cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Peril or the Peril of Prediction? Assessing the Risk of CBRN Terrorism

Since the mid-1990s, academic and policy communities have debated the risk posed by terrorist use of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Three major schools of thought in the debate have emerged: the optimists, the pessimists, and the pragmatists. Although these three schools of thought draw on the same limited universe of data on CBRN terrorism, they arrive at strikingly different conclusions. Given the highly subjective process of CBRN terrorism risk assessment, this article analyzes the influence of mental shortcuts (called heuristics) and the systemic errors they create (called biases) on the risk assessment process. This article identifies and provides illustrative examples of a range of heuristics and biases that lead to the underestimation of risks, the overestimation of risks and, most importantly, those that degrade the quality of the debate about the level of risk. While these types of biases are commonly seen as affecting the public's perception of risk, such biases c...
Quality of Reporting in Economic Evaluations of Interventions to Prevent Dental Caries Needs Improvement

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Systematic review of publications on economic evaluations of caries prevention programs. Marino RJ, Khan AR, Morgan M. Caries Res 2013;47(4):265-72. Reviewers Susan O. Griffin, PhD, Kari Jones, PhD Purpose/Question The purpose of this study was to review the literature on economic evaluations of interventions for the prevention of dental caries with the intention of describing the characteristics (e.g., intervention evaluated, type of economic evaluation, and year of publication) of these studies and to assess their quality. The quality of economic evaluation was assessed using a checklist developed by Drummond et al. 1 This review did not present economic findings for individual studies or synthesize findings across studies. Source of Funding Grant from Borrow Foundation (UK). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Type of Study/Design Systematic review of study characteristics and quality Level of Evidence Not applicable Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
Vector competence of stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans L. (Diptera: Muscidae), for Enterobacter sakazakii.

Enterobacter sakazakiiisanopportunisticfood-bornepathogencausingmeningitis,�enterocolitis,�andsepsis,� primarilyinimmunocompromisedinfants.�Ithasbeensuggestedthatstableflies,� Stomoxys calcitrans L.,�areavector/reservoir� ofthispathogen.�Inthisstudy,�weassesseda)�vectorcompetenceofadultstableflies� (SF)�forE. sakazakii,�b)�effectofE. sakazakiionSFdevelopment,�andc)�survivalofE. sakazakiiduringSFdevelopmentandcolonizationofthedigestivetractof� newly-emergedflies.� Ourdatashowthatinthecolony,�adultSFcanmaintainE. sakazakiiforatleast�20�daysregardlessofthe� foodsource�(bloodorsugar)�andcontaminatethefoodsource.�TheconcentrationofthepathogenperindividualSFranged� from�1.8�x�10 5 �to�6.4�x�10 6 �CFU.�E. sakazakiisupporteddevelopmentofimmatureSFinsterilizedcattlemanureandsterilized� artificialmedium�(78.3%�and�76.7%�SFsurvivaltoadultstage,�respectively).�Inaddition,�E.�sakazakiisurvivedduringSF� developmentandcolonizedthegutofemergingadultSFbutonlywhenSFlarvaeweremaintainedonsterilizedcattle� manureinoculatedwithE. sakazakii�(12.8%�prevalenceinadultSF)�andonthesterileartificialmediumwithE. sakazakii (21.7%�prevalenceinadultSF).�E. sakazakiiwasnotrecoveredfromfliesorthesubstratewhenlarvaewererearedoncattle� manurewithanon-sterilizedcomplexmicrobialcommunityplustheE. sakazakiiinoculum.�ThisstudyshowsthatSFadults� haveapotentialtocarryE. sakazakiiforanextendedperiodoftime.�E. sakazakiisupportsSFdevelopmentandcansurvive� duringSFpupationandthencolonizethegutofnewly-emergedflies.� Journal of Vector Ecology 32 (1): 134-139. 2007.
A study of burstiness in TCP flows

We study the burstiness of TCP flows at the packet level. We aggregate packets into entities we call “flights”. We show, using a simple model of TCP dynamics, that delayed-acks and window dynamics would potentially cause flights at two different timescales in a TCP flow— the lower at the order of 5-10 ms (sub-RTT) and the higher at about 10 times this value (order of an RTT seen by the flow). The model suggests that flight sizes would be small at the lower timescale, regardless of the network environment. The model also predicts that the network conditions required for the occurrence of flights at the larger timescale are either large buffers or large available bandwidths — both of which result in a high bandwidth delay product environment. We argue that these two conditions indicate that the TCP flow does not operate in a congestion control region , either because the source of traffic is unaware of congestion or because there is so much bandwidth that congestion control is not required. We verify our model by passive Internet measurement. Using the trace files obtained, we collect statistics on flights at the two timescales in terms of their frequency and size. We also find the dependence of the sizes and frequency of flights on the Internet environment in which they occurred. The results concur strongly with our hypothesis on the origins of flights, leading us to the conclusion that flights are effective indicators of excess resource in the Internet.
Bacterial energetics, stoichiometry, and kinetic modeling of 2,4-dinitrotoluene biodegradation in a batch respirometer.

A stoichiometric equation and kinetic model were developed and validated using experimental data from batch respirometer studies on the biodegradation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT). The stoichiometric equation integrates bacterial energetics and is revised from that in a previous study by including the mass balance of phosphorus (P) in the biomass. Stoichiometric results on O2 consumption, CO2 evolution, and nitrite evolution are in good agreement with respirometer data. However, the optimal P requirement is significantly higher than the stoichiometrically derived P, implying potentially limited bioavailability of P and the need for buffering capacity in the media to mitigate the adverse pH effect for optimal growth of DNT-degrading bacteria. An array of models was evaluated to fit the O2/CO2 data acquired experimentally and the DNT depletion data calculated from derived stoichiometric coefficients and cell yield. The deterministic, integrated Monod model provides the goodness of fit to the test data on DNT depletion, and the Monod model parameters (Ks, X0, μmax, and Y) were estimated by nonlinear regression. Further analyses with an equilibrium model (MINTEQ) indicate the interrelated nature of medium chemical compositions in controlling the rate and extent of DNT biodegradation. Results from the present batch respirometer study help to unravel some key factors in controlling DNT biodegradation in complex remediation systems, in particular the interactions between acidogenic DNT bacteria and various parameters, including pH and P, the latter of which could serve as a nutrient, a buffer, and a controlling factor on the bioavailable fractions of minerals (Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mo) in the medium.
A Single Bout of Resistance Exercise Does Not Promote Excess Postexercise Energy Expenditure in Untrained Young Men with a Family History of Diabetes

Background: People with a family history of type 2 diabetes have lower energy expenditure (EE) and more obesity than those having no such family history. Resistance exercise (RE) may induce excess postexercise energy expenditure (EPEE) and reduce long-term risk for obesity in this susceptible group. Purpose: To determine the effect of RE on EPEE for 15 hr after a single exercise bout in healthy, untrained young men having a family history of type 2 diabetes. Design: Seven untrained men (23 ± 1.2 years, BMI 24 ± 1.1) completed a 48-hr protocol in a whole room calorimeter. The first day served as a control day, with a moderate 40-min RE bout occurring on the second day. Differences in postexercise EE were compared with matched periods from the control day for cumulative 15-min intervals (up to 150 min) and 15 hr after the RE bout was completed. Results: The most robust difference in EPEE between the experimental and control days was observed in the first 15-min postexercise period (M = 1.4Kcal/min; SD = 0.7...
Control system design using radioactive pickoff

An accelerometer can be constructed using a radioactive proof mass, the position of which can be determined on the basis of the difference between the mean number of emitted charged particles detected at opposite walls when the proof mass is not centered. If the emission rate is relatively small, however, the mean counting rate is very noisy; satisfactory operation requires optimum signal processing. The control system, designed by linear stochastic control theory, generates forces that tend to keep the proof mass centered between walls of the instrument and simultaneously produces an estimated acceleration output. The Poisson-type noise of the pickoff is approximated by Gaussian noise; the acceleration input is modeled as a random walk. It is found by simulation that for an instrument with 1.0 inch spacing between the walls, the proof mass excursion can be confined to a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.36 inch in a severe acceleration environment. The accelerometer output tracks a constant input without error and, when the input acceleration has a random component, the rms error is of the order of ten percent of the random component.
A note on a statistical paradigm for the evaluation of cognitive structure in physics instruction

Data from Shavelson's (1972) study investigating the change in cognitive structure due to instruction in Newtonian mechanics were reanalyzed using the quadratic assignment (QA) approach. This applica tion of the QA technique involves a nonparametric confirmatory procedure to evaluate whether a hy pothesized structure is present in a proximity ma trix representing cognitive structure. The proximity matrices in Shavelson's study were obtained from multiple-response word association tests at a pretest and at the end of each day of a 5-day instructional sequence. The Euclidean distance measure Shavelson used to evaluate change toward a repre sentation of the instructional content, however, did not measure structural change in the proximity ma trices for cognitive structure. The present reanalysis using the QA paradigm showed that cognitive structure after instruction was similar to content structure before instruction, and word association tests did not measure any subtle changes toward greater similarity to ...
Epigenetic Modulation of Signal Transduction Pathways in HPV-Associated HNSCC:

ObjectiveHuman papilloma virus (HPV) positive and HPV negative head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) are biologically distinct with a prognostic advantage for HPV positive patients compared to HPV negative cases. DNA promoter methylation is central to human diseases such as cancer, including HNSCC, with reported genome-wide hypomethylaton and promoter hypermethylation in HPV positive HNSCC tumors. The goal of this study was to identify differentially methylated genes in HPV positive versus HPV negative primary HNSCC genomes with clues to signaling networks.Study DesignLaboratory-based study.SettingPrimary care academic health care system.Subjects and MethodsDNA from 4 HPV positive and 4 HPV negative freshly frozen primary HNSCC were subject to comprehensive genome-wide methylation profiling. Differentially methylated gene lists were examined using the Signal Transduction Pathways (canonical) filter in the Genomatix Pathway System (GePS).ResultsTwofold methylation differences were observed between HPV...
BRUCE M. UNGER

Dr. Bruce M. Unger, professor of political science at Randolph-Macon College, died of cancer at his home January 31, 2008. A native of Brooklyn, and life-long Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Bruce received his BA at Queens College in 1964, MA at Tulane University in 1967, and Ph.D. at Tulane in 1973. He joined the faculty at Randolph-Macon in 1968, and served 39 years on the faculty. He was Charles J. Potts Professor of Social Sciences when he retired in 2007.
Patterns Of Task Interference When Human Functions As A Controller Or A Monitor

We report here an experiment studying the effect of task structure and difficulty demand on time­ sharing performance and workload in both automated and corresponding manual control system. The experimental task involves manual control (first-order or second­ order tracking) or autopilot monitoring t:Gne-shared with spatial and verbal decision tasks of two levels of difficulty. The results pr>ovideevidence that tasks and processes competing for common prooessing resources are time-shared less effectively and have higher workload than tasks using separate resources. The evidence comes from both manual "and automated systems. "Implications for system designs are also" discussed.
Centrifugal elutriation: separation of spermatogenic cells on the basis of sedimentation velocity.

Various types of cells from the testes of mice and hamsters were separated according to differences in sedimentation velocity by centrifugal elutriation, a counterflow centrifugation technique. Approximately 3 × 108 cells, prepared from six mouse testes or from one hamster testis, were separated into 11 fractions in less than two hours as compared to the 4–5 hours required for sedimentation at unit gravity (“Staput”). Fractions enriched in elongated spermatids and spermatozoa (100%), stages 1–8 spermatids (69%) and pachytene spermatocytes (58%) were obtained from mouse testis dispersions. Similarly enriched fractions were obtained from hamster cells. A single fraction enriched in stages 1–8 spermatids (mouse) was prepared in less than 30 minutes. As many as 2 × 109 cells were separated in a single procedure. Spermatogenic cells exhibited no evidence of structural damage with trypan blue and phase microscopy, and recovery was essentially 100%. Centrifugal elutriation had no effect on sperm motility or on the plating efficiency of CHO cells.
Boosting Classifier Cascades

The problem of optimal and automatic design of a detector cascade is considered. A novel mathematical model is introduced for a cascaded detector. This model is analytically tractable, leads to recursive computation, and accounts for both classification and complexity. A boosting algorithm, FCBoost, is proposed for fully automated cascade design. It exploits the new cascade model, minimizes a Lagrangian cost that accounts for both classification risk and complexity. It searches the space of cascade configurations to automatically determine the optimal number of stages and their predictors, and is compatible with bootstrapping of negative examples and cost sensitive learning. Experiments show that the resulting cascades have state-of-the-art performance in various computer vision problems.
An asymmetric twin waveguide eight-channel polarization-independent arrayed waveguide grating with an integrated photodiode array

We demonstrate the regrowth-free integration of an InP-based arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with a 1 /spl times/ 8 In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As p-i-n photodiode array. Low-loss polarization-independent adiabatic tapers transfer light from a passive waveguide optimized for external fiber coupling into a higher index waveguide for absorption in the In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As layer. The AWG and individual photodiodes have an external responsivity of 0.46 A/W and a polarization-dependent loss of /spl les/0.76 dB. The integrated device shows a worst-case crosstalk of -12.9 dB and a best-case crosstalk of -16.2 dB between channels, 9-dB total loss (including coupling losses), and -1.5-dB channel nonuniformity. The photodiode 3-dB electrical bandwidth is (25 /spl plusmn/ 5) GHz.
A Programmable Delay Unit Incorporating a Semi-Custom Integrated Circuit

The synchronization of SLC accelerator control and monitoring functions is realized by a CAMAC module, the PDU II (Programmable Delay Unit II, SLAC 253-002), which includes a semi-custom gate array integrated circuit. The PDU II distributes 16 channels of independently programmable delayed pulses to other modules within the same CAMAC crate. The delays are programmable in increments of 8.4 ns. Functional descriptions of both the module and the semi-custom integrated circuit used to generate the output pulses are given.
Nonpharmaceutical approaches to pain management.

A nonpharmaceutical approach to managing pain is one that does not employ a medication. The use of such approaches, in conjunction with pharmaceuticals as part of multimodal methods to managing pain, is becoming more popular as evidence is emerging to support their use. Cold therapy, for one, is used to reduce the inflammation and tissue damage seen in acute injuries and can be very effective at reducing acute pain. Incorporating the use of superficial heat therapy when treating pain associated with chronic musculoskeletal conditions is often employed as heat increases blood flow, oxygen delivery, and tissue extensibility. Acupuncture is gaining acceptance in veterinary medicine. Research is confirming that release of endogenous endorphins and enkephalins from the application of needles at specific points around the body can effectively control acute and chronic pain. The use of 2 newer therapies—extracorporeal shockwave therapy and platelet-rich plasma—represent an attempt to eliminate the causes of pain at the tissue level by promoting tissue healing and regeneration. Reviewed in this article, these therapies are intended to be used in conjunction with pharmaceuticals as part of a multimodal approach to pain management.
The Structure of Plasticity: Resistance and Accommodation in Russian New Drama

The history of the Russian stage traces the importance of objects in storytelling back to an earlier art: plastika, a stylized acting technique that “speaks” spatially with objects. In Russian New Drama, objects enter the stage as supplements to the hero, who survives the disintegration of the Soviet Union as a shell-of-the-self. As extensions of the hero, the hitherto lifeless things begin “to act” and tell their own story.
The Chronology and Attribution of Royal Pyramids at Meroe and Gebel Barkal: BEG N 8, BEG N 12, BAR 5 and BAR 2

The absence of securely dated texts and monuments has been an obstacle in establishing the sequence and dating of Meroitic rulers. To compensate a chronology of rulers has been created by hypothetically associating them with a relative sequence of monuments especially the forty-one royal pyramids at Meroe. This lack of firm dating and attributions has led to a degree of circular reasoning in the creation of Meroe's chronology. Investigating degrees of continuity and change in the royal pyramid chapel decorations offers a tool for sequencing pyramids that avoids iterative reasoning. Based on a visual analysis of chapel reliefs in combination with data from Reisner's excavations plausible solutions to some of the problems in Meroe's relative chronology are presented; the correct sequence for BEG N 8, N 9 and N 10, the attribution of BEG N 12 to King Taneyidamani, and the relative dating of BAR 2 that challenges its attribution to King Teriteqas. DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v06i1_yellin
A general approach for solving dynamic sensor activation problems for a class of properties

We study the problem of dynamic sensor activation for centralized partially-observed discrete event systems. The sensors can be turned on/off online dynamically according to a sensor activation policy in order to satisfy some observation property. In this paper, we consider a general class of properties, called Information-State-based (or IS-based) properties, which include, but are not limited to, observability, K-diagnosability, predictability, and opacity. We define a new Most Permissive Observer (MPO) that generalizes previous versions of this structure. The MPO that we define embeds all sensor activation policies for an IS-based property. An optimal sensor activation policy can then be synthesized based on the MPO. Our results generalize the previous works on dynamic sensor activation for enforcing the properties of observability, K-diagnosability, and opacity. Moreover, our MPO is applicable to solving dynamic sensor activation problems for a wide class of user-defined properties that can be formulated as IS-based properties. As a special case, we show that the problem of minimal sensor activation for enforcing predictability, which has not been considered in the literature, is solvable by our new approach.
Developing Plasmonics Under the Infrared Microscope: From Ni Nanoparticle Arrays to Infrared Micromesh

Microscopes typically collect light over large ranges of angles dispersing plasmonic resonances. While this is an advantage for recording spectra of microscopic particles, it is a disadvantage for ...
Rapid Transient Thermal Analysis of Three-Dimensional Interconnect Structures Using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Method

The increase in the integration of interconnect wiring, as well as the high level of current densities are resulting in increased concerns about hot spot formation due to Joule heating in the metal lines of microprocessors. This temperature rise poses a major challenge in maintaining the quality and reliability of future devices, requiring a focus on physics based approaches for rapid and accurate thermal analysis of interconnect architectures. This work investigates the problem of transient Joule heating in a three-dimensional array of copper interconnects embedded in dielectric layers of SiO2 and Si3N4 using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) as the reduced order modeling approach. The case of natural convection was assumed on the boundaries. For validation, the results were compared with a three-dimensional finite volume model developed in Fluent and good agreements models were observed. While the Fluent model required hours of computational time, the POD based model predictions were achieved within seconds.© 2012 ASME
The effect of nitrate and nitrous oxide on hydrogen and methane accumulation in anaerobically-incubated soils

The effect of KNO3 and N2O on the accumulation of CH4, H2 and denitrification products in two North Dakota soils during anaerobic incubation at 30°C was studied by means of gas chromatography. KNO3 and N2O (500 ppm N) reduced the rate of accumulation of CH4 by a Tetonka soil regardless of whether the soil was in an air-dried condition or had been pre-incubated and actively producing CH4 prior to the treatment application. Both KNO3 and N2O completely suppressed H2 accumulation by the remoistened air-dried soil; no H2 either in the presence or absence of added KNO3 or N2O was accumulated by the pre-incubated Tetonka soil subsequent to the treatment application. KNO3 (250 ppm N) reduced the rate of accumulation of CH4 by a Cavour loam during anaerobic incubation. No H2 was accumulated by this soil during anaerobic incubation. At equivalent K+ concentrations, KNO3 suppressed CH4 accumulation by the Tetonka and Cavour soils to a greater extent than did KCl.
The Significance of the Bursa of Fabricius of Chickens in Antibody Production 3. Resistance to Salmonella Typhimurium Infection

Abstract RESISTANCE to bacterial infection may be due to differences in bactericidal properties of the blood as reported by Schnetzler and Hartsell (1940), and Schnetzler (1943). Lambert (1932), Lambert and Knox (1932), Bell (1949), and many others have reported that chickens inherit a resistance against or susceptibility to Salmonella pullorum infection. Hutt and Scholes (1941), Scholes (1942), Scholes and Hutt (1942), Severens et al. (1944), and Ram and Hutt (1955) demonstrated that the resistance to Salmonella pullorum was related to body temperature difference. The lymphocyte content of the blood of resistant chickens, was reported to be higher than that of susceptible chickens, according to Severens et al. (1944) and Ram and Hutt (1955). Chang et al. (1955, 1957, 1958), and Glick et al. (1956) have shown that the removal of the Bursa of Fabricius in chickens at an early age interferes with antibody production. Severens et al. (1944) observed that spleens …
Paired Angle Rotation Scanning (PARS) needle for Optical Coherence Tomography

We present a novel forward-imaging probe − Paired Angle Rotation Scanning OCT (PARS-OCT) probe. The probe uses two rotating angled GRIN lenses to achieve forward scanning of the output beam in a cone region.
Roles of Toll-Like Receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4, and MyD88 during Pulmonary Coxiella burnetii Infection

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is an obligate intracellular, primarily pulmonary, bacterial pathogen. Although much is known about adaptive immune responses against this bacterium, our understanding of innate immune responses against C. burnetii is not well defined, particularly within the target tissue for infection, the lung. Previous studies examined the roles of the innate immune system receptors Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 in peripheral infection models and described minimal phenotypes in specific gene deletion animals compared to those of their wild-type controls (S. Meghari et al., Ann N Y Acad Sci 1063:161-166, 2005,http://dx.doi.org/10.1196/annals.1355.025; A. Honstettre et al., J Immunol 172:3695-3703, 2004,http://dx.doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.172.6.3695) . Here, we assessed the roles for TLR2, TLR4, and MyD88 in pulmonary C. burnetii infection and compared responses to those that occurred in TLR2- and TLR4-deficient animals following peripheral infection. As observed previously, neither TLR2 nor TLR4 was needed for limiting bacterial growth after peripheral infection. In contrast, TLR2 and, to a lesser extent, TLR4 limited growth (or dissemination) of the bacterium in the lung and spleen after pulmonary infection. TLR2, TLR4, and MyD88 were not required for the general inflammatory response in the lungs after pulmonary infection. However, MyD88 signaling was important for infection-induced morbidity. Finally, TLR2 expression on hematopoietic cells was most important for limiting bacterial growth in the lung. These results expand on our knowledge of the roles for TLR2 and TLR4 in C. burnetii infection and suggest various roles for these receptors that are dictated by the site of infection.
Cultural Capital and Identity——A Case Study on Popularity of American TV Drama in China

The widely distributed non-domestic TV drama in China has formed the basically stable social evaluation,and the fans of overseas TV drama have developed a hierarchical order,ranking from lower to higher percentages for TV shows from Taiwan,Hong Kong,South Korea,Japan,and the U.S.This ranking order roughly resembles that of the world's economies.Higher cultural capital is the primary feature of fans of American TV drama.Different from the strategy of multiple-faceted interpretation of TV plays by the audience,fans of American TV drama show higher degree of involvement and identity,whose psychological identity is often accompanied by behavioral "recognition performance",thus extending the chain of transmission of the American TV drama.This drama,by appealing to urban white-collars and college students,accomplishes the mission of global mobilization of fans of American TV drama,and integrates them into the globalized structure that transcends national boundaries and class barriers.
Analysis of ADR report and monitoring in 2005

By summarizing the ADR report and monitoring of Wuzhi Food And Drug Adminis-tration in 2005, analyzing the related data of ADR in 2005, such as the report avenue, report uni- ts, the reporter, the clinical symptom of ADR, and so on,, and summing up the problems existing in the work, in order to reflect that it,s important and necessary to launch ADR report and mon-itoring at present, summarize the operation method regularly, and table a positive proposal of en-hancing the quality of ADR monitoring and assuring the safety and effectively of the people.
Adaptive relay algorithm in MV distribution line carrier based on enumerating multi-branch tree

Based on the structure of power grid and communication capacity of physical layer of distribution line carrier communication, this paper proposes a adaptive relay algorithm in MV distribution line carrier communication based on enumerating multi-branch tree to overcome the disadvantages of low reliability and short transmission distance. It introduces the realization of the algorithm and makes the analysis on examples. The simulation result proves that this algorithm can select the right nodes adaptively to ensure a longer transmission distance and higher reliability.
Murder Liability for Prescribing Opioids: A Way Forward?

In February 2016, Dr. Hsiu-Ying Tseng was sentenced to 30-years to life in prison after a jury found her guilty of second-degree murder for three patient drug overdose deaths in California. For the first time in American history, a physician was held criminally liable for the murder of a patient by means of extreme recklessness in opioid prescribing. Although Dr. Tseng’s unique conviction reflects her outlier prescribing practices, the conviction and sentencing has sent ripples through the medical community, causing concerns for many physicians who now worry they will be held criminally liable when their patients abuse and misuse opioid prescriptions. However, physicians—particularly the majority that prescribe opioids in an earnest attempt to alleviate legitimate patient pain—may take comfort that the legal risks can be managed. Prescribers can take a number of steps to minimize criminal liability concerns, including following available guidelines, such as those recently issued on opioid prescribing for chronic pain by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While outlier physicians like Dr. Tseng may meet the standards for criminal liability, criminal prosecution may do little to curb prescription opioid abuse—an epidemic that calls for more upstream prevention measures.
Bacteria of soil-inhabiting insects

Publisher Summary This chapter concentrates on three groups of bacteria, two Bacillus species and the genus Serratia, and describes methods for their isolation, identification, propagation, bioassay, and preservation. Bacillus thuringiensis is a naturally occurring soil bacterium which produces protein crystals toxic to many insects. New isolates of Bacillus popilliae can be obtained from the hemolymph of infected scarab larvae. B. thuringiensis can be isolated using the procedures above. The main difference between B. cereus and B. thuringiensis is the presence of parasporal bodies, or crystals, in the latter. It is found that after isolation on CTA, bacteria conforming in appearance to Serratia spp. are transferred to three other media to provide the final determination of the amber disease bacteria. The use of soil at the proper moisture level is essential for satisfactory survival of larvae and spore production. The mass propagation and fermentation of scarab active strains of B. thuringiensis is the same as for other B. thuringiensis products. It is found that bioassays of amber disease bacteria are based on the ability of pathogenic bacteria to cause a cessation of feeding by infected larvae.
Renal Denervation Reverses Hepatic Insulin Resistance Induced by High-Fat Diet

Activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) constitutes a putative mechanism of obesity-induced insulin resistance. Thus, we hypothesized that inhibiting the SNS by using renal denervation (RDN) will improve insulin sensitivity (SI) in a nonhypertensive obese canine model. SI was measured using euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (EGC), before (week 0 [w0]) and after 6 weeks of high-fat diet (w6-HFD) feeding and after either RDN (HFD + RDN) or sham surgery (HFD + sham). As expected, HFD induced insulin resistance in the liver (sham 2.5 ± 0.6 vs. 0.7 ± 0.6 × 10-4 dL ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ min-1 ⋅ pmol/L-1 at w0 vs. w6-HFD [P < 0.05], respectively; HFD + RDN 1.6 ± 0.3 vs. 0.5 ± 0.3 × 10-4 dL ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ min-1 ⋅ pmol/L-1 at w0 vs. w6-HFD [P < 0.001], respectively). In sham animals, this insulin resistance persisted, yet RDN completely normalized hepatic SI in HFD-fed animals (1.8 ± 0.3 × 10-4 dL ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ min-1 ⋅ pmol/L-1 at HFD + RDN [P < 0.001] vs. w6-HFD, [P not significant] vs. w0) by reducing hepatic gluconeogenic genes, including G6Pase, PEPCK, and FOXO1. The data suggest that RDN downregulated hepatic gluconeogenesis primarily by upregulating liver X receptor α through the natriuretic peptide pathway. In conclusion, bilateral RDN completely normalizes hepatic SI in obese canines. These preclinical data implicate a novel mechanistic role for the renal nerves in the regulation of insulin action specifically at the level of the liver and show that the renal nerves constitute a new therapeutic target to counteract insulin resistance.
Genetic and Environmental Links Between Natural Language Use and Cognitive Ability in Toddlers

Although the phenotypic correlation between language and nonverbal cognitive ability is well-documented, studies examining the etiology of the covariance between these abilities are scant, particularly in very young children. The goal of this study was to address this gap in the literature by examining the genetic and environmental links between language use, assessed through conversational language samples, and nonverbal cognition in a sample of 3-year-old twins (N = 281 pairs). Significant genetic and nonshared environmental influences were found for nonverbal cognitive ability and language measures, including mean length of utterance and number of different words, as well as significant genetic covariance between cognitive ability and both language measures.
Surface fuel changes after severe disturbances in northern Rocky Mountain ecosystems

Abstract It is generally assumed that severe disturbances predispose damaged forests to high fire hazard by creating heavy fuel loading conditions. Of special concern is the perception that surface fuel loadings become high as recently killed trees deposit foliage and woody material on the ground and that these high fuel loadings may cause abnormally severe fires. This study evaluated effects of severe, exogenous disturbance events, namely fire and beetles, on future fuel conditions through biannual field collections. We measured surface fuel deposition and accumulation rates for a number of forest types after severe wildfires, Douglas-fir beetle outbreaks, and mountain pine beetle outbreaks to quantitatively describe fuel dynamics for up to 10 years after the disturbance. Fuel deposition was measured from semi-annual collections of fallen biomass sorted into six fuel components (fallen foliage, twigs, branches, large branches, logs, and all other material) from a network of seven, one meter square litter traps established on 15 sites across the northern Rocky Mountains USA. We also measured fuel loadings of the same six fuel components on each plot every year until the end of the study. Results show that most foliage material fell within the first one to two years after disturbance and surface fuel loadings did not appear to increase substantially at any point during the 10 years of this study. Large woody material greater than 75 mm diameter was found infrequently in the litter traps. Our results suggest that there is little increase in fire hazard during the first 10 years after severe disturbance in the study sites sampled for this study.
Exploratory Data Analysis

This chapter presents Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) as an approach for gaining understanding and insight about a particular dataset, in order to support and validate statistical findings and also to potentially generate, identify, and create new hypotheses based on patterns in data. Examples of EDA are provided and interpretations are discussed. EDA may be used at any stage in the data analysis process from cleaning through transformation and descriptive analysis, as well as using results from every stage. Discovery of patterns may inspire a new direction in intervention effectiveness research, as well as further supporting or validating existing projects. Data visualization skills are essential for individuals working with large datasets.
ABNORMAL LEFT ATRIAL MECHANICS PREDICT INCIDENT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN AL CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS FOLLOWING AUTOLOGOUS STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION

Incident atrial fibrillation (AF) resulting in hypotension and ICU care is a significant occurrence complicating stem cell transplantation (SCT) for AL amyloidosis. We have reported that while a history of AF predicted post-SCT AF, echocardiographic parameters were not associated with incident AF.
On the Equation of Motion and the Near-Field of a Nonuniformly Moving Dislocation

The O(1) terms in the near field asymptotic expansion of the radiated field from a nonuniformly moving dislocation are obtained by a singular asymptotic expansion. These terms enter the equation of motion of the dislocation and have not been given explicitly by Eshelby (1953). They depend on an integral over the history of the motion which physically represents the reaction of the motion to the radiation the dislocation has already emitted during its path.
GREENHOUSE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT AND LIGHT CONTROL

Greenhouse thermal environment results from the interactions among numerous factors: solar insolation; structural thermal characteristics; operation of heating, ventilation, and cooling systems; supplemental lighting; and properties of the greenhouse crop are among the most important. As greenhouse technology and sophistication evolve and environmental control becomes more complete, the importance of supplemental lighting increases. Luminaires contribute a sensible cooling load directly, and a latent cooling load indirectly by influencing transpiration. The objectives of this paper are to provide a general overview of greenhouse thermal environment, outline a methodology for greenhouse supplemental lighting control, and explore the interactions of supplemental lighting and the thermal environment. The approach used is based on modeling of greenhouse thermal processes, and simulations of supplemental lighting system control.
Development of designer aids for energy efficient residential window retrofit solutions

Abstract To reduce energy loss through windows, owners can replace windows with newer, energy efficient counterparts or provide retrofit solutions. While installing new windows might seem like the obvious solution, often financial limitations by homeowners limits this option. Viable retrofit solutions are available as an alternative to window replacement and include the use of curtains, drapes, blinds, films, screens, and shutters, each of which has multiple types and configurations. This paper introduces various retrofit options and describes the performance criteria, different features, and primary multi-disciplinary characteristics the identified many potential retrofit solutions homeowners might choose. The study presented outlines guidelines for selection of retrofit options in an effort to better understand different solutions with respect to heat loss prevention and other attributes. Part of this study identified a number of window retrofit solutions that led to the development of easy to use design aids in an effort to help designers/homeowners more easily select an appropriate retrofit option. Here we give an indication of the expected improvements these retrofit solutions offer, as well as any potential risks that may be involved as part of the design aids.
Fast and Efficient Cross Band Channel Prediction Using Machine Learning

Channel information plays an important role in modern wireless communication systems. Systems that use different frequency bands for uplink and downlink communication often need feedback between devices to exchange band specific channel information. The current state-of-the-art approach proposes a way to predict the channel in the downlink based on that of the observed uplink by identifying variables underlying the uplink channel. In this paper we present a solution that greatly reduces the complexity of this task, and is even applicable for single antenna devices. Our approach uses a neural network trained on a standard channel model to generate coarse estimates for the variables underlying the channel. We then use a simple and efficient single antenna optimization framework to get more accurate variable estimates, which can be used for downlink channel prediction. We implement our approach on software defined radios and compare it to the state-of-the-art through experiments and simulations. Results show that our approach reduces the time complexity by at least an order of magnitude (10x), while maintaining similar prediction quality.
Presynaptic depression maintains stable synaptic strength in developmentally arrested Drosophila larvae

Positive and negative modes of regulation typically constrain synaptic growth and function within narrow physiological ranges. However, it is unclear how synaptic strength is maintained when both pre- and post-synaptic compartments continue to grow beyond stages imposed by typical developmental programs. To address whether and how synapses can adjust to a novel life stage for which they were never molded by evolution, we have characterized synaptic growth, structure and function at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) under conditions where larvae are terminally arrested at the third instar stage. While wild type larvae transition to pupae after 5 days, arrested third instar (ATI) larvae persist for up to 35 days, during which NMJs exhibit extensive overgrowth. Remarkably, stable neurotransmission is maintained throughout the ATI lifespan through a potent homeostatic reduction in presynaptic neurotransmitter release. Arrest of the larval stage in stathmin mutants reveals a degree of progressive instability and neurodegeneration that was not apparent during the typical larval period. Hence, during a period of unconstrained synaptic growth through an extended developmental period, a robust and adaptive form of presynaptic homeostatic depression can stabilize neurotransmission. More generally, the ATI manipulation provides an attractive system for studying neurodegeneration and plasticity across longer time scales.
"I'll work out tomorrow": The Procrastination in Exercise Scale.

Exercise procrastination (i.e. the voluntary delay of intended exercise) represents a novel, reasoned route to self-regulatory failure in physical activity. This study sought to develop and evaluat...
Development of thrombocytopenia is associated with improved survival in patients treated with immunotherapy.

Background: Immune-related adverse events are associated with efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We hypothesize that immune-mediated thrombocytopenia could be a biomarker for response...
CreLite: An Optogenetically Controlled Cre/loxP System Using Red Light.

Precise manipulation of gene expression with temporal and spatial control is essential for functional analysis and determining cell lineage relationships in complex biological systems. The Cre-loxP system is commonly used for gene manipulation at desired times and places. However, specificity is dependent on the availability of tissue- or cell-specific regulatory elements used in combination with Cre. Here we present CreLite, an optogenetically-controlled Cre system using red light in developing zebrafish embryos. Cre activity is disabled by splitting Cre and fusing with the Arabidopsis thaliana red light-inducible binding partners, PhyB and PIF6. Upon red light illumination, the PhyB-CreC and PIF6-CreN fusion proteins come together in the presence of the cofactor phycocyanobilin (PCB) to restore Cre activity. Red light exposure of zebrafish embryos harboring a Cre-dependent multi-color fluorescent protein reporter injected with CreLite mRNAs and PCB resulted in Cre activity as measured by the generation of multi-spectral cell labeling in several different tissues. Our data show that CreLite can be used for gene manipulations in whole embryos or small groups of cells at different developmental stages, and suggests CreLite may also be useful for temporal and spatial control of gene expression in cell culture, ex vivo organ culture, and other animal models. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A Controllable Biomimetic SMA-actuated Robotic Arm

In this paper, we present a biomimetic 2-DOF SMA-actuated robotic arm that can be controlled by a wearable sleeve in real-time. The designed lightweight robotic arm is intended to be an alternative to the existing heavy and bulky systems, used in different areas such as rehabilitation, haptics and, surgical robotics, etc. which are actuated by the regular hydraulic/pneumatic pistons and brushed/brushless motors. The robotic arm weighs 59g with a wide controllable range of motion (119#x00B0;) and 123° for the 1st and the 2nd joints, respectively). To enable closed-loop control of the joint angular positions, a PID controller was implemented, and its performance was evaluated. Then, the robot payload was evaluated by finding the maximum torque for each joint. The comparison between the existing commercial DC motors and the designed SMA-actuated rotary joints shows that the performance of the designed SMA-actuated rotary joints are acceptable as they outperform well-known commercial motor-based rotary joints in terms of power consumption, nominal voltage, nominal torque, and mass. Next, an End Effector displacement analysis was conducted to assess the robot positioning. Finally, the entire designed teleoperation system comprising the robotic arm and the wearable measurement sleeve was assessed by performing 20 flexion-extension trials. An average RMSE of 13.1mm was achieved for EE displacement.