cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Approximation Algorithm for Time Optimal Multi-Robot Routing

This paper presents a polynomial time approximation algorithm for Multi-Robot Routing. The Multi-Robot Routing problem seeks to plan paths for a team of robots to visit a large number of interchangeable goal locations as quickly as possible. As a result of providing a constant factor bound on the suboptimality of the total distance any robot travels, the total completion time, or makespan, for robots to visit every goal vertex using this plan is no more than 5 times the optimal completion time. This result is significant because it provides a rigorous guarantee on time optimality, important in applications in which teams of robots carry out time-critical missions. These applications include autonomous exploration, surveillance, first response, and search and rescue.
Seventy-Two-Hour Returns Are Not Useful in Identifying Emergency Department Patients With a Concerning Intra-Abdominal Process.

Abstract Background Seventy-two–hour returns to the emergency department (ED) have been used to identify patients who are believed to have been more likely to have suffered medical errors, missed diagnoses, or failure or inadequacy of previous treatment or discharge planning. This approach has been criticized as arbitrary, however, citing the lack of evidence to support its homogenous application to all organ system–based complaints and the unclear implication of returns. Objective Given the significant burden of gastrointestinal (GI)-related illness, our objective was to determine if an audit of 72-hour returns of GI-related diagnoses appropriately captures patients who return with a concerning diagnosis (CD) on their second visit. Methods Ten emergency physicians were surveyed and a list of concerning, "not to be missed" diagnoses were generated. The demographic and clinical variables were collected and analyzed on all patients with a GI International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision code presenting to an urban, university-affiliated ED between July 2013 and March 2014. Results There were 10,012 patient visits during the study period, including 1006 patients (10%) with ≥ 1 return visits. One hundred forty-seven patients (15%) returned within 72 hours, and 859 patients (85%) returned in > 72 hours. Patients that returned within 72 hours were no more likely to have a CD than those that returned at a later time (13.6% vs. 14.4%; p = 0.79). Conclusion An audit of 72-hour returns only captures a small percentage of patients that return with a CD, and these patients are at no greater risk of harboring a CD than those that return at a later date.
A Correction for “Nets and Filters in Topology”

(1963). A Correction for “Nets and Filters in Topology”. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 70, No. 1, pp. 52-53.
Bionomics of the Salt-Marsh Mosquito, Aedes cantator (Diptera: Culicidae)

The bionomics of Aedes cantator were investigated under laboratory and field conditions. Less than 2% of the females reared from larvae and pupae under specified laboratory conditions matured eggs in the absence of vertebrate blood; limited autogeny occurred in early season broods. Anautogenous fecundity was significantly greater than autogenous egg production. Nearly half of the 455 resting and host-seeking females examined had not yet completed an ovarian cycle (42.4% nulliparous), and that of the 198 parous specimens collected, only 7 (1.5%) survived the 4th gonotrophic cycle and initiated the 5th. A 50-m2 salt-marsh study plot was used to observe A. cantator on blooming plants. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum , Malva neglecta , Achillea millefolium , Rosa palustris Hieracium pratense, Daucus carota , and Solidago sempervirens served as nectar sources for 449 adults (283 ♀, 166 ♂). During July, A. cantator shifted preference from C. leucanthemum to A. millefolium and H. pratense . Of the total 1633 females analyzed for nectar sugars by either anthrone or thin-layer chromatography, more than 50% contained one or more of the primary nectar sugars. Significantly more females contained nectar sugars in the salt marsh (avg 57% positive) than specimens in inland forests (avg 19.6%). Results indicate that males and females frequently feed on nectar in the marsh and thereby supplement their stored nutritional reserves before dispersal.
Health Risks Associated with Chronic Exposures to Arsenic in the Environment

Arsenic (As) is a naturally occurring toxic metalloid that is ubiquitous in the environment. It is found in water, soil, and air and as such is also found in the food supply. Millions of people are exposed to As at concentrations in their drinking water that exceed health-based standards worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed As as one of its ten chemicals of major public health concern (WHO 2010). Inorganic As (iAs) is listed as the number one concern on the Priority List of Hazardous Substances by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR 2014). This list is prepared by ASTDR and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and ranks the substances that present the greatest risk to public health. The list is based on a number of factors including prevalence, toxicity, and the potential for human exposure. Chronic exposure to high levels of As has proven to cause a variety of cancers, cardiovascular disease, and neurologic impairments in exposed populations (ATSDR 2007). ### Water The natural background concentration of As in water is 1 to 2 μg L−1 (Hindmarsh and McCurdy 1986; NRC 1999), yet elevated levels of iAs are present in the groundwater worldwide (Fig. 1). Elevated levels of As in groundwater can occur due to dissolution and weathering of As-rich ore deposits (Welch et al. 1999, 2000). This process can be accelerated in geothermal waters (Lord et al. 2012; Bundschuh et al. 2013), leading to contamination of surface and groundwater. For example, in the geothermal springs of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, As is known to exceed 1000 μg L−1 (Stauffer and Thompson 1984; Ball et al. 1998). These geothermal waters discharge into surface waters resulting in measured concentrations as high has 360 μg L−1 in …
Physiological and biochemical changes associated with experimental dehydration in the desert adapted cactus mouse, Peromyscus eremicus

Characterizing traits critical for adaptation to a given environment is an important first step in understanding how phenotypes evolve. How animals adapt to the extreme heat and aridity commonplace to deserts represents is an exceptionally interesting example of these processes, and has been the focus of study for decades. In contrast to those studies, where experiments are conducted on either wild animals or captive animals held in non-desert conditions, the study described here leverages a unique environmental chamber that replicates desert conditions for captive Peromyscus eremicus (cactus mouse). Here we establish baseline values for daily water intake and for serum electrolytes, as well as the response of these variables to experimental dehydration. In brief, P. eremicus' daily water intake is very low. It's serum electrolytes are distinct from many previously studied animals, and its response to dehydration if profound, though not suggestive of renal impairment in the face of profound dehydration, which is atypical of mammals.
Synthesis of Maximally Permissive Supervisors for Partially-Observed Discrete-Event Systems

We present new results on the synthesis of safe, non-blocking, and maximally permissive supervisors for partially observed discrete event systems. We consider the case where the legal language is a non-prefix-closed sublanguage of the system language, i.e., non-blockingness must be ensured in addition to safety. To solve this problem, we define a new bipartite transition system, called the Non-blocking All Inclusive Controller (NB-AIC), that embeds all safe and non-blocking supervisors. We present an algorithm for the construction of the NB-AIC and discuss its properties. We obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions for the solvability of the maximally permissive control problem. We then provide a synthesis algorithm, based on the NB-AIC, that constructs a supervisor that is safe, non-blocking and maximally permissive, if one exists. This is the first algorithm with such properties.
Fast Determination of Formaldehyde in Aquatic Products by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Objective To establish the method for fast determination of formaldehyde in aquatic products by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Methods The formadenyde in the sample reacted with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine to form 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone which was then separated by C18 column with methanol-water(70∶30)as mobile phase and peak area quantified.Results The detection linearity ranged from 8-128μg/ml under this experimental condition,with correlation coefficient of 0.9998,the regression equation was y=0.419 x+0.974 with RSD 0.27%.Conclusion The method is simple,rapid,sensitive and repeatable.It can be applicable for the determination of formaldehyde in aquatic products.
Epithelial polarity following ischemia: a requirement for normal cell function

Ischemic injury results in proximal tubule (PT) dysfunction and loss of surface membrane (SM) polarity. Since epithelial vectorial transport requires SM polarity, we set out to determine if correction of renal cortical PT dysfunction following ischemia was dependent on the reestablishment of SM polarity. Acute renal failure was induced using a bilateral 50-min pedicle clamp. Serum creatinine and fractional sodium excretion were maximal on day 1, remained elevated on day 3, and returned toward base line by day 8. PT cellular ultrastructure was normal by day 3. Despite rapid morphological recovery, ischemia resulted in a prolonged defect in glucose reabsorption. The delayed recovery of normal glucose handling closely paralleled the slow normalization of apical membrane lipid polarity. Na+-K+-ATPase polarity was also lost secondary to ischemia as demonstrated cytochemically and biochemically by the redistribution of Na+-K+-ATPase to the apical membrane. The time required to reestablish normal Na+-K+-ATPase polarity (8 days) paralleled the recovery of normal PT Na+ reabsorption (8 days), as assessed by fractional lithium clearances. This finding supports the hypothesis that apical Na+-K+-ATPase is in part responsible for reduced Na+ reabsorption following ischemic injury. In summary, these data suggest that functional recovery of PT glucose and Na+ reabsorption following a reversible ischemic insult requires not only morphological recovery, but also the reestablishment of surface membrane lipid and protein polarity.
Management and Prevention of Herpes Zoster Ocular Disease

Herpes zoster (HZ) is caused by reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (VZV) in people who have had chicken pox, usually resulting in a painful, unilateral, dermatomal, vesicular rash. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus occurs when the first division of cranial nerve V is involved. HZ is common, with approximately 1 million new cases per year in the United States, and occurs in 1 in 3 persons. Although the rate of HZ increases with age, over half of all cases occur under the age of 60 years. Complications of herpes zoster ophthalmicus include eye disease, postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and strokes. VZV has also been found in temporal arteritis biopsies. There is growing evidence that HZ is followed by chronic active VZV infection contributing to these complications. In view of this, and the efficacy of suppressive antiviral treatment in reducing recurrent herpes simplex keratitis, a randomized controlled trial of suppressive valacyclovir to reduce new or worsening anterior segment disease and/or PHN is needed. The zoster vaccine (ZV) is safe and effective in reducing the burden of illness, severity of PHN, and incidence of HZ. It is Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended for persons aged 60 years and above without impaired cellular immunity, and Food and Drug Administration approved for those aged 50 and older. It is most effective in preventing HZ in recipients in their 50s. Because of underusage of the ZV, it has not impacted the epidemiology of the disease. Barriers to its use include cost, variable reimbursement, frozen storage, and lack of a strong recommendation by doctors.
Using Cloud-Based Analytics to Save Lives

Abstract The National Flood Interoperability Experiment (NFIE) is research initiative among government, academia, and industry to help demonstrate the next generation of national flood hydrology modeling to enable early warning systems and emergency response. The goal of NFIE is to answer the questions—What if it were easier to predict more accurately where floods will occur? What if more flood information could be shared in real time to aid in response that is more effective for planning and prevent deaths and property damage? This paper presents an approach to these problems based on cloud computing and machine learning. The paper also addresses the characteristics of cloud computing that can make it an attractive alternative to on-premises infrastructure for much scientific collaboration.
Malondialdehyde-Acetaldehyde-Adducted Surfactant Protein Alters Macrophage Functions Through Scavenger Receptor A.

Background Reactive aldehydes such as acetaldehyde and malondialdehyde generated as a result of alcohol metabolism and cigarette smoke exposure lead to the formation of malondialdehyde–acetaldehyde-adducted proteins (MAA adducts). These aldehydes can adduct to different proteins such as bovine serum albumin and surfactant protein A or surfactant protein D (SPD). Macrophages play an important role in innate immunity, but the effect of MAA adducts on macrophage function has not yet been examined. Because macrophage scavenger receptor A (SRA; CD204) mediates the uptake of modified proteins, we hypothesized that the effects of MAA-modified proteins on macrophage function are primarily mediated through SRA. Methods We tested this hypothesis by exposing SPD-MAA to macrophages and measuring functions. SPD-MAA treatment significantly stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) release in the macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7. Results A significant reduction in phagocytosis of zymosan particles was also observed. SPD-MAA stimulated a significant dose-dependent increase in TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-6 release from peritoneal macrophages (PMs) of wild-type (WT) mice. But significantly less TNF-α and IL-6 were released from PMs of SRA−/− mice. We observed a significant reduction in phagocytosis of zymosan particles in PMs from WT mice treated with SPD-MAA. No further SPD-MAA-induced reduction was seen in PMs from SRA−/− mice. SPD-MAA treatment significantly increased SRA mRNA expression, but had no effect on surface receptor protein expression. Protein kinase C alpha inhibitor and NF-κB inhibitor significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine release in response to SPD-MAA. Conclusions In conclusion, our data demonstrate that SRA is important for MAA-adducted protein-mediated effect on macrophage functions.
Muscle Strengthening Approaches to Dysphagia Rehabilitation

This review defines the concept of muscle strength, presents currently used muscle strengthening approaches for treatment of dysphagia, and discusses research findings in this context. We also emphasize the importance of understanding mechanisms of muscular change to allow refinement of existing strengthening methods, improved treatment approaches, optimal treatment doses, and maintenance programs grounded in scientific evidence. Approaches to rehabilitation of dysphagia (swallowing disorders) have traditionally involved compensatory maneuvers to improve safety and efficiency of the swallow. Beyond compensation for deficits, recent rehabilitative methods include muscle strengthening techniques that vary in targeted swallowing-related muscles targeted and specifics of the regimen. Given the inherent plasticity of skeletal muscles, including muscles active during swallowing, exercise may have a key role in dysphagia rehabilitation as these treatments are optimized in ongoing research. We conclude that multisite randomized controlled trials are needed to clearly establish efficacy of these regimens and to allow individualization of treatment programs.
Mission and Advocacy Structure: A Perspective from Human Service Organizations

Nonprofit organizations are expected to advocate for the needs of their clients. However, advocacy is often not part of organizational structure, which can create reactive rather than proactive res...
Sustainable production

Researchers and practitioners highlight the potential for information systems to promote sustainability in agricultural production, but little is known about the private and social benefits of specific agricultural decision support tools. In this study, we utilize the resource-based view to assess a specific green technology using an agricultural-economics simulation to estimate the quantitative benefits of this technology expressed as dollars saved and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, we employ a five-step simulation modeling approach within a micro-economic model of crop production to assess the ability of yield monitors to promote liquefied petroleum (LP) gas savings and subsequently reduce production costs, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with LP gas burning, and generate additional revenue at a market for GHG mitigation credits. We estimate that the total benefits of using the green IS to improve the harvesting decision would have been $82 million in post-harvest cost savings and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We present this simulation modeling approach, a common methodology in environmental sciences and economics, as a viable methodology for IS researchers interested in modeling intricate decision-making processes that are impacted by technology. We utilize the resource-based view to assess the benefits of using yield monitors for Iowa farmers.We utilize a five-step simulation modeling approach to asses a green information system.Technology can promote liquefied petroleum gas savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Cranial Anatomy of Shoshonius and the Antiquity of Anthropoidea

Although most, if not. all, modern systematists agree that the living anthropoid or simiiform primates (New and Old World monkeys, apes, and humans) constitute a natural, monophyletic assemblage, there is widespread disagreement over whether or not certain fossil forms should be included in this taxon. Unfortunately, not all of this disagreement reflects the morphological ambiguity of such poorly known fossil taxa as Hoanghonius stehlini, Amphi-pithecus mogaungensis, Pondaungia cotteri, and Afrotarsius chatrathi. Rather, it is at least partly a result of different notions regarding how the taxon Anthropoidea should be defined. Obviously, a major prerequisite for understanding the origin and early evolutionary history of any group of organisms is a theoretically sound definition of what actually constitutes the taxon under investigation. Without this type of formal definition, a great deal of time and effort can be wasted by different investigators talking past one another about semantic issues that are largely irrelevant to the actual topic of debate.
Design repositories on the semantic web with description-logic enabled services

All engineering firms maintain archives of previously designed artifacts, often in the form of databases of computer aided design (CAD) data. Design repositories are an evolution of such databases to include more heterogenous information and to provide enhanced capabilities through the application of knowledge representation techniques. This paper introduces on-going work on applying description logic and the Semantic Web to constructing such design repositories.
Substrate-based differential expression analysis reveals control of biomass degrading enzymes in Pycnoporus cinnabarinus

Abstract White rot fungi possess a powerful ability to degrade recalcitrant lignin within plant biomass. Pycnoporus cinnabarinus PB 94 accomplishes lignin degradation through the combined activity of laccases, peroxidases, and their supporting enzymes. Assembly of the de novo transcriptome for PB 94 resulted in identification of 45,286 transcripts, including isoforms, and a predicted 27,990 genes. Differential expression analysis revealed how the expression of these ligninolytic enzymes was dictated by the nature of the substrate. Growth on lignin containing poplar and switchgrass resulted in as much as a 285-fold increase in expression of peroxidases (auxiliary activity family AA2) and a 36-fold increase in expression of alcohol oxidases (auxiliary activity family AA3) compared to growth on soluble sugars. These findings suggest that expression of these enzyme classes was controlled by the presence of lignin, or triggered by an aromatic break out product of lignin degradation. Laccases showed little significant regulation under these growth conditions, but one laccase transcript (TR10024|c0_g1_i1), similar to laccase gene lcc2 in Pycnoporus sanguineus, was greatly upregulated during growth on cellobiose, suggesting that this sugar may be a mechanism for enhanced expression. The findings presented here reveal regulation patterns of enzymes critical for the lignin degrading activity of P. cinnabarinus PB 94 providing insight into how the white rot fungus controls lignocellulolytic activity.
Fiscal Externalities, Taxes, and Suburbanization

Publisher Summary The continuing suburbanization of urban population has raised questions regarding the optimal distribution of population and the forces that may lead the current pattern to be nonoptimal. The answers to this spatial question involve the concept of a fiscal externality. Recent discussions of externalities in a spatial context have involved public goods, congestion, pollution, and scale economies. The chapter presents a model based upon the assumption that high income groups can form communities and exclude lower income residents. This assumption provides a theory of suburbanization as a response to the fiscal externality. The chapter highlights welfare and spatial effects in empirical work for the city of Chicago.
Evaluating Bioassessment Designs and Decision Thresholds Using Simulation Techniques

Natural resource managers face numerous choices when developing bioassessment programs but seldom have the opportunity to compare the performance of alternative designs. As a result, managers often lack a basis for establishing decision thresholds based on their objectives for evaluating resource condition, accounting for uncertainty, and controlling costs. In this chapter, we illustrate how simulation techniques may be used to optimize bioassessment decision thresholds and sampling designs with a case study of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in Shenandoah National Park, USA. We evaluated the effects of sampling effort (6 levels) and taxonomic resolution (family vs. genus) on the sensitivity of a commonly used index of stream condition (Macroinvertebrate Biotic Integrity Index, MBII) to classify resource condition as affected by ecological change. We computed expected utility values to compare decision thresholds, which integrated statistical power and differential risk tolerance for misclassification (i.e., type I and II error rates). Our analysis revealed important differences among bioassessment designs. MBII sensitivity increased with sampling effort, but improvements were modest across the highest sampling levels. Genus-level assessments were generally most sensitive to ecological change, even though precision increased at the family level due to decreased variation in reference communities. However, the sensitivity-cost relationship revealed no single, optimal combination of taxonomic resolution and sampling effort. Rather, we found that for a given cost, equivalent sensitivities could be obtained from larger samples at the family-level or smaller samples at the genus level. An analysis of expected utility demonstrated that the optimal decision threshold depends on prior probability of resource condition, i.e., reference, early warning, or impaired. We conclude that simulation methods provide a flexible approach to evaluate and optimize bioassessment designs and decision thresholds based on objective-specific utility values.
Metal Contacts to GaN

It is imperative that a semiconductor device be connected to the outside world with no adverse change to its current-voltage characteristics and no additional voltage drop. This can be accomplished only through low-resistance ohmic contacts on the semiconductor. An ideal contact is one where, when combined with the semiconductor, there are no barriers to the carrier flow in either the positive or negative directions. Ideally, this occurs when the semiconductor and the metal work functions are about the same, and there are no appreciable interface states which tend to pin the Fermi level. Since one can not just dial up ideal work functions for the semiconductor-metal system under consideration, particularly, when the work function of the semiconductor varies with doping, it is usually not possible to find just the right combination. In fact, for large-bandgap semiconductors such as GaN, a metal with a large-enough work function to form an ohmic contact to p-type GaN does not exist.
Method of Lines

This chapter focuses on method of lines applicable to elliptic, hyperbolic, and parabolic partial differential equations. A system of partial differential equations with one fewer independent variables is obtained. The basis of the method is substitution of finite differences for the derivatives with respect to one independent variable, and retention of the derivatives with respect to the remaining variables. This approach changes a given partial differential equation into a system of partial differential equations. This method is sometimes called the generalized “Kantoravich” method.
Childhood poverty and the organization of structural brain connectome.

Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with atypical development in specific brain regions, yet the relation between poverty and whole brain network organization (i.e., the connectome, a set of brain regions connected with neuronal pathways) has not been characterized. Developmental studies indicate that the connectome undergoes rapid change during childhood and is consequently likely to be highly sensitive to both salutary and detrimental influences. We investigated associations between the socioeconomic disparities measured by the income-to-needs ratio (INR) in childhood and structural brain network organization with 144 healthy children between 6 and 11 years of age (mean age = 8 years). INR of girls was positively and logarithmically associated with the extent to which brain networks were efficiently organized, suggesting that girls in more impoverished environments had less efficient brain network organization. Lower INR was associated with network inefficiency in multiple cortical regions including prefrontal cortex, cingulate, and insula, and in subcortical regions including the hippocampus and amygdala. These findings suggest that childhood poverty may result in wide-spread disruptions of the brain connectome among girls, particularly at the lowest INR levels, and are differentially expressed in females and males.
Initial Validation of the Socialization Self-Efficacy Scale With International Transracially Adoptive Parents

AbstractThis study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the 10-item Socialization Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES) using a sample of international transracially adoptive parents. This online s...
Deformation basis and kinematic singularities of constrained systems

AbstractThis paper demonstrates that arbitrarily introducing deformation degrees of freedom does not always solve the kinematic singularities of over-constrained systems. To address this fundamenta...
Adventures in Financial Time Series

In this article we examine some macroeconomic data over the last several decades, and see if we can we can find anything interesting. In particular, we investigate how macroeconomic data affect equity prices.
On the cop number of generalized Petersen graphs

Abstract We prove that the cop number of every generalized Petersen graph is at most 4. The strategy is to play a modified game of cops and robbers on an infinite cyclic covering space where the objective is to capture the robber or prevent the robber from visiting any vertex infinitely often. We also prove that finite isometric subtrees of any graph are 1-guardable, and we apply this to determine the exact cop number of some families of generalized Petersen graphs. Additionally, we extend these ideas to prove that the cop number of any connected I -graph is at most 5.
Liquid argon time projection chamber calibration using cosmogenic muons, and measurement of neutrino induced charged kaon production in argon in the charged current mode (MicroBooNE experiment)

The MicroBooNE experiment at Fermilab uses the novel LArTPC technology to reconstruct neutrino interactions with liquid argon. The experiment consists of a detector having an active mass of 85 tons of liquid argon, where the operational electric field of the TPC is 0.273 kV/cm. While BNB neutrino beam at Fermilab is the main source for neutrinos for the experiment having an average energy of ~0.8 GeV, the NUMI neutrino beam at Fermilab also provides high energy neutrinos to perform different physics analyses. The MicroBooNE experiment has been in operation since october 2015. Its major physics goals include investigating into the anomalous production of electron neutrino like events as observed by MiniBooNE and LSND experiments and detail studies of neutrino-argon cross sections at lower neutrino energies. Moreover, the experiment will also serve as R&D for future LArTPC experiments like the already proposed SBN and DUNE programs. One of the major operational requirements of any LArTPC experiment including MicroBooNE is to achieve a high liquid argon purity keeping the electronegative contaminants like H2O and O2 at low concentration levels. This dissertation first describes how to perform an electron attenuation measurement using cosmogenic muons, which provides a handle over the the amount of electronegative impurities inside our detector medium. Likewise this measurement also serves as the first step towards reconstruction of particle energies as MicroBooNE must compensate for the loss of ionization electrons due to capture by electronegative contaminants. Secondly, the discussion is about how to calibrate any LArTPC detector in removing any spatial and temporal variations of the dQ/dx (charge deposited per unit length) spectrum using cosmogenic muons and then how to calculate correct energies of particle interactions with these calibrated out dQ/dx values. The translation of dQ/dx to particle energies (dE/dx - energy deposited per unit lengt h) makes use of the stopping muons coming from neutrino inte! ractions as the standard candle. The final discussion is about the neutrino induced charged kaon production at charged current mode in the lower neutrino energies of MicroBooNE experiment. This measurement is crucial as there is no such measurement so far on argon at the scale of neutrino energies used for MicroBooNE while already existing measurements on lighter nuclear targets are also sparse. This dissertation presents the first identified neutrino induced kaon candidates in MicroBooNE.
Upgrading Large Existing Buildings to Maximize Their Sustainability

AbstractExisting buildings, especially aging ones, often are in urgent need of upgrading to improve their sustainability and environmental performance. Building owners often seek to identify and im...
Abstract TMP44: Ethnic Differences in Informal Caregiving After Stroke: The Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project

Background and Aims: We studied informal (non-paid) caregiving after stroke in a population-based study to determine if differences occurred between Mexican Americans (MAs) and non-Hispanic whites ...
Charge-Carrier Dynamics at the CuWO4/Electrocatalyst Interface for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation.

Unraveling the charge-carrier dynamics at electrocatalyst/electrode interfaces is critical for the development of efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Unlike the majority of photoanodes investigated for PEC water oxidation, the integration of electrocatalysts with CuWO4 electrodes generally results in comparable or worse performance compared to the bare electrode. This is despite the fact that the surface state recombination limits the water oxidation efficiency with CuWO4 electrodes, and an electrocatalyst ought to bypass this reaction and improve performance. Here, we present results that deepen the understanding of the energetics and electron-transfer processes at the CuWO4/electrocatalyst interface, which controls the performance of such systems. Ni0.75Fe0.25Oy (denoted as Ni75) was chosen as a model electrocatalyst, and through dual-working electrode experiments, we have been able to provide significant insight into the role of the electrocatalyst on the charge-transfer process at the CuWO4/Ni75 interface. We have shown a lack of performance improvement for CuWO4/Ni75 relative to the bare electrode to water oxidation. We attribute this surprising result to water oxidation on the CuWO4 surface kinetically outcompeting hole transfer to the Ni75 electrocatalyst interface.
Herbarium records demonstrate changes in flowering phenology associated with climate change over the past century within the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa

Abstract Climate change is affecting species composition and diversity across the globe. Phenological changes provide a sensitive indicator of biological responses to changes in climate. Recent studies using herbarium records in Europe and North America have shown changes in flowering time and other phenological events in response to changing climate conditions, such as warming temperatures and chilling winters, but few studies have been carried out in the southern hemisphere. We examined changes in flowering time from 1901–2009 in South Africa in the widespread, diverse genus Pelargonium. We combined records from more than 6,200 herbarium specimens of 129 species with historical weather data on temperature to examine the impact of climate change on flowering phenology. Data from over 464 weather stations in South Africa was used to estimate historical climate conditions for each of the 4,600 geographic sites included in our sample. During this time period there was a 2.9 ± 0.53 °C increase in mean annual temperature across South Africa. Flowering date advanced by nearly two weeks (11.6 days), with nearly all of the advance associated with the increase in temperature during this time. Thus, Pelargonium species are showing similar phenological responses when compared to species in the northern hemisphere. This study adds more evidence to the limited number of studies of climate change responses within Mediterranean climate regions that assess large-scale climate and phenological patterns. It also illustrates that herbarium records provide an effective method for detecting effects of climate change on flowering phenology across large geographic scales.
Problem drinking in an abstinence setting.

(1971). Problem Drinking in an Abstinence Setting. School Health Review: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 14-15.
Process programming to support medical safety: a case study on blood transfusion

Medical errors are now recognized as a major cause of untimely deathsor other adverse medical outcomes. To reduce the number of medical errors, the Medical Safety Project at the University of Massachusetts is exploring using a process programming language to define medical processes, a requirements elicitation framework for specifying important medical properties, and finite-state verification tools to evaluate whether the process definitions adhere to these properties. In this paper, we describe our experiences to date. Although our findings are preliminary, we have found that defining and evaluating processes helps to detect weaknesses in these processes and leads to improved medical processes definitions.
Filler size dependence of optical reflectance for polymeric-filler reflectors

The study investigates the effect of filler size on optical performance of silicone-filler polymeric composite reflectors. The experimental results demonstrate for the first time that the filler size dependence is non-monotonic and the reflectance exhibits a maximum at round 1 micron for Al 2 O 3 particles and 0.2 micron for TiO 2 particles. The results are discussed in terms of light reflectance with samples made of inorganic fillers with different particle sizes, volume fractions and thicknesses. A 30% difference in optical reflectance between 1 micron and 20 micron Al 2 O 3 at 0.1 volume fraction was observed. By utilizing optimized filler particle size and volume fraction, great improvement in reflectivity for silicone based composite reflectors can be realized in an approach to increase amount of light re-directed at the desired location and therefore reduce the amount of energy needed to produce the required lighting output.
Egr-1, a master switch coordinating upregulation of divergent gene families underlying ischemic stress

Activation of the zinc-finger transcription factor early growth response (Egr)-1, initially linked to developmental processes, is shown here to function as a master switch activated by ischemia to trigger expression of pivotal regulators of inflammation, coagulation and vascular hyperpermeability. Chemokine, adhesion receptor, procoagulant and permeability-related genes are coordinately upregulated by rapid ischemia-mediated activation of Egr-1. Deletion of the gene encoding Egr-1 strikingly diminished expression of these mediators of vascular injury in a murine model of lung ischemia/reperfusion, and enhanced animal survival and organ function. Rapid activation of Egr-1 in response to oxygen deprivation primes the vasculature for dysfunction manifest during reperfusion. These studies define a central and unifying role for Egr-1 activation in the pathogenesis of ischemic tissue damage.
Privacy Preservation in Social Networks with Sensitive Edge Weights.

With the development of emerging social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace, security and privacy threats arising from social network analysis bring a risk of disclosure of confidential knowledge when the social network data is shared or made public. In addition to the current social network anonymity de-identification techniques, we study a situation, such as in a business transaction network, in which weights are attached to network edges that are considered to be confidential (e.g., transactions). We consider perturbing the weights of some edges to preserve data privacy when the network is published, while retaining the shortest path and the approximate cost of the path between some pairs of nodes in the original network. We develop two privacypreserving strategies for this application. The first strategy is based on a Gaussian randomization multiplication, the second one is a greedy perturbation algorithm based on graph theory. In particular, the second strategy not only yields an approximate length of the shortest path while maintaining the shortest path between selected pairs of nodes, but also maximizes privacy preservation of the original weights. We present experimental results to support our mathematical analysis.
White Dwarfs and Planetary Central Stars

Studies of hot white dwarf samples constrain the properties and evolution of planetary nuclei and the nebulae. In particular, the white dwarf and planetary nebulae formation rates are compared. I discuss the overlap of the sequences of white dwarfs having hydrogen (DA) and helium-rich (DO) atmospheres with known central stars of high surface gravity. There is evidence that the hydrogen atmosphere nuclei have “thick” outer hydrogen layers ( $$\mathop > \limits_ \sim {10^{ - 4}}{\text{ }}{M_ \odot }$$ ), but that DA white dwarfs may have surface hydrogen layers orders of magnitude thinner. Finally, a DA planetary nucleus is discussed (0950+139) which has undergone a late nebular ejection; this object may be demonstrating that a hydrogen layer can be lost even after the star has entered the white dwarf cooling sequence.
A fuzzy algorithm for reconstructing regions of image drop-out in images of shattered glass

This paper presents a fuzzy image restoration/segmentation technique whose application is intended for a class of digital images where the object of interest is one continuous 'strand/spl Gt/CLOSE '. Specifically, the problem of image 'drop-out' is discussed, and a method to reconstruct the missing borders in images of shattered glass is developed. >
New long-acting injectable microcapsule contraceptive system.

Abstract A new long-acting, injectable contraceptive which provides continuous controlled release of the steroid norethisterone (NET) for a precise period of 6 months following a single intramuscular injection is described. The prototype system consists of microcapsules made of the biodegradable polymer d, l -polylactic acid, in which micronized crystals of NET are homogeneously dispersed. NET is slowly released from the microcapsules following intramuscular injection at a rate of 0.90 μg NET/day/mg of microcapsule by diffusion of the steroid from the polymer matrix. Three different doses of a standard preparation of microcapsules were tested in normally cycling female baboons (4 to 5 baboons/group). Following injection of either 300, 200, or 100 mg of microcapsules containing 75, 50, or 25 mg of NET, blood samples were collected at selected intervals and analyzed for NET, estrogen, and progesterone by radioimmunoassay. All three doses provided continuous NET release for 6 months following injection. The NET serum profiles for the different doses are parallel, and ovulation was inhibited in all baboons for 6 months following treatment.
PML and PSTD algorithm for arbitrary lossy bianisotropic media

The perfectly matched layer (PML) formulation for a lossy anisotropic medium with arbitrary permittivity, permeability, and conductivity tensors are presented using the idea of complex coordinates. A pseudospectral time-domain algorithm is developed to improve the accuracy of the time domain solutions of Maxwell's equations in arbitrary anisotropic media and to avoid the interpolation of field components in the FDTD methods.
Strategies for Teaching Reading in the Content Areas

(1993). Strategies for Teaching Reading in the Content Areas. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 121-122.
Improved Detection of Tilletia indica Teliospores in Seed or Soil by Elimination of Contaminating Microorganisms with Acidic Electrolyzed Water

ABSTRACT Acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) is a germicidal product of electrolysis of a dilute solution (e.g., 0.4% vol/vol) of sodium chloride. This solution can be used to disinfest wheat seed or soil samples being tested for teliospores of Tilletia indica, causal agent of Karnal bunt, without risk of damaging the teliospores. The AEW used in this study had a pH of 2.5 to 2.8 and oxidation-reduction potential of approximately 1,130 mV. In simulations of routine extractions of wheat seed to detect teliospores of T. indica, the effectiveness of a 30-min AEW treatment was compared with a 2-min 0.4% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) treatment to eradicate bacteria and nonsmut fungi. Each treatment reduced bacterial and fungal populations in wheat seed extracts by 6 to 7 log10 units when determined on 2% water agar with antibiotics. Reductions of 5 log10 units or more were observed on other media. NaOCl and AEW also were very effective at eliminating bacteria and fungi from soil extracts. In studies to detect and qu...
The impact of IT on the degree of outsourcing, the number of suppliers, and the duration of contracts

It has long been accepted within the information technology (IT) research community that IT should have a profound impact on industrial organization. However, there has been as yet no consensus on the changes to be expected in the design of firms or industries; rather, there is an apparently inconsistent collection of conjectures and analyses. We are now able to offer an integrative framework for describing the impacts of IT on industrial organization. Our analyses generally supports the "move to the middle" hypothesis that states that the impact of IT on the organization of economic activity is to lead to a greater degree of outsourcing where this increased outsourcing is done from fewer suppliers with whom the buyer has long term relationships. >
Time reversal depending on local time

Abstract The process ( X , l ), where X is a Markov process and l its local time at a regular point b , is reversed from the time l first exceeds the level t , and the resulting process is identified under duality hypotheses. The approach exploits recent results in the theory of excursions of dual processes.
Possible role of calcium-dependent protein phosphorylation in mediating neurotransmitter release and anticonvulsant action.

SUMMARY The results demonstrate that calcium and phenytoin have antagonistic actions on the net level of endogenous phosphorylation of specific rat brain proteins. These specific phosphoproteins were shown to be present in synaptosome preparations, and evidence is presented for the localization of these phosphoproteins within the presynaptic nerve terminal. The data are compatible with the hypothesis that the antagonistic actions of calcium and phenytoin on the phosphorylation of synaptosome proteins may be the underlying molecular mechanism mediating the opposing actions of these agents on the release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic nerve terminal.
Sorption/Desorption of VCM in PVC Selected Food Simulants Systems

Sorption/desorption studies of VCM in the systems PVC/VCM/water, PVC/VCM/corn oil an PVC/VCM/heptane were carried out. At low VCM concentrations, classical curves are obtained, where the sorption isotherms are located below their desorption counterparts. Above a certain VCM concentration a crossover exists and an inversion of the curves occurs. It was suggested that the intersection between the curves represents the point where all the active sites in the polymeric matrix are occupied by monomer molecules. The negative values of the total Gibb's free energy and the energy of mixing in the polymer were found to increase with the decrease in monomer concentration pointing out to the possibility that at low enough monomer concentrations no migration of VCM into the contained food from a PVC package may occur.
Is the Astronomical Literature Still Expanding Exponentially

Have the recent reductions in funding for astronomy resulted in a significant decrease in the exponential growth of our astronomical publications? I studied the growth of five American and European journals (A&A, AJ, ApJ, MNRAS, and PASP) that publish papers on a broad range of astronomical topics. For each, I counted the numbers of normalized pages and papers published at 10 intervals in 1960-1996. The average numbers of pages showed an exponential increase of 11% per year before the mid-1970s and 6% per year thereafter. The average number of papers increased exponentially by 9% before the mid-1970s and by 4% per year thereafter. The difference between these two sets of numbers is caused by an increase in average paper lengths from six normalized pages in 1960 to a constant 12 pages per paper during the last decade. Thus, the average paper lengths have asymptotically reached a constant value. However, there is no sign of a leveling off in the growth of our literature. The number of different authors also increased steadily. Over the past 36 years there have been few systematic shifts from one journal to another, implying that few authors have changed their habitual choices of journals. The numbers of papers in the three American journals has been directly proportional to the numbers of AAS members at 0.41 papers per year per member during the past 36 years. Therefore, the growth in our numbers of papers is entirely due to the growth in the numbers of astronomers, and the additional growth in pages is due to the growth in paper lengths.