cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Process hypercube comparison for signal validation

A signal validation technique for nuclear power plants which uses a process hypercube comparison (PHC) has been developed. The hypercube is merely a multidimensional joint histogram of the process conditions. The hypercube is created offline during a learning phase using operational plant data. In the event that a newly observed plant state does not match with those in the learned hypercube, the PHC algorithm performs signal validation by progressively hypothesizing that one or more signals is in error. This assumption is then either substantiated or denied. In the case where many signals are found to be in error, a conclusion that the process conditions are abnormal is reached. The global database contained within the hypercube provides a best estimate of the process conditions in the event a signal is deemed failed. The hypercube signal validation methodology was tested using operational data from a commercial pressurized water reactor and the Experimental Breeder Reactor II. >
Multifunction MMIC history from a process technology perspective

The different types of multifunction microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs) that have been developed to date are reviewed, and projections for the future direction of the technology are made. Various innovative circuit design techniques have allowed a wide range of functions to be performed using the same processes as single-function MMICs. These circuits are almost exclusively based on GaAs Schottky-barrier-gate ion-implanted MESFETs, MIM capacitors, inductors, and (sometimes) through-substrate vias on GaAs substrates. Chips performing all the microwave functions of radar transmit/receive modules, receivers, and frequency synthesizers have been developed. Process complexity is a dominant factor determining their practicality and cost, and the most successful circuits have been designed with process limitations in mind. In the future, proliferation of multifunction MMICs with even greater functional complexity is expected, but additional process complexities will be added sparingly. >
Enhanced prevalence of ankyloglossia with maternal cocaine use.

Abstract A series of 500 term neonates was examined in a well-baby nursery, 68 of whom tested positive for maternal cocaine use. From logistic multiple regression equations, weight and crown-heel length were significantly smaller in the maternal cocaine-use subset of this case-control study. Partial ankyloglossia, with a prevalence of 4.4 percent in the overall series, was significantly more common in males than in females (6.0% versus 2.3%), while race (black or white) had no influence on trait frequency. Controlling for race and sex, ankyloglossia was 3.5 times more likely to occur in the drug-use series, perhaps as a function of diminished mitotic rates.
Electronic Structures of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Studied by NMR

An individual single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) has been shown [1-4] to exhibit remarkable electronic properties which depend on its diameter and chirality. In this work, the 13C nuclear magnetic resonance technique is used to measure quantitatively the electronic density-of-state (DOS) at the Fermi level in a bulk SWNT sample. Two types of 13C nuclear spins are observed with drastically different nuclear spin-lattice relaxation time (Tl). About onethird of the 13C nuclear spins with shorter Tl, are identified to reside at the metallic SWNTs and two-thirds can be associated with the semiconducting SWNTs. For the metallic SWNTs, the DOS at the Feimi level is measured quantitatively, which is about 0.022 states/(eV·atom·spin). The measured electronic DOS at the Fermi level agrees with the theoretical prediction for metallic tubes. This study also found that the semiconducting SWNTs in bundles, in fact, possess weak metallic characters. This indicates that tube-tube interactions within SWNT bundles could change the electronic properties.
A multi-resolution discontinuous galerkin method for unsteady compressible flows

The issue of scale and local smoothness presents a crucial and daunting challenge for numerical simulation methods in uid dynamics. This research develops an advanced computational technique for accurate, ecient, rst-principles based engineering simulation of compressible ows that by its very design respects the central theme of cost-eective highresolution. This is accomplished by carefully marrying the enabling technologies found in (1) the compression and local adaptation properties of the multi-resolution (MR) representation of data and associated operators; and (2) the locally conservative, high order accuracy, invariantly compact stencil, and topologically exible control volume properties of the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method. The MRDG technique is demonstrated on ow elds exhibiting features having dynamic importance but disparate length scales.
Submaximal power output from the dorsolongitudinal flight muscles of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta.

SUMMARY To assess the extent to which the power output of a synchronous insect flight muscle is maximized during flight, we compared the maximum potential power output of the mesothoracic dorsolongitudinal (dl1) muscles of Manduca sexta to their power output in vivo. Holding temperature and cycle frequency constant at 36°C and 25 Hz, respectively, we varied the phase of activation, mean length and strain amplitude. Under in vivo conditions measured in tethered flight, the dl1 muscles generated only 40–67% of their maximum potential power output. Compared to the in vivo phase of activation, the phase that maximized power output was advanced by 12% of the cycle period, and the length that maximized power output was 10% longer than the in vivo operating length.
Fault-tolerant estimation

A fault-tolerant estimator is obtained from fusing the concept of fault detection with estimation. Two possible architectures are evaluated. At the center of the fault-tolerant estimation procedure is a bank of filters computing local state estimates, a residual screening scheme to isolate corrupted estimates and a method of blending untainted ones into a global minimum variance estimate, free of the effects of either sensor, plant or actuator fault. Previous voting schemes relied on statistical tests whereas the fault-tolerant estimation is based on a deterministic test on the local filter residuals. Finally, contrary to most fault-tolerant structures or multiple model approaches, estimating the fault is not necessary to ensure the quality of the global estimate.
Blind deconvolution of noisy blurred images via dispersion minimization

In linear image restoration, the point spread function of the degrading system is assumed known even though this information is usually not available in real applications. As a result, both blur identification and image restoration must be performed from the observed noisy blurred image. This paper presents a computationally simple linear adaptive finite impulse response filter for blind image deconvolution. This is essentially a two-dimensional version of the constant modulus algorithm that is well known in the field of blind equalization. The two-dimensional extension is shown capable of reconstructing noisy blurred images using partial a priori information about the true image and the point spread function. The method is applicable to minimum as well as mixed phase blurs. Experimental results are provided.
Cancer: broken genes in solid tumours.

Mutations that cause portions of two genes to fuse together and form a hybrid gene are frequent in blood-related cancers. New findings implicate one such fusion gene in the most common type of lung cancer.
Exploring the Performance Fluctuations of HPC Workloads on Clouds

Clouds enable novel execution modes often supported by advanced capabilities such as autonomic schedulers. These capabilities are predicated upon an accurate estimation and calculation of runtimes on a given infrastructure. Using a well understood high-performance computing workload, we find strong fluctuations from the mean performance on EC2 and Eucalyptus-based cloud systems. Our analysis eliminates variations in IO and computational times as possible causes, we find that variations in communication times account for the bulk of the experiment-to-experiment fluctuations of the performance.
Void growth versus void collapse in a creeping single crystal

Abstract Three dimensional finite deformation finite element analyses of unit cells containing a single initially spherical void are carried out. The materials are characterized by a rate power law viscous crystal plasticity constitutive relation and three values of the power law creep exponent are considered. The evolution of porosity is calculated for a fixed value of tensile nominal stress. The overall true stress components on the unit cell are adjusted so that a fixed value of stress triaxiality and a fixed value of the Lode parameter are maintained. Results are presented for a stress triaxiality value of 1/3 and Lode parameter values of − 1 , 0 and 1. Two initial void volume fractions are considered: 1% and 10%. For each initial void volume fraction calculations are carried out for various initial void spacings. For sufficiently closely spaced voids, void coalescence occurs while for widely spaced voids void collapse can occur. Whether void coalescence, void collapse or neither occurs mainly depends on the value of the Lode parameter.
Altitude variations of cosmic ray induced production of aerosols: Implications for global cloudiness and climate

[1] The indirect radiative forcing of atmospheric aerosols is sensitive to particle size and concentration, which are influenced significantly by nucleation processes. Via its role in aerosol formation, cosmic ray may affect the cloud condensation nuclei abundance and hence the global cloud properties and climate. Systematic variations in ionization rates due to the modulation of cosmic ray radiation by the solar cycle are sufficient to cause notable variations in aerosol production, and we find that the signs of such variations are altitude-dependent. Our study indicates that an increase in cosmic ray fluxes generally leads to an increase in particle production in the lower troposphere but a decrease in particle production in the upper troposphere. The main reason of such an altitude-dependent influence is that the dependence of particle production rate on ionization rate is a complex function of ionization rate itself, as well as precursor gas concentration and ambient conditions. The implications of altitude variations of cosmic ray-induced aerosol production on global cloudiness and climate are discussed. In addition to the reported positive correlation between cosmic ray variations and low cloudiness, our analysis reveals that high cloudiness may be anti-correlated with cosmic ray variations if volcano and El Nino impacts are excluded. The observed different correlations between cosmic ray variations and low, middle and high cloud anomalies appear to be consistent with the predicted different sensitivities of particle production to cosmic ray changes at different altitudes. A systematic change in global cloudiness may change the atmosphere heating profile, and if confirmed, may provide the external forcing needed to reconcile the different surface and troposphere temperature trends. Much more work is needed to understand how and how much the cosmic ray variations will affect the global cloud properties and climate.
Cyberinfrastructure for Contamination Source Characterization in Water Distribution Systems

This paper describes a preliminary cyberinfrastructure for contaminant characterization in water distribution systems and its deployment on the grid. The cyberinfrastructure consists of the application, middleware and hardware resources. The application core consists of various optimization modules and a simulation module. This paper focuses on the development of specific middleware components of the cyberinfrastructure that enables efficient seamless execution of the application core in a grid environment. The components developed in this research include: (i) a coarse-grained parallel wrapper for the simulation module that includes additional features for persistent execution, (ii) a seamless job submission interface, and (iii) a graphical real time application monitoring tool. The performance of the cyberinfrastructure is evaluated on a local cluster and the TeraGrid.
Formulations, predictions, and sensitivity analysis of a pyrotechnically actuated pin puller model

This article presents an analysis for pyrotechnic combustion and pin motion in the NASA Standard Initiator (NSI) actuated pin puller. The conservation principles and constitutive relations for a multiphase system are posed and reduced to a set of five ordinary differential equations which are solved to predict the system`s performance. The model tracks the interactions of the unreacted, incompressible solid pyrotechnic, incompressible condensed phase combustion products, and gas phase combustion products. Predicted pressure histories for the firing of an NSI into (1) the pin puller device, (2) a 10 cm(sup 3) closed vessel, and (3) an apparatus known as the Dynamic Test Device compare well with experimental results. A sensitivity analysis reveals large regions in parameter space where system performance is insensitive to particular parametric values; smaller regions of high sensitivity are also found. 15 refs.
The thermal design of the second Navigation Technology Satellite /NTS-2/

A basically passive thermal design was developed for the Naval Research Laboratory's SeCOnd Navigation Technology Satellite (NTS-2). This paper presents a discussion of several interesting features of the NTS-2 thermal subsystem. 1) Nickel-hydrogen batteries were used as the primary power source during eclipse periods and a measured cell temperature was used to terminate the charge cycle. 2 ) The minimum interior temperature level of the spacecraft was thermostatically controlled +lO°C to protect the hydrazine system from freezing. Individual heaters on each hydrazine line were not utilized. 3) A five layer MLI system was developed using Soft foam as the spacer material. The flight MLI system was used during the thermal vacuum testing program and its effective emittance was predicted to be 0.015, 4 ) Significant on-orhit degradation of the thermal control coatings on NTS-2 has been observed. Preliminary results from a NASA GSFC thermal coatings experiment indicate a solar absorptance of 0.33 for 5 mil silverized teflon after 535 days since initial exposure to sunlight. Based on the experience gained from NTS-2, several recommendations are made for the design of thermal subsystems on future space payloads. u
An integrated approach for non-periodic dynamic response prediction of complex structures: Numerical and experimental analysis

Abstract In this paper, a combined numerical and experimental method, called Extended Load Confluence Algorithm, is presented to accurately predict the dynamic response of non-periodic structures when little or no information about the applied loads is available. This approach, which falls into the category of Shape Sensing methods, inputs limited experimental information acquired from sensors to a mapping algorithm that predicts the response at unmeasured locations. The proposed algorithm consists of three major cores: an experimental core for data acquisition, a numerical core based on Finite Element Method for modeling the structure, and a mapping algorithm that improves the numerical model based on a modal approach in the frequency domain. The robustness and precision of the proposed algorithm are verified through numerical and experimental examples. The results of this paper demonstrate that without a precise knowledge of the loads acting on the structure, the dynamic behavior of the system can be predicted in an effective and precise manner after just a few iterations.
Small Intestinal Disaccharidase Deficiencies

The diverse modes of presentation, etiologies, and approach to evaluation of disaccharide intolerance in infants and children are described.
Postural Detrusor Hyperreflexia

Postural changes in bladder function have been documented previously only in female incontinent patients without evidence of neurologic or urologic disease. In our study the syndrome of postural hyperreflexia is described in patients of both sexes having a variety of neurological disorders. The investigations showed impaired function of supraspinal control of the sacral micturition center.
Ideas to Reduce Thermal Noise in Mirror Coatings

Different ideas to reduce thermal noise in gravitational mirrors by minimizing temperature gradients inside the coatings are presented, including reducing absorption in high index layers, improving heat distribution, removing electrostatic charge and reducing total layer thickness.
Ecological Contributors to Disparities in Bond Amounts and Pretrial Detention

Pretrial dispositions have been receiving greater attention in the literature on extralegal disparities in criminal case processing. We examined the relevance of areas in which crimes are committed...
Improving the Value of Higher Education by Eliminating the Enormous Waste

The government is spending a great deal of money in an effort to improve the completion rate of college students. So far, despite vast amounts of money spent, the six-year completion rate is a dismal 54%. This paper examines various solutions to this problem as well as how to reduce the great amount of waste in higher education.
A practical guide to solving the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewski equation for macrospin dynamics.

In this paper, we discuss the accuracy and complexity of various numerical techniques to solve the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewski (s-LLGS) equation. The s-LLGS equation is widely used by researchers to study the temporal evolution of the macrospin subject to spin torque and thermal noise. The numerical simulation of the s-LLGS equation requires an appropriate choice of stochastic calculus and the numerical integration scheme. In this paper, we focus on implicit midpoint, Heun, and Euler-Heun methods that converge to the Stratonovich solution of the s-LLGS equation. We also demonstrate a new method intended to solve stochastic differential equations (SDEs) with small noise, and test its capability to handle the s-LLGS equation. The choice of specific stochastic calculus while solving SDEs determines which numerical integration scheme to use. In this sense, methods, such as Euler and Gear, which are typically used by SPICE-based circuit simulators do not yield the expected outcome when solving the Stratonovich s-LLGS equation. While the trapezoidal method in SPICE does solve for the Stratonovich solution, its accuracy is limited by the minimum time-step of integration in SPICE. Through several numerical tests, including path-wise error, preservation of the magnetization norm, and 50% magnetization reversal boundary of the macrospin, we clearly illustrate the accuracy of various numerical schemes for solving the s-LLGS equation. The results in this paper will serve as guidelines for researchers to understand the tradeoffs between accuracy and complexity of various numerical methods and the choice of appropriate calculus to handle SDEs.
A Compact, Modular Package for Superconducting Bolometer Arrays

As bolometer arrays grow to ever-larger formats, packaging becomes a more critical engineering issue. We have designed a detector package to house a superconducting bolometer array, SQUID multiplexers, bias and filtering circuitry, and electrical connectors. The package includes an optical filter, magnetic shielding, and has well-defined thermal and mechanical interfaces. An early version of this package has been used successfully in the GISMO 2mm camera, a 128-pixel camera operating at a base temperature of 270mK. A more advanced package permits operation at lower temperatures by providing direct heat sinking to the SQUIDS and bias resistors, which generate the bulk of the dissipation in the package. Standard electrical connectors provide reliable contact while enabling quick installation and removal of the package. We describe how the design compensates for differing thermal expansions, allows heat sinking of the bolometer array, and features magnetic shielding in critical areas. We highlight the performance of this detector package and describe its scalability to 1280-pixel arrays in the near future.
Submergence: On Transatlantic Ecocriticism, Islands and Archipelagos // Sumersión: Sobre ecocrítica, islas y archipiélagos transatlánticos

In Yo mate a Kennedy , Manuel Vazquez Montalban wrote with irony: “ecological truth drives historical truth.” Today, the direct connection between ecological and historical truths is quite serious. In his polemical essay “Four Theses on Climate History,” Dipesh Chakrabarty argues that, in order to explain anthropogenic climate change, geological history should be included in human history. In other words, “ecological truth” should be integral to “historical truth.” What is missing in this observation is a sense of socio-political difference. What is needed is not a consideration of isolated regions, whether they are national, ecological or linguistic, but rather an analysis that investigates a constellation of social movements, objects and events. This means that transatlantic ecocriticism should consider how regions are connected, thinking in line with the logics of movements such as the indignados , via campesina or altermundisme . This essay approaches a series of steps between Spain and Cuba, examining various texts and terrains that are stylistically and historically distinct. I focus on the tropes of the island and the archipelago in the works of Cuban poet Jose Lezama Lima and the Catalan writer Francesc Seres. Resumen En Yo mate a Kennedy, Manuel Vazquez Montalban dice con ironia: “la verdad ecologica conduce a la verdad historica.” Hoy en dia, la conexion directa entre la verdad ecologica y la historica es bastante seria. En su polemico ensayo “Four Theses on Climate History,” Dipesh Chakrabarty plantea que, para explicar el cambio climatico antropogenico, la historia geologica debe ser incluida en la historia humana. Es decir, “la verdad ecologica” debe ser integral a “la verdad historica.” Lo que falta en esta observacion es un sentido de la diferencia socio-politica. Lo que se necesita no es una consideracion de regiones aisladas, ya sean nacionales, ecologicas o linguisticas, sino un analisis que investigue una constelacion de movimientos sociales, objetos y eventos. Esto quiere decir que la ecocritica transatlantica debe considerar como se conectan las regiones, pensando de acuerdo con las logicas de movimientos como los indignados, via campesina o altermundisme . Este ensayo aborda una serie de pasos entre Espana y Cuba, examinando varios textos y terrenos que son estilisticamente e historicamente distintos. Me enfoco en los tropos de la isla y del archipielago en las obras del poeta cubano Jose Lezama Lima y del escritor catalan Francesc Seres.
Abstract 196: Matrix Metalloproteinases Regulation in Thrombus Resolution Is Independent of TGF-β in a PAI-1 Ko Mouse Model of Venous Thrombosis

Introduction: Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) is the primary regulator of urokinase (u-PA) and tissue (t-PA) plasminogen activators. Observations in mice with impaired fibrinolysis have demonstrated an alternate pathway of thrombus resolution by matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)- 9 and 2. TGF-β is a potent inducer of TIMP-1 expression and is found in both thrombus and vein wall post-thrombosis. Hypothesis: PAI-1 deficiency and resulting hyperfibrinolytic state will improve thrombus resolution and result in reciprocal downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 via TGF-beta induction of TIMP-1, resulting in decreased vein wall fibrosis. Methods: Inferior vena cava (IVC) ligation was performed in wild-type (WT) mice (N=194) and PAI-1 deficent mice (N=164). IVC, thrombus and blood samples were collect at 2, 6 and 14 days post procedure. The IVC and thrombus were assessed for thrombus weight and samples collected for zymography (MMP-2 and MMP-9), ELISA (TIMP-1, TGF-β) and histology. Results: PAI-1 deficient mice had similar thrombus weight (TW) versus WT at 2 days, but smaller at days 6 (p Conclusions: (1) PAI-1 deficient mice exhibit a hyperfibrinolytic phenotype with normal thrombotic response to IVC ligation, but improved thrombus resolution when compared to WT mice. (2) MMP-9 and MMP-2 were suppressed, confirming a reciprocal relationship between plasmin and MMP activation as mediators of thrombus resolution. (3) TIMP-1 production was elevated in vein wall independent of TGF-beta. (4) Decreased neutrophils at day 2 correlated with decreased MMP-9 and decreased monocytes at day 14 correlated with decreased MMP-2, suggesting a plasmin-induced inhibition of leukocyte recruitment. (5) Final histology showed no difference in vein wall fibrosis or thickness at chronic time points, indicating that improved thrombus resolution does not lessen vein wall fibrosis.
Associations Between Migraine and the Most Common Psychiatric Co‐Morbidities

Premise Migraine is a common and potentially debilitating chronic neurologic disorder, with significant and clinically important psychiatric co-morbidities. Problem The individual and societal impact of migraine is both significant and diverse, and among these effects are a variety of psychiatric co-morbidities. Although the precise mechanisms underlying the relationships between migraine and psychiatric illness are not entirely clear, a variety of mood and anxiety disorders have not only been identified as co-prevalent in migraine, but have also been shown to impact migraine chronification. Potential Solutions This review examines the recent literature investigating the associations between migraine and the most common psychiatric co-morbidities. Also discussed are implications for treating individuals with co-morbid migraine and psychiatric disorders, including recent innovations and improvements for the future.
Aging and Social Intervention: Life Course Perspectives

Publisher Summary Observational studies of aging indicate that there are a number of social conditions that impact health outcomes in older men and women from functioning to morbidity to mortality. Socioeconomic conditions, social isolation and exclusion, and lack of social participation and engagement all are linked in numerous longitudinal studies to poorer health, worse physical and cognitive functioning, and higher mortality risk. The contrasts between findings from observational studies and randomized clinical trials are growing and discrepancies in findings are observed for a number of recent intervention. Observational studies rarely help to identify the etiologic period clearly enough to know when to intervene. This chapter argues that there are multiple ways of interpreting the differences one finds between observational studies and experimental ones. It focuses on contrasting the findings between observational and intervention studies related to social networks and social support as an example of what one might learn with the adoption of life course approaches to improving the health of middle-aged and older adults. Various aspects of social contacts are considered in health research, including both structural features of social networks and the content or substance of relationships. The notion of intervening in complex social relationships and structures is inherently difficult and complicated.
Validating and Vertically Equating Problem-Solving Measures

This paper examines the validation of a measure for eighth-grade students related to problem-solving. Prior work discussed validity evidence for the Problem-Solving Measure series, but it is uncertain whether linking items appropriately vertically equates the seventh- and eighth-grade measures. This research connects prior work to the development of linked measures with anchor items that assess problem solving within the frame of the Common Core in the United States. Results from Rasch modeling indicated that the items and overall measure functioned well, and all anchor items between assessments worked satisfactorily. Our conclusion is that performance on the eighth-grade measure can be linked with performance on the seventh-grade measure.
Least-Squares Analysis of Data with Uncertainty in y and x: Algorithms in Excel and KaleidaGraph

For the least-squares analysis of data having multiple uncertain variables, the generally accepted best solution comes from minimizing the sum of weighted squared residuals over all uncertain variables, with, for example, weights in xi taken as inversely proportional to the variance σxi2. A complication in this method, here called “total variance” (TV), is the need to calculate residuals δi in every uncertain variable. In x–y problems, that means adjustments must be obtained for x as well as for the customary y. However, for the straight-line fit model, there is a simpler procedure, a version of effective variance (EV) methods, that requires only the residuals in y and agrees exactly with the TV method. Furthermore, Monte Carlo calculations have shown that this EV2 method is statistically comparable to the TV method for many common nonlinear fit models. This method is easy to code for computation in Excel and programs like KaleidaGraph, as is illustrated here for several examples, including implicit nonli...
CONSTRUCTING COGNITIVE MAPS WITH ORIENTATION BIASES

The purpose of this research is to investigate cognitive maps constructed using different encoding processes. Different learning processes have been shown to produce cognitive maps with different characteristics. Two critical research issues are the fixed-orientation bias and the equiavailability principle. Previous research has indicated that studying a north-at-the-top cartographic map encodes a cognitive map biased in the orientation of the cartographic map. Such cognitive maps are images that have information in all parts of the map equally available. Other research has shown cognitive maps encoded by environmental navigation produced cognitive maps with no orientation bias. Subjects, however, had faster access to information in front of them than information behind them. These results suggested that exposure to a single versus multiple orientations of the spatial information explained the biases. Others have argued the two situations coincide with encoding the spatial information from secondary and primary sources. The current study considered five different learning experiences that were used to encode information about the same seven landmarks in a space. Encoding the information from three-dimensional spaces resulted in longer reaction times for an identification task. Although all learning experiences were secondary, some produced cognitive maps with orientation biases and some without. Learning experiences that provided multiple orientations eliminated an orientation bias. A single perspective oblique view learning experience appeared to produce a bias for front-back over left-right. Orientation-free higher-order cognitive maps, as described by Taylor and Tversky, could account for all these results.
Reshaping the Role of Technology in Education

As this volume on Breakthrough Teaching and Learning describes, we live at a time when advances in information and communications technology (ICT) offer incredible promise for improving learning and teaching. In particular, over the past few years, three developments have combined to reshape the role of ICT in education.
Britain and the Beast: The Apocalypse and the Seventeenth-Century Debate About the Creation of the British State

Andrew Melville (1545–1622) memorialized Queen Elizabeth’s death in 1603 with verses describing her as “the divine mother of the Britons.”1 Strange sounding indeed, for whatever Elizabeth’s varied titles, “her Britannic majesty” was not one of them. Moreover, the queen had utterly rejected Melville’s Presbyterian Church polity, discounted much of his theology, and eventually destroyed his English colleagues and counterparts. Yet, despite such drastic faults, Melville applauded Elizabeth’s “great love of religion” — she had been the terror of the Iberians, the protector of Scotland, France, and the Netherlands — and, implicitly, of the reformations within each of them. Through these commitments her long reign had restored the golden age. However severe her shortcomings, she had undertaken what Melville regarded as the British project.
POLITICAL REALITIES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF URBAN TRANSPORT POLICIES

This contribution to the NATO Advanced Research Institute on Systems Analysis in Urban Policy Making and Planning offers some observations on the use of systems analysis in transportation planning decision-making at the municipal level. Rather than comparing alternative approaches among different municipalities, it discusses the experience of a single medium sized urban area that has achieved a measure of success in the implementation of its transportation objectives.
Wavelets to Enhance Computational Intelligence in Computer-Aided Engineering

Concurrent engineering (CE) is intertwined with the field of computer-aided engineering (CAE). The author presents a vision of future for CE and CAE where computational intelligence (CI) will play an increasingly significant role. Various disciplines within CE such as design, manufacturing, knowledge management, collaborative computing, Web processes and services, and distributed infrastructures must rely heavily on CI to achieve the increasing sophistication demand. The author has been advocating and advancing a multi-paradigm approach for solution of complicated and noisy computational intelligence problems. In 1995 he co-authored Machine Learning --Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms, and Fuzzy Systems [1] the first authored book that presented and integrated the three principal soft computing and computational intelligence approaches. It was shown that such integration would provide a more powerful approach than any of the three approaches used individually. Since the publication of that ground-breaking book the author and his associates have demonstrated that chaos theory and wavelets can be used to further enhance computational intelligence especially for complicated and noisy pattern recognition problems. In this lecture it is shown how wavelets can be used as a powerful tool to complement and enhance other soft computing techniques such as neural networks and fuzzy logic as well as the chaos theory for solution of complicated and seemingly intractable CI problems. Examples of research performed by the author and his research associates in the areas of intelligent transportation systems [2--4], vibrations control [5--8], and nonlinear system identification [9--10] are presented.
Tumors of the Spinal Cord in Children

Involvement of the pediatric spine by malignant or benign tumors is thankfully an uncommon finding. When present, however, the consequences of both the tumor and the treatment chosen to eradicate it can be devastating to the normal course of development of the growing spinal column and paraspinous musculature of the infant or child.
Pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents

Background The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (DM) in children is disturbingly increasing in parallel with the increasing childhood obesity. Better knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of type 2 DM in children is paramount to devise an effective management plan. Objective Discuss the pathophysiology of type 2 DM in children and adolescents. Methods and results This is a comprehensive review of the literature on this topic. Type 2 DM in childhood is viewed as a continuum of insulin resistance (IR) which is determined by an underlying genetic predisposition, intrauterine environment, excessive food consumption, continued rapid weight gain, and poor lifestyle. Besides IR, this is compounded by multiple metabolic defects including β-cell dysfunction and inadequate insulin secretion, α-cell dysfunction, hyperglucagonemia and increased hepatic glucose production, lipotoxicity, inflammation, deficiencies in incretin production and action, and increased renal glucose reabsorption. The confluence of genetic and environmental factors underscores the complexity in disease progression. Conclusion A consistent single risk factor for type 2 DM is obesity and related IR and therefore it is essential to curtail the progression of obesity. It is important to investigate the role of stringent dietary and nutritional approaches, medications that enhance β-cell function and insulin sensitivity.
Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Older Adults: Deprescribing with a Clinical Pharmacist.

Objectives To compare the effects of a Geriatric Patient‐Aligned Care Team (GeriPACT) on deprescribing of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in individuals aged 80 and older with usual care (UC) in the Veterans Affairs setting. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Participants Individuals aged 80 and older who filled a PIM at least 90 days before a GeriPACT or primary care appointment between January 1, 2015, and September 6, 2017 (N = 568). Measurements The primary outcome was to determine whether an interdisciplinary team (IDT) including a clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) resulted in greater deprescribing of PIMs for older adults than UC. Results One hundred twenty‐one (26.8%) PIMs were deprescribed in GeriPACT, compared with 73 (16.1%) in UC (p = <.001). Of PIMs not deprescribed, 9.7% (n = 32) were dose reduced in GeriPACT, versus 2.8% (n = 11) in UC (p < .001). Documentation of risk versus benefit discussion between a provider and participant or pharmacist and participant occurred with 65.2% (n = 215) of PIMs not deprescribed in GeriPACT and 0.003% (n = 1) in UC (p < .001). Conclusion An IDT that included a CPS led to significantly more deprescribing of PIMs in older veterans. Including a CPS on an IDT for the management of older adults can decrease PIM use in our rapidly growing aging population. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:115–118, 2019.
Patient-centered communication: dissecting provider communication.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between patients’ provider communication effectiveness and courteousness with patients’ satisfaction and trust at free clinics.,This cross-sectional survey (n=507), based on the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems instrument, was conducted in two Southeastern US free clinics. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify patient subgroups (clusters) with similar but not immediately visible characteristics.,Across the items assessing provider communication effectiveness and courteousness, five distinct clusters based on patient satisfaction, trust and socio-demographics were identified. In clusters where communication and courteousness ratings were consistent, trust and satisfaction ratings were aligned with these domains, e.g., 54 percent rated communication and courteousness highly, which was associated with high patient satisfaction and trust. When communication effectiveness and courteousness ratings diverged (e.g., low communication effectiveness but high courteousness), patient trust and satisfaction ratings aligned with communication effectiveness ratings. In all clusters, the association was greater for communication effectiveness than for provider courteousness. Thus, provider courteousness was important but secondary to communication effectiveness.,Investment in patient-centered communication training for providers will improve patient satisfaction and trust.,The study is the first to examine individual provider communication components and how they relate to patient satisfaction and trust in free clinics. LCA helped to more fully examine communication constructs, which may be beneficial for more nuanced quality improvement efforts.
Exploring Freirean Culture Circles and Boalian Theatre as Pedagogies for Preparing Asset-Oriented Teacher Educators:

Background/ContextTeacher educator development remains an undertaking that is both understudied and underavailable as an explicit professional path, despite scholarship suggesting that teacher educ...
RaPID: ultra-fast, powerful, and accurate detection of segments identical by descent (IBD) in biobank-scale cohorts.

While genetic relatedness, usually manifested as segments identical by descent (IBD), is ubiquitous in modern large biobanks, current IBD detection methods are not efficient at such a scale. Here, we describe an efficient method, RaPID, for detecting IBD segments in a panel with phased haplotypes. RaPID achieves a time and space complexity linear to the input size and the number of reported IBDs. With simulation, we showed that RaPID is orders of magnitude faster than existing methods while offering competitive power and accuracy. In UK Biobank, RaPID identified 3,335,807 IBDs with a length ≥ 10 cM among 223,507 male X chromosomes in 11 min.
Solvent extraction and molecular modeling studies of Dy(III) using acidic extractants

Abstract In the present work, solvent extraction of Dy(III) from chloride solutions using 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC88A) and Cyanex 572 (a mixture of phosphonic and phosphinic acid extractants) diluted in kerosene has been reported. Pourbaix and speciation diagrams were plotted to understand the chemistry and formation of different species of Dy(III) in chloride solutions. The effects of different extraction parameters such as pH (1–5), extractant concentration (1–60 mM) and chloride concentration (0.05–1 M) were investigated. PC88A was found to extract Dy(III) ions better than Cyanex 572 under similar conditions. Experimental results showed that Dy(III) extraction reaction occurred via a cation exchange mechanism, which was further supported by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies of organic solutions loaded with Dy(III). Separation studies of Dy(III) from a mixed solution of 16 rare earth elements (REEs) indicate that PC88A works better for light REEs/Dy separation while selectivity of middle and heavy REEs over Dy(III) are superior with Cyanex 572. Molecular modeling was employed to calculate the Gibbs energies of Dy ions in aqueous and organic phases (consisting of phosphonic acid in heptane), which supported the experimental results.
The First Day of Class

You have made it! The first day of class has arrived, and you have been thinking and planning for this day for quite some time. You have read the book, and the syllabus is complete. Now it’s time to step up to the podium and say your first words to the class. You are probably feeling a bit nervous.
Protein Distribution and Muscle-Related Outcomes: Does the Evidence Support the Concept?

There is a shift in thinking about dietary protein requirements from daily requirements to individual meal requirements. Per meal, stimulation of muscle protein synthesis has a saturable dose relationship with the quantity of dietary protein consumed. Protein intake above the saturable dose does not further contribute to the synthetic response; the “excess” amino acids are predominantly oxidized. Given that daily dietary protein intake is finite, finding protein distribution patterns that both reduce amino acid oxidation and maximize their contribution towards protein synthesis (in theory improving net balance) could be “optimal” and is of practical scientific interest to promote beneficial changes in skeletal muscle-related outcomes. This article reviews both observational and randomized controlled trial research on the protein distribution concept. The current evidence on the efficacy of consuming an “optimal” protein distribution to favorably influence skeletal muscle-related changes is limited and inconsistent. The effect of protein distribution cannot be sufficiently disentangled from the effect of protein quantity. Consuming a more balanced protein distribution may be a practical way for adults with marginal or inadequate protein intakes (<0.80 g·kg−1·d−1) to achieve a moderately higher total protein intake. However, for adults already consuming 0.8–1.3 g·kg−1·d−1, the preponderance of evidence supports that consuming at least one meal that contains sufficient protein quantity to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis, independent of daily distribution, is helpful to promote skeletal muscle health.
Late-life voluntary wheel running reverses age-related aortic stiffness in mice: a translational model for studying mechanisms of exercise-mediated arterial de-stiffening.

Aortic stiffening, assessed as pulse-wave velocity (PWV), increases with age and is an important antecedent to, and independent predictor of, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and other clinical disorders of aging. Aerobic exercise promotes lower levels of aortic stiffness in older adults, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood, largely due to inherent challenges of mechanistic studies of large elastic arteries in humans. Voluntary wheel running (VWR) is distinct among experimental animal exercise paradigms in that it allows investigation of the physiologic effects of aerobic training without potential confounding influences of aversive molecular signaling related to forced exercise. In this study, we investigated whether VWR in mice may be a suitable model for mechanistic studies (i.e., “reverse translation”) of the beneficial effects of exercise on arterial stiffness in humans. We found that 10 weeks of VWR in old mice (~ 28 months) reversed age-related elevations in aortic PWV assessed in vivo (Old VWR: 369 ± 19 vs. old sedentary: 439 ± 20 cm/s, P < 0.05). The de-stiffening effects of VWR were accompanied by normalization of age-related increases in ex vivo mechanical stiffness of aortic segments and aortic accumulation of collagen-I and advanced glycation end products, as well as lower levels of aortic superoxide and nitrotyrosine. Our results suggest that late-life VWR in mice recapitulates the aortic de-stiffening effects of exercise in humans and indicates important mechanistic roles for decreased oxidative stress and extracellular matrix remodeling. Therefore, VWR is a suitable model for further study of the mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of exercise on arterial stiffness.
LRRC8A-dependent volume-regulated anion channels contribute to ischemia-induced brain injury and glutamatergic input to hippocampal neurons.

Abstract Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are critically involved in regulating cell volume, and leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 8A (LRRC8A, SWELL1) is an obligatory subunit of VRACs. Cell swelling occurs early after brain ischemia, but it is unclear whether neuronal LRRC8a contributes to ischemia-induced glutamate release and brain injury. We found that Lrrc8a conditional knockout (Lrrc8a-cKO) mice produced by crossing NestinCre+/− with Lrrc8aflox+/+ mice died 7–8 weeks of age, indicating an essential role of neuronal LRRC8A for survival. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) caused an early increase in LRRC8A protein levels in the hippocampus in wild-type (WT) mice. Whole-cell patch-clamp recording in brain slices revealed that oxygen-glucose deprivation significantly increased the amplitude of VRAC currents in hippocampal CA1 neurons in WT but not in Lrrc8a-cKO mice. Hypotonicity increased the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in hippocampal CA1 neurons in WT mice, and this was abolished by DCPIB, a VRAC blocker. But in Lrrc8a-cKO mice, hypotonic solution had no effect on the frequency of sEPSCs in these neurons. Furthermore, the brain infarct volume and neurological severity score induced by MCAO were significantly lower in Lrrc8a-cKO mice than in WT mice. In addition, MCAO-induced increases in cleaved caspase-3 and calpain activity, two biochemical markers of neuronal apoptosis and death, in brain tissues were significantly attenuated in Lrrc8a-cKO mice compared with WT mice. These new findings indicate that cerebral ischemia increases neuronal LRRC8A-dependent VRAC activity and that VRACs contribute to increased glutamatergic input to hippocampal neurons and brain injury caused by ischemic stroke.