cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increasing energy and protein use efficiency improves opportunities to decrease land use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions from dairy production

Abstract The objectives of this study were to construct a farm-scale diet optimization model to identify opportunities to reduce land use, water use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within dairy production systems and to assess how improved energy and protein use efficiency affect opportunities to reduce these environmental impacts (EI) of dairy production systems. Non-linear programming was used to adjust monthly diets fed to 10 cattle groups to minimize EI associated with an average United States dairy farm. System boundaries extended from the inputs to the cropping system to the dairy farm gate. The effects of improved feed efficiency were modeled as a 15% decrease in maintenance energy or metabolizable protein requirements. Least-cost optimization was used as a baseline. A total of 28 scenarios were simulated which varied in objective, biological efficiency, and allowable cost increase. Objectives included minimizing land, water, or GHG emissions individually or all together. Biological efficiencies reflected either currently achieved efficiencies, improved energy efficiency, improved protein efficiency or improved energy and protein efficiency. Allowable cost increases were adjusted from 1% to 20% above baseline. Baseline land use (1.20 m2/kg milk), water use (1.10 m3/kg) and GHG emissions (0.70 kg CO2e/kg) agreed with established values for U.S. dairies. Within the allowable cost range, EI metrics could be simultaneously reduced by 4.4 to 25.5%. When both energy and protein efficiency were improved, land use, water use, and GHG emission reductions ranged from 23.4 to 35.5%. Diminishing environmental returns to cost increases were apparent. Cost of achieving a 25% reduction in the environmental impacts considered in this study was decreased 78.9% when energy and protein efficiency improved compared with the national average production efficiency scenario. Improving energy- and protein-use efficiency of dairy cattle represents a promising way to reduce land use, water use, and GHG emissions without sacrificing profitability.
Direct measurement of relative permeability in rocks from unsteady-state saturation profiles

Abstract We develop a method to measure liquid relative permeability in rocks directly from transient in situ saturation profiles during gravity drainage experiments. Previously, similar methods have been used for sandpacks; here, this method is extended to rocks by applying a slight overpressure of gas at the inlet. Relative permeabilities are obtained in a 60 cm long vertical Berea sandstone core during gravity drainage, directly from the measured unsteady-state in situ saturations along the core at different times. It is shown that for obtaining relative permeability using this method, if certain criteria are met, the capillary pressure of the rock can be neglected. However, it is essential to use a correct gas pressure gradient along the core. This involves incorporating the pressure drop at the outlet of the core due to capillary discontinuity effects. The method developed in this work obtains relative permeabilities in unsteady-state fashion over a wide range of saturations quickly and accurately.
The registration of false teeth and the others

The quality control of false teeth should include the control for designing and processing. The registration of false teeth should emphasize particularly on the qualification of the makers, technology management, quality control and the labeling.
ONCOGENES IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

SUMMARY The evolving knowledge of the actions and interactions of (pro-to)oncogenes in cancer has deeply influenced the understanding of other nonmalignant diseases. In RA, the longstanding pathohistologic evidence of transformed-appearing synovial cells at the site of bone and cartilage attachment and joint destruction can now be explained in terms of alterations of cell regulation, cell cycle, and apoptotically triggered cell death. The detection of upregulated oncogenes and their gene products at these sites supported the hypothesis of an aberrant synovial cell type invading the joint. Interestingly, there are hints that this transformation of synovial cells may require more than one activated oncogene. 46 A model was introduced by Carson and Ribero in 1993.HJ In this model, a primary stimulus affects the cell and leads to the enhanced transcription of an oncogene (i.e., c-myc). A second stimulus activates other oncogenes and determines if this cell (i.e., a synovial fibroblast) proliferates (marked by the presence of bcl-2 mRNA) or undergoes apoptosis (marked by fas mRNA and Fas expression at the cell surface). This coupregulation might explain why some investigators could not detect a significant upregulation of oncogenes in cultured synovial fibroblasts devoid of their normal milieu.’ Based on the results of the specific activity of Fas and perform 36 , 37 , 51 and recent data from our laboratory, 62 we have modified Carson's model to include these data (Fig. 3). As there exists an established retroviral model in which the tax sequence of the HTLV retrovirus 21 initiates central oncogene transcription similar to those activated in RA, 32 the retroviral particles, which do not resemble any other known retrovirus but are detectable in the synovial fluid, 82 might well be an important stimulus in the pathogenesis of RA. To simplify the puzzling events of oncogene interactions in RA, 23 we have summarized the data and propose that an oncogene network acts as a pathogenetic mechanism in the synoviocytes of the rheumatoid joint. Similar to the “cytokine network” regulating the T-cell-dependent pathway, the “oncogene network” is presumably the major T-cell-independent pathway in RA (Fig. 4).
Supravalvular aortic stenosis.

Summary Supravalvular aortic stenosis may occur in several different anatomical forms. It is now recognized that this lesion is a part of a syndrome which is characterized in many instances by mental retardation, peculiar facies, specific dental anomalies, and peripheral pulmonary stenosis. Left heart catheterization and aortography allow an accurate diagnosis and the important features of this have been discussed. Complete relief of this form of aortic stenosis may be obtained by surgical correction employing cardiopulmonary bypass. The results in 2 cases were gratifying.
Sacred and Secular

Sacred and Secular is essential reading for anyone interested in comparative religion, sociology, public opinion, political behavior, political development, social psychology, international relations, and cultural change.
Have the Mobile Coupon Preferences of Millennials Changed

In 2007, the authors delivered a web-based survey to a sampling frame of 18 to 30 year olds. Choice-based conjoint analysis was used to determine their local coupon preferences. The findings indica...
Tensor decomposition and nonlocal means based spectral CT reconstruction

As one of the state-of-the-art detectors, photon counting detector is used in spectral CT to classify the received photons into several energy channels and generate multichannel projection simultaneously. However, the projection always contains severe noise due to the low counts in each energy channel. How to reconstruct high-quality images from photon counting detector based spectral CT is a challenging problem. It is widely accepted that there exists self-similarity over the spatial domain in a CT image. Moreover, because a multichannel CT image is obtained from the same object at different energy, images among channels are highly correlated. Motivated by these two characteristics of the spectral CT, we employ tensor decomposition and nonlocal means methods for spectral CT iterative reconstruction. Our method includes three basic steps. First, each channel image is updated by using the OS-SART. Second, small 3D volumetric patches (tensor) are extracted from the multichannel image, and higher-order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) is performed on each tensor, which can help to enhance the spatial sparsity and spectral correlation. Third, in order to employ the self-similarity in CT images, similar patches are grouped to reduce noise using the nonlocal means method. These three steps are repeated alternatively till the stopping criteria are met. The effectiveness of the developed algorithm is validated on both numerically simulated and realistic preclinical datasets. Our results show that the proposed method achieves promising performance in terms of noise reduction and fine structures preservation.
Restricting Insider Access Through Efficient Implementation of Multi-Policy Access Control Systems

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has standardized an access control approach, Next Generation Access Control (NGAC), that enables simultaneous instantiation of multiple access control policies. For large complex enterprises this is critical to limiting the authorized access of insiders. However, the specifications describe the required access control capabilities but not the related algorithms. While appropriate, this leave open the important question as to whether or not NGAC is scalable. Existing cubic reference implementations indicate that it does not. For example, the primary NGAC reference implementation took several minutes to simply display the set of files accessible to a user on a moderately sized system. To solve this problem we provide an efficient access control decision algorithm, reducing the overall complexity from cubic to linear. Our other major contribution is to provide a novel mechanism for administrators and users to review allowed access rights. We provide an interface that appears to be a simple file directory hierarchy but in reality is an automatically generated structure abstracted from the underlying access control graph that works with any set of simultaneously instantiated access control policies. Our work thus provides the first efficient implementation of NGAC while enabling user privilege review through a novel visualization approach. These capabilities help limit insider access to information (and thereby limit information leakage) by enabling the efficient simultaneous instantiation of multiple access control policies.
Academy working to improve quality in children's health care

Buzzwords appear periodically on the medical radar screen. They occur in the context of new approaches (especially to old problems) or new ways of looking at the world. ![Figure][1] Dr. Berkowitz Sometimes buzzwords represent euphemisms — we re-engineer instead of fire. Sometimes we
Mechanical Performance of Graphene-Based Artificial Nacres under Impact Loads: A Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamic Study

Inspired by the hierarchical structure and outstanding mechanical performance of biological nacre, we propose a similar multi-layered graphene–polyethylene nanocomposite as a possible lightweight material with energy-absorbing characteristics. Through coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we study the mechanical performance of the nanocomposite under spall loading. Results indicate that the polymer phase can serve as a cushion upon impact, which substantially decreases maximum contact forces and thus inhibits the breakage of covalent bonds in the graphene flakes. In addition, as the overlap distance in graphene layers increases, the energy absorption capacity of the model increases. Furthermore, the polymer phase can serve as a shield upon impact to protect the graphene phase from aggregation. The dependence of mechanical response on the size of impactors is also explored. Results indicate that the maximum contact force during the impact depends on the external surface area of impactors rather than the density of impactors and that the energy absorption for all model impactors is very similar. Overall, our findings can provide a systematic understanding of the mechanical responses on graphene–polyethylene nanocomposites under spall loads.
How Has CDER Prepared for the Nano Revolution? A Review of Risk Assessment, Regulatory Research, and Guidance Activities.

The Nanotechnology Risk Assessment Working Group in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) within the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was established to assess the potential impact of nanotechnology on drug products. One of the working group’s major initiatives has been to conduct a comprehensive risk management exercise regarding the potential impact of nanomaterial pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients on drug product quality, safety, and efficacy. This exercise concluded that current review practices and regulatory guidance are capable of detecting and managing the potential risks to quality, safety, and efficacy when a drug product incorporates a nanomaterial. However, three risk management areas were identified for continued focus during the review of drug products containing nanomaterials: (1) the understanding of how to perform the characterization of nanomaterial properties and the analytical methods used for this characterization, (2) the adequacy of in vitro tests to evaluate drug product performance for drug products containing nanomaterials, and (3) the understanding of properties arising from nanomaterials that may result in different toxicity and biodistribution profiles for drug products containing nanomaterials. CDER continues to actively track the incorporation of nanomaterials in drug products and the methodologies used to characterize them, in order to continuously improve the readiness of our science- and risk-based review approaches. In parallel to the risk management exercise, CDER has also been supporting regulatory research in the area of nanotechnology, specifically focused on characterization, safety, and equivalence (between reference and new product) considerations. This article provides a comprehensive summary of regulatory and research efforts supported by CDER in the area of drug products containing nanomaterials and other activities supporting the development of this emerging technology.
Modulation of Protein Stability: Targeting the VHL Pathway

Inactivation of the von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL) has been linked to a variety of tumors such as renal cell carcinoma, pheochromocytomas, and cerebellar hemangioblastomas. The best characterized of its many proposed functions is the ability to downregulate hypoxia-inducible factor-α (HIFα) subunits. Inactivation of pVHL and its ubiquitin ligase activity result in the stabilization of HIFα subunits and the transactivation of HIF target genes. Therapeutic approaches that restore pVHL action or inhibit HIF transcriptional activity remain unrealized and will likely remain a therapeutic challenge. Several pVHL independent pathways that alter HIFα protein stability have recently been identified, and the availability of inhibitors in clinical trials makes these pathways attractive for further investigation.
Soluble Prefusion Closed DS-SOSIP.664-Env Trimers of Diverse HIV-1 Strains

The elicitation of autologous neutralizing responses by immunization with HIV-1 envelope (Env) trimers conformationally stabilized in a prefusion closed state has generated considerable interest in the HIV-1 vaccine field. However, soluble prefusion closed Env trimers have been produced from only a handful of HIV-1 strains, limiting their utility as vaccine antigens and B cell probes. Here, we report the engineering from 81 HIV-1 strains of soluble, fully cleaved, prefusion Env trimers with appropriate antigenicity. We used a 96-well expression-screening format to assess the ability of artificial disulfides and Ile559Pro substitution (DS-SOSIP) to produce soluble cleaved-Env trimers; from 180 Env strains, 20 yielded prefusion closed trimers. We also created chimeras, by utilizing structure-based design to incorporate select regions from the well-behaved BG505 strain; from 180 Env strains, 78 DS-SOSIP-stabilized chimeras, including 61 additional strains, yielded prefusion closed trimers. Structure-based design thus enables the production of prefusion closed HIV-1-Env trimers from dozens of diverse strains.
Diversity of the midstream urine microbiome in adults with chronic kidney disease

To examine the characteristics of the midstream urine microbiome in adults with stage 3–5 non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] 50% reads) by the genera Corynebacterium (n = 11), Staphylococcus (n = 9), Streptococcus (n = 7), Lactobacillus (n = 7), Gardnerella (n = 7), Prevotella (n = 4), Escherichia_Shigella (n = 3), and Enterobacteriaceae (n = 2); the rest lacked a dominant genus. The samples had high levels of diversity, as measured by the inverse Simpson [7.24 (95% CI 6.76, 7.81)], Chao [558.24 (95% CI 381.70, 879.35)], and Shannon indices [2.60 (95% CI 2.51, 2.69)]. Diversity measures were generally higher in participants with urgency urinary incontinence and higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). After controlling for demographics and diabetes status, microbiome diversity was significantly associated with estimated eGFR (P < 0.05). The midstream voided urine microbiome of older adults with stage 3–5 non-dialysis-dependent CKD is diverse. Greater microbiome diversity is associated with higher eGFR.
Practical Aspects of Quantum Monte Carlo for the Electronic Structure of Molecules

A family of quantum chemical methods under the common name “quantum Monte Carlo” are reviewed. QMC is one of the most powerful theoretical frameworks that can be applied to the problems of electronic structure theory. Theoretical and practical aspects of variational Monte Carlo and diffusion Monte Carlo approaches are discussed in detail due to their computational feasibility, robustness and quality of results. Several factors that contribute to the systematic improvement of the accuracy of QMC calculations are considered, including selection of accurate and flexible forms of the trial wave function and strategies for optimizing parameters within these trial functions. We also provide an analysis of the scaling properties that govern the growth of computational expense of QMC simulations for molecules of increasing size. Linear scaling algorithms for QMC are emphasized. Consideration of parallel efficiency is especially important in the view of proliferation of high-performance computing facilities, where the potential of QMC can be used to its fullest.
The MOMS (Making Our Mothers Stronger) Project: A Culturally Tailored Parenting Intervention for Mothers Living with HIV in the Southern USA

The southeastern region of the United States has had the highest increase of new HIV/AIDS cases among all regions in the country and now has the highest incidence of HIV-positive women. The MOMS (Making Our Mothers Stronger) Project was a randomized, controlled behavioral trial that aimed to improve functioning of families affected by HIV by reducing childbearing stressors among HIV-positive mothers. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two intervention conditions: a Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)-based intervention (focused on reducing parenting stress) or an attention-control intervention (focused on reducing health-related stress). The parenting intervention focused on building four key skills: communicating clearly and effectively with their children, using positive and negative consequences with their children to effectively change child’s behavior, enjoying their children more by finding ways to build quality time together into their normal routine, and taking care of themselves so they can best care for their children. Post intervention, there was significant decline in parenting-related stress in both the intervention conditions. Implications and future directions based on study findings are discussed.
The impact of post-discharge follow-up calls on 30-day hospital readmissions in neurosurgery

Background: Hospital readmissions that occur within 30 days of the initial hospital stay are costly and potentially avoidable. Studies have shown that in addition to patients’ discharge instructions and education, follow-up calls post-discharge can significantly reduce readmission that occurs within 30 days of the initial hospital stay. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of nurse follow-up calls conducted in the neurosurgery service for discharged patients between October 2017 and February 2018 in reducing readmissions that occur within 30 days of initial hospital stay. Methods: An audit was initially conducted to assess compliance with conducting follow-up calls. Weekly discharge reports were used to check if patients received a follow-up call within 24–48h post-discharge. To capture the nurses’ feedback on follow-up calls, an anonymous survey was administered. Medical insurance claims data, also known as claims-based data in the American health care system, were reviewed and analyzed to assess whether there was any difference in number of days from initial discharge to readmission between patients who received a follow-up call and those who did not. Results: Results based on a multivariable regression model indicated that patients who received a follow-up call after they were discharged from initial admission stayed out of hospital longer (incidence-rate ratio = 1.54, 95% CI = [1.13, 2.10], p = 0.006) compared to those that did not receive a follow-up call. Conclusion: Readmitted patients who received post-discharge follow-up calls had significant improvements in the length of time out of the hospital. Future development could include developing additional call strategies.
Partial Substitution of Red Blood Cells with Free Hemoglobin Solution Does Not Improve Maximal O2 Uptake of Working In Situ Dog Muscle

It has been proposed (Gayeski at al., 1987; Honig and Gayeski, 1 993) that the O2 carrier-free region between the erythrocyte and the myocyte sarcolemma, which would include the plasma space, may serve as the major source of resistance to the diffusion of oxygen. Federspiel and Popel (1986) have suggested, using theoretical modeling, that the flux of O2 from a red blood cell through the capillary wall is limited to the near vicinity of the red blood cell, and that O2 diffusion contributes negligibly to overall O2 flux out of the capillary in the plasma spaces between erythrocytes.
CargoLifter - Ein Misserfolg mit schlummerndem Technologiepotential?

Ferdinand Graf Zeppelin gilt als Pionier einer langen Geschichte der Luftschiffe, die Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts ihren Anfang nahm. Durch seine Bemuhungen entstand 1898 der Prototyp eines ersten Zeppelin, dem LZ 1 und es folgten schnell kontinuierli-che Weiterentwicklungen. Mit dem LZ 6 wurden erstmals Menschen mit einem Luft-schiff auch uber weite Strecken befordert. Die Verkehrsluftschifffahrt entwickelte sich mit Linienflugen innerhalb Deutschlands, Europas sowie uber den Atlantik und ver-zeichnete schlieslich sogar eine Erdumrundung. Neben Passagieren hatten die Luftschiffe ebenso Post und Frachtgut an Bord. Die Leichter-als-Luft-Technologie war erfolgreich und es herrschte eine grose Begeisterung fur deren Anwendung. Sogar als Flugzeugtrager wurden Luftschiffe in den 30er Jahren zwischenzeitlich verwendet. Die Hindenburg-Katastrophe beendete 1937 die bis dahin erfolgreiche Wachstumsge-schichte der Technologie. Verwendung fand die Luftschifftechnologie dennoch auch im Anschluss im militarischen Bereich, wo sie fur Aufklarungsfluge und fur Bomben-angriffe im zweiten Weltkrieg genutzt wurde. Auch im Kalten Krieg gab es eine mili-tarische Verwendung zur See- und Luftraumuberwachung durch die Amerikaner. Die Entwicklung von alternativen Fluggeraten wie leistungsfahigen Hubschraubern und Langstreckenflugzeugen fuhrten allerdings zu einer Ablosung der Technologie. Seither finden Luftschiffe vor allem im Bereich der Werbung, fur Rundfluge und fur die Er-stellung von Luftbildaufnahmen ihren Einsatz. Erst die Grundung der CargoLifter AG und der Bau der weltweit grosten Werfthalle in Brandenburg brachten um die Jahr-tausendwende neuen Schwung in die Weiterentwicklung der Luftschifftechnologie.
Effects of insecticides applied in-furrow with superabsorbent polymer on peanut cultivars infected with Tomato spotted wilt virus

ABSTRACT Spotted wilt of peanut (SWP) (Arachis hypogaea L.) caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV; family Tospoviridae, genus Orthotospovirus) is a common disease that causes severe economic lo...
Design hierarchy guided multilevel circuit partitioning

In this paper, we present a new multilevel circuit partitioning algorithm (dhml) which is guided by design hierarchy. In addition to flat netlist hypergraph, we use user design hierarchy as a hint for partitioning because it already has some implications on connectivity information between logical blocks in the design. Using design hierarchy in partitioning is nontrivial since hierarchical elements in design hierarchy does not necessarily have strong internal connectivity, hence we need to determine whether it is preferable to break up or preserve the hierarchical elements. In order to identify and select the hierarchical elements with strong connectivity, Rent exponent is used. Then, the selected hierarchical elements are used as effective clustering scopes during multilevel coarsening phase. The scopes are dynamically updated (enlarged) while building up a clustering tree so that the clustering tree resembles the densely connected portions of the design hierarchy.We tested our algorithm on a set of large industrial designs in which the largest one has 1.8 million cells, 2.8 million nets, and 11 levels of hierarchy. By exploiting design hierarchy, our algorithm produces higher quality partitioning results than the state-of-the-art multilevel partitioner hMetis [7]. Furthermore, experimental results show that dhml yields significantly more stable solutions, which is helpful in practice to reduce the number of runs to obtain the best result.
The relationship between TIGIT + regulatory T cells and autoimmune disease

The role of regulatory T cells (Treg cell) in controlling autoimmune disease is an area of intense study. As such, the characterization and understanding the function of Treg markers has the potential to provide a considerable impact in developing treatments and understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. One such inhibitory Treg cell marker that has been recently discovered is T cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT). In this review, we discuss what is known about the expression and function of TIGIT on Treg cells, and we discuss the relationship between TIGIT expressing Treg cells and different autoimmune diseases such as atopic dermatitis, autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, autoimmune uveitis, aplastic anemia, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, arthritis, and colitis.
Dietary substitution of soybean oil with coconut oil in the absence of dietary antibiotics supports growth performance and immune function in nursery and grower pigs

We hypothesized that supplementation of nursery and grower pig diets with coconut oil in the absence of antibiotics would yield maintenance of glucose homeostasis, growth performance, and immune function similar to what is achieved with nursery and grower pig diets containing antibiotics. Pigs received the same base treatment diets from d24 (weaning) to d71 of age and had blood and fecal samples collected on d24, d31, d45 and d71 for measurement of whole blood glucose, serum insulin, cortisol and cytokines, and fecal microbiome. Pigs had weekly weights and daily feed consumption measured throughout the study. Animals were euthanized at d71 and subcutaneous fat and ileal contents were collected for assessment for fatty acids and microbiome, respectively. Diet treatments consisted of 2% soybean oil plus antibiotics (ABX; n = 22), 2% soybean oil without antibiotics (NABX; n = 22), and 2% coconut oil without antibiotics (COC; n = 22). Statistical analysis examined the effect of diet within each timepoint using a repeated measures ANOVA. Pigs fed COC diet had decreased serum insulin levels, maintained feed intake, feed conversion and weight gain, and, based on serum cytokines and fecal microbiome, were immunologically similar to ABX-fed pigs. However, NABX-fed pigs performed similarly to the ABX-fed pigs in all parameters except for serum cytokines. Additionally, there was no difference in the incidence of diarrhea between any of the diet treatments. This study demonstrates that dietary antibiotics are not necessary to maintain growth performance in nursery and grower pigs. However, dietary antibiotics appear to modulate circulating cytokine levels. Dietary coconut oil is neither harmful nor helpful to growth performance or immune function in nursery and grower pigs but does modulate serum insulin levels. Therefore, while coconut oil fed at 2% by weight is a suitable substitute for dietary antibiotics, this study suggests that no substitute for dietary antibiotics is needed at all.
Weighted rectilinear min-sum distance problem and its generalization

The Weighted Rectilinear Min-Sum Distance Problem is a problem in optimization: given a finite set of points $S = \{p_i\}_{i=0}^{n-1} \subset R^d$ that might represent client locations, and a set of positive numbers $\{w_i\}_{i=0}^{n-1}$ that might represent the relative importances of efficient deliveries to the respective client locations $p_i$, find a point $p_* \in R^d$ such that the total of the weighted rectilinear distances, $\sum_{i=0}^{n-1} w_i l_1^d (p_i, p_*)$, is minimized, where $l_1^d$ is the $l_1$ or ``city block" metric in the Euclidean $d$-dimensional space $R^d$. A flawed sequential solution to this problem is given in~[10]. %~\cite{Z-W}. In this paper, we discuss improvements that can be made in the presentation of~[10], % ~\cite{Z-W}, and we give a parallel implementation of our algorithm. We also present a solution to a generalization of the Weighted Rectilinear Min-Sum Distance Problem.
A Public Health Framework for Preventing Mental Disorders in the Context of Pandemics

The COVID-19 pandemic has universally threatened the building blocks of mental health, well-being, and quality of life, namely, expectations of safety, connectedness, hope, and individual and societal efficacy. Consequently, unprecedently large numbers of individuals are significantly stressed and many are at risk for relapse of mental health problems, exacerbations of existing mental and behavioral health problems, and new onset clinical problems. Because of the scope of the problem, a population-based public health perspective is needed, which in the context of disasters has well-established theories and prevention approaches. Public health approaches to disasters and pandemics focus on preventing subclinical problems from becoming clinical disorders, in comparison to clinical care approaches that focus on treating established disorders. Fortunately, specialty care clinicians who typically think about assessing and treating established disorders have the training and clinical competencies to deliver prevention-focused interventions. This paper is designed to help specialty care clinicians who use cognitive-behavioral strategies to understand the biopsychosocial impacts and resource deficits associated with COVID-19-related stressors and the public health perspective to address them. We also provide ways clinicians can help people who are suffering from significant stress and resource deficits bounce back and regain functioning. We describe psychological first aid, stress management, repeated ecological assessment, writing about stressors, problem-solving, and behavioral activation approaches to assist individuals at risk for enduring stress-linked problems.
Friction and Plasticity in Contacts Between Amorphous Solids

Friction pervades nearly every aspect of our daily lives and has played a central role in technology ever since man created fire by rubbing sticks together. Despite its fundamental importance, a microscopic understanding of friction has remained elusive. Friction ultimately results from atomic-scale interactions between contacting bodies, but elastic and plastic deformations at larger scales and material transport control the area and composition of the contacting regions. Such atomic-scale interactions and geometry of contacting surface is difficult to characterize in experiments with sufficient accuracy. Here, we show the large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of contact and friction between two amorphous solids with self-affine fractal surfaces. We found that the plastic deformation on solid surfaces plays an important role in the interfacial friction that is much higher than expected for elastically deforming surfaces. Indeed, friction forces for different surface roughness collapse when plotted against the number of plastic rearrangements per unit sliding distance. Our results indicate that the microscopic friction origins from the overcome of finite energy barriers between plastically deformed local atomic structures.
Asymmetric Bipolar Resistive Switching of Halide Perovskite Film in Contact with TiO 2 Layer

Halide perovskite materials such as methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) have attracted considerable interest for the resistive random-access memory applications, which exploit a dramatic change in the resistance by an external electric bias. In many semiconductor films, the drift, accumulation, and chain formation of defects explain the change in the resistance by an external bias. This study demonstrates that the interface of CH3NH3PbI3 with TiO2 has a significant impact on the formation and rupture of defect chains and causes the asymmetric bipolar resistive switching in the Au/CH3NH3PbI3/TiO2/FTO device (FTO = fluorine-doped tin oxide). When a negative bias is applied to the Au electrode, iodine interstitials with the lowest migration activation energy move toward TiO2 in the CH3NH3PbI3 layer and pile up at the CH3NH3PbI3-TiO2 interface. Under the same condition, oxygen vacancies in the TiO2 layer also travel to the CH3NH3PbI3-TiO2 interface and strongly attract iodine interstitials. As a result, a Schottky barrier appears at the CH3NH3PbI3-TiO2 interface, and the resistance of Au/CH3NH3PbI3/TiO2/FTO becomes much larger than that of Au/CH3NH3PbI3/FTO in the high resistance state. The frequency dependence of the capacitance confirms the asymmetric appearance of a large space charge polarization at the CH3NH3PbI3-TiO2 interface, which causes the unique bipolar resistive switching behavior with the on/off ratio (103) and retention time (>104 seconds) at -0.85 V in Au/CH3NH3PbI3/TiO2/FTO film.
Centering blackness as freedom scholarship: case studies from freedom scholars

We center and unpack the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Commission on Research in Black Education’s (CORIBE) research validity principle, which emphasizes that the highest prior...
Balancing the Halo

Medical device manufacturers and other high-technology companies increasingly incorporate algorithmic data surveillance in next-generation medical wearables. These devices, including hearing aids, leverage patient data created through human-computer interaction to not only power devices but also increase corporate profits. Although data protection laws establish privacy requirements for personal information collection and use, these companies continue to use patients’ personal information with little notice or education, significantly curtailing the agency of wearers. We explore the complex ecology of the Starkey Halo smart hearing aid, focusing on the opacity of its algorithmic functionality and examining patient education materials for disclosures of data surveillance. We contextualize these findings within privacy law in the United States and European Union that are relevant to algorithmic surveillance and recommend specific steps to enhance wearer agency through informed decision-making.
Tiered Clustering for Time Series Data

Clustering is an essential unsupervised learning method. While the clustering of discrete data is a reasonably solved problem, sequential data clustering, namely time series data, is still an ongoing problem. Sequential data such as time series is widely used due to its abundance of detailed information. Often, normalization is applied to amplify the similarity of time series data. However, by applying normalization, measurement values, which is an important aspect of similarity, are removed, impairing the veracity of comparison. In this paper, we introduce a tiered clustering method by adding the value characteristic to the clustering of normalized time series. As such, two clustering methods are implemented. First, the Distance Density Clustering algorithm is applied to normalized time series data. After obtaining the first-tier results, we apply a traditional hierarchical clustering of a summarized time series value to further partition clusters.
The Interaction of β-Arrestin with the AP-2 Adaptor Is Required for the Clustering of β2-Adrenergic Receptor into Clathrin-coated Pits

β-Arrestins are cytosolic proteins that regulate the signaling and the internalization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Although termination of receptor coupling requires β-arrestin binding to agonist-activated receptors, GPCR endocytosis involves the coordinate interactions between receptor-β-arrestin complexes and other endocytic proteins such as adaptor protein 2 (AP-2) and clathrin. Clathrin interacts with a conserved motif in the β-arrestin C-terminal tail; however, the specific molecular determinants in β-arrestin that bind AP-2 have not been identified. Moreover, the respective contributions of the interactions of β-arrestin with AP-2 and clathrin toward the targeting of GPCRs to clathrin-coated vesicles have not been established. Here, we identify specific arginine residues (Arg394 and Arg396) in the β-arrestin 2 C terminus that mediate β-arrestin binding to AP-2 and show, in vitro, that these domains in β-arrestin 1 and 2 interact equally well with AP-2 independently of clathrin binding. We demonstrate in HEK 293 cells by fluorescence microscopy that β2-adrenergic receptor-β-arrestin complexes lacking the β-arrestin-clathrin binding motif are still targeted to clathrin-coated pits. In marked contrast, receptor-β-arrestin complexes lacking the β-arrestin/AP-2 interactions are not effectively compartmentalized in punctated areas of the plasma membrane. These results reveal that the binding of a receptor-β-arrestin complex to AP-2, not to clathrin, is necessary for the initial targeting of β2-adrenergic receptor to clathrin-coated pits.
Verbal declarative memory dysfunction in schizophrenia: from clinical assessment to genetics and brain mechanisms.

The recent literature on the neuropsychology of schizophrenia has emphasized memory deficits as a key area of impairment. Abnormalities in the medial temporal lobe, a brain region crucial for long-term memory formation, have also consistently been reported. We conducted a comprehensive review of verbal declarative memory (VDM) in schizophrenia with the aim of systematically addressing the nature of this impairment. We conclude that verbal declarative memory is significantly impaired in schizophrenia and is largely accounted for by deficits in the encoding stage. Subtle impairments in increased rates of forgetting are present, but are mild compared with those in amnestic disorders. Impairment in other cognitive domains studied thus far (e.g., attention), medication effects, or fluctuations in symptoms do not completely account for the deficit. VDM is among the most impaired neurocognitive domains in schizophrenia (along with attention and executive functions). Milder encoding deficits are present in high-risk subjects and non-psychotic relatives of individuals with schizophrenia suggesting that components of the deficit are associated with a genetic vulnerability to the illness, and are independent of the frank psychotic illness. Furthermore, VDM is observed in individuals experiencing their first-psychotic episode and it remains fairly consistent over time. Preliminary imaging studies and other work suggest abnormalities in prefrontal-hippocampal processing networks. Future work should emphasize delineating specific information processing components contributing to the deficit. This would allow imaging studies to determine which brain regions contribute to specific information processing deficits in schizophrenia.
Watching flesh: poison and the fantasy of temporal control in Renaissance England

During the Renaissance, English writers often depict poison as a weapon capable of transforming a victim's body into a timepiece, with death predictable to the year, month, day, and hour. English literary works, especially dramatic ones, however, contain numerous instances of poisons that fail to act precisely, or to act as intended. These failures serve as a useful departure point for exploring Renaissance ideas of clock-time. The dream of temporal control represented by poison promises an alignment between timepieces and bodies. When poisons fail to create this promised synchronicity, they reveal both the interdependence of bodies and horological devices and the difficulties in regulating either one.
Earth Observation Programmes (EOP)

The Earth Observation Programme generates observations on global environmental issues such as the water cycle, sea-ice thickness, and climate variability. Keywords: remote sensing; climate change; sea-ice thickness; marine resources; tropical deforestation
Skin Grafts vs Local Flaps for Reconstruction of Nasal Defects: A Retrospective Cohort Study

ImportanceNasal defects commonly are a result of removal of skin lesions, and reconstruction presents a cosmetic challenge to surgeons. Conventional thought and study results have held that cosmeti...
Privacy lost: The Net, autonomous agents, and’virtual information‘

The positive qualities of the Internet--anonymity, openness, and reproducibility have added a new ethical dimension to the privacy debate. This paper describes a new and significant way in which privacy is violated. A type of personal information, called ’virtual information‘ is described and the effectiveness of techniques to protect this type of information is examined. This examination includes a discussion of technical approaches and professional standards as ways to address this violation of ’virtual information.‘
Locally Distributed Predicates: A Programming Facility for Distributed State Detection

The rise of high-performance computing and internet-scale applications has spurred a renewed interest in distributed computing. Such distributed applications can range from multi-hop routing algorithms used in wireless mesh networks [1] to volunteer-driven parallel data analysis efforts [2][3]. The property of distributed systems that makes them both powerful and challenging is that they are composed of multiple autonomous, interconnected entities. Managing the interactions between these entities is the primary challenge of distributed application development.
A Note on One Loop Electroweak Contributions to g-2: a Companion to BUHEP-01-16

In this note we present general expressions at one loop order that can be used to calculate the contributions to the anomalous magnetic moment of fundamental, charged Dirac fermions. In particular, we provide the expressions for charged and neutral scalar and charged and neutral gauge boson contributions with general vector and axial couplings to the fermion of interest. The calculations presented in this note were originally derived for use in the author's letter, hep-ph/0108080. We have chosen to document and make available the results and derivations in the hope that they will also be useful to others. Our expressions reproduce the Standard Model electroweak contributions to a_muon in the appropriate mass limits, and are flexible enough to allow us to handle many scenarios of new physics beyond the Standard Model.
Contribution of a Dysfunctional RNA Binding Protein, hnRNP A1, to Neurodegeneration in MS (S14.003)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential role of RNA binding protein heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein A1 (hnRNP A1) dysfunction in the pathogenesis of neuronal death and neurodegeneration in, multiple sclerosis (MS). BACKGROUND: Mutations in the genetic sequence of hnRNP A1 isolated from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients were associated with abnormal function of hnRNP A1, suggesting that mutant hnRNP A1 contributes to neurodegeneration in ALS (Nature 495, 2013). Importantly, MS patients make antibodies to hnRNP A1. IgG binding was specific for hnRNP A1-M9, its nucleocytoplasmic transport sequence, which binds transportin and is required for mRNA transport (J Neuroimmunology 235, 2011. J Clin Cell Immunol 4, 2013). DESIGN/METHODS: High fidelity DNA sequencing was used to examine the sequence of hnRNP A1-M9 in human brain and lymphocytes. Mutant and wild type hnRNP A1 were transfected into SKNSH neurons and examined for transportin binding, cell death and RNA expression. MS and control IgG were tested for immunoreactivity to neurons. Mouse models were used to examine the consequences of anti-hnRNP A1 antibody infusion. RESULTS: Mutations were identified within the M9 DNA sequence of hnRNP A1. Compared to wild-type; mutant hnRNP A1-M9 DNA resulted in decreased binding of hnRNP A1 protein to transportin, redistribution of hnRNP A1 within SKNSH neurons, and increased stress granules consistent with apoptosis of SKNSH neurons. PCR array showed differences in genes associated with cell death. MS IgG localized to hnRNP A1 contained within stress granules in neurons. Transferred anti-hnRNP A1 antibodies localized to the brain and spinal cord and induced neurodegeneration in mice. CONCLUSIONS: Mutant hnRNP A1-M9 DNA was identified in MS patients and caused stress and apoptosis in neurons. Anti-hnRNP A1 antibodies promoted neurodegeneration in a mouse model of MS. These data suggest that dysfunction of hnRNP A1, either as a result of genetic mutation or autoimmune targeting, contributes to neurodegeneration in MS. Study Supported by: Office of Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs. University of Tennessee Multiple Sclerosis Fund Disclosure: Dr. Levin has received personal compensation for activities with Serono Inc., Teva Neuroscience, and Biogen Idec as a speaker, and Gerson Lehman Group and The CME Institute as a consultant. Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gardner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Douglas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sawchenko has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lalor has nothing to disclose. Dr. Segal has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec and Novartis. Dr. Segal has received (royalty or license fee or contractual rights) payments from Vaccinex, Inc. Dr. Segal has received research support from Biogen Idec and Teva Neuroscience.
Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man, 5th ed. R.C. Baselt. Foster City, CA: Chemical Toxicology Institute, 1999, 900 pp., $119.00. ISBN 0-9626523-3-4.

As budgets tighten, many laboratories and clinical laboratory scientists opt not to buy each new edition of the volumes that line our bookcases. Baselt’s Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man is one for which I make an exception. Now in its 5th edition, this book continues to be a quick and easy reference for those calls on Friday afternoon or …
STRENGTH ASSESSMENT OF EXTERNAL FRP REINFORCEMENT

Strengthening reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete structures becomes necessary when there is an increase in load requirements, a change in use, a degradation problem, or design and/or construction defects. Externally bonded fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) composites offer a potential solution to structural repair. Rapid in situ load testing has been used in other countries by threshold engineers to check structural performance compliance. This testing technology can be successfully adopted in the case of strengthening projects involving the use of externally bonded FRP. The primary objective of the rapid load test is to verify that the strengthening method is performing as designed. Furthermore, since an situ load test provides easy-to-understand physical results, it provides reassurance and confidence in the structure to clients and owners.