cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Intra- and Interindividual Variation in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a potential source of biomarkers for many disorders of the central nervous system, including Alzheimer disease (AD). Prior to comparing CSF samples between individuals to identify patterns of disease-associated proteins, it is important to examine variation within individuals over a short period of time so that one can better interpret potential changes in CSF between individuals as well as changes within a given individual over a longer time span. In this study, we analyzed 12 CSF samples, composed of pairs of samples from six individuals, obtained 2 weeks apart. Multiaffinity depletion, two-dimensional DIGE, and tandem mass spectrometry were used. A number of proteins whose abundance varied between the two time points was identified for each individual. Some of these proteins were commonly identified in multiple individuals. More importantly, despite the intraindividual variations, hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling analysis of the proteomic profiles revealed that two CSF samples from the same individual cluster the closest together and that the between-subject variability is much larger than the within-subject variability. Among the six subjects, comparison between the four cognitively normal and the two very mildly demented subjects also yielded some proteins that have been identified in previous AD biomarker studies. These results validate our method of identifying differences in proteomic profiles of CSF samples and have important implications for the design of CSF biomarker studies for AD and other central nervous system disorders.
Biased LexRank: Passage retrieval using random walks with question-based priors

We present Biased LexRank, a method for semi-supervised passage retrieval in the context of question answering. We represent a text as a graph of passages linked based on their pairwise lexical similarity. We use traditional passage retrieval techniques to identify passages that are likely to be relevant to a user's natural language question. We then perform a random walk on the lexical similarity graph in order to recursively retrieve additional passages that are similar to other relevant passages. We present results on several benchmarks that show the applicability of our work to question answering and topic-focused text summarization.
Modeling, Design and Simulation of a Reconfigurable Aquatic Habitat for Life Support Control Research

This paper presents the design, modeling, and simulation of a recongurable aquatic habitat for experiments in regenerative life support automation; it supports the use of aquatic habitats as a small-scale approach to automation experiments relevant to largerscale regenerative life support systems. The habitat consists of a ten-gallon tank with four compartments, containing animal and botanical elements. The water volume serves as the medium through which life-support compounds, like oxygen, are transferred between organisms. A motorized hatch allows reconguration of the system to allow or prevent the exchange of gases with the atmosphere, and enables the study of fail-safe automation mechanisms. Sensors and actuators measure and intervene to regulate life support variables in the water. The model serves as an analytical reference for future tests in hardware settings, and to test advanced control architectures and policies that enable the system to operate safely and with increasing levels of autonomy, allowing for human intervention if necessary. The goal of the aquatic habitat is to enable life support control concepts that may be challenging to test in larger-scale life support systems. The mathematical description of the dynamic model of the system is presented in this paper with results from simulations of a distributed control approach applied to the habitat.
Rapid Thermal Processing for Self-Aligned Silicide Technology

A self-aligned titanium silicide process which combines the use of ion-beam mixing and rapid thermal processing (RTP) has been developed for CMOS VLSI applications. Shallow silicided junctions are formed by implanting dopants into silicide layers previously formed by ion-beam mixing with Si ions and low temperature annealing, and the subsequent drive-in of the implanted ions into the Si substrate during high temperature RTP. In addition, the formation of TiN on TiSi 2 is achieved simultaneously during this process as a diffusion barrier for Al metallization. Short-channel MOS transistors with SALICIDE structure have been successfully fabricated and tested. Results of the impurity diffusion in silicide layer, the impurity segregation at both silicide/Si and oxide/silicide interfaces, contact stabilit of Al/TiN/TiSi 2 structure, and device characteristics will be reported. Issues related to this process and its application to submicron device fabrication are discussed and foreseeable problem areas identified.
Intrapericardial Interferon in the Management of Malignant Pericardial Effusion

A patient with pericardial tamponade secondary to malignant pericardial effusion underwent pericardiocentesis followed by intrapericardial instillation of recombinant interferon alfa-2b (INTRON A; Schering-Plough; Kenilworth, NJ). The patient subsequently received a full course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for her primary malignant tumor and experienced no recurrence of the pericardial effusion.
Instructor–Learner Interaction in Online Courses: The relative perceived importance of particular instructor actions on performance and satisfaction

This article examines the relative perceived importance of 19 instructor actions in online courses according to both instructors and students. The instructor actions were culled from guidelines in the online learning literature base and then reviewed and rated by 14 experts. Thirty‐two online instructors and 170 students from their classes at a large public university and a private online university were asked to review and rate these guidelines. Findings show that the instructors believe that learner performance is more likely tied to instructor actions that are focused on course content and provide both proactive (models, expectations) and reactive (feedback) information to learners about their ability to demonstrate knowledge of course material, but learner satisfaction is more likely tied to learners’ feeling that their interpersonal communication needs are met. Learners rated items focused on communication needs and being treated as individuals as most important, aligning their stated preferences wit...
Contribution of Lateral Column Lengthening to Correction of Forefoot Abduction in Stage IIb Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity Reconstruction

Background:Correction of forefoot abduction in stage IIb adult acquired flatfoot likely depends on the amount of lateral column lengthening (LCL) performed, although this represents only one aspect...
REVIEW - areas important for bird conservation in Brazil: Part I - United Dominion Atlantic Forest.

REVIEW - areas important for bird conservation in Brazil: Part I - United Dominion Atlantic Forest.
The M.D.-Ph.D. double agent.

It was 2 o'clock on a Saturday morning. I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, and defeated. Still wearing my scrubs from the day before, I stared blankly at the wall in the dark room, holding the once-again botched Western blot, signifying hours lost to what should have been a simple task in my Ph.D. work
Sidgwick's Problem

Henry Sidgwick regarded his failure to reconcile the claims of rational egoism with those of utilitarianism to reveal a “fundamental contradiction” within practical reason. However, the conflict that concerns him arises only in relation to a particular kind of agent. While Sidgwick construes his version of the problem to be a systematic formulation of a conflict that arises within the practical reasoning of ordinary people, it is actually an example of a worst-case scenario that reflects the common philosophical tendency to deal with issues in their most challenging form. But such a transformation of ordinary conflicts between self-interest and morality into an insoluble philosophical problem obscures the nature of the more typical practical conflict.
Reason and autonomy

Reason has co-opted our conception of autonomy. My purpose is to set autonomy free. Here is the problem: some philosophers, Kant most notably, have said that governing your life by reason or by being responsive to reason is the source of autonomy. But there is a paradox concealed in these plausible claims. On the one hand, a person can be enslaved to reason and lack autonomy because of this kind of bondage. On the other hand, if reason has no influence, then it appears that one would be the slave of one's passions, and, however eloquently Hume might have written about reason being the slave of the passions, there is something odd about the idea that a person who is enslaved by his passions is autonomous. The paradox, which I shall call the paradox of reason, is that if we are governed by reason in what we choose, then we are in bondage to reason in what we choose, and we are not autonomous. Yet, if we are not governed by reason, then we do not govern ourselves in what we choose, and again we are not autonomous.
When Integration Goes Wrong: Learning from the Mistakes of Practitioners

AbstractThis paper presents the results of research that was conducted by interviewing architects and structural engineering practitioners to find more specificity on the topic of integration among the two fields. The responses analyzed here are those that portray the undesirable integration missteps. The results yield a framing of integration that is narrower than one might expect. Two areas of poor integration identified by architects give particular insight into the structural engineering and architecture relationship: the improper intellectual framing of the project and the perceived conservatism of the engineer. For engineers, the responses centered on the failure of the regular interactions of the professionals and the lack of architectural leadership. Beyond the profession-specific themes, a comparison of the responses from all practitioners shows that integration lapses happen when the structure itself is too large or a lack of foresight causes errors to arise during construction. The opportunity ...
Longevity of Captive Mammals

Most longevity records are based on specimens in captivity and probably often exceed what may be expected in wild populations. Still, as indications of potential life-span, they …
Developing a Comprehensive Model of Intensive Care Unit Processes: Concept of Operations.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to use a systems engineering approach to improve performance and stakeholder engagement in the intensive care unit to reduce several different patient harms.MethodsWe developed a conceptual framework or concept of operations (ConOps) to analyze different types of harm that
A New Hormone of the Anterior Pituitary

Riddle and Braucher1 showed that the effective stimulus for the enlargement and functioning (formation of “crop-milk”) of the crop-glands of pigeons is a substance derivable from the anterior hypophysis only; and the luteinizing substance derived from pregnant urine is not that substance. They were unable to decide “whether the principle activating the crop-gland is the growth, the sex maturity, or a third and now unknown anterior pituitary hormone.” We have now shown (a) that the principle which evokes the crop-gland response is a third anterior pituitary hormone, and (b) have identified this same hormone, which we shall here call “Prolactin” as the hitherto undefined pituitary principle which is essential for lactation in mammals.To prepare this hormone relatively free from the growth and gonad-stimulating principles frozen anterior pituitaries of beef or sheep were ground, defatted with acetone and alcohol and dried. This powder was extracted 3 times in aqueous medium at a pH of approximately 2.5. The ...
An intersectional approach to race/ethnicity, sex, and age disparity in federal sentencing outcomes: An examination of policy across time periods:

Approaches to intersectionality stress the importance of recognizing multiple, intersecting inequalities. As such, recent sentencing research has examined the changing role of extra-legal characteristics on United States federal sentencing outcomes in the aftermath of recent policy changes (e.g. United States v. Booker), but scholarship has less often examined these characteristics at the intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, and, especially age. This article uses an intersectional approach to examine the influence of these characteristics net of legally relevant characteristics. Using ordinary least squares regression procedures, the author examines the role of the joint effects of extra-legal variables on sentence length decisions across four distinct time periods. Net of control variables, results indicate that young black men are the group most likely to receive the longest sentences, but interesting differences between other groups also emerge.
Cabbage Seedpod Weevil Control in Winter Canola, 2015

Larvae of the cabbage seedpod weevil destroy canola seed within the seedpod causing direct yield loss. Insecticide control targets the adult stage during flowering to prevent eggs from being laid in developing seedpod. An insecticide efficacy trail was conducted in a grower field of winter canola in Morgan County, GA. Canola seed was planted with a grain drill in 14 inch rows on 10 Oct 2014. Plots measuring 10 rows (12 ft) by 30-ft long were established on 8 Apr when plants were at full bloom. An RCB …
Follow-up Investigation on Perioperative Use of Prophylactic Antibiotics

OBJECTIVE: To promote rational use of drugs.METHODS: Based on the result of the controlled intervention study on the perioperative use of antibiotics in patients with type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ from 2000 to 2002 in our hospital, a follow-up investigation and analysis was made in 2005.RESULTS: Both the rational rate and basic rational rate in the use of prophylactic antibiotics increased in this follow-up investigation(P0.01 or P0.05),Phenomena of non-rational use of drugs decreased(P0.01).CONCLUSION: The follow-up study shows that the intervention on the rational drug use in our hospital is effective and feasible,and the effect is persistent.
Protein determination of recombination human granulocyte colony stimulating factor in finished products

PurposeTo study the protein measurement methods of recombination human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) in finished products.MethodsUsing TCA-Lowry and HPLC external standard method measured protein of rhG-CSF in finished products.ResultsThe interference of triethanolamine could be removed by the two methods. The recovery of the two methods was more than 96%. While their RSD was less than 5%.ConclusionThe protein of rhG-CSF in finished products could be determined by TCA-Lowry and HPLC external standard method. The HPLC was more simple and more accurate.
Effect of transfusion polycythemia upon bone marrow activity and erythrocyte survival in man.

1. The effect of transfusion polycythemia upon bone marrow activity and erythrocyte survival has been studied in 4 normal young adult males. 2. Plasma volumes did not change significantly throughout the period of study. 3. Total red cell masses increased to the "expected" levels, i.e., to the total of the subjects’ cells plus the transfused cells immediately after the transfusions. Thereafter these fell progressively, reaching the control levels in about forty days. 4. Survival of the infused cells was normal. 5. The subjects’ own red cell masses fell progressively at first. This was due to decreased erythropoiesis rather than to increased destruction. This is indicated by (a) no consistent significant elevation in hemolytic indexes; (b) change of the myeloid-erythroid ratio from normal values of 4 to 7:1 to about 20:1 two weeks post-infusion; (c) consistent decrease in circulating reticulocytes. 6. The depression of erythropoiesis was directly related to the quantity of red cells infused; almost complete cessation of red cell synthesis followed an increase of the red cell mass by forty per cent. 7. The depression of erythropoiesis was only temporary. As soon as the total circulating red cell mass returned to the pre-injection level, erythropoiesis proceeded at a normal rate. 8. No consistent changes in the circulating white blood cells, totals and differentials were noted. 9. Mild abnormalities in some liver functions were observed. Whether these should be attributed to the effects of the transfusions directly, or to the mild febrile responses experienced by the subjects shortly after the infusions cannot be stated with certainty at present.
Scan apps for phone

Libraries and other research institutions have been on the forefront of archival technology for years, enabling archival researchers new avenues for furthering their work. With the advent of the sm...
Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Surgical Preparation Solutions in Hand Surgery

Background: Decontamination of the skin prior to incision is part of the standard of care for any surgical procedure. Previous studies have demonstrated variable efficacy of different surgical preparation solutions based on anatomic location. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of 3 commonly used surgical preparation solutions in eliminating bacteria from the skin prior to incision for common elective soft tissue hand procedures. Methods: A total of 240 patients undergoing clean, elective, soft tissue hand surgery were prospectively randomized to 1 of 3 groups (ChloraPrep, DuraPrep, or Betadine). Prepreparation and postpreparation cultures were obtained adjacent to the surgical incision and neutralization was performed on the obtained specimen. Cultures were held for 14 days and patients followed for 6 weeks postoperatively. Results: Postpreparation cultures were positive in 21 of 80 (26.3%) ChloraPrep patients, 3 of 79 (3.8%) DuraPrep patients, and 1 of 81 (1.2%) Betadine patients...
Fracture Management: Basic Principles

When managing polytrauma patients, it is important to promptly identify, reduce, and immobilize fractures and dislocations to minimize motion of the fracture fragments and stabilize the joint. This prevents further trauma to the surrounding soft tissues, muscles, and underlying structures. This can be achieved using closed or open reduction techniques. The goal of this chapter is to introduce skeletal traction and external fixation as two methods to achieve closed reduction of fractures and dislocations in the unstable trauma patient. The basic principles and techniques of each will be discussed.
Dispersion Theory, Sum Rules, and Their Application to the Analysis of Optical Data

The basic optical properties of solids [1, 2], despite their great diversity, are rigorously limited by nature. These limitations take the form of sum rules and dispersion relations that reflect the physical laws governing the dynamics of matter and its interaction with light. Many of these limitations were enumerated in the first half of this century, but in the early 1970s, the discovery of a large number of new sum rules [3-15] deepened our understanding of these constraints and their application. Thus, it is now known that in addition to the celebrated f sum rule for absorption processes, there are companion sum rules for dispersive processes. For example, the real part of the complex refractive index N(ω) = n(ω) + ik(ω) satisfies [3, 4] ∫ 0 ∞ [ n ( ω ) − 1 ] d ω = 0 (1). That is, the refractive index averaged over all frequencies must be unity. Moreover, it may be shown that this restriction arises in part from the inertial property of matter. Related rules—with a similar physical interpretation—have been shown to apply to the complex dielectric function and its inverse.
Abstract 3240: Prostate cancer exosomes and their effects on macrophage engulfment and polarization

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of prostate cancer-derived exosomes on macrophage engulfment and polarization. Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by virtually all cells, which contain nucleic acids, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Exosomes can be abundantly found in cancer patient secretions (serum, urine, etc.) and contain a high amount of RNA molecules, some of them being miRNA, and parts of the DNA of the cell of origin. One of the functions of exosomes is to mediate cellular communication. This occurs as they are secreted from one cell and then distribute their contents into other cells. Some exosomes specifically target immune cells. The miRNA the exosomes carry can silence genes involved in the activation of these immune cells, leading to immune suppression and tumor growth. Macrophages are often found surrounding the tumor microenvironment, as they are recruited by tumor signals to promote angiogenesis and metastasis. These macrophages, which are often called tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), are exposed to various signals derived from the tumor microenvironment, including exosomes. Previous data generated in our lab suggests that the co-culture of macrophages with PC3 and DU145 cell lines results in a decrease in macrophage phagocytosis and an M2-like polarization state. For this study, we exposed U937 cells to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 24 hours to allow for differentiation. Then, we co-cultured these macrophages with isolated exosomes from spent media from both PC3 and DU145 cell lines at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, and 24 hours. We then allowed the macrophages to phagocytose fluorescent microbeads for 1 hour. Flow cytometry analysis of these macrophages revealed that the total bead phagocytosis starts decreasing at 3 hours of exosome co-culture compared to control. Interestingly, total bead phagocytosis resumes to normal at 12 and 24 hours of exosome co-culture. Gene expression analysis of these macrophages suggests an M2 phenotype from hours 2-24. These results suggest that prostate cancer-derived exosomes can target macrophages and affect their phagocytosis. Further research is required to elucidate the specific genes these exosomes target. Citation Format: Evita G. Weagel, Wei Meng, Richard A. Robison, Kim L. O’Neill. Prostate cancer exosomes and their effects on macrophage engulfment and polarization. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3240.
In Vitro effect of DDE exposure on the regulation of lipid metabolism and secretion in McA-RH7777 hepatocytes: A potential role in dyslipidemia which may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Organochlorine compounds (OC), such as the legacy insecticides, were widespread environmental contaminants. OC including dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), a metabolite of the insecticide DDT, have an epidemiological association with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and may play a role in risk factors that contribute to T2D such as dyslipidemia. The liver, a potential target for DDE, plays a role in dyslipidemia. The in vitro effect of DDE on hepatocyte lipid metabolism and secretion was investigated using McArdle-RH7777 (McA) rodent hepatoma liver cells. When stimulated by the free fatty acid oleic acid (OA), DDE increased the secretion of apolipoprotein B (ApoB) suggesting a role for DDE in increasing lipid secretion. Intracellular protein levels of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) were increased while sortilin-1 (Sort-1) levels were decreased suggesting a role for DDE in increasing lipid transport and decreasing lipid degradation. Neutral lipids such as intracellular triglycerides (TG) were decreased suggesting that DDE may alter lipid accumulation in liver cells. DDE may play a role in dyslipidemia by affecting mechanisms that regulate lipid metabolism and secretion. These in vitro results on biochemical markers of liver cell dyslipidemia support the concept that DDE exposure may play a role in the dyslipidemia frequently observed in T2D.
Few Ramachandran Angle Changes Provide Interaction Strength Increase in Aβ42 versus Aβ40 Amyloid Fibrils.

The pathology of Alzheimer’s disease can ultimately be traced to the increased aggregation stability of Aβ42 peptides which possess two extra residues (Ile 41 & Ala 42) that the non-pathological strain (Aβ40) lacks. We have found Aβ42 fibrils to exhibit stronger energies in inter-chain interactions and we have also identified the cause for this increase to be the result of different Ramachandran angle values in certain residues of the Aβ42 strain compared to Aβ40. These unique angle configurations result in the peptide planes in the fibril structures to be more vertical along the fibril axis for Aβ42 which thus reduces the inter-atomic distance between interacting atoms on vicinal peptide chains thereby increasing the electrostatic interaction energies. We lastly postulate that these different Ramachandran angle values could possibly be traced to the unique conformational folding avenues sampled by the Aβ42 peptide owing to the presence of its two extra residues.
Heart Failure Stages Among Older Adults in the Community: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Background: Although heart failure (HF) disproportionately affects older adults, little data exist regarding the prevalence of American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association HF stages among older individuals in the community. Additionally, the role of contemporary measures of longitudinal strain and diastolic dysfunction in defining HF stages is unclear. Methods: HF stages were classified in 6118 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (67–91 years of age) at the fifth study visit as follows: A (asymptomatic with HF risk factors but no cardiac structural or functional abnormalities), B (asymptomatic with structural abnormalities, defined as left ventricular hypertrophy, dilation or dysfunction, or significant valvular disease), C1 (clinical HF without prior hospitalization), and C2 (clinical HF with earlier hospitalization). Results: Using the traditional definitions of HF stages, only 5% of examined participants were free of HF risk factors or structural heart disease (Stage 0), 52% were categorized as Stage A, 30% Stage B, 7% Stage C1, and 6% Stage C2. Worse HF stage was associated with a greater risk of incident HF hospitalization or death at a median follow-up of 608 days. Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction was preserved in 77% and 65% in Stages C1 and C2, respectively. Incorporation of longitudinal strain and diastolic dysfunction into the Stage B definition reclassified 14% of the sample from Stage A to B and improved the net reclassification index ( P =0.028) and integrated discrimination index ( P =0.016). Abnormal LV structure, systolic function (based on LV ejection fraction and longitudinal strain), and diastolic function (based on e’, E/e’, and left atrial volume index) were each independently and additively associated with risk of incident HF hospitalization or death in Stage A and B participants. Conclusions: The majority of older adults in the community are at risk for HF (Stages A or B), appreciably more compared with previous reports in younger community-based samples. LV ejection fraction is robustly preserved in at least two-thirds of older adults with prevalent HF (Stage C), highlighting the burden of HF with preserved LV ejection fraction in the elderly. LV diastolic function and longitudinal strain provide incremental prognostic value beyond conventional measures of LV structure and LV ejection fraction in identifying persons at risk for HF hospitalization or death. # Clinical Perspective {#article-title-62}
ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR

The present day student community is too net savvy. They need more knowledge that ever before. The past generation called 20th century student were too dependent on the class room sessions and what the teacher teach in the class, this was not the trend for the 21st century students. A teacher's professional duties may extend beyond formal teaching that is where the teachers should work hard in completing her task of upgrading the students with the latest news, for which she/he should be equipped with the technological usage. Education here in the 21st century does not only mean teaching or lecturing to the students but it is redefined for the present century. The author has made an attempt to explain the expectations of the 21st century student and what exactly is their demand from a teacher. They also took an effort in charting down various proven facts of how Blended learning has given a best output in the field of Higher education.
Process Network Theory and Implementation for Technology Assessment in Manufacturing

This paper describes a theoretical framework called Process Network Theory and its implementation for evaluating the economic, technical and environmental performance of manufacturing systems. Historically, performance of manufacturing enterprises has been measured largely in monetary terms such as cash, value added and net return on investment. Achieving and maintaining a long-term competitive position in a global economy requires looking beyond monetary performance measures and financial accounting systems. It is necessary to evaluate alternative technologies in the context of their economic performance, technical performance and environmental loading. Technical performance, as defined here is the physical performance of manufacturing systems in terms of physical flows of materials, products and energy. Many companies recognize the crucial role of technical performance measures such as defect and scrap rates, yields, throughput time and resource efficiencies in retaining competitive position in the economy. They are experimenting with processes and procedures that stress quality control (TQC), reduce throughput time (JIT), improve process efficiencies, and others. Process network theory provides the ability to determine the technical and economic performance of manufacturing systems by following a two step procedure. As a first step, the physical part of the manufacturing system is represented as a network of elemental processes whose basic function is to transform the technical state of materials using physical energy and skill-specific human time. The models of the elemental processes are parameterized by a set of feasible technologies which are selected based on constraints and opportunities available for the exchange of materials and energies between the manufacturing system and its economic and natural environment. Linear graph theory is used to obtain the overall model of the manufacturing system as a function of the technologies and the network structure. The model is then used to obtain technical, economic and environmental performance as a function of the technologies involved.
High Speed Thermal Imaging on Ballistic Impact of Triaxially Braided Composites

Ballistic impact experiments were performed on triaxially braided polymer matrix composites to study the heat generated in the material due to projectile velocity and penetration damage. Quantifying the heat generation phenomenon is crucial for attaining a better understanding of composite behavior and failure under impact loading. The knowledge gained can also be used to improve physics-based models which can numerically simulate impact of composites. Triaxially braided (0/+60/-60) composite panels were manufactured with T700S standard modulus carbon fiber and two epoxy resins. The PR520 (toughened) and 3502 (untoughened) resin systems were used to make different panels to study the effects of resin properties on temperature rise. Ballistic impact tests were conducted on these composite panels using a gas gun, and different projectile velocities were applied to study the effect on the temperature results. Temperature contours were obtained from the rear surface of the panel during the test through a high speed, infrared (IR) thermal imaging system. The contours show that high temperatures were locally generated and more pronounced along the axial tows for the T700S/PR520 composite specimens; whereas, tests performed on T700S/3502 composite panels using similar impact velocities demonstrated a widespread area of lower temperature rises. Nondestructive, ultrasonic C-scan analyses were performed to observe and verify the failure patterns in the impacted panels. Overall, the impact experimentation showed temperatures exceeding 525 K (485degF) in both composites which is well above the respective glass transition temperatures for the polymer constituents. This expresses the need for further high strain rate testing and measurement of the temperature and deformation fields to fully understand the complex behavior and failure of the material in order to improve the confidence in designing aerospace components with these materials.
Paleodietary change and its implications for aridity indices derived from δ18O of herbivore tooth enamel

Abstract A large body of research provides reconstructions of ancient water deficit—the difference between potential evapotranspiration and precipitation—using an aridity index derived from the δ18O values of tooth enamel from evaporation sensitive (ES) and evaporation insensitive (EI) mammalian herbivores. The former are typically ruminants that obtain most of their water from leafy dicots (the δ18O of their enamel reflects evaporation of leaf water), whereas the latter are non-ruminants dependent on surface water (the δ18O of their enamel reflects local meteoric water). Use of the index requires that fossil taxa are correctly classified as ES or EI. This study examines how paleodietary change can influence such classifications. In modern ruminant ungulates, dependence on drinking water is related to the proportion of grass versus dicots in the diet. This means that paleodietary change in ruminant ungulates should be associated with shifts in drinking behavior, altering enamel δ18O values and biasing the aridity index. Such bias is evident in estimates of water deficit derived from the enrichment of enamel δ18O in fossil Tragelaphini relative to Hippopotamidae from East African fossil sites spanning the last ~ 4.4 Myr. Elevated grass consumption (measured by enamel δ13C) in the former is associated with reduced enrichment of enamel δ18O relative to the latter, translating to lower estimates of water deficit. In conducting such analyses of fossil ungulates, the diet of those ungulates must be screened to ensure consistency with the assumptions of the method.
Novel physicomimetic bio-inspired algorithm for search and rescue applications

Decentralized algorithms are often used for multi-agent search in scenarios in which it is difficult or computationally intractable to use a centralized control strategy. “Bottom-up” multi-agent search techniques, or algorithms that are based on local interactions between agents and their environment, allow for highly scalable and fault tolerant systems. Moreover, they often demonstrate remarkable emergent properties, such as foraging behavior and emulated states of matter, which can be found in bio-inspired swarm algorithms and physics-inspired methods. However, it is often difficult to control these systems, especially when area coverage and target localization are the primary goals. In this paper we propose using stigmergic techniques combined with physicomimetic force laws to guide a multi-agent system toward efficiently exploring a pre-defined search area. We found that our method provides a reliable and effective method for decentralized area coverage by a multi-agent system. Furthermore, we implemented our approach using Robot Operating System (ROS) and the Gazebo simulation environment.
Albert W. Johnson, 1926–2017

I first met Al Johnson in 1959 when I entered the graduate program in wildlife management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). My committee saw in my academic record an absence of systemati...
Time-Harmonic Elastic-Wave Scattering: The Role of Hypersingular Boundary Integral Equations

Some numerical data for scattering of elastic waves from cracks are presented using a hypersingular boundary integral formula. Then it is shown how the appropriate hypersingular formulas, needed for a formulation for elastodynamic scattering from any void shape, valid at all frequencies, may be derived from the hypersingular formula for cracks.
Horner syndrome as a manifestation of an exacerbation of Takayasu’s arteritis

Takayasu’s arteritis is a chronic, granulomatous, large vessel vasculitis affecting the aorta and its large branches, and occurring most commonly in young women. It is the third most frequently diagnosed vasculitis in childhood. Generally, symptoms reflect ischemia to an affected organ or limb. A small percentage of patients develop neurologic symptoms such as visual disturbances, transient ischemic attacks (TIA’s) or stroke. Horner syndrome is an unusual manifestation of Takayasu’s, with only a single reported case of an adult patient in whom Horner syndrome was the presenting manifestation of Takayasu’s arteritis. We present a 14 year old with a history of Takayasu’s arteritis who developed Horner syndrome during the course of the illness. Results Case report A 14 year old female was diagnosed at the age of 11 years with Takayasu’s arteritis after developing signs and symptoms of acute congestive heart failure while receiving fluid resuscitation for dehydration. She had a history of mild fatigue, decreased endurance, and symptoms of claudication. She was found to have complete occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery and involvement of the celiac, splenic, hepatic, right subclavian, and right renal arteries along with cardiomyopathy. She was treated with prednisone, methotrexate and infliximab with improvement in her symptoms, and stabilization of her cardiomyopathy without signs of progressive vasculitis on serial magnetic resonance imaging studies (MRI/MRA). Shewas in stable condition two years after her diagnosis, treated with infliximab every 6 weeks and methotrexate, when she developed left shoulder pain and left conjunctival injection. On ophthalmologic exam, she was noted to have episcleritis of the left eye as well as ptosis of her left upper eyelid and miosis of her left pupil without anhidrosis (Horner syndrome). An MRI/MRA of her brain and neck revealed stable narrowing of her right subclavian but no masses, no new aneurysms or stenoses, and no evidence of new overt inflammation. Her ESR was 16 mm/h and CRP 0.6 mg/dL (prior baseline 15-17 mm/h and 0.3-0.6 mg/dL, respectively). Given the lack of anhidrosis, her lesion was localized to the superior cervical ganglion. In the absence of other causes, and with the concurrent development of episcleritis, the Horner syndrome was presumed secondary to an exacerbation of vasculitis. Prednisone was started at 40mg orally once daily, followed by a slow taper, and infliximab and methotrexate were continued. Within 1 week the episcleritis resolved, and within 3 weeks, the ptosis and miosis had nearly completely resolved. Conclusion
Using R for iterative and incremental processing

It is cumbersome to write complex machine learning and graph algorithms in existing data-parallel models like MapReduce. Many of these algorithms are, by nature, iterative and perform incremental computations, neither of which are efficiently supported by current frameworks. We argue that array-based languages, like R [1], are ideal to express these algorithms, and we should extend these languages for processing in the cloud. In this paper we present the challenges and abstractions to extend R. Early results show that many computations are an order of magnitude faster than processing in Hadoop.
Implementing in a Physical Viewpoint

In this chapter, we develop the Physical Viewpoint (PV) of the MBSAP methodology, which models the actual implementation of a system. The PV builds on the artifacts of the Operational and Logical/Functional Viewpoints (OV and LV). We discuss underlying concepts and techniques, especially trade studies, involved in transforming function to physical design. Functional specifications from the LV support the development, or selection and procurement, of products. Blocks become Block Instances as design data is added to their specifications and the Structural and Behavioral Perspectives of the earlier Viewpoints combine into a Design Perspective. Concentrated attention on the choice and application of standards yields the Standards Perspective. We describe the key elements of a Design Perspective and illustrate them with the E-X system example. Because integration of physical components from multiple sources is a vital concern in PV development, we provide a detailed discussion of this subject. We then address the remaining Perspectives of the PV, modeling the Standards, Data, Services, and Contextual dimensions of a physical architecture. Next, we expand on a variety of Focused Viewpoints that may be needed by various stakeholders and carry the discussion of executable architecture to the level of physical simulations. Finally, we present some considerations that are important in ensuring that a system can evolve over its lifetime to remain operationally effective and supportable as requirements, environments, and other real-world influences impact it. Chapter objective: the reader will be able to take the functional design resulting from an LV and use specifications and other artifacts as the basis for building, integrating, and evaluating the real system.
Section-Based Focus Time Estimation of News Articles

Information retrieval systems embed temporal information for retrieving the news documents related to temporal queries. One of the important aspects of a news document is the focus time , a time to which the content of document refers. The contemporary state-of-the-art does not exploit focus time to retrieve relevant news document. This paper investigates the inverted pyramid news paradigm to determine the focus time of news documents by extracting temporal expressions, normalizing their value and assigning them a score on the basis of their position in the text. In this method, the news documents are first divided into three sections following the inverted pyramid news paradigm. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of four methods for splitting news document into sections: the paragraph-based method, the words-based method, the sentence-based method, and the semantic-based method (SeBM). Temporal expressions in each section are assigned weights using a linear regression model. Finally, a scoring function is used to calculate a temporal score for each time expression appearing in the document. These temporal expressions are then ranked on the basis of their temporal score, where the most suitable expression appears on top. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated on a diverse dataset of news related to popular events; the results revealed that the proposed splitting methods achieved an average error of less than 5.6 years, whereas the SeBM achieved a high precision score of 0.35 and 0.77 at positions 1 and 2, respectively.
Detectability of a self-illuminating lifeline for self-escape in smoke conditions of an underground mine:

Lifelines are used to aid self-escape of underground miners, but they are difficult to find in low-visibility conditions of smoke, therefore a self-illuminating lifeline could facilitate miners in ...
Proceedings of the 2013 ACM SIGPLAN workshop on Dependently-typed programming

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2013 Workshop on Dependently Typed Programming. The mission of the workshop is to bring researchers with experience in dependently-typed languages together. The workshop program includes two portions: presentations of formal papers, each reviewed by the program committee members, and informal presentations intended to spark discussion about current work. This is the first year that DTP has co-located with the International Conference on Functional Programming (ICFP). The cross-fertilization between functional and dependently-typed languages continues to grow each year. The call for formal papers requested diverse topics such as Language Design, Theory, Compilation, Tools, and Experience related to dependently-typed languages. This call attracted five high-caliber submissions that were all enthusiastically accepted by the program committee. The definitive versions of these papers appear in this proceedings. At the time of this writing, the program of informal presentations has not been fully determined. The full schedule and record of the DTP'13 program will be maintained at http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~sweirich/dtp13. Auxiliary material related to the program will also be posted at that site. This workshop follows a series of workshops on dependently-typed programming. Past meetings include DTP 2011 in Nijmegen, DTP 2010 in Edinburgh, and DTP 2008 in Nottingham, as well as seminars organized in 2011 at Shonan Village, Japan and in 2005 at Dagstuhl, Germany.
Measuring axial stress in thick structures using highly nonlinear solitary waves (Conference Presentation)

This article presents a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method to infer the axial stress in thick beams with the aim to extent the methodology to continuous welded rails. The method relies on the propagation of highly nonlinear solitary waves generated at one end of a chain of spherical particles in contact with the beam to be evaluated. The opposite end of the chain is in contact with the beam to be evaluated. Here the waves are reflected back to chain and the hypothesis is that the axial stress influences the amplitude and speed of the reflected waves. To verify this hypothesis a general finite element model of thermally stressed beams was developed and coupled to a discrete particle model able to predict the propagation of the waves along a L-shaped granular medium. The models were validated experimentally. The hypothesis was proven valid by both the numerical and the experimental results. In the future, these findings may be used to refine a NDE method to assess stress in columns, to infer the neutral temperature of continuous welded rails, and to prevent thermal buckling of critical structures.
A pilot-scale study of peracetic acid and ultraviolet light for wastewater disinfection

Peracetic acid (PAA) is a potential alternative disinfectant for wastewater. While laboratory studies have shown promising results on PAA's disinfection performance, knowledge gaps remain regarding scale-up and the potential additive effect of UV treatment after PAA treatment. A 4 week pilot study was conducted to investigate PAA disinfection of secondary and tertiary (granular media filtered) effluents. By varying PAA concentrations (2, 3, 4 and 6 mg l−1) and sampling location along the pilot reactor (theoretical contact times 2.2, 6.7 and 22.5 min), a wide range of C·t values 4.4–135 mg min l−1 was investigated. Additionally, a low-pressure UV lamp (30 mJ cm−2) was installed to determine if UV treatment augmented PAA disinfection. Disinfection performance was assessed based on the inactivation of three fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (fecal coliforms, E. coli, and Enterococcus spp.) and a virus (somatic coliphage). PAA inactivation was greatest for fecal coliforms/E. coli, followed by Enterococcus spp., and then somatic coliphage. Results showed that increasing C·t resulted in an increase in the log reduction of FIB and coliphage in both secondary and tertiary effluents. The relative effectiveness of increasing PAA concentration versus contact time to improving inactivation varied among the microorganisms. Sequential PAA-UV treatment (PAA 45–135 mg min l−1, UV 30 mJ cm−2) achieved higher inactivation than PAA alone for somatic coliphage in secondary effluent, and for fecal coliforms, E. coli and somatic coliphage in tertiary effluent. PAA performance did not exhibit a dependence on any of the water quality parameters routinely monitored, including turbidity.