cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RESIDUAL TOXICITY OF PESTICIDES USED FOR LEPIDOPTERAN INSECT CONTROL ON CITRUS TO APHYTIS MELINUS DEBACH (HYMENOPTERA: APHELINIDAE)

Fifteen compounds used for suppression of lepidopteran pests of citrus were applied in a commercial manner to lemon trees. Amounts of dislodgable residues, together with mortality of Aphytis melinus DeBach confined on treated foliage, were monitored for 36 days following treatment. Most materials caused high mortalities on the 1st day following treatment. Several materials had little effect on A. melinus after 7 days post-treatment. These included a formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner endotoxin, a formulation of B. thuringiensis exotoxin, cryolite, methomyl, mevinphos, naled, parathion, and trichlorfon. Carbosulfan, chlorpyrifos, esfenvalerate, fluvalinate, methomyl, and two formulations of carbaryl caused mortality for up to 30 days post-application. Mortality in the thiodicarb treatment was above 60% for the 36 days of the study. Mortality was correlated with amounts of dislodgable residue for each material tested.
Failure of Cartesian closedness in NF

On any reasonable definition of functions, neither the category of sets nor the category of small categories is cartesian closed in New Foundations (NF). The latter category is sometimes proposed as a foundation for category theory since it is among its own objects. Our result shows it is a poor one.In NF, as in other set theories, a "function" f from a set A to a set B is defined to be a set f of ordered pairs 〈x, y〉 with x in A and y in B, such that (a) if 〈x, y〉 ∈ f and 〈x, y′〉 ∈ f then y = y′, and (b) for every x in A there is some y in B with 〈x, y〉 ∈ f. But in NF different definitions of ordered pairs give significantly different functions. I say a reasonable definition must give:1. The formula z = 〈x, y〉 is stratifiable.2. For every set S there is a set {〈x, x〉 ∣ x ∈ S}.3. If f is a function from A to B, and g one from B to C, there is a set {〈x, z〉∣(∃y)〈x, y〉∈ f & 〈y, z〉∈ g}.Principles 2 and 3 are needed for identity functions and composites. By principle 1, any sets A and B have a set A × B of all ordered pairs 〈x, y〉 with x in A and y in B, but it does not follow that functions exist making A × B a categorical product of A and B.
The Extracellular Matrix of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms Comprises Cytoplasmic Proteins That Associate with the Cell Surface in Response to Decreasing pH

Biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus involves the formation of an extracellular matrix, but the composition of this matrix has been uncertain. Here we report that the matrix is largely composed of cytoplasmic proteins that reversibly associ- ate with the cell surface in a manner that depends on pH. We propose a model for biofilm formation in which cytoplasmic pro- teins are released from cells in stationary phase. These proteins associate with the cell surface in response to decreasing pH dur- ing biofilm formation. Rather than utilizing a dedicated matrix protein, S. aureus appears to recycle cytoplasmic proteins that moonlight as components of the extracellular matrix. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of multiantibiotic-resistant nosocomial infections and is often found growing as a biofilm in catheters and chronic wounds. Biofilm formation is an important pathogenicity strategy that enhances resistance to antimicrobials, thereby limiting treatment options and ultimately contributing to increased morbidity and mortal- ity. Cells in a biofilm are held together by an extracellular matrix that consists in whole or in part of protein, but the nature of the proteins in the S. aureus matrix is not well understood. Here we postulate that S. aureus recycles proteins from the cytoplasm to form the extracellular matrix. This strategy, of cytoplasmic proteins moonlighting as matrix proteins, could allow enhancedflex- ibility and adaptability for S. aureus in forming biofilms under infection conditions and could promote the formation of mixed- species biofilms in chronic wounds.
Multi-robot assignment algorithm for tasks with set precedence constraints

In this paper, we present task allocation (assignment) algorithms for a multi-robot system where the tasks are divided into disjoint groups and there are precedence constraints between the task groups. Existing auction-based algorithms assume the task independence and hence can not be used directly to solve the class of multi-robot task assignment problems that we consider. In our model, each robot can do a fixed number of tasks and obtains a benefit (or incurs a cost) for each task. The tasks are divided into groups and each robot can do only one task from each group. These constraints arise when the robots have to do a set of tasks that have precedence constraints and each task takes the same time to be completed. We extend the auction algorithm to provide an almost optimal solution to the task assignment problem with set precedence constraints (the theoretical guarantees are the same as that of the original auction algorithm for unconstrained tasks). In other words, we guarantee that we will get a solution within a factor of O(n t e) of the optimal solution, where n t is the total number of tasks and e is a parameter that we choose. We first present our algorithm using a shared memory model and then indicate how consensus algorithms can be used to make the algorithm totally distributed.
A statistical model for the factory radio channel

A statistical model, based on experimental data, is presented to characterize the multipath propagation medium in typical manufacturing environments. The statistical behavior of the medium is described by a time-varying impulse response which includes the distribution of the parameters of the channel such as the gain, the interarrival time, and the number of paths. The resolvable components in a number of experimentally measured pulse responses of indoor factory radio channels were used to estimate the channel statistics. The interarrival times of the signals were modeled by the Weibull distribution. A model for the distribution of signals was presented using the modified beta distribution. The path gain coefficients were represented using the Rayleigh, Rician, or log-normal distributions. The model for the factory channel is flexible enough to fit the data for other indoor sites by changing the parameters of the factory channel appropriately relative to the size, topography, and other structural features of the site. >
States of Grace: Senegalese in Italy and the New European Immigration

States of Grace: Senegalese in Italy and the New European Immigration. Donald Martin Carter. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997. ix. 274 pp., photographs, notes, bibliography, index.
Doha's Development

This Essay argues that the current development crisis within the Doha Round is inextricably linked to the nature of modern day trade negotiations. This Round reveals a bargaining process in which the powerful can too easily exploit and prevail over the powerless. This process is also vulnerable to domestic political maneuvers such as capture. Under these circumstances, poor countries' development concerns are not well represented, which accounts, despite years of talks, for the current sorry state of the negotiational outcome on agricultural subsidies and tariffs. To overcome these flaws of trade negotiation, this Essay suggests that certain core legal precepts, such as antiprotectionism, should limit ability to pursue mercantilist options. Adjudication under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism can also provide further discipline over the negotiation process by shedding a legal light on power differential. To tackle the problem of capture, a bottom-up formulation of negotiation positions through active public participation in the domestic arena will change the dynamic of the two-level game and thus deliver negotiating positions that cater to the broad public welfare, not to the most powerful special interests.
Electric current and electric field induced in the human body when exposed to an incident electric field near the resonant frequency

The electric field and current density induced in the human body when this is exposed to electric fields near the resonant frequency, 53 MHz, are determined analytically. Since this frequency range includes an important amateur radio band of 50-60 MHz and exposure to electric fields at this frequency has been shown to be hazardous, the study has a specific motivation. A cylindrical model of the body is used to derive formulas for the total axial current and current density induced in the body subject to skin effect. Tabulations and graphical representations illuminate the results.
Voices of Special Education Teachers in an Inclusive High School: Redefining Responsibilities

Because of recent changes in general and special education policies, special educators who previously worked with secondary students in self-contained academic classes, resource rooms, or cotaught classes find themselves assigned to new roles that demand different collaborative skills. Based on 2 years of interviews, field notes, and observations in an inclusive high school, this study focuses on the perspectives of two special educators who redefined their daily practices in partnership with a university professional development specialist as they implemented an unusual collaborative-consultation model. Their responsibilities and relationships with teachers, students, and administrators are examined in light of the literature on collaborative models for inclusive education of high school students.
Identification of an N-terminal amino acid of the CLC-3 chloride channel critical in phosphorylation-dependent activation of a CaMKII-activated chloride current.

CLC-3, a member of the CLC family of chloride channels, mediates function in many cell types in the body. The multifunctional calcium–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) has been shown to activate recombinant CLC-3 stably expressed in tsA cells, a human embryonic kidney cell line derivative, and natively expressed channel protein in a human colonic tumour cell line T84. We examined the CaMKII-dependent regulation of CLC-3 in a smooth muscle cell model as well as in the human colonic tumour cell line, HT29, using whole-cell voltage clamp. In CLC-3-expressing cells, we observed the activation of a Cl− conductance following intracellular introduction of the isolated autonomous CaMKII into the voltage-clamped cell via the patch pipette. The CaMKII-dependent Cl− conductance was not observed following exposure of the cells to 1 μm autocamtide inhibitory peptide (AIP), a selective inhibitor of CaMKII. Arterial smooth muscle cells express a robust CaMKII-activated Cl− conductance; however, CLC-3−/− cells did not. The N-terminus of CLC-3, which contains a CaMKII consensus sequence, was phosphorylated by CaMKII in vitro, and mutation of the serine at position 109 (S109A) abolished the CaMKII-dependent Cl− conductance, indicating that this residue is important in the gating of CLC-3 at the plasma membrane.
Active-phased-array system noise temperature

In calculating the antenna system noise temperature the question always arises as to how to account for the antenna mismatch. In this paper it is shown that the antenna mismatch introduces another term into the antenna system temperature equation. This term increases the system temperature. It is due to the reflection of the noise coming out of the receiver in the direction of the antenna that is reflected back into the receiver towards its signal output port. For a single port reflector antenna system this term is equal to the temperature Tr of the noise coming out of the receiver towards the antenna times the antenna power reflection coefficient |Gamma2|. This is usually included in the radiometer field but not by those in the radar and communication fields. For an active phased array the question that arises is: What reflection coefficient to use? It is shown that for an active phased array the reflection coefficient to use for this incoherent noise is the same one used for a coherent signal transmitted in the direction of the main beam. This result is new for those in the radiometer, radar and communication fields.
Do systems development methodologies and case tools decrease stress among systems analysts

This paper investigates whether computer-aided systems engineering tool and systems development methodology usage reduce or increase the amount of stress (i.e. ambiguity and conflict) experienced by analysts. Increased methodology usage was found to be associated with less role stress. Computer-aided systems engineering tool usage, however, did not have a statistically significant impact on role stress.
Delayed toxicity of two chitinolytic enzyme inhibitors (psammaplin a and pentoxifylline) against eastern subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

ABSTRACT By using a no-choice feeding bioassay, delayed toxicity and concentration-dependent mortality of two chitinolytic enzyme inhibitors, pentoxifylline and psammaplin A, were evaluated by determining LT50, LT90, and LT99 (lethal time) against the economically important eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Pentoxifylline- and psammaplin A-incorporated diets (filter paper) were assayed at 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, and 0.21% and 0.0375, 0.075, 0.15, and 0.3% active ingredient (wt:wt), respectively. Acetone-only treated filter paper served as diet for the control treatments. Termite workers were allowed to feed on diet until 100% test population mortality occurred (80–95 d). Both chitinase inhibitors were shown to be toxic to R. flavipes. Concentrationdependent toxicity occurred within the pentoxifylline treatments over the range of 0.01–0.08%, with 0.08% treatments producing an LT50 of 32.2 d. However, mortality in response to psammaplin A treatments lacked concentration-depende...
Comments on Minoan Beetle Images

Images of beetles begin to appear in Minoan Crete early in the Middle Bronze Age. Because one of the earliest manifestations of this phenomenon is in the form of scarab seals that reflect Egyptian prototypes, a natural question involves whether the meaning of this symbol was transferred to Crete along with the imagery. This article examines the beetle images in Crete and considers the evidence for their meanings in the Minoan island. It concludes that the Egyptian symbolism was not transferred to Crete. DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v07i3_betancourt
A Preliminary Bibliography of Insect-Grass Relationships in North America, Exclusive of Corn, Sorghum, Rice, Sugarcane, Oats, Rye, and Barley

Frequently it is assumed that almost all current pests of cereal grains, sugarcane, rice, and corn subsisted on the wild grasses in their native habitats before man initiated crop cultivation. Despite this assumption, there have been few attempts to trace the ancestry of the wild grass insect relationships. The purpose of this bibliography is to bring together as many pertinent papers as possible. The papers have been divided into groupings for easy handling. Section 1 deals with insects associated with particular grass species; otherwise, papers are separated according to orders and families of insects, since many insects have more than a single host plant.
MIMO Feedback Control of Flow Separation

A multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) generalized predictive control (GPC) algorithm is applied to the flow separation control problem on a NACA 0025 airfoil model using zero-net mass-flux actuators and unsteady pressure sensors. The results are compared with previous results obtained using an adaptive feedback disturbance rejection algorithm. The goal of the GPC control scheme is to suppress the pressure fluctuations at multiple locations on the upper surface of the airfoil model, which results in reduced flow separation as well as increased lift-to-drag ratio. A recursive MIMO system identification (ID) algorithm is used to model the flow dynamics. The MIMO GPC algorithm is able to reduce the broadband power of the pressure/velocity fluctuations. In addition, the lift-to-drag ratio is increased by a factor of ~7 at 12° at Rec=120,000, where the baseline flow is massively stalled. The adaptive feedback controller is able to keep the flow partially attached up to ~20°.
Understanding the many-body expansion for large systems. II. Accuracy considerations

To complement our study of the role of finite precision in electronic structure calculations based on a truncated many-body expansion (MBE, or "n-body expansion"), we examine the accuracy of such methods in the present work. Accuracy may be defined either with respect to a supersystem calculation computed at the same level of theory as the n-body calculations, or alternatively with respect to high-quality benchmarks. Both metrics are considered here. In applications to a sequence of water clusters, (H2O)N=6-55 described at the B3LYP/cc-pVDZ level, we obtain mean absolute errors (MAEs) per H2O monomer of ∼1.0 kcal/mol for two-body expansions, where the benchmark is a B3LYP/cc-pVDZ calculation on the entire cluster. Three- and four-body expansions exhibit MAEs of 0.5 and 0.1 kcal/mol/monomer, respectively, without resort to charge embedding. A generalized many-body expansion truncated at two-body terms [GMBE(2)], using 3-4 H2O molecules per fragment, outperforms all of these methods and affords a MAE of ∼0.02 kcal/mol/monomer, also without charge embedding. GMBE(2) requires significantly fewer (although somewhat larger) subsystem calculations as compared to MBE(4), reducing problems associated with floating-point roundoff errors. When compared to high-quality benchmarks, we find that error cancellation often plays a critical role in the success of MBE(n) calculations, even at the four-body level, as basis-set superposition error can compensate for higher-order polarization interactions. A many-body counterpoise correction is introduced for the GMBE, and its two-body truncation [GMBCP(2)] is found to afford good results without error cancellation. Together with a method such as ωB97X-V/aug-cc-pVTZ that can describe both covalent and non-covalent interactions, the GMBE(2)+GMBCP(2) approach provides an accurate, stable, and tractable approach for large systems.
Assessment of Anti- TB Drug Management System in He'nan and Shandong Provinces

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of the anti- TB drug supply system in China. METHODS: Four prefectures and twenty counties were randomly sampled from He'nan and Shandong provinces for the on- the- spot question- naire survey, and data were obtained by investigating 13 quantitative indicators. RESULTS: All the six anti- TB medicines used currently in China are on the National Essential Medicines List, three of which are on WHO Anti- Tuberculosis Essential Medicines List. For all the projects, all batches No. of anti- TB medicines in the last three shipments had quality control test report; percentage of drugs that had no passed the quality control test in the last year reached 0% , and the drug bidding prices in all the projects were lower than the internal prices paid for TB commodities. Problems including out of stock, expired stock and low conformity rate between stock records and physical counts were seen in some TB dispensaries. Stock control of drugs was not reasonable. Some TB dispensaries failed to follow the standard short- course chemotherapy guideline strictly. The percentage of accurate drug management information at county level was low. CONCLUSIONS: China has established a strict drug quality control system. However, the stock control method for drugs used by sputum smear positive retreatment patients remains to be further studied, and the capability construction of drug control personnel should be strengthened to improve the report accuracy of drug information.
Detection and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in underground and surface water of high cancer incidence area

Fifty seven water samples from 10 villages of 5 towns in a high cancer incidence area were collected in June 2010(high flow period) and December 2010(low flow period).The water samples from deep underground water,shallow groundwater and surface water were analyzed for 16 PAHs by SPE coupled with GC-MS.Concentrations of total PAHs in deep underground water during high and low flow period were respectively 4058.29 to 9613.53 ng · L-1 and 72.78 to 809.00 μg · L-1.Concentrations of total PAHs in shallow groundwater during high and low flow period were respectively 2205.84 to 24621.20 ng · L-1 and 82.88 to 601.95 ng · L-1.Concentrations of total PAHs during high and low flow period were respectively 2747.44 to 33532.90 ng · L-1 and 127.78 to 321.04 ng · L-1.The high concentration of naphthalene during high flow period resulted in high total PAHs during the period.Water samples during high flow period were collected during wheat harvest and transplanting rice seedlings.Thus,high concentration naphthalene from burnt stalks may have entered water bodies.Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations in ten samples exceeded the standard level(10 ng · L-1) and the maximal concentration of benzo(a)pyrene was 8.42 times higher than the Standard level(GB5749—2006).The carcinogenic risk of PAHs was assessed using the improved USEPA model and the risk level was 2×10-8 to 1.28×10-5.So,the carcinogenic risk of some water samples exceeded the recommended risk index(10-6).
Economic Growth Of Small Nations

By a small nation I mean an independent sovereign state, with a population of ten million or less. Setting the dividing line at ten million is a rough decision, made with an eye to the distribution of nations by size as it exists today and has existed over the last fifty to seventy-five years. Were I to draw the line for 1800, it would have been at a much lower number — considering that the largest state within the European family of nations at that time had a population below forty million. And were I to draw it a hundred years hence, the dividing line would be far higher — assuming no devastating demographic catastrophe.
Review: Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871–1934, by Thomas Leslie

Thomas Leslie Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871–1934 Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2013, 264 pp., 40 color and 120 b/w illus. $39.95, ISBN 9780252037542 Thomas Leslie's sophisticated analysis of Chicago's leading role in the genesis of the skyscraper revisits the early phases of the skyscraper's development, corrects assumptions about Chicago's role, and links ostensibly minor or unrelated issues to form a fresh view of the topic. Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871–1934 breaks new ground by expanding into the post-1900 development of this building form and ends before German refugee architects arrived to begin a new thrust and historians predicated the idea of a “Chicago school.” Unlike earlier historians who drew deceptive clarity from simplification and myth, Leslie expresses the intertwined realities that designers and builders experience as they strive to solve the technical and formal problems presented by a novel building type. Combining numerous elements—architectural and construction history; cultural, technological, and social history; political, planning, and economic history—Leslie presents a story that rings true as a portrait of professional life in the building world in all its ambition and ambiguity. The book concludes with a critical evaluation of the iconic monographs and a chronology of the buildings. Leslie ponders how the skyscraper has been defined, misunderstood, and redefined from many standpoints, and he addresses the conceptual messiness of overlapping technological phases and the back-and-forth of avant-garde daring and fiscal conservatism. He reviews and evaluates the development from monolithic to frame construction, the evolution of codes, and innovations in materials (terracotta, plate glass) and services (electricity and vertical transportation) and explains their mutual influence, taking care not to neglect the uncertainties and retarding influences of new technologies' teething troubles. The result is a comprehensive view of the basis for the designers' decision-making processes. In the struggle to provide stable foundations in Chicago's poor subsoil, Leslie sees one component of a possible answer to the perennial question of why the skyscraper's early development was concentrated in Chicago and …
Artificial Intelligence and Tutoring Systems: Computational and Cognitive Approaches to the Communication of Knowledge

From Marie Bienkowski's review : "Upon first encountering Etienne Wenger's book, "Artificial Intelligence and Tutoring Systems: Computational and Cognitive Approaches to the Communication of Knowledge," I assumed that it was the sort of book that would serve only as a reference. To find out about the EXCHECK tutoring system, I would just look it up in the exhaustive subject index. To see what tutoring work Beverly Woolf had done, I would look up her name in the author index. But, upon further examination, Wenger's book was revealed to be a good introductory text, first laying out basic issues in Chapters 1 and 2, then covering systems from SCHOLAR and SOPHIE to GUIDON and ACTP in Chapters 3 through 13. Each review chapter ends with a summary and an excellent set of bibliographic notes, further reinforcing the utility of the book as a reference and introduction to the field. In addition, it became clear that the book had another facet. As John Seely Brown and James Greeno point out in the introduction, "... this book is no mere catalog of programs and techniques... he has also laid out a provocative framework for analyzing and comparing intelligent tutoring systems." This framework is presented in Chapters 14 through 20. Thus, Wenger's book serves three purposes: it acts as a reference, it provides a comprehensive introduction to intelligent tutoring systems, and it develops a coherent framework for thinking about issues in any intelligent system that must communicate its knowledge." (http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1059726)
Pathological personality traits and criminogenic thinking styles

Abstract The present research investigated associations between pathological personality traits and criminogenic thinking styles. Study 1 examined the associations between pathological personality traits and criminogenic thinking styles among 122 community members, whereas Study 2 examined these associations among 299 incarcerated male offenders. Negative affectivity and detachment each had unique positive associations with cognitive immaturity, and antagonism was positively associated with the desire to control others across both studies. Disinhibition had unique positive associations with control and cognitive immaturity among incarcerated offenders in Study 2, whereas psychoticism was positively associated with cognitive immaturity and egocentrism across both studies. The results of these studies suggest important connections between pathological personality traits and criminogenic thinking styles that may shed light on some of the difficulties that often accompany personality pathology.
The master role of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor in melanocyte and melanoma biology

Certain transcription factors have vital roles in lineage development, including specification of cell types and control of differentiation. Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a key transcription factor for melanocyte development and differentiation. MITF regulates expression of numerous pigmentation genes to promote melanocyte differentiation, as well as fundamental genes for maintaining cell homeostasis, including genes encoding proteins involved in apoptosis (eg, BCL2) and the cell cycle (eg, CDK2). Loss-of-function mutations of MITF cause Waardenburg syndrome type IIA, whose phenotypes include depigmentation due to melanocyte loss, whereas amplification or specific mutation of MITF can be an oncogenic event that is seen in a subset of familial or sporadic melanomas. In this article, we review basic features of MITF biological function and highlight key unresolved questions regarding this remarkable transcription factor.
Psychosocial and Spiritual Care with the End of Life in Sight

By highlighting the nonphysical domains of end-of-life care, this book aims to prepare medically trained health professionals (including doctors, nurses, and others), who already provide physical end-of-life care, to give dying patients and their survivors meaningful nonphysical care as well. This book also aims to help other professionals (including hospital chaplains, parish-based clergy, social workers, and psychotherapists) and lay caregivers involved in the end-of-life care increase the scope and effectiveness of their nonphysical care within mainstream medicine’s dominant physical orientation.
Reviewing the Big Questions Literature;: or, Should HCI Have Big Questions?

What are big questions? Why do scholars propose them? How are they generated? Could they be valuable and useful in HCI research? In this paper we conduct a thorough review of "big questions" literature, which draws on scholarship from a variety of fields and disciplines. Our intended contribution is twofold. First, we provide a substantive review of big questions scholarship, which to our knowledge has never been done before. Second, we leverage this summary as a means of examining the value and utility of big questions in HCI as a research discipline. Whether HCI decides that generating and having big questions would be a desirable path forward, we believe that examining the potential for big questions is a useful way of becoming more reflective about HCI research.
Improved probabilistic load flow using unscented transformations

Distributed energy resources (DER) systems introduce uncertainties in the electrical grid that cannot be addressed by classical deterministic methods. Power system analytic tools, such as Load Flow (LF), should be revisited to address such uncertainties. Probabilistic Load Flow (PLF) provides a solution to this problem by handling these uncertainties as random variables. Among the existing sampling methods, the Unscented Transform (UT) has provided reliable and fast estimations to highly correlated systems. However, due to the large-scale integration of DER, faster and more accurate estimations are needed. In this paper, four variants of PLF, based on the UT method, with the effects of their weighting parameters are described, analyzed and compared in the IEEE 30 and IEEE 118 test cases. Then, based on this analysis recommendations and guidelines are proposed to improve the estimation based on the characteristics of the system and UT PLF method. Results are compared with previous literature benchmarks and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The proposed recommendations significantly improved accuracy and required less computational time.
Use of α2δ Ligands for Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis Ekbom Disease

Restless legs syndrome is a common neurological condition affecting a substantial portion of the population. It can be an idiopathic disorder, or one that is secondary to another cause. Given that the underlying pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome is not well understood, several drug classes have been studied for symptom control. While dopamine agonists have long been the mainstay of first-line treatment for restless legs syndrome, recently, the α2δ ligands have been increasingly used. These agents have proven both efficacious and safe in a number of clinical trials. Additionally, compared with the dopamine agonists, they have been associated with less augmentation, a phenomenon whereby symptoms emerge earlier in the day, become more severe, and may spread to areas of the body previously unaffected. Newer clinical guidelines for restless legs syndrome are increasingly recommending the α2δ ligands as a logical first-choice medication for patients needing drug therapy for symptom control.
Radiopharmaceuticals for Cardiovascular Investigations

The importance of imaging the myocardium lies in the possible benefit to the patient in the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of coronary artery disease. The rationale for the use of radionuclides in the evaluation of cardiovascular disease has not changed drastically over the past ten years. In the middle sixties, 88Rb (t1/2 = 18.66 days) was being investigated for myocardial infarct,1 and 131 I (t1/2 = 8.05 days) albumin was being evaluated for heart blood-flow studies.2 Today, 81Ro (t1/2 = 4.7 hr) is being investigated for myocardial infarcts,3–6 and 99mTc (t1/2 = 6.05 hr) albumin is used for blood-flow studies.7–8 The major improvements during the last decade have been the availability of more suitable radionuclides (many of which are cyclotron-produced), improved instrumentation (high-performance Anger cameras capable of isolating selected regions of interest), and the interfacing of computers with the cameras for data analyses. Myocardial scanning is not widely performed at the present time, since no completely satisfactory radiopharmaceutical has been available; however, extensive development work is currently underway, and the results to date are encouraging.
Tropical Cyclone Detection and Tracking Method

As described in Chap. 1, detection of TCs in operational practice may be subjective and sometimes controversial. That is also the case for detection of simulated TCs from model outputs. Research groups around the world have adopted TC tracking schemes using various techniques and threshold criteria. However, they are often not well explained [15]. Generally speaking, numerical tracking of TCs starts by locating a localized minimum in sea level pressure (SLP) or maximum in vorticity field to define the center of a potential TC. Then tracks are filtered by maximum wind speed, magnitude of vorticity, a measure of warm-core, and duration for which these criteria are met. Hereafter, for convenience, tracking schemes using these four parameters shall be referred to as base tracking. In addition to the base tracking parameters, some studies, especially those with high-resolution models, have adopted some measure of vertical variation of tangentional maximum wind speeds and horizontal temperature anomalies (referred to as structure criteria), genesis location criteria, and SLP anomaly thresholds
Obesity and Stress: The Melanocortin Connection

The role of the melanocortin system in energy homeostasis, feeding behavior, and metabolism has been a focus of intense study since its discovery in 1979 (Crine et al. 1979; Hill and Faulkner 2016). The ability of melanocortins to suppress feeding and increase energy expenditure has made melanocortin receptors (MCRs) a major target of anti-obesity drugs in development (Fani et al. 2014). In addition, the melanocortin system’s influence on circulating glucose levels suggests it could also be targeted to treat obesity-related type 2 diabetes (Morgan et al. 2015; Parton et al. 2007). While very promising in theory, problematic side effects have plagued pharmaceutical trials for such medications, preventing FDA approval (Ericson et al. 2017). These adverse effects are due to other systemic and central functions of the melanocortin system. To understand and overcome these challenges, a more comprehensive understanding is needed of the role melanocortin peptides play and how they perform their diverse functions.
State Rainy Day Funds and Government General Fund Expenditures: Revisiting the Stabilization Effect:

This study explores the stabilization effect of state rainy day funds (RDFs) on government general fund expenditures (GFEs). We discuss and explicitly illustrate the concept of stabilization effect...
Introduction to China’s Economic Statecraft: Rising Influences, Mixed Results

China’s embrace of a comprehensive and aggressive economic statecraft as part of its grand strategy indicates a paradigm change in its foreign policy. This change has captured scholarly attention – a growing body of research on China’s economic statecraft has emerged in recent years. This special topic presents a fresh selection of four research essays examining China’s economic statecraft practiced in a wide range of countries and regions in the world, including Latin America, Africa, Europe, Canada, and New Zealand. Collectively, these essays explore two important questions: (1) How successful has China’s economic statecraft been? (2) How do domestic variables (e.g., domestic politics, political institutions, interests, and public opinion) of the target states (in which China practices economic statecraft) affect the outcome of the Chinese strategies?
Wireless Power Transfer Solutions and Their Effectiveness [Georgia Institute of Technology]

My research focuses on the problems related to the creation of a wireless power transfer system designed for energy transmission at a distance of at least one meter. The project was created to provide data for the advancement of wireless power, specifically via radio frequency transmission. Previous research efforts that attempted to develop this technology have run into unforeseen obstacles that have hindered its consumer and commercial adoption. This research will yield more information into those barriers and what can be done to assist wireless power in its future development as an applied technology. To begin producing data, a wireless power system first must be created. The central design element of the transmitter was a Texas Instruments PLL and integrated VCO wideband frequency synthesizer programmed to output a 3.6GHz sine wave. That signal was then passed into a GaN amplifier integrated circuit from Analog Devices and finally transmitted via a wideband Molex antenna. The receiver circuit was much simpler, simply consisting of a second Molex antenna and a bridge rectifier circuit to convert the AC signal to DC. A multipurpose ATmega328 programs the frequency synthesizer on the transmitter and reads the voltage and current from the receiver with its integrated ADC. The research is currently still in progress, but the data that has been accumulated shows that transmission is possible but with lower power yields than initially expected. The maximum range of received power was one meter, but because the transmitted voltage and current did not meet the calculated values, the project must have reached one or more of the unknown obstacles in wireless power design. To isolate and learn more about them, the project will be revised to gather more data. It will change into different models of power transfer and be tested for their effectiveness for the benefit of future research in this topic.
Broensted Acid Catalyzed Monoalkylation of Anilines with Trichloroacetimidates.

The reaction can be applied in the one-pot synthesis of lipoxygenase inhibitor onosmin B (X).
Liquid buccal mucosa graft endoscopic urethroplasty: a validation animal study

To validate a novel method of urethral stricture treatment using liquid buccal mucosal grafts (LBMG) to augment direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU) in an animal model. A rabbit stricture model was used to test this method. Strictures were induced in 26 rabbits using electroresection of urethral epithelium. The animals were randomized into two groups: Group-1, treated with DVIU and LBMG in fibrin glue, and Group-2, DVIU with fibrin glue only. LBMG was prepared by suspension of mechanically minced buccal mucosa micrografts in fibrin glue. This LBMG-fibrin glue mixture was later injected into the urethrotomies of Group-1 animals. All animals were killed at 24 weeks after repeat retrograde urethrogram (RUG) and urethroscopy by surgeon blinded to the treatment arm. Radiographic images and histological specimens were reviewed by a radiologist and a pathologist, respectively, blinded to the treatment arm. Stricture treatment was considered a success if a diameter measured on RUG increased by ≥ 50% compared to pre-treatment RUG diameter. Histological specimens were assessed for the presence of BMG engraftment. In Group-1, 8/12(67%) animals demonstrated engraftment of LBMG, compared to none in Group-2 (p = 0.0005). 7/12(58%) in Group-1 showed radiographic resolution/improvement of strictures compared to 5/13 Group-2 rabbits (38%, p = 0.145). The median percent change for the Group-1 was 59%, compared to 41.6% for Group-2 (p = 0.29). This proof-of-concept study demonstrates feasibility of LBMG for endoscopic urethral stricture repairs. Further studies are needed to establish the role of this novel concept in treatment of urethral strictures.
Addictions Counseling: A competency-based approach

Perhaps a more accurate title for Faulkner and Faulkner’s 2019 text might be Addictions Counseling: A competencies-based approach. The authors have incorporated multiple competencies and standards ...
Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated coordinates the ovarian DNA repair and atresia-initiating response to phosphoramide mustard.

Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) protein recognizes and repairs DNA double strand breaks through activation of cell cycle checkpoints and DNA repair proteins. Atm gene mutations increase female reproductive cancer risk. Phosphoramide mustard (PM) induces ovarian DNA damage and destroys primordial follicles, and pharmacological ATM inhibition prevents PM-induced follicular depletion. Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 or Atm+/- mice were dosed once intraperitoneally with sesame oil (95%) or PM (25 mg/kg) in the proestrus phase of the estrous cycle and ovaries harvested 3 days thereafter. Atm+/- mice spent ~25% more time in diestrus phase than WT. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on ovarian protein was performed and bioinformatically analyzed. Relative to WT, Atm+/- mice had 64 and 243 proteins increased or decreased in abundance, respectively. In WT mice, PM increased 162 and decreased 20 proteins. In Atm+/- mice, 173 and 37 proteins were increased and decreased, respectively, by PM. Exportin-2 (XPO2) was localized to granulosa cells of all follicle stages and was 7.2-fold greater in Atm+/- than WT mice. Cytoplasmic FMR1-interacting protein 1 was 6.8-fold lower in Atm+/- mice and was located in the surface epithelium with apparent translocation to the ovarian medulla post-PM exposure. PM induced γH2AX, but fewer γH2AX-positive foci were identified in Atm+/- ovaries. Similarly, cleaved caspase-3 was lower in the Atm+/- PM-treated, relative to WT mice. These findings support ATM involvement in ovarian DNA repair and suggest that ATM functions to regulate ovarian atresia.
The Linearity Assumption

In the U.S. today, more than ten federal statutes contain statements about risk assessment. The process of setting environmental standards, for anything from workplace exposure to benzene, to consumer exposure to acrylonitrile in beverage containers, increasingly rests on the analysis of risk. The U.S. courts have made multiple references to risk assessment in reviewing the actions of regulatory agencies. Yet, both the criteria for a successful risk assessment and its role in helping to set policy are subjects of controversy among experts as well as the public. One reason for such disputes is that risk estimation often must rely on controversial methodological presuppositions, while risk evaluation often must appeal to debatable ethical and policy assumptions.1
Kinematic synthesis of Stephenson III six-bar function generators

This paper presents a direct solution of the kinematic synthesis equations for Stephenson III six-bar function generators to achieve as many as 11 accuracy points. The approach is similar to that used to design Stephenson II function generators, except additional algebraic manipulations reduce the system to a multihomogeneous degree of 55,050,240. A numerically general multihomogeneous homotopy was used to obtain 834,441 nonsingular solutions, which were then used to construct an efficient parameter homotopy for specific tasks consisting of 11 accuracy points. The thousands of linkage solutions found by this parameter homotopy are sorted and analyzed to verify nonbranching movement through the specified task positions. An example is presented of a function generator that creates a specified torque-angle profile for a dynamic wrist splint that cancels the effects of spasticity in the wrists of stroke survivors.
Correlating laminar convection in slots with developing flow

Abstract The problem of combined entry convection between the walls of a duct and a hydrodynamically developing flow is revisited for the geometry of a two-dimensional slot. Accurate calculations of the local and average Nusselt numbers are reported for an extended range of inverse Graetz number ( Z H ≥ 10 − 6 ), and a wide range of Prandtl number (0.1 ≤ Pr ≤ 500), while considering both constant temperature and constant heat flux wall conditions. Accuracy in this work is achieved by applying a transformation of variables to remove the singularity along the perimeter of the duct inlet before integrating the governing equations. Results of this investigation are correlated for all inverse Graetz numbers and Prandtl numbers Pr ≥ 0.5. Correlations for the local and average Nusselt numbers, and both wall conditions, are accurate to ±2.1% when compared to the benchmark results of this work.
Abstract 17276: Impact of Cardiovascular Comorbidities on COVID-19 Infection Risk

Introduction: A disproportionate amount of COVID-19 infections has occurred in minority populations and in individuals with comorbid disease. We sought to evaluate the impact of patient demographic...
Paternal germ line aging: DNA methylation age prediction from human sperm

Background: The relationship between aging and epigenetic profiles has been highlighted in many recent studies. Models using somatic cell methylomes to predict age have been successfully constructed. However, gamete aging is quite distinct and as such age prediction using sperm methylomes is ineffective with current techniques. Results: We have produced a model that utilizes human sperm DNA methylation signatures to predict chronological age by utilizing methylation array data from a total of 329 samples. The dataset used for model construction includes infertile patients, sperm donors, and individuals from the general population. Our model is capable of accurately predicting age with an R2 of 0.928 in our test data set. We additionally investigated the repeatability of prediction by processing the same sample on 6 different arrays and found very robust age prediction with an average standard deviation of only 0.877 years. Additionally, we found that smokers have approximately 5% increased age profiles compared to never smokers. Conclusions: The predictive model described herein was built to offer researchers the ability to assess germ line age by accessing sperm DNA methylation signatures at genomic regions affected by age. Our data suggest that this model can predict an individuals chronological age with a high degree of accuracy regardless of fertility status and with a high degree of repeatability. Additionally, our data appear to show age acceleration patterns as a result of smoking suggesting that the aging process in sperm may be impacted by environmental factors, though this effect appears to be quite subtle.