cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of DNA double-strand breaks in CHO cells at various stages of the cell cycle using pulsed field gel electrophoresis: calibration by means of 125I decay.

SummaryExperiments were performed to calibrate a recently developed pulsed field gel electrophoresis assay, the asymmetric field inversion gel electrophoresis (AFIGE), for the measurement of double-strand breaks (dsb) in the DNA of mammalian cells. Calibration was carried out by means of 125I decay accumulation, under conditions preventing repair, and is based on the observation that each 125I decay in the DNA produces approximately one dsb. Iodine was incorporated into DNA in the form of 5′-iododeoxyuridine and decay accumulation was allowed in cells kept frozen at − 80°C. Since widely different DNA damage dose-response curves were obtained in cells exposed to X-rays in various phases of the cell cycle, calibration was performed using synchronized populations of cells that were allowed to accumulate DNA damage in G1, G1/S, mid-S, and G2 + M. For this purpose the fraction of activity (in DNA) released from the plug (FAR) was measured and correlated to the number of 125I decays accumulated during the elaps...
Binary associating fluid mixtures against a hard wall: density functional theory and simulation

We present an extension of our perturbation density functional (DF) theory [Segura, C. J., Chapman, W. G. and Shukla, K. P., 1997, Molec. Phys., 90, 759], which applies the weighting from Tarazona's hard sphere density functional theory to Wertheim's bulk first-order perturbation theory, to form a perturbation density functional theory for binary associating hard sphere fluid mixtures. Monte Carlo simulation results of a binary mixture of equal-sized hard spheres with one component having four associating sites placed in the Bol [1982, Molec. Phys., 45, 605] fashion are presented to compare with the theory. Comparison of theory and molecular simulation for the separation factor, component density profiles and fraction of monomers (associating component) show good agreement. Good to excellent accuracy are obtained for the densities and temperatures studied.
Chaos and Arnold diffusion in dynamical systems

Chaotic motion refers to complicated trajectories in dynamical systems. It occurs even in deterministic systems governed by simple differential equations and its presence has been experimentally verified for many systems in several disciplines. A technique due to Melnikov provides an analytical tool for measuring chaos caused by horseshoes in certain systems. The phenomenon of Arnold diffusion is another type of complicated behavior. Since 1964, it has been playing an important role for Hamiltonian systems in physics. We present a tutorial treatment of this work and its place in dynamical systems theory, with an emphasis on results that can be checked in specific systems. A generalization of the Melnikov technique has been recently developed to treat n -degree of freedom Hamiltonian systems when n > 3 . We extend the Melnikov technique to certain non-Hamiltonian systems of ordinary differential equations. The extension is made with a view to applications in the physical sciences and engineering.
The functions of formulaic and nonformulaic compliments in interactions about technical writing

Writing tutors are encouraged to use compliments in their interactions with technical writing students. However, the form of compliments strongly influences how they function. Specifically, formulaic compliments like "It's good" function differently from nonformulaic compliments like "The size is excellent in terms of visually aiding the reader." A total of 107 compliments were analyzed from 13 interactions between 12 writing tutors and 12 engineering students. About 61% of tutors' compliments followed one of six formulae, and about 39% were nonformulaic. Formulaic compliments were general and mainly performed a phatic function, filling pauses and avoiding silence, particularly in interaction closings. Nonformulaic compliments were more specific and individualized, and they may, therefore, be more instructive than formulaic compliments. Nonformulaic compliments also performed an exploratory function, allowing participants to renegotiate discourse status. This study points to other avenues of research, particularly research that systemically examines writers' perceptions of formulaic and nonformulaic feedback, such as compliments.
Role of epinephrine and norepinephrine in the metabolic response to stress hormone infusion in the conscious dog

The role of epinephrine and norepinephrine in contributing to the alterations in hepatic glucose metabolism during a 70-h stress hormone infusion (SHI) was investigated in four groups of chronicall...
Simulation and measurement of multiplication in thin-film electroluminescent devices with doped probe layers

When a single voltage pulse is applied to an electroluminescent (EL) device after previous illumination, the current through the phosphor layer will normally not be homogeneous, but increase from the cathodic side-where the electrons tunnel from-to the anodic side, due to multiplication. The positive charges that remain after the multiplication process cause a positive space charge that has been observed in various experiments and influences the efficiency. In this paper a simple numerical model is proposed for the calculation of charge transfer and light emission, in the case that multiplication takes place during a voltage pulse after previous illumination.
Modeling View and Posture Manifolds for Tracking

In this paper we consider modeling data lying on multiple continuous manifolds. In particular, we model the shape manifold of a person performing a motion observed from different view points along a view circle at fixed camera height. We introduce a model that ties together the body configuration (kinematics) manifold and the visual manifold (observations) in a way that facilitates tracking the 3D configuration with continuous relative view variability. The model exploits the low dimensionality nature of both the body configuration manifold and the view manifold where each of them are represented separately.
The Origins of the FitzGerald Contraction

The FitzGerald–Lorentz contraction hypothesis has become well known in connection with Einstein's theory of relativity, and its role in the origin of that theory has been the subject of considerable study. But the origins of the contraction idea itself, and particularly of G. F. FitzGerald's first statement of it in 1889, have attracted much less attention and are surrounded by several misconceptions. The hypothesis has usually been depicted as a rather wild idea put forward without any real theoretical justification simply to explain away the troublesome null result of Michelson and Morley's 1887 ether drift experiment. In the words of Gerald Holton, ‘it has traditionally been called the very paradigm of an ad hoc hypothesis’. H. A. Lorentz, who hit upon the contraction idea independently in 1892, has been credited with giving it some justification in terms of his electron theory, but little or none of this credit has been extended to FitzGerald. His statement of the contraction hypothesis has usually been viewed, in the words of his friend R. T. Glazebrook, as nothing more than ‘the brilliant baseless guess of an Irish genius’.
Targeting TNFα rapidly reduces density of dendritic cells and macrophages in psoriatic plaques with restoration of epidermal keratinocyte differentiation

Summary Background The cytokine network theory for psoriasis postulates a key role for TNFα in mediating inflammation and altered epidermal differentiation. Objective This study defines responses following administration of adalimumab, a TNFα inhibitor, in pre-psoriatic skin (PN) and lesional psoriatic plaques (PP) skin. Methods PN and PP skin before and after treatment were biopsied at days 2, 7, 28 and 84 ( n = 6 different patients). Cryosections were immunohistochemically stained to detect TNFα and other relevant markers in epidermal and dermal compartments. Detection of apoptosis utilized antibody specific for activated caspase 3. Semiquantitative assessments and statistical analysis was performed for each staining profile. Results TNFα+ cells were increased in PP skin. PP skin was also characterized by a four-fold increase in number of CD68+ macrophages as well as eight-fold increase in CD11c+ dermal dendritic cells (DCs) compared to PN skin. By two-color immunofluorescence staining, both CD68+ cells as well as CD11c+ cells expressed TNFα. Following initiation of adalimumab therapy, CD11c+ cells, significantly decreased in PP skin at days 7, 28, and 84, while CD68+ and CD14+ cells decreased at days 28 and 84. Other markers for DCs (CD83, CD86) showed decreases at days 7, 28, and 84. Reduction in DCs, macrophages or T cells was not accompanied by increased activated caspase 3-positive cells. When a keratinocyte terminal differentiation marker was examined, adalimumab triggered rapid restoration of loricrin expression (beginning on day 2), with loss of aberrant differentiation marker, keratin 17 (K17). Conclusion Adalimumab impacts dermal-based immunocytes, and the epidermal compartment also responds by restoration of normal differentiation without detectable apoptosis.
Role of brain function monitoring in the critical care and perioperative settings

The routine monitoring of brain function is not universal in the critical care or perioperative setting, yet consciousness and mental wellbeing are as important if not more important than cardiac performance and other major organ functions that are monitored intensively. The electrical activity generated by the cerebral cortex may be affected by cerebral perfusion, hypoxia, and the effect of sedative and anesthetic pharmacological agents, seizure activity, cerebral metabolism, and neuronal dysfunction. Instruments for monitoring brain function include subjective measures, such as assessment scoring systems, and objective measures that assess cerebral cortical activity. These objective measures focus primarily on the electrical activity of the cerebral cortex and correlate the power of the electrical signals with cerebral function. The available monitors utilize the actual signal frequency, power, or disorder and relate these data through various algorithms to the depth of sedation that the patient has attained. The success for these monitors in measuring the depth of sedation with consistency is dependent on the medications and combinations of medications administered, the algorithm developed, and the suppression of extraneous noise. Many studies have analyzed the effectiveness of using cerebral function monitors not only to guide depth of sedation, but to prevent unintended awareness in the paralyzed patient. The real value of these monitors may well be in improving patient safety by detecting cerebral insults early, allowing appropriate intervention to be made, and predicting outcome.
Opinions Of Financial Analysts On Accounting For defined Benefit Pension Plans

Responding financial analysts preferred pension plan accounting which contrasts with requirements of SFAS No. 87. The preferred model included: (1) Plan assets and accumulated benefit obligations are on the balance sheet. (2) Prior service cost is recognized in the year of plan adoption or amendment. (3) Gains and losses are recognized when they occur. (4) Annual pension expense is computer by netting the change in fair value of plan assets, deposits to the pension plan, and the change in accumulated benefit obligations.
Does Increasing Dialyzer Blood Flow Always Improve Dialysis Efficiency

As dialyzer blood flow is increased during hemodialysis, diminishing increments in clearance are inevitable. In addition, as clearance increases, diminishing increases in solute removal from the patient are inevitable. The causes of these equally self-defeating and additive effects are the fundamental self-limitation of the dialysis itself due to first-order kinetics, membrane-limited diffusion within the dialyzer, and disequilibrium within the patient. Access recirculation is a specialized cause of solute disequilibrium that is separately measurable and preventable. Cardiopulmonary recirculation (CPR) is a predictable form of solute disequilibrium that is found in all patients with peripheral arteriovenous shunts and is absent during vein-to-vein dialysis. Other forms of blood flow-dependent disequilibrium probably also play a role in diminishing the efficiency of hemodialysis. Sequestration of urea in muscle during hemodialysis is suggested by reduction in the magnitude of rebound when patients exercise (and increase muscle blood flow) during hemodialysis. This discussion is not intended to discourage attempts to increase solute removal by increasing blood flow, but rather to place this maneuver in a proper perspective. Other maneuvers such as increasing dialysis frequency may be more effective as a means of improving dialysis efficiency.
Louise C. Morel, the Louisville Women's City Club, and Municipal Housekeeping in Louisville, 1917-1935

LOUISE C. MOREL, THE LOUISVILLE WOMEN’S CITY CLUB, AND MUNICIPAL HOUSEKEEPING IN LOUISVILLE, 1917-1935 Gail Elizabeth Chooljian Nall December 13, 2004 Louise C. Morel was a leading social reformer in Louisville from 1917 through the early 1940s. Morel’s work is a primary example of the continuation of Progressive Era ideals into the decades after the traditional end of the Progressive Era. Because the areas in which she worked were those that had traditionally appealed to and benefited women and children, Morel became known as a municipal housekeeper. With the help of fellow members of the Louisville Women’s City Club, Morel conducted numerous surveys, organized conventions to educate the public, gave speeches, and urged city leaders to institute reforms in various areas. The issues in which Morel was interested include tuberculosis, garbage separation and disposal, housing quality, sewer expansion, and improvement of public buildings and outdoor areas. Morel’s work influenced women both in Louisville and across the state, and left a lasting imprint on the city.
Situated Pedagogical Authoring: Authoring Intelligent Tutors from a Student's Perspective

We describe the Situated Pedagogical Authoring (SitPed) system that seeks to allow non-technical authors to create ITS content for soft-skills training, such as counseling skills. SitPed is built on the assertion that authoring tools should use the learner’s perspective to the greatest extent possible. SitPed provides tools for creating tasks lists, authoring assessment knowledge, and creating tutor messages. We present preliminary findings of a two-phase study comparing authoring in SitPed to an ablated version of the same system and a spreadsheet-based control. Findings suggest modest advantages for SitPed in terms of the quality of the authored content and student learning.
An experiential approach to group work (2nd ed.) by Furman, R., Bender, S., & Rowan, R.

There is a lot to like about this compact, practical group work text that focuses on helping social work students acquire basic group work skills. As the title implies, this book is based on the pe...
Augmenting an Educational and Research Human Robot Interaction Environment With a Multi-Obstacle Avoidance Algorithm

In this manuscript, the development and current state of an inexpensive platform for educational purposes and research in the interaction between humans and robots (human-robot interaction) is described. The platform is based on the ubiquitous LabVIEW programming language and an in-house developed two degree of freedom non-holonomic robot. The platform includes multiple interaction modalities, which will be described, between the robot and the user.The procedures followed for the successful software and hardware implementation are explicated. Furthermore, a demonstration of an obstacle avoidance path planning algorithm for a single obstacle is validated in hardware, as well as simulation demonstration of the multiple obstacle avoidance algorithm. These implementations to the platform further demonstrate the ease of augmenting the existing platform to additional modalities.The algorithm uses a vision acquisition system to identify the location and size of an obstacle, in addition to orientation patterns and calibration points, in the workspace and generate the robot path to reach a desired goal while avoiding the obstacle. The manuscript describes into the current research of path planning in the presence of multiple obstacles. The development of a set of criteria, Generation Succession, Arrival Departure, and Side Consistency, for the algorithm are elucidated in the manuscript. The algorithm has been demonstrated to be successful in simulation by avoiding multiple obstacle in various layouts.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Contours of Labor and History: A Diachronic Perspective on Andean Mineral Production and the Making of Landscapes in Porco, Bolivia

The first Spanish silver mines in South America were located in Porco, Bolivia, and while these were rapidly eclipsed by the spectacular output from nearby Potosi, Porco has remained an important mining center until the present. The long-term history of mineral production is embodied in the landscape, which bears evidence of a diverse set of labor practices and technologies deployed at different scales to process ore. A decade of archaeological research at Porco demonstrates the role this landscape has played in mediating the relationship between indigenous workers and the broader political and economic forces that prevailed under the Inka, Spanish, and Republican regimes.
Reading Revitalized? The Perestroika Project and its Aftermath

In the first three chapters we have had occasion to observe that reading came to the forefront of public debate in Soviet Russia at times of attempted social transformation. In the 1920s, and then in the Khrushchev era, print culture was called upon to perform a mobilizing and educative function. Glasnost offered a particular variation on this perennial Soviet theme of cultural revolution. In the 1980s the task was no longer to make Soviet society literate, as it had been in the 1920s, or simply to help it acquire the reading habit, as had been the case under Khrushchev, but rather to improve the quality of reading in Soviet society.1 The Soviet mass reading public was no longer to be kept in forced ignorance of its own history, and of the social and economic problems facing its country: it was to be provided with the information that the elite intelligentsia, thanks to samizdat and informal networks, had possessed since the 1960s. Perestroika in the cultural sphere was, in fact, nothing less than the attempted ‘massovization’ of the Soviet intelligentsia. The early stages of glasnost were outstandingly successful in this respect: an enthralling public debate began on most aspects of Soviet history and society; the circulations of the major journals shot up from hundreds of thousands to millions; Soviet society did indeed seem on its way to becoming ‘civilized’ and ‘intel-lectualized’.
Voltage Dependent Inhibition of Cx46 Hemichannels by Calcium

Connexins (Cxs) are transmembrane proteins involved in the electrical coupling of cells, the release of signaling molecules, and cell proliferation among others. These proteins are expressed in almost every tissue of the human body and mutations in these proteins are related to several hereditary diseases. Cxs monomers oligomerize in hexamers, which traffic to the plasma membrane and form connexons or hemichannels that can act as plasma membrane channels or can travel to intercellular contact zones where they form intercellular channels known as gap junctions. The opening of the Cx hemichannels in the membrane is tightly regulated by Ca2+ and membrane voltage. This regulation prevents leakage of cellular content and its malfunction may lead to pathologic conditions. In this work we studied the reciprocal regulation of Cxs hemichannels by Ca2+ and voltage. We expressed Cx46 in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and using two electrode voltage clamp, analyzed the inhibition of currents by Ca2+. We observed that Cxs inhibition by Ca2+ is voltage dependent. The apparent Ca2+ sensitivity is increased as the membrane voltage is made more negative. This change in the affinity can be explained by a stabilization of the closed state of the Cx channel by Ca2+. We propose a model in which the calcium-bonded state prevents the opening of the hemichannel. The model allows us to determine the affinity of the closed state for calcium. In agreement with the model and suggesting a stabilization of a conformational change that narrows the pore, calcium inhibits the water flux trough Cx hemichannels. This work supports the idea that Ca2+ and voltage act synergistically to promote the closing of the pore in Cx channels.
Syphilis: Medicine, Metaphor, and Religious Conflict in Early Modern France. By Deborah N. Losse. (Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 2015. Pp. 172. $51.95.) : Book Review

Syphilis, “maladie de pians,” “mal de Naples,” “morbus gallicus,” “belle verole,” “grosse ou grande verole,” and “lues venerea,” evoked in the introduction and used throughout the book—amongst a mu...
A Retrospective Pretest-Posttest Evaluation of a One-Time Personal Finance Training.

Attempts to measure the impact of Extension programs have been implemented to varying effects for many years. Using data from several economics of personal finance workshops designed to teach high school teachers about a state's new personal finance performance standards, this article reports the results from of one type of evaluation, a retrospective pretest-posttest, that is useful for one-time, short duration workshops where the extra steps and additional costs of traditional pretest-posttest evaluation may not be warranted. A discussion of the benefits of retrospective pretest-posttest evaluations, including reduced response shift bias, concludes the article. Introduction and Review of Literature A continuing concern among Extension educators is how to assess whether our educational initiatives result in positive outcomes. Indeed, attempts to measure the impact of Extension education programs have been implemented to varying effects for many years (Davis, 2003; Diem, 2003; Lyons, Palmer, Jayaratne, & Scherpf, 2006; Rockwell & Kohn, 1989). Despite countless examples of evaluation instruments from which Extension educators may seek guidance, there is little consensus when it comes to identifying the most effective evaluation method for use with one-time, short-duration consumer education programs or training efforts common in Extension personal finance programs. Fortunately, a growing number of scholars are providing guidance on how best to evaluate the effectiveness of one-time financial education workshops, classes, or programs (Fox, Bartholome, & Lee, 2005; Lyons et al., 2006; O'Neill, 1998; Rockwell & Kohn, 1989). Given continued interest in improving the delivery and effectiveness of Extension education programs by those who fund, as well as those who implement, such programs (Diem, 2003; O'Neill, 1998), it is reasonable to suggest that Extension educators must continue to learn from, and adopt, evaluation strategies that have taken place in similar educational contexts. Toward this goal, this article reports on the use of a retrospective pretest-posttest in a one-time personal finance workshop taught by Extension faculty for high school teachers responsible for teaching six new state-mandated personal finance performance standards. A retrospective pretest-posttest evaluation differs from a traditional pretest-posttest evaluation in that the retrospective evaluation instrument is administered once, rather than twice. To assess change in the constructs of interest, a retrospective pretest-posttest instrument is administered at the conclusion of an A Retrospective Pretest-Posttest Evaluation of a One-Time Personal Finance Training 02/24/11 06:34:13
Detailed assessment of diesel spray atomization models using visible and X-ray extinction measurements

Abstract The physical mechanisms characterizing the breakup of a diesel spray into droplets are still unknown. This gap in knowledge has largely been due to the challenges of directly imaging this process or quantitatively measuring the outcomes of spray breakup, such as droplet size. Recent x-ray measurements by Argonne National Laboratory, utilized in this work, provide needed information about the spatial evolution of droplet sizes in selected regions of the spray under a range of injection pressures (50–150 MPa) and ambient densities (7.6–22.8 kg/m3) relevant for diesel operating conditions. Ultra-small angle x-ray scattering (USAXS) measurements performed at the Advanced Photon Source are presented, which quantify Sauter mean diameters (SMD) within optically thick regions of the spray that are inaccessible by conventional droplet sizing measurement techniques, namely in the near-nozzle region, along the spray centerline, and within the core of the spray. To quantify droplet sizes along the periphery of the spray, a complementary technique is proposed and introduced, which leverages the ratio of path-integrated x-ray and visible laser extinction (SAMR) measurements to quantify SMD. The SAMR and USAXS measurements are then utilized to evaluate current spray models used for engine computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. We explore the ability of a carefully calibrated spray model, premised on aerodynamic wave growth theory, to capture the experimentally observed trends of SMD throughout the spray. The spray structure is best predicted with an aerodynamic primary and secondary breakup process that is represented with a slower time constant and larger formed droplet size than conventionally recommended for diesel spray models. Additionally, spray model predictions suggest that droplet collisions may not influence the resultant droplet size distribution along the spray centerline in downstream regions of the spray.
HW/SW co-design experimental framework using configurable SoCs

This paper presents an open source HW/SW co-design experimental platform based on behavioral benchmarks mapped onto a programmable SoC using High-Level Synthesis. HW/SW co-design has become extremely relevant in today's VLSI design processes. Due to the unstoppable increase in transistor count of integrated circuits (ICs), most ICs are currently heterogenous SoCs containing micro-processors, memories, interfaces and dedicated hardware accelerators. This has lead FPGA vendors to introduce programmable/configurable SoCs (CSoC), e.g. Altera's Cyclone/Arria/Stratix SoCs and Xilinx's Zynq family. At the same time, newer design methodologies are required to increase the design productivity like HLS. The main problem is that there are no benchmarks that can be directly mapped onto these CSoC using HLS to conduct research in HW/SW co-design as well as to teach HW/SW co-design. A HW/SW co-design experimental framework is presented here to bridge this gap. A set of synthesizable SystemC designs have been created and ported onto a Cyclone V SoC FPGA. The designs have been created in such a way that they can be fully executed on the embedded processor or accelerated by mapping the most computationally intensive kernel onto the reconfigurable fabric. A software layer allows the creation of different HW/SW configurations by allowing tasks to be executed on the embedded processor or mapped as hardware accelerator on the reconfigurable logic. The complete environment is open source and available online. A running time and energy comparison between the benchmarks mapped onto a desktop PC processor in ANSI-C and SystemC, an embedded ARM processor and the ASM+FPGA version are presented showing that the accelerated benchmarks do only lead to speed-ups compared to the embedded processor's version when the system's communication part (sending and receiving data) is lower than 50% of the total runtime. We believe that this open source HW/SW design platform is a good starting point to encourage the community to conduct practical research in HW/SW co-design using HLS and to teach this important subject.
Political Management, Research and Development, and Advertising Capital in the Pharmaceutical Industry: A Good Prognosis?

AbstractRegulatory oversight that affects the firm’s product-market environment continues to increase. Political management capital (PMC) describes firm expenditure committed to address the political and regulatory context. Neoinstitutional theory casts PMC as an institutionally expected normative response investors use when evaluating firm performance. Although limited evidence has suggested that firms benefit from PMC, the authors demonstrate its effects across financial outcomes including firm value, systematic risk, and idiosyncratic risk. Likewise, they examine how PMC interacts with a firm’s product market through research-and-development (R&D) capital and advertising capital. Regression analysis of an unbalanced data set of 212 firms in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, tracked from 2003 to 2014, reveals that while PMC improves investor expectations through firm value and systematic risk, it increases idiosyncratic risk. The authors find that PMC plays both substitutive and complement...
Developing an Instrument to Measure Autonomous Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change among Urban Households

The capacity of households in urban environments to adapt and react to climate change can affect the resilience of the whole community, and instruments for systematically measuring that capacity are needed. We used Raleigh, NC as a case study to explore the dimensions of autonomous adaptive capacity of urban households and to create a scale and associated survey instrument to measure them. Our approach was guided by four capitals that support human livelihoods: social, human, physical, and financial. We surveyed 200 households in Raleigh, NC, and used a principal components analysis to test the scale and survey instrument. Results suggest the scale is a useful and concise tool. Three major dimensions were present among the scale items: financial capital, political awareness, and access to resources. Together, these three dimensions can be used to measure adaptive capacity among different households. These findings are supported by similar work illustrating the value of income inequality and political awareness as indicators of adaptive capacity. Our results also demonstrate that complex relationships among the livelihood capitals may confound our ability to measure financial, physical, and human capitals separately. This framework for assessing adaptive capacity of households, with further refinement and testing, may be used in urban areas to evaluate programs designed to impact resilience to climate change.
Scout, Snap, and Share: First Impressions of Plant Disease Monitoring Using Social Media

The social media platform Twitter was used to monitor corn and soybean diseases in the United States during 2016 and 2017 as part of a campaign to involve crop scouts, farmers, educators, and agricultural advisors in disease data sharing. The purpose was to explore the feasibility of providing farmers and crop consultants with an easily accessible, user-friendly, no-cost platform for sharing disease observations with rapid information transfer and early warning capabilities. Two Twitter accounts were created, @soydisease and @corndisease, as part of an accessible data collection method for later input into the Integrated Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education (iPiPE). Multiple methods were employed to create awareness and recruit users, which included writing articles for extension and popular farm news outlets and directly contacting potential agribusiness and extension stakeholders. From the creation of the accounts in February 2016 through September 2017, there were 738 followers and 8,668 profile visits for @soydisease; and 1,149 followers and 17,294 profile visits for @corndisease, with a variety of contributors including university extension, industry agronomists and service providers, students, a commodity group, and agricultural news. During the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons, use of the Twitter disease-monitoring campaign successfully helped track the movement of southern rust (caused by Puccinia polysora) of corn northward, allowing for advanced notice for scouting efforts. Although this is only an initial attempt, it shows that representatives from across a wide variety of agricultural sectors can contribute to a plant disease monitoring system using a common social media engine.
A Unified Theory of Human Skeletal Muscle Growth and Application to Resistance Training

Many different theories and hypotheses have been developed and evolved to explain human skeletal muscle growth. To date, no single theory encompasses all known mechanisms of human skeletal muscle growth and many are poorly understood. Of the various theories and hypotheses, most have useful elements that partially explain how human skeletal muscle growth occurs in adults. Here, it is proposed that a unified theory of human skeletal muscle growth can integrate and explain human muscular growth in a simplified manner. A unified theory, called G-THHHEM-E Theory, relates all validated theories and hypotheses into a coherent system that identifies their interrelationships and provides a practical background to support resistance-training protocols. Specific examples were used to relate G-THHHEM-E Theory to resistance training principles. Understanding of the interrelationships between the elements of G-THHHEM-E Theory could help exercise physiologists and exercise-training practitioners design new strategies for developing resistance-training regimens.
Triangulating and Smoothing Homotopy Equivalences and Homeomorphisms. Geometric Topology Seminar Notes

We will study the smooth and piecewise linear manifolds within a given homotopy equivalence class. In the first part we find an obstruction theory for deforming a homotopy equivalence between manifolds to a diffeomorphism or a piecewise linear homeomorphism. In the second part we analyze the piecewise linear case and characterize the obstructions in terms of a geometric property of the homotopy equivalence. In the third part we apply this analysis to the Hauptvermutung and complex projective space.
Does investment in trade credit matter for profitability? Evidence from publicly listed agro-food firms

Abstract The paper examines the relationship between trade credit investment and firm profitability, employing a panel of publicly listed agro-food firms in the United States for the period 2001-2014. Whilst almost all firms in the sample invest in trade credit, there is statistically significant variation in the level of trade credit investment and credit period within the United States public agro-food industry. The pooled ordinary least squares, fixed effects and random effects estimations established a significant positive effect of trade credit investment on firm profitability. Due to endogeneity concerns, an instrumental variable fixed effects model is estimated and the results also confirm a statistically and economically significant positive effect of trade credit investment on firm profitability. The results are robust to different econometric estimation techniques and to the use of non-market based measure (return on assets) and market based measure (Tobin’s q) of firm performance. The paper concludes that investing in trade credit significantly increases profitability of agro-food firms as suggested by the financing, transaction/operation and commercial theories of trade credit. Notwithstanding, firms’ trade credit investment decisions should be guided by cost-benefit tradeoff.
Reducing Event Latency and Power Consumption in Mobile Devices by Using a Kernel-Level Display Server

Mobile devices differ from desktop computers in that they have a limited power source, a battery, and they tend to spend more CPU time on the graphical user interface (GUI). These two facts force us to consider different software approaches in the mobile device kernel that can conserve battery life and reduce latency, which is the duration of time between the inception of an event and the reaction to the event. One area to consider is a software package called the display server. The display server is middleware that handles all GUI activities between an application and the operating system, such as event handling and drawing to the screen. In both desktop and mobile devices, the display server is located in the application layer. However, the kernel layer contains most of the information needed for handling events and drawing graphics, which forces the application-level display server to make a series of system calls in order to coordinate events and to draw graphics. These calls interrupt the CPU which can increase both latency and power consumption, and also require the kernel to maintain event queues that duplicate event queues in the display server. A further drawback of placing the display server in the application layer is that the display server contains most of the information required to efficiently schedule the application and this information is not communicated to existing kernels, meaning that GUI-oriented applications are scheduled less efficiently than they might be, which further increases power consumption. We propose moving the display server to the kernel layer, so that it has direct access to many of the event queues and hardware rendering systems without having to interrupt the CPU. This adjustment has allowed us to implement two power saving strategies, discussed in other papers, that streamline the event system and improve the scheduler. The combination of these two techniques reduces power consumption by an average of 30 percent and latency by an average of 17 ms. Even without the implementation of these power saving techniques, the KDS increases battery life by 4.35 percent or on average about 10 extra minutes for a typical mobile phone or 30 extra minutes for a typical tablet computer. It also reduces latency by 1.1 milliseconds.
Multi-state dead recovery mark-recovery model performance for estimating movement and mortality rates

Abstract Multi-state mark-recovery models are used to estimate movement and mortality rates of terrestrial and aquatic animals. These models have become especially popular in the last 20 years since technology and statistical techniques have improved to accommodate the extensive data requirements. However, the ability of multi-state mark-recovery models to estimate movement rates has received little evaluation, with few studies exploring the effects of alternative release and recovery designs on the bias and precision of estimates. Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of the spatio-temporal pattern of releases, pattern of recovery efforts, and number of releases on the performance of a multi-state mark-recovery model. We generated mark-recovery data from a spatial model and fitted them using a multi-state dead recovery model that included prior distributions on movement rates, natural mortality, and catchability. We generated data using a spatially variable schedule of releases and effort, and a release size of about 1 million individuals to mimic a mark-recovery study conducted for Atlantic Menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus in the late 1960s. We also ran alternative scenarios of sample size and spatially uniform releases and effort, either by themselves or in combination to determine their effects on the accuracy of the estimates. The model generally produced unbiased estimates of mortality rates with median error
Machine learning for design space exploration and optimization of manycore systems

In the emerging data-driven science paradigm, computing systems ranging from IoT and mobile to manycores and datacenters play distinct roles. These systems need to be optimized for the objectives and constraints dictated by the needs of the application. In this paper, we describe how machine learning techniques can be leveraged to improve the computational-efficiency of hardware design optimization. This includes generic methodologies that are applicable for any hardware design space. As an example, we discuss a guided design space exploration framework to accelerate application-specific manycore systems design and advanced imitation learning techniques to improve on-chip resource management. We present some experimental results for application-specific manycore system design optimization and dynamic power management to demonstrate the efficacy of these methods over traditional EDA approaches.
Water-fat separation and parameter mapping in cardiac MRI via deep learning with a convolutional neural network.

BACKGROUND Water-fat separation is a postprocessing technique most commonly applied to multiple-gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) images to identify fat, provide images with fat suppression, and to measure fat tissue concentration. Recently, Numerous advancements have been reported. In contrast to early methods, the process of water-fat separation has become complicated due to multiparametric analytic models, optimization methods, and the absence of a unified framework for diverse source data. PURPOSE To determine the feasibility and performance of MRI water-fat separation and parametric mapping via deep learning (DL) with a range of inputs. STUDY TYPE Retrospective data usage. POPULATION/SUBJECTS Ninety cardiac MR examinations from normal control, acute, subacute, and chronic myocardial infarction subjects were obtained, providing 1200 multiple gradient-echo acquisitions. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 1.5 T/2D multiple gradient-echo pulse sequence ASSESSMENT: Ground-truth training and validation water-fat separation were obtained using a graph cut method with R2 *, off-resonance correction, and a multipeak fat spectrum. U-Net DL training with single and multiecho, complex, and magnitude inputs were compared using quantitative and three-observer subjective analysis. STATISTICAL TESTS DL methods' image structural similarity, and quantitative proton density fat fraction (PDFF), R2 *, and off-resonance quantitative values were statistically compared with the GraphCut reference standard using Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS Myocardial fat deposition in chronic myocardial infarction and intramyocardial hemorrhage in acute myocardial infarction were well visualized in the DL results. Predicted values for R2 *, off-resonance, water, and fat signal intensities were well correlated with a conventional model-based water fat separation (R2 ≥ 0.97, P < 0.001) with appropriate inputs. DL parameter maps had a 14% higher signal-to-noise ratio (P < 0.001) when compared with a conventional method. DATA CONCLUSION DL water-fat separation is feasible with a wide range of inputs, while R2 * and off-resonance mapping requires multiple echoes and complex images. With appropriate inputs, DL provides quantitative and subjective results comparable to conventional model-based methods. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 Technical Efficacy Stage: 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:655-665.
Sex Worker Homicide Series: Profiling the Crime Scene:

Contrary to popular misconceptions, offenders who kill sex workers as part of their series exhibit substantial variability in their victim selection and behavioral patterns, thus creating additional issues for the investigation of these crimes. This article first aims to outline differences in the demographics of crime scene actions present in homicide series with exclusively sex worker victims and series that includes both sex worker and non-sex worker victims, with the aim of understanding the crime scene aetiology of these two different types of series. Second, the research aims to determine between-series differences of victimology as well as crime scene action between sex worker series and mixed-victim series. Third, the research focuses on mixed-victim series and aims to determine the within-series similarities of victimology and crime scene actions, that is, what factors link sex worker victims and non-sex worker victims in the same series. Data were collected through a large-scale review of international media sources to identify solved serial homicide cases that have included at least one sex worker. Of the 83 series looked at, 44 (53%) included sex worker victims only, and 39 (47%) of the series included both sex worker and non-sex worker victims. The findings highlight the challenges that these types of crime present for investigation and the implications they have on current crime analysis research and practice, and results are discussed in line with theoretical and psychological issues relating to understanding differentiation and similarity, as well as investigative implications relating to linkage blindness and linking of serial crimes.
Active compression garment prevents tilt-induced orthostatic tachycardia in humans.

Compression garments are used by patients with lower extremity edema to help regulate fluid distribution and to prevent orthostatic symptoms. Current compression stockings are often reported as uncomfortable and adherence is poor. The current study was conducted to assess the efficacy of a novel active compression garment on healthy individuals undergoing 60-degree head-up tilts for 10 min to induce venous pooling and subsequent physiological responses. During tilts while garments were on, participants' absolute change in heart rate relative to baseline was lower (16.7 ± 8.7 BPM) compared to control (20.9 ± 11.47 BPM, P = 0.002). There were no differences in changes in mean arterial blood pressure between conditions (P = 0.303). One participant had a pre-syncopal event which occurred during a tilt without garments. This participant did not experience pre-syncopal symptoms with the garments on. All together, these data suggest that a novel active compression garment is capable of blunting increases in heart rate during head-up tilt. While untested thus far in patient populations, these garments may prove efficacious in preventing orthostatic intolerance.
Toxic trajectories under future climate conditions

Extreme weather events, driven by changing climatic conditions, interact with our built environment by distributing-or redistributing-environmental risk and damaging physical infrastructure. We focus on the role of extreme weather events in the distribution of toxic substances within and between residential communities in the largest cities in the United States (US). We explore the impact of projected inland and coastal flooding on the redistribution of toxicity from known contaminated sites, and how patterns of toxic flow change the total population and social demographics of the population at risk from toxic materials. We use the Urban Adaptation Assessment and data on toxic site locations from the US government to evaluate risk of toxin dispersion from flooding in cities and down to the census tract level for the period 2021-2061. We demonstrate that future climate conditions significantly increase the risk of the dispersion of toxins from contaminated sites by 2041.
Parental Concerns on Short Stature: A 15-Year Follow-Up.

Objectives To compare parental attitudes about short stature over time and determine possible factors that predict changes in attitudes. Study design At baseline (1993-1994), we surveyed parents about their attitudes regarding their children's height. We compared parents of children (aged 4-15 years) referred to endocrinologists (referred, 154) with those of children with heights Results At baseline, referred parents perceived a worse impact of short stature on their children than did controls. At follow-up, instead, referred parents were 3.8 times more likely to report improvement in self-esteem, 2.4 times more likely to report improved treatment from peers, and 5.7 times more likely to report overall ability to cope with height than were unreferred parents. Perception of psychosocial improvement was greater in the referred than the control group. Referral was a stronger predictor of an improved follow-up response than patients' current height or change in height. Conclusions While incorporating parental attitudes into management decisions, clinicians should be aware that parental perceptions may change over time and that referral itself may lead parents to perceive psychosocial improvements over time.