cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating time-to-gravid for a freshwater mussel, Utterbackia imbecillis (Unionidae), after temperature conditioning in the laboratory

The juvenile of Utterbackia imbecillis has recently become an important toxicity test organism. However, in temperate climates, gravid U. imbecillis are not readily available during many months of the year, especially if shoreline collection methods are used. This shortage of gravid mussels presents a logistical problem for use of juvenile U. imbecillis as toxicity test organisms. Therefore, this study was designed to test the feasibility of delaying and manipulating glochidial maturation in the laboratory through temperature control, because temperature changes seem to cue the maturation of glochidia in gravid mussels in the natural environment. The objectives of this study were to determine whether glochidial maturation can be stalled by holding adult mussels at cold temperatures, to determine if glochidial maturation could be cued by increasing water temperature at the time juveniles are needed for toxicity testing, and to predict the time required for cold-stored mussels to become gravid (time-to-gravid). Results of this study suggest that glochidial maturation can be stalled by holding mussels at winter temperature. Furthermore, glochidial maturation can later be cued by increasing the water temperature. Additionally, a survival analysis method is suitable for estimating the time-to-gravid for cold-stored mussels. These results should be useful for researchers requiring year-round availability of U. imbecillis for toxicity testing.
Establishing a Direct Role for the Bartonella bacilliformis Invasion-Associated Locus B (IalB) Protein in Human Erythrocyte Parasitism

The invasion-associated locus A and B genes (ialAB )o fBartonella bacilliformis were previously shown to confer an erythrocyte-invasive phenotype upon Escherichia coli, indirectly implicating their role in virulence. We report the first direct demonstration of a role for ialB as a virulence factor in B. bacilliformis. The presence of a secretory signal sequence and amino acid sequence similarity to two known outer membrane proteins involved in virulence suggested that IalB was an outer membrane protein. To develop an antiserum for protein localization, the ialB gene was cloned in frame into an expression vector with a six-histidine tag and under control of the lacZ promoter. The IalB fusion protein was purified by nickel affinity chromatography and used to raise polyclonal antibodies. IalB was initially localized to the bacterial membrane fraction. To further localize IalB, B. bacilliformis inner and outer membranes were fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and identified by appearance, buoyant density (r), and cytochrome b content. Inner and outer membrane proteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and IalB was positively identified by Western blot. Contrary to expectations, IalB was localized to the inner membrane of the pathogen. To directly demonstrate a role for IalB in erythrocyte parasitism, the B. bacilliformis ialB gene was disrupted by insertional mutagenesis. The resulting ialB mutant strain was complemented in trans with a replicative plasmid encoding the full-length ialB gene. PCR and high-stringency DNA hybridization confirmed mutagenesis and transcomplementation events. Abrogation and restoration of ialB expression was verified by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. In vitro virulence assays showed that mutagenesis of ialB decreased bacterial association and invasion of human erythrocytes by 47 to 53% relative to controls. Transcomplementation of ialB restored erythrocyte association and invasion rates to levels observed in the parental strain. These data provide direct evidence for IalB’s role in erythrocyte parasitism and represent the first demonstration of molecular Koch’s postulates for a Bartonella species.
Characterizing the Function Space for Bayesian Kernel Models

Kernel methods have been very popular in the machine learning literature in the last ten years, mainly in the context of Tikhonov regularization algorithms. In this paper we study a coherent Bayesian kernel model based on an integral operator defined as the convolution of a kernel with a signed measure. Priors on the random signed measures correspond to prior distributions on the functions mapped by the integral operator. We study several classes of signed measures and their image mapped by the integral operator. In particular, we identify a general class of measures whose image is dense in the reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) induced by the kernel. A consequence of this result is a function theoretic foundation for using non-parametric prior specifications in Bayesian modeling, such as Gaussian process and Dirichlet process prior distributions. We discuss the construction of priors on spaces of signed measures using Gaussian and Levy processes, with the Dirichlet processes being a special case the latter. Computational issues involved with sampling from the posterior distribution are outlined for a univariate regression and a high dimensional classification problem.
What To Do With the Survivors? Coping With the Long-Term Effects of Isolated Confinement

As a growing number of individuals suffering from serious mental illness are consigned to prison and selectively relegated to long-term isolated confinement, there is a newly expanded subpopulation of prisoners approaching their release from prison while exhibiting signs of mental illness and repeatedly violating rules. An attribution error and various forms of obfuscation divert attention from a cycle of longer stints in isolation and more rule-breaking behavior, until the time arrives to release the “disturbed/disruptive” prisoner. Since this subpopulation of prisoners is deemed dangerous, there is a crisis in the criminal justice system. There are attempts to solve the crisis by convicting the prisoner of additional crimes to extend prison tenure or by activating postincarceration civil commitment to a psychiatric hospital. These trends are examined, and the question is raised whether they address the core problems in the criminal justice system that result in more prisoners nearing their release dates...
The State Bureising (Homesteading) Program

The state’s direct support of homesteading began in 1920. At that time the Norwegian Storting (Parliament) passed new regulations concerning reclamation and homesteading. These went into effect in 1921 and they were one of the major means by which food production was increased, young people were given a place in agriculture, and farm sizes were expanded.
Influence of Nutritive Conditions on Acid-Fastness of Bacteria

It appears that Neisser 1 was the first to observe the phenomenon of acid-fastness. This was in 1881, in the course of a study of Hansen's bacillus in leprous material. Great interest in the property arose when it was found that the tubercle bacillus likewise possessed it. When the extraordinarily high lipin content of acid-fast organisms became known, it was natural that the two characters should be associated, and thus the belief that the bacterial lipins were the cause of acid-fastness arose early. It was shown by Koch 2 and confirmed by many other investigators that when acid-fast organisms are thoroughly broken up by mechanical means (i. e., grinding) the property of acid-fastness is lost. Furthermore, even prolonged extraction by fat solvents will not completely remove acid-fastness from intact bacilli. These facts indicate clearly that the problem is not a simple chemical one, but that physical factors also play a part. Indications are that acid-fastness depends on the physical relationship between fats and waxes and other constituents, probably proteins, in the cell. Like gram-positivity, acid-fastness is not a constant characteristic, but is influenced by such factors as the age of the culture and the conditions of the environment and may be entirely upset by treatment with various chemical agents. It appears to be established that very young tubercle bacilli may not stain by Ziehl's method (Krylow3), and from the works of various observers there is considerable evidence that the acid-fast organisms go through a life cycle during which their morphologic characteristics are profoundly altered and their staining characteristics modified. Gessard and Vaudremer 4 expressed this idea in 1922, stating that it was their opinion that the distribution of tuberculosis could not be completely explained by the existence of the acid-fast tubercle bacillus in its classic form, for which a high temperature and a highly nutritive
Triplet exciton dynamics in rubrene single crystals

The decay of the photoluminescence excited in rubrene single crystals by picosecond pulses is measured over 7 orders of magnitude and more than 4 time decades. We identify the typical decay dynamics due to triplet-triplet interaction. We show that singlet exciton fission and triplet fusion quantum yields in rubrene are both very large, and we directly determine a triplet exciton lifetime of $100\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20$ $\ensuremath{\mu}$s, which explains the delayed buildup of a large photocurrent that has been reported earlier for low excitation densities.
Changes of neurobehavioral function in workers exposed to low temperature working environment

Objective To explore the effect of low temperature to the neurobehavioral function in workers. Methods 53 workers exposed to low temperature in cold storage and 53 workers exposed to low temperature in freezer were selected as exposure groups, and 58 unexposed workers were selected as the control. Computerized neurobehavioral evaluation system was adopted. 8 items of every worker were determined by the professional staff. Results Scores in low temperature workers were significantly higher than those of the control in emotional questionnaire (P0.05),especially the indexes of nervous,weary,melancholy and puzzled. In percept function,the scores in the cold storage group and freezer group in length discrimination were (6.87±0.47) and (5.95±0.42) respectively, which were significantly lower than those of the control group (8.13±0.51, P0.05). In psychology function, the simple visual reaction time in the cold storage group and freezer group were (0.580±0.011) and (0.520±0.009), which were higher than that of the control group (0.410±0.008, P0.05). On the contrary,the scores in the cold storage and freezer groups in aim pursing were (32.78±2.34) and (31.78±2.74), which were significantly lower than that of the control (41.54±3.12,P0.05). Conclusion It seemed that low temperature working could affect the neurobehavioral function in the workers.
Heat treatment process for Ni5W alloy substrate

The Ni-5at% W( Ni5W) alloy substrates with higher strength,lower magnetism were prepared by the rolling assisted biaxially textured substrates( RABiTS) technique for YBCO coated conductor. A recrystallization annealing for the substrate was carried out at different temperatures and heat treatments. The texture of the substrate was investigated by the means of EBSD techniques. The results show that the primary recrystallization temperature of Ni5 W substrate is 700 ℃. The rolling texture translates into the cube texture continually with the rising of annealing temperature,and the fraction of cube texture nearly reaches 100% at 1200 ℃. By contrast,the cube texture of the substrates heat-pretreated at 700 ℃ for 30 min and treated at 1200 ℃ for 1 h is still high,but sharper than the one without heat-pretreated.
Drugs, sleep disorders, and aging.

The age-related changes in drug effects to sleep and sleep disorders are reviewed. The pharmacokinetics that occur in the elderly, the drug-induced sleepiness and insomnia, and other sleep pathologies are discussed.
Systematic identification and analysis of frequent gene fusion events in metabolic pathways

Gene fusions are the most powerful type of in silico-derived functional associations. However, many fusion compilations were made when <100 genomes were available, and algorithms for identifying fusions need updating to handle the current avalanche of sequenced genomes. The availability of a large fusion dataset would help probe functional associations and enable systematic analysis of where and why fusion events occur. Here we present a systematic analysis of fusions in prokaryotes. We manually generated two training sets: (i) 121 fusions in the model organism Escherichia coli; (ii) 131 fusions found in B vitamin metabolism. These sets were used to develop a fusion prediction algorithm that captured the training set fusions with only 7 % false negatives and 50 % false positives, a substantial improvement over existing approaches. This algorithm was then applied to identify 3.8 million potential fusions across 11,473 genomes. The results of the analysis are available in a searchable database at http://modelseed.org/projects/fusions/ . A functional analysis identified 3,000 reactions associated with frequent fusion events and revealed areas of metabolism where fusions are particularly prevalent. Customary definitions of fusions were shown to be ambiguous, and a stricter one was proposed. Exploring the genes participating in fusion events showed that they most commonly encode transporters, regulators, and metabolic enzymes. The major rationales for fusions between metabolic genes appear to be overcoming pathway bottlenecks, avoiding toxicity, controlling competing pathways, and facilitating expression and assembly of protein complexes. Finally, our fusion dataset provides powerful clues to decipher the biological activities of domains of unknown function.
The atomistic representation of first strain-gradient elastic tensors

Abstract We derive the atomistic representations of the elastic tensors appearing in the linearized theory of first strain-gradient elasticity for an arbitrary multi-lattice. In addition to the classical second-Piola) stress and elastic moduli tensors, these include the rank-three double-stress tensor, the rank-five tensor of mixed elastic moduli, and the rank-six tensor of strain-gradient elastic moduli. The atomistic representations are closed-form analytical expressions in terms of the first and second derivatives of the interatomic potential with respect to interatomic distances, and dyadic products of relative atomic positions. Moreover, all expressions are local, in the sense that they depend only on the atomic neighborhood of a lattice site. Our results emanate from the condition of energetic equivalence between continuum and atomistic representations of a crystal, when the kinematics of the latter is governed by the Cauchy–Born rule. Using the derived expressions, we prove that the odd-order tensors vanish if the lattice basis admits central-symmetry. The analytical expressions are implemented as a KIM compliant algorithm to compute the strain gradient elastic tensors for various materials. Numerical results are presented to compare representative interatomic potentials used in the literature for cubic crystals, including simple lattices (fcc Al and Cu and bcc Fe and W) and multi-lattices (diamond-cubic Si). We observe that central potentials exhibit generalized Cauchy relations for the rank-six tensor of strain-gradient elastic moduli. In addition, this tensor is found to be indefinite for many potentials. We discuss the relationship between indefiniteness and material stability. Finally, the atomistic representations are specialized to central potentials in simple lattices. These expressions are used with analytical potentials to study the sensitivity of the elastic tensors to the choice of the cutoff radius.
Toxic anterior segment syndrome caused by autoclave reservoir wall biofilms and their residual toxins.

Purpose To identify etiology of toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) after uneventful phacoemulsification. Setting EyeMD Laser and Surgery Center, Oakland, California. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Patient charts with TASS were reviewed. Reservoirs of 2 autoclaves associated with these cases were cultured for bacterial contamination. Cultures were performed on 23 other autoclave reservoirs at surgery centers in the local area. The main outcome measures were the incidence of TASS and prevalence of bacterial biofilm contamination of autoclave reservoirs. Results From 2010 to 2013, 11 935 consecutive cataract surgeries were performed at 1 center by multiple surgeons with no reported TASS. Between January 1, 2014, and January 15, 2015, 10 cases of TASS occurred out of 3003 cataract surgeries; these patients' charts were reviewed. Cultures of 2 Statim autoclave reservoir walls grew Bacillus species, Williamsia species, Mycobacterium mucogenicum , and Candida parapsilosis . Scanning electron microscopy of reservoir wall sections showed prominent biofilm. The 2 autoclaves were replaced in January 2015. Subsequently, 2875 cataract surgeries were performed with no reported TASS ( P 2 test). Eighteen of 23 additional regional autoclaves were also contaminated with bacterial biofilms. Conclusions Toxic anterior segment syndrome was strongly associated with bacterial biofilm contamination of autoclave reservoirs. An etiological mechanism might involve transport of heat-stable bacterial cell antigens in the steam with deposition on surgical instrumentation. Data suggest widespread prevalence of bacterial biofilms on fluid-reservoir walls, despite adherence to manufacturer guidelines for cleaning and maintenance. Prevention or elimination of autoclave fluid-reservoir biofilms might reduce the risk for postoperative TASS. Financial Disclosure None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Thermoanalytical Characterization of Pentameric Elic Based on Detergent Size

Differential Scanning Calorimetry has long been used for thermal stability studies of proteins. Erwinia Chrysanthemi Ligand-Gated Ion Channel (ELIC) is a prokaryotic analogue of the nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (nAChR), a eukaryotic pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channel (pLGIC) responsible for action potential propagation through nerve cells. Elucidation of the melting temperatures (Tm) of the extracellular domain (ECD) and the transmembrane domain (TMD) were achieved using “Intermediate” (C10, C11 and C12) and “Long-Chained” maltoside detergents (C13 and C14).
A Ten‐year Program Evaluation of an Emergency Medicine Scholarly Track in Education Using a Qualitative Approach

Background Residency scholarly tracks have allowed training programs to better prepare residents for a future in academia. Despite their success, however, few evaluations of these scholarly tracks have been completed to ensure they are meeting the goals of their stakeholders. Objective The objective was to evaluate the education scholarly track at Northwestern University Emergency Medicine by querying key stakeholders on the current state of the track and its ideal state. Methods Current emergency medicine residents, faculty, and track alumni were identified as essential stakeholders. Their perspectives on the track were elicited with a focus group and online survey, respectively, and responses were analyzed using grounded theory. Results Four distinct themes emerged from the analysis as critical to the track: “education skills and learning theory,” “education research methodology,” “leadership,” and “collaboration.” Conclusion These themes will be used to inform further development of the track. A similar self-reflection process may benefit other programs with scholarly tracks.
Anxiety sensitivity as a predictor of outcome in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract Background and objectives To address the fact that not all individuals who receive cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibit complete symptom reduction, research has examined factors that predict outcome; however, no studies have examined anxiety sensitivity (AS) as a predictor of outcome of CBT for OCD. AS refers to the fear of anxious arousal that results from mistaken beliefs about the dangerousness of anxiety-related body sensations. It is important to understand whether AS influences OCD treatment outcome, considering that (a) some obsessions directly relate to AS, and (b) OCD patients with high AS may be reluctant to engage in anxiety-provoking components of CBT for OCD. Methods Patients ( N = 187) with a primary diagnosis of OCD who received residential CBT for OCD participated in this study, which involved completing a self-report battery at pre- and post-treatment. Results Results supported study hypotheses, in that (a) baseline AS positively correlated with baseline OCD severity, and (b) greater baseline AS prospectively predicted higher posttreatment OCD symptom severity even after controlling for pretreatment OCD and depression severity. Limitations The study was limited by its use of an older measure of AS, reliance on self-report measures, and nonstandardized treatment across participants. Conclusions Findings highlight the importance of AS in the nature and treatment of OCD. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.
Effect of ammonia and methionine sulfoximine on myo-inositol transport in cultured astrocytes.

Ammonia causes astrocyte swelling which is abrogated by methionine sulfoximine (MSO). Since myo-inositol is an important osmolyte, we investigated the effects of ammonia and MSO on myo-inositol flux in cultured astrocytes for periods up to 72 hours. Uptake of myo-inositol was significantly decreased by 26.7 (P < 0.05) and 39.3 (P lt; 0.006) percent after 48 hours of exposure to 5 or 10 mM ammonia, respectively. The maximum rate of uptake was 14.0 ± 0.5 nmol/hour/mg protein which was reduced to 7.45 ± 0.27 and 7.02 ± 0.57 nmoles/hour/mg protein by 5 or 10 mM ammonia, respectively. The Kms by Michaelis-Menten equation for the control, and in the presence of 5, or 10 mM ammonia were 32.5 ± 4.52, 44.4 ± 5.82, and 39.3 ± 7.0 μM, respectively. Kms by Hanes-Woolf plot for the control, 5, or 10 mM ammonia were 25, 45, and 40 μM, respectively. Treatment of astrocytes with either 5 or 10 mM NH4Cl for 6 hours caused a decrease in myo-inositol content by 66% and 58%, respectively. MSO (3 mM) partially diminished the ammonia-induced inhibition of myo-inositol uptake and decreased myo-inositol content by 31% after 24 hours. Additionally, ammonia increased myo-inositol efflux briefly through the fast efflux component but had little effect on myo-inositol efflux through the slow efflux component of astrocytes exposed to ammonia for up to 72 hours. Predominantly decreased myo-inositol influx coupled with brief efflux through the fast component may represent an adaptive response to diminish the extent of ammonia-induced astrocyte swelling.
The Costs of Recovery: Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Experiences of Financial Recovery From Abuse

The present study relies on the voices of survivors of past abuse to describe the amount, type, and impact of costs related to their experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). We use a content analysis methodology to present common themes that survivors face regarding financial recovery from past IPV. Costs are conceptualized within the Triumph Process Model of Overcoming IPV with an emphasis on “embracing freedom and power” and “emotional and physical healing” dimensions. Implications for recovering from IPV and service provision are discussed.
Systematic bacterialization of yeast genes identifies a near-universally swappable pathway

Eukaryotes and prokaryotes last shared a common ancestor ~2 billion years ago, and while many present-day genes in these lineages predate this divergence, the extent to which these genes still perform their ancestral functions is largely unknown. To test principles governing retention of ancient function, we asked if prokaryotic genes could replace their essential eukaryotic orthologs. We systematically replaced essential genes in yeast by their 1:1 orthologs from Escherichia coli. After accounting for mitochondrial localization and alternative start codons, 31 out of 51 bacterial genes tested (61%) could complement a lethal growth defect and replace their yeast orthologs with minimal effects on growth rate. Replaceability was determined on a pathway-by-pathway basis; codon usage, abundance, and sequence similarity contributed predictive power. The heme biosynthesis pathway was particularly amenable to inter-kingdom exchange, with each yeast enzyme replaceable by its bacterial, human, or plant ortholog, suggesting it as a near-universally swappable pathway.
Biomechanical Compensations of the Trunk and Lower Extremities during Stepping Tasks after Unilateral Transtibial Amputation

Abstract Background Lower extremity movement compensations following transtibial amputation are well-documented and are likely influenced by trunk posture and movement. However, the biomechanical compensations of the trunk and lower extremities, especially during high-demand tasks such as step ascent and descent, remain unclear. Methods Kinematic and kinetic data were collected during step ascent and descent tasks for three groups of individuals: diabetic/transtibial amputation, diabetic, and healthy. An ANCOVA was used to compare peak trunk, hip and knee joint angles and moments in the sagittal and frontal planes between groups. Paired t -tests were used to compare peak joint angles and moments between amputated and intact limbs of the diabetic/transtibial amputation group. Findings During step ascent and descent, the transtibial amputation group exhibited greater trunk forward flexion and lateral flexion compared to the other two groups ( P 0.016), which resulted in greater low back moments and asymmetric loading patterns in the lower extremity joints. The diabetic group exhibited similar knee joint loading patterns compared to the amputation group ( P 0.016), during step descent. Interpretation This study highlights the biomechanical compensations of the trunk and lower extremities in individuals with dysvascular transtibial amputation, by identifying low back, hip, and knee joint moment patterns unique to transtibial amputation during stepping tasks. In addition, the results suggest that some movement compensations may be confounded by the presence of diabetes and precede limb amputation. The increased and asymmetrical loading patterns identified may predispose individuals with transtibial amputation to the development of secondary pain conditions, such as low back pain or osteoarthritis.
Critical Role of Surface Energy in Guiding Crystallization of Solution-Coated Conjugated Polymer Thin Films

It is well-known that substrate surface properties have a profound impact on the morphology of thin films solution coated atop and the resulting solid-state properties. However, design rules for guiding the substrate selection have not yet been established. Such design rules are particularly important for solution-coated semiconducting polymers, as the substrate-directed thin film morphology can impact charge transport properties by orders of magnitude. We hypothesize that substrate surface energies dictate the thin film morphology by modulating the free energy barrier to heterogeneous nucleation. To test this hypothesis, we systematically vary the substrate surface energy via surface functionalization techniques. We perform in-depth morphology and device characterizations to establish the relationship between substrate surface energy, thin film morphology and charge transport properties, employing donor–acceptor (D–A) conjugated polymers. We find that decreasing the substrate surface energy progressively...
Mechanistic understanding of tungsten oxide in-plane nanostructure growth via sequential infiltration synthesis

Tungsten oxide (WO3−x) nanostructures with hexagonal in-plane arrangements were fabricated by sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS), using the selective interaction of gas phase precursors with functional groups in one domain of a block copolymer (BCP) self-assembled template. Such structures are highly desirable for various practical applications and as model systems for fundamental studies. The nanostructures were characterized by cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy, grazing-incidence small/wide-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS), and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) measurements at each stage during the SIS process and subsequent thermal treatments, to provide a comprehensive picture of their evolution in morphology, crystallography and electronic structure. In particular, we discuss the critical role of SIS Al2O3 seeds toward modifying the chemical affinity and free volume in a polymer for subsequent infiltration of gas phase precursors. The insights into SIS growth obtained from this study are valuable to the design and fabrication of a wide range of targeted nanostructures.
An Overview of Ultrasound

Sound is a waveform that propagates away from a source in an elastic media generating density variations. The generation and perception of sound is a consequence of the transmission of mechanical energy through the media.
Accessory Bones of the Foot: Clinical Significance

In an effort to improve orthopedic clinic utilization, we reviewed the incidence of normal radiographic variants in the foot referred from the emergency room or outpatient clinic. The study was undertaken because normal radiographic variants are often confused with fracture. A retrospective study of all foot radiographs referred to the foot clinic at Madigan Army Medical Center was carried out. Distribution of normal radiographic variants and their confusion with fracture were evaluated. Thirty-six percent of all foot radiographs had identifiable accessory bones. The most common accessory bones in descending order were: os peroneum, accessory navicular, and os trigonum. All of the accessory bones identified in our study were asymptomatic. A thorough knowledge of location of normal accessory bones is mandatory and localization of foot symptoms by history and physical examination are necessary to facilitate correct diagnosis and treatment and to avoid unnecessary referral of these patients.
APPLICATION OF A CASE STUDY METHODOLOGY

In the preceding article (Tellis, 1997), the goals and objectives were presented and explained in detail. In this article, the methodology to accomplish those goals and objectives will be examined. The reader will become familiar with the specific techniques that are used in the current study, and supported by the literature that was reviewed in the previous article. That methodology will follow the recommendation of Yin (1994) and has four stages: Design the case study, Conduct the case study, Analyze the case study evidence, and Develop the conclusions, recommendations and implications. The article begins with an introduction, that includes some of the background information that is intended to inform the reader. Following that section, each step of the methodology will be explored in detail. Finally a summary will connect all the information in a concise manner. This article is available in The Qualitative Report: http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol3/iss3/1 Application of a Case Study Methodology
Von Mises’ Method

In this chapter we present the general structure of von Mises’ approach to the analysis of the asymptotic behavior of statistical functional. The basic technique was introduced by von Mises (1947) and has been extended in various directions by several authors: Filippova (1962), Reeds (1976), Huber (1977, 1981), and Serfling (1980). One result of these extensions is that the field has become divergent, with ad hoc techniques applied in different situations. In the chapters that follow we shall try to establish a unified methodology that can be applied to wide classes of statistics.
Strengthening the foundations of chemical reactivity theory

Chemical reactivity theory, in its evolution from its earliest empirical beginnings to its current level of sophistication has had an immense impact on chemistry. In work of Parr and collaborators in the 1980s, the theory was grounded in a rigorous formulation of many-body theory and density functional theory, and its richness and promise were made manifest in contemporaneous work by Nalewajski and collaborators. Nevertheless, many fundamental issues remained unresolved, and the need to strengthen the foundations of reactivity theory and broaden its applicability remained. In the present chapter, the early work of Parr, Nalewajski and their coworkers is reviewed and the unresolved issues defined and enumerated. Recent work by the author and his collaborators addressing the resolution of these issues is reviewed, including both published and previously unpublished results. The principal advances discussed include explicit Kohn-Sham expressions for reactivities, the distinction between localized and extended chemical systems and the associated limitation of the ensemble formulation of density-functional theory, the distinction between isoelectronic and electron-transfer reactivities, the need for both static and dynamic reactivities, the need for nonlocal reactivity kernels, the placement of nuclear and electronic reactivities on the same footing, the identification of chemical stimuli in addition to chemical responses, and the establishment of a relationship between the total energy and the reactivities and, ultimately, the reaction pathway. While many elements of the theory have been completed, the proper definition of electron-transfer reactivities for localized systems and the relation between total energy and reactivities for overlapping reactants have not yet been found. How this might be done is briefly discussed, and it is suggested that successfully accomplishing it would complete the strengthening of the foundations of reactivity theory attempted by the author and collaborators.
Evaluating the Resurgence of Problem Behavior with Three Functionally Equivalent Discriminated Operants

The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend previous research on the resurgence of three clinically relevant behaviors emitted by individuals with histories of problem behavior. Four school-aged children with intellectual and developmental disabilities were first exposed to a brief functional analysis to determine the maintaining variables of problem behavior. Participants then completed functional communication training, during which mands, including signing or hand raising and handing a picture to the researcher, were trained. Finally, participants were exposed to the following experimental conditions: (a) reinforcement of problem behavior with mands placed on extinction, (b) reinforcement of the first mand with problem behavior and the second mand placed on extinction, (c) extinction of all responses to test for the resurgence of problem behavior, (d) reinforcement of problem behavior with mands placed on extinction, (e) reinforcement of the second mand with problem behavior and the first mand placed on extinction, and (f) extinction of all responses to test for the resurgence of both problem behavior and the first mand. Results indicated that problem behavior resurged during extinction conditions across all participants, whereas a mand resurged for one of the four participants. These results support previous findings on the resurgence of problem behavior.
On Peak-to-Average Power Ratio Optimization for Coded APSK

The symmetric information rate is used to define the relationship between the APSK constellation parameters, the code rate, and the average and peak E b /N 0 . Minimizing the average E b /N 0 reproduces the DVB-S2 constellation parameters for 16- and 32-APSK. Minimizing the peak E b /N 0 produces DVB-S2 constellation parameters for 16- and 32-APSK that minimize the peak-to-average power ratio. The peak-to-average power ratio gains are less than 1 dB, but when used on coded systems with very steep decoded bit error probability vs. E b /N 0 curves, the gains can be significant.
Causes of Revision in Young Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to identify reasons for revision of total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients who underwent primary THA at or before the age of 35 years. We hypothesized that the reasons for revision in younger patients would be different from the general older population of patients undergoing THA because of the differences in diagnoses, complexity of deformities, and differences in activity level. Methods Data for 108 hips in 82 patients who underwent primary THA at our institution before the age of 35 years from 1982-2007 and subsequently underwent revision THA were reviewed. Operative reports and clinic notes were reviewed to determine baseline characteristics, reason for revision, timing of revision, and components revised. Results The mean age at index surgery was 25.4 years, and mean time from index to revision surgery was 10.1 years. The most common preoperative diagnoses included avascular necrosis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, developmental dysplasia of the hip, and posttraumatic arthritis. The most common reasons for revision were acetabular loosening (30.1%), femoral loosening (23.7%), and polyethylene wear (24.7%). 8.3% of patients underwent primary THA with highly cross-linked polyethylene, while the remainder of the patients underwent THA when conventional polyethylene was used. There was no statistically significant association between which component(s) were revised and initial fixation (ie cemented or uncemented prosthesis) (P = .26). Conclusion Causes of revision in this population appear to differ from the general THA population. In young patients, acetabular loosening, femur loosening, and polyethylene wear were the most common causes of revision. Instability and infection were less common compared with literature reports of causes of revision in older patients. Findings in this study may be useful in counseling young patients undergoing THA, though results were likely influenced by the use of conventional rather than highly cross-linked polyethylene in this cohort.
Challenges of Implementing Higher-Frequency Magnetics in Wide-Bandgap Converters [Women in Engineering]

Designing system-level converters can be complicated. The interweaved intricacies of modular converters to achieve higher voltages while maintaining stable controls and magnetics design must be considered. While there are many difficulties to overcome, the magnetics tend to be the most uncomfortable for power electronics engineers to define in the converter design process due to the lack of direct transition from design and simulation to final hardware outcomes.
Sodium, hypertension, and the gut: does the gut microbiota go salty?

Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiota contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension (HTN). The gut microbiota is a highly dynamic organ mediating numerous physiological functions, whic...
Fantastic Generalization Measures and Where to Find Them

Generalization of deep networks has been of great interest in recent years, resulting in a number of theoretically and empirically motivated complexity measures. However, most papers proposing such measures study only a small set of models, leaving open the question of whether the conclusion drawn from those experiments would remain valid in other settings. We present the first large scale study of generalization in deep networks. We investigate more then 40 complexity measures taken from both theoretical bounds and empirical studies. We train over 10,000 convolutional networks by systematically varying commonly used hyperparameters. Hoping to uncover potentially causal relationships between each measure and generalization, we analyze carefully controlled experiments and show surprising failures of some measures as well as promising measures for further research.
CryptMPI: A Fast Encrypted MPI Library.

The cloud infrastructure must provide security for High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications of sensitive data to execute in such an environment. However, supporting security in the communication infrastructure of today's public cloud is challenging, because current networks for data centers are so fast that adding encryption can incur very significant overheads. In this work, we introduce CryptMPI, a high performance encrypted MPI library that supports communication with both integrity and privacy. We present the techniques in CryptMPI and report our benchmarking results using micro-benchmarks and NAS parallel benchmarks. The evaluation results indicate that the aforementioned techniques are effective in improving the performance of encrypted communication.
Influence of variety and growing conditions on Fusarium occurrence, mycotoxicological quality, and yield parameters of hulled oats

The influence of previous crops (oat, maize, or rape) and six variety of hulled oats (Avena sativa L.) were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively as to yield, thousand grain weight, and grain size in observations from 2009 to 2012. Harvested grain samples were analysed for the presence of mycotoxins (T-2 and HT-2 toxins, deoxynivalenol, and nivalenol) using LC/MS–MS. Fusarium poae was the species most often found on oats. Flamingsprofi and Salo were the most sensitive varieties of oat. The sensitivity of the variety to lodging as well as the earliness of the variety was correlated with the occurrence of fusariosis on oats. The highest average occurrence of Fusaria on oat grains was after use of maize as the pre-crop. The oat samples were most often contaminated with nivalenol. Nivalenol positively correlated with the weight of a thousand grains of oat and negatively correlated with the oats grain falling through the sieve.
Thermal Performance Evaluation of Circular-Stadium Double Pipe Thermal Energy Storage Systems

ABSTRACT Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems are employed in numerous practical applications, owing to their capability to solve the problems related to the reliability of thermal energy systems by using phase change materials (PCM). In this study, the charging and discharging processes of N-eicosane in a circular-stadium double pipe TES system for various aspect ratios (1, 0.35, 0.25, and 0.15) and angular orientations (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°) of the inner stadium tube are numerically investigated using enthalpy-porosity formulation. The zero-heat flux is applied to the outer tube of TES systems while the inner tube wall is retained at constant temperatures. The numerical results are compared with the experimental results of the concentric double-pipe TES system which shows an accuracy with 2.34% error. The findings revealed that the best thermal performance is provided by the X/Y=0.15 case with 90° angular orientation which contributes the highest increase in the charging rate while the discharging rate is not substantially affected by aspect ratio and angular orientation. The melting time decreases by 59% and solidification time raises by 27%. The overall efficiency of the TES system is 75% which is 26% higher than a base case (X/Y=1). The results further conceived that gravitational acceleration plays an important role in the natural convection heat transfer during the charging process of PCM.
A Deep Learning Based Classifier for Crack Detection with Robots in Underground Pipes

Underground utility pipes especially sewer pipes are prone to develop cracks due to aging, shifting soil, increased traffic, corrosion, and improper installation. A major challenge for utility operators is cost effective periodic condition monitoring of their sewer networks. The existing industry standard pipe condition monitoring system is based on passing a robot mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) camera through the pipe. The CCTV video feed is recorded and monitored by a trained operator who annotates it corresponding to the location of cracks and other structural imperfections. This system is both cost and labor intensive. In recent years, the deep learning-based systems have achieved success in vision based object detection problems. In this project, we have collected pipe crack data from extensive field trials with CCTV based systems in actual sewer networks. The noisy field data is cleaned up and used for training the convolutional neural networks. We test the proposed model with validation data to determine its accuracy and effectiveness. The results indicate that deep learning model can be effectively used to ]detect cracks in underground pipes.
Safety and Feasibility of Cryoablation during Immunotherapy in Patients with Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

PURPOSE Patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) undergo a wide array of treatments, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and ablative therapies, to control their disease. The combination of cryoablation and immunotherapy may lead to an enhanced antitumor immune response via the abscopal effect. It is hypothesized that the combination of cryoablation and immunotherapy in patients with metastatic STS is safe and feasible. MATERIALS AND METHODS A single-center retrospective analysis was performed on patients with metastatic STS who underwent cryoablation. Sixteen patients were treated with 27 cryoablation procedures while receiving ipilimumab and nivolumab from April 2017 to July 2020. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, 1.1, were used to determine the outcomes of nontarget tumors. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from the date of the first cryoablation after initiating immunotherapy until progression or death. RESULTS Thirty-four tumors were cryoablated, 23 of which were intentionally subtotal. The most common tumor subtype was liposarcoma (n = 4). Thirteen (81%) patients had previously demonstrated disease progression on multiple lines of chemotherapy. All tumors cryoablated with a complete intention demonstrated a complete response. Seven patients had a clinical benefit, including 1 with a complete response, 1 with a partial response, and 5 with stable disease. The median OS was 14.1 months, with a median PFS of 2.3 months (95% confidence interval, 1.8-14.3). Five patients had pneumothoraces after cryoablation, 2 of whom required chest tube placement. Eleven patients experienced adverse events related to immunotherapy, 10 of whom experienced grade 1 or 2. CONCLUSIONS Cryoablation in patients with metastatic STS undergoing immunotherapy is feasible and safe.
A measurement of the width and shift of the Fe I 3719.94 A line broadened by helium

Results are reported for measurements of the widths and shifts of the overlapping helium-broadened profiles of the Fe I absorption lines at 3719.94 and 3722.56 A, which were performed in a ballistic piston compressor using a saturated solution of FeCl3 in ethanol. It is found that at 4000 K, the 3719.94-A line has a gamma/n (FWHM) value of approximately 5.2 billionths rad/sec per cu cm, the blue shift of this line corresponds to a beta/n value of about 0.49 billionth rad/sec per cu cm, and the 3722.56-A line has the same values. These results are compared with previous experimental determinations and with theoretical calculations of neutral-line broadening for the Fe I lines. The significance of these measurements with respect to the solar spectrum and cool DG white dwarfs is discussed.