cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced pain-induced activity of pain-processing regions in a case-control study of episodic migraine:

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify brain regions having aberrant pain-induced activation in migraineurs, thereby gaining insight into particular aspects of pain processing that are atypical in migraineurs.MethodsFunctional magnetic resonance imaging assessed whole brain responses to painful heat in 24 adult episodic migraineurs who were at least 48 hours pain free and 27 healthy controls. Regions differentially activated in migraineurs compared to controls were identified. Activation intensities in these regions were correlated with headache frequency, number of migraine years, and time to next migraine attack.ResultsMigraineurs had greater pain-induced activation of lentiform nucleus, fusiform gyrus, subthalamic nucleus, hippocampus, middle cingulate cortex, premotor cortex, somatosensory cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and less activation in precentral gyrus and superior temporal gyrus. There were significant correlations between activation strength and headache frequency f...
In the Spotlight: Tissue Engineering

There are numerous studies that are being conducted in elucidating the biophysical effects of cells. The papers highlighted in this review present several different approaches to tease out the contribution of multiple factors in these highly complex systems. As the field moves forward, the ability to perturb the in vivo cellular microenvironment in order to promote tissue regeneration will directly benefit from our understanding of the physical (and chemical) factors that regulate cell behavior.
Tantalum Nitride Seed Layers for Bcc Tantalum Coatings Deposited on Steel by Magnetron Sputtering

Tantalum, a tough refractory metal with excellent corrosion resistance, is an attractive protective coating material for steel subjected to mechanical wear in harsh chemical environments. The coatings deposited by sputtering usually contain a hard and brittle tetragonal phase mixed with the desirable tough and ductile bcc phase of Ta. One of the methods of promoting the growth of the bcc phase at a moderate substrate temperature is deposition of an interfacial or seed layer of tantalum nitride. Ta coatings were deposited by dc magnetron sputtering in argon, and the interfacial nitride layers by reactive sputtering performed in the same chamber with nitrogen gas added to argon. The critical thickness, stoichiometry, and structure of the seed layer required for bcc Ta growth were studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results of adhesion testing of the Ta coatings deposited on the interfacial layers are also reported.
Transient response functions for graph structure addressable memory

While neurons in the brain are individually quite slow, collectively they can recognize concrete objects as well as abstract concepts very quickly. Motivated by this puzzling fact we propose biologically plausible algorithms that are capable of quickly recognizing similar graph structures. Graphs are combinatorial constructions and pose serious challenges to similarity testing. In this paper we use the transient behavior of random walk over graphs to compare their spectral resolution. We collect data from intrinsically parallel random walks to form a graph response function as an effective measure of graph similarity. Our algorithm could be a solution to the long standing mystery of content addressability in the brain.
Simulating Large Systems Using Ldvsim

System designs tare becoming increasingly complex, and simulators must keep pace with their size and complexity. To be effective, a simulator must be fast, user oriented and integrated in the design environment. Speed is possible with the use of abstraction or parallel computation. However, an important feature not considered essential in many simulators is how well the user can interact with the simulator to do the many jobs required of simulation: architectural design, timing verification, protocol testing, and verification. This paper explores issues involved in using a simulator in the design and verification of large systems. We argue that humans are unable to handle the volume of data generated by today's simulators and that new techniques such as assertion testing, alternative data representations, interactive debuggers, and mixed level simulation for verification are necessary.
REVIEW: How well have United States dairy producers adopted mastitis-control technologies for reducing herd somatic cell counts improving milk quality?

ABSTRACT Mastitis continues to be a major livestock disease affecting the dairy industry. In the United States, this disease results in economic losses approaching $2 billion annually due to reduced milk production, milk discard, veterinary services, antibiotic use, increased labor, and reduced cow sale value. As the industry strives to improve milk quality to meet consumer as well as exportation demands, the legal limit for bulk-tank SCC will likely be reduced from 750,000/mL to 400,000/mL in the near future. It is estimated that between 10 and 20% of United States dairy farms, mostly located in the Southeast, are currently at or above the 400,000/mL SCC limit and will have to adopt stricter methods for controlling mastitis in their milking herds, dry cows, and heifers. The 5-point plan of mastitis control has provided the basics of managing this disease for more than 4 decades and includes 1) teat disinfection, 2) dry-cow therapy, 3) use of functionally adequate milking machines, 4) therapy of clinical infections, and 5) culling of chronically infected cows. However, additional measures of control will have to be implemented to reduce mastitis prevalence and the associated elevation in SCC. Such management practices include maintenance of a clean and dry environment, vaccination, dietary supplementation, and mastitis control in heifers. The adoption of both the proven traditional methods and the more novel technological approaches toward mastitis management by dairy producers will have to be implemented by those with herd bulk-tank SCC exceeding 400,000/mL. In addition, extension and outreach personnel associated with agricultural universities should play a major role in disseminating mastitis-management programs to assist dairy producers in attaining maximum production of the highest-quality product.
Feeling Lonely Versus Being Alone: Loneliness and Social Support Among Recently Bereaved Persons

mate changes in loneliness and social support during the first year and a half of bereavement among older adults aged 50+. Results. Both loneliness and social support declined over the first year and a half of bereavement. Greater social support was associated with lower levels of loneliness overall, but the receipt of social support did not modify one’s expression of loneliness over time. Loneliness was more highly correlated with support from friends than family. Together, social support from both friends and family accounted for 36% of the total variance in loneliness. Discussion. There is conceptual and empirical overlap between the concepts of loneliness and social support, but results suggest that loneliness following widowhood cannot be remedied by interventions aimed only at increasing social support. Social support, especially that from friends, appears to be most effective if it is readily accessible and allows the newly bereaved an opportunity to express him/herself.
Single-molecule chiroptical spectroscopy: Fluorescence excitation of individual helicene molecules in polymer-supported thin-films.

We present results of fluorescence excitation circular dichroism studies of the chiroptical response of single (bridged triarylamine) helicene molecules immobilized at a polymer interface. We extract directly dissymmetry parameters, and corresponding probability distributions, associated with the single-molecule fluorescence excitation associated with modulation of a circular polarized excitation field for three different excitation wavelengths (405, 440, 457 nm) showing circular dichroism in bulk films. The observed single molecule chiroptical response is anomalously large in comparison with the results of time-dependent density functional calculations, and the observed defocused emission patterns seem to indicate a higher multipole nature to the transition probed. Our results provide new insights into chiroptical properties of chiral fluorophores that are hidden under the extensive averaging associated with conventional chiroptical probes. Chirality, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Uniqueness of reduced alternating rational 3-tangle diagrams

Tangles were introduced by J. Conway. In 1970, he proved that every rational 2-tangle defines a rational number and two rational 2-tangles are isotopic if and only if they have the same rational number. So, from Conway's result we have a perfect classification for rational 2-tangles. However, there is no similar theorem to classify rational 3-tangles. In this paper, we introduce an invariant of rational n-tangles which is obtained from the Kauffman bracket. It forms a vector with Laurent polynomial entries. We prove that the invariant classifies the rational 2-tangles and the reduced alternating rational 3-tangles. We conjecture that it classifies the rational 3-tangles as well.
Micromechanisms of fracture from acoustic emission

Abstract Acoustic emission (AE) events were located and characterized from a mode I fracture test on Charcoal granite. An AE source was modeled as a displacement discontinuity, a microcrack, with a displacement vector b , normal n , and area Δ A . For convenience, the source parameters were recovered through a moment tensor representation, the components of which were estimated by minimizing the error between theoretical and measured displacements at sensor positions, with an appropriate constraint on the moment tensor for the microcrack model. Amplitude sensitivity was obtained through a calibration method with a step-unloading point source, providing the linkage between the AE signal and the measured displacement. The source mechanisms of some 400 events were identified as mixed-mode but shear dominant, with both opening and closing normal displacements. Decomposition of the microcrack volumes b i Δ A into the global coordinate system of the specimen revealed a positive accumulation of opening volume compatible with the mode I fracture mechanism, while the change in the vertical component agreed with the trend of beam deflection, even during a snap-back response. An out-of-plane, mode III microcrack volume component was also detected, which reflects the nature of the local deviation of the fracture path due to heterogeneity on the grain scale. Microcrack orientations, defined by horizontal and vertical angles called tortuosity and inclination angles, respectively, provided the explanation for the shear-dominant mechanisms on the local scale but opening on the structural level. Thus, shear-type AE events can be consistent with tensile fracture, as microcracks are locally based at various orientations.
Building on youth's strengths: a call to include adolescents in developing, implementing, and evaluating violence prevention programs

OBJECTIVE: To review the challenges and potential benefits of involving adolescents in the development and delivery of prevention programming. Key Points and Implications: Adolescent violence prevention programs are typically designed and delivered by adults in school-based settings. However, research has highlighted a number of problems with the effectiveness and sustainability of adult-designed prevention models. In this commentary, we consider the possibility that program effectiveness might be improved if innovative, evidence-based prevention strategies could be developed to help guide adolescents in developing and delivering prevention materials themselves. To inform our discussion, we surveyed 14 adolescent peer leaders about their experiences developing and delivering violence prevention in their schools and communities. Using their input, we critically review the limitations of adult-delivered prevention, discuss the potential benefits and challenges of involving adolescents in designing and delivering violence prevention content, and suggest a number of future directions for researchers and program developers. Language: en
Aerial Behavior is Not a Social Facilitator in Bottlenose Dolphins Hunting in Small Groups

Two hypotheses that could explain the function of aerial behavior in dolphins feeding in large groups are: it is a social facilitator that establishes social bonds before or after a hunt, or it aids in capture of prey. To test which hypothesis best explains the function of aerial behavior in bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) that hunt in small groups, I described the behavior of dolphins based on a set of predefined parameters, estimated occurrence of aerial behavior in groups, estimated frequency of aerial behavior per dolphin, described types of aerial behavior, and related these variables to size of group and behavioral contexts: before-feeding, feeding, after-feeding, and non-feeding. Data were collected from 111 groups. Behavioral parameters were significantly different during feeding, with dolphins moving faster and engaging in aerial behavior more often than in any other context. Aerial behavior per dolphin and occurrence of aerial behavior were highest during feeding. Results did not support the social-facilitation hypothesis. Although the aid-in-capture-of-prey hypothesis was favored, data showing a positive correlation between intake of food by individuals and aerial behavior per dolphin are required as conclusive evidence.
Particle Placement and Sheet Topological Control in the Fabrication of Ag–Hexaniobate Nanocomposites

Synthetic methods are demonstrated that allow for the fabrication of Ag–hexaniobate nanocomposites with directed nanoparticle (NP) placement and nanosheet morphological control. The solvothermal treatment of exfoliated nanosheets (NSs) in the presence of Ag NPs leads to a high yield of Ag nanocomposites. This approach is quite flexible and, with control of time and temperature, can be used to produce nanocomposites with specific architectures; Ag NPs can be attached to nanosheets, attached to the surfaces of nanoscrolls, or at higher temperatures, captured within nanoscrolls to form nanopeapod (NPP) structures. The decorated nanosheets and nanoscrolls show surface plasmon resonance (SPR) maxima similar to that of free Ag NPs, while the Ag NPPs exhibit a red shift of about 10 nm.
Hogshead Construction as a Barrier to Stored-Tobacco Insects

Cured tobacco is packed and stored in warehouses for periods ranging from about 1 to 4 years in order that it may reach the proper state of fermentation prior to manufacture. Most of it is packed in hogsheads which afford a partial barrier against storedtobacco pests. These containers are ordinarily constructed 4½ feet high, 4 feet in diameter, and of pine, oak, or gum staves. Usually n hogshead has about 36 staves, ranging in width from 3 to 6 inches. The head is composed of 4 to 6 pieces. The container is held together by 6 wire hoops. Between the staves and the pieces in the head there are found cracks of various widths, the maximum being about 1 inch.
Interpatch movement of the red milkweed beetle, Tetraopes tetraophthalmus: individual responses to patch size and isolation

Individual movement patterns and the effects of host plant patch size and isolation on patch occupancy were examined for red milkweed beetles, Tetraopes tetraophthalmus, residing in a heterogeneous landscape. Male beetles were found to move both more often and farther between host plant patches than female beetles, and this difference affected the patterns of patch occupancy observed. Overall, unoccupied milkweed patches were smaller and more isolated than patches occupied by beetles. Patches uninhabited by females tended to be more isolated, but not necessarily smaller, than patches with female beetles, indicating that females may be affected more by patch isolation than patch size. Presence of male beetles on patches showed a stronger response to patch size than to patch isolation. Differences in movement between males and females illustrate the need for demographically based dispersal data. Comparisons of Tetraopes interpatch movement patterns between landscapes composed of patches of different size revealed that landscapes with overall smaller patches may have greater rates of interpatch movement.
Numerical Examination of Shock Generator Geometries and Nozzle Plume Effects on Pressure Signature

The NASA Advanced Air Vehicles Program, Commercial Supersonics Technology Project seeks to advance tools and techniques to make over-land supersonic flight feasible. In this study, preliminary computational results are presented for future tests in the NASA Ames 9’ x 7’ supersonic wind tunnel to be conducted in early 2016. Shock-plume interactions and their effect on pressure signature are examined for six model geometries. Near-field pressure signatures are assessed using the CFD code USM3D to model the proposed test geometries in free-air. Additionally, results obtained using the commercial grid generation software Pointwise R © are compared to results using VGRID, the NASA Langley Research Center in-house mesh generation program.
Design and Implementation of Salary Query System Based on Web

Objective To design the salary query distributed system based on Web and implement it in hospital in order to promote the informationization construction and the process of "paperless office".Methods SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition was chosen as Web database.Using the universal template of Web application program of Microsoft.NET framework and the script language of ASP.NET,Web application and Web service was created.And then Web pages were released by Window's IIS component.Results When the staffs entered Web server's Ip into the browser,the salary was queried and showed automatically.Conclusion This system provides convenience for salary query.And it saves the manpower and material resources of distributing pay slips.
Sharp Singular Trudinger-Moser-Adams Type Inequalities with Exact Growth

The main purpose of this paper is two fold. On the one hand, we review some recent progress on best constants for various sharp Moser-Trudinger and Adams inequalities in Euclidean spaces \(\mathbb{R}^{N}\), hyperbolic spaces and other settings, and such sharp inequalities of Lions type. On the other hand, we present and prove some new results on sharp singular Moser-Trudinger and Adams type inequalities with exact growth condition and their affine analogues of such inequalities (Theorems 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3). We also establish a sharpened version of the classical Moser-Trudinger inequality on finite balls (Theorem 1.4).
Assessment of Scaled Rotors for Wind Tunnel Experiments.

Rotor design and analysis work has been performed to support the conceptualization of a wind tunnel test focused on studying wake dynamics. This wind tunnel test would serve as part of a larger model validation campaign that is part of the Department of Energy Wind and Water Power Program’s Atmosphere to electrons (A2e) initiative. The first phase of this effort was directed towards designing a functionally scaled rotor based on the same design process and target full-scale turbine used for new rotors for the DOE/SNL SWiFT site. The second phase focused on assessing the capabilities of an already available rotor, the G1, designed and built by researchers at the Technical University of Munchen.
Convergence of prefrontal and parietal anatomical projections in a connectional hub in the striatum

Visual attentional bias forms for rewarding and punishing stimuli in the environment. While this attentional bias is adaptive in healthy situations, it is maladaptive in disorders such as drug addiction or PTSD. In both these disorders, the ability to exert control over this attentional bias is associated with drug abstinence rates or reduced PTSD symptoms, indicating the interaction of visual attention, cognitive control, and stimulus association. The inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is central to attention, while the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critical for reward, cognitive control, and attention. Importantly, regions of the IPL and PFC commonly project to the rostral dorsal caudate (rdCaud) of the striatum. We propose an anatomical network architecture in which IPL projections converge with PFC projections in a connectional hub in the rdCaud, providing an anatomical substrate for the interaction of these projections and their competitive influence on striatal processing. To investigate this, we mapped the dense projections from the caudal IPL and prefrontal (dlPFC, vlPFC, OFC, dACC, and dmPFC) regions that project to the medial rdCaud with anatomical tract-tracing tracer injections in monkeys. These inputs converge in a precise site in the medial rdCaud, rostral to the anterior commissure. Small retrograde tracer injections confirmed these inputs to the medial rdCaud and showed that a proximal ventral striatal location has a very different pattern of cortical inputs. We next used human resting-state functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) to examine whether a striatal hub exists in the human medial rdCaud. Seed regions in the human medial rdCaud revealed cortical correlation maps similar to the monkey retrograde injection results. A subsequent analysis of these correlated cortical regions showed that their peak correlation within the striatum is in the medial rdCaud, indicating that this is a connectional hub. In contrast, this peak striatal correlation was not found in the ventral striatal location, suggesting that this site is not a connectional hub of cortical regions. Taken together, this work uses the precision of monkey anatomy to identify a connectional hub of IPL and PFC projections in the medial rdCaud. It also translates this anatomical precision to humans, demonstrating that, guided by anatomy, connectional hubs can be identified in humans with fcMRI. These connectional hubs provide more specific treatment targets for drug addiction, PTSD, and other neurological and psychiatric disorders involving the striatum.
A data science approach for quantifying spatio-temporal effects to graft failures in organ transplantation

The transplantation of solid organs is one of the most important accomplishments of modern medicine. Yet, organ shortage is a major public health issue; 8,000 people died while waiting for an organ in 2014. Meanwhile, the allocation system currently implemented can lead to organs being discarded and the medical community still investigates factors that affects early graft failure such as distance and ischemic time. In this paper, we investigate early graft failure under a spatio-temporal perspective using a data science unified approach for all six organs that is based on complementary cumulative analysis of both distance and ischemic time. Interestingly, although distance seems to highly affect some organs (e.g. liver), it appears to have no effect on others (e.g. kidney). Similarly, the results on ischemic time confirm it affects early graft failure with higher influence for some organs such as (e.g. heart) and lower influence for others such as (e.g. kidney). This poses the question whether the allocation policies should be individually designed for each organ in order to account for their particularities as shown in this work.
Surface-machined micromechanical membrane pump

An electrostatic micromechanical membrane pump for fluids and gases has been designed and fabricated with a process that is compatible with integrated circuits. The process consists of six photolithography steps and eight low-pressure chemical vapor depositions. No bulk silicon etchants or wafer bonding techniques are used. Each pump consists of an input valve, a pumping membrane, and an output valve. All parts are encapsulated by silicon nitride and are actuated by electrostatic forces. Actuation voltages of approximately 50 V are required for observable valve closure and membrane deflections. Typical gas pumping displacements are between 12 to 640 nL per cycle. >
The politics of Latino publics: Immigration reform, political participation and intention to vote

Abstract Latinos are the largest U.S. minority group and are poised to play an increasingly important role in U.S. society. Public relations practitioners who work in politics should be interested in what motivates young Latinos to participate in politics. This study reports the findings of a national nonprobability survey with young Latinos (N = 434). The analysis explores how demographic variables, acculturation, political ideology and media use predict perceptions of the importance of immigration reform, reported political participation, and vote likelihood in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Of the dependent variables, findings show that acculturation (β = −0.13) only predicts perceptions of the importance of immigration reform, suggesting acculturation’s effects are issue specific. Interest in politics is the largest influential factor in predicting all of the dependent variables.
From Strategic Thinking to a Plan of Action: The Process of Mapping Organizational Quality: A Case Study of the USC Rossier School of Education

What is strategic planning? The idea of allowing organizations to “think” and “contemplate” their future enterprises through some disciplined process is not a new phenomenon. The process of strategic planning can be seen everywhere, from complex large-scale multinational corporations and government to small-scale businesses and non-profits. This focus on planning has allowed organizations of all sizes to engage in processes in which actors think, strategize, develop, and implement measureable strategies and outcomes that define both internal and external success and quality. This chapter will be a case study of the University of Southern California (USC) Rossier School of Education strategic planning process that began in August of 2011 with an inaugural Strategic Think Week. This process brought the Rossier community and outside stakeholders together to develop a common identity and big picture ideas that would be refined and culminated into the current 2012–2017 USC Rossier School of Education Strategic Plan that drives and defines the operations, development, and assessments of quality and success for the school internally as well as communicated to the external world.
Self-Striving: How Self-Focused Attention Affects Effort-Related Cardiovascular Activity

Self-focused attention is fundamental to self-regulation. When people focus attention on the self, they compare the self against standards and goals. Since the 1970s, researchers have shown that self-evaluation brought about by self-focused attention motivates people to try harder to meet their goals, although nearly all of the literature uses self-report measures or behavioral performance, rather than physiological outcomes, to assess effort. This chapter provides an integrated biobehavioral analysis of self-focused attention’s role in self-regulation. The chapter’s first section integrates two bodies of work: social-psychological theories of self-focused attention (Carver and Scheier, On the self-regulation of behavior, 1998; Duval and Wicklund, A theory of objective self awareness, 1972) and Brehm’s theory of motivational intensity (Brehm and Self, Annu Rev Psychol, 40:109–131, 1989). The integrative analysis reveals how Brehm’s model of effort can link self-focus to biological measures of motivation and suggest novel predictions. The second section reviews research on self-focus and effort, measured by the sympathetic nervous system’s influence on cardiovascular activity. A program of recent experiments reveals that (1) the predictions made by motivational intensity theory receive strong support; (2) many manipulations of self-focus, ranging from video cameras to mirrors to nonconscious first-name priming, have the same effects, indicating that they evoke the same underlying self-regulatory processes; and (3) individual differences in self-focus—known as self-reflection or private self-consciousness—replicate the effects of manipulated self-focus. Integrating these two theories thus offers some new insights into biobehavioral aspects of striving to meet goals and standards.
Foraging and metabolic consequences of semi-anadromy for an endangered estuarine fish

Diadromy affords fish access to productive ecosystems, increasing growth and ultimately fitness, but it is unclear whether these advantages persist for species migrating within highly altered habitat. Here, we compared the foraging success of wild Delta Smelt-an endangered, zooplanktivorous, annual, semi-anadromous fish that is endemic to the highly altered San Francisco Estuary (SFE)-collected from freshwater (<0.55 psu) and brackish habitat (≥0.55 psu). Stomach fullness, averaged across three generations of wild Delta Smelt sampled from juvenile through adult life stages (n = 1,318), was 1.5-fold higher in brackish than in freshwater habitat. However, salinity and season interacted, with higher fullness (1.7-fold) in freshwater than in brackish habitat in summer, but far higher fullness in brackish than freshwater habitat during fall/winter and winter/spring (1.8 and 2.0-fold, respectively). To examine potential causes of this interaction we compared mesozooplankton abundance, collected concurrently with the Delta Smelt, in freshwater and brackish habitat during summer and fall/winter, and the metabolic rate of sub-adult Delta Smelt acclimated to salinities of 0.4, 2.0, and 12.0 psu in a laboratory experiment. A seasonal peak in mesozooplankton density coincided with the summer peak in Delta Smelt foraging success in freshwater, and a pronounced decline in freshwater mesozooplankton abundance in the fall coincided with declining stomach fullness, which persisted for the remainder of the year (fall, winter and spring). In brackish habitat, greater foraging 'efficiency' (prey items in stomachs/mesozooplankton abundance) led to more prey items per fish and generally higher stomach fullness (i.e., a higher proportion of mesozooplankton detected in concurrent trawls were eaten by fish in brackish habitat). Delta Smelt exhibited no difference in metabolic rate across the three salinities, indicating that metabolic responses to salinity are unlikely to have caused the stomach fullness results. Adult migration and freshwater spawning therefore places young fish in a position to exploit higher densities of prey in freshwater in the late spring/summer, and subsequent movement downstream provides older fish more accessible prey in brackish habitat. Thus, despite endemism to a highly-altered estuary, semi-anadromy provided substantial foraging benefits to Delta Smelt, consistent with other temperate migratory fish.
Attentional Change: Exploring the Role of Attention in Shaping Change Decisions

Organizational change efforts typically fail (Beer & Nohria, 2000). While there is extensive literature around organizational change, missing from that literature is empirical research regarding ho...
A Computer Science Employment History

(1979). A Computer Science Employment History. The Journal of Data Education: Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 15-17.
An Interview with Richard E. Ladner

Accessibility pioneer Richard E. Ladner describes how he got into the field and his work at the University of Washington, and shares his thoughts on the current state and future of accessibility research.
An Eye For Design: Gaze Visualizations for Remote Collaborative Work

In remote collaboration, gaze visualizations are designed to display where collaborators are looking in a shared visual space. This type of gaze-based intervention can improve coordination, however researchers have yet to fully explore different gaze visualization techniques and develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which features of visualizations may interact with task attributes to influence collaborative performance. There are many ways to visualize characteristics of eye movements, such as a path connecting fixation points or a heat map illustrating fixation duration and coverage. In this study, we designed and evaluated three unique gaze visualizations in a remote search task. Our results suggest that the design of gaze visualizations affects performance, coordination, searching behavior, and perceived utility. Additionally, the degree of task coupling further influences the effect of gaze visualizations on performance and coordination. We then reflect on the value of gaze visualizations for remote work and discuss implications for the design of gaze-based interventions.
Regulation of Seizure-Induced MeCP2 Ser421 Phosphorylation in the Developing Brain

Abstract Neonatal seizures disrupt normal synaptic maturation and often lead to later-life epilepsy and cognitive deficits. During early life, the brain exhibits heightened synaptic plasticity, in part due to a developmental overabundance of CaV1.2 L-type voltage gated calcium (Ca2+) channels (LT-VGCCs) and Ca2+-permeable AMPARs (CP-AMPARs) lacking GluA2 subunits. We hypothesized that early-life seizures overactivate these channels, in turn dysregulating Ca2+-dependent signaling pathways including that of methyl CPG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a transcription factor implicated in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) Rett Syndrome. Here, we show that in vivo hypoxia-induced seizures (HS) in postnatal day (P)10 rats acutely induced phosphorylation of the neuronal-specific target of activity-dependent MeCP2 phosphorylation, S421, as well as its upstream activator CaMKII T286. We next identified mechanisms by which activity-dependent Ca2+ influx induced MeCP2 phosphorylation using in vitro cortical and hippocampal neuronal cultures at embryonic day (E)18 + 10 days in vitro (DIV). In contrast to the prevalent role of NMDARs in the adult brain, we found that both CP-AMPARs and LT-VGCCs mediated MeCP2 S421 and CaMKII T286 phosphorylation induced by kainic acid (KA) or high potassium chloride (KCl) stimulation. Furthermore, in vivo post-seizure treatment with the broad-spectrum AMPAR antagonist NBQX, the CP-AMPAR blocker IEM-1460, or the LT-VGCC antagonist nimodipine blocked seizure-induced MeCP2 phosphorylation. Collectively, these results demonstrate that early-life seizures dysregulate critical activity-dependent developmental signaling pathways, in part via CP-AMPAR and LT-VGCC activation, providing novel age-specific therapeutic targets for convergent pathways underlying epilepsy and ASDs.
Indications, evolving technique, and early outcomes with robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Examine and discuss indications, technique, and outcomes for robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) for testicular cancer. RECENT FINDINGS Open RPLND has been the longstanding standard of care for both primary and post chemotherapy RPLND. Recently, robotic RPLND has been an attractive option with the intent of reducing the morbidity associated with open surgery while providing identical oncologic efficacy. Naysayers of robotic RPLND suggest it is often inappropriately used as a staging procedure and consequently can compromise oncologic efficacy. SUMMARY Robotic RPLND is being evaluated as a therapeutic equivalent to open RPLND. On the basis of limited published data with modest follow-up from experienced centers, robotic RPLND appears to provide effective staging and therapeutic data mirroring that of open surgery.
A Model for Pricing Interruptible Electric Power Service

The current allocation of electric energy is based on a system of fixed prices. In such a system the gap between marginal cost of energy generation and the marginal value of energy consumption, hence the resulting inefficiency, is quite large [10]. One scheme that closes this gap is that of spot pricing, [11], [3], [2].
Risk Assessment Approaches for Dealing With Unusual Chemicals and Non-Standard Exposures

It is estimated that there are approximately 70,000 chemicals used in commercial activities. Robust toxicological data, such as would be suitable for risk assessment, are available for only a small fraction of these chemicals. While this lack of toxicity data is being addressed by recent governmental efforts such as the REACH program in Europe, data development will take considerable time. In addition, there are chemicals not covered by these regulations (e.g., process chemicals) which may nonetheless be involved in accidental exposures. Likewise, unusual exposure pathways may be of concern that are not addressed by standard exposure assumptions. Risk assessors and regulators therefore need to be open to creative and flexible approaches for dealing with such situations. Two case examples are discussed which illustrate these potential challenges and identify some possible solutions. First, we consider the case of an industrial accident which resulted in community exposure to a chemical synthesis intermediate for which toxicity data were lacking. Using a Structure Activity Relationship approach, a surrogate chemical for which toxicity data were available was identified. This allowed for estimation of potential health risks for the affected community. In the second example, we consider an occupational scenario where workers received dermal exposures to chemicals present in newly synthesized polyurethane foams. Standard exposure assessment algorithms were not sufficient for evaluating this exposure. Situation-specific information was used to estimate the transfer of the chemicals from the foam surface/subsurface to the workers' skin with subsequent dermal absorption. While uncertainties were inherent in this exposure assessment approach, they were believed to be small relative to the overall margin of safety indicated in the final assessment. The results of this assessment were used to guide the design of a worker protection program. These two case examples illustrate some of the challenges practitioners of risk assessment face as risk assessment becomes ever more widely used. They also demonstrate the need to promote flexibility and creativity in the risk assessment process.
Application of a finite element model of the brain to study traumatic brain injury mechanisms in the rat

Complete validation of any finite element (FE) model of the human brain is very difficult due to the lack of adequate experimental data. However, more animal brain injury data, especially rat data, obtained under well-defined mechanical loading conditions, are available to advance the understanding of the mechanisms of traumatic brain injury. Unfortunately, internal response of the brain in these experimental studies could not be measured. The aim of this study was to develop a detailed FE model of the rat brain for the prediction of intracranial responses due to different impact scenarios. Model results were used to elucidate possible brain injury mechanisms. A FE model, consisting of more than 250,000 hexahedral elements with a typical element size of 100 to 300 microns, was developed to represent the brain of a rat. The model was first validated locally against peak brain deformation data obtained from nine unique dynamic cortical deformation (vacuum) tests. The model was then used to predict biomechanical responses within the brain due to controlled cortical impacts (CCI). A total of six different series of CCI studies, four with unilateral craniotomy and two with bilateral craniotomy, were simulated and the results were systematically analyzed, including strain, strain rate and pressure within the rat brain. In the four unilateral CCI studies, approximately 150 rats were subjected to velocities ranging from 2.25 to 4 m/s, and cortical deformations of 1, 2 or 3 mm, with impactor diameters of 2.5 or 5 mm. Moreover, the impact direction varied from lateral 23 degrees to vertical. For the bilateral craniotomy CCI studies, about 70 rats were injured at 4.7 or 6 m/s, with deformations of 1.5 or 2.5 mm and impactor diameters of 3 or 5 mm, and at an impact direction of about 23-30 degrees laterally. Simulation results indicate that intracranial strains best correlate with experimentally obtained injuries.
TiO2 Nanotube Arrays: Application to Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

The key to a hydrogen economy is a means to generate hydrogen efficiently and inexpensively on a renewable basis, that is, without the use of fossils fuel. While there are different means to generate hydrogen, photoelectrolysis is often seen as a technique by which we might put the hydrogen in the hydrogen economy. A photoelectrochemical (PEC) system combines the harvesting of solar energy with electrolysis of water. When a semiconductor of proper characteristics is immersed in an aqueous electrolyte and irradiated with sunlight, sufficient energy is generated to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. However, there are three major challenges for the solar production of hydrogen: (1) Stability. Metal oxides are the most photochemically stable semiconductors in aqueous solution, but their band gaps are either too large (~3 eV) to absorb a significant fraction of incident solar energy, or their semiconductor characteristics (e.g., charge transport) are poor. (2) Bandgap. Considering the water splitting energy of 1.23 eV and overpotential losses, the semiconductor(s) should have a bandgap greater than 1.7 eV. However, semiconductors with such relatively low bandgaps have been found to lack stability during water splitting. (3) Energy levels. Even though a semiconductor electrode may generate sufficient energy to drive an electrochemical reaction, the band edge positions may prevent it from doing water splitting. For spontaneous water splitting, water oxidation and reduction potentials must lie between the valence and conduction band edges. Materials known to do this, for example, SrTiO3, have such large bandgaps they absorb only in the UV region.
Massive Hemorrhage During Craniotomy: Emergency Management

The brain is a highly vascular organ, receiving approximately 20% of cardiac output at rest. Thus, rapid exsanguination can result from uncontrolled hemorrhage during a craniotomy. The reported morbidity and mortality from hemorrhage is very high, varying between 5–27% and 0–4%, respectively, in one series and between 8% and 1%, respectively, in another. Therefore, the anesthesiologist must anticipate and prepare for potential massive intraoperative hemorrhage during craniotomy. Intraoperative hemorrhage is more likely to occur during surgical procedures that involve the intracranial vasculature, such as clipping of aneurysms and resection of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).
Kinetics and Mechanism of Captopril Oxidation in Aqueous Solution Under Controlled Oxygen Partial Pressure

The stability of captopril in aqueous solution at 32°C was studied in the pH range 6.6 to 8.0 under controlled oxygen partial pressure (90–760 mm Hg) with and without the addition of cupric ion. The oxidation product, captopril disulfide, was found to be the sole degradation product. A change in reaction rate from first order to zero order occurs as the captopril concentration decreases. The concentration at which this transition takes place is a function of the pH, oxygen partial pressure, and cupric ion concentration. The apparent first-order rate constants show a first-order dependency on both the oxygen partial pressure and the cupric ion concentration. However, the apparent zero-order rate constants show a first-order dependency on oxygen partial pressure and a second-order dependency on cupric ion concentration. As the pH increases from 6.6 to 8.0, the first-order process becomes more predominant. A mechanism which consists of cupric ion- and molecular oxygen-catalyzed oxidation is proposed to explain those observations.
The independence of working memory capacity and audiovisual cues when listening in noise

This study examined the effect of levels of working memory capacity, levels of background noise, and audiovisual cues on adults' ability to process speech when listening in noise. A mixed design was used to examine the effects of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, 6 levels), audiovisual condition (audio vs. audiovisual), and working memory capacity on speech recognition. Ninety-six participants between the ages of 18 35 without a history of hearing loss or cognitive impairment were recruited for this research project. Working memory capacity mediated speech processing in noise during the auditory only listening condition. The reliance on working memory capacity increased as noise level increased. There was no interaction effect between working memory capacity and the audiovisual listening condition. People with a high working memory capacity have an advantage when listening to speech in noisy backgrounds. The level of the noise makes the biggest difference in a person's ability to recognize speech and performance can be improved with the inclusion of audiovisual cues. The effects of low signal-to-noise ratios can be mitigated with audiovisual cues independent of attentional control mechanisms.
What you hear is (not always) what you get: Subjects and verbs among receptive Palenquero-Spanish bilinguals

Abstract The present study offers data from native Spanish speakers who possess receptive competence in Palenquero, a Spanish-lexified creole spoken in the Afro-Colombian village of San Basilio de Palenque. Until recently Palenquero was endangered, but language revitalization activities are now underway in Palenque. These efforts are resulting in young L2 Palenquero speakers and receptive bilinguals, who do not actively use the language but who are exposed to it within the community and through occasional classes. This study, based on experimental research conducted in Palenque, examines receptive bilinguals' grasp of Palenquero subject-verb structures as a demonstration of how the divergence between active and receptive bilinguals' grammars can go undetected within the speech community. Receptive bilinguals sometimes produce referential null subjects instead of overt pronouns even in the absence of other disambiguating cues. Receptive bilinguals also do not systematically differentiate Palenquero pre-verbal particles, in a fashion suggestive of a maximally simplified subject-verb configuration.
Impact of Reddit Discussions on Use or Abandonment of Wearables

Discussion platform, Reddit, is the third most visited website in the US. People can post their questions on this platform to get varying opinions from fellow users, which in turn might also influence their behavior and choices. Wearables are becoming widely adopted, yet challenges persist in their effective long term use because of technical and device related, or personal issues. Therefore, by employing sentiment analysis, this paper aims to analyze how decisions of use or abandonment of wearables are influenced by discussions on Reddit. The results are based on the analysis of 6680 posts and their associated 50,867 comments posted between December 2015 – December 2017 on the subreddit (user created groups) on android wear. Our results show that sentiment of the discussion is majorly dictated by the sentiment of the post itself, and people decide to continue using their devices when fellow Redditors offer them workarounds, or the discussion receives majority of positive or fact-driven neutral comments.
Modeling of Select Mixed-Signal Electronics for Cold Temperature Environments

Future NASA missions such as icy moons and worlds will be subject to operating in extreme cold using mixed-signal electronic components. At present, models for mixed-signal components do not include significant temperature dependence, ADCs in particular. By developing comparatively generic models that are cold-capable, the ability to integrate mixed-signal parts into a larger system greatly increases. We have focused on Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs) because of their widespread, critical usage in avionic subsystems and lack of available cold macro models. This paper provides an overview of testing and modeling of a commercial off the shelf (COTS) ADC across cryogenic temperature for the purposes of trend identification, performance prediction and reliability scoping with possible post-correction capability. The development of this model will hopefully permit greater integration of commercial components in larger avionics systems, decreasing development time while increasing flexibility of designers when trying to meet mission objectives.