cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
S1PR1 Tyr143 phosphorylation downregulates endothelial cell surface S1PR1 expression and responsiveness.

Activation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) plays a key role in repairing endothelial barrier function. We addressed the role of phosphorylation of the three intracellular tyrosine residues of S1PR1 in endothelial cells in regulating the receptor responsiveness and endothelial barrier function regulated by sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)-mediated activation of S1PR1. We demonstrated that phosphorylation of only Y143 site was required for S1PR1 internalization in response to S1P. Maximal S1PR1 internalization was seen in 20 min but S1PR1 returned to the cell surface within 1 h accompanied by Y143-dephosphorylation. Cell surface S1PR1 loss paralleled defective endothelial barrier enhancement induced by S1P. Expression of phospho-defective (Y143F) or phospho-mimicking (Y143D) mutants, respectively, failed to internalize or showed unusually high receptor internalization, consistent with the requirement of Y143 in regulating cell surface S1PR1 expression. Phosphorylation of the five S1PR1 C-terminal serine residues did not affect the role of Y143 phosphorylation in signaling S1PR1 internalization. Thus, rapid reduction of endothelial cell surface expression of S1PR1 subsequent to Y143 phosphorylation is a crucial mechanism of modulating S1PR1 signaling, and hence the endothelial barrier repair function of S1P.
Yield and Income Response to Planting Dates and Harvest Aid Chemicals in Texas Cotton Production

The production of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., within the Texas Rolling Plains can be affected by many interrelated environmental factors, including moisture, temperature, insects, and length of the growing season. The use of new varieties, insecticidal and harvest aid chemicals, and alternative planting dates to attain maximum yields must be achieved within their level of cost-effectiveness. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of planting dates and harvest aid chemicals on yield and net income per hectare under 3 cotton production systems. The 3 production systems were dry land, short-season irrigated, and medium-season irrigated. Planting cotton in May in each of the 3 systems did not result in significantly reduced yields or net income. Harvest aid chemicals did not significantly increase yields or net incomes over the test period.
Computer Simulation for Predicting the Number of Stethorus punctum Needed to Control the European Red Mite in Pennsylvania Apple Trees

In Pennsylvania apple orchards, control of Panonychus ulmi (Koch) is achieved by dinocap and the predator Stethorus punctum (LeConte). A decision-making table is proposed for determining the minimum number of S. punctum necessary to control a given sized European red mite population. This table is based on a mathematical model of the relationship between S. punctum populations and mite populations necessary for successful European red mite control. The parameters utilized in constructing this model were: the rate at which dinocap suppresses a mite population; the S. punctum predation rate; temperature and its effect on the rate of mite population growth; and the rate at which S. punctum populations increase.
25 Years of Translational Research in OCT

This talk will discuss milestones in OCT translation into the clinic over 25 years, including retinal, anterior segment and whole-eye ophthalmic diagnostics, as well as hand-held, pediatric and intrasurgical imaging innovations.
Trajectory Bounds of Input-to-State Stability for Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

Abstract Model predictive control (MPC) is an optimization-based tool that is widely used in the chemical industry, and nonlinear MPC (NMPC) expands the technology to handle more detailed models that are accurate across a wider range of state values. Many works in the literature have studied NMPC using Input-to-State Stability (ISS). The purpose of this work is to provide a method for calculating state trajectory bounds for NMPC using ISS theory. These predictive bounds are derived in terms of parameters that may be found from a series of open loop calculations in the general nonlinear case. Results are shown for a scalar linear system and a nonlinear CSTR, and the challenges involved with higher dimensional problems are discussed.
SOCIALISM ON SAFARI: WILDLIFE AND NATION-BUILDING IN POSTCOLONIAL TANZANIA, 1961–77

This article examines the fraught history of officials' innovative uses of wildlife in socialist Tanzania, as they pursued both international and domestic agendas with the country's wild fauna. Internationally, officials sought to enhance Tanzania's reputation and gain foreign support through its conservation policies and diplomatic use of wild animals. Domestically, officials recognized the utility of wildlife for a number of nation-building agendas, ranging from national identity to economic development. However, internal contradictions riddled the wildlife economy, creating difficulty for government officials and party leaders when balancing socialist commitments with an effective, market-driven industry.
Homogeneous Carbon as Stationary Phase for Liquid Chromatography

Homogeneous edge-plane carbon stationary phase was prepared using silica as template. The carbon stationary phase was evaluated by the column efficiency, linear solvation energy relationships, and separation of polar compounds. Compared to other carbon phases, the edge-plane carbon showed unique selectivity, especially for polar analytes.
Decrease of the Bond Strength between Steel Rebar and Concrete with Increasing Curing Age

The effect of curing age on the bond between concrete and steel rebar was studied by measuring both bond strength and contact electrical resistivity. The bond strength decreased with increasing curing age from 7 to 28 days, while the contact resistivity increased. Both effects are due to an increase in interfacial void content, which in turn is due to the drying shrinkage of the concrete.
The energy harvesting two-way decode-and-forward relay channel with stochastic data arrivals

In this paper, a two-way relay channel is considered with energy harvesting nodes and stochastic data arrivals at the source nodes. The batteries and data buffers at all nodes are of finite storage capability. The sum throughput maximization problem for this set up is shown to be a convex optimization problem, and the optimal offline policy is found. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the optimal policy for different channel setups, and its performance.
Local heat transfer in a microchannel with a pin fin—experimental issues and methods to mitigate

Abstract Local heat transfer downstream a single pin fin in a microchannel was experimentally studied by incorporating an array of micro resistance temperature detectors (RTD) (∼55 μm × 55 μm) on the internal microchannel surface. Local temperature distribution with spatial resolution as high as 150 μm was obtained and was superimposed onto the velocity field to reveal the interaction between the flow structure and the local heat transfer at different regions downstream the pin fin. Initial result in which the surface temperature inside the steady wake region was lower than in the regions outside the recirculation zone was explained and linked to an interplay of fluid convection and solid substrate conduction. Ignoring this local interplay and processing the data without careful consideration to the conduction process resulted in misinterpretation of the heat transfer processes. To address this issue numerical thermal and fluid model of the entire device was simulated to provide local heat flux distribution. This in turn allowed to resolve the local heat transfer coefficient in the vicinity, and outside the region, of the pin fin.
VIBRIO PARAHAEMOLYTICUS–ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION, CLASSIFICATION, AND ECOLOGY

Vibrio parahaemolyticus was isolated from samples of water, sediment, blue crabs, oysters, and clams collected in several areas of Chesapeake Bay. Numerical taxonomy was used to identify and classify the bacterial isolates. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base composition, serology, isozyme, gas chromatography, bacteriophage sensitivity, and DNA/DNA reassociation analyses confirmed the identification and classification of V. parahaemolyticus and permitted establishment of genetic relationships of the Chesapeake Bay strains with isolates from victims of food poisoning in Japan and from samples taken in geographically diverse areas of the United States. Isolates implicated in recent outbreaks of food poisoning, the first fully documented cases of V. parahaemolyticus food poisoning in the United States, were shown by DNA/DNA reassociation measurements to be closely related to the Japanese and other isolates collected in the United States. Fatty acid profiles of cell derivatives prepared using GLC were useful in ...
Association of Pregnancy with Stone Formation among Women in the United States: A NHANES Analysis 2007 to 2012.

Purpose: Lithogenic urinary changes develop during pregnancy. Such changes may increase stone proclivity thereafter in working and child rearing aged women. However, to our knowledge such an association has not been previously identified.Materials and Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2007 to 2012 NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) to assess the association between pregnancy and nephrolithiasis.Results: The weighted national prevalence of nephrolithiasis among women 50 years or younger was 6.4% (95% CI 5.4–7.6). The prevalence of nephrolithiasis was significantly higher among women who had been pregnant compared with those who had never been pregnant (7.5% vs 3.2%, p = 0.0004). On univariate regression those who had been pregnant had more than twice the odds of having had kidney stones (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.50–3.98). An increased likelihood of nephrolithiasis in those with a history of pregnancy persisted on multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age...
Proton and heavy ion testing of the Microsemi Igloo2 FPGA

We performed proton and heavy-ion testing of the Microsemi Igloo2 FPGA using several basic designs looking at the logic, embedded SRAM, and mathblocks as well as any SEFI or high current states.
Architecting Climate Change Data Infrastructure for Nevada

The NSF EPSCoR-funded Nevada Climate Change Project seeks to create a central, reusable, extensible infrastructure that can be used to collect geospatial climate data and information. Housing climate data for Nevada and its surrounding regions during the initial construction phases, the newly created system (with its central component: the Nevada Climate Change Portal) will ultimately be capable of storing any kind of geospatial data for multiple types of research, education and outreach activities. In order to meet the varied needs of the climate researchers, educators, students, and policy makers involved in the project, it was necessary to research and implement a new system architecture. The novelty of this architecture is that it addresses, in an extensible and robust manner, the end-to-end needs of all project stakeholders, implementing multiple sub-levels of architectural design that incorporate data acquisition from sensor networks, data storage using high-performance geospatially-enabled databases, asset tracking and management to improve data validation and verification, metadata collection and management, data curation, and advanced web-based data management and retrieval. The paper describes the proposed system architecture, discusses the major design challenges encountered, addresses some implementation points, and highlights the capabilities of the Nevada Climate Change Portal.
Attentional Processes in Social Perception

Abstract In this chapter, we describe how a simple attentional mechanism can account for a wide variety of phenomena in social perception. According to Attention Theory (Kruschke, 1996 , 2003 ), people preferentially attend to differentiating information in order to maximize category learning. When learning multiple social categories, people attend to all features that characterize the first-learned category but shift their attention to features that uniquely distinguish a later-learned category from the first. As a result, they form a stronger impression of the later-learned social category. First, we review research on attentional processes in stereotype formation and group categorization. We show how Attention Theory can account for both category accentuation and illusory correlation in the formation of majority and minority group stereotypes. We then explain how attention shifting influences face perception and racial categorization. Second, we describe attentional processes as they relate to context-based impression formation and the influence of individual- and group-based expectancies on context-based impressions. Last, we discuss implications for impression change.
Uniformity and Integrity in Immigration Law: Lessons from the Decisions of Justice (and Judge) Sotomayor

Though courts and scholars emphasize the importance of uniformity in the interpretation and application of federal immigration law, systemic complexity makes its achievement elusive. In the immigration opinions she has drafted to date on the Supreme Court, as well as in her extensive work reviewing asylum adjudications on the Second Circuit, Justice Sotomayor has invoked uniformity as a means of promoting fairness and accountability. But she also has demonstrated how these values can be advanced even in uniformity’s absence, when the system produces conflict and divergent enforcement outcomes. Her opinions highlight how courts can meaningfully, albeit imperfectly, constrain administrative actors through consistent legal interpretation, while still accepting the diversity and discretion built into immigration law itself. This essay was part of a Yale Law Journal Forum symposium assessing Justice Sotomayor's first five years on the Court.
General Morphology of the Pelvis

In this monograph an attempt is made to describe the variations in the female pelvis which are of obstetrical significance, to correlate these with their effect upon labor, and to indicate how, by clinical and roentgenological methods of examination, the various abnormalities may be recognized.
Structural-Flow Trajectories for Unravelling 3D Tubular Bundles

We cast segmentation of 3D tubular structures in a bundle as partitioning of structural-flow trajectories. Traditional 3D segmentation algorithms aggregate local pixel correlations incrementally along a 3D stack. In contrast, structural-flow trajectories establish long range pixel correspondences and their affinities propagate grouping cues across the entire volume simultaneously, from informative to non-informative places. Segmentation by trajectory clustring recovers from persistent ambiguities caused by faint boundaries or low contrast, common in medical images. Trajectories are computed by linking successive registration fields, each one registering pairs of consecutive slices of the 3D stack. We show our method effectively unravels densely packed tubular structures, without any supervision or 3D shape priors, outperforming previous 2D and 3D segmentation algorithms.
Introduction—Human Hair, Skin, and Hair Care Products

This book presents the biophysics of human hair and hair treatment. It deals with the structure of hair, the nanomechanical characterization, nanotribological characterization, the conditioner thickness distribution and binding interactions on hair surface, and surface potential studies. It is the first book on the biophysical properties of hair.
Axioms or algorithms

Traditional formal proof systems have been found unusable by those working on such applications of logic as program verification. They demand too much from the proof generator and too little from the proof checker. The notion of proof sketch or informal proof is an unsatisfactory substitute both because it is imprecise and because it treats the symptom rather than the disease. We propose to replace axiomatic proof systems by algorithmic proof systems, which explicitly incorporate a quantitative notion of computational complexity. This proposal depends on the existence of tractable decision procedures for many substantial fragments of logic, the "easy fragments."
Temperature: Cellular to Whole-Plant and Population Responses

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses climate change in relation to ecology and plant populations with an emphasis on the low-temperature environments of the arctic and boreal zone. The temperature regime of habitats occupied by plants ranges from just over freezing during the active growth period in arctic regions to daytime temperatures exceeding 500C during the growth cycle of some equatorial desert species. Temperature plays a major role in determining plant productivity and species distribution, and it can be examined on several scales from processes occurring at the molecular (for example, enzyme kinetics) to population and biogeographical changes (for example, migration). The overwhelming evidence that atmospheric CO2 is increasing exponentially and will likely double within the next century demands that any attempt to predict the effect of climate change on terrestrial vegetation must take into account the possible interactive effects between increasing atmospheric CO2 and temperature on plants. In addition to being the most important of the greenhouse gases, accounting for about 60% of the global warming potential, elevated CO2 has profound direct effects on plant physiology that could alter some plant responses to temperature.
The Praxis of Design: Framing, Making, Doing, and Defining

The Design Praxis Matrix recognizes that the design process is a highly iterative combination of varied activities and outputs. Developed to explicitly recognize the nonlinear progression typically portrayed, the Design Praxis Matrix is both a tool for education and reflection. A framework that uses Tangible and Intangible Activities and Outputs has been used to describe the conceptual behaviors and outcomes conducted in project-based learning challenges. These include Framing, Making, Doing, and Defining. Subsequently, as the design process is uniquely generative in nature, a resulting mindset to identify and synthesize high-level concepts to more detailed design specific issues is part of the natural designer and engineer workflow.
Abstract 197: Predictors of Early Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Recovery in Patients Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is recommended by guidelines in severe aortic stenosis (AS) in patients with high or intermediate surgical risk. However, AS and reduced le...
Apraclonidine in the unlicensed treatment of eyelid ptosis

Eyelid ptosis is a complication that may occur following injection of botulinum toxin type A. It generally presents within 3–7 days of treatment. A drooping or lowering of the eyelid may be severe ...
Quantifying memory CD8 T cell-mediated immune pressure on influenza A virus infection in vivo

Abstract The conservation of T cell epitopes in human influenza A virus has prompted the development of T cell-inducing influenza vaccines. However, the selection pressure mediated by memory CD8 T cells upon influenza virus has not been directly measured. Using a droplet digital PCR technique to distinguish wild-type and an epitope-mutant PR8 influenza viruses in vivo, this study quantifies the viral replicative fitness of a CD8 T cell-escaping mutation in the immunodominant influenza NP366-374 epitope in C57BL/6 (B6) mice under different settings of cellular immunity. Although this mutation does not result in a viral fitness defect in vitro or during the early stages of in vivo infection in naive B6 mice, it does confer a moderate but consistent advantage to the mutant virus following heterosubtypic challenge of HKx31-immunized mice. In addition, this advantage was maintained under increased MHC diversity but became more substantial when the breadth of epitope recognition is limited. Finally, we showed that lung-resident, but not circulating, memory CD8 T cells are the primary source of cellular immune pressure early during infection, prior to the induction of a secondary effector T cell response. Integrating the data with an established modeling framework, we show that the relatively modest immune pressure mediated by memory CD8 T cells is one of the important factors responsible for the conservation of CD8 T cell epitopes in influenza A viruses that circulate among humans. Thus, a T cell-inducing vaccine that generates lung-resident memory CD8 T cells covering a sufficient breadth of epitopes may transiently protect against severe pathology without driving the virus to rapidly evolve and escape. Author Summary Since the historic Spanish flu in 1918, influenza has caused several pandemics and become an important public health concern. The inactivated vaccines routinely used attempt to boost antibodies, which may not be as effective when antigenic mismatch happens and could drive the virus to evolve and escape due to their high immune pressure. In contrast, the ability of influenza-specific T cells to reduce pathology and the conservation of T-cell epitopes across subtypes have shed light on the development of universal vaccines. In this study, we assessed the CD8 T cell-mediated selection pressure on influenza virus in mouse using a digital PCR technique. Within mice that have influenza-specific systemic and lung-resident memory CD8 T cells established, we found the advantage conferred by an escaping mutation in one of the immunodominant epitopes is around 25%. This advantage becomes much greater when the cellular immunity focuses on the focal epitope, while it is delayed when only systemic cellular immunity is established. Combining the data with our previous modeling work, we conclude that the small selection pressure imposed by CD8 T cells can explain the overall conservation of CD8 T cell epitopes of influenza A virus in addition to functional constraint.
Fournier Gangrene in Men and Women: Appearance on CT, Ultrasound, and MRI and What the Surgeon Wants to Know :

Fournier gangrene (FG) is a genitourinary necrotizing fasciitis that can be lethal if not promptly diagnosed and surgically debrided. The diagnosis is often made by physical examination paired with an appropriate clinical suspicion and supporting laboratory values. Imaging, particularly computed tomography (CT), plays a role in delineating involved fascial planes for operative debridement and occasionally in diagnosing FG. Less commonly, the imaging manifestations of FG may also be seen on ultrasound, radiographs, and magnetic resonance imaging. With the ubiquitous use and availability of CT, radiologists have a growing role in recognizing FG. This can be challenging in the absence of fascial gas, but a CT scoring system for necrotizing fasciitis can be helpful in making the diagnosis. Recent series suggest that this predominantly male disease has a rising incidence in women. Women with FG are more likely to be morbidly obese and have vulvar or labial involvement compared to men. Imaging mimics include ulcerative and necrotic tumors, traumatic or iatrogenic fascial gas, and vaginitis emphysematosa. The purpose of this pictorial review is to illustrate the imaging manifestations of FG and its mimics, with emphases on necrotizing fasciitis CT scoring systems and FG in women.
Voices of Refugee Mothers: Navigating the Complexities of Supporting Their Preschool Children's Literacy Development.

The process of guiding young children to learn to read and write may hold unique challenges for refugee families who are transitioning to a new culture and a new language, yet areas of strength and resourcefulness may lead to successful literacy readiness for these young learners. This qualitative descriptive study examined refugee mothers’ (N = 9) literacy practices with their preschool aged children (3–5 years). The study goals were first, to explore the literacy practices among refugee families and their children, and secondly, to understand how these families navigated their new environments as they prepared their young children for school. Qualitative data collected via interviews indicated that the literacy practices of families varied and were mainly focused on storytelling and writing activities. The findings also suggested that mothers face challenges in promoting literacy due to lack of literacy resources. However, all the mothers highlighted that learning to read, write, and speak English were top priorities for their young children before starting school. Implications on effective strategies for supporting literacy development among refugee families with young children are discussed.
Gibberellin A4/A7, for induction of staminate flowers on the gynoecious cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Gibberellin A4/A7 was compared with GA3 for staminate flower induction on an inbred gynoecious cucumber line grown under field conditions in Michigan. Gibberellin A4/A7 spray applications at 50 ppm were found to induce significantly greater numbers of staminate flowers than GA3 applied at 1000 ppm without causing excessive stem elongation or brittleness often associated with high dosage of GA3.
Machine Learning of Combustion LES Models from Reacting Direct Numerical Simulation

In this chapter we demonstrate how supervised deep learning techniques can be used to construct models for the filtered progress variable source term necessary for large eddy simulation (LES). The source data for the model is a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a reacting flow in a low swirl burner configuration. Filtered quantities taken from the DNS data are used to train a deep neural network (DNN)-based model. An efficient data sampling strategy was devised to ensure that a uniform representation of all the states observed in the filtered DNS data are equally present in the training dataset. A-priori testing of the DNN-based model highlights the representative power of DNN to accurately reproduce the filtered reaction progress variable source term over a range of scales and various flame regimes as seen in an industrial burner.
Iron Alters the Cell Wall Composition and Intracellular Lactate to Affect Candida Albicans Susceptibility to Antifungals and Host Immune Response

Fungal pathogen Candida albicans has a complex cell wall consisting of an outer layer of mannans and an inner layer of β-glucans and chitin. The fungal cell wall is the primary target for antifungals and is recognized by host immune cells. Environmental conditions such as carbon sources, pH, temperature, and oxygen tension can modulate the fungal cell wall architecture. Cellular signaling pathways, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, are responsible for sensing environmental cues and mediating cell wall alterations. Although iron has recently been shown to affect β-1,3-glucan exposure on the cell wall, we report here that iron changes the composition of all major C. albicans cell wall components. Specifically, high iron decreased the levels of mannans (including phosphomannans) and chitin; and increased β-1,3-glucan levels. These changes increased the resistance of C. albicans to cell wall-perturbing antifungals. Moreover, high iron cells exhibited adequate mitochondrial functioning; leading to a reduction in accumulation of lactate that signals through the transcription factor Crz1 to induce β-1,3-glucan masking in C. albicans. We show here that iron-induced changes in β-1,3-glucan exposure are lactate-dependent; and high iron causes β-1,3-glucan exposure by preventing lactate-induced, Crz1-mediated inhibition of activation of the fungal MAPK Cek1. Furthermore, despite exhibiting enhanced antifungal resistance, high iron C. albicans cells had reduced survival upon phagocytosis by macrophages. Our results underscore the role of iron as an environmental signal in multiple signaling pathways that alter cell wall architecture in C. albicans, thereby affecting its survival upon exposure to antifungals and host immune response.
Correspondence of optimal stimulation and beta power varies regionally in STN DBS for Parkinson disease

Abstract Introduction Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) for Parkinson disease (PD) normalizes neuronal hypersynchrony in the beta frequency range (13–30 Hz). The spatial correspondence of maximal beta power to the site of optimal stimulation along the DBS lead trajectory has been debated. Methods We determined the trajectory locations of the active contact, maximal beta power, and the dorsal border of the STN (DB-STN) in DBS patients. Beta power profiles were measured during intraoperative microelectrode recording (MER). Active contact locations were assigned during blinded, postoperative DBS programming. The DB-STN was identified both electrophysiologically during MER and anatomically on MRI. After grouping DBS trajectories into quadrants relative to the anatomic STN midpoint, we examined regional variations in the relative trajectory locations of the three entities. Results STN DBS significantly improved motor performance for all 13 DBS patients, with active contacts at the DB-STN. Along trajectories passing posterior-medial to the STN midpoint, maximal beta power co-localized with active contacts at the DB-STN (difference Δ = 0.4 ± 1.6 mm, p = 0.57). By contrast, in posterior-lateral trajectories, maximal beta arose within the STN, ventral to active contacts (Δ = 1.9 ± 1.3 mm, p = 0.002). For trajectories anterior to the STN midpoint, maximal beta power co-localized with the DB-STN, while active contacts were ventral to peak beta power (p = 0.05). Conclusion Our findings indicate that co-localization of optimal stimulation and beta power varies by anatomical region in STN DBS for Parkinson disease.
Health Design Thinking: An Innovative Approach in Public Health to Defining Problems and Finding Solutions

Current trends in the United States health care landscape call for innovative and adaptive approaches to improve outcomes and reduce inefficiencies. Design Thinking is an innovative approach to problem-solving that leverages insights from the end-users of new products, services, and experiences in order to develop best-fit solutions that are rapidly prototyped and iteratively refined. When compared to traditional problem-solving methods in health care and other public health adjacent fields, Design Thinking leads to more successful and sustainable interventions. Design Thinking has facilitated improvements in patient, provider, and community satisfaction, and in public health, has increased efficiency and collaboration in intervention development. Given the promising nature of Design Thinking as an effective problem-solving method, it follows that Design Thinking training would prove a beneficial addition to public health education. The integration of Design Thinking in public health education may equip public health leaders with essential skills necessary to understand and more effectively approach historically intractable challenges. This article describes the development and evaluation of a hands-on Design Thinking workshop, piloted with Master of Public Health (MPH) students in April, 2019 at Thomas Jefferson University. Preceding and following the workshop, evaluation forms were used to assess participants' knowledge about Design Thinking concepts and attitudes towards the workshop experience. Metrics were aligned with established learning objectives related to process, impact, and outcomes of the workshop. We hypothesized that the workshop intervention would increase participants understanding of Design Thinking concepts and applications in public health. Evaluations demonstrated that after attending the workshop, participants were able to understand and apply Design Thinking concepts in a public health context. Following the evaluation of pilot data, the workshop was refined and embedded in the MPH curriculum at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.
Intelligent multi-zone residential HVAC control strategy based on deep reinforcement learning

Abstract Residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) has been considered as an important demand response resource. However, the optimization of residential HVAC control is no trivial task due to the complexity of the thermal dynamic models of buildings and uncertainty associated with both occupant-driven heat loads and weather forecasts. In this paper, we apply a novel model-free deep reinforcement learning (RL) method, known as the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG), to generate an optimal control strategy for a multi-zone residential HVAC system with the goal of minimizing energy consumption cost while maintaining the users’ comfort. The applied deep RL-based method learns through continuous interaction with a simulated building environment and without referring to any prior model knowledge. Simulation results show that compared with the state-of-art deep Q network (DQN), the DDPG-based HVAC control strategy can reduce the energy consumption cost by 15% and reduce the comfort violation by 79%; and when compared with a rule-based HVAC control strategy, the comfort violation can be reduced by 98%. In addition, experiments with different building models and retail price models demonstrate that the well-trained DDPG-based HVAC control strategy has high generalization and adaptability to unseen environments, which indicates its practicability for real-world implementation.
Ordered polymer composite materials: challenges and opportunities

Polymer nanocomposites containing nanoscale fillers are an important class of materials due to their ability to access a wide variety of properties as a function of their composition. In order to take full advantage of these properties, it is critical to control the distribution of nanofillers within the parent polymer matrix, as this structural organization affects how the two constituent components interact with one another. In particular, new methods for generating ordered arrays of nanofillers represent a key underexplored research area, as emergent properties arising from nanoscale ordering can be used to introduce novel functionality currently inaccessible in random composites. The knowledge gained from developing such methods will provide important insight into the thermodynamics and kinetics associated with nanomaterial and polymer assembly. These insights will not only benefit researchers working on new composite materials, but will also deepen our understanding of soft matter systems in general. In this review, we summarize contemporary research efforts in manipulating nanofiller organization in polymer nanocomposites and highlight future challenges and opportunities for constructing ordered nanocomposite materials.
Between the Capitalist and the Cop: The Path of Revolution in Blade Runner 2049

This essay argues that Blade Runner 2049 reveals the opposition that arises between the forces of capitalism and those of the police. This opposition occurs because capitalism both requires policing and finds its restrictions excessively burdensome. As a result of this opposition, the possibility for revolutionary action emerges, which the film depicts as an uprising of the replicants.
Enhancing sensory acuity and balance function using near-sensory biofeedback-based perturbation intervention for individuals with traumatic brain injury.

Bacground Interventions addressing balance dysfunction after traumatic brain injury (TBI) only target compensatory aspects and do not investigate perceptual mechanisms such as sensory acuity. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of a novel intervention that integrates sensory acuity with a perturbation-based approach for improving the perception and functional balance after TBI. Methods A two-group design was implemented to evaluate the effect of a novel, perturbation-based balance intervention. The intervention group (n = 5) performed the intervention with the sinusoidal (0.33, 0.5, and 1 Hz) perturbations to the base of support with amplitudes derived using our novel outcome of sensory acuity - perturbation perception threshold (PPT). The efficacy is evaluated using changes in PPT and functional outcomes (Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed-up and Go (TUG), 5-meter walk test (5MWT), and 10-meter walk test (10MWT)). Results There was a significant post-intervention change in PPT for 0.33 Hz (p = 0.021). Additionally, clinically and statistically significant improvements in TUG (p = 0.03), 5MWT (p = 0.05), and 10MWT (p = 0.04) were observed. Conclusions This study provides preliminary efficacy of a novel, near-sensory balance intervention for individuals with TBI. The use of PPT is suggested for a comprehensive understanding and treatment of balance dysfunction. The promising results support the investigation in a larger cohort.
Highly Efficient Rectifier and DC-DC Converter Designed in 180 nm CMOS Process for Ultra-Low Frequency Energy Harvesting Applications

This paper presents the integration of an AC-DC rectifier and a DC-DC boost converter circuit designed in 180 nm CMOS process for ultra-low frequency (<10 Hz) energy harvesting applications. The proposed rectifier is a very low voltage CMOS rectifier circuit that rectifies the low-frequency signal of 100–250 mV amplitude and 1–10 Hz frequency into DC voltage. In this work, the energy is harvested from the REWOD (reverse electrowetting-on-dielectric) generator, which is a reverse electrowetting technique that converts mechanical vibrations to electrical energy. The objective is to develop a REWOD-based self-powered motion (such as walking, running, jogging, etc.) tracking sensors that can be worn, thus harvesting energy from regular activities. To this end, the proposed circuits are designed in such a way that the output from the REWOD is rectified and regulated using a DC-DC converter which is a 5-stage cross-coupled switching circuit. Simulation results show a voltage range of 1.1 V-2.1 V, i.e., 850-1200% voltage conversion efficiency (VCE) and 30% power conversion efficiency (PCE) for low input signal in the range 100–250 mV in the low-frequency range. This performance verifies the integration of the rectifier and DC-DC boost converter which makes it highly suitable for various motion-based energy harvesting applications.
Robust Gait Design Insights from Studying a Compass Gait Biped with Foot Slipping

Most current bipedal robots were modeled with an assumption that there is no slip between the stance foot and ground. This paper relaxes that assumption and undertakes a comprehensive study of a compass gait biped with foot slipping. It is found that slips are most likely to happen near impact for a broad range of gaits. Among these gaits, ones with a backward swing foot velocity relative to the ground just before touch down generally require less friction to maintain stable walking than ones with a forward relative foot velocity. Moreover, a larger percentage of gaits with the "swinging backward" foot can tolerate some slipping without falling than those with a swinging forward foot at touch down. Thus, a gait with the swing-backward foot just before touch down should be more robust in the sense of preventing slipping and falling. It is further shown that only one parameter in gait design determines the swing-backward feature, which can help design robust gaits. Models with varying physical parameters such as mass, leg length, and position of center of mass (CoM), are also studied to validate the generality of the results.
Optimization of angle increments in tracking loop for roll-pitch seekers

A method to generate and optimize angle increments was put forward to extract the tracking loop instruction of a roll-pitch seeker.Firstly,one kind of the roll-pitch seeker was introduced,and its mechanical construction and operation principle were given.Then,the angle increments of roll gimbals and pitch gimbals were calculated based on the target deviation on the image plane and the optical focal length.Both roll gimbal instruction and pitch gimbal instruction were calibrated to be absolute angular position instructions from the zero position respectively.The absolute angular position instruction for the pitch gimbals was calibrated to be from zero toπ/2,while that for the roll gimbals was calibrated to be from zero to 2π.According to the principle of minimizing the angle increment ofroll gimbals as small as possible,four different optimized control strategies were designed.On the basis of mentioned strategies,the feedback roll gimbal angle was separated into four quadrants.Finally,a simulation and a test were implemented to check the validity of the presented algorithm.Results show that the submitted generation and optimization of angle increments for roll-pitch seekers perform effectively and the tracking error is less than 0.15°.
Panoptic apparatus: a study of the Japanese-built prisons in colonial Taiwan (1895–1945)

Prison construction was among the most important infrastructural developments introduced into Taiwan by the Japanese colonial regime in the late nineteenth century. The Japanese-built colonial pris...
Buddhism as Critical Lens

Kerouac's Asian transcendence - identified as his critical Buddhism - offers alternatives to the status quo by which individuals can live, grow, and interact with society. Specifically, Kerouac's Buddhism exemplifies a crucial social deviance, in which he rejects the superficiality and "supervision" associated with television and the cultural denial of our more authentic selves.
Docosahexaenoic Acid Uptake and Metabolism in Photoreceptors: Retinal Conservation By an Efficient Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell-Mediated Recycling Process

After 18:3 omega 3 is obtained from the diet, it is accumulated by the liver, where it is esterified and temporarily stored as triacylglycerols. As it is required, 18:3 omega 3 is elongated and desaturated to 22:6 omega 3, then released into the circulation with lipoprotein carriers. RPE cells remove the 22:6 omega 3 from the choriocapillaris and subsequently release it to the retina proper. In the frog, all 22:6 omega 3 input to the photoreceptors occurs by way of the RPE cells. After passing through the interphotoreceptor matrix, it is selectively taken into the myoid region of photoreceptor cells where it is immediately activated and esterified onto position 2 (and sometimes also position 1) of a glycerol molecule. Some phospholipids are passed through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, while others are not. Generally, transport to the outer segments seems to be independent of the Golgi apparatus. Addition to rod outer segments occurs in two ways: i) a general diffuse pathway, probably common to all fatty acids, which rapidly labels the entire outer segment; and ii) a specific dense pathway, utilized only by 22:6 omega 3-containing phospholipids, which become locked into the matrix of disc membranes along with opsin. There appears to be no exchange between these two forms of label. Accumulation of newly synthesized basal discs pushes older, 22:6 omega 3-laden discs apically until the outer segment tips, high in 22:6 omega 3-phospholipids (the dense form of outer segment label), are shed into the RPE cytoplasm. There, as the 22:6 omega 3 fatty acids are released from the disc membranes during degradation, a recycling mechanism immediately directs these essential fatty acids back into the interphotoreceptor matrix, thus conserving this molecule in the retina, and permitting it to be again selectively taken up by the photoreceptors for photomembrane synthesis. The process of 22:6 omega 3 handling and trafficking by the retina is specifically orchestrated around a conservation mechanism that is regulated by the RPE cells and that ensures, through a short feedback loop from the phagosomes to the interphotoreceptor matrix, adequate levels of 22:6 omega 3 for photoreceptors at all times.
Comparing linguistic symmetries: Teachers and students analyze Spanish and English in the classroom

This article analyzes the impact of a teaching methodology of English based on the investigation and comparative analysis conducted by students and teachers of sentences constructed in Spanish and spoken in English. Second-generation Hispanic students 'born in the US' who are learning English in the public schools of California; utilize the grammar of two languages on a daily basis. Yet, the activities utilized to teach and evaluate these students oftentimes do not analyze in an explicit way sentences that mix two languages. The model described in this article was implemented during the 2005-2006 school year with 29 Hispanic students enrolled in fourth grade in a public school of Los Angeles. The outcomes of this project suggest that students, who, guided by the teachers, analyze the connections between the two languages using a comparative method, not only perform extremely well in the state exams but also develop a vision of these two languages as codes with linguistic symmetries that create a communal block of knowledge.
On the eigenvalues of the $p$-Laplacian with varying $p$

We study the nonlinear eigenvalue problem (1) -div (IVulP-2Vu) = Alulp-2u in Q, u = 0 on 9Q, where p C (1, oo), Q is a bounded smooth domain in RN. We prove that the first and the second variational eigenvalues of (1) are continuous functions of p. Moreover, we obtain the asymptotic behavior of the first eigenvalue as p -> 1 and p -oo.
Quiet time observations of the open‐closed boundary prior to the CIR‐induced storm of 9 August 2008

[1] The open-closed magnetic field line boundary (OCB) is an important indicator of magnetospheric dynamics and can be used to identify locations of particle precipitation at the edge of the magnetosphere. The OCB can fluctuate during geomagnetic events, and the extent of this variability is a vital component of space weather research and modeling. There was a unique opportunity to identify and study the synoptic variability of the OCB during the extended 2007–2009 solar quiet period through use of the Polar Experiment Network for Geophysical Upper-atmosphere Investigations–Automatic Geophysical Observatory (PENGUIn-AGO) network of ground-based fluxgate magnetometers on the Antarctic continent. The fluxgates, which measured the occurrence of standing Pc5 modes on closed field magnetic field lines, allowed for identification of the OCB structure and study of the synoptic behavior of the OCB before and during a corotating interaction region (CIR)-driven magnetic storm. Observations were compared with results from the BATSRUS space weather model and show 83% agreement for over ∼2 days before the CIR event. It is shown that such synoptic magnetometer data sets of the OCB during these storms allow for a careful test of current space weather models. The current study investigates the pre–storm time period, while a future paper will address the storm time evolution of the OCB.
Ring-D-bridged steroid analogs. VII. Homoconjugate Diels-Alder addition of methyl propiolate to substituted bicyclo [2.2.1] heptadienes.

Abstract 3β-Acetoxy-20-keto-5,14,16-pregnatriene (I) reacts with hexafluorobutyne or with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate to form normal Diels-Alder adducts. However, reaction of I with methyl propiolate leads to the stereospecific formation both of normal Diels-Alder adduct and of a diadduct derived from homoconjugate addition of a second mole of dienophile to the monoadduct. The stereochemistry of the monoadduct was established by a correlation with 14α, 17α-ethano-16α-carbomethoxypregn-5-ene- 3β-ol-20-one acetate. The homoconjugate addition of methyl propiolate to methyl bicyclo [2.2.1]heptadiene-2-carboxylate is alsodescribed.
Paper/Pencil versus Online Data Collection: An Exploratory Study

Usage of online data collection methods is increasing in leisure research. Some potential benefits to using online methods over traditional paper/pencil techniques include financial savings and eas...