cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mineralization of Clapper Rail Eggshell from a Contaminated Salt Marsh System

The effect of contamination on eggshell mineraliza- tion has been studied for clapper rails (Rallus longirostris) inhabiting a contaminated salt marsh in coastal Georgia. To assess the impact of contaminants, the thickness, microstruc- ture (crystal orientation), mineral composition, and chemistry of shell material were analyzed from a contaminated site and a nearby reference site using optical microscopy, X-ray diffrac- tion, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography with electron capture detector. Eggshells from the contaminated site were generally thinner than those from the reference site. Also, eggshells from the contaminated site were abnormally brittle and contained anomalous microstruc- tural attributes. The combination of reduced shell thickness and anomalous microstructure resulted in weaker eggshells, which in turn could pose a significant threat to the reproductive success of the affected population. PCB concentrations in eggshells were at background levels in both sites. Eggshells from the contaminated site had higher concentrations of heavy metals, specifically mercury, than the reference site. The struc- tural changes observed in eggshells may be related to the concentration of specific metals (e.g., Mg, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg) in shell, however, statistical analyses indicated that metals only explained a small portion of the observed variation in proper- ties (i.e., thickness, crystal orientation). Further analysis is required to better constrain the factors leading to unusually weak eggshells in the contaminated site.
Service Limitations for Oxidation Resistant Intermetallic Compounds

Oxidation resistant intermetallic compounds based on NiAl, TiAl, and MoSi2 are of interest for high temperature applications. Each system exhibits different life-limiting degradation modes due to oxidation. β-NiAl forms protective α-Al2O3 scales. Breakdown follows well-established diffusion controlled processes resulting in survival for thousands of hours. The effect of thermal cycling and spalling is well established. Ti3Al and TiAl compounds form less protective mixed TiO2 and A12O3 scales. However at realistic use temperatures (600°-800 °C), scale growth rates are acceptably low. The critical factor is embrittlement due to interstitial oxygen diffusion over a matter of hours. Solutions based on alloy development and coatings have not been satisfactory. MoSi2 materials exhibit very low oxidation rates at very high temperatures. However, low temperature (500°C) pest oxidation can be a catastrophic transient effect. Material integrity is a key factor. Fracture occurs because of accelerated growth of non-protective mixed MoO2-SiO2 scales in pores and microcracks.
FLUID MECHANICS AND HOMELAND SECURITY

Homeland security involves many applications of fluid mechanics and offers many opportunities for research and development. This review explores a wide selection of fluids topics in counterterrorism and suggests future directions. Broad topics range from preparedness and deterrence of impending terrorist attacks to detection, response, and recovery. Specific topics include aircraft hardening, blast mitigation, sensors and sampling, explosive detection, microfluidics and labs-on-a-chip, chemical plume dispersal in urban settings, and building ventilation. Also discussed are vapor plumes and standoff detection, nonlethal weapons, airborne disease spread, personal protective equipment, and decontamination. Involvement in these applications requires fluid dynamicists to think across the traditional boundaries of the field and to work with related disciplines, especially chemistry, biology, aerosol science, and atmospheric science.
Inhibition of P-glycoprotein-mediated transport by a hydrophobic contaminant in commercial gluconate salts.

The substitution of gluconate for Cl− is commonly used to characterize Cl− transport or Cl−-dependent transport mechanisms. We evaluated the effects of substituting gluconate for Cl− on the transpo...
Mechanotransduction of Neural Cells Through Cell–Substrate Interactions

Neurons and neural stem cells are sensitive to their mechanical and topographical environment, and cell-substrate binding contributes to this sensitivity to activate signaling pathways for basic cell functions. Many transmembrane proteins transmit signals into and out of the cell, including integrins, growth factor receptors, G-protein-coupled receptors, cadherins, cell adhesion molecules, and ion channels. Specifically, integrins are one of the main transmembrane proteins that transmit force across the cell membrane between a cell and its extracellular matrix, making them critical in the study of cell-material interactions. This review focuses on mechanotransduction, defined as the conversion of force a cell generates through cell-substrate bonds to a chemical signal, of neural cells. The chemical signals relay information via pathways through the cellular cytoplasm to the nucleus, where signaling events can affect gene expression. Pathways and the cellular response initiated by substrate binding are explored to better understand their effect on neural cells mechanotransduction. As the results of mechanotransduction affect cell adhesion, cell shape, and differentiation, knowledge regarding neural mechanotransduction is critical for most regenerative strategies in tissue engineering, where novel environments are developed to improve conduit design for central and peripheral nervous system repair in vivo.
Investigating Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases with Remote Sensing and GIS

For centuries, people have been intuitively aware of the relationships between human health and the environment. Today, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing satellites, and other technologies are providing scientists with the tools and the data to make clear the geographic relationships between the habitats of disease agents, their vectors and vertebrate hosts, and the occurrence of disease in the human population. Although the utility of the foregoing tools as an aid to epidemiology was pointed out 30 years ago (Cline 1970), the medical community has been slow to put them to use.
GAO vs. DCAA – And the Winner Is? …Contractors!

In July 2008, the Government Accountability Office issued the results of an investigation of hotline complaints of Defense Contract Audit Agency management inappropriately removing audit findings from audit reports. Since that time, the relationship between DCAA and contractors has changed. Some would argue for the better, some would argue for the worse. But one thing is clear, DCAA was caught between some in the Senate who wanted DCAA to be tougher on contractors, and some in the Pentagon who may have appeared to agree on the surface, but behind the scenes, may have desired the status quo.Over the last 18 months, DCAA has endured two GAO reports and a Department of Defense inspector general report that found shortcomings that stemmed from a reduction in staffing and an increased need for audits over the years. The mantra of “more with less” may have led to DCAA taking shortcuts in some instances.
Abundance and Distribution of the Steller Sea Lion

Observations of the Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubata , including hauling-out habits, seasonal movements, and aerial surveys in eastern Bering Sea from Bering Strait to and including the Aleutian Islands, are presented. Sea lions haul out during winter and spring, prior to the breeding season, in greater numbers in afternoon hours than in morning hours; few haul out during storms. The dearth of animals seen in the water during aerial surveys indicates that the great majority are hauled out during fair weather in the spring. The Pribilof Islands are the northernmost breeding grounds but a number of animals, probably adult and sub-adult males, migrate north in late summer and early fall. As many as 1,000 regularly reach St. Lawrence Island and a few reach Bering Strait. These animals move south again with the advance of ice in the fall but ice does not cause them to desert the Pribilof Islands. Certain hauling grounds within the breeding range are used seasonally. Aerial surveys of all Aleutian Islands and areas near the end of the Alaska Peninsula in 1959 and 1960 revealed 98 rookeries and hauling grounds with an estimated total of about 100,000 animals. The total world population of this species, based on the present report and on previously published data, is estimated to be about a quarter of a million animals.
Conducting Channel Formation in Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Field Effect Transistors: Bulk to Interface

The most critical step in fabricating solution-processed organic field effect transistors (OFETs) is the solidification process of the polymer solution at the polymer/gate dielectric interface, whe...
Modeling and Analysis for Steady-State Throughput of CMT Based on Bounded Receive Buffer

Concurrent Multipath Transfer(CMT)is a new transport protocol which uses the Stream Control Transmission Protocol's(SCTP)multihoming feature to distribute data across multiple end-to-end paths concurrently in SCTP's association,CMT have some advantage of aggregate bandwidth and improve the end-to-end throughput.According to the send window is whether or not affected by the receive window in the presence of bounded receive buffer,we propose a CMT's throughput model based on the correlation between send window and receive window in this paper.Firstly,we analyze the congestion window such as timeout stage,slow start stage and congestion avoidance stage in above two cases(namely,the send window is whether or not influenced by the receive window).Secondly,we propose a math expression of steady-state throughput about RTT,RTO and packet loss rates in CMT,which is able to accurately predict steady-state throughput of CMT in the presence of bounded receive buffer.Finally,simulation results show the effectiveness and accuracy of CMT's throughput model.
When Boom Goes Bust: Ruins, Crisis and Security in Megaengineering Diamond Mining in Angola

Amidst talk of a global market disaster, this article explores the social, legal, and cultural relevance of diamond mega-mining sites against a broader landscape of crisis. Specifically, it situates the economic hardships at local diamond mines within the historical debates involving political, economic and violent conflicts over Angolan sovereignty. Historically, diamond mines launched an era of corporate-planned residential settlements and domestic arrangements that are combined with strict, and at times patronizing, control of its workforce at the frontier of colonial sovereignty. In this laboratory of corporate-colonial rule, techniques of mining surveillance and the built environment were assembled and deployed in order to preserve commodity security and the organization and discipline of contracted pools of migrant and local populations. This chapter questions the contemporary resonances of this industrial-mining complex by drawing on ongoing ethnographic research at several mines in Angola. It suggests that while representing an institutional cut with the recent trajectory of Angolan diamonds, and a technological breakthrough with earlier twentieth-century mining projects, the mining compound of the new generation of mega-kimberlitic mines remains attentive to illicit circuits of commodity extraction and circulation. This situation exists because it regulates social interactions between miners and local populations. The productive value of “security”, the practice of law, and corporate techniques of control in diamond mines are considered as cultural constructs of the new rituals of corporate-state ideology. Going beyond the observation that “neo-liberal” mining projects are also models for quasi-sovereign apparatus of corporate governance. I argue instead that they act as a regime of space traversed by bodies, commodities, and immaterial forces, where notions and practices of social leverage and regulation are dialogically reinscribed betwixt and between corporate techniques of control and local idioms of social control.
Determination of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR Repeat Region Variations

DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR efficiently bind HIV-1 and other viral as well as nonviral pathogens and assist either cis or trans infection. Both are type II transmembrane proteins that consist of an N-terminal cytoplasmic domain, a repeat region consisting of seven 23-amino-acid tandem repeats, and a C-terminal C-type carbohydrate recognition domain that binds mannose-enriched carbohydrate modifications of host and pathogen proteins. The normal functions of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR include binding to ICAM-2 and ICAM-3. Binding of DC-SIGN to ICAM-2 on endothelial cells facilitates chemokine-induced dendritic cell extravasation; binding to ICAM-3 on T lymphocytes provides the initial step for establishing cell-mediated immunity. Based on the number of tandem repeats, DC-SIGNR is highly polymorphic in the repeat region, while variations in DC-SIGN repeat region are rare. A change in the number of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR repeats may influence their normal functions as well as their binding capacity to viral and nonviral pathogens. This chapter describes the methods for detection of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR repeat region variations by polymerase chain reaction.
Taking cancer drug screening very personally

The continued push towards precision oncology stems from the toxicities incurred by untailored use of chemotherapies and modest clinical inroads achieved from genetic signatures and patient-specific biomarkers. Although the use of patient-derived xenografts in preclinical models offers promise,
High performance transactions via early write visibility

In order to guarantee recoverable transaction execution, database systems permit a transaction's writes to be observable only at the end of its execution. As a consequence, there is generally a delay between the time a transaction performs a write and the time later transactions are permitted to read it. This delayed write visibility can significantly impact the performance of serializable database systems by reducing concurrency among conflicting transactions.This paper makes the observation that delayed write visibility stems from the fact that database systems can arbitrarily abort transactions at any point during their execution. Accordingly, we make the case for database systems which only abort transactions under a restricted set of conditions, thereby enabling a new recoverability mechanism, early write visibility, which safely makes transactions' writes visible prior to the end of their execution. We design a new serializable concurrency control protocol, piece-wise visibility (PWV), with the explicit goal of enabling early write visibility. We evaluate PWV against state-of-the-art serializable protocols and a highly optimized implementation of read committed, and find that PWV can outperform serializable protocols by an order of magnitude and read committed by 3X on high contention workloads.
Two-metal versus one-metal mechanisms of lysine adenylylation by ATP-dependent and NAD(+)-dependent polynucleotide ligases.

Polynucleotide ligases comprise a ubiquitous superfamily of nucleic acid repair enzymes that join 3′-OH and 5′-PO4 DNA or RNA ends. Ligases react with ATP or NAD+ and a divalent cation cofactor to form a covalent enzyme-(lysine-Nζ)–adenylate intermediate. Here, we report crystal structures of the founding members of the ATP-dependent RNA ligase family (T4 RNA ligase 1; Rnl1) and the NAD+-dependent DNA ligase family (Escherichia coli LigA), captured as their respective Michaelis complexes, which illuminate distinctive catalytic mechanisms of the lysine adenylylation reaction. The 2.2-A Rnl1•ATP•(Mg2+)2 structure highlights a two-metal mechanism, whereby: a ligase-bound “catalytic” Mg2+(H2O)5 coordination complex lowers the pKa of the lysine nucleophile and stabilizes the transition state of the ATP α phosphate; a second octahedral Mg2+ coordination complex bridges the β and γ phosphates; and protein elements unique to Rnl1 engage the γ phosphate and associated metal complex and orient the pyrophosphate leaving group for in-line catalysis. By contrast, the 1.55-A LigA•NAD+•Mg2+ structure reveals a one-metal mechanism in which a ligase-bound Mg2+(H2O)5 complex lowers the lysine pKa and engages the NAD+ α phosphate, but the β phosphate and the nicotinamide nucleoside of the nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) leaving group are oriented solely via atomic interactions with protein elements that are unique to the LigA clade. The two-metal versus one-metal dichotomy demarcates a branchpoint in ligase evolution and favors LigA as an antibacterial drug target.
Early Cretaceous Pantanelliidae (Radiolaria) from Northwest Turkey

During Mesozoic time Turkey was situated within the Tethyan Realm. The stratigraphic section KEL of pelagic sequences on the Sakarya Continent (= SC) (northwest Turkey) is latest Tithonian-Berriasian in age based on radiolarians and co-occurring calpionellids and calcareous nannofossils. Section PEM, from fragmented slope deposits of SC, is defined as late Valanginian in age for the first time based on its radiolarians. Pantanelliids comprise approximately 25% of Berriasian and approximately 39% of late Valanginian radiolarian faunas in these sections. Two new genera, Cana and Denize, and six new species, Cana elegans, Cecrops anatolicus, Cecrops blomei, Cecrops (?) pessagnoi, Denize magnifica, and Gorgansium lingi are described.
Induced prodrug activation by conditional protein degradation.

Abstract Enzyme prodrug therapies hold potential as a targeted treatment option for cancer patients. However, off-target effects can be detrimental to patient health and represent a safety concern. This concern can be alleviated by including a failsafe mechanism that can abort the therapy in healthy cells. This feature can be included in enzyme prodrug therapies by use of conditional degradation tags, which degrade the protein unless stabilized. We call this process Degradation-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (DDEPT). Herein, we use traceless shielding (TShld), a mechanism that degrades a protein of interest unless it is rescued by the addition of rapamycin, to test this concept. We demonstrated that TShld rapidly yielded only native protein products within 1 h after rapamycin addition. The rapid protection phenotype of TShld was further adapted to rescue yeast cytosine deaminase, a prodrug converting enzyme. As expected, cell viability was adversely affected only in the presence of both 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) and rapamycin. We believe that the DDEPT system can be easily combined with other targeting strategies to further increase the safety of prodrug therapies.
Diffusion of Innovations: An Up-To-Date Review and Commentary

Research on the diffusion of innovations today represents one of the largest single areas of behavioral science research, but during the 1970s a number of criticisms have been directed at diffusion...
Mediating Parent Learning to Promote Social Communication for Toddlers with Autism: Effects from a Randomized Controlled Trial

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate effects of the Joint Attention Mediated Learning (JAML) intervention. Toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) aged 16–30 months (n = 144) were randomized to intervention and community control conditions. Parents, who participated in 32 weekly home-based sessions, followed a mediated learning process to target preverbal social communication outcomes (social visual synchrony, reciprocity, and responding and initiating forms of joint attention) throughout daily interactions. The analysis found post-intervention effects for all outcomes, with all except initiating joint attention sustaining 6 months post-intervention. Findings support the value of very early intervention targeting explicitly social functions of preverbal communication and of promoting active engagement in the learning process for both toddlers and parents.
Teaching Ophthalmoscopy to Medical Students (TOTeMS) (P04.250)

OBJECTIVE: Determine medical student preferences for learning the ocular fundus examination and assess their accuracy using different examination modalities. BACKGROUND: Learning direct ophthalmoscopy is challenging, and medical students and physicians often perform ophthalmoscopy poorly. Non-mydriatic ocular fundus photography offers an alternative to direct ophthalmoscopy for non-ophthalmologists. DESIGN/METHODS: First-year medical students (M1s) received training in direct ophthalmoscopy using anatomically- and optically-correct simulators and human volunteers. Subsequently, M1s were randomized to receive vs. not receive specific training on interpreting fundus photographs prior to accuracy assessments. Students9 preferences for each of the three methods and recognition of normal and abnormal fundus features were assessed. RESULTS: 119/138 (86%) M1s completed all required elements. For learning ophthalmoscopy, 85 (71%) preferred humans to simulators. For learning relevant features of the ocular fundus, 92 (77%) preferred photographs to simulators. Regarding accuracy, M1s correctly answered 3.7 more questions (out of 48 questions per modality) when using fundus photographs vs. using direct ophthalmoscopy on simulators (p CONCLUSIONS: Students preferred fundus photographs for both learning and examining the ocular fundus. Identification of ocular fundus features was more accurate on photographs compared to examination by direct ophthalmoscopy; this was further improved by training in interpreting fundus photographs. The increasing availability of non-mydriatic ocular fundus photography in non-ophthalmic settings may allow replacement of direct ophthalmoscopy in many clinical settings. Supported by: K23-EY019341, P30-EY06360, Research to Prevent Blindness. Disclosure: Dr. Kelly has nothing to disclose. Dr. Garza has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bruce has received personal compensation for activities with Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Bruce has received research support from Pfizer, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. Dr. Graubart has nothing to disclose. Dr. Newman has received personal compensation for activities with Santhera. Dr. Biousse has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Up To Date.
Distress tolerance: Associations with trauma and substance cue reactivity in low-income, inner-city adults with substance use disorders and posttraumatic stress

Cue reactivity has great potential to advance our understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder (SUD), and PTSD/SUD comorbidity. The present investigation examined distress tolerance (DT) with regard to trauma and substance cue reactivity. Participants included 58 low-income, inner-city adults (49.1% women; Mage = 45.73, SD = 10.00) with substance dependence and at least 4 symptoms of PTSD. A script-driven cue reactivity paradigm was utilized. Four DT measures were administered, including the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), Mirror-Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT), Breath-Holding Task (BH), and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT). Lower DT, as indexed by MTPT duration, was significantly predictive of greater levels of self-reported substance cravings/urges in response to trauma cues, above and beyond covariates. Lower DTS scores predicted lower levels of self-reported control/safety ratings in response to substance cues. None of the DT indices was significantly predictive of heart rate variability. Clinical and research implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
Adiabatic Limit, Heat Kernel and Analytic Torsion

We study the uniform behavior of the heat kernel under the adiabatic limit using microlocal analysis and apply it to derive a formula for the analytic torsion.
Betaine Synthesis as a Component of Osmoregulation

Betaine (glycine betaine) accumulates in salinized chenopods as a linear function of solute potential. Much evidence now indicates (a) that solute potential in the vacuole is lowered by accumulation of Na+, Cl- and organic anions; and (b) that betaine is mainly confined to the cytoplasm, where it acts as the major osmolyte. This solute compartmentation implies coordinated control of several distinct cellular processes during osmoregulation: ion transport, organic acid metabolism, and betaine synthesis. Recent major advances in understanding how osmoregulation is controlled in bacterial cells required knowledge of the proteins (transport systems and enzymes) responsible for the accumulation of intracellular solutes. Progress in understanding osmoregulation in higher plants will clearly benefit from identification of the proteins involved in ion transport, and synthesis of organic osmolytes such as betaine. Accordingly, we are seeking to understand the enzymes of betaine synthesis.
Depression screening as a quality indicator.

Objective Although practice guidelines for depression screening are evidence based, with their development relying on reviews of controlled studies, their adaptation and use as quality indicators have not been subject to rigorous study. This paper will therefore review the evidence supporting this practice. Methods A rational evaluation was carried out on both controlled studies and other sources of evidence related to the technical, clinical and policy assumptions underlying the use of depression screening guidelines as quality indicators. Results 1) Technical assumptions: depression screening could be used as a quality indicator. Current information technology does not allow accurate determination of who would benefit from being screened, whether they actually were screened, or the optimal percentage that should be screened. 2) Clinical assumptions: depression screening would improve outcomes. The evidence suggests that although depression screening might increase the diagnosis of depression, depressed patients so recognised tend to be less ill, less in need of treatment, or less likely to benefit from treatment, while screening, in the absence of other interventions, does not improve outcomes. 3) Policy assumptions: depression screening should be a focus of quality improvement. However, relative to other preventative measures, depression screening is a low priority. It does not meet usual cost‐effectiveness criteria. There are more robust interventions for depression (i.e. collaborative care) that could be a focus of quality improvement efforts. Conclusion Although routine depression screening may be an acceptable practice guideline, its use as a quality measure is not supported.
Phonon thermal conductance across GaN-AlN interfaces from first principles

The vibrational thermal conductances ($G$) across GaN-AlN interfaces are computed using a nonequilibrium Green's function formalism in the harmonic limit with bulk and interfacial interatomic force constants (IFCs) fully from density functional theory. Several numerical methods and supercell configurations are employed to examine the sensitivity of $G$ to variances of IFCs. In particular, the effects of supercell size, the enforcement of symmetry constraints, and truncation of IFCs near the interface, and atomic relaxation on phonon transmission and conductance are explored. Our fully first-principles calculations are compared with common approximations and measured $G$ values inferred from thermal conductivity measurements for GaN-AlN superlattices. Our calculated value, $G\ensuremath{\sim}300\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MW}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{K}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, is nearly half that from measurements. This discrepancy is critically analyzed in terms of the physical assumptions of the calculations and the derivation of the experimental values. This work provides guidelines to determine ``physically correct'' sets of interfacial IFCs from first principles for thermal conductance calculations using minimal computational resources. It also contributes toward developing predictive calculations and a more complete picture of thermal conduction across interfaces, a step toward first-principles multiscale thermal transport.
Systematic review of how Play Streets impact opportunities for active play, physical activity, neighborhoods, and communities.

Active play and physical activity are important for preventing childhood obesity, building healthy bones and muscles, reducing anxiety and stress, and increasing self-esteem. Unfortunately, safe and accessible play places are often lacking in under-resourced communities. Play Streets (temporary closure of streets) are an understudied intervention that provide safe places for children, adolescents, and their families to actively play. This systematic review examines how Play Streets impact opportunities for children and adolescents to engage in safe active play and physical activity, and for communities and neighborhoods. Methods for evaluating Play Streets were also examined. A systematic literature review was conducted in Academic Search Complete, CINHAL, PsycINFO, PubMED, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Peer-reviewed intervention studies published worldwide were included if they were published in English, through December 2017 and documented free-to-access Play Streets or other temporary spaces that incorporated a designated area for children and/or adolescents to engage in active play. Systematic data extraction documented sample, implementation, and measurement characteristics and outcomes. Of 180 reviewed abstracts, 6 studies met inclusion criteria. Studies were conducted in five different countries (n = 2 in U.S.), using mostly cross-sectional study designs (n = 4). Physical activity outcomes were measured in half of the studies; one used observational and self-report measures, and two used device-based and self-report measures. In general, Play Streets provided safe places for child play, increased sense of community, and when measured, data suggest increased physical activity overall and during Play Streets. Play Streets can create safe places for children to actively play, with promise of increasing physical activity and strengthening community. Given the popularity of Play Streets and the potential impact for active play, physical activity, and community level benefits, more rigorous evaluations and systematic reporting of Play Streets’ evaluations are needed.
Evaluation of Common Granular Activated Carbon Parameters for Trace Contaminant Removal

AbstractIt is well understood what properties of activated carbon are mostly responsible for removal of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) because MIB is a commonly studied trace organic contaminant. Five co...
A treatment approach for couples with disrupted sperm DNA integrity and recurrent ART failure

To test a novel method to select spermatozoa with high chromatin integrity. Specimens with high sperm chromatin fragmentation (SCF) were selected by density gradient selection (DGS) and microfluidic sperm sorting (MSS). Academic medical center. Ejaculates from consenting men were processed by DGS/MSS. Couples underwent ICSI cycles with spermatozoa processed by DGS/MSS. Clinical outcomes were evaluated after embryo transfer. SCF was measured by TUNEL. ICSI with spermatozoa selected by DGS and MSS was performed. Fertilization, embryo implantation, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between DGS and MSS. A total of 23 men had an average SCF of 20.7 ± 10%. After DGS and MSS, the SCF was 12.5 ± 5% and 1.8 ± 1%, respectively. In couples who underwent ICSI, the average SCF was 28.8 ± 9%, which fell to 21.0 ± 9% after DGS and 1.3 ± 0.7% after MSS. Four couples underwent 11 ICSI cycles with DGS and achieved one (25%) pregnancy that resulted in pregnancy loss. In four subsequent ICSI cycles with MSS, an ongoing clinical pregnancy rate of 50% was achieved. Five additional couples underwent 12 cycles of ICSI with DGS. After preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, 30.3% of the embryos were euploid. One pregnancy was achieved, resulting in pregnancy loss. With MSS, 31.5% of the embryos were euploid and 4 couples obtained a pregnancy. Finally, sixteen couples underwent 20 ICSI cycles solely with MSS at our center. Of these couples, 8 had failed 13 ICSI cycles with DGS elsewhere. These couples achieved an overall implantation of 34.5% (10/29) and a pregnancy rate of 58.8% (10/17). Microfluidic selection yielded spermatozoa with optimal genomic integrity and improved chances of obtaining a euploid conceptus.
Biological insights from self-perceived facial aging data of the UKBB participants

Abstract Genetic underpinnings of facial aging are still largely unknown. In this study, we leverage the statistical power of large-scale data from the UK Biobank and perform insilico analysis of genome-wide self-perceived facial aging. Functional analysis reveals significant over-representation of skin pigmentation and immune related pathways that are correlated with facial aging. For males, hair loss is one of the top categories that is highly significantly over-represented in the genetics data associated with self-reported facial aging. Our analysis confirms that genes coding for the extracellular matrix play important roles in aging. Overall, our results provide evidence that while somewhat biased, large-scale self-reported data on aging can be utilized for extracting useful insights into underlying biology, provide candidate skin aging biomarkers, and advance anti-aging skincare.
A Composite Extended Nearest Neighbor Model for Day-Ahead Load Forecasting

Day-ahead load forecasting is an important task for the reduction of electricity waste and efficient management of a smart grid. The electricity load profile data reveals the correlation of electricity load demand with weather condition, day type (working day or holiday), time of the day and season of the year. Thus the load forecasting problem has a high degree of complexity with consideration of those variables as input. To solve the problem of day-ahead short-term load forecasting (STLF), the proposed solution first classifies load profile data into different classes. To this end, a recent developed classification approach called extended nearest neighbor (ENN) algorithm is adopted. Then, a composite ENN model is proposed for day-ahead load forecasting. The composite ENN model consists of three individual ENN models which are combined together by tuned weight factors for predicting final forecasting output. Unlike other statistical and computational intelligence approaches, the composite ENN model predicts electricity load demand from the maximum gain of intra-class coherence. By exploiting intraclass coherence from the generalized class-wise statistic of all available training samples, the composite ENN algorithm is able to learn from global distribution and therefore improve the accuracy of load forecasting. The proposed method is validated on two case study: (i) Australian National Energy Market Data and (ii) Brookings, South Dakota, USA Data. For case study 1, mean absolute percent error (MAPE) of composite ENN based load forecasting is decreased by 44.68% compared to composite kNN based load forecasting and mean absolute error (MAE) is decreased by 45.52%. Similarly for case study 2, the decrease of MAPE and MAE values are 27.72% and 31.65% respectively.
Sustained Reductions in Overall and Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescribing at Primary Care Clinics in a Veterans Affairs Healthcare System Following a Multifaceted Stewardship Intervention.

BACKGROUND Most antibiotic prescribing is in outpatient settings. However, antibiotic stewardship has focused overwhelmingly on hospitalized patients. In a few studies, behavioral interventions decreased unnecessary outpatient prescribing against acute respiratory infections, but data are conflicting on sustained benefits after intervention discontinuation. METHODS We conducted a prospective, observational study in 7 primary care clinics, in which an intervention comprised of clinician education, peer comparisons, and computer decision support order sets was directed against all antibiotic prescribing. After 6 months, peer comparisons were discontinued. Antibiotic prescribing was compared in the baseline (January-June 2016), intervention (January-June 2017), and postintervention (January-June 2018) periods. RESULTS Mean antibiotic prescriptions significantly decreased from 76.9 (baseline) to 49.5 (intervention) and 56.3 (postintervention) per 1000 visits (35.6% and 26.8% reductions, respectively; P values < .001). The rate of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing (ie, antibiotic not indicated) decreased from 58.8% (baseline) to 37.8% (intervention) and 44.3% (postintervention) (35.7% and 24.7% decreases, respectively; P = .001 and P = .01). Overall, 19.9% (27/136), 36.6% (66/180), and 34.9% (67/192) of antibiotics were prescribed optimally (ie, antibiotics were indicated, and a guideline-concordant agent was prescribed for guideline-concordant duration) during the baseline, intervention, and postintervention periods, respectively (baseline vs intervention and postintervention, P = .001 and P = .003, respectively). Differences between intervention and postintervention periods in overall, unnecessary, or optimal antibiotic prescribing were not significant. CONCLUSIONS A multifaceted outpatient stewardship intervention achieved reductions in overall, unnecessary, and suboptimal antibiotic prescription rates, which were sustained for a year after components of the intervention were discontinued. There is opportunity for further improvement, as inappropriate and suboptimal prescribing remained common.
Inverse Design of Microresonator Dispersion for Nonlinear Optics

Inverse design optimizes microcavity structures for desired dispersion properties and fabrication constraints. We experimentally demonstrate robust control of cavity dispersion at the telecommunication band on foundry compatible photonic platform.
Graphical Interpretation of Wet Surface Evaporation Equations

Potential (wet surface) evaporation is the basis for many methods to estimate actual evaporation. Penman's (1948, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1948.0037) combination of energy budget with mass and energy transfer equations can be depicted on temperature‐vapor pressure graphs. Key to this depiction is two straight lines on the graph representing constant enthalpy of the air at measurement height and at the surface skin, with the gap between the lines representing a combination of aerodynamic resistance variables and available energy. The equations on which Penman based his formula are easily solved numerically (without need for Penman's famous assumption) for T0w, the temperature the surface would have if it was saturated, keeping all other variables constant. Wet surface evaporation is proportional to the vapor pressure difference between the measurement height and the surface skin. Equilibrium evaporation, based on the slope of the vapor pressure curve at T0w, is also easily represented in the graph. The difference between the correct wet surface evaporation rate and Penman's approximation is immediately visible on the graphs. The different wet surface evaporation rates are compared using data from a tropical savanna in Australia. Implications for the classic two‐component interpretation of Penman's equation are discussed.
A Hysteretic Q-learning Coordination Framework for Emerging Mobility Systems in Smart Cities.

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) can alleviate traffic congestion, air pollution, and improve safety. In this paper, we provide a decentralized coordination framework for CAVs at a signal-free intersection to minimize travel time and improve fuel efficiency. We employ a simple yet powerful reinforcement learning approach, an off-policy temporal difference learning called Q-learning, enhanced with a coordination mechanism to address this problem. Then, we integrate a first-in-first-out queuing policy to improve the performance of our system. We demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed approach through simulation and comparison with the classical optimal control method based on Pontryagin's minimum principle.
Italian Orientalism: Nationhood, Cosmopolitanism, and the Cultural Politics of Identity: by Fabrizio De Donno, Oxford, Peter Lang, 2019, 366 pp., £40.00 (paperback), ISBN 978 1788740203

In an introduction, an epilogue and two parts – which include seven chapters in total – Fabrizio De Donno’s Italian Orientalism offers an enlightening and well-documented analysis of Italy’s Orient...
The Display of Medical Information: Content, Format, and Subjective Experience:

Objectives:To address a gap in the literature by investigating the subjective experience of participants to the form and content of medical information displayed in a healthcare setting.Background:...
Self-Reported and Performance-Based Evaluations of Functional Status in Older Women With Breast Cancer.

Objectives To evaluate self-reported and performance-based functional status (FS) in older women with breast cancer according to stage and time of visit during treatment. Sample & setting 72 women with breast cancer aged 78 years or older and receiving any type of treatment at a midwestern outpatient clinic. Methods & variables FS was evaluated using grip strength, the Index of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), the instrumental ADLs (IADLs) scale, and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT). Mixed models were fit for grip strength and the TUGT, and generalized estimating equations were used to fit binary logistic regressions for the Index of ADLs and the IADLs scale. Continuous FS outcomes were evaluated using means and standard deviations. Results Cancer stage and time of visit did not affect self-reported or performance-based FS scores. Most participants were considered independent on the Index of ADLs, the IADLs scale, and the TUGT, which did not change significantly between visits. Self-reported measures revealed less impairment. Implications for nursing Monitoring FS using self-reported and performance-based measures can ensure that older patients receive timely support.
Dynamics of Two-Line Ship Towing/Mooring Systems: Bifurcations, Singularities of Stability Boundaries, Chaos

A methodology is developed for analysis and design of two-line towing and mooring (TLT/M) systems based on their nonlinear, horizontal-plane, slow-motion dynamics. The time evolution of the corresponding autonomous dynamical system is described in a six-dimensional state space. Branching diagrams identify supercritical pitchfork bifurcations and turning points which result in static loss of stability. TLT/Ms also exhibit Hopf bifurcations which result in dynamic loss of stability and periodic solutions. Stability charts are developed to show catastrophe sets and regions of qualitatively different dynamics. Thus, regions of hazardous dynamics and line breaking - such as unstable equilibrium, unstable limit cycle, and chaotic dynamics - are identified. Theoretical conclusions are verified by numerical simulations of tanker and barge TLT/Ms. Based on this methodology, only a limited number of simulations of tanker and barge TLT/Ms. Lines can be selected then to complement - rather than counter - each other and allow the system to attain a safe equilibrium.
Genetic Data and Civil Rights

Well-settled legal doctrines prohibit employers from discriminating against job applicants on the basis of physical characteristics such as race, sex, age or disability. However, the full implications of genetic testing were inconceivable during the promulgation of those doctrines. Technological advancements and social trends in the interpretation of genetic testing create the need to further delineate the legal boundaries of the employer’s power to make hiring decisions on the basis of genetic information. Although the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) took effect in 2009, there continues to be a steady increase in the reported instances of genetic discrimination. This Article argues that GINA should be strengthened with the addition of a disparate impact cause of action. Currently, Section 208 of GINA explicitly prohibits disparate impact as a cause of action but that same section mandates the establishment of the Genetic Non-Discrimination Study Commission which is charged to start examining the developing science of genetics in 2014 and which will recommend to Congress whether to provide a disparate impact cause of action for GINA. This Article finds support for the addition of a disparate impact clause to GINA for the following reasons: 1) Ease of access to genetic testing and the insecurity of genetic information has increased the likelihood of genetic discrimination in employment; 2) The addition of a disparate impact clause is in line with the precedent set by prior employment discrimination laws; 3) The EEOC has declared that proof of deliberate acquisition of genetic discrimination is not necessary to establish a violation of GINA, likewise, proof of intent to discriminate should not be required to demonstrate that there has been genetic discrimination; 4) And finally, real world instances of genetic testing have shown that facially neutral testing may result in racial disparities.
Lunar surface structural concepts and construction studies

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: lunar surface structures construction research areas; lunar crane related disciplines; shortcomings of typical mobile crane in lunar base applications; candidate crane cable suspension systems; NIST six-cable suspension crane; numerical example of natural frequency; the incorporation of two new features for improved performance of the counter-balanced actively-controlled lunar crane; lunar crane pendulum mechanics; simulation results; 1/6 scale lunar crane testbed using GE robot for global manipulation; basic deployable truss approaches; bi-pantograph elevator platform; comparison of elevator platforms; perspective of bi-pantograph beam; bi-pantograph synchronously deployable tower/beam; lunar module off-loading concept; module off-loader concept packaged; starburst deployable precision reflector; 3-ring reflector deployment scheme; cross-section of packaged starburst reflector; and focal point and thickness packaging considerations.
Microheater multilayer interference to reduce thermal emission for low photon number luminescence measurement

Under low light conditions, high temperature measurements of luminescence are limited by the overlap of the thermal emission spectra and the luminescent emission spectra being measured. A solution to this is to have a heat source that can be designed not to emit in a certain wavelength range(s) by coating it with an interference multilayer. The multilayer effectively changes the emissivity of the heat source. Microheaters made from aluminum oxide platforms with platinum heating elements were coated with aluminum oxide and titanium oxide multilayers. This multilayer structure was used to measure the thermoluminescence of CaSO 4 :Ce,Tb up to 420°C. They also showed a thermal emission background 800 times lower at 600°C than the same microheater with no multilayer structure.
From Education to Application and Back: Archival Literature and an Electronic Records Curriculum

Literature relating to the archival administration of electronic records is growing rapidly and becoming increasingly rich and diverse. With reference to key texts, the author examines some of the functions this literature needs to play in electronic records instruction, particularly at the graduate level. She then discusses some of the current limitations of the literature and offers suggestions on how these might be overcome, particulary through the use of electronic information systems technology.