmenopausal bleeding had conditions of a malignant nature, the axiom, “All cases of postmenopausal bleeding should be considered as malignancies until proved otherwise,” is very significant. 2. 2. The possible causes of postmenopausal bleeding are: carcinoma of the cervix, carcinoma of the corpus uteri, carcinoma of the vagina, carcinoma of the vulva, carcinoma of the ovary, zona granulosa tumor of the ovary, senile vaginitis, urethral caruncle, fibroids of the uterus, cervical erosions, prolapse of the uterus, cervical polyps, fibrosis uteri, nonspecific ulceration of the vagina, senile endometritis, sarcoma of the ovary, large cysts of the ovary, pyometra, twisting of the pedicle of an ovarian cyst, foreign bodies in the vagina or uterus, and carcinoma of the fallopian tube. 3. 3. Once the menopause has been definitely established (no menses for a period of six months to one year) all bleeding from the genitals should be considered as abnormal. 4. 4. There is no apparent relationship between the type or amount of bleeding and the seriousness of the existing condition. 5. 5. Parity, length of time in the menopause, and duration of active menstrual life are of no particular value as diagnostic aids.
Effects of deoxyribonucleic acid-reactive drugs on ribonucleic acid synthesis in leukemia L1210 cells.

Drugs having various modes of interaction with DNA were examined for their effects on RNA synthesis in L1210 cell cultures. Two aspects of RNA synthesis were emphasized: effects on chain lengths of RNA molecules synthesized in the presence of drug, and selective inhibition of nucleolar 45 S RNA synthesis. The drugs studied appeared to fall into three groups. Group I (actinomycin, daunomycin, and cordycepin) caused moderate reduction in chain length of nucleoplasmic RNA and marked selectivity in inhibition of nucleolar 45 S RNA synthesis. Group II (anthramycin, nitrogen mustard, and camptothecin) caused marked reduction in RNA chain length in both nucleoplasm and nucleolus, and did not selectively inhibit nucleolar 45 S RNA synthesis. Camptothecin, however, differed from the first two in that RNA chains eventually approached normal lengths if sufficient time was allowed. Group III (proflavin, ethidium, and ellipticine) did not produce RNA chain shortening and had moderate selectivity in inhibition of nucleolar 45 S RNA synthesis. Some of these findings could be interpreted in terms of known modes of interaction with DNA. In particular, it is proposed that the degree of reversibility of the DNA-inhibitor complex is an important, although not exclusive, determinant of the type of RNA synthesis effects produced.
The Amblyopia Treatment Studies : Implications for Clinical Practice

Amblyopia is the most common cause of monocular vision loss in children1 with an estimated prevalence of approximately 2% in the United States.2–4 A developmental disorder of spatial vision, amblyopia is clinically defined as decreased best-corrected visual acuity (VA) in one, or less frequently both eyes, in the absence of any obvious structural anomalies or ocular disease. It is associated with abnormal visual experience, most commonly strabismus, anisometropia, or form deprivation that occurs during a sensitive period of visual development in infancy or early childhood. Signs, Symptoms, and Quality-of-Life Concerns In addition to reduced best-corrected VA, there are a plethora of visual function deficits of the amblyopic eye, including abnormal contour interaction,5 reduced contrast sensitivity,6 positional uncertainty,7 spatial distortion,8 poor accommodation,9 abnormal eye movements,10 and suppression.11 Because of good vision in their non-amblyopic (sound) eye, persons with unilateral amblyopia typically do not complain of blurred or poor vision under habitual binocular viewing conditions; however, recent studies have reported reduced reading speed12 and compromised fine-motor skills13 even with both eyes open. There are important public health consequences when amblyopia is left untreated. Patients with amblyopia are more likely to become visually disabled because of an increased risk of their sound eye becoming visually impaired,14,15 with their estimated lifetime risk of visual impairment being at least 1.2%.15 Vision loss in the sound eye, often caused by trauma, can have a significant effect on quality of life with many employed individuals no longer being able to work because of inadequate visual function.15,16 Although amblyopic eye VA can sometimes improve in adults after vision loss of their sound eye, most remain visually disabled.17 Furthermore, the presence of unilateral amblyopia has a deleterious effect on binocularity, including stereopsis. Because good VA in each eye and/or normal stereoacuity are often prerequisite for careers in the military, aviation, surgery, law enforcement, firefighting, as well as obtaining a commercial driver’s license,18 amblyopic individuals are often precluded from participating in such occupations.19
Redistribution and the New Fiscal Sociology: Race and the Progressivity of State and Local Taxes.

States redistribute wealth through two mechanisms: spending and taxation. Yet studies of the social determinants of redistribution typically focus exclusively on government spending. This article explores how one determinant of social spending—racial composition—influences preferences for, and the structure of, tax systems. First, analyses of state and local tax burden data indicate that an increasing proportion of Latinos within states is associated with more regressive tax systems. Second, evidence from a nationally representative survey experiment suggests that individual preferences for taxation may be influenced by changes in the racial composition of communities. Finally, analyses reveal that in-group solidarity is a key mechanism through which racial threat shapes preferences for taxation. In demonstrating a relationship between racial change, tax preferences, and tax structures, this article contributes to our understanding of the determinants of redistribution as well as the broader project of th...
Health Literacy Research Methods: A Pilot Study Investigation With Adult Beginning Readers

This article describes a case study method developed for a user-centered health literacy pilot study involving vulnerable participants. The method is based on community-based and critical approache...
Consequences of Dam Removal on Mussel Assemblages (Unionidae) in the Cuyahoga River

The primary objective of a new survey of the Cuyahoga River was to assess species richness and population abundance of various mussel species in the family Unionidae throughout the Middle Cuyahoga River and upper parts of the Lower Cuyahoga River. Historically, few records existed for this river between Lake Rockwell and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a region in which four dams have been removed in the past 12 years. Timed visual surveys were conducted during low flow conditions and by using tactile techniques in deeper water. Throughout the survey, only 37 live animals were located across the 18 Middle Cuyahoga River sites inspected, which included only Lampsilis siliquoidea, Pyganodon grandis and the state-endangered Ligumia nasuta. No live mussels were found between the Gorge and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. That 434 shells and valves were collected, and all but two were classified as long dead, attests that mussels had been more abundant, and that at least nine of the ten species known to be present above Lake Rockwell had lived in the Middle Cuyahoga River. Remote sensing data and aerial photographs were used to characterize change in opening up the river, but benefits to water quality and stream flow subsequent to dam removal must be tempered with the apparent loss of an assemblage of mussels better adapted to lentic conditions.
GPS-INS outlier detection & elimination using a sliding window filter

Many applications require reliable, high precision navigation (sub-meter accuracy) while using low-cost inertial and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Success requires optimal state estimate while mitigating measurement outliers. Common implementations use an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) combined with the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) on a single epoch. However, if the linearization point of the EKF is incorrect or if the number of residuals is too low, outlier detection decisions may be incorrect. False alarms result in good information not being incorporated. Missed detections result in incorrect information being incorporated. Either case can cause subsequent incorrect decisions in the future, possibly causing divergence, due to the state and covariance now being incorrect. This article formulates a sliding window estimator that solves the full-nonlinear Maximum A Posteriori estimate in real-time. By leveraging the resulting window of residuals, an improved fault detection and removal strategy is implemented. Sensor data is used to demonstrate the interval RAIM (iRAIM) performance improvement.
Museed: A mobile image analysis application for plant seed morphometry

This paper presents an Android-based mobile application named MUSeed that automatically computes seed morphometry utilizing image processing techniques. Unlike most of the existing tools, MUSeed does not impose restrictions on arrangement of seeds since it is capable of handling touching seed instances. First, RGB color space is converted to RG-chromaticity space to reduce the influence of shadows and illumination variations. Then K-means clustering is performed to segment the seeds from the background. To split touching seeds in the image, a Watershed with Edge-Augmented Markers (WEAM) algorithm and Concave Point Analysis (CPA) are developed. After that, a fitness function is performed to select the most appropriate result. MUSeed is benchmarked against other similar tools on 7 cultivars of American elderberry seeds and shows promising results.
The INDEPENDENT SET Decision Problem is NP-complete

THE INDEPENDENT SET DECISION PROBLEM IS NP-COMPLETE By Andrew Schuyler Bristow IV, Master of Science. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011. Director: Craig Larson, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. In the 1970’s computer scientists developed the theory of computational complexity. Some problems seemed hard-to-compute, while others were easy. It turned out that many of the hard problems were equally hard in a way that could be precisely specified. They became known as the NP-complete problems. The SATISFIABILITY problem (SAT) was the first problem to be proved NP-complete in 1971. Since then numerous other hard-to-solve problems have been proved to be in NP-complete. In this paper we will examine the problem of how to find a maximum independent set of vertices for a graph. This problem is known as Maximum Independent Set (MIS) for a graph. The corresponding decision problem for MIS is the question, given an integer K, is there a independent set with at least K vertices? This decision problem is INDEPENDENT SET (IS). The intention of this paper is to show through polynomial transformation that IS is in the set of NP-complete Problems. We intend to show that 3SAT is NP-complete and then using this fact, that IS is NP-complete.
A Monolithically Integrated Large-Scale Optical Phased Array in Silicon-on-Insulator CMOS

A large-scale monolithic silicon nanophotonic phased array on a chip creates and dynamically steers a high-resolution optical beam in free space, enabling emerging applications in sensing, imaging, and communication. The scalable architecture leverages sub-array structure, mitigating the impact of process variation on the phased array performance. In addition, sharing control electronics among multiple optical modulators in the scalable architecture reduces the number of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) required for an $N^{2}$ array from $\mathcal {O}(N^{2})$ to $\mathcal {O}(N)$ , allowing a small silicon footprint. An optical phased array for 1550-nm wavelength with 1024 uniformly spaced optical grating antennas, 1192 optical variable phase shifters, and 168 optical variable attenuators is integrated into a 5.7 mm $\times$ 6.4 mm chip in a commercial 180-nm silicon-on-insulator RF CMOS technology. The control signals for the optical variable phase shifters and attenuators are provided by 136 DACs with 14-bit nonuniform resolution using 2.5-V input-output transistors. The implemented phased array can create 0.03° narrow optical beams that can be steered unambiguously within ±22.5°.
Which Sleep Health Characteristics Predict All-Cause Mortality in Older Men? An Application of Flexible Multivariable Approaches.

Study objectives Sleep is multidimensional, with domains including duration, timing, continuity, regularity, rhythmicity, quality, and sleepiness/alertness. Individual sleep characteristics representing these domains are known to predict health outcomes. However, most studies consider sleep characteristics in isolation, resulting in an incomplete understanding of which sleep characteristics are the strongest predictors of health outcomes. We applied three multivariable approaches to robustly determine which sleep characteristics increase mortality risk in the osteoporotic fractures in men sleep study. Methods In total, 2,887 men (mean 76.3 years) completed relevant assessments and were followed for up to 11 years. One actigraphy or self-reported sleep characteristic was selected to represent each of seven sleep domains. Multivariable Cox models, survival trees, and random survival forests were applied to determine which sleep characteristics increase mortality risk. Results Rhythmicity (actigraphy pseudo-F statistic) and continuity (actigraphy minutes awake after sleep onset) were the most robust sleep predictors across models. In a multivariable Cox model, lower rhythmicity (hazard ratio, HR [95%CI] =1.12 [1.04, 1.22]) and lower continuity (1.16 [1.08, 1.24]) were the strongest sleep predictors. In the random survival forest, rhythmicity and continuity were the most important individual sleep characteristics (ranked as the sixth and eighth most important among 43 possible sleep and non-sleep predictors); moreover, the predictive importance of all sleep information considered simultaneously followed only age, cognition, and cardiovascular disease. Conclusions Research within a multidimensional sleep health framework can jumpstart future research on causal pathways linking sleep and health, new interventions that target specific sleep health profiles, and improved sleep screening for adverse health outcomes.
SENSITIVITY OF MITIGATION TO THE OPTIMAL GLOBAL TEMPERATURE: AN EXPERIMENT WITH DICE

It is commonly assumed that the temperature which optimizes global production and welfare is the global temperature in 1900. There is an empirical evidence, however, that suggests a slightly warmer, wetter, and CO2 enriched planet which is more productive. This paper explores the sensitivity of mitigation and the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) to different assumptions about the optimal global temperature using DICE 2016R. Each 1∘C increase in optimal global temperature lowers the SCC in 2020 by about half and delays the mitigation path by about a decade, but increases the long run temperature only slightly.
Curing and subsurface damage monitoring of epoxy-based composites

Multifunctional fiber-reinforced polymer composites that incorporate a suite of functionalities in addition to their load-carrying capability are receiving significant attention. One approach to re...
WRF-based assessment of the Great Lakes' impact on cold season synoptic cyclones

Abstract Synoptic events in December are studied with regard to the Great Lakes' influence on extratropical cyclones using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Here, four selected events are arranged into two pairs of comparisons: strong events (2006, 2009) versus weak events (2008, 2013); traversing events (2008, 2009) versus bypassing events (2006, 2013). For each case, the land surface model in WRF is initialized with two different configurations: the control run with real land coverage and the no-lake run in which the lakes are replaced by land. The control simulation shows that the WRF model exhibits a good performance in reproducing precipitation, sea-level pressure and air temperature. Comparisons between control and no-lake runs among these cases indicate that the lake-air temperature gradient, inducing vertical heat flux, is most prominent in the weak bypassing event (case 2013), while lake-land roughness contrast contributes to the low-level moisture convergence. The Great Lakes' impact generally strengthens the cyclonic system near the surface but is sensitive to the background flow. This effect becomes much more significant for the development of cyclones with colder atmospheric conditions, suggesting that the meso-to-synoptic scale interaction should be taken into account when considering the Great Lakes' influence.
Ethical Management of Diagnostic Uncertainty: Response to Open Peer Commentaries on "Why Bioethics Should Be Concerned With Medically Unexplained Symptoms".

Commentaries on my target article, “Why Bioethics Should Be Concerned About Medically Unexplained Symptoms,” offer a range of valuable perspectives on the unconsidered ethical territory of medicall...
A Millimeter Wave Loss-Aware Methodology for Switchless PALNA Integrated Circuit Design

Phased array element RF front ends typically use single pole double throw switches or circulators with high isolation to prevent leakage of transmit energy into the receiver circuits. However, as phased-array designs scale to the millimeter-wave range, with high degrees of integration, physical size, and performance degradations associated with switches and circulators can present challenges in meeting system performance and SWAP requirements. This paper provides a loss-aware methodology for analysis and design of switchless transmit/receive (T/R) circuits. The methodology provides design insights and a practical, generally applicable approach for solving the multivariable optimization problem of switchless power amplifier/low-noise amplifier (PALNA) matching networks, which present optimal matching impedances to both the PALNA while maximizing power transfer efficiency and minimizing dissipative losses in each T/R mode of operation. An example design in global foundries 32SOI CMOS at W-band using the proposed methodology is presented. The design achieves simulated maximum power added efficiency of 18% in transmit and noise figure of 7.5 dB in receive at 94 GHz.
Towards Army Relevant Sensing with Integrated Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Photonic (IMIPP) Devices

Development of a sensor consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer integrated onto a photonic chip is discussed. This sensor has applications for threat detection, including current known and emerging hazards, and chemical and biological material via target specific sensing, concentrating and filtering. The photonic device that the MIP is integrated onto allows for the measurement of small quantities of target material, thus demonstrating potential application to materials like acute toxic chemicals or even low-incidence high-consequene pathogens. This paper highlights the recent early work to progress this capability focusing on MIP development for deposition onto a photonic sensing chip.
Scheduling and Estimation Strategies in a Sequential Networked Estimation Problem

Consider a remote estimation problem with multiple stochastic subsystems and non-collocated estimators. Each estimator is interested in forming real-time estimates of the state of its corresponding stochastic subsystem over a finite time horizon. Each subsystem can communicate its state to the corresponding estimator via a shared wireless network. In order to avoid packet collisions, a network manager decides at each time which subsystem's state (if any) will be transmitted over the network based on the realization of the states. In this paper, we study the joint design of scheduling strategy for the manager and the estimation strategies for the estimators. Under a symmetry condition on the class of admissible scheduling strategies, we completely characterize the optimal estimation strategy and provide a dynamic program for the optimal scheduling strategy. We further investigate the obtained dynamic program to give some structural insights about the optimal scheduling strategy.
Nutritional Role of Fatty Acids

Saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are synthesized by the body to provide adequate levels needed for their physiological and structural functions. There are four families of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Two are derived from palmitoleic and oleic acids, which can be formed endogenously. Linoleic acid (LA), W6, and alpha linolenic acid (ALA), W3, cannot be synthesized by humans but are required for normal growth and function of all tissues. These two fatty acids must be supplied by dietary sources and are called essential fatty acids (EFA). The four precursor fatty acids are desaturated and elongated by the same enzyme system to form long-chain PUFA. The principal products derived from LA are arachidonic acid (AA) with four double bonds (tetraene) and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DHGL/DGLA), whereas products of ALA are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The major products of palmitoleic and oleic acids are 20 carbon fatty acids with three double bonds (triene). In the presence of adequate dietary amounts of EFA, tetraene products predominate in plasma. When the intakes of EFA are low, triene formation is high, and hence triene/tetraene ratio in the plasma is used to assess the index of EFA deficiency. The PUFA derived from EFA are components of cell membrane phospholipids, can influence the physicochemical characteristics of the lipid bilayer, and can result in altered cell and organ functions. Linoleic acid and its derivative gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) are specifically required in the skin to maintain the integrity of the epidermal water barrier. DHA has a role in the development of the brain and retinal functions. AA, DGLA, and EPA are precursors of eicosanoids that influence many cell processes and organ functions. In general, eicosanoids derived from AA are pro-inflammatory, while those formed from EPA and DHGL/DGLA are less inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. W3 fatty acids, and especially EPA and DHA, are associated with reduction in the risk for coronary heart disease. Some drugs can decrease the formation of eicosanoids. It is possible to modulate the fatty acid components of membrane phospholipids by dietary means, which in turn can alter the types of eicosanoids formed endogenously. Fish and fish oil supplements are rich in EPA and DHA, along with algae sources of DHA. The EFA deficiency symptoms include reduced growth, scaly dermatitis, impaired reproduction, and susceptibility to infection. There is a positive linear trend between intake of trans-fatty acids and increased risk of coronary heart disease. Small amounts of trans-fatty acids are unavoidable in an ordinary non-vegan diet because it is present in meat and dairy products. However, one can limit or reduce the quantity by eliminating products made by using hydrogenated saturated fats. There are few reports on favorable effects of conjugated fatty acids. However, more data are needed to determine their beneficial health effects.
Travel Histories in Children: How Well Do Interns and Medical Students Do?

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the knowledge of obtaining travel histories in medical students and interns. METHODS Medical students and interns participated in a high-fidelity pediatric simulation with two cases (malaria or typhoid fever) that hinged on travel history. After the simulation, appropriate methods of obtaining travel histories were discussed. Participants completed surveys regarding their previous education and comfort with obtaining travel histories. If and how a travel history was obtained was derived from simulation observation. RESULTS From June 2016 to July 2017, 145 medical trainees participated in 24 simulation sessions; 45% reported no prior training in obtaining travel histories. Participants asked for a travel history in all but 2 simulations; however, in 9 of 24 simulations (38%), they required prompting by either a simulation confederate or laboratory results. Participants were more comfortable diagnosing/treating conditions acquired from US domestic travel than from international travel (32.9% vs 22.4%, P < 0.001). Previous education in obtaining travel histories and past international travel did not significantly influence the level of comfort that participants felt with travel histories. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the lack of knowledge regarding the importance of travel histories as part of basic history taking. Medical students and interns had low levels of comfort in obtaining adequate travel histories and diagnosing conditions acquired from international travel.
Characterization of particle motion near offshore wind farm sites in the United States east coast

This study analyzes the particle motion data recorded on geophones and ocean bottom seismometers (OBXs) at various shallow water (water depth ∼30 m) locations in the U.S. east coast near offshore wind farms. The Block Island, Rhode Island site was the location of the first offshore wind farm in the United States. Data were collected at this site during three different deployments in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Particle motion measurements were made during construction and operation of the wind turbines during these deployments. Data collected on a 3-axis geophone will be discussed in this study. This sensor package included a 3-axis geophone and a co-located hydrophone. This 3-axis geophone measured the particle motion (particle velocity) in three mutually perpendicular directions along with acoustic pressure. The same sensor package was also deployed ten miles east of Ocean City, Maryland and near the Virginia wind farm. During this deployment, in addition to the geophone package, four Ocean Bottom Recorders (OBXs) were also deployed as a line array to record construction noise. Data from these deployments will be presented and compared with published data from other windfarm sites. [Work supported by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Environmental Studies Program]
First Class Tickets—Perks and Library Management

A case study presents a public library director who has traveled lavishly with library funding to the annual American Library Conference while three librarians with professional obligations did not...
The Accuracy of Health Professions Students' Self-Assessments Compared to Objective Measures of Competence.

Objective. To review the literature related to potential associations between self-assessed perceptions of knowledge and/or confidence with actual competence. Findings. Twenty-two articles involving a variety of disciplines, including undergraduate studies, dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy were included following the screening process. Most studies focused on student self-reported confidence rather than competency assessed by a formative examination. Only a handful of studies were centered on pharmacy education. Summary. Educational research that evaluates student learning should employ measures of competency as the primary outcome rather than student perceptions. Using student perceptions as the primary measure of student learning should be avoided, but student perceptions may have some utility as an adjunct to competency data.
Giving and Receiving: Reciprocal Review Exchange in Online Fanfiction Communities

Online fanfiction communities enable young people to make connections through their shared interests. Prior research has found that informal learning takes place in fanfiction platforms through distributed mentoring, which includes the writing and receiving of story reviews to one another that have significant effects on young authors’ literacy skill development. The pandemic lockdown has limited young people’s access to forming social connections, and it also stimulated engagement in online informal learning. Therefore, it is crucial to study online fanfiction communities as a prototype for designing future informal learning platforms. This study focuses on reviewing, one of the main components of distributed mentoring, to explore whether reciprocal patterns exist in the sending and receiving of reviews among fanfiction authors. We used a social network analysis approach by modeling users’ interactions through reviews as directed graphs and performed correlation analysis to test the proposed hypotheses. The results provided significant evidence that supports the existence of reciprocal patterns among users’ interactions through reviews.
Biochemistry and genetics of microbial iron assimilation

Iron, although essential, is toxic in excess and for this reason the uptake of the element is regulated at the membrane level in all living species. A study of the molecular genetics of the regulatory process may be initiated via use of microorganisms as a model, and the enteric bacterium Escherichia coli K-12 is the species of choice. A particular high affinity iron assimilation complex coded on pCol VK-30 of E. coli has been demonstrated by cloning techniques to consist of five contiguous genes which perform the biosynthesis and transport of the siderophore aerobactin. The operon is preceded upstream by a regulatory element containing major and minor promoters. Quantitative protection experiments with S1 nuclease used in conjunction with lacZ operon and protein fusions proved that gene expression is controlled by iron acting at the transcriptional level. A lacZ operon fusion was used to select mutants, generated with Tn5, displaying constitutive expression of all high affinity iron assimilation components in E. coli. The mutation was mapped at 15.7 min on the chromosome. The mutation was then cloned on pBR322 and the wild-type gene recovered by homologous recombination. The results suggest that in the presence of iron a chromosomal product acting as a repressor shuts down expression of all components of the siderophore pathway which, in turn, restricts further uptake of iron into the cell.
Arabic: Fields of linguistics and Arabic

Because the main part of this book focuses on theoretical linguistics, this appendix summarizes core research interests and traditions of three other major fields of linguistics: applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and computational linguistics, as they relate to Arabic. Applied linguistics and Arabic The core of applied linguistics is the connection between theory and practice. The field of applied linguistics is concerned with real-world issues that involve language, such as language teaching. It also includes disciplines such as lexicography (dictionary design and compilation), language and the law (forensic linguistics), interpretation and translation, second language acquisition research, language testing, and language planning. As it relates to Arabic at the current time, applied linguistics has been heavily weighted in the direction of language teaching and learning, textbook and curricular design, proficiency testing, and teacher training. The practical needs and professional demands of teaching a greatly expanded number of students have necessitated a critical professional focus on language teaching resources and approaches.
Design of wound rotor and permanent magnet synchronous machines for MVDC ship power generation

In this research, a goal has been to explore the design of the generator for a megawatt level DC power system. Population-based multi-objective optimizations have been performed for several machine/rectifier alternatives, including permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) with active rectifiers and wound rotor synchronous machines (WRSMs) with active and passive rectifiers. From the optimizations, Pareto-optimal fronts are used to show that the PMSM-based designs provide a machine with significantly lower mass for a specified efficiency. In addition, it is shown that the WRSMs designed for passive rectification are less massive than those designed for active rectification. Finally, it is shown that for the WRSM/passive rectifier systems, most machines on the Pareto-optimal front have no damper windings, which has the potential to greatly simplify machine construction.