cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macromolecule Permeability in Rodent Intestine following Thermal Injury and Lipopolysaccharide Challenge

The barrier function of the intestinal mucosa may be lost during stress such as severe trauma and sepsis. The present study utilized a multicannulated (jugular vein, proximal jejunum, thoracic duct, and portal vein) rat model of burn (30% body surface area (TBSA)) and endotoxemia (E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infused via the jugular cannula) to investigate in vivo barrier function to macromolecules with different sizes and the route for their transport (horse radish peroxidase (HRP) and 14C-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-4,000 infused via jejunal cannula). In burn rats, mucosa uptakes of HRP and PEG increased 3 h after their intraluminal infusion compared to the controls. Studies with intravenous 111In-IgG infusion showed that its recovery in small intestine was decreased after burn and LPS infusion, indicating that blood perfusion to intestine was compromised. The present study suggests that (1) burn and endotoxemia increase intestinal permeability to macromolecules; (2) the portal blood may be the major route of transport for molecules up to sizes of 4,000 during burn but not endotoxemia; and (3) intestinal hypoperfusion could be one of the factors that contribute to increased gut permeability in severe burn trauma and sepsis.
Afghan Historiography: Classical Study, Conventional Narrative, National Polemic

Histories of Afghanistan typically detail political narratives of the rise of dynasties, the reach of empires, and the struggles of an insecure nation-state. English language histories developed out of early nineteenth-century British colonial contacts, later Great Game and Cold War competition, and recent decades of Islamic politics. Yet beyond such representations, other histories have situated peoples and territories designated as “Afghan” within wider, centuries-old interregional flows of trade, culture, migration, and ideology. Ethnographers and activists have contributed to historical understanding with powerful and often polemical studies evaluating national characteristics, social identities, and gendered lives. Over time, as evolving populations and regions have been regarded as Afghan, just so have evolving understandings, interests, and scholarship produced an ever more complex Afghan historiography.
APPLICATION OF A FULL-POTENTIAL SOLVER TO BENDING-TORSION FLUTTER IN CASCADES

A two-dimensional, unsteady, full-potential cascade aerodynamic code has been used for flutter calculations. The code, which uses a time-marching implicit scheme with internal Newton-iterations at each time step, allows oscillatory blade motions with phase lag between adjacent blades to be modeled using a single inter-blade passage. This aerodynamic code has been used with a two-degrees-of-freedom typical section structural model to determine the aeroelastic stability of a bladed disk. The unsteady pressure results calculated from the aerodynamic code have been verified by comparison with results from the linear and linearized potential theories. Flutter results have been presented for two cases. A comparison with linear theory shows identical trends; however, the present calculations show a lower flutter frequency.
A 60 GHz Antenna-Referenced Frequency-Locked Loop in 0.13 $\mu$ m CMOS for Wireless Sensor Networks

Some applications of wireless sensor networks (WSN) require long-term deployments and vanishingly-small unit volumes to make them cost effective and unobtrusive. Energy- and area-efficient circuits, as well as eliminating offchip components, are critical to meeting these objectives. A conventional WSN node can be fully integrated in CMOS except for the battery, crystal reference, and antenna. Typically, a PLL and a crystal reference are used for RF synchronization and to position the wireless signal in a desired band for FCC compliance. Crystals, however, require custom packaging that currently prohibits scaling to mm3 sizes. Moreover, an off-chip antenna increases the size of the node and raises the cost. In this paper, a fully integrated 60GHz frequency-locked loop (FLL) in 0.13μm CMOS is presented using an on-chip patch antenna as both the radiator and reference for frequency generation. The proposed technique efficiently integrates the antenna, eliminates the need for a crystal reference, is FCC compliant, and ensures the node transmits at the antenna's peak efficiency. The substrate beneath the antenna is shielded by an intermediate metal layer ground plane, freeing up space for active circuits and routing beneath the patch. By integrating circuits in CMOS underneath the patch, and stacking the die on e.g. a thin-film battery, a fully integrated WSN node in mm3 scale is feasible.
The olivocerebellar projection to the uvula in the mouse

The organization of the olivocerebellar projection in the mouse was studied with the use of microinjections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or HRP conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP). Injections were made in medial, intermediate, and lateral sites along the width of the uvula. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the subnuclear origin of olivary afferents to different mediolateral regions of the uvula. Injections made in or adjacent to the midline of the uvula resulted in the retrograde labeling of cells, bilaterally in the caudal portion of the medial accessory olive (MAO). These labeled cells were located primarily in subnucleus C and nucleus β of the MAO. Injections into the intermediate part of the uvula resulted in the labeling of cells in the caudal MAO (primarily nucleus β), the dorsomedial cell column (dmcc), and a few cells in the ventral lamella of the principal olive (vPO). Laterally placed injections produced labeling of cells in dmcc and the vPO. These results are discussed in reference to the parasagittal organization of olivary afferents to the cerebellar cortex in the mouse (Beyerl et al., '82) and the organization of afferents to the involved regions of the inferior olivary (IO) complex. It is suggested that these parasagittal zones in the uvula may play different roles in the control of eye movements.
A low-power motion estimation block for low bit-rate wireless video

Presents a low-power design of a motion estimation block targeting a low-bit rate video codec H.263. The block is based on the four-step search algorithm. The proposed design offers up to 38% power reduction for logic blocks alone over a "baseline" implementation of the four-step search (4SS) algorithm and up to 58% power reduction over a baseline model of the three-step search (TSS) algorithm. In addition, our design reduces power dissipation of an on-chip memory by up to 32% over the 4SS and 27% over the TSS.
Family risk factors for alcohol-related consequences and poor adjustment in fraternity and sorority members : Exploring the role of parent-child conflict

Objective: The relationship between perceptions of parent-child conflict and alcohol-related consequences was examined in a sample of first-year fraternity and sorority members. Method: Members (N = 302) were asked to complete measures of conflict with their mothers and fathers and report on parent problem drinking. Drinking rates, alcohol-related consequences, depression, and global psychological distress were assessed 1 year later (N = 233). Results: From a final sample with complete mother and father information (N = 202), parent-child conflict at baseline significantly predicted alcohol-related consequences 1 year later for all students. Father-child conflict was a significantly better predictor for male students. Parent histories of problem drinking did not account for this relationship. Although male students reported substantially higher rates of drinking, the relationship between drinking and alcohol-related consequences was stronger among female students. Parent-child conflict at baseline also pr...
Risk factors for incident chronic insomnia: a general population prospective study.

Objective The few population-based, prospective studies that have examined risk factors of incident insomnia were limited by small sample size, short follow-up, and lack of data on medical disorders or polysomnography. We prospectively examined the associations between demographics, behavioral factors, psychiatric and medical disorders, and polysomnography with incident chronic insomnia.
Fuzzy clustering of network traffic features for security

The proliferation of computer networks and the interconnection of networks via the Internet, has drastically increased their vulnerability to attack by malicious agents. The wide variety of attack modes has exacerbated the problem in detecting attacks. Many current intrusion detection systems (IDS) are unable to identify unknown or mutated attack modes or are unable to operate in a dynamic environment as is necessary with mobile networks. As a result, it has become increasingly important to find new ways to implement and manage intrusion detection systems. This paper presents a novel approach to intrusion detection using fuzzy clustering of TCP packet attributes. The method is shown to provide superior performance in comparison to evolutionary approaches. In addition, the method demonstrates improved robustness in comparison to other fuzzy clustering techniques.
The Effects of Municipal Policy on Green Building Designations in the United States

This article describes the results of a quantitative examination of the effect of municipal policies on the number of commercial office buildings with a green building designation. Many states and cities have adopted green building requirements and incentives as policy instruments. During this study, an ordi- nary least square (OLS) regression analysis was conducted using American inner cities as a unit of analysis and coding municipal green building regulations and incentives as four separate dummy variables. The study also included four factors grouped by a factor analysis-supply-side factors, demand-side factors, air quality, and temperature-to control for external effects that can affect the deci- sion to implement green building construction. The results indicate that, at the municipal level, regulatory policy has been a strong tool to promote green office building developments, as expected, but incentive-based policies have not been as effective, with the exception of administrative incentives.
NG-hydroxy-L-arginine and nitric oxide inhibit Caco-2 tumor cell proliferation by distinct mechanisms

The objective of this study was to elucidate the role and mechanism of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) in modulating the growth of the Caco-2 human colon carcinoma cell line. The two novel observa...
Ingratitude: The Debt-Bound Daughter in Asian American Literature. By erin Khuê Ninh

New York, New York: New York University Press, 2011. 207 pp. hardcover, $70; softcover, $23
Fish connectivity mapping: linking chemical stressors by their mechanisms of action-driven transcriptomic profiles

A very large and rapidly growing collection of transcriptomic profiles in public repositories is potentially of great value to developing data-driven bioinformatics applications for toxicology/ecotoxicology. Modeled on human connectivity mapping (Cmap) in biomedical research, this study was undertaken to investigate the utility of an analogous Cmap approach in ecotoxicology. Over 3500 zebrafish (Danio rerio) and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) transcriptomic profiles, each associated with one of several dozen chemical treatment conditions, were compiled into three distinct collections of rank-ordered gene lists (ROGLs) by species and microarray platforms. Individual query signatures, each consisting of multiple gene probes differentially expressed in a chemical condition, were used to interrogate the reference ROGLs. Informative connections were established at high success rates within species when, as defined by their mechanisms of action (MOAs), both query signatures and ROGLs were associated with the same or similar chemicals. Thus, a simple query signature functioned effectively as an exposure biomarker without need for a time-consuming process of development and validation. More importantly, a large reference database of ROGLs also enabled a query signature to cross-interrogate other chemical conditions with overlapping MOAs, leading to novel groupings and subgroupings of seemingly unrelated chemicals at a finer resolution. This approach confirmed the identities of several estrogenic chemicals, as well as a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and a neuro-toxin, in the largely uncharacterized water samples near several waste water treatment plants, and thus demonstrates its future potential utility in real world applications. The power of Cmap should grow as chemical coverages of ROGLs increase, making it a framework easily scalable in the future. The feasibility of toxicity extrapolation across fish species using Cmap needs more study, however, as more gene expression profiles linked to chemical conditions common to multiple fish species are needed.
Relationship of osteomyelitis and associated soft-tissue lesions with green liver discoloration in tom turkeys.

SUMMARY. Tom turkey carcasses with partial green discolored livers (n = 191) or normal livers (n = 198) were examined for osteomyelitis and/or associated soft-tissue lesions. Seventy-nine turkeys with green discolored livers had osteomyelitis and/or associated soft-tissue lesions (41.4%), including 53 with just osteomyelitis (27.7%), while 112 (59.6%) had no osteomyelitis and/or soft-tissue lesions. Only five turkeys (2.5%) with normal livers had osteomyelitis. Discolored livers were significantly heavier, but carcasses with discolored livers weighed significantly less than carcasses with normal livers. Bacteria were isolated from 54 of 61 osteomyelitis lesions (88.5%); most frequently staphylococci (50.8%) followed by Escherichia coli (14.8%), Streptococcus sp. (13.1%), and occasional other organisms. Most associated soft-tissue lesions and livers were sterile (74.7%). These finding indicate that although turkey carcasses with green discolored livers are more likely to have osteomyelitis and/or associated soft-tissue lesions than turkey carcasses with normal livers, there is also an approximately equal chance they will not have these lesions.
The Boletaceae of North America—II

The Boletaceae are fleshy tube-bearing fungi, terrestrial for the most part, and, with one or two exceptions, centrally stipitate. They differ from the Polyporaceae chiefly in their fleshy consistency and terrestrial habit. Most of them are edible, but a few species are said to be distinctly poisonous. The family shows few lines of cleavage, although a number of genera have been proposed since Linnaeus included all tubebearing fungi in the single genus Boletus. S. F. Gray, in I821, divided the group into three genera, Suillus, Pinuzza and Leccinum. Strobilomyces was separated by Berkeley in I860, and Boletinus by Kalchbrenner in I877. More recently, Karsten, Quelet, and Patouillard have each originated or adopted a system of classification for the group involving a number of genera, which will be discussed in their proper order in the following
Speech enhancement by online non-negative spectrogram decomposition in non-stationary noise environments

Classical single-channel speech enhancement algorithms have two convenient properties: they require pre-learning the noise model but not the speech model, and they work online. However, they often have difficulties in dealing with non-stationary noise sources. Source separation algorithms based on nonnegative spectrogram decompositions are capable of dealing with non-stationary noise, but do not possess the aforementioned properties. In this paper we present a novel algorithm that combines the advantages of both classical algorithms and non-negative spectrogram decomposition algorithms. Experiments show that it significantly outperforms four categories of classical algorithms in non-stationary noise environments.
Returning home: intimate partner violence and reentry

Intimate partner violence (IPV), also referred to as domestic violence, is a national and international human rights issue. Although some studies argue that there is gender parity in the experience...
Nephrogenic Adenoma: Clinical Features and Therapeutic Considerations

AbstractNephrogenic adenoma is a benign metaplastic lesion that usually responds to endoscopic treatment. Although occasionally it has been present simultaneously with another malignancy there has been no evidence that a nephrogenic adenoma has ever transformed into a carcinoma. The symptoms of a nephrogenic adenoma can be severe but these lesions can be treated with transurethral surgery. The lesions can occur throughout the bladder and in the urethra. They usually are associated with trauma to the urothelium. Postoperative followup is needed because these lesions tend to have a symptomatic recurrence. An increased awareness of nephrogenic adenoma by urologists and pathologists may lead to its more frequent diagnosis.
Improved Fluorometric-Iodine Method for Determination of Aflatoxin in Corn

Several innovations in the fluorometric-iodine (FL-I) method for determining aflatoxin in corn made the procedure faster and more convenient than the original method. Ground corn was packed into a chromatographic column and the aflatoxins were extracted with methylene chloride. Sep-Pak C18 cartridges were used for sample cleanup. A 5 min thin layer chromatographic slide analysis confirmed the presence of aflatoxin, which was quantitated by fluorometric determinations of the iodine derivative of aflatoxin B1.
STARCH DERIVATIVES: PRODUCTION AND USES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the starch derivatives that are produced and marketed in quantities of sufficient size to be considered as commercial scale. The term starch derivative includes the modifications that change the chemical structure of some of the D-glucopyranosyl units in the molecule. These modifications involve oxidation, esterification, or etherification. The derivatization of starch is conducted to modify the gelatinization and cooking characteristics of granular starch; to decrease the retrogradation and gelling tendencies of amylose-containing starches; to increase the water-holding capacity of starch dispersions at low temperature thereby minimizing syneresis; to enhance hydrophilic character; to impart hydrophobic properties; and/or to introduce ionic substituents. The modification of starch properties by derivatization is an important factor in the continued and increased use of starch to provide thickening, gelling, binding, adhesive, and film-forming functionality. Starches used for commercial derivatization in the United States are corn, waxy maize, tapioca, and potato. The properties, availability in large quantities, and economics are deciding factors in determining as to which starch is used for derivatization.
Estimation of regression vectors in linear mixed models with Dirichlet process random effects

ABSTRACTThe Dirichlet process has been used extensively in Bayesian non parametric modeling, and has proven to be very useful. In particular, mixed models with Dirichlet process random effects have been used in modeling many types of data and can often outperform their normal random effect counterparts. Here we examine the linear mixed model with Dirichlet process random effects from a classical view, and derive the best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE) of the fixed effects. We are also able to calculate the resulting covariance matrix and find that the covariance is directly related to the precision parameter of the Dirichlet process, giving a new interpretation of this parameter. We also characterize the relationship between the BLUE and the ordinary least-squares (OLS) estimator and show how confidence intervals can be approximated.
Towards rapid mechanical customization of cm-scale self-folding agents

Large robotic collectives provide advantages such as resilience to mechanical failure of single agents and increased capabilities for search and coverage based applications. However, a lack of rapid and free-form manufacturing processes remains a barrier to high-volume fabrication of mechanically heterogeneous robotic swarms. Self-folding laser-machined structures have the potential to enable heterogeneous robotic swarms. As an initial step to realizing a functional robotic collective, we focus on the design and characterization of the locomotion of an individual laminate manufactured robot. We look to a vibration-based locomotion technique that uses flexible structures or bristles to enhance the effects of vibration, allowing for fast locomotion (i.e. a “bristle-bot”). However, previous bristle-bot implementations have not allowed for controllable steering behaviors with high locomotion speeds. We describe the extension of existing two dimensional bristle-bot models to a three dimensional model that explores parameters that govern linear and angular velocity. We implement an autonomous laminate-manufactured bristle-bot inspired robot capable of linear velocities of up to 23 cm/s and turning rates of 2 rad/s. Moving towards automated manufacturing, we also demonstrate a self-folding bristle-bot structure that uses a linear compression laminate to achieve a uniform leg fold angle.
Spectral broadening and pulse compression of a 400 μJ, 20 W Yb:KGW laser using a multi-plate medium

We investigate the potential of a multi-plate medium consisting of thin fused silica plates to generate few-cycle pulses from a moderately high energy (400 μJ) and average power (20 W) Yb:KGW laser centered at 1025 nm. By optimizing the thicknesses and positions of the plates, we mitigate the losses associated with spatial and spectral distortions that can accompany self-focusing in bulk solids. Pulses with an initial duration of ∼280 fs were compressed using chirped mirrors, after spectral broadening in a multi-plate medium consisting of 6 mm of fused silica in total, by a factor of >5 to 50 fs. Further spectral broadening in a second stage also consisting of 6 mm of fused silica in total enabled compression to 18 fs with 40 μJ pulse energy, with the energy efficiency limited primarily by the geometry of the chirped mirror compressors.
Stronger predation in a subtropical community dampens an invasive species-induced trophic cascade

Invasive predators can disrupt important predator–prey dynamics thereby facilitating invasions into prey communities. Lower latitude food webs can have strong consumer pressure and top-down control due to trophic complexity, however, and thus could be more robust to alterations by introduced predators than higher latitude food webs. We compared the strength of a marine invasive species-induced trophic cascade in a temperate and subtropical system, hypothesizing that a non-native tertiary consumer could facilitate non-native basal prey establishment through the consumption of a native secondary consumer. We further predicted that the ecological importance of this cascade may be reduced in the subtropical community relative to the temperate community due to stronger consumer pressure from top predators. Using marine invertebrates, we conducted experiments in temperate Long Island Sound, Connecticut, USA and subtropical Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA to test our hypothesis. We further examined predation pressure on tertiary consumers in order to assess any top-down control of the invasive species-induced cascade from higher trophic levels. We found evidence of a trophic cascade in both regions, but it was only maintained under ambient predation pressure in the temperate region. Our results also suggest that strong predation pressure on the non-native portunid crabs in the subtropical region may help explain the weakened cascade under ambient conditions. Studying predator invasions in the context of full communities and from a macroecological perspective can be used to predict both local and large scale patterns of invasion, and lead to identifying locations where high-impact invasions are more likely to occur.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Invading a Transplanted Cornea: Eye- and Vision-Sparing Palladium-103 Plaque Radiation Therapy for a Functionally Monocular Patient.

Purpose To present a unique approach to eye and vision sparing for a patient with squamous cell carcinoma invading through a penetrating keratoplasty (PK) wound. Methods A 56-year-old functionally monocular man was found to have squamous cell carcinoma with intraocular invasion through a PK wound. Eye- and vision-salvaging palladium-103 plaque radiation was performed. An amniotic membrane graft was used to buffer and thus protect the cornea during the 7-day treatment. Leaded eye glasses were worn during the day to block emitted radiation and allow functional vision during irradiation. Results At 3.5 years status posttreatment, the tumor has regressed, PK has become progressively hazy (within the irradiated zone), and his vision is stable at 20/320. The epicorneal tumor has disappeared, and the intraocular tumor nodules are more highly reflective, but persistent. There has been no intraocular tumor progression, worsening of his glaucoma, or evidence of intraocular radiation vasculopathy. Conclusions Transcorneal intraocular tumor invasion was controlled using palladium-103 ophthalmic plaque radiation therapy applied through the natural and donor cornea. Definitive treatment resulted in local tumor control and preservation of vision.
Pharmacologic ATF6 activation confers global protection in widespread disease models by reprograming cellular proteostasis

Pharmacologic activation of stress-responsive signaling pathways provides a promising approach for ameliorating imbalances in proteostasis associated with diverse diseases. However, this approach has not been employed in vivo. Here we show, using a mouse model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, that selective pharmacologic activation of the ATF6 arm of the unfolded protein response (UPR) during reperfusion, a typical clinical intervention point after myocardial infarction, transcriptionally reprograms proteostasis, ameliorates damage and preserves heart function. These effects were lost upon cardiac myocyte-specific Atf6 deletion in the heart, demonstrating the critical role played by ATF6 in mediating pharmacologically activated proteostasis-based protection of the heart. Pharmacological activation of ATF6 is also protective in renal and cerebral ischemia/reperfusion models, demonstrating its widespread utility. Thus, pharmacologic activation of ATF6 represents a proteostasis-based therapeutic strategy for ameliorating ischemia/reperfusion damage, underscoring its unique translational potential for treating a wide range of pathologies caused by imbalanced proteostasis. Imbalanced proteostasis is associated with diverse diseases, including ischemia/reperfusion injury in the heart. Here the authors show that the ATF6 arm of the unfolded protein response can be pharmacologically activated with a small molecule in vivo, providing protection from ischemia/reperfusion injury in the heart, the brain, and the kidney.
Standards Needed: Competency Modeling and Recommender Systems

There are a number of future efforts to revise military training and generally bring it into the 21st century, including the Army Learning Model, Synthetic Training Environment, Sailor 2025 initiative, and other service-level training revamps. These revamps are expected to do more than the past developments in content and LMS standards – tracking students, providing mappings of competencies, recommending for and against future training items, and other relatively advanced tasks. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Adaptive Instructional Systems group has created the Adaptive Instructional Systems standards group, which is investigating the issues faced by the next wave of learning software. This paper discusses some of the technical and social issues of moving to the new model of education.
Integration of Fullerenes as Electron Acceptors in 3D Graphene Networks: Enhanced Charge Transfer and Stability through Molecular Design.

Here, we report a concept that allows the integration of the characteristic properties of [60]fullerene in 3D graphene networks. In these systems, graphene provides high electrical conductivity and...
Following in your sibling’s steps: Sibling influence and young adults’ marital attitudes:

This study explored the role of sibling modeling and differentiation in young adults’ beliefs about marriage and expectation of marriage in reference to their perception of their closest aged sibli...
Ahr-Foxp3-RORγt axis controls gut homing of CD4 + T cells by regulating GPR15

The orphan chemoattractant receptor GPR15 is important for homing T lymphocytes to the large intestine, thereby maintaining intestinal immune homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of GPR15 expression remain elusive. Here, we show a central role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) in promoting GPR15 expression in both mice and human, thus gut homing of T lymphocytes. Mechanistically, Ahr directly binds to open chromatin regions of the Gpr15 locus to enhance its expression. Ahr transcriptional activity in directing GPR15 expression was modulated by two transcription factors, Foxp3 and RORγt, both of which are expressed preferentially by gut regulatory T cells (Tregs) in vivo. Specifically, Foxp3 interacted with Ahr and enhanced Ahr DNA binding at the Gpr15 locus, thereby promoting GPR15 expression. In contrast, RORγt plays an inhibitory role, at least in part, by competing with Ahr binding to the Gpr15 locus. Our findings thus demonstrate a key role for Ahr in regulating Treg intestinal homing under the steady state and during inflammation and the importance of Ahr-RORγt-Foxp3 axis in regulating gut homing receptor GPR15 expression by lymphocytes.
Scarcity of Hepatozoon americanum in Gulf Coast tick vectors and potential for cultivating the protozoan

American canine hepatozoonosis (ACH) is a debilitating tick-borne disease characterized by pyrexia, body wasting, myopathy, mucopurulent ocular discharge, and periosteal proliferation. The causative agent, Hepatozoon americanum, is an apicomplexan that utilizes the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, as its definitive host and vector. Unlike most tick-borne disease agents, H. americanum is not transmitted via a tick bite, but is transmitted when canids ingest a tick vector that contains sporulated oocysts within the tick hemocoel or paratenic hosts with cystozoites. Our understanding of H. americanum prevalence is based on its detection in the intermediate host, wild or domestic canids, with domestic canids often showing clinical signs at the time of diagnosis. The frequency of H. americanum in A. maculatum, on the other hand, is unknown; this gap in our knowledge hinders our understanding of transmission risk. Furthermore, current diagnostic assays are limited in efficacy, and serologic assays are not widely available. To begin to address gaps in our knowledge, we developed a TaqMan® multiplex qPCR assay for H. americanum detection in A. maculatum tick extracts and evaluated infection rates in questing adult A. maculatum. Additionally, we used a co-culture system to expose H. americanum stages to host cells for in vitro development. Results from qPCR analysis of over 500 tick extracts revealed no positive samples; this suggests both low transmission risk by adult Gulf Coast tick ingestion in the sampled areas, and that surveillance should be focused in areas where ACH has been diagnosed at higher frequencies. Hepatozoon americanum was detectable by qPCR in co-culture of an infected canine buffy coat with ISE6 (Ixodes scapularis embryonic) tick cells, and microscopic examination of samples from those days revealed some structures that were suspicious for developing stages. These data are a starting point for future work to advance our understanding of H. americanum transmission and mechanisms of disease in canids with ACH.
Untethered Soft Millirobot with Magnetic Actuation

This paper presents scalable designs and fabrication, actuation, and manipulation techniques for soft millirobots under uniform magnetic field control. The millirobots were fabricated through an economic and robust moulding technique using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filaments, and 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) rings. The soft millirobots were simple hollow rod-like structures with different configurations of embedded permanent magnets inside of their soft-body or at their ends. The soft-robots were actuated using six different motion modes including: pivot walking, rolling, tumbling, side-tapping, wiggling, and wavy-motion under an external uniform magnetic field control system. The velocities of the millirobots under different motion modes were analyzed under varying magnetic flux densities (B). Moreover, deformation of the soft-robotic body in response to the magnetic field strength was measured and a deflection curve showing bending angle (ϕ) was produced. Soft millirobots were navigated through a maze using a combination of the available motion modes. Different arrangements of the embedded permanent magnets enabled individual soft millirobots to respond heterogeneously under the same magnetic field inputs towards performing assembly and disassembly operation as modular subunits. Overall, this soft millirobot platform shows enormous potential for minimally invasive in vivo applications.
Lack of phenotypic variation despite population structure in larval utilization of pea aphids by populations of the lady beetle Hippodamia convergens

The convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens) is a generalist natural enemy that is utilized extensively in augmentative biological control across the United States. Recent studies have pointed to both genetic and phenotypic differences in Western (California) versus Eastern (Kansas) populations of the species. Here we investigate (1) genetic population structure, and (2) phenotypic differences in the utilization of pea aphids at temperatures that resemble the Western United States in (a) Eastern versus Western populations, (b) F1 Eastern X Western hybrids versus their progenitor populations, and investigate the effects of interaction between (c) Eastern and Western populations. We found no differences in final pupal weight, or the net weight gain ratio through larval development from the third instar to pupal stage, despite genetic population structure. Our study points towards plastic response and effectiveness in feeding phenotypes of Eastern and Western populations of H. convergens, and the absence of hybrid vigor and heterozygote advantages in hybrids.
Pre-registration: Weighing costs and benefits for researchers

Abstract In the past decade, the social and behavioral sciences underwent a methodological revolution, offering practical prescriptions for improving the replicability and reproducibility of research results. One key to reforming science is a simple and scalable practice: pre-registration. Pre-registration constitutes pre-specifying an analysis plan prior to data collection. A growing chorus of articles discusses the prescriptive, field-wide benefits of pre-registration. To increase adoption, however, scientists need to know who currently pre-registers and understand perceived barriers to doing so. Thus, we weigh costs and benefits of pre-registration. Our survey of researchers reveals generational differences in who pre-registers and uncertainty regarding how pre-registration benefits individual researchers. We leverage these data to directly address researchers’ uncertainty by clarifying why pre-registration improves the research process itself. Finally, we discuss how to pre-register and compare available resources. The present work examines the who, why, and how of pre-registration in order to weigh the costs and benefits of pre-registration to researchers and motivate continued adoption.
Restrictive deterrence and the scope of hackers’ reoffending: Findings from two randomized field trials

Abstract Extensive criminological research has investigated the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts to prevent offenders' reoffending and effect changes in criminal behavior patterns. However, no research has quantified the influence of gossip regarding law enforcement operations and its effect on repeat offending. Moreover, only scant research has studied these relationships in the cyber-environment. The current work addresses this gap by studying the effect of online messages sent to active hackers that describe law enforcement efforts against website defacement activity. In two field experiments, we randomly assigned self-identified hackers with active Facebook accounts into control and treatment groups. We then sent subjects in the treatment group a gossip message (via Facebook) alerting them to law enforcement efforts in cyberspace. Following the intervention, we compared the control and treatment groups in terms of changes in the proportion of reoffending, number of website defacements, and severity of website defacements. Findings reveal that when the gossip was sent to a hacker's private inbox, it prompted a reduction in the proportion of hackers who reoffend, the frequency at which they reoffend, and the severity of attacks they generate. However, posting similar gossip on the hacker's Facebook wall was ineffective in restricting malicious hacking activity. Theoretical implications and practical recommendations for law enforcement operations in cyberspace are discussed.
Impact of a biorational pesticide on the pecan aphid complex and its natural enemies

Abstract The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and the pecan aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) complex: black pecan aphid, Melanocallis caryaefoliae (Davis), blackmargined aphid, Monellia caryella (Fitch), and yellow pecan aphid, Monelliopsis pecanis Bissell are major pests of pecan production. Management is primarily based on chemical insecticides, and alternative control methods need to be explored. Prior field tests showed that the microbial insecticide Grandevo® (based on Chromobacterium subtsugae) can suppress C. caryae at similar rates to insecticides, and a laboratory test showed that Grandevo is toxic to M. caryaefoliae. However, it was unknown if Grandevo applications targeted towards C. caryae also impact the pecan aphid complex and aphid natural enemies. Hence, we initiated a field study to determine the impact of two rates of Grandevo (2.24 and 3.36 kg/ha) on aphid, Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) and Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) populations. Both Grandevo rates, in both years of the study, suppressed M. caryaefoliae in comparison to the negative control. Only the standard chemical insecticide regimen suppressed M. caryella and M. pecanis combined populations during both years of the experiment. In 2016, both Grandevo rates had more abundant natural enemy populations compared with the chemical insecticide regimen, and the higher Grandevo rate (3.36 kg/ha) had more natural enemies than the non-treated control. In 2017, all treatments had comparable populations of natural enemies. These findings suggest that a microbial insecticide can manage multiple insect pests while preserving the natural enemy community.
Dynamics of Complex Order Parameter After Photoexcitation

Upon photoexcitation, a symmetry-broken state can undergo a nonequilibrium phase transition through different pathways from those in thermal equilibrium. Determining the mechanism underlying these photoinduced phase transitions (PIPTs) has been a long-standing issue in the study of condensed matter systems, but many details in the ultrafast, non-adiabatic regime still remain to be clarified. Here, we study the light-induced melting of a unidirectional charge density wave (CDW) in LaTe3. Using three time-resolved probes – including ultrafast electron diffraction (UED), time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (tr-ARPES), and transient reflectivity – we independently track the amplitude and phase dynamics of the complex CDW order parameter. We find that a fast recovery of the CDW amplitude (∼1 ps) is followed by a slower reestablishment of phase coherence. This longer timescale is dictated by light-induced topological defects: long-range order is inhibited and is only restored when the defects annihilate. Our results offer a framework for understanding PIPTs by identifying the generation of defects as a governing mechanism.
Clinical Management of Hypertriglyceridemia in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Pancreatitis.

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is common and is a significant contributor to atherosclerosis and pancreatitis risk. Specific HTG treatments have had variable success in reducing atherosclerosis risk. Novel therapies for severe HTG treatment and pancreatitis risk reduction are likely to be available soon. These novel therapies are expected to have broader applications for more moderate HTG and atherosclerosis risk reduction as well. NHANES 2012 data has confirmed a reduction in average triglyceride (TG) levels in the US population. Dietary modification and weight reduction when needed remain the core treatment elements for all individuals with HTG, while statin therapy is a foundational pharmacologic care for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event risk reduction. In addition, the REDUCE-IT study provides evidence for additional benefit from the use of high-dose icosapent ethyl (IPE) on top of background medical therapy in adults with moderate HTG and ASCVD or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and additional ASCVD risk factors. However, treatment with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) combined with docosahexanoic acid (DHA) did not reduce ASCVD in a similar population studied in the STRENGTH trial. Furthermore, novel therapeutics targeting PPAR-ɑ, as well as ApoC-III and AngPTL3, effectively lower TG levels in individuals with moderate and severe HTG, respectively. These treatments may have applicability for reducing risk from ASCVD among individuals with chylomicronemia; in addition, ApoC-III and AngPTL3 treatments may have a role in treating individuals with the rare monogenic familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) at risk for acute pancreatitis (AP). Residual ASCVD risk in individuals treated with contemporary care may be due in part to non-LDL lipid abnormalities including HTG. The findings from REDUCE-IT, but not STRENGTH, confirm that consumption of high-dose EPA may reduce ASCVD risk, while combination therapy of EPA plus DHA does not reduce ASCVD in a similar population. TG lowering likely reduces ASCVD risk in individuals with HTG, but ASCVD risk is multifactorial; the added benefit of IPE to contemporary preventive therapy is the consequence of differential non-TG biologic properties between the two fatty acids. Acute pancreatitis is more difficult to study prospectively since it is less common; however, TG lowering is likely critical for the care of at-risk individuals. Additional benefit from novel therapy that has an impact on this otherwise refractory condition is anticipated.
Cesarean Scar Pregnancy Resection with Isthmocele Repair Utilizing Temporary Vascular Clips to Minimize Blood Loss

Study Objective To demonstrate an innovative technique utilizing temporary vascular clips during cesarean scar pregnancy resection. Design Case Report. Setting Operating room, dorsal lithotomy. Patients or Participants Patient presented with cesarean scar pregnancy on ultrasound. Interventions Laparoscopic resection of cesarean scar pregnancy with isthmocele repair. Temporary application of vascular clips. Measurements and Main Results Estimated blood loss 150. Successful removal of cesarean scar pregnancy, isthmocele repair. Conclusion Temporary vascular clips can be used to successfully minimize blood loss during cesarean scar pregnancy excision.
VARIABILITY OF LABORATORY RELATIVE DENSITY TEST RESULTS

FOURTEEN BUREAU OF RECLAMATION SOILS LABORATORIES CONDUCTED DUPLICATE MINIMUM,AND WET AND DRY METHOD MAXIMUM DENSITY TESTS ON A FINE AND A MEDIUM SAND. DATA WERE ANALYZED ON THE BASIS OF VARIATIONS BETWEEN LABORATORIES AND BETWEEN DUPLICATE TESTS. RESULTS INDICATED THAT (1) VARIATIONS BETWEEN LABORATORIES WERE TWO TO THREE TIMES GREATER THAN VARIATIONS BETWEEN DUPLICATE TESTS (2) VARIATIONS BETWEEN LABORATORIES FOR MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DENSITIES WERE THE SAME, OR LESS THAN, VARIATIONS REPORTED FOR IMPACT-TYPE COMPACTION TESTS AND (3) EXPRESSING THE DEGREE OF COMPACTION IN TERMS OF RELATIVE DENSITY, AS COMPARED TO PERCENT OF MAXIMUM DENSITY, REQUIRES USING DIFFERENT STANDARDS FOR BOTH THE LEVEL OF COMPACTION REQUIRED AND THE LIMITS WITHIN WHICH COMPACTION WOULD BE CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE. GRADATION TESTS ON THE TWO SANDS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED BY 16 LABORATORIES AND ANALYZED IN THE SAME MANNER. /AUTHOR/
Pecuniary Mistakes? Payday Borrowing by Credit Union Members

This chapter examines patterns of financial choices by a credit union’s members using transaction-level administrative data on checking, savings, and line-of-credit (LOC) accounts. We observe substantial payday loan use when cheaper sources of liquidity are available, resulting in average interest losses of about $88 over six and a half months. In addition, we find much higher levels of transaction activity by payday borrowing members than by other members, at half the average transaction dollar magnitude. These results are consistent with previous work identifying financial stress and decision-making challenges.
Who Needs Turbulence

The significant influences of turbulence in neutral fluid hydrodynamics are well accepted but the potential for analogous effects in space and astrophysical plasmas is less widely recognized. This situation sometimes gives rise to the question posed in the title; “Who need turbulence?” After a brief overview of turbulence effects in hydrodynamics, some likely effects of turbulence in solar and heliospheric plasma physics are reviewed here, with the goal of providing at least a partial answer to the posed question.
Persisting cold extremes under 21st‐century warming scenarios

Analyses of climate model simulations and observations reveal that extreme cold events are likely to persist across each land-continent even under 21st-century warming scenarios. The grid-based intensity, duration and frequency of cold extreme events are calculated annually through three indices: the coldest annual consecutive three-day average of daily maximum temperature, the annual maximum of consecutive frost days, and the total number of frost days. Nine global climate models forced with a moderate greenhouse-gas emissions scenario compares the indices over 2091 2100 versus 1991 2000. The credibility of model-simulated cold extremes is evaluated through both bias scores relative to reanalysis data in the past and multi-model agreement in the future. The number of times the value of each annual index in 2091 2100 exceeds the decadal average of the corresponding index in 1991 2000 is counted. The results indicate that intensity and duration of grid-based cold extremes, when viewed as a global total, will often be as severe as current typical conditions in many regions, but the corresponding frequency does not show this persistence. While the models agree on the projected persistence of cold extremes in terms of global counts, regionally, inter-model variability and disparity in model performance tends to dominate.more » Our findings suggest that, despite a general warming trend, regional preparedness for extreme cold events cannot be compromised even towards the end of the century.« less
Malware in IEEE 802.11 wireless networks

Malicious software (malware) is one of the largest threats facing the Internet today. In recent years, malware has proliferated into wireless LANs as these networks have grown in popularity and prevalence. Yet the actual effects of malware-related network traffic in open wireless networks has never been examined. In this paper, we provide the first study to quantify the characteristics of malware on wireless LANs. We use data collected from the large wireless LAN deployment at the 67th IETF meeting in San Diego, California as a case study. The measurements in this paper demonstrate that even a single infected host can have a dramatic impact on the performance of a wireless network.