cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictive Maintenance of Machine Tool Systems Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques Applied to Machine Condition Data

Abstract Often, manufacturing equipment is utilized without a planned maintenance approach. Such a strategy frequently results in unplanned downtime, owing to unexpected failures. Scheduled maintenance replaces components frequently to avoid unexpected equipment stoppages, but increases the time associated with machine non-operation and maintenance cost. The emergence of Industry 4.0 and smart systems is leading to increasing attention to predictive maintenance (PdM) strategies that can decrease the cost of downtime and increase the availability (utilization rate) of manufacturing equipment. PdM also has the potential to foster sustainable practices in manufacturing by maximizing the useful lives of components. In this paper, the AI-based algorithms for predictive maintenance are presented, and are applied to monitor two critical machine tool system elements: the cutting tool and the spindle motor. A data-driven modeling approach will be described, and it will be utilized to investigate the tool wear and the bearing failures.
Preparing Pre-Service Elementary Mathematics Teachers to Critically Engage in Elementary Mathematics Methods

The Teachers Empowered to Advance Change in Mathematics (TEACH Math) modules can be seen as transformative action, in which pre-service teachers (PSTs) connect issues of equity, agency, and power to student thinking, community knowledge, and classroom practice. Doing this work can be challenging, particularly for PSTs who have never thought about mathematics learning as connected to equity, agency, and power. This chapter offers insight from veteran mathematics teacher educators about activities they have augmented and designed specifically to engage PSTs in starting the critical reflection necessary for engagement in the TEACH Math modules. The activities shared here focus on issues of identity, status, equitable participation, and the rights of the learner using Photovoice interviews, Numbers about Me Posters, Instagram Math Trails, and Mathematics Autobiography Reflections. These individual activities set the stage for PSTs to connect their own experiences with equity, agency, and power to mathematics teaching and learning.
A Study on the Silage Properties of Hungarian Vetch (Vicia pannonica Crantz.) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Grass Mixtures in Different Rates

This study was carried out in Harran University of Turkey during 2017-2018 in November-May growing season in order to investigate the effect of sole and mixed Hungarian vetch and Barley grass silage properties. In the study, 100% Hungarian vetch (H), 100% barley (B), “75% H + 25% B”, “50% H + 50% B”, “25% H + 75% B” mixtures were used. When the physical properties of silages were examined, it is observed that the silage quality increased as the barley ratio in the mixture increased, where the highest quality was obtained at sole barley silage. In terms of chemical properties of silages; the lowest acid detergent insoluble fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent insoluble fiber (NDF) and the highest protein content values were obtained from the “75% H + 25% B” silage mixture. It was concluded that the most suitable silage mixture for high silage quality was “75% H + 25% B”.
A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship between Prayer and Student Outcomes.

A meta-analysis, including 13 studies, was undertaken on the relationship between the exercise of student prayer and academic and behavioral outcomes in urban schools. Analyses both with and withou...
Muscle-Powered Counterpulsation for Untethered, Non-Blood-Contacting Cardiac Support: A Path to Destination Therapy

Conventional long-term ventricular assist devices continue to be extremely problematic due to infections caused by percutaneous drivelines and thrombotic events associated with the use of blood-contacting surfaces. Here we describe a muscle-powered cardiac assist device that avoids both these problems by using an internal muscle energy converter to drive a non-blood-contacting extra-aortic balloon pump. The technology was developed previously in this lab and operates by converting the contractile energy of the latissimus dorsi muscle into hydraulic power that can be used, in principle, to drive any blood pump amenable to pulsatile actuation. The two main advantages of this implantable power source are that it 1) significantly reduces infection risk by avoiding a constant skin wound, and 2) improves patient quality-of-life by eliminating all external hardware components. The counterpulsatile balloon pumps, which compress the external surface of the ascending aorta during the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle, offer another critical advantage in the setting of long-term circulatory support in that they increase cardiac output and improve coronary perfusion without touching the blood. The goal of this work is to combine these two technologies into a single circulatory support system that eliminates driveline complications and avoids surface-mediated thromboembolic events, thereby providing a safe, tether-free means to support the failing heart over extended – or even indefinite – periods of time.
On Idealism: Responses to Markus Gabriel, James Kreines, Christopher Yeomans, Purushottama Bilimoria, Gene Flenady, Lorenzo Sala, and Jonathan Shaheen

I want to express my gratitude to Paul Redding, the Australasian Philosophical Review, and the seven critics for this opportunity to grapple with several of the most important, substantive issues t...
Effects of temperature on larval development, alkaloid production and microsporidiosis in the two-spotted lady beetle, Adalia bipunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

Abstract Nosema adaliae, a microsporidian pathogen described from the two-spotted lady beetle, Adalia bipunctata L., delays larval development when A. bipunctata is reared under laboratory conditions at 25 °C. In nature, lady beetles often experience a wide range of environmental temperatures, but little is known regarding the effects of microsporidian pathogens on lady beetles when they are reared at higher and lower temperatures. In this study, the effects of elevated rearing temperatures and microsporidiosis were observed on larval development time and mortality, sex ratios, alkaloid content (adaline and adalinine), and adult morphometrics. Uninfected larvae (24 h-old) were provided either an uninfected or N. adaliae-infected conspecific egg and subsequently reared at three temperatures (25 °C, 27.5 °C or 30 °C). After the egg was eaten, larvae were provided a diet of green peach aphids and their development was recorded daily. Following eclosion, a subsample of adults were photographed for microscopic measurements and reflex-fluid was collected for alkaloid analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Afterwards, all individuals were examined to determine the number that had become infected, and the same subsample was used to assess the severity of infection. Development time was delayed significantly for larvae that consumed a N. adaliae-infected egg, and infected larvae took significantly longer to develop at 25 °C than at 27.5 °C or 30 °C. No differences were observed for larval mortality or sex ratios. The relative proportion of adaline increased when larvae were reared at 30 °C, but adaline concentration was not affected by the pathogen, N. adaliae. Adults reared at 25 °C had larger body measurements when compared to those reared at 27.5 °C and 30 °C. Overall, adults that had eaten a N. adaliae-infected A. bipunctata egg as larvae had similar body measurements to those that ate an uninfected egg. When comparing male and female measurements, a significant interaction between infection status, temperature and sex was observed for elytra length and head capsule width only. These measurements were similar for uninfected and N. adaliae-infected females across all temperatures. However, when reared at 25 °C, uninfected males had significantly smaller elytra and head capsules than did infected males; but when reared at 30 °C, no significant difference was observed for these measurements. Both percent infection and average spore count decreased at 27.5 °C and 30 °C. These results suggest that temperatures above 25 °C have a mitigating effect against N. adaliae in A. bipunctata.
Orthodontics for Esthetic Dental Treatment: Symbiotic Efforts for Optimal Results

Thorough dental treatment planning is a key for a higher esthetic outcome and patient satisfaction. Facial characteristics and smile evaluation are essential determinants of the ideal tooth position. Dental space analysis and dental proportion analysis are integral parts of the patient’s examination for all cases.
The heterogeneous abyss

The abyssal seafloor, that is, ocean depths of ∼3,000 to 6,000 m, is widely considered simply to be vast, featureless plains of sediment. For example, Wikipedia asserts that “abyssal plains cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface” and “are among the flattest, smoothest, and least explored regions on Earth” (1). Featureless tracts of mud make intuitive sense since abyssal plains are formed by the deposition of thick blankets of fine-grained sediments sinking from the surface ocean or transported as turbidity currents down continental margins. In most of the abyss, especially on seafloors >10 My old, this sediment blanket is tens to thousands of meters thick (2) and seems likely to bury or smoothen most of the irregularities in seafloor crust (e.g., basalt pillows) formed at midocean spreading centers. Riehl et al. in PNAS (3) help to dispel this notion that the abyssal seafloor is featureless, providing evidence of extensive rocky habitats along transform faults in the abyss. Scientists studying the deep sea have long known that rocky or hard substrates do occur on abyssal plains. Perhaps the best known are polymetallic (“manganese”) nodules that were discovered during the Challenger expedition (1872 to 1876) (4); nodules are widespread in the Pacific abyss and, to a much lesser extent, the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans (5). In some Pacific regions, nodules may cover 10 to >50% of the seafloor area, providing abundant rocky habitat (6, 7). Seamounts also provide rocky substrates at abyssal depths where their slopes and outcrops are too steep to hold sediments (8). With as many as 200,000 seamounts in the world ocean, seamounts too provide significant habitat area for hard-bottom faunas, but once again, seamounts are concentrated in the Pacific Ocean (8). Surveys with lowered cameras, human-occupied vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles … [↵][1]1Email: craigsmi{at}hawaii.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Current and Emerging Trends in the Management of Fall Risk in People with Lower Limb Amputation.

People living with lower limb amputation are at an increased risk of falling compared with the healthy geriatric population. Factors of increased age and increased number of comorbidities could compound the already increased risk. The purpose of this article is to highlight recent research associated with fall risk in amputees and provide the reader with evidence to help guide clinical interventions. Though research on the topic of falls in people with amputation is becoming more common, there is still a dearth of evidence regarding what contributes to increased fall risk and how to address it in this population. There are recent studies that have examined therapy and prosthetic interventions that could mitigate fall risk in people with amputation, yet there is not enough evidence to develop a consensus on the topic. More research is required to determine what contributes to increased fall rates in people with amputation, and what detriments to an amputee’s function or psyche may result after incurring a fall. Borrowing from what is known about geriatric fall risk and combining the information with novel and existing approaches to fall mitigation in amputees can offer clinicians the opportunity to develop evidence-based programs to address fall risk in their patients with lower limb amputation.
Rising Total Bilirubin After CF-LVAD Implantation Is Highly Associated With Post Left Ventricular Assist Device Mortality

Introduction Elevated total bilirubin levels are common after left ventricular assist device placement (LVAD). The association between bilirubin trend after LVAD implantation and post LVAD mortality has not been described. Hypothesis Rising bilirubin (slope) will be highly associated with mortality after CF-LVAD implantation. Methods The study cohort included adults with first time, continuous flow (CF) LVAD implantation at a single center. Patients with enough laboratory data to allow a total bilirubin slope to be calculated between post-operative day 1-10 were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was 60-day mortality. To test the association between slope of total bilirubin and 60-day mortality after CF-LVAD, a multivariable logistic regression was performed. Results The study cohort consisted 358 patients. 82% were male, 57 % were bridge to transplant (BTT), and 19 % received HeartMate 3 devices. The Figure demonstrates total bilirubin trend among patients, coded by 60-day mortality group. Each 1 mg/dl increase in total bilirubin between post-operative days 1-10 was associated with a 42 % increase in the odds of mortality at 60 days (adjusted OR 1.42, 95 % CI 1.75-2.25, p Conclusions A rising bilirubin after LVAD is highly predictive of post-operative mortality. Further work will be needed to determine what pre-operative or intra-operative variables predict the development of this concerning pattern of organ failure.
The relationship between muscle activation and shear elastic modulus of the sternocleidomastoid muscle during 3-D torque production

The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) is a primary neck torque generator, but the relationship between its muscle activation and shear elastic modulus during 3-D torque production is unknown. This study examined variations in neural control and shear elastic modulus of the SCM across various 3-D isometric torques. Our primary hypothesis was that the SCM would display similar preferred directions where muscle activity and shear elastic modulus were maximal during voluntary 3-D isometric torque production. Surface electromyography (EMG) and ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) data were collected from the SCM in 20 participants performing 3-D isometric target-matching at two different torque amplitudes. We used spherical statistics to compare the preferred directions calculated from the SWE and EMG data at 40% and 80% torque level during 3-D isometric torque production. We demonstrated a small but significant difference between EMG and SWE preferred directions, with the SWE preferred direction oriented more towards ipsilateral bending and less towards contralateral axial rotation than the preferred direction for the EMG data. We conclude that, although small differences exist, SCM shear elastic modulus is largely driven by activation during 3-D neck torques for healthy individuals.
Probing near-horizon fluctuations with black hole binary mergers

The strong version of the nonviolent nonlocality proposal of Giddings predicts “strong but soft” quantum metric fluctuations near black hole horizons in an attempt to resolve the information paradox. To study observable signatures of this proposal, we numerically solve Einstein’s equations modified by these fluctuations and analyze the gravitational wave signal from the inspiral and merger of two black holes. In a model of evolution for such fluctuations, we show that they lead to significant deviations in the observed waveform, even when the black holes are still well separated, and could potentially be observed by aLIGO.
Notch pathway blockade inhibits glioblastoma growth by depleting CD133 positive stem-like cancer cells

5001 CD133-positive cancer stem cells (CSCs) in glioblastoma (GBM) were recently shown to be resistant to commonly used chemo- and radiation-therapies (Nature, 444:756-60, 2006; Mol Cancer, 5:67, 2006). Finding reagents that can target CSCs may therefore improve the treatment of GBM patients. It has been shown that the Notch signaling pathway regulates normal stem cells in the central nervous system, and that GBM neurosphere lines show high Notch activity (Cancer Research, 64:7011-21, 2004; Cancer Cell, 9:391-403, 2006). However, it is unknown if Notch pathway blockade could target CSCs in GBM. We have demonstrated recently that Notch pathway inhibition depletes CSCs and blocks engraftment in medulloblastomas (Cancer Research, 66:7445-52, 2006), a common malignant brain tumor in children. Recent studies have shown that GBM propagated as neurospheres more accurately replicate the infiltrating growth patterns seen in primary tumors when injected into nude mice, and contain stem-like cancer cells. In the present study, we used GBM neurosphere lines to examine the effects of Notch pathway inhibition on CSCs. We found that Notch pathway blockade by 2 µM levels of the Gamma-Secretase Inhibitor GSI-18 reduced expression of CD133 by more than 90% and inhibited tumor growth in 3 independent lines by 20 to 70% in vitro. In contrast, overexpression of an active form of Notch2 (NICD2) increased both pathway activity and tumor growth approximately 2-fold in vitro. When equal numbers of viable GSI-18 or vehicle (DMSO) treated GBM neurosphere cells were injected subcutaneously into nude mice, DMSO treated cells always formed tumors whereas GSI-18 treated cells did not. Most importantly, in vivo delivery of GSI-18 by polymer based beads two weeks after orthotopic tumor engraftment also effectively blocked the tumor growth intracranially and significantly prolonged survival. We believe that this compound is acting primarily via Notch blockade, as mice bearing orthotopic xenografts stably transfected with GSI-insensitive NICD2 formed larger tumors and had uniformly short survival when treated with GSI-18. These results suggest that depleting CSCs by Notch pathway blockade inhibits tumor growth and propagation both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, reduced proliferation was seen in GSI-18 treated GBM stem-like cells, as evidenced by decreased Ki-67 expression observed selectively in the Nestin+ population. Increased expression of cleaved caspase-3 was also seen in GBM neurospheres following Notch blockade. Reduced expression of phosphorelated Akt and STAT3 in these GBM neurosphere cells after GSI-18 application suggests that Notch pathway inhibition depletes CSCs through Akt/STAT3 mediated apoptosis. In summary, we demonstrate that Notch pathway blockade depletes stem-like cells in GBMs, suggesting that Gamma-secretase inhibitors can be used as chemotherapeutic reagents to target CSCs in malignant brain tumors.
Augmented glucose production is not contingent on high catecholamines in fetal sheep with IUGR

Fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have high concentrations of catecholamines, which lowers the insulin secretion and glucose uptake. Here, we studied the effect of hypercatecholaminemia on glucose metabolism in sheep fetuses with placental insufficiency-induced IUGR. Norepinephrine concentrations are elevated throughout late gestation in IUGR fetuses but not in IUGR fetuses with a bilateral adrenal demedullation (IAD) at 0.65 of gestation. Euglycemic (EC) and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic (HEC) clamps were performed in control, intact-IUGR, and IAD fetuses at 0.87 of gestation. Compared to controls, basal oxygen, glucose, and insulin concentrations were lower in IUGR groups. Norepinephrine concentrations were five-fold higher in IUGR fetuses than in IAD fetuses. During the EC, rates of glucose entry (GER, umbilical + exogenous), glucose utilization (GUR), and glucose oxidation (GOR) were greater in IUGR groups than in controls. In IUGR and IAD fetuses with euglycemia and euinsulinemia, glucose production rates (GPR) remained elevated. During the HEC, GER and GOR were not different among groups. In IUGR and IAD fetuses, GURs were 40% greater than in controls, which paralleled the sustained GPR despite hyperinsulinemia. Glucose-stimulated insulin concentrations were augmented in IAD fetuses compared to IUGR fetuses. Fetal weights were not different between IUGR groups but were less than controls. Regardless of norepinephrine concentrations, IUGR fetuses not only develop greater peripheral insulin sensitivity for glucose utilization but also develop hepatic insulin resistance because GPR was maintained and unaffected by euglycemia or hyperinsulinemia. These findings show that adaptation in glucose metabolism of IUGR fetuses are independent of catecholamines, which implicate that hypoxemia and hypoglycemia cause the metabolic responses.
Do well-capitalised banks take more risk? Evidence from the Korean banking system

The relationship between banks' capitalisations and risk-taking behaviours has important implications for regulatory policies. This empirical study incorporates the incentives of the three entities that influence the risk determination of a bank, namely regulatory agencies, shareholders, and management. The test results using data from the Korean banking system show measurable differences in risk–capitalisation relationships across banks differentiated by the level of capitalisation, and across publicly- and nonpublicly traded banks. These results provide evidence that risk–capitalisation relationships are sensitive to the relative forces of the three sources of influence in determining asset risk — which may account for previous inconclusive findings.
Chemotyping of Δ8-THC-Containing e-Liquids Analyzed during the 2019-2020 New York State EVALI Investigation.

The investigation of the 2019-2020 E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) outbreak in New York State provided a unique opportunity to examine the formulations and chemical components found in clandestine cannabis-containing e-liquids. In this EVALI investigation, it was determined that an unusually high proportion (16%) of the cannabis e-liquids analyzed contained significant levels of Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC). Although not thought to be the causative agent in the outbreak, the manufacturing origin of vaping e-liquids containing large concentrations of Δ8-THC was of great interest, since high Δ8-THC concentrations are not observed in the extracts of common cannabis strains. A principal component analysis of multiple cannabinoid concentrations revealed clusters of similar or identical Δ8-THC-containing products. This technique may be useful in identifying common manufacturing sources in this and future investigations. Several possible manufacturing methods to enrich Δ8-THC appear in literature and are discussed based on their likelihood as sources of this cannabinoid in these samples from the EVALI investigation. The presence of high levels of Δ8-THC in numerous illicit vaping products may implicate cannabidiol, which is readily available at low cost, as its synthetic precursor.
A Community Deformed, in Mary Doyle Curran’s The Parish and The Hill

The central conflict in Mary Doyle Curran’s The Parish and the Hill (1948) is the battle between retaining one’s Irish self and losing it as one tries to move up in American society. The novel’s conflict is evident even in the title, as “the Parish” is Irish Parish with its concentration of “shanty Irish” Kerry immigrants and their families, and “the Hill” is “Money Mole Hill,” the residence of the snobbish lace-curtain Irish and the Yankees they so desire to be like. The book moves chronologically from the original Irish immigrant community in the Parish, to the youngest generation who are mostly third-generation Americans, and whose families are starting to make the climb up the Hill. The story recounts the tensions between the characters who desire to be Yankee (though they are never allowed to be) and those who want to retain a sense of Irishness. That Irishness gets diluted as the generations go on, with few exceptions. This chapter explores Doyle Curran’s novel as an indictment of what the Irish American community had become. Through this, her only published novel, she argues that Irish America is losing its soul in exchange for American “progress.”
Adverse Outcomes After Initial Non-surgical Management of Subdural Hematoma: A Population-Based Study.

Little is known about the natural history of non-surgically managed subdural hematoma (SDH). The purpose of this study is to determine rates of adverse events after non-surgical management of SDH and whether these outcomes differ depending on traumatic versus nontraumatic etiology. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative claims data on all emergency department visits and acute care hospitalizations at nonfederal facilities in California from 2005 to 2011, Florida from 2005 to 2012, and New York from 2006 to 2011. We included patients who were discharged home after hospitalization with a first-recorded diagnosis of SDH and no record of surgical hematoma evacuation. Patients were followed for readmission with SDH, readmission for surgical SDH evacuation, and fatal readmission with SDH. Survival statistics and the log-rank test were used to compare rates of these adverse events after traumatic versus nontraumatic SDH. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to compare hazards for traumatic versus nontraumatic etiology while adjusting for age, sex, race, insurance status, presence of dementia, alcohol use, acquired abnormalities in coagulation, acquired abnormalities in platelet function, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, ischemic stroke, coronary heart disease, and valvular disease. We identified 27,502 conservatively treated patients with SDH, of which 70.9 % were traumatic and 29.1 % nontraumatic. Compared to patients with traumatic SDH, patients with nontraumatic SDH had significantly higher rates of subsequent hospitalization with SDH (cumulative 90-day rates: 15.3 % [95 % CI 14.5–16.1 %] vs. 10.3 % [95 % CI 9.9–10.8 %]), surgical SDH evacuation (7.8 % [95 % CI 7.3–8.5 %] vs. 5.5 % [95 % CI 5.2–5.8 %]), and SDH-related in-hospital death (1.0 % [95 % CI 0.8–1.2 %] vs. 0.4 % [95 % CI 0.3–0.5 %]). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, nontraumatic etiology was associated with a higher hazard of readmission with SDH (HR 1.4; 95 % CI 1.3–1.5), surgery (HR 1.3; 95 % CI 1.2–1.4), and in-hospital mortality (HR 1.9; 95 % CI 1.4–2.5). Our findings were unchanged in sensitivity analyses that also adjusted for Elixhauser comorbidities. Approximately one in eight patients with a conservatively managed SDH was readmitted with SDH within 90 days. A substantial proportion of these readmissions involved surgical hematoma evacuation. These outcomes occurred significantly more often after nontraumatic as compared to traumatic SDH.
Broadband focusing using aperture-coupled microstrip patch antenna arrays

A new design for a broadband focused planar array using aperture-coupled stacked patches is presented. The array has a Dolph-Tschebyscheff amplitude taper. Mutual coupling is compensated by using the active scattering matrix. A 4×4 focused planar array antenna having a bandwidth of 26.5% is demonstrated.
Suppression of spontaneous emission in a 1D photonic bandgap structure: experimental demonstration

Summary form only given. Recently, photonic bandgap structures (PBGS) and their optical properties have attracted great interest, both in terms of basic physics as well as from an applications aspect.The PBGS may be doped with optically active atoms or molecules removing the necessity of the atomic beam and the need to manually overlap the optical and atomic beams. Spontaneous emission from an atom or molecule in a PBGS may be manipulated both in spatial and temporal characteristics. This is accomplished by manipulating or altering the local environment (vacuum field) seen by the atom or molecule. PBGS accomplish this by reducing or enhancing (to varying degree) the vacuum field as seen by the atom in a spatial and frequency-dependant manner. We show a schematic of our experimental setup and the Er-doped fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The Er-doped FBG parameters such as peak reflectivity are given.
Improved Performance MRAC of Linear and Nonlinear Systems

The problem of improved performance adaptive control (IPAC) of a class of linear and nonlinear systems is considered. A method for its solution is presented, the main feature of which lies in augmenting the "standard" model reference adaptive controller by a properly designed signal compensating for the effect of plant parameter uncertainty on the output error. One of the main performance improvement characteristics of the proposed IPAC is that the zero-state output error can be made arbitrarily small under standard model reference adaptive control (MRAC) assumptions in the case of linear systems while a similar result holds for a class of linearizable systems as well. The exponential convergence of the output and parameter errors in the presence of sufficiently rich reference inputs, remains a valid property of this controller which also achieves improved robustness in the presence of bounded disturbances and/or unmodeled dynamics as well as in the case of an adaptation switch-off.
Round-Up® Ready Spring Wheat: its potential short-term impacts on U.S. wheat exports markets and prices

This report examines potential impacts on export markets and prices from commercializing GMO hard red spring wheat in the U.S. within the next two to six years. GMO crop technology offers possible large benefits to consumers in the future, if plant-breeding concepts in the development stage materialize. For the short run, however, there is much evidence suggesting that the majority of foreign consumers have serious reservations about purchasing food products made from GMO wheat.
Effect of uncertainty and diagnosticity on classification of multidimensional data with integral and separable displays of system status

Abstract : Integrative, object-like displays have been advocated for presenting multi-dimensional system data. In this research, two experiments assessed the relative merits of integral and separable displays to enhance information processing ability when the identity of an instance of system data is uncertain. In each experiment, thirty subjects, equally divided into three groups, were trained to classify instances of system state into one of four state categories using a Configural display, a Bargraph display, or a Digital display. In Experiment 1, the distribution of instances from the range of possibilities within a state category were uniform; in Experiment 2, the distribution was biased toward those instances of highly uncertain state category membership. After training, subjects received extended practice classifying instances. In both experiments, uncertainty was found to have the greatest impact on the time to classify an instance of system data. In Experiment 1, the Bargraph display was consistently superior under all conditions of uncertainty. The Configural display was found to be superior to the Digital display under conditions of low uncertainty, while the Digital display was superior to the Configural display under conditions of high uncertainty. In Experiment 2, the superiority of the Bargraph display diminished, producing results equivalent to those of the Digital display; performance with the Configural display was worse than either of the other two displays. (aw)
Reactive aldehydes: a new player in inflammatory pain.

Pain is a costly problem worldwide. USA expenditures on pain are higher than those for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined, at approximately $560 billion annually (1). As noted recently (2), pain therapeutics are dominated by well-established drug classes that are focused on symptom reduction, and are plagued by limited efficacy and/or significant adverse effects. NSAID’s are used to treat acute pain and are accompanied by risk of cardiovascular damage, liver damage, kidney damage, and delayed bone healing (3). COX-2 inhibitors have limited efficacy and can cause cardiovascular problems (4,5). Mechanism-based treatments that are individualized to patients with particular underlying pathophysiology have long remained the goal for preclinical and clinical researchers alike (6,7). In a recent article, Zambelli et al. (8) document their discovery of a new mechanism of inflammatory pain that may lead us closer to a mechanism-based therapeutic approach.
Patient-based outcomes of in-office KTP ablation of vocal fold polyps.

Objectives/Hypothesis Recent data have suggested that in-office potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser treatment for benign vocal fold lesions yields significant reduction in lesion size with favorable effects on both mucosal wave and glottic closure. However, these previous studies omitted voice-related outcomes. We sought to compliment these previous data with voice-related outcomes in a cohort of patients undergoing KTP ablation of vocal fold polyps. Study Design Retrospective outcomes study. Methods Voice Handicap Index (VHI)−10 and acoustic measures were reviewed for 31 consecutive patients with benign vocal fold polyps treated with in-office KTP laser surgery. All data were analyzed statistically via a mixed model fit to analyze the data from each of three clinical visits. Results Across all patients, the mean VHI-10 scores decreased at first follow-up from 19.7 to 9.7 (P < .0001). At subsequent follow-up visits, the VHI-10 scores remained stable (mean, 8.3). This shift in VHI scores was accompanied by favorable improvements in both noise-to-harmonic ratio and speaking fundamental frequency in both males and females. Conclusions In-office KTP ablation of vocal fold polyps had a favorable effect on patient-reported handicap as determined by the VHI-10. This treatment also slightly altered physiologic measures of voice; however, these measures did not achieve statistical significance. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 124:1176–1179, 2014
Increased Levels of Granulocyte-Specific Glycosphingolipids in Preterm Labor Amniotic Fluid

Abstract In a recent study, Hallman et al. reported high levels of lactosyl ceramide in amniotic fluid from preterm labor and postulated that this glycosphingolipid is of leukocytic origin. However, lactosyl ceramide is an ubiquitous glycosphingolipid also present in other cell types. In this study, the concentration of the granulocyte-specific glycosphingolipids, paragloboside and sialyl paragloboside in term and preterm amniotic fluids, was monitored by HPTLC-immunostaining using monoclonal antibodies E5C2 and 534F8, repectively. Amniotic fluid samples were obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis for clinical indications and divided in preterm not in labor (n = 18); preterm labor (n = 20); term not in labor (n = 20); and term labor (n = 16). The gestational age ranged from 25 to 41 weeks and preterm was defined as less than 37 weeks gestation. Diabetic patients were excluded from this study and none of the patients had clinical signs or symptoms of chorioamnionitis. Samples with macroscopic blood conta...
Risk factors associated with breast lymphedema.

The development of breast lymphedema (BLE) after breast/axillary surgery is poorly characterized. We prospectively evaluated clinical and surgical factors associated with development of BLE. Patients undergoing unilateral breast-conserving surgery were prospectively enrolled preoperatively and followed for development of BLE. To augment the number of patients with BLE for evaluation of risk factors, postoperative patients identified in the clinic with signs and symptoms of BLE were also enrolled. Logistic regression with Firth’s penalized likelihood bias-reduction method was used for univariate and multivariate analysis. Of 144 women, 124 were enrolled preoperatively (38 of whom developed BLE), and 20 women with BLE were enrolled postoperatively. Any type of axillary surgery was the strongest factor associated with BLE (odds ratio, 134; 95 % confidence interval, 18 to >1,000). All 58 BLE events occurred in women with axillary surgery as compared with no events in the 46 patients without axillary surgery (p < 0.0001). Among 98 women who underwent axillary surgery, BLE did not occur more often after axillary lymph node dissection versus sentinel lymph node biopsy (p = 0.38) and was not associated with total number of nodes removed (p = 0.52). In multivariate analysis, factors associated with the development of BLE in the axillary surgery subgroup included baseline BMI (p = 0.004), incision location (p = 0.009), and prior surgical biopsy (p = 0.01). Risk of BLE is primarily related to performance of any axillary surgery but not the extent of axillary surgery or number of lymph nodes removed. Other factors associated with BLE were increased body mass index, incision location, and prior surgical excisional biopsy.
Differences in economic development in rural regions of advanced countries: an overview and critical analysis of theories

Abstract This article provides an overview and critical analysis of theories on economic development in rural regions in advanced countries. For this purpose, we have consulted literature in regional economics and the multidisciplinary field of rural studies. In order to analyse to which extent these theories are supported by empirical evidence, we have applied the method of pattern-matching to 18 case studies in leading and lagging rural regions in the EU. The matching results show that the mixed exogenous/endogenous development approach, the community-led development theory and the first hypothesis of Bryden's theory on the exploitation of social and cultural capital are widely supported by empirical evidence from the case studies. Broadly speaking, these theories relate economic development—given the availability of labour and capital—to a high capacity of local actors and strong internal and external networks.
HOLOMOVEMENT METAPHYSICS AND THEOLOGY

. The holomovement metaphysics of David Bohm emphasizes connections and continuous change. Two general movements through space-time extend Bohm's ideas. One is that the universe was nonlocal when it started but increases in locality. (With nonlocality, two simultaneous but distant events affect each other.) The other is the opposite movement or evolution toward increasingly complex systems exhibiting internal connections and a type of nonlocality. This metaphysics produces a theology when the holomovement is a model for God. Several topics follow, including global nonlocality, God as creator, God's transcendence and immanence, and God as personal. This theology shows promise but needs further development.
Lucile Jones to Deliver Public Lecture at 2013 Fall Meeting

Lucile Jones, science advisor for risk reduction with the U.S. Geological Survey, will deliver the annual public lecture at the 2013 AGU Fall Meeting. A familiar face to many in California, Jones is frequently interviewed on television after major earthquakes in the southern part of the state. Her work, which has resulted in more than 90 publications on research seismology, focuses on foreshocks and earthquake physics. Her current Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project aims to demonstrate to the public how science can improve society's resiliency to earthquakes.
HIV-integrase aptamer folds into a parallel quadruplex: A thermodynamic study

Abstract Short guanine-rich sequences have a tendency to form quadruplexes that are stabilized by G-quartets with specific cation coordination. Quadruplexes are part of telomeres at the ends of chromosomes and play an important role in the regulation of gene expression. In addition, there is a strong interest in the therapeutic and biotechnological potential of quadruplex oligonucleotides. The HIV-integrase aptamer, d(GGGT) 4 , demonstrated unusually favorable van't Hoff thermodynamics, and based on NMR studies the aptamer was proposed to fold into an antiparallel structure. Here we probed an apparent discrepancy between the NMR structure and the quadruplex topology suggested by circular dichroism (CD). Systematic thermodynamic analyses of d(GGGT) 4 and variants containing sequence modifications or missing specific nucleotides are consistent with a parallel quadruplex fold. CD studies carried out over a wide concentration range did not support a possible structural transition upon increasing strand concentration. Taken together, both optical and thermodynamic studies performed here strongly support a parallel fold for the d(GGGT) 4 aptamer.
Operator Performance in Surgical Telemanipulation

The application of telemanipulator systems in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) poses high demands on the quality of force feedback. Forces exerted on the tissue are often small and should be reflected back amplified to the surgeon. The dynamic behavior of a telemanipulator system can be adjusted in three basic ways to guarantee sufficient stability robustness in spite of high force scaling factors: by scaling down the surgeon's input motion, by increasing the compliance at the slave arm, and/or by increasing the motion resistance at the master arm. More “transparent” telemanipulator dynamics can be achieved when the damping provided by the surgeon's hand-arm-system is taken into account (for example, the motion resistance necessary to guarantee stability robustness can be reduced). This paper investigates the effect of the three basic types of telemanipulator dynamics on operator performance in surgical tasks. The impact of improving transparency by making use of operator damping is also studied. Three experiments imitating elementary surgical procedures were conducted: inserting a catheter tip into a vessel, puncturing a membrane, and detecting differences in tissue hardness through palpation. Subjects exerted significantly higher forces when inserting a catheter without force feedback, which shows the benefit of force feedback in surgical telemanipulation. Performance of the subjects was also greatly influenced by the basic type of telemanipulator dynamics. However, differences in outcome between the experiments indicate that the best basic type will generally depend on the surgical task at hand. Improving the transparency of the telemanipulator system by making use of operator damping did not improve performance of the subjects any further. Thus, it appears that providing the appropriate basic type of telemanipulator dynamics for a given task may be even more critical to the performance of the surgeon than an optimized transparency of the telemanipulator dynamics.
Effect of Hunger on Exploration in a Familiar Locale

Fehrer ( 1956) has advanced the interesting hypothesis that hunger increases exploratory behavior in the sense that "hungry animals are more apt than sated ones to leave a familiar foodless territory" ( p . 552) . Her findings, confirming this hypothesis, have become increasingly important in recent years because of the continued empirical disagreement about whether hunger Facilitates exploration in a novel siruarion; some studies have yielded positive f ind~ngs, but others have not. The present study was an attempt to replicate Fehrer's resulrs uslng the most familiar of locales for the rat: his own home cage. Ss were 2 0 naive male albino rats, Sherman strain, approximately 120 days old. They had been kept in individual home cages (Wahmann LC-75A) for several weeks prior to the observations. During this time 10 Ss had been on ad lib. food and water and 10 had been on an hour-a-day feeding schedule. The observations were made just before a regular 2:00 P.M. feeding of the deprived Ss. Illumination was provided by a single 25-w bulb located 1 0 ft. in front of the rack. S ' s home cage was pulled out from the rack a distance of 3'/2 in. and E recorded the time S took to get ( a ) his nose out through the opening, ( b ) all four feet off the floor of the cage, and ( c ) out of the cage, i.e., standing with the hind feet on the rim of the cage. Mann-Whitney tests showed that by all three criteria the deprived Ss investigated the outside of their cages significantly more quickly ( p < .01) than the sated 5s. That is, there was significantly little overlap in the distribution of latencies. The median latencies are given in the table.
Solving Ill-Posed Algebra Problems Using The Bimodal Optical Computer

A set of ill-posed algebra problems are considered for solving by the Bimodal Optical Computer, BOC. The BOC algorithm was shown to be capable of solving this class of algebra problems. Three different methods of generating the error matrix are compared in terms of the convergence of the solution. Some applications for the methods are introduced.
Commensurate noise in superconducting networks

Abstract Voltage noise in the presence of DC currents in periodic superconducting Al wire networks exhibits a striking dependence on the applied field which determines commensurability of vortices with the underlying lattice. AC currents suppress the noise. We find analogies with charge-density-wave depinning and use a relative phase-slip model to account for these effects.
Human infestation by cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), from suburban raccoons.

A case of human infestation by cat fleas ( Ctenocephalides felis ) from suburban Raccoons is reported. The infestation, which resulted from the rapid departure of host Raccoons living in close association with a human habitation led to a severe case of flea-bite dermatitis in a young woman. The public health impact of this and similar human-wild mammalectoparasite associations is discussed.
Multiple solutions for digitizing equations for students

It can be challenging for faculty in the sciences to share mathematics with students. Photocopying hand written notes, or using the overhead projectors can be limiting when students are outside of class and need access to materials. Adapting equations so they can be posted online or in a content management system, published, added to Microsoft PowerPoint or and Adobe InDesign poster, or to be sent as an email attachment can seem laborious and complicated.In this paper the author surveys software and hardware options for presenting mathematics in a variety of media types. Some of these options include Equation Editor, Math Type, LaTeX, Adobe InDesign, MathML, and the HP Digital Sender 9200c, and a couple of other solutions that fit a variety of purposes.With appropriate choices of technology, equations can be made available in a readable and accessible format.