cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advecting procedural textures for 2D flow animation

The paper proposes the use of specially generated 3D procedural textures for visualizing steady state 2D flow fields. We use the flow field to advect and animate the texture over time. However, using standard texture advection techniques and arbitrary textures will introduce some undesirable effects such as: (a) expanding texture from a critical source point, (b) streaking pattern from the boundary of the flow field, (c) crowding of advected textures near an attracting spiral or sink, and (d) absent or lack of textures in some regions of the flow. The paper proposes a number of strategies to solve these problems. We demonstrate how the technique works using both synthetic data and computational fluid dynamics data.
The human CD8+ T cell responses induced by a live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine are directed against highly conserved epitopes

The incidence of infection with any of the four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1 to -4) has increased dramatically in the last few decades, and the lack of a treatment or vaccine has contributed to significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. A recent comprehensive analysis of the human T cell response against wild-type DENV suggested an human lymphocyte antigen (HLA)-linked protective role for CD8+ T cells. We have collected one-unit blood donations from study participants receiving the monovalent or tetravalent live attenuated DENV vaccine (DLAV), developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these donors were screened in gamma interferon enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assays with pools of predicted, HLA-matched, class I binding peptides covering the entire DENV proteome. Here, we characterize for the first time CD8+ T cell responses after live attenuated dengue vaccination and show that CD8+ T cell responses in vaccinees were readily detectable and comparable to natural dengue infection. Interestingly, whereas broad responses to structural and nonstructural (NS) proteins were observed after monovalent vaccination, T cell responses following tetravalent vaccination were, dramatically, focused toward the highly conserved NS proteins. Epitopes were highly conserved in a vast variety of field isolates and able to elicit multifunctional T cell responses. Detailed knowledge of the T cell response will contribute to the identification of robust correlates of protection in natural immunity and following vaccination against DENV. IMPORTANCE The development of effective vaccination strategies against dengue virus (DENV) infection and clinically significant disease is a task of high global public health value and significance, while also being a challenge of significant complexity. A recent efficacy trial of the most advanced dengue vaccine candidate, demonstrated only partial protection against all four DENV serotypes, despite three subsequent immunizations and detection of measurable neutralizing antibodies to each serotype in most subjects. These results challenge the hypothesis that seroconversion is the only reliable correlate of protection. Here, we show that CD8+ T cell responses in vaccinees were readily detectable and comparable to natural dengue virus infection. Detailed knowledge of the T cell response may further contribute to the identification of robust correlates of protection in natural immunity and vaccination against DENV.
The use of a cervical dilatation graph in the management of primigravidae in labour.

Summary One thousand consecutive labours in primigravid patients were evaluated to show the value of the combined use of a cervical dilatation graph and a policy of active management. Intervention was required at a significantly higher rate in patients with abnormal cervical dilatation patterns. Significantly more Caesarean sections were performed in patients with abnormal cervical dilatation pattern. Early recognition of cervical dilatation problems, early intervention, and the avoidance of difficult vaginal deliveries have contributed to the good results.
Health Promotion in Context: The Effects of Significant Others on Health Behavior Change

Maintenance of health behavior change over the long-term has been routinely diffi cult. One of the reasons for this difficulty is that only individuals' attitudes or behav ior are changed, without concomitant support from the social environment. The purpose of this study was to explore several of the ways in which significant others- family members, friends, and coworkers-may affect changes in health behavior. Eighty-four participants in a work site health promotion program were the subjects of the study. Self-reports of health behaviors were gathered at baseline and at the end of the 7-week program; in addition, subjects reported the extent to which significant others generally supported health behavior changes, encouraged them to maintain changes they had made, and made changes in their own health behaviors. Results provide support for the general hypothesis that one individual attempting to change health behavior may be positively influenced by significant others during the course of the change process...
Childhood Headaches A School Nurse Perspective

One hundred eight out of 256 (42%) surveys were completed by registered school nurses (SNs) working in the Connecticut public school system. Of the 108 respondents, 99% were RNs and 1% were LPNs. Each SN spent an average of 19 working days a month at school, in elementary (71 %) and/or preschool (40%) settings. Professional experience and educational backgrounds were variable. Over 40% had never received formal instruction regarding childhood headache (CH), and an additional 32% had received less than two hours. School nurses ranked CH behind minor trauma, GI upset, and URI as the fourth of the 13 most common clinical problems encountered at school. An average of 35 children with headaches were seen each month. A brief description of, and inquiry about, other systemic symptoms were nearly always made. Only 62% of the SNs usually asked a child about neurological symptoms. A child's temperature and pulse were measured routinely by 84% of SNs, whereas blood pressure and neurological assessment were obtained ...
Toward International Computing History

This essay advocates for international histories of computing that either compare computing in two or more countries or that investigate interactions between countries. While the first are suited to identify causal factors, the latter augment social and cultural histories.
Vacuole Biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Protein Transport Pathways to the Yeast Vacuole

Delivery of proteins to the vacuole of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides an excellent model system in which to study vacuole and lysosome biogenesis and membrane traffic. This organelle receives proteins from a number of different routes, including proteins sorted away from the secretory pathway at the Golgi apparatus and endocytic traffic arising from the plasma membrane. Genetic analysis has revealed at least 60 genes involved in vacuolar protein sorting, numerous components of a novel cytoplasm-to-vacuole transport pathway, and a large number of proteins required for autophagy. Cell biological and biochemical studies have provided important molecular insights into the various protein delivery pathways to the yeast vacuole. This review describes the various pathways to the vacuole and illustrates how they are related to one another in the vacuolar network of S. cerevisiae.
The Centennial Decade of the MDIBL

The 1990s led up to the Centennial Celebration of the MDIBL. The decade started with the usual concerns about an aging physical plant and the fact that federal grants to the Laboratory (primarily a toxicology center grant from the NIEHS) accounted for nearly 50 % of the annual budget. The Long Range Planning Committee suggested improving ties with Maine institutions (which led to an NSF EPSCOR grant with the University of Maine, Orono in 1992) and starting the process of forming a strategic plan for the next decade. Weekly public tours began in an effort to inform the public about the importance of the research done at the Laboratory, and a newly formed Development Committee of the Board of Trustees suggested that a full-time Development Officer be hired to coordinate the increasing outreach and public relations efforts. Another new committee, the Education and Conference Committee, started to coordinate the scientific meetings and short courses that were planned in future summers. Renovations and repair of the physical plant and cottages continued throughout the decade, and two new, 2-apartment structures became available for postdoctoral fellows or Investigators without children. Stewardship of the slowly increasing Laboratory Endowment was finally transferred to an investment firm, with mixed results that continued (with other firms) for the next 15 years. By the Centennial Celebration in 1998, the MDIBL had generated a mission statement, reorganized its institutional governance structure, started a major fund-raising campaign, generated a Master Plan and changed its zoning, and constructed a new Conference Center, in which the Centennial Conference was held.
A review of the systematics of western North Pacific angel sharks, genus Squatina, with redescriptions of Squatina formosa, S. japonica, and S. nebulosa (Chondrichthyes: Squatiniformes, Squatinidae)

Squatinids are quite distinct from other shark-like fishes, but individual species are difficult to differentiate. Four of the 16 known, valid squatinid species occur in the western North Pacific (WNP). Differences among the WNP species complex have traditionally relied upon the nasal barbel shape, interorbital and interspiracle distances, ocellus patterns, number of dermal folds about the mouth, and the presence of midback thorns. Unfortunately, many of these characters are difficult to distinguish, hindering identification of individuals. Using WNP squatinid specimens and photographs, both from field expeditions and museums, we confirm the validity of four species in the area. Additionally, we correct mistakes made in the literature on S. formosa type material, clarify differences in the particularly challenging distinction between S. formosa and S. nebulosa, and provide the basis for a revised dichotomous key for the region that includes all four known valid WNP squatinid species.
Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference: Amiodarone Pulmonary Toxicity

Amiodarone is an effective antiarrhythmic agent whose utility is limited by many side-effects, the most problematic being pneumonitis. The pulmonary toxicity of amiodarone is thought to result from direct injury related to the intracellular accumulation of phospholipid and T cell-mediated hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The clinical and radiographic features of amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity are characteristic but nonspecific. The diagnosis depends on exclusion of other entities, such as heart failure, infection, and malignancy. While withdrawal of amiodarone leads to clinical improvement in majority of cases, this is not always possible or advisable. Dose reduction or concomitant steroid therapy may have a role in selected patients.
Understanding and Using the Relationships between Business and Professional Communication and Public Relations.

Aspects of research and pedagogy from the public relations discipline can benefit the business and professional communication instructor seeking new dimensions for the business and professional communication classroom. Elements of public relations (PR) found in Association for Business Communication articles and journals may be incorporated in the business and professional communication curriculum, but we lack a systematic overview of the overlaps between PR and business communication theory and practice. This article is a practical guide for instructors wanting to add PR content to their curriculum. It presents respective theoretical origins, media reliance similarities, common perspectives, overlaps of academic challenges for legitimacy and respectability, and potential classroom applications.
Selective deposition of polycrystalline silicon thin films by hot-wire CVD

Polycrystalline silicon thin films have been selectively deposited at a deposition rate of 60–100A/min and a substrate temperature of 300°C on molybdenum or silicon over silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or Corning 7059 glass substrate in a continuous hot-wire CVD process involving hydrogen and disilane. Excellent selectivity is achieved on features as small as one micrometer spaced molybdenum lines. The crystallinity of the selectively deposited polysilicon films is thickness dependent. The substrate selectivity is sensitive to both silicon content in the gas phase and substrate temperature. Selective deposition shifts to lower Si content in the gas phase when substrate temperature increases. At a certain substrate temperature, for a silicon content above a certain value in the gas phase, films with similar crystallinity are non-selectively deposited on both molybdenum and silicon dioxide.
Abstract 1857: Src: A novel target for chemoprevention of early stage ER- breast cancer

Selective ER modulators (SERMs) have shown significant efficacy for the prevention of ER-positive breast cancer, however, SERMs are not effective for patients whose tumors do not express ER. Therefore, novel agents are needed for prevention and intervention of high risk ER-breast cancers. The c-Src plays a pivotal role in the progression of EGFR- and HER2-dependent ER negative breast cancer. Thus, targeting Src using agents with minimal toxicity or in combination with other novel agents may prevent/intervene progression of early stage ER- breast cancer. In this study we used Saracatinib (AztraZeneca), a Src inhibitor well-tolerated in phase II clinical trials. We examined the effect of Src inhibition using Saracatinib alone or with other agents for cancer prevention using human mammary epithelial pre-malignant cell lines (MECs) and MMTV-neu mouse model. The MCF10A MECs stably overexpressing ErbB2 (10A.ErbB2 cells) form irregular (grape-like) acini in 3D culture condition. Saracatinib treatment prevents the progression of abnormal 3D acini growth as well reverses the abnormal 3D acini growth of 10A.ErbB2 cells to normal phenotype. Our reverse phase protein array data showed that Saracatinib induces the expression of cell cycle inhibitors and apoptosis related molecules, e.g. P27kip1, RAR beta, and PDCD4. Our 3D acini confocal microscopy experiment showed that it induces luminal apoptosis and suppresses cell proliferation in 10A.ErbB2 cells as detected by activated caspase-3 and ki-67 staining respectively. Next, we used MMTV-neu mouse model which develop ER negative lesions at early stage, to examine correlation between Src activation and ER negative mammary cancer progression. MMTV-neu mice mammary lesions exhibited super-activated Src which were negatively associated with estrogen receptor (ER) expression. Our preliminary data showed that Saracatinib-containing regimen inhibited MMTV-neu mice mammary lesions. Our study demonstrated that targeting Src by Saracatinib may be effective for the chemoprevention of early stage ER negative breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1857. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1857
A Study of Honey Bee Drone Attraction in the Mating Response

The primary drone congregation area of Apis mellifera L. discovered by Zmarlicki and Morse in 1962 has persisted unchanged through 1965–68; their secondary congregation areas were little changed in 1967–68. A substantial decrease in the number of drones available to these areas had little effect on drone attraction at a given site. Three primary drone congregation areas were mapped. They varied in size, but had boundaries marked by vertical relief (trees, buildings, etc.). Surface (ground) conditions do not seem to affect drone congregation. The author was not able to destroy congregation areas with benzaldehyde, a known bee repellent, or with the alarm substances isopentyl acetate and 2-hepatone. However, large amounts of the synthetic sex attractant produced “artificial” congregation areas. Within a congregation area, drones discriminated between objects bearing the synthetic sex attractant. For a given object a 10.06% increase in the amount of attractant produced a 1% increase in attraction, for a range of 0.005-5 mg of attractant. Increasing the size of the object from 3 cm2, slightly smaller than a normal queen, by multiples of 2 to 384 cm2 resulted in progressively decreased drone attraction. Drones were able to distinguish and seemed to have preference for darker colors and certain shapes.
Critical node analysis (CNA) of electrical infrastructure networks

This work addresses the problem of identifying the set of nodes in a power network critical to system operation. Formally, the CNA problem is the problem of identifying a minimum cardinality set of nodes to target in a power network in order to reduce throughput by a given factor. Since the defender may reroute flows in an attempt to restore throughput, the attack must anticipate and defeat this possibility. We develop here an algorithm to solve this problem. In our approach we model the problem as a bi-level optimization problem where the master problem attempts different attack combinations and the sub-problem responds with the best routing. The optimization problems that result from such a framework are mixed integer programs (MIPs), which we solve in our implementation using IBM CPLEX. The algorithm has been tested on several benchmark networks and appears to perform well. We have also developed variants that can be used for determining optimal restoration configuration post damage on large networks (4000 nodes, 8000 links) and for modeling propagation of failures after the initial attack. We report on computational experiments with these variants as well.
Double Voices and Bashō’s Haikai

One of the most dramatic transformations in the social, political, and cultural history of Japan occurred in the seventeenth century, in the transition from the medieval period to the early modern era, a century that witnessed the emergence of urban culture, centered on the chōnin (urban commoners), the spread of mass education, and the advent of printing, which transformed literature into a commodity for huge markets. Until then, written literature was almost entirely the possession of a small elite group of aristocrats, priests, and high-ranking samurai. In the medieval period biwa hōshi or traveling minstrels had chanted such military epics as the Heike monogatari (Tale of Heike) and the Taiheiki (Chronicle of Medieval Japan) to a populace that could neither read nor write. The average samurai was illiterate, as were farmers and craftsmen. With the emergence of a new socioeconomic structure, the government encouragement of education, and the spread of print capitalism, however, this situation changed drastically. By the middle of the seventeenth century, almost all samurai, now the bureaucratic elite, were able to read, as were the middle to upper levels of the farmer and chōnin classes. This newly literate populace transformed haikai, heterodox linked verse, into the first truly popular literature of Japan in the sense of being widely practiced and read by commoners.
Making Sense of Mobile Eye-Tracking Data in the Real-World A Human-in-the-Loop Analysis Approach

Stationary eye-tracking technology has been used extensively in human-computer interaction to both understand how humans interact with computers and as an interaction mechanism. Mobile eye-tracking...
HIV-Related Sexual Risk among African American Men Preceding Incarceration: Associations with Support from Significant Others, Family, and Friends

We evaluated the association between social support received from significant others, family, and friends and HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among African American men involved in the criminal justice system. Project DISRUPT is a cohort study among African American men released from prison in North Carolina (N = 189). During the baseline (in-prison) survey, we assessed the amount of support men perceived they had received from significant others, family, and friends. We measured associations between low support from each source (<median value) and participants’ sex risk in the 6 months before incarceration. Low levels of social support from significant others, family, or friends were associated with poverty and homelessness, mental disorders, and substance use. Adjusting for age, poverty, and other sources of support, perceiving low support from significant others was strongly associated with multiple partnerships (fully adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29–5.42). Low significant other support also was strongly associated with sex trade involvement when adjusting for age and poverty status (adjusted OR 3.51, 95% CI 1.25–9.85) but further adjustment for low family and friend support weakened the association (fully adjusted OR 2.81, 95% CI 0.92–8.55). Significant other support was not associated with other sex risk outcomes including concurrent partnerships, anal sex, or sex with an STI/HIV-infected partner. Low family support was associated with multiple partnerships in analyses adjusting for age and poverty (adjusted OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.05–3.76) but the association weakened and was no longer significant after adjusting for other sources of support (fully adjusted OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.65–3.00); family support was not correlated with other risk behaviors. Friend support was not significantly associated with sex risk outcomes. Indicators of overall support from any source were not associated with sex risk outcomes. Helping inmates maintain ties may improve economic security and well-being during community re-entry, while supporting and strengthening relationships with a significant other in particular may help reduce sex risk. Studies should evaluate the protective effects of distinct support sources to avoid masking effects of support and to best understand the influence of social support on health.
An Educational Intervention Optimizes the Use of Arterial Blood Gas Determinations Across ICUs From Different Specialties: A Quality-Improvement Study

Background Overuse of arterial blood gas (ABG) determinations leads to increased costs, inefficient use of staff work hours, and patient discomfort and blood loss. We developed guidelines to optimize ABG use in the ICU. Methods ABG use guidelines were implemented in all adult ICUs in our institution: three medical, two trauma-surgery, one cardiovascular, and one neurosurgical ICU. Although relying on pulse oximetry, we encouraged the use of ABG determination after an acute respiratory event or for a rational clinical concern and discouraged obtaining ABG measurements for routine surveillance, after planned changes of positive end-expiratory pressure or Fio 2 on the mechanical ventilator, for spontaneous breathing trials, or when a disorder was not suspected. ABG measurements and global ICU metrics were collected before (year 2014) and after (year 2015) the intervention. Results We saw a reduction of 821.5 ± 257.4 ABG determinations per month (41.5%), or approximately one ABG determination per patient per mechanical ventilation (MV) day for each month (43.1%), after introducing the guidelines ( P P = .002). Less than 5% of inappropriately indicated ABG determinations changed patient management in the postintervention period. There were no significant differences in MV days, severity of illness, or ICU mortality between the two periods. Conclusions The large scale implementation of guidelines for ABG use reduced the number of inappropriately ordered ABG determinations over seven different multidisciplinary ICUs, without negatively impacting patient care.
ArrayUDF: User-Defined Scientific Data Analysis on Arrays

User-Defined Functions (UDF) allow application programmers to specify analysis operations on data, while leaving the data management tasks to the system. This general approach enables numerous custom analysis functions and is at the heart of the modern Big Data systems. Even though the UDF mechanism can theoretically support arbitrary operations, a wide variety of common operations -- such as computing the moving average of a time series, the vorticity of a fluid flow, etc., -- are hard to express and slow to execute. Since these operations are traditionally performed on multi-dimensional arrays, we propose to extend the expressiveness of structural locality for supporting UDF operations on arrays. We further propose an in situ UDF mechanism, called ArrayUDF, to implement the structural locality. ArrayUDF allows users to define computations on adjacent array cells without the use of join operations and executes the UDF directly on arrays stored in data files without requiring to load their content into a data management system. Additionally, we present a thorough theoretical analysis of the data access cost to exploit the structural locality, which enables ArrayUDF to automatically select the best array partitioning strategy for a given UDF operation. In a series of performance evaluations on large scientific datasets, we have observed that -- using the generic UDF interface -- ArrayUDF consistently outperforms Spark, SciDB, and RasDaMan.
Aligner optimization increases accuracy and decreases compute times in multi-species sequence data.

doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000122.001. As sequencing technologies have evolved, the tools to analyze these sequences have made similar advances. However, for multi-species samples, we observed important and adverse differences in alignment specificity and computation time for bwa- mem (Burrows–Wheeler aligner-maximum exact matches) relative to bwa-aln. Therefore, we sought to optimize bwa-mem for alignment of data from multi-species samples in order to reduce alignment time and increase the specificity of alignments. In the multi-species cases examined, there was one majority member (i.e. Plasmodium falciparum or Brugia malayi) and one minority member (i.e. human or the Wolbachia endosymbiont wBm) of the sequence data. Increasing bwa-mem seed length from the default value reduced the number of read pairs from the majority sequence member that incorrectly aligned to the reference genome of the minority sequence member. Combining both source genomes into a single reference genome increased the specificity of mapping, while also reducing the central processing unit (CPU) time. In Plasmodium, at a seed length of 18 nt, 24.1 % of reads mapped to the human genome using 1.7±0.1 CPU hours, while 83.6 % of reads mapped to the Plasmodium genome using 0.2±0.0 CPU hours (total: 107.7 % reads mapping; in 1.9±0.1 CPU hours). In contrast, 97.1 % of the reads mapped to a combined Plasmodium–human reference in only 0.7±0.0 CPU hours. Overall, the results suggest that combining all references into a single reference database and using a 23 nt seed length reduces the computational time, while maximizing specificity. Similar results were found for simulated sequence reads from a mock metagenomic data set. We found similar improvements to computation time in a publicly available human-only data set.
Management of chronic complications associated with herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

Purpose of reviewHerpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) has the potential to cause significant visual morbidity and functional disability in patients with recalcitrant disease, keratitis, and postherpetic neuralgia. This article will review the current methods of prevention and treatment of anterior segme
Probing Dirac Fermions in Graphene by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy

Graphene is a two dimensional system which can be studied using surface probe techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Combining the two, one can learn about the surface morphology as well as about its electronic properties. In this chapter we present a brief review of experimental results obtained on graphene supported on substrates with varying degrees of disorder. In the first part we focus on the electronic properties of single layer graphene without a magnetic field as well as in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field. The second part focuses on twisted graphene stacks and the effects of rotating away from the equilibrium Bernal stacking on the electronic properties.
Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work.

This article discusses examples of work tasks and interaction in five elementary schools in contrasting social class communities. The examples illustrate differences in classroom experience and cur...
A Limited Time to Act: Cervical Cancer Stage Progression Prior to Treatment

Background: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women in sub-Saharan Africa where access to timely diagnosis and treatment remains a major challenge. Several investigators have...
Hypobromous acid and loss of cardio-protective paraoxonase-1 activity from human plasma

Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is a cardio-protective enzyme associated with plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL). In this study we investigated effects of HOBr, a pro-inflammatory mediator, on plasma PON1 activity. In initial studies, HOBr or HOCl was added to 5-fold diluted human plasma and PON1 phosphotriesterase activity was assayed. Consistent with prior reports, addition of HOCl (2000 uM) to plasma caused loss of PON1 activity, which declined to 71 ± 3 % normal (P 0.05). In conclusion, our results demonstrate HOBr and brominated amines, such as taurine may be important mediators of PON1 activity during inflammation. Supported by Midwestern University.
Developing a Low-Cost Wearable Personal Exposure Monitor for Studying Respiratory Diseases Using Metal–Oxide Sensors

Global industrialization and urbanization have led to increased levels of air pollution. Those with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, are at the highest risk for adverse health effects and reduced quality of life. Studying the relationship between pollutants and symptoms is usually achieved with data from government air quality monitoring stations, but these fail to report the spatial and temporal resolution required to track a person’s true exposure, especially when the majority of their time is spent indoors. We develop and build eight wrist-worn wearable devices, weighing only 64 g, to measure known asthma symptom triggers: ozone, total volatile organic compounds, temperature, humidity, and activity level. The devices use commercial off-the-shelf components, costing under $150 each to build. This report focuses on the design, calibration, and testing of the devices. Emphasis is placed on the calibration of a metal–oxide–semiconductor gas sensor for detecting ozone, which is a difficult task because of the large variations in ambient temperature and humidity found when using a wearable device. Examples of testing the devices in four real environments are also discussed: 11 days inside a well-ventilated laboratory, ten days outdoors during the summer, alternating the devices between indoor and outdoor environments to examine their response to quickly changing environments, and a field test where scripted activities are performed for a full day. The work demonstrates a wearable device for environmental health studies and addresses the challenges of existing sensors for real-world applications.
Automated electrical demand peak leveling in a manufacturing facility with short term energy storage for smart grid participation

Abstract Demand side management of energy is a vital function in the smart grid that allows for greater integration of renewable energy resources, and is facilitated with economic incentives in energy and demand pricing schedules. Manufacturing systems can take advantage of these incentives to reduce their energy costs through active energy management. This paper is a simulation analysis on the implementation of a novel algorithm that levelizes the maximum power load of an industrial bakery that operates under an on-peak demand price structure. The algorithm takes advantage of an untapped thermal energy storage resource in the facility, a chilled glycol buffer tank, to level the short intra-day power oscillations that the facility experiences. One of the key advantages of the algorithm is that it does not require precise demand forecasting or complex control algorithms, such as model predictive control. Even with substantial error in peak power estimates (5%), the algorithm is expected to result in at least a 2% peak reduction. Under ideal prediction, the algorithm reduces the on-peak facility power maximum by 7.3% of the possible 9.0% reduction the storage can provide. Further, the algorithm uses very few facility specific inputs, and can readily be adapted for any facility with short intra-day oscillatory power profiles and untapped storage capacity. The key insight of the paper is the employment of a novel algorithm to leverage untapped energy storage in manufacturing facilities to transform them into smart grid participants with no major capital investment.
An objective version of the Rortex vector for vortex identification

Vortices are a ubiquitous natural phenomenon, and their structure, shape, and characteristics should be independent of the observer, which implies that the vortex identification method or vortex definition should maintain its objectivity. Currently, most of the vortex identification methods rely on velocity gradient tensors. The calculation of the velocity gradient tensor is based on the reference frame of the observer, and the velocity gradient tensor will vary with the observer’s motion. By these vortex identification methods, very different vortex structures could be visualized and described in a moving reference frame. Recently, a mathematical definition of the Rortex vortex vector was proposed to represent the local fluid rotation. The definition used velocity gradient tensor to derive the local rigid rotation axis and strength. However, the original definition of the Rortex vector is nonobjective. In order to obtain the objectivity, in this paper, by a definition of a net velocity gradient tensor, an objective Rortex vortex vector is defined which uses a spatially averaged vorticity to offset the impact of the motion frame. Some typical numerical examples, such as an implicit large-eddy simulation result for shock and boundary layer interaction and a direct numerical simulation for boundary layer transition, are provided to show the objectivity of the developed method.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging in primary hyperparathyroidism

Objective The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and the brain regions affected are not clear. We assessed neural activation during cognitive testing (matrix reasoning, paired associates, and logical memory) using functional MRI (fMRI) in 23 patients with PHPT and 23 healthy controls. A subset with PHPT was re-assessed 6 months post-parathyroidectomy (PTX). Design This is an observational study comparing neural activation by fMRI in patients with PHPT to normative controls. Postmenopausal women were studied at a tertiary referral center. Results There were no between-group differences in cognitive task performance. Patients with PHPT had lower neural activation vs controls (max Z = 4.02, all P < 0.01) during matrix reasoning in brain regions involved in executive function (left frontal lobe (k = 57) and right medial frontal gyrus (k = 72)) and motor function (right precentral gyrus (k = 51)). During paired associates (verbal memory), those with PHPT had greater activation in the right inferior parietal lobule (language/mathematical operations; k = 65, P < 0.01). Greater activation in this region bilaterally correlated with higher PTH (k = 96, P < 0.01). Post-PTX, activation decreased during matrix reasoning, but in different regions than those affected pre-PTX. Conclusions PHPT is associated with differences in task-related neural activation patterns, but no difference in cognitive performance. While this may indicate compensation to maintain the same cognitive function, there was no clear improvement in neural activation after PTX. Larger, longitudinal studies that include PHPT patients followed without surgery are needed to determine if PTX could prevent worsening of altered neural activation patterns in PHPT.
Silicon modulates expression of pathogen defense-related genes during alleviation of copper toxicity in Nicotiana tabacum

Plants treated with metals better fend off infection by pathogens. This activity is mediated, at least in part, by the activation of the salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway. Previous work in our ...
The role of the endothelium in the hyperemic response to passive leg movement: looking beyond nitric oxide

Passive leg movement (PLM) evokes a highly nitric oxide (NO)-mediated hyperemic response and may provide a novel evaluation of vascular function. The contributions of endothelium-dependent vasodila...
What Can a Woman Know? Subjectification, Desire, Perversion, and Possibility

Creative works allow a discourse that can be collectively subjective, rather than denuding experienced meanings through attempts at objectification. Jennifer Fox’s film The Tale offers an encounter...
COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Dentistry: A Cross-sectional Survey of Practicing Dentists.

Aim and objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the economic impact and the dental practice changes associated with the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional survey conducted at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020). The study sample was derived from the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Alumni network, which included the graduating classes between 1975 and 2015. Active dental practitioners were surveyed regarding changes to their current operations and protective safety measures through a 22 closed-ended questionnaire-based survey. Results The response rate was 17%. Nearly 70.92% of respondents laid off at least one staff member during the COVID-19 pandemic, 51.80% expressed fear of permanent closure, and 79.43% applied for a small business administration loan. There were no significant associations between the amount of time in practice and the need to lay off staff members, the fear of going out of business, or the rates of application for the small business administration loan. Many practitioners bought at least one device geared toward reducing COVID-19 transmission, such as ultraviolet (UV) lights (26.21%), extraoral suctions (37.31%), and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) air filters (54.55%). Conclusion At the peak of the pandemic, the majority of dental providers had to reduce staff and seek financial assistance. Concurrently, many of these practices also invested in new safety equipment with the intention of reducing viral transmission. Clinical significance External mouth suctions, commercial air purifiers, and air exchange devices might be useful in the private practice setting. However, financially strained practitioners should recognize that these devices have not currently been proven to be effective against the COVID-19 virus. How to cite this article: Cimilluca JJ, Lee KC, Halepas S et al. COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Dentistry: A Cross-sectional Survey of Practicing Dentists. J Contemp Dent Pract 2021;22(5):473-478.
An Immersive Virtual Reality Platform for Medical Education: Introduction to the Medical Readiness Trainer

The Medical Readiness Trainer (MRT) constitutes a medical education environment, in which, the integration of fully immersive Virtual Reality with highly advanced medical simulation technologies and medical databases exposes the trainee to the vast range of complex medical situations. MRT allows the simultaneous interaction of medically appropriate context, situational realism, and psychological stressors necessary for the dynamic acquisition of manual and diagnostic medical skills. A network of MRT's will allow creation of collaborative virtual environments essential for training of both individual and team/unit medical skills, and for training of medical management and logistic support functions
Evaluation of Fault-Tolerant Software: A Performability Modeling Approach

A comparative evaluation of recovery blocks and N-version programming (N = 3) is accomplished by means of performability modeling. For each scheme, a corresponding stochastic process model is constructed by employing a hierarchical modeling framework. Comparison is based on a performability measure that quantifies software “effectiveness” in a designated operational environment. The evaluation results reveal some interesting differences between the two schemes; in addition, they point to certain inadequacies in the use of computational redundancy which could serve as the basis for design modification.
I Have to Talk to Somebody

In this chapter, I consider some consequences of the propositions (a) that people tend to disclose when they are distressed and (b) that they obtain some benefit from doing so. To put it more strongly, I propose that the amount of disclosure tends to increase with the intensity of a person’s distress and that this disclosure tends to help to relieve the distress. I call this a fever model because it suggests that disclosure’s relation to psychological distress is analogous to a fever’s relation to physical infection: both are a sign of disturbance and part of a restorative process.
The Use of a Crystalline Amino Acid Mixture for Parenteral Nutrition in Low-Birth-Weight Infants

Thirty-six preterm, sick, low-birth-weight neonates were given either total or partial parenteral nutrition. The patients were divided into three groups according to their birth weights: group A -less than 1,000 gm, 12 patients: group B--between 1,000 and 1,500 gm, 15 patients: group C--more than 1,500 gm, 9 patients. The solution for total parenteral nutrition contained 20% glucose and 2.6% crystalline amino acids plus appropriate amounts of vitamins and minerals. The volume of infusate given was usually 125 ml/kg/day, but varied depending on the clinical condition of the patient; occasionally it was as high as 150 to 175 ml/kg/day. Infusate of one-half strength was administered initially; its concentrations of glucose and amino acids were increased to three quarters and full strength gradually, if tolerated. The solution for total parenteral nutrition was infused into the superior vena cava via a central venous catheter; that for partial parenteral nutrition was given into a peripheral vein to supplement inadequate oral feedings. The period of parenteral nutrition lasted from 5 to 49 days, with an average of 13.2 days. The intake of 500 mg of nitrogen as crystalline amino acids and 100 kcal as glucose was capable of achieving body weight gain. Positive nitrogen balance of various degrees was also observed. Hyperglycemia of a slight to moderate degree was observed in nine patients; only three required insulin therapy. Two patients had thrombotic occlusion of the central venous catheter. The conclusion was reached that total parenteral nutrition or partial parenteral nutrition, when properly managed, is a safe procedure in small, premature infants. The amino acid solution given as a nitrogen source along with adequate calories was effective in promoting weight gain and nitrogen balance; it was apparently well tolerated by low-birth-weight neonates.
Parallel Implementation of Triangular Cellular Automata for Computing Two-Dimensional Elastodynamic Response on Arbitrary Domains

In this research we report parallel implementation of a Cellular Automata-based simulation tool for computing elastodynamic response on complex, two-dimensional domains. Elastodynamic simulation using Cellular Automata (CA) has recently been presented as an alternative, inherently object-oriented technique for accurately and efficiently computing linear and nonlinear wave propagation in arbitrarily-shaped geometries. The local, autonomous nature of the method should lead to straight-forward and efficient parallelization. We address this notion on symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) hardware using a Java-based object-oriented CA code implementing triangular state machines (i.e., automata) and the MPI bindings written in Java (MPJ Express). We use MPJ Express to reconfigure our existing CA code to distribute a domain’s automata to cores present on a dual quad-core shared-memory system (eight total processors). We note that this message passing parallelization strategy is directly applicable to computer clustered computing, which will be the focus of follow-on research. Results on the shared memory platform indicate nearly-ideal, linear speed-up. We conclude that the CA-based elastodynamic simulator is easily configured to run in parallel, and yields excellent speed-up on SMP hardware.
Residential Energy Efficient Device Adoption in South Africa

Abstract In recent years there has been a major drive for the adoption of energy efficient devices in the residential sector of South Africa. The public utility company has introduced incentives for solar and heat pump water heaters, and has begun a residential mass rollout program, in order to encourage this adoption. In this paper we attempt to evaluate a consumer’s decision when purchasing energy efficient devices in order to determine whether current incentives are focused towards the technologies that consumers are seeking. Since the adoption of energy efficient devices is a purchasing decision by the consumer, we created a Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM) in order to understand this decision. We created two scenarios in order to analyze the model, one without incentives from the utility, and one with incentives. We established that the addition of incentives for heat pump water heaters and solar water heaters shifted the preference of these technologies above the other technologies, possibly justifying the large investments in the 2010/2011 financial period. This model could be used to give insight into the incentive structure for a utility company introducing new technologies to the market. Additionally, if a company wants to encourage the adoption of a specific energy efficient technology, it could use the model to determine how it is positioned against other technologies and adjust pricing, incentives, and investments into the research and development of the device.
The impact of service–learning on students' cultural competence

The purpose of this study was to enhance students' cultural competence through a service- learning project in a community clinic. This quasi-experimental study used a pretest-posttest control group design. Twenty-six nursing students volunteered either in the comparison or in the experimental group. Thestudents in theexperimental groupsignificantly increased theircultural knowledge (Z= −2.51, p = .01) and the total score of cultural competence (Z = −2.07, p = .04). © 2012NationalOrganizationforAssociateDegreeNursing.PublishedbyElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.