cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restratification of the Surface Mixed Layer with Submesoscale Lateral Density Gradients: Diagnosing the Importance of the Horizontal Dimension

Abstract A depth-cycling towed conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) and vessel-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) were used to obtain four-dimensional measurements of the restratification of the surface mixed layer (SML) at a submesoscale lateral density gradient near the subtropical front. With the objective of studying the role of horizontal processes in restratification, the thermohaline and velocity fields were monitored for 33 h by 16 small-scale (≤15 km2) surveys centered on a drogued float. Daytime warming by insolation caused a unidirectional displacement of the initially vertical isopycnals toward increasing density. Across the entire SML (50-m vertical scale), solar insolation accounted for 60% of observed restratification, but over 10-m scales, the percentage decreased with depth from 80% at 25–35 m to ≤25% at 55–65 m. Below 35 m, stratification was enhanced by the vertically sheared horizontal advection of the lateral density gradient due to a near-inertial wave of ∼100-m vertica...
Powerlessness in Racially Changing Neighborhoods.

This paper assesses the relative importance of deprivation and social integration factors in accounting for neighborhood differences in subjective powerlessness. A survey of two predominantly black neighborhoods at varying levels of black population change finds that residents of the transitional neighborhood exhibit significantly lower levels of power lessness than those living in the ghetto. The evidence reported favors deprivation argu ments over neighborhood integration ones. The implications of this study for understand ing the spatial distribution of other social problems such as delinquency are explored.
Cross entropy, dissimilarity measures, and characterizations of quadratic entropy

A unified approach is given for constructing cross entropy and dissimilarity measures between probability distributions, based on a given entropy function or a diversity measure. Special properties of quadratic entropy introduced by Rao [7] are described. In particular it is shown that the square root of the Jensen difference (dissimilarity measure) arising out of a quadratic entropy provides a metric on a probability space. Several characterizations of quadratic entropy are obtained.
An analysis of consumer loyalty to municipal recreation programs

Abstract This study of participant loyalty to selected municipal recreation programs emerged from the consumer behavior literature on brand loyalty, applying the concept to a service‐oriented leisure agency. Using a two‐dimensional measure of loyalty, incorporating both a behavioral or repeat purchasing dimension and an attitudinal or commitment dimension, this study found that participants exhibited a high degree of repeat purchasing and only a moderate level of commitment to agency programs. Loyalty segmentation results demonstrated that loyal patrons were more likely to be older and have more agency experience than less loyal participants. Applications of the study to program marketing and to future research are discussed.
Tropical Blues Tourism and Social Exclusion in the Dominican Republic

Tourism development is the backbone of many Caribbean economies, and its advocates argue that it contributes to sustainable development, the alleviation of poverty, and integration into the globali...
Frictional Analysis of MoS2 Coated Ball Bearings: A Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis

A brief review of finite element contact and friction theory is presented for low-speed bearing operations. A three-dimensional finite element model is developed to realistically characterize the friction experienced by a coated ball bearing element. The finite elements results, which are obtained for various normal loads and ball materials, are verified using Hertzian contact theory and previous experimental tests performed by the authors. From the results, general trends for the frictional behavior of coated bearing surfaces are established and implications to the field of controls, as applied to precision positioning and tracking instruments are discussed.
Fault tolerant high performance computing by a coding approach

As the number of processors in today's high performance computers continues to grow, the mean-time-to-failure of these computers are becoming significantly shorter than the execution time of many current high performance computing applications. Although today's architectures are usually robust enough to survive node failures without suffering complete system failure, most today's high performance computing applications can not survive node failures and, therefore, whenever a node fails, have to abort themselves and restart from the beginning or a stable-storage-based checkpoint.This paper explores the use of the floating-point arithmetic coding approach to build fault survivable high performance computing applications so that they can adapt to node failures without aborting themselves. Despite the use of erasure codes over Galois field has been theoretically attempted before in diskless checkpointing, few actual implementations exist. This probably derives from concerns related to both the efficiency and the complexity of implementing such codes in high performance computing applications. In this paper, we introduce the simple but efficient floating-point arithmetic coding approach into diskless checkpointing and address the associated round-off error issue. We also implement a floating-point arithmetic version of the Reed-Solomon coding scheme into a conjugate gradient equation solver and evaluate both the performance and the numerical impact of this scheme. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed floating-point arithmetic coding approach is able to survive a small number of simultaneous node failures with low performance overhead and little numerical impact.
On measures of maximal and full dimension for polynomial automorphisms of ℂ

For a hyperbolic polynomial automorphism of C 2 , we show the existence of a measure of maximal dimension, and identify the conditions under which a measure of full dimension exists.
State-dependent probabilistic model reduction for evaluation of human-robotic autonomous systems

A state-dependent model reduction approach to evaluating human-robotic system performance for the purpose of implementing Bayesian Networks is introduced. A procedure for reducing state dependencies on a specific class of operator failure events for probabilistic graph models is developed and verified with user data. In contrast to evaluating performance with respect to objective "workload" measurements, discrete failure "tag" events are classified and modeled as Bayesian network blocks with conditional dependencies on a subset of the total system states. Initial extraction of performance results are shown using data from the RoboFlag experiments.
Using the phase III public relations professional to improve corporate communication and to help prevent crises

The phrase 'public relations' (PR) is often misunderstood in the business world, and the inaccuracy can be traced back to the evolution of PR. It is argued that companies may prefer to have their PR executives function in roles that are decades out of date, namely, as press agents (phase I) or as publicity agents (phase II) rather than as PR counselors (phase III). The result is that problems that could be solved when they are small grow into crises unnecessarily. The effective phase III PR counselor functions as an 'early-warning system' by following a five-step process to improve the flow of communication between an organization and its many publics. >
Retrieval of articulate objects from images and video using invariant signatures

We propose a new method of retrieving multi-part, articulate objects from images and video. The scheme is particularly well suited for analyzing images and video for objects that can pose differently with possible shape deformation and articulated motion. The scheme involves computing an invariant signature for each segmented region in the image, in a manner that is insensitive to translation, rotation, scale, and shear. Using circular cross-correlation, these signatures can then be efficiently compared with that of user-defined regions of interest. Ambiguities between individual region matches are then resolved through relaxation labeling techniques. A final match is established when a collection of segmented regions conform to the query object, both in terms of local shape description and global structural relation. The scheme thus allows for articulated movement of object parts within the scene. The procedure is easy to implement, yet shows promising results in its ability to isolate interesting regions in images and video, to account for structural and relational constraints among regions, and to integrate both local shape and global structural information for a detailed examination of the scene in a way that is invariant to many visual variations.
Implications for your practice: Important changes in the 2014 guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an increasingly common cardiac arrhythmia, currently affecting more than 5 million Americans. Management of patients with AF can be complex, with key strategies including selecting rhythm control versus heart rate control and reducing the patient’s risk of stroke or other systemic embolization. The American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and Heart Rhythm Society released 2014 Guideline for the Management of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation, which outlines several new recommendations with important clinical implications. Among these are a new recommendation to use the CHA2DS2-Vasc score for stroke risk assessment, rather than the previously advised CHADS2 score, expansion of anticoagulation options in selected patients, decreased emphasis on the role of aspirin, and an increased emphasis on the role of catheter ablation.
Searle's New Argument

J. Searle a recemment soutenu que le cerveau ne peut pas etre un ordinateur (non connexionniste). Son argument est que les vrais systemes physiques comme les cerveaux fonctionnent a la causalite, tandis que les operations computationnelles ne sont pas causales, mais sont plutot des sequences formelles qui requierent un interprete exterieur pour leur existence en tant que systemes formels. Les vrais systemes physiques, par contre, ne requierent aucune interpretation pour leur existence comme systemes physiques operationnels. Contrairement a Searle, l'A. soutient qu'il n'y a pas de demarcation nette entre notre application des formalismes mathematiques standard a des phenomenes physiques comme les oscillations, et notre application des formalismes computationnles aux divers phenomenes physiques qui sont, effectivement ou potentiellement, bien decrits et expliques par ces formalismes
Residential Outcomes for Nursing Facility Applicants Who Have Been Diverted: Where Are They 5 Years Later?

Purpose : The purpose of this longitudinal study was to determine the length of community tenure for adults aged 60 and older after application for nursing facility (NF) admission and to examine the proportion of older adults who lost community tenure due to either (a) death while a community resident or (b) permanent NF admission. Design and Methods : In this 5-year prospective study, we tracked older adults who had applied for NF admission and were diverted (residing in the community 30 days later). Four waves of NF applicants ( N = 2,882) were identifi ed, and those diverted ( n = 599) were tracked for 60 months at 3-month intervals. Results : Sixty months after diversion, 18.0% of older adults ( n = 108) were residing in the community, 39.2% died as community residents ( n = 235), and 42.7% ( n = 256) became permanent NF residents. In all, 414 diverted older adults (69.1%) died during the 5 years following NF application, with the majority of deaths occurring while older adults were community residents. Implications : This longitudinal study documents the capacity of NF applicants aged 60 and older to remain in the community long term, which was previously unknown. Policymakers now have data indicating that for many NF applicants, diversion does not simply delay NF admission; rather, diversion helps older adults avoid permanent NF placement until death.
Encapsulants used in flip-chip packages

Low thermal expansion encapsulants have been used in a wide range of IBM flip-chip products to enhance the fatigue life of solder interconnections and to prevent environmental attack. In order to determine whether an encapsulant can satisfy all requirements of a given product or process, the physical behaviors of the encapsulant must be carefully characterized. Typical material properties of interest are: viscosity and flow coverage, thermal expansion, modulus, glass transition temperature, filler size, alpha activity, adhesion, ionics content, fracture toughness, and electrical properties. The sensitivity of these properties to process variables such as encapsulant dispensing, gelling, curing and post curing exposures to environment and reliability experiments need to be explored. An overall evaluation of all these properties is essential for determining the ultimate performance of the encapsulant on specific products. This paper presents a systematic approach to quantify these encapsulant properties. Various test methods and their relevant technical aspects are discussed. Results achieved on a few selected materials are also presented as examples. >
Logic, complexity, and games

In this talk, I will discuss an approach to the P = NP question via the correspondence between logic and complexity. The focus will be on the possible use of Ehrenfeucht-Fraisse games.
Exploring Problems in Following the Hemodialysis Diet and Their Relation to Energy and Nutrient Intakes: The BalanceWise Study

Objective To identify the problems experienced by hemodialysis (HD) patients in attempting to follow the HD diet and their relation to energy and nutrient intakes. Design Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the BalanceWise Study. Subjects Participants included community-dwelling adults recruited from outpatient HD centers. After excluding participants with incomplete dietary analyses (n = 50), 140 African American and white (40/60%) men and women (52/48%) on chronic intermittent HD for at least 3 months (median 3 years) were included. Intervention Participant responses, on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "not at all a problem" to "a very important problem for me," to 34 questions pertaining to potential barriers to following the HD diet in the previous 2 months were classified as either a problem (1) or not a problem (2-5). Main Outcome Measure Energy and nutrient intakes determined using the Nutrition Data System for Research® based on 3, non-consecutive, unscheduled, 2-pass 24-hour dietary recalls collected on 1 dialysis and 1 non-dialysis weekday, and 1 non-dialysis weekend day. Results More than half of participants reported having problems related to specific behavioral factors (e.g., feeling deprived), technical difficulties (e.g., tracking nutrients), and physical condition (e.g., appetite), but issues of time and food preparation and behavioral factors tended to be most deterministic of reported dietary intakes. Longer duration of HD was associated with lower intakes of protein, potassium, and phosphorus ( P Conclusion Registered dietitian nutritionists should consider issues of time and food preparation, and behavioral factors in their nutrition assessment of HD patients and should continually monitor HD patients for changes in protein intake that may occur over time.
Biochemical Sensing of Picoliter Volumes of Analyte Using Photonic Crystals Based Sensors in the Terahertz Region

Photonic crystals open up the applicability of them for biosensing purposes. We proposed and carried out the detailed study of photonic crystal based sensors with different configurations using finite-difference time-domain method with recursive convolution.
Development of an Analytical Model to Predict the Field Permeability of Asphalt Pavements

Measurement of the field permeability of asphalt pavement is affected by three-dimensional flow, saturation, and other field boundary conditions. Therefore, field permeability testing is generally avoided for compaction quality control, mix evaluation, and evaluation of moisture intrusion or damage of asphalt pavements. Instead, laboratory permeability is used for asphalt mix (compaction) evaluation. Because most transportation agencies and paving contractors collect field cores for compaction and mix quality evaluation, an analytical model to predict field permeability can be useful in the study of the hydraulic conductivity of field pavements. This study used an analytical model to determine the field permeability of asphalt pavement by using laboratory tests for permeability and permeable pores of cores. Permeability and the permeable porosity of two sizes of asphalt cores were determined in the laboratory with a falling head permeameter that was modified with a salt concentration–measuring meter. The ...
A MELUS Interview: Etheridge Knight

On the night of his poetry reading at the University of Cincinnati, Etheridge Knight sat in a restaurant with three members of the English department, discussing in his soft-spoken way the common interests of the group. Although he seemed quite relaxed in his speech, at one point, he wondered aloud how many people would be at the reading, and he later confessed that he sometimes vomits before his readings. Knight ducked quickly into the bathroom before providing the audience gathered in the meeting room with a reading that was witty, rhythmic, tender, hard-boiled, angry, and celebratory. Knight communicates. When he says that poetry is all meant to be oral, you know what he means when he says it. Born in Corinth, Mississippi, blues country, Knight received his education not at the high school he attended for two years, but in the Army during the Korean War and in various prisons and jails. There he recognized the nature of the larger, societal prison on the outside and used poetry to help free himself from the inner restraints that prevented him from examining his relationship with his people and attempting to control his own destiny by expressing himself honestly and for the collective good. His volumes of poetry, Poems from Prison (1968) and Belly Songs and Other Poems (1973) were well received by critics, and he was nominated for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for the latter volume. Knight has also been a writerand poet-in-residence at several universities, and has received an NEA grant and a Guggenheim fellowship to carry on his work.
Skilled listening and writing for story: From reminiscence to story-work with elders’ stories

ABSTRACTThis article develops a theory and practice for valuing the stories of elders in institutional settings, suggesting that anyone with an interest in listening to elders’ stories can effectively listen and record them in writing, audio, or video. Using psychoanalytical theory, this article suggests that all stories that come up in reminiscence are to be valued. And it suggests that, even in a busy institutional setting, healthcare staff may be able to develop a practice of regularly documenting elders’ stories. This article offers a guide for healthcare workers to listen to and record elders’ stories, as well as memorialize them in something as simple as a note card. Implications include the following: elders’ stories are valued uncritically; elders’ stories that arise during reminiscence are valued and recorded; the social bond between healthcare worker and elder may be strengthened.
An Analysis of Infrared Spectroscopic Geometries

The influence of experimental geometry on the signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio of infrared spectrometry has been investigated. In general, it was found that the choice of optimum experimental geometry depended on the orientation of the vibrational mode being investigated. In particular, it has been calculated that internal reflection spectrometry is relatively insensitive to vibrational modes perpendicular to the surface relative to transmission spectroscopy at Brewster's angle, and this has been confirmed by experiment.
Vascular anatomy anterior to the lower lumbar spine and its clinical significance

Objective:To provide anatomic data of abdominal aorta,inferior vena cava and their branches related the lower lumbar spine surgery.Method:The abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava from 40 human cadavers were dissected,the anatomic morphometry and varieties of major blood vessels and their branches anterior to the lower lumbar spine were respectively documented,and finally the approachable space of each intervertebral disc were measured and coompared before and after blood vessel′s release.Result:The distance from the abdominal aorta bifurcation and common iliac vein confluence to the proximal margin of L5S1 disc was 5.6±2.2cm and 2.9±1.8cm respectively.Overall,the bifurcation level had a greater anatomic varieties than the confluence level,but,as for every specimen,the bifurcation located at the cranial level of the confluence without exeption.The mural branches of abdominal aorta were relatively stable in their orientation,course and outer diameter,the mural branches of great vein especially the iliolumbar veins and the ascending lumbar veins.were,conversely,much more variable in their anatomic configuration,After sufficient release of peridiscal great blood vessels,the ratio of the accessible space at L34,L45,L5S1 level related to the transverse diameter of corresponding intervertebral disc were 96.2%,90.0% and 97.6% respectively.Conclusion:The aorta bifurcation and common iliac vein confluence mostly hamper the exposure of L45 and L34 disc.The mural branches of peridiscal great vein are more variant and the injury to them is the most common cause of incontrolled bleeding intraoperative.The approachable space of L45 intervertebral disc is most restricted in practical operation.
Cardiovascular disease incidence among females in South Carolina by type of oral contraceptives, 2000–2013: a retrospective cohort study

Introduction Certain types of oral contraceptives can produce favorable effects on lipid metabolism and vascular tone, while others have potentially detrimental effects. Endogenous and exogenous hormones exert different effects on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) depending on the type, combination, and dose of the hormone. The estrogenic and progestogenic effects of exogenous hormones on HDL and LDL are inconsistent. Studying surrogate end points (LDL, HDL levels) may provide a misleading picture of OCs.
Spatial and temporal variability in minimum temperature trends in the western U.S. sagebrush steppe

Abstract Climate is a major driver of ecosystem dynamics. In recent years there has been considerable interest in future climate change and potential impacts on ecosystems and management options. In this paper, we analyzed minimum monthly temperature (T min ) for ten rural locations in the western U.S. sagebrush steppe. Oregon and Nevada each had five locations, and the period of record ranged from 69 to 125 years. We used structural time series analysis to evaluate trends over time at each location. We also used box plots to compare variation within months at each location. We concluded: 1) T min variation over years is much higher during the winter than during other seasons, 2) there is evidence of decadal trends in both directions (hotter and cooler) for most, but not all sites, and 3) sites exhibited individualistic patterns rather than following a general regional pattern. The analysis shows that sites in relatively close proximity can exhibit different temperature patterns over time. We suggest that ecologists and land managers make use of any available weather data from local weather stations when planning for the future or interpreting past changes in plant and animal populations, rather than relying on regional averages.
SEX-BASED DIFFERENCES IN ACHILLES TENDON RELEASE OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASES AND GROWTH FACTORS AFTER ACUTE RESISTANCE EXERCISE

Introduction Tendon cross-sectional area (CSA) and stiffness increase in men during chronic exercise. The increase in tendon CSA and stiffness is not evident in women. In men, exercise increases tendon production of MMPs, IGF-1, and IL-6, which presumably contribute to tendon remodeling during chronic exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine if exercise-induced production of MMPs, IGF-1, and IL-6 are limited in women when compared to men. Materials and Methods Young men (n=9, 27±1 y) and women (n=8, 26±1 y) performed a single bout of calf press exercise (8 sets of 15 repetitions at 70% of 15-RM). A microdialysis fiber (3000 kDa cut-off) was inserted into the space anterior to the Achilles tendon immediately after exercise and during a control experiment. All proteins were evaluated with ELISA kits. Results In men IGF-I increased with exercise at 3 (p Discussion In men, resistance exercise resulted in a modest and transient increase in tendon production of IGF-1 and IL-6. In women, this is only evident for IL-6. MMP-2 and MMP-9 increased with exercise in men. The exercise-induced increase in MMP-9 was not seen in women. In contrast, MMP-2 increased in women to a comparable magnitude as men. TIMP-1 increased with exercise in men and women but remained elevated out to 5 hrs in women only. The blunted increase in IGF-1 and MMP-9 and a prolonged increase in TIMP-1 may contribute to the lack of tendon adaptations after chronic training in women when compared to men.
Awake Laryngoscopy in the Emergency Department

Abstract Background Many emergency physicians gain familiarity with the laryngeal anatomy only during the brief view achieved during rapid sequence induction and intubation. Awake laryngoscopy in the emergency department (ED) is an important and clinically underutilized procedure. Discussion Providing benefit to the emergency physician through a slow, controlled, and deliberate examination of the airway, awake laryngoscopy facilitates confidence in the high-risk airway and eases the evolution to intubation, should it be required. Emergency physicians possess all the tools and skills required to effectively perform this procedure, through either the flexible endoscopic or rigid approaches. The procedure can be conducted utilizing local anesthesia with or without mild sedation, such that patients protect their airway. Conclusion We discuss two clinical scenarios, indications/contraindications, patient selection, and steps to performing two approaches to awake laryngoscopy in the ED.
A MICROBIOLOGICAL ASSAY METHOD FOR p-AMINOBENZOIC ACID

Since the establishment of p-aminobenzoic acid as a member of the B vitamin group, a considerable interest has been shown in methods of determination in natural materials. Since known chemical methods are not sufficiently sensitive, it became evident that microbiological tests should be the most practicable. The organism Clostridium acetobutylicum has been used (1) but no general assay procedure has been presented. Several bacterial strains which respond to p-aminobenzoic acid have been investigated in this laboratory, but satisfactory assay procedures with these organisms have not yet been devised. For the discovery of the test organism used in the procedure described in this paper, we are indebted to Dr. Beadle and Dr. Tatum who kindly furnished us with a culture of their p-aminobenzoic acid requiring a mutant strain of Neurospora crassa, designated by them as Neurospora crassa p-aminobenzoicless No. 1633 (2). This mold will grow optimally on a medium consisting of inorganic salts, ammonium tartrate, sucrose, biotin, and p-aminobenzoic acid. For purposes of assay, however, it has proved advantageous to supplement this basal medium with natural extracts which are either naturally low in p-aminobenzoic acid or have been treated to remove it. With such a complex medium, the possibility of interference by toxic substances or stimulatory substances other than p-aminobenzoic acid which might be present in samples to be assayed is reduced to a minimum. Since the completion of a considerable part of the experimental work described in this paper, microbiological assay methods for p-aminobenzoic acid have been published by Landy and Dicken (3) utilizing the organism Acetobacter suboxydans and by Lewis (4) using Lactobacillus arabinosus 17-5.
The Immunosuppressant Mycophenolic Acid Alters Nucleotide and Lipid Metabolism in an Intestinal Cell Model

The study objective was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the negative effects of mycophenolic acid (MPA) on human intestinal cells. Effects of MPA exposure and guanosine supplementation on nucleotide concentrations in LS180 cells were assessed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Proteomics analysis was carried out using stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture combined with gel-based liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and lipidome analysis using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Despite supplementation, depletion of guanosine nucleotides (p < 0.001 at 24 and 72 h; 5, 100, and 250 μM MPA) and upregulation of uridine and cytidine nucleotides (p < 0.001 at 24 h; 5 μM MPA) occurred after exposure to MPA. MPA significantly altered 35 proteins mainly related to nucleotide-dependent processes and lipid metabolism. Cross-reference with previous studies of MPA-associated protein changes widely corroborated these results, but showed differences that may be model- and/or method-dependent. MPA exposure increased intracellular concentrations of fatty acids, cholesterol, and phosphatidylcholine (p < 0.01 at 72 h; 100 μM MPA) which corresponded to the changes in lipid-metabolizing proteins. MPA affected intracellular nucleotide levels, nucleotide-dependent processes, expression of structural proteins, fatty acid and lipid metabolism in LS180 cells. These changes may compromise intestinal membrane integrity and contribute to gastrointestinal toxicity.
Development of an OpenGL stall recovery system in a restricted-resource boeing 737 simulator with external data feed for flight testing

The Trajectory Recovery System (TRS) is a stall recovery avionic developed at Florida Tech that provides a visual reference (a target) for a pilot to follow during a stall. The TRS is a redesigned Primary Flight Display (PFD) that replaces the common PFD only when the aircraft is stalling. This paper covers the software development of the TRS, including the integration into a Boeing 737–800 simulator for flight testing, and the way data is extrapolated for analysis. In the TRS view, a pilot doesn't see altitude, heading and speed gauges; instead, there is a target-looking object that moves around based on the TRS logic and guides pilot's pitch, roll, and throttle to recover from a near stall situation. The TRS PFD is implemented in Angel2D, a layer on top of the GL with simplified interface and 2D oriented functionality. It interfaces a Prepar3D simulator via SimConnect, and supplies the data to the lab software via a TCP socket. The PFD is implemented in C++ without code management and compiled into an executable using configuration pre-set by the Angel2D framework. The executable is then launched on the simulator and layered on top of the existing PFD, and it utilizes stock SimConnect library configuration on the simulator to connect. The TRS features additional capabilities like a console, which allows the user to have additional controls over the runtime variables for various experiments. It is also implemented using a modular approach, separating the decision making process from OpenGL interaction to provide maximum portability of the code for alternative implementations. The testing of the TRS demonstrated excellent performance given CPU constraints of the execution environment through the utilization of predefined bitmaps. The modularity of the system permits usage with any simulator and data recording software with minimal code changes. The Core base, on the other hand, is really restrictive due to the Angel2D solution, and cannot be easily transported to other devices. Such drawback is a result of inconsistent runtimes and compilers across the SDKs throughout the system.
Reexamining the Association Between Facets of Mindfulness and Cognitive Performance

Interventions that utilize mindfulness assume that higher dispositional mindfulness is associated with greater cognitive functioning. However, few studies have specifically examined the relationship between mindfulness and cognitive performance. Evidence indicates that domains of mindfulness are related to specific cognitive functions independently; however, these data have not been replicated. The aim of the study was to reexamine the association between facets of mindfulness and cognitive abilities: perception and cognitive flexibility. Participants (N = 192) completed the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire and computerized tasks of perceptual skill and cognitive flexibility. Results indicate that the nonreactivity component, but not the observing, as hypothesized, was related to perception. In contrast, none of the facets of mindfulness demonstrated a significant relationship with performance on a task of cognitive flexibility. The results suggest that the relationship between cognitive processes and facets of mindfulness may not be as clear as previously suggested.
Examining the ınterval between radiation therapy and surgery in trimodality therapy: Try Tri Again.

We appreciate the kind comments provided by Dr. Yalman regarding our recently published article examining the impact of timing of surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (1).
Fluctuations in Excitation Functions for 12 C( 16 O, α) 24 Mg

Cross sections were measured at five angles for alpha-particle groups from the reaction $^{12}\mathrm{C}(^{16}\mathrm{O}, \ensuremath{\alpha})^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$. The measurements were made with 40-50-keV resolution over energy intervals as long as 9.9 MeV (c.m.). The data provided large samples for fluctuation analyses over compound-nucleus excitation energies from about 25 to 35 MeV. The average coherence width, which is dominated by compound states with $J\ensuremath{\sim}10$, was found to be about 118 keV. It does not vary significantly with exit channel, angle, or excitation energy in the compound nucleus. Most of the data are well represented by the simple Ericson-Brink-Stephen statistical model and show no significant direct-interaction component. A pronounced peak appearing in several of the excitation functions near 31.8-MeV bombarding energy is not consistent with this model.
The moderating effect of spouse support on the relation between serious leisure and spouses' perceived leisure-family conflict.

This study examined whether spouse support moderates the relation between serious leisure (Stebbins, 1992) and spouses' perceived leisure-family conflict. Buchanan's (1985) perspective on leisure c...
Cryo-EM of full-length α-synuclein reveals fibril polymorphs with a common structural kernel

α-Synuclein (aSyn) fibrillar polymorphs have distinct in vitro and in vivo seeding activities, contributing differently to synucleinopathies. Despite numerous prior attempts, how polymorphic aSyn fibrils differ in atomic structure remains elusive. Here, we present fibril polymorphs from the full-length recombinant human aSyn and their seeding capacity and cytotoxicity in vitro. By cryo-electron microscopy helical reconstruction, we determine the structures of the two predominant species, a rod and a twister, both at 3.7 A resolution. Our atomic models reveal that both polymorphs share a kernel structure of a bent β-arch, but differ in their inter-protofilament interfaces. Thus, different packing of the same kernel structure gives rise to distinct fibril polymorphs. Analyses of disease-related familial mutations suggest their potential contribution to the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies by altering population distribution of the fibril polymorphs. Drug design targeting amyloid fibrils in neurodegenerative diseases should consider the formation and distribution of concurrent fibril polymorphs.
DNA Extraction Method Optimized for Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Long-Read Whole Genome Sequencing

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a major cause of pulmonary and systemic disease in at-risk populations. Gaps in knowledge about transmission patterns, evolution, and pathogenicity during infection have prompted a recent surge in genomic NTM research. Increased availability and affordability of whole genome sequencing (WGS) techniques, including the advent of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, provide new opportunities to sequence complete NTM genomes at a fraction of the previous cost. However, extracting large quantities of pure genomic DNA is particularly challenging with NTM due to its slow growth and their recalcitrant cell wall. Here we report a DNA extraction protocol that is optimized for long-read WGS of NTM, yielding large quantities of highly pure DNA. Our refined method was compared to 6 other methods with variations in timing of mechanical and enzymatic digestion, quantity of matrix material, and reagents used in extraction and precipitation. We also demonstrate the ability of our optimized protocol to produce sufficient DNA to yield near-complete NTM genome assemblies using Oxford Nanopore Technology long-read sequencing.
A Mechanical Evaluation of an Overaged Aluminum Metal-Matrix-Composite (2009 Al/SiC/15p MMC)

Abstract The effect of overaging on the mechanical properties of an aluminum matrix composite with silicon carbide particles (2009 Al/SiC/15p MMC) was studied. Test specimens were fabricated from a rolled billet and then aged in oil or air over a range of times and temperatures prior to mechanical testing. It was found that overaging led to a decrease in material strength (and hardness). However, it had no appreciable effect on the impact resistance of the material. The samples aged in an oil bath had a similar degradation of mechanical properties to those aged in air under the same conditions. Furthermore, it was also found that the hardness of the material continually decreases as the aging temperature is incrementally increased up to 290 °C.
Persistent remodeling and neurodegeneration in late-stage retinal degeneration

Retinal remodeling is a progressive series of negative plasticity revisions that arise from retinal degeneration, and are seen in retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration and other forms of retinal disease. These processes occur regardless of the precipitating event leading to degeneration. Retinal remodeling then culminates in a late-stage neurodegeneration that is indistinguishable from progressive central nervous system (CNS) proteinopathies. Following long-term deafferentation from photoreceptor cell death in humans, and long-lived animal models of retinal degeneration, most retinal neurons reprogram, then die. Glial cells reprogram into multiple anomalous metabolic phenotypes. At the same time, survivor neurons display degenerative inclusions that appear identical to progressive CNS neurodegenerative disease, and contain aberrant α-synuclein (α-syn) and phosphorylated α-syn. In addition, ultrastructural analysis indicates a novel potential mechanism for misfolded protein transfer that may explain how proteinopathies spread. While neurodegeneration poses a barrier to prospective retinal interventions that target primary photoreceptor loss, understanding the progression and time-course of retinal remodeling will be essential for the establishment of windows of therapeutic intervention and appropriate tuning and design of interventions. Finally, the development of protein aggregates and widespread neurodegeneration in numerous retinal degenerative diseases positions the retina as a ideal platform for the study of proteinopathies, and mechanisms of neurodegeneration that drive devastating CNS diseases.
Recruiting STEM Students with Brief Summer Research Experiences: An Opportunity for Colleges and Their Alumni

In 2000 several STEM faculty at Bethel College in Kansas designed and began offering a one-week intensive residential summer research experience for high school students â€“ the Bethel College Summer Science Institute. The core idea underlying the design was to motivate students through the excitement of discovery. This event has been offered annually since that time and emphasizes collaboration with others during the research process, learning laboratory techniques, systematic data recording, data analysis methods, formal oral presentation of research results, exposure to cutting-edge STEM topics, and a residential experience with recreational activities mentored by college STEM students. Research topics have varied across STEM disciplines, including biology, psychology, chemistry, neuroscience, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and astronomy. Instruction involves a bare minimum of didactic presentation with emphasis on active involvement in laboratory or field activities. Instructional groups of 12 or fewer students, taught by 1 or 2 faculty with 1 or 2 undergraduate assistants, are further divided into groups of 2 to 4 students for individual projects, of which the results are presented in an afternoon symposium at the conclusion of the institute. The institute was funded primarily with student fees for the first decade of its existence, though enrollment, especially of underserved students, appeared to be limited by the $325 fee. In 2009 STEM alumni of the College were offered the opportunity to support individual students through donations, and fees were set at $50 in 2010. Enrollment tripled in 2010 and has remained at this level to the present; alumni donations have been adequate to cover expenses. Many students report that this support was crucial to their attendance and that the experience increased their desire to pursue study and careers in STEM fields (mean greater than 4 on a 1-to-5 scale for both attendance and desire). Approximately 17 % of Institute attendees have eventually matriculated to Bethel College, greatly enhancing the financial sustainability of the event. STEM alumni have responded very favorably to this opportunity for a significant impact on the development of young STEM students and on STEM enrollment at their alma mater. The approach described here can be replicated at other institutions as a strategy to build STEM enrollments and to engage STEM alumni in this effort.
MRI-aided attenuation correction for PET imaging with deep learning

We propose to integrate multi-modality images and self-attention strategy into cycle-consistent adversarial networks (CycleGAN) to predict attenuation correction (AC) positron emission tomography (PET) image from non-AC (NAC) PET and MRI. During the training stage, deep features are extracted by 3D patch fashion from NAC PET and MRI images, and are automatically highlighted with the most informative features by self-attention strategy. Then, the deep features are mapped to the AC PET image by 3D CycleGAN. During the correction stage, the paired patches are extracted from a new arrival patient’s NAC PET and MRI images, and are fed into the trained networks to obtain the AC PET image. This proposed algorithm was evaluated using 18 patients’ datasets. Six-fold cross-validation was used to test the performance of the proposed method. The AC PET images generated with the proposed method show great resemblance with the reference AC PET images. The profile comparison also indicates the excellent matching between the reference and the proposed. The proposed method obtains the mean error ranging from -1.61% to 3.67% for all contoured volumes of interest. The whole-brain ME is less than 0.10%. These experimental studies demonstrate the clinical feasibility and accuracy of our proposed method.
Competition of Dexter, Förster, and charge transfer pathways for quantum dot sensitized triplet generation.

Quantum dot (QD) sensitized triplet exciton generation has demonstrated promising applications in various fields such as photon up-conversion through triplet–triplet annihilation. However, how direct triplet energy transfer from the QD to the acceptor through Dexter energy transfer (DET) competes with other processes, including Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and charge transfer, remains poorly understood. Herein, the competition of these pathways for QD-sensitized triplet excited state generation in CdSe QD-modified boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) complexes is studied using transient absorption spectroscopy. After excitation of the CdSe QD with 500 nm pulses, the BODIPY triplet excited state is generated through charge recombination in a charge separated intermediate state (QD−·–BODIPY+·). This intermediate state is populated either through FRET from the excited QD to BODIPY followed by electron transfer from the singlet excited state of BODIPY to the QD or through hole transfer from the excited QD to BODIPY. The triplet excited state generation efficiencies from the FRET and hole transfer pathways are estimated to be (6.18 ± 1.39)% and (13.5 ± 3.1)%, respectively. Compared to these indirect pathways, direct DET from the QD to the BODIPY triplet state is kinetically not competitive. These results demonstrate that sequential charge transfer can be an efficient pathway for triplet excited state generation in QD–acceptor complexes.
The Role of Sulfotransferases in Liver Diseases

The cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) are phase II conjugating enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a sulfonate group from the universal sulfate donor 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate to a nucleophilic group of their substrates to generate hydrophilic products. Sulfation has a major effect on the chemical and functional homeostasis of substrate chemicals. SULTs are widely expressed in metabolically active or hormonally responsive tissues, including the liver and many extrahepatic tissues. The expression of SULTs exhibits isoform-, tissue-, sex-, and development-specific regulations. SULTs display a broad range of substrates including xenobiotics and endobiotics. The expression of SULTs has been shown to be transcriptionally regulated by members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, such as the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, pregnane X receptor, constitutive androstane receptor, vitamin D receptor, liver X receptors, farnesoid X receptor, retinoid-related orphan receptors, estrogen-related receptors, and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α These nuclear receptors can be activated by numerous xenobiotics and endobiotics, such as fatty acids, bile acids, and oxysterols, many of which are substrates of SULTs. Due to their metabolism of xenobiotics and endobiotics, SULTs and their regulations are implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. This review is aimed to summarize the central role of major SULTs, including the SULT1 and SULT2 subfamilies, in the pathophysiology of liver and liver-related diseases. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Sulfotransferases (SULTs) are indispensable in the homeostasis of xenobiotics and endobiotics. Knowing SULTs and their regulations are implicated in human diseases, it is hoped that genetic or pharmacological manipulations of the expression and/or activity of SULTs can be used to affect the clinical outcome of diseases.