cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gas Flow Rate through Damaged Low Aspect Ratio Shearwalls

Abstract Squat reinforced concrete (RC) shearwalls are often used to contain nuclear material or other dangerous gases in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) complex. Damage to such walls can be expected even during minor earthquake shaking. The escape of dangerous gases post-event is therefore of concern. In this paper, the flow rate of air through damaged squat RC walls is analytically predicted for a broad range of structural configurations, loading conditions, and concrete compressive strengths at different differential pressures. Design charts relating shearwall lateral drift ratio and air leakage rate are presented. Among the parameters considered in this study, the shearwall boundary element size has the most significant effect on the flow rate. The paper concludes with a design example demonstrating the use of the design charts.
Accountable Autocrats? Post-War Punishment in Authoritarian Regimes

When do leaders lose office because of their foreign policy decisions, and why? Many scholars argue that democratic leaders are substantially more likely to be ousted for their foreign policy performance than authoritarian leaders, rendering democracies more cautious in their foreign affairs. This paper questions the conventional wisdom, analyzing the accountability of authoritarian leaders in the wake of military defeat from 1919 to 1997. Based on a new dataset of authoritarian regime characteristics, I find that “constrained” authoritarians – authoritarian leaders who have not consolidated personal control of high appointments, and have not tampered with military institutions – are punished at relatively high rates after defeat in war, particularly when compared to their rates of ouster after victory or during peacetime. Intriguingly, however, unlike democratic leaders, constrained authoritarians tended to lose power after draws only slightly more often than after victories. These general patterns held whether the leaders initiated the war, or were targeted by other states. In contrast, “semi-” and “unconstrained” authoritarians appear remarkably resilient even in the face of defeat. Most of the few unconstrained authoritarians that did lose power after defeat were driven out by foreign forces after disastrous military performance. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the relationship between regime type, domestic accountability, and international conflict.
Temperature dependence of carrier capture by defects in gallium arsenide

This report examines the temperature dependence of the capture rate of carriers by defects in gallium arsenide and compares two previously published theoretical treatments of this based on multi phonon emission (MPE). The objective is to reduce uncertainty in atomistic simulations of gain degradation in III-V HBTs from neutron irradiation. A major source of uncertainty in those simulations is poor knowledge of carrier capture rates, whose values can differ by several orders of magnitude between various defect types. Most of this variation is due to different dependence on temperature, which is closely related to the relaxation of the defect structure that occurs as a result of the change in charge state of the defect. The uncertainty in capture rate can therefore be greatly reduced by better knowledge of the defect relaxation.
Risk Informing Security at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has efforts underway to better risk inform security regulations. The NRC has conducted two workshops to obtain stakeholder feedback on how to accomplish this. Topics at the last workshop included an in depth look at risk methodologies/approaches, the likelihood of initiating events, modeling and simulation tools, cyber security, and the using the attractiveness of special nuclear material to an adversary to inform NRC’s graded security program. In addition, the NRC staff is responding to recommendations from a NRC Risk Management Task Force that concluded in 2012. Among its recommendations was to better communicate between safety and security to allow both disciplines to leverage off each other. This paper will summarize the current initiatives to better risk inform security and provide a detailed overview of NRC’s efforts to consider the attractiveness of special nuclear material to a potential adversary in the development of a graded security program. In particular, this effort has identified levels of dilution as a key factor that could be used to adjust security requirements.
Veteran Mental Health and Employment: The Nexus and Beyond

In the armed forces, “service” denotes a willingness to “work for” your country, wages, personal recognition of accomplishment, your brothers/sisters in arms, and references the importance of work in the identity of these individuals. Veteran employment and mental health are intricately connected and at times dependent upon each other. As such, focusing on one in isolation is not recommended. To help veterans successfully integrate back into their communities and move toward mental health recovery when needed, a more integrated approach is warranted. In this chapter, we review the state of the literature concerning veteran employment, effects of mental illness on veteran employment, and examine current employment services for veterans. This chapter concludes with a discussion of approaches that show promise for addressing the nexus of employment and mental health in veterans, as well as identifying future directions for research to help better mitigate the needs of our veterans.
Effects of hexavalent chromium on development of crabs, Rhithropanopeus harrisii and Callinectes sapidus

Survival of Rhithropanopeus harrisii larvae from hatching to first crab stage occurred in Na2CrO4 concentrations from 1.1 to 29.1 ppm. Estimated LC50 for complete zoeal development was 17.8 ppm Na2CrO4 and it was 13.7 ppm for development to first crab stage. A concentration of 1.1 ppm Na2CrO4 was nontoxic, while Na2CrO4 concentrations of 7.2 and 14.5 ppm were sublethal and concentrations of 29.1 to 58.1 ppm were acutely toxic. Low concentrations of Na2Cr04 caused an increase in swimming speed and high concentrations caused a decline.
Abstract 1628: Tumor suppressor gene demethylation and reactivation in human colon cancer cells by black raspberry anthocyanins

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Our laboratory has shown that the anthocyanins (ACs) in black raspberries (BRBs) are responsible for much of their chemopreventive effects in the rat esophagus. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of BRB ACs on human colon cancer cells in vitro. Three days of AC treatment at 5 and 25 μg/ml medium significantly decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in HCT116, Caco2, and SW480 human colon cancer cell lines. The ACs also reduced the activities and protein expression levels of DNA methyltransferases 1 and 3 (DNMT1, DNMT3) in all three cell lines. Promoter methylation of p16 (CDKN2A) and the Wnt pathway inhibitors, Sfrp2, Sfrp5 and Wif1, was decreased by AC treatment resulting in increased mRNA expression levels of all three Wnt inhibitors. ACs did not alter global methylation LINE-1. DNMT1 and DNMT3B knockout (KO) HCT116 cells were generated using siRNA to determine the role of these methyltransferases in AC-induced demethylation. In DNMT1 KO cells, the promoter methylation of Sfrp5 was reduced when compared with wild type HCT116 cells. AC treatment further reduced promoter methylation of Sfrp5 in DNMT1 KO cells suggesting that the ACs targeted protein(s) other than DNMT1 to regulate methylation. Promoter methylation of Sfrp5 was decreased to almost zero by treatment of DNMT3B KO cells with ACs. Interestingly, promoter methylation of p16 was reduced in both DNMT1 and DNMT3B KO cells, and AC treatment further reduced p16 methylation in both lines. In conclusion, these results suggest that ACs demethylated and reactivated tumor suppressor genes through regulation of DNMT1 and DNMT3B. This research was supported by NCI grant CA148818. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1628. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1628
Wearable wireless biophotonic and biopotential sensors for canine health monitoring

There is an increasing interest from dog handlers and veterinarians in the ability to continuously monitor dogs' vital signs (heart rate, heart rate variability and respiration rate) with the aim of identifying physiological correlations to stress and excitement outside laboratory environments. We present our latest efforts towards a novel non-invasive wearable sensor system including photoplethysmogram (PPG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) to remotely and continuously monitor vital signs of animals. To overcome the limitations imposed by the dense hair layer, we investigated the use of pointed style electrodes, traditionally used in training (shock) collars, as passive ECG recording electrodes. We also studied the incorporation of light guides and optical fibers for efficient optical coupling to the skin. The ECG and PPG sensors were interfaced to a system on chip (SoC) with Bluetooth capability for transferring the data to a nearby smartphone or computer for data storage and analysis.
Heterogeneity of binding of chemotactic formyl peptides to their receptors on rabbit neutrophils: methodological and analytical considerations in the study of complex receptor-binding patterns.

AbstractThe pattern of binding of chemotactic formyl peptides to their receptors on intact rabbit neutrophils was investigated using three different radiolabeled formyl peptides. The purpose of the study was both to establish suitable procedures for the analysis of complex receptor-binding data and to evaluate the heterogeneity of binding of the chemotactic formyl peptides. Radiolabeled formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine was found to require repurification by thin-layer chromatography before it was of sufficient purity for use in these studies. All three radioligands were essentially stable during the binding assay. The ‘LIGAND’ computer program proved suitable for a detailed and rigorous analysis of the binding data. Each of the three formyl peptides showed significant heterogeneity in its binding pattern and all appeared to interact with the same receptor sites. The degree of heterogeneity, however, was greater with formylnorleucyl-leucyl-phenylalanine than with the other two formyl peptides. The hete...
Restless Legs Syndrome Following Lung Transplantation Prevalence and Relationship With Tacrolimus Exposure

Context:Complications following lung transplantation are common and significantly reduce quality of life, and increase morbidity and mortality. Increasing evidence suggests sleep disorders are prevalent following lung transplantation, but factors associated with their development are not known.Objectives:We sought to evaluate the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a lung transplant population and determine if a relationship exists between RLS and exposure to immunosuppressant medications.Design, Setting, and Participants:Subjects were recruited through the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Lung Transplant Clinic (N = 125). Participants (N = 81) completed sleep questionnaires, including the four RLS diagnostic criteria, insomnia severity index, and Sheehan disability scale. Cumulative tacrolimus exposure was determined in 62 subjects by calculating an area under the curve (AUC) to assess for a relationship with restless legs syndrome.Results:Prevalence of RLS was 35 percent. Cumulativ...
Glottic Myxoma Presenting as Chronic Dysphonia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature:

Myxomas of the vocal fold are rare benign tumors often presenting with chronic dysphonia and less frequently with airway obstruction. The current consensus is that all laryngeal myxomas should be totally excised with clear margins to prevent recurrences. The recommendation for complete excision, however, has to be balanced with consideration of preserving vocal fold phonatory and sphincteric function. We report a case of vocal fold myxoma recurring twice after subtotal excision via two surgical approaches. This case illustrates a benign lesion with potential for recurrence and the need for a balanced treatment approach.
Supplementation of essential fatty acids to Holstein calves during late uterine life and first month of life alters hepatic fatty acid profile and gene expression

Linoleic acid is an essential dietary fatty acid (FA). However, how the supplementation of linoleic acid during uterine and early life may modify the FA profile and transcriptome regulation of the liver, and performance of preweaned dairy calves is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of supplementation of essential FA to Holstein calves during late uterine and early life on their hepatic FA profile and global gene expression at 30 d of age. During the last 8 wk of pregnancy, Holstein cattle (n=96) were fed either no fat supplement (control), a saturated FA supplement enriched with C18:0, or an unsaturated FA supplement enriched with linoleic acid. Male calves (n=40) born from these dams were fed a milk replacer (MR) with either low (LLA) or high linoleic acid (HLA) concentration as the sole feedstuff during the first 30 d. Liver biopsy was performed at 30 d of age, and microarray analysis was performed on 18 liver samples. Total concentration of FA in liver were greater in calves fed LLA compared with those fed HLA MR (8.2 vs. 7.1%), but plasma concentrations of total FA did not differ due to MR diets. The FA profiles of plasma and liver of calves were affected differently by the prepartum diets. Specifically, the FA profile in liver was affected moderately by the feeding of fat prepartum, but the profiles did not differ due to the type of FA fed prepartum. The type of MR fed during the first 30 d of life had major effects on both plasma and liver FA profiles, resembling the type of fat fed. Plasma and liver of calves fed LLA MR had greater percentage of medium-chain FA (C12:0 and C14:0), whereas plasma and liver from calves fed HLA MR had greater percentages of linoleic and α-linolenic acids. Dams fed fat or a specific type of FA modified the expression of some genes in liver of calves, particularly those genes involved in biological functions and pathways related to upregulation of lipid metabolism and downregulation of inflammatory responses. Feeding HLA instead of LLA MR modified the expression of hepatic genes, including genes predicted to decrease infections and to increase lipid utilization and protein synthesis. Research evaluating the effect of FA supplementation during uterine and neonatal life on the future productivity of the neonate is warranted.
Random Model Testing of Archaeological Site Locations in Allen and South Cottonwood Canyons, Southeastern Utah

ABSTRACTA random model is used to test the relationships of site location to water, soil, and topographic variables in two canyons of southeastern Utah. Because cultures are thought to be patterned, the use of a random model provides a known standard against which the patterned variability of both areas can be measured. Water is shown to have important differences with regard to site locations in the two canyons. Soils and topography are found to be less important. Differences in site locations through time are obscured by inadequate samples from some time periods.
CHAPTER 4 – cis Effects of CTG Expansion in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1

This chapter discusses locus-specific cis effects of CTG expansion in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Recognition that both cis effects resulting from CTG expansion and dominant RNA effects of CUG repeat expression, contribute in varying degrees to the pathophysiology of DM1 provides important insights into the molecular mechanisms that govern both the multitude of symptoms and the variable expressivity of DM1. Importantly, expansion of the CTG repeat tract appears to cause stochastic changes in the levels of gene expression at the DM1 locus. Furthermore, the dysregulation of physiologically important RNA processing proteins by the expression of expanded CUG repeats can also exhibit probabilistic behavior, rather than all-or-none effects. Thus, a summation of several stochastic events that occur as a consequence of CTG expansion can explain both the pleomorphic expression and enormous variability that characterize DM1. Understanding the nature of the molecular defects that contribute to the unique set of symptoms that manifest in this interesting disorder will provide a rational structure, both for the clinical management of the symptoms and ultimately for the design of a therapy for DM1.
Ethnography at its edges: Compulsory Zionism, free speech, and anthropology

Lara Deeb and Jessica Winegar argue convincingly in Anthropology's Politics that US-based academics face harassment and threats to their careers if they publicly reject US militarism in the Middle East and criticize the Israeli state in their teaching, research, and public speaking. Their analysis of five generations of anthropologists demonstrates that knowledge production is always political, but the thematic chapter organization—graduate school, getting hired, and handling job conflicts—does not explore the historical conjunctures in which the cohorts were formed. The authors’ assertion that the American Anthropological Association's practice of issuing public statements ignores the Middle East and criticism of US policies is clear, yet the association's history of opposition to US policies globally is uneven and episodic. Anthropology's Politics is an important and well-researched book.
Realism and unrealism: a reply

Abstract: A recent article by Hammarberg (1982) criticizes my theoretical perspective on coarticulation as both “internally” and “externally incoherent”. A major source of incoherence, in Hammarberg’s view, is the alleged claim that phonetic segments are physical entities, and hence, not mental entities. The present paper ascribes the incoherence largely to Hammarberg’s understanding of the perspective, pointing out that entities can be at once psychological (“mental”) and physical. More usefully, perhaps, the article attempts to establish the philosophical, theoretical and practical grounds on which Hammarberg’s own viewpoint and mine disagree most importantly. It is argued that the disagreements are substantial (mirroring, in part, those recently expressed between Fodor & Pylyshyn (1981) and Turvey et al. (1981)), and that their analysis may lead to more careful development of both theoretical perspectives; this should, in turn, promote a deeper understanding of speech itself.
Case study: visualizing Internet resources

The goal is to improve the ability of people from all walks of life and interests to access, search, and use the information distributed in Internet resources. The process of interacting with information resources starts with browsing, continues with digesting and assimilating pieces of information, terminates with generation of new information, and begins anew with analysis of pre-existing and new information. Our approach is user-centric-taking users needs into account by allowing them to interact with the information contained in large arrays of documents. The visualization process is an integral part of the overall process. We have covered three related categories in this methodology. The first one is browsing through the World-Wide Web (WWW) hyperspace without becoming lost, based on a visual representation of the hyperspace hierarchical structure (hyperspace view). The second category is overcoming the rigidity of the WWW by allowing the user to construct interactively and visually a personal hyperspace of information, linking the documents according to the application or problem domain, or to the user's own perception, experience, culture, or way of thinking. The third category includes discovery and analysis of new information and relationships in retrieved documents by aggregating relevant information and representing it visually.
Materiality, Symbol, and Complexity in the Anthropology of Money

The invitation to review anthropological studies of money offers an opportunity not only to revisit the history of anthropologists’ investigations into money’s objects, meanings, and uses but also to reflect on the intersections of such work with recent psychological research. In this review essay, we survey the primary findings of the anthropology of money and the central challenges anthropological work has posed to assumptions about money’s power to abstract, commensurate, dissolve social ties, and erase difference. We summarize anthropologists’ historical concern with cultural difference and recent work on money’s materialities, meanings, and complex uses. We emphasize the pragmatics of money—from earmarking practices and the use of multiple moneys to the politics of liquidity and fungibility. In the final section of the paper, we find inspiration in recent psychological studies of money to indicate new trajectories for inquiry. Specifically, we point to three potentially fruitful areas for research: money use as a tool and infrastructure; the politics of revealing and concealing money; and money’s origins and futures as a memory device. We end with a brief reflection on ongoing monetary experiments and innovations.
Arterial Pressure Variation in Elective Noncardiac Surgery: Identifying Reference Distributions and Modifying Factors.

Background Assessment of need for intravascular volume resuscitation remains challenging for anesthesiologists. Dynamic waveform indices, including systolic and pulse pressure variation, are demonstrated as reliable measures of fluid responsiveness for mechanically ventilated patients. Despite widespread use, real-world reference distributions for systolic and pulse pressure variation values have not been established for euvolemic intraoperative patients. The authors sought to establish systolic and pulse pressure variation reference distributions and assess the impact of modifying factors. Methods The authors evaluated adult patients undergoing general anesthetics for elective noncardiac surgery. Median systolic and pulse pressure variations during a 50-min postinduction period were noted for each case. Modifying factors including body mass index, age, ventilator settings, positioning, and hemodynamic management were studied via univariate and multivariable analyses. For systolic pressure variation values, effects of data entry method (manually entered vs. automated recorded) were similarly studied. Results Among 1,791 cases, per-case median systolic and pulse pressure variation values formed nonparametric distributions. For each distribution, median values, interquartile ranges, and reference intervals (2.5th to 97.5th percentile) were, respectively, noted: these included manually entered systolic pressure variation (6.0, 5.0 to 7.0, and 3.0 to 11.0 mmHg), automated systolic pressure variation (4.7, 3.9 to 6.0, and 2.2 to 10.4 mmHg), and automated pulse pressure variation (7.0, 5.0 to 9.0, and 2.0 to 16.0%). Nonsupine positioning and preoperative β blocker were independently associated with altered systolic and pulse pressure variations, whereas ventilator tidal volume more than 8 ml/kg ideal body weight and peak inspiratory pressure more than 16 cm H2O demonstrated independent associations for systolic pressure variation only. Conclusions This study establishes real-world systolic and pulse pressure variation reference distributions absent in the current literature. Through a consideration of reference distributions and modifying factors, the authors' study provides further evidence for assessing intraoperative volume status and fluid management therapies.
Introduction to Gene and Stem-Cell Therapy

Abstract Motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), are devastating neurodegenerative diseases that are progressive and fatal. There is no cure and the current standard of care is merely palliative. For example, riluzole is the only FDA-approved treatment for ALS and extends life for 3–6 months. Due to the inability of conventional therapies to have an impact on these diseases, research in gene and stem cell therapies have come into focus. Gene and stem cell therapies have the potential to make a significant impact on the treatment of ALS and SMA. For this potential to be realized, the optimal gene therapy vector or stem cell needs to be selected. The various options have their pros and cons, which will be discussed in this chapter. It is necessary to take the time to assess and match the disease with the appropriate therapy.
A Ticket for Your Thoughts: Method for Predicting Content Recall and Sales Using Neural Similarity of Moviegoers

Skilled advertisers often cause a diverse set of consumers to feel similarly about their product. We present a method for measuring neural data to assess the degree of similarity between multiple brains experiencing the same advertisements, and we demonstrate that this similarity can predict important marketing outcomes. Since neural data can be sampled continuously throughout an experience and without effort and conscious reporting biases, our method offers a useful complement to measures requiring active evaluations, such as subjective ratings and willingness-to-pay (WTP) scores. As a case study, we use portable electroencephalography (EEG) systems to record the brain activity of 58 moviegoers in a commercial theater and then calculate the relative levels of neural similarity, cross-brain correlation (CBC), throughout 13 movie trailers. Our initial evidence suggests that CBC predicts future free recall of the movie trailers and population-level sales of the corresponding movies. Additionally, since there are potentially other (i.e., non-neural) sources of physiological similarity (e.g., basic arousal), we illustrate how to use other passive measures, such as cardiac, respiratory, and electrodermal activity levels, to reject alternative hypotheses. Moreover, we show how CBC can be used in conjunction with empirical content analysis (e.g., levels of visual and semantic complexity).
Derived Observations From Frequently Sampled Microwave Measurements of Precipitation—Part I: Relations to Atmospheric Thermodynamics

This is the first of two papers that quantify the high added value of frequent 3-D radar observations of the atmosphere to capture the dynamics of weather systems. Recent advances in small-satellite and radar technologies, such as the “Radar in Cubesat” developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, are paving the way for the design of convoys of spaceborne radars that can directly observe the evolution of severe weather at very fine temporal scales. The analyses presented here are to establish the relation between such observations to the underlying cloud variables and processes, and to quantify the sensitivity to the different physical and instrument parameters. In this first part, a robust algorithm is proposed to estimate the horizontal advection from successive radar reflectivity measurements, and use it to compute total time derivatives $d_{t} Z$ of the observed radar reflectivity factors $Z$ . As illustrated using Next-Generation Radar measurements in a blizzard coupled with an atmospheric river in California, the maps of $d_{t} Z$ reveal features about locations of sources and sinks of condensed water, which are, otherwise, not visible in the maps of $Z$ alone. Using numerical simulations of the blizzard and a radiative-transfer model to forward calculate the corresponding reflectivity factors $Z$ in the S-band, we show the robust correlation between $d_{t} Z$ and the moistening of the troposphere.
Do the Mental Health Consequences of Sexual Victimization Differ Between Males and Females? A General Strain Theory Approach

Sexual assault is a traumatizing event linked to numerous mental health consequences. Although extant research has thoroughly examined the collateral consequences experienced by females, limited literature exists regarding how sexual violence comparatively affects males and females. Using data from the National Violence Against Women Survey (1995–1996) and a strain theoretical framework, the current study addresses this research gap to understand the effects of sexual assault and sex on depression. Results indicate that victims of sexual assault have higher depression scores than persons who have not been sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Moreover, we found no sex effect for sexual assault on depression. The methodology used eliminated a bias typically associated with regression analyses, caused from statistical inference after improper model selection. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in Laparoscopic Surgery.

Abstract Background: As part of an effort to maximize value in the perioperative setting, a paradigm shift is underway in the way that patients are cared for preoperatively, on the day of surgery, and postoperatively—a setting collectively known as the perioperative care. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) is an evidence-based, patient-centered team approach to delivering high-quality perioperative care to surgical patients. Methods: This review focuses on anesthesiologists, with their unique purview of perioperative setting, who are important drivers of change in the delivery of valuable perioperative care. ERAS care pathways begin in the preoperative setting by both preparing the patient for the psychological stress of surgery and optimizing the patient's medical and physiologic status so the body is ready for the physical demands of surgery. Results: Minimization of perioperative fasting is important to maintain volume status—decreasing reliance on intravenous fluid administration, and to reduce p...
CEO Optimism and the Credibility of Open-Market Stock Repurchase Announcements

ABSTRACTGiven their low-cost and low level of commitment, open-market stock repurchase announcements are often viewed by the market with a degree of skepticism, leading to a weak initial market reaction followed by positive stock price drifts. The authors argue that the repurchase announcements made by optimistic CEOs should be more credible than those made by nonoptimistic CEOs. Our results show that optimistic CEOs are more likely to actually buy back their shares after the announcements and the abnormal returns following repurchase announcements are larger for optimistic CEOs. This evidence suggests that CEO optimism is an important factor that the market seems to overlook while evaluating the credibility of open-market repurchase announcements. Our main contribution is to link one of the most important managerial traits, optimism, to the open-market repurchases.
Evaluation of novel temperature-stable viscoelastic polyurea foams as helmet liner materials

Abstract Viscoelastic polyurea foams with densities of 98, 170, and 230 kg/m3 were manufactured and integrated into helmet shells and tested using the NOCSAE and FMVSS 218 standards for football and motorcycle helmets, respectively. For football helmet testing, a Riddell Revolution helmet shell was used. The helmets with a foam liner thickness of 28 mm were dropped using a NOCSAE medium headform (4.9 kg) from heights ranging from 0.305 to 1.524 m. All impact tests were done on the crown of the helmet and dropped on a 12.7 mm modular elastomer programmer pad. Use of PU98 foam resulted in a reduction of 22% in peak g's and 25% in Severity Index and Head Injury Criteria values when compared to helmets with the original VN600 foams under ambient conditions. These tests were repeated under varying temperatures along with a reduced liner thickness of 22.2 mm. In these tests, PU98 foam reduced the peak g's by 18% at 23 °C, 26% at − 15 °C, and 20% at 50 °C when compared to VN600 helmets. The FMVSS motorcycle helmet tests demonstrated the success of using an additional layer of polyurea foam liner on top of the existing expanded polystyrene liner in reducing the peak g's by 17%.
Oral Biofilms: Pathogens, Matrix, and Polymicrobial Interactions in Microenvironments.

Biofilms are microbial communities embedded within an extracellular matrix, forming a highly organized structure that causes many human infections. Dental caries (tooth decay) is a polymicrobial biofilm disease driven by the diet and microbiota–matrix interactions that occur on a solid surface. Sugars fuel the emergence of pathogens, the assembly of the matrix, and the acidification of the biofilm microenvironment, promoting ecological changes and concerted multispecies efforts that are conducive to acid damage of the mineralized tooth tissue. Here, we discuss recent advances in the role of the biofilm matrix and interactions between opportunistic pathogens and commensals in the pathogenesis of dental caries. In addition, we highlight the importance of matrix-producing organisms in fostering a pathogenic habitat where interspecies competition and synergies occur to drive the disease process, which could have implications to other infections associated with polymicrobial biofilms.
How does contributors involvement influence open source systems

Open source software systems are based on the principle of open collaboration for innovation and production. They highly depend on volunteer developers contributions for their existence and continuity; attracting new volunteer developers is crucial for the OSS community sustainability. However, new developers might be hesitant to join and participate to a project due to many obstacles such as lack of awareness and guidelines in the OSS community and inability for long-term commitment and dedication which might result in a low retention rate. In the OSS community, contributors come from different backgrounds and skill levels, and they have different levels of participation in the system. They can be categorized into core and peripheral based on the frequency of the commits they author. While it is acknowledged that developers have different levels of participation to a software system, little is known about how different degrees of contribution impact the OSS system. In this study, we explore whether core and peripheral developers contributions to the OSS systems vary in terms of type and quality by analyzing a total of 19,580 commits from 38 Apache Java software systems to better understand how different levels of developers involvement within a software system relate to the type and quality of the their contributions.
Triage by Resource Allocation for INpatients: A Novel Disaster Triage Tool for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVE To develop a disaster triage tool for the evacuation of hospitalized neonatal and pediatric populations. METHODS We expanded an existing neonatal disaster triage tool for the evacuation of a children's hospital. We assessed inpatients using bedside visual assessments and chart review to categorize patients transport level based on local emergency medical services protocols and expert opinion. The tool was refined by using multiple Plan Do Study Act cycles. Primary outcome was the number of each level of transport required for hospital evacuation. Secondary outcome was improved efficiency of obtaining information about specific transport needs for evacuation. RESULTS We evaluated 1382 patients both visually and through electronic chart review over 10 random days. Accordance between visual assessment and electronic chart review reached 96.3%. During a 2 hour statewide disaster drill, no hospital units completed self-assessed transport needs for their patients; a single nurse used Triage by Resource Allocation in INpatients to determine transportation needs in less than 1 hour. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:692-696).
Post-licensure safety surveillance of zoster vaccine live (Zostavax®) in the United States, Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), 2006-2015.

Background: Herpes zoster (HZ), or shingles, is caused by reactivation of varicella-zoster virus in latently infected individuals. Live-attenuated HZ vaccine (zoster vaccine live, ZVL) is approved ...
Deep blue is still an infant

We believe that by the time of the workshop Deep Blue will have lost another match to Garry Kasparov, showing little improvement over the previous one. But even if it is indeed a "new kind of intelligence", it can be argued that this intelligence is very basic. There is a long way to go until Deep Blue could be considered a fully autonomous agent, the type we are eagerly trying to build in AI and that we believe we will eventually be successful at. We should not consider Deep Blue (or any software agent) fully autonomous until it can manage its own computational resources (memory and time), minimize risk and cost of various decisions, assess its errors and develop new representations of (chess) knowledge, and be able to cooperate and communicate with other computer and human chess players. We feel indeed that Deep Blue falls somewhere non-trivial on the scale of intelligence. But to move further along that scale greater autonomy will be required: Is Deep Blue now selecting its own openings, deciding when and whether to play for a draw, etc? Does it generalize from its past experiences, annotate its own games etc.? Does it know that is has played the agent "GKasparov" before? That the match will last 6 games (like last time) etc. Can it apply the information or decision theoretic model on which it is choosing its moves to other operations management and control situations? Does Deep Blue know that one mistake against the World Champion could be fatal? Does it know that bishops can only reach one color square? Does it contain a declarative representation of the rules of chess?.
Painlevé Solutions and Algebraic Complex Integrability

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some basic consequences of the definition of algebraic complete integrability (ACI). The ACI systems are integrable systems whose trajectories are straight-line motions on complex algebraic tori. Ultimately, the solutions to such problems can be expressed in terms of theta functions and quadratures involving Abelian integrals. Most well-known integrable systems enjoy these properties. In the recent years, much progress has been made in solving such systems using ingenious techniques involving Lie algebras, infinite dimensional Grassmanians, and various tools of algebraic geometry. The Lie algebras method and infinite dimensional Grassmanians method have not addressed the question of what to do with a specific system or class of systems by some physicist who wants to know if any elements of the class are algebraic complete integrable, and, if so, how does one solve and understand the geometry of these systems in a straightforward way.
Echelons of Combat Casualty Care and Associated Imaging Resources

This chapter provides an overview of the various levels and capabilities of hospitals in deployed military bases in combat zones. This includes the equipment and staffing resources, capabilities, and roles in the flow of combat casualty care. The major role of radiologists in the combat setting is at Level 3 facilities. The equipment at our Level 3 facility in Balad, Iraq, will serve as an example of resources available at most other Level 3 facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In vitro respiration of ischemic skin from amputated human legs.

This study was prompted by the observation that amputations of chronically ischemic, arteriesclcrctic limbs must regularly be performed at a level well above any area of gangrene, if healing of the resultant surgical wound is to be expected.1,2 The skin of such amputated legs grossly appears to be normal, except for any areas of actual gangrene which are generally located at the more distal end of the leg; the skin of these ischemic legs might play some role in maintaining the integrity of the limb, for only when it is disrupted by an injury do the visual signs of tissue breakdown and gangrene develop. Based upon these observations, the twofold purpose of this study was: 1.) to determine if the more distal, non-gangrenous sections of severely ischemic skin, shown in previous experiments by Penneys and Montgomery3,4 to have a very low tissue oxygen tension in vivo, can respire actively when exposed to an adequate 0 supply in vitro; and 2.) to determine whether or not there are any quantitative differences in O2 uptake between these more ischemic, distal, sections and the less ischemic, proximal, sections of skin removed from the same amputated limb, both endogenously and when exposed to certain intermediary metabolic substrates.
Dyslipidemia Management in Women and Men: Exploring Potential Gender Differences

Publisher Summary Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in both men and women. Each year more than 250 000 women die of coronary heart disease (CHD). On average, women develop coronary atherosclerosis a decade later than men do, and on average they develop a myocardial infarction (MI) 10–15 years later than men do. The prior under-representation of women in clinical trials was associated with the general misconception that CHD was primarily a disease of men. While death rates from CVD are declining, more women die of CVD than their male counterparts, in part due to the delay in diagnosis and the older age at which women develop CVD. Although traditional risk factors for the development of CVD such as obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), cigarette smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and inflammation are similar in both genders, the impact of each individual risk factor and related interventions may differ dramatically by gender. Women also have inherent attributes that modify their CVD risk, such as menopausal status and the use of hormone therapy. This chapter first examines gender differences in CVD risk factors, then specifically focuses on dyslipidemia in women and the effects of estrogen on CVD risk, and finally addresses treatment guidelines for dyslipidemia. The major CVD risk factors include obesity and fat distribution, physical inactivity, diabetes mellitus (now considered a CHD equivalent), metabolic syndrome, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and inflammation. Family history has been known to be a risk factor for CHD and there is a strong correlation between certain genetic markers and development of CHD. The prevalence of CHD in men and women combined with effective available treatment options, emphasize the importance for physicians and patients to recognize and adequately treat CHD risk factors.
PyEcholab: An open-source, python-based toolkit to analyze water-column echosounder data

Water-column echosounder data are widely used for a diversity of research objectives from fisheries abundance to identifying methane seeps to characterization of the seafloor. However, these data are voluminous, complex, and recorded in instrument-specific binary file formats. Tools to process these data are limited to a few commercial applications or custom programs developed by researchers, leaving potential users without sufficient financial resources or programming knowledge to use the data. To address this problem, NOAA Fisheries, University of Colorado Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, and NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) scientists are developing PyEcholab. PyEcholab is an open-source, python-based system for reading, processing, and visualizing water-column echosounder files. Currently, the system is being developed to meet existing NCEI processing and visualization needs but PyEcholab’s base classes and open architecture provide a framework for developing new file readers, processing algorithms, and visualization techniques that can be modularized into the system. The long-term vision is to engage the community in an open-source effort that continually grows PyEcholab’s capabilities and expands the accessibility of water-column echosounder data.
The limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing: taking stock of the past

In the 15 years since its inception, the Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing (LC4MP) has contributed to understanding regarding the dynamics of message processing in a v...
Twin Studies in Demography

Twins studies are used to describe certain characteristics of populations, estimate determinants of population quantity and quality, and identify impacts of critical components of population quantity and quality on each other and on other outcomes. They share in common use of special properties of twins such as shared genes at conception for monozygotic (MZ) twins or very short birth spacing, but use various approaches with different assumptions for different purposes, in order of their frequency of application: (1) ACE model genetic-environmental variance decompositions; (2) MZ twins fixed-effect estimates with controls for endowments; and (3) investigating the quality–quantity fertility model.
Histories of resistance, political violence, and revolutionary possibility in the neoliberal-era Naxalite novel:

In recent years, there has been a marked upswing in fictional renderings of the 50-plus-year-old Maoist Naxalite movement among the authors of India and its sizable diaspora. This essay analyses ho...
Machine Learning Bluetooth Profile Operation Verification via Monitoring the Transmission Pattern

Manufacturers often buy and/or license communication ICs from third-party suppliers. These communication ICs are then integrated into a complex computational system, resulting in a wide range of potential hardware-software security issues. This work proposes a compact supervisory circuit to classify the Bluetooth profile operation of a Bluetooth System-on-Chip (SoC) at low frequencies by monitoring the radio frequency (RF) output power of the Bluetooth SoC. The idea is to inexpensively manufacture an RF envelope detector to monitor the RF output power and a profile classification algorithm on a custom low-frequency integrated circuit in a low-cost legacy technology. When the supervisory circuit observes unexpected behavior, it can shut off power to the Bluetooth SoC. In this preliminary work, we proto-type the supervisory circuit using off-the-shelf components to collect a sufficient data set to train 11 different Machine Learning models. We extract smart descriptive time-domain features from the envelope of the RF output signal. Then, we train the machine learning models to classify three different Bluetooth operation profiles: sensor, hands-free, and headset. Our results demonstrate 100% classification accuracy with low computational complexity.∼
Chapter 8 – Temperature Dependence of the Complex Index of Refraction

Publisher Summary This chapter emphasizes on the temperature-dependence of optical phonons. In specific, the chapter discusses the temperature dependence of one and multiphonon processes. Temperature dependence is crucial for many current applications—such as the thermal lensing by the high-power laser windows, which requires knowledge of both absorption and index of refraction as a function of temperature. The range of window materials transparency is also temperature dependent. The temperature, frequency, and dependence of the real part of the index of refraction are determined by the dominant physical processes. The temperature and frequency dependence of the imaginary part of the index of refraction is more involved and requires consideration of not only the dominant physical processes but also higher-order processes, impurities, and defects. Further, the chapter briefly presents the extrinsic scatter in polycrystalline materials, which are observed to be constant with temperature for low-expansion materials and the impurity and defect absorption, which are highly material and manufacturing-process dependent.