cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear Dynamical Effects and Observations in Modeling and Simulating Damage Evolution in a Cantilevered Beam

This study investigates the nonlinear dynamic failure characteristics of a notched cantilever beam using numerical finite element models and experiments with various displacement loads at the root of the beam. Damage states of the beam are represented as quasi-static equilibrium points and, subsequently, all significant damage events are modeled as bifurcations (qualitative changes) in the set of stable equilibria for the structure-damage system using a set of low-order normal forms. When analytical models are used to interpret trends in data from the beam as it undergoes different routes to failure, the state-space relationship between estimated crack length and rate of change of crack length exhibits elastic-plastic transitions, which depend on the effects of damage accumulation and the load history. It is suggested that these transitions could be used as a series of milestones for rendering a prognosis. It is demonstrated that nonlinear normal forms do simulate a variety of damage evolution phenomena u...
Effect of hyperthyroidism on the in vitro metabolism and covalent binding of 1,1-dichloroethylene in rat liver microsomes.

Abstract Hyperthyroidism potentiates the in vivo hepatotoxicity of 1,1-dichloroethylene (DCE) in rats, with a concomitant increase in [14C]-DCE covalent binding. The enhanced injury produced in hyperthyroid livers by DCE could be due to alterations in either the bioactivation or detoxication phases of DCE metabolism. Previous in vitro studies suggested that hyperthyroidism did not potentiate DCE hepatotoxicity by increasing DCE oxidation to intermediates which were able to covalently bind. Several factors, however, that could contribute to the magnitude of DCE bioactivation or covalent binding were not examined. Our objectives were to characterize the effects of hyperthyroidism in male Sprague-Dawley rats on: (1) covalent binding of [14C]-DCE to microsomes and other subcellular fractions, (2) microsomal mixed-function oxidase (MFO) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities, and (3) inactivation of microsomal enzyme activities by presumptive DCE reactive intermediates. Hyperthyroid (HYPERT) and euthyr...
Nonlinear finite element analysis of a thin piezoelectric laminate for micro power generation

In this paper, a new nonlinear finite element model is presented for the analysis of piezoelectric laminates at large deflections. The element is an eight-node element with 5 mechanical degrees of freedom at each node, and the potential difference across the piezoelectric layer is introduced as an additional electrical degree of freedom on an element level. Application of this model to a clamped square piezoelectric laminate shows the strong nonlinear relationship between the terminal voltage and deflection observed experimentally. Furthermore, the numerical results also show that the electrode size is an important design parameter in maximizing the power output when the piezoelectric laminates are used as power generators.
Mechanical properties of sol–gel calcium titanate bioceramic coatings on titanium

Abstract We discuss the mechanical properties and wear characteristics of sol–gel CaTiO 3 nanocrystalline ceramic coatings on titanium substrates. The structure and surface morphology of the coatings were investigated by X-ray diffraction, optical profilometry, and atomic force microscopy. The mechanical properties of CaTiO 3 coatings were characterized by using nanoindentation, scratch- and microwear-tests. The effect of titanium nitride intermediate layer on the improvement of the coating properties has been investigated. The best CaTiO 3 coatings with a TiN intermediate layer demonstrated the bonding strength up to 70 MPa, stability and low linear wear rate (∼ 1 μm per million cycles) during ball-on-disc reciprocal wear tests in micromotion (50–500 μm amplitude) with Ti6Al4V-alloy static partner at contact pressures up to 500 MPa in both dry and simulated body fluid environments.
Root-Knot Nematodes in Golf Course Greens of the Western United States.

McClure, M. A., Nischwitz, C., Skantar, A. M., Schmitt, M. E., and Subbotin, S. A. 2012. Root-knot nematodes in golf course greens of the western United States. Plant Dis. 96:635-647. A survey of 238 golf courses in 10 states of the western United States found root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in 60% of the putting greens sampled. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA, D2-D3 of 28S rRNA, internal transcribed spacer-rRNA, and mitochondrial DNA gene sequences were used to identify specimens from 110 golf courses. The most common species, Meloidogyne naasi, was found in 58 golf courses distributed from Southern California to Washington in the coastal or cooler areas of those states. In the warmer regions of the Southwest, M. marylandi was recovered from 38 golf courses and M. graminis from 11 golf courses. This constitutes the first report of M. marylandi in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, and the first report of M. graminis in Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada. Two golf courses in Washington were infested with M. minor, the first record of this nematode in the Western Hemisphere. Columbia root-knot nematode, M. chitwoodi, was found in a single golf course in California. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism of the intergenic region between the cytochrome oxidase and 16S rRNA genes in the mitochondrial genome with restriction enzyme SspI was able to distinguish populations of M. graminis from M. marylandi, providing a fast and inexpensive method for future diagnosis of these nematodes from turf. Turfgrass, in all its aspects, is a major industry in the United States. Considered as a “crop” and including commercial, residential, and recreational components, turf is the largest irrigated crop in America. Three times more irrigated turf than irrigated corn is grown, covering a surface area of more than
Results of breast biopsies for mammographic findings

The results of breast biopsies for mammographic findings have been presented, in which 314 biopsies were done on 274 patients. From this number of biopsies, the diagnosis of cancer was established in fifty-seven cases (18 per cent of the biopsies). More than 50 per cent of the lesions were infiltrating duct cell carcinomas. The number of breast biopsies required increased markedly after the national publicity in 1974. As more biopsies were done, the incidence of carcinoma increased, and a significant number of these were found in women less than fifty years old. We believe this justifies the continued judicious use of mammography, even in the younger patient, if clinically indicated.
Impact of lateral source/drain abruptness on device performance

This paper presents a detailed study of the impact of lateral doping abruptness in the source/drain extension region and the gate-extension overlap length on device performance. Proper choice of the metric used to compare the different device designs is essential. Series resistance and threshold voltage roll-offs are shown to be incomplete measures of device performance that could lead to inconsistent lateral abruptness requirements. While series resistance is seen to improve with increasing junction abruptness, threshold voltage roll-off could be degraded by both lateral junctions that are too gradual and too abrupt - in contrast to the conventional scaling assumptions. The I/sub on/ (supernominal)-I/sub off/ (subnominal) plot, which takes into account statistical variations of gate length, is proposed as a good metric for comparing different device technology designs. Gate-extension overlap length is shown to interact with lateral doping abruptness and to have a significant impact on device performance.
Hearing Loss in Older Critical Care Patients: Participation in Decision Making

Older adults with hearing loss who receive care in the noisy environment of a critical care unit can be disadvantaged in their ability to understand speech, thus limiting their participation in decision making. Providing optimal outcomes for such patients can be understood through use of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Synergy Model. When older adults are admitted to a critical care unit, their spouses, children, and friends are in positions to participate in the patients' care. The AACN Synergy Model patient characteristic of participation in care is useful in enhancing optimal outcomes for older patients.
A consistency architecture for hierarchical shared caches

Hierarchical Cache Consistency (HCC) is a scalable cache-consistency architecture for chip multiprocessors in which caches are shared hierarchically. HCC's cache-consistency protocol is embedded in the message-routing network that interconnects the caches, providing a distributed and scalable alternative to bus-based and directory-based consistency mechanisms. The HCC consistency protocol is "progressive" in that every message makes monotonic progress without timeouts, retries, negative acknowledgments, or retreating in any way. The latency is at most proportional to the diameter of the network. For HCC with a binary fat-tree network, the protocol requires at most 13 bits of additional state per cache line, no matter how large the system. We prove that the HCC protocol is deadlock free and provides sequential consistency.
Strategic management simulations: a current assessment

This review is concerned with assessing the use and popularity of general management simulations in the strategic management course and arguments for using or not using simulations as a learning tool. Simulation use for teaching strategic management concepts has not changed substantially, and the rise of microcomputers has not had much of an impact on usage. Conversely, the games themselves and the method of administering games have changed, but the rationale for using or not using simulations has not changed.
Feminism and Health in the Decade of Behavior

National health data are presented to demonstrate that important issues of women’s health are linked to inequality and to the generalized oppression of women. Health issues of violence, reproductive health, coronary health, and mental health are reviewed as they relate to women of color and diverse ethnicity as well as to women in general. Feminist principles are applied to these issues, pointing out inequalities in assessment, treatment and access to care, bias in research and lack of research on topics particularly relevant to women and minorities, and limitations in the education and training of health care providers. It is imperative that these problems, which are not solely biological, be addressed in light of systems-level analysis that includes a feminist lens. Guided by feminist principles and sensibilities, the relevance of behavioral and social science is outlined for research, training, assessment, intervention, evaluation, and overall social change.
Democratic International Governmental Organizations Promote Peace

The Kantian peace research program has produced generally robust results on the role of democracy and international trade in reducing the risk of international conflict. Yet a key theoretical linkage in the Kantian argument, that of international governmental organizations (IGOs) to peace, has proved less robust and more problematic. We propose a new theoretical perspective focusing on the contributions of a particular kind of IGO—that composed largely of democracies—to peaceful conflict resolution through aiding credible commitments, dispute settlement, and socialization to peaceful behavior. A set of statistical tests provides strong support for our hypotheses that such densely democratic IGOs are far more likely to engender peaceful relations between members than are more homogenous IGOs. This is true when controlling for regime type, interdependence, and several realist-oriented influences. The peace-inducing influences affect both democratic and nondemocratic member states.We thank Robert Axelrod, Erik Gartzke, Edward Mansfield, Thomas McCarthy, and Nicholas Sambanis for comments, the Ford Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Research Foundation for financial support, and Ann Fishback and Courtney Hillebrecht for research assistance. All our data and computations will be available at 〈http://www.polisci.wisc.edu/pevehouse〉 at the time of publication.
Two New Species of the Akysis Variegatus Species Group (Siluriformes: Akysidae) from Southern Sumatra and a Redescription of Akysis Variegatus Bleeker, 1846

Abstract Two new species of Akysis from Sumatra are described, and A. variegatus, the type species of Akysis, is redescribed. All three species are members of the A. variegatus species group, characterized by a space between the anterior nostril and the base of the nasal barbel that is about equal to the diameter of the anterior nostril, relatively small anterior and posterior nostrils (with a diameter less than that of the eye), the anterior nostril located at the end of a short tube, subequal jaws, and an emarginate caudal fin. The two new species are morphologically similar to one another but differ dramatically in the sculpturing on top of the head.
Greenbug Protection in Seed-Treated Winter Wheat

Sixteen systemic insecticides applied to winter wheat as seed treatments were evaluated for phytotoxicity and efficacy in control of Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), biotype C. Disulfoton at 1.25, carbofuran at 3–5, and UC 21865 [=2-methyl-2-(methylsulfonyl) propional-dehyde 0-(methyl-carbamoyl) oxime)] at 20–40 g AI/kg of seed, protected fall-planted wheat for upwards of 60 days postplanting by preventing prolonged feeding, development, and reproduction of greenbugs. The ca. 60-day protection period insured good tillering and establishment of a vigorous stand, tolerant of aphid colonization in late fall after seed treatment was no longer effective. Phytotoxicity was not significant for the named chemicals at the aforementioned rates.
User-Perspective AR Magic Lens from Gradient-Based IBR and Semi-Dense Stereo

We present a new approach to rendering a geometrically-correct user-perspective view for a magic lens interface, based on leveraging the gradients in the real world scene. Our approach couples a recent gradient-domain image-based rendering method with a novel semi-dense stereo matching algorithm. Our stereo algorithm borrows ideas from PatchMatch, and adapts them to semi-dense stereo. This approach is implemented in a prototype device build from off-the-shelf hardware, with no active depth sensing. Despite the limited depth data, we achieve high-quality rendering for the user-perspective magic lens.
Dietary preferences of Hawaiian tree snails to inform culture for conservation

Abstract One strategy to safeguard endangered species against extinction is raising subpopulations in ex situ facilities. Feeding animals ex situ is difficult when their diet is cryptic. We present a combined molecular and behavioral approach to assess the diet of Achatinella, a critically endangered genus of tree snail, to determine how diet of captive snails differs from wild snails. Cultured snails are currently fed biofilms growing on leaf surfaces, as well as a Cladosporium fungus isolated from this same habitat. Amplicon sequencing of DNA extracted from feces of wild and cultured snails confirms that this Cladosporium is abundant in the wild (~ 1.5% of sequences), but it dominates the ex situ snails' diet (~ 38%) and the diet of captive snails is still significantly less diverse than wild snails. To test the hypothesis that snails have diet preferences, we conducted feeding trials. These used a surrogate snail species, Auriculella diaphana, which is a confamilial Oahu endemic, though non-federally listed. Contrary to our expectations we found that snails do have feeding preferences. Furthermore, our feeding preference trials show that over all other feeding options snails most preferred the “no-microbe” control, which consisted only of potato dextrose agar (PDA). PDA is rich in simple carbohydrates, in contrast to the oligotrophic environment of wild tree-snails. These results suggest further research should focus on calorie budgets of snails, devising new approaches to supplementing their ex situ diet and determining whether a wild diet is an optimum diet.
Affect, Trust, and Dignity: Ontological Possibilities and Material Consequences for a Philosophy of Educational Resonance

IntroductIon This essay articulates a philosophy of resonance in education, from some of its theoretical possibilities through their material consequences. Contemporary understandings in educational philosophy have a tendency to utilize ocular metaphors, epistemological constructions that provide frames for seeing the world. There are at least the following three difficulties with such a reliance on the ocular. First, they are easily interrupted by nonocular metaphors. While this may seem to be a rather surface concern, it points to a deep philosophical set of problems. For example, what happens when the augenblick, a construct around which much philosophizing has been accomplished, is pressed slightly to become a “blink of an ear”?1 This move not only questions the veracity of ocular-centric constructions from blinks to texts — for what does it say about an idea if it falls apart by shifting senses — but it also presses at the feasibility of framing, its inherently bounded nature as well as the large number of possibilities excluded by its gaze.
R.E.N.A.L. Nephrometry Score Predicts Non-neoplastic Parenchymal Volume Removed During Robotic Partial Nephrectomy.

Abstract Objective: To assess the association between the R.E.N.A.L. Nephrometry score, the amount of non-neoplastic parenchymal volume (NNPV) removed, and the renal function decline in patients undergoing robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN). Patients and Methods: The Multi-institutional Mount Sinai Kidney Cancer Database was used to identify 1235 patients who underwent RPN between January 2008 and February 2016, of whom 366 had complete data, including NNPV removed. Mann–Whitney U tests and univariable linear regression models were used to assess the relationships between R.E.N.A.L. Nephrometry score, warm ischemia time (WIT), and NNPV removed. Univariable and multivariable regression models were then used to assess the independent relationships of each of these variables with percent change in estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) and acute kidney injury (AKI) within the first 30 postoperative days in addition to percent change in eGFR and progression to chronic kidney disease at a median follow-up...
Pediatric salivary gland imaging

A variety of lesions occur in the pediatric salivary glands. With modern imaging techniques such as Doppler sonography, helical CT, and MRI, identification of a specific etiology is often possible. Knowledge of clinical information, normal anatomy, and imaging characteristics of salivary gland pathology are essential for appropriate radiologic evaluation. This review illustrates the various congenital, neoplastic, and inflammatory entities that can occur within the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual spaces.
Blood Transfusion from the Military’s Standpoint: Making Last Century’s Standard Possible Today

The purpose of this review was to evaluate past, present and emerging concepts in transfusion medicine as it pertains to combat casualty care. Transfusion practices have paramount historical significance in military medicine and battlefield care. An understanding of transfusion history during recent wars have helped inform some current practices and must not be forgotten, especially as we define the future of battlefield transfusion as it pertains to the importance and implementation of whole blood. The implementation of damage control resuscitation during the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has changed the face of modern transfusion practices in both military and civilian trauma. The value of whole blood has been recognized clinically and is considered the best fluid for hemorrhagic shock; however, despite being readily available during walking blood banks, widespread adoption and standardized availability remain a challenge. Transfusion is an essential capability and saves lives on the battlefield. Whole blood, followed by component therapy using the proper ratios, is the best fluid for hemorrhagic shock. There is a growing body of evidence regarding the detrimental effects of crystalloid use in hemorrhagic shock. The timing of blood product transfusion is critically important—minutes matter. Lessons learned in previous wars regarding the value of whole blood transfusion have been rediscovered and should be codified into military and civilian surgical practices.
Cu(I) Disrupts the Structure and Function of the Nonclassical Zinc Finger Protein Tristetraprolin (TTP)

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a nonclassical zinc finger (ZF) protein that plays a key role in regulating inflammatory response. TTP regulates cytokines at the mRNA level by binding to AU-rich sequences present at the 3′-untranslated region, forming a complex that is then degraded. TTP contains two conserved CCCH domains with the sequence CysX8CysX5CysX3His that are activated to bind RNA when zinc is coordinated. During inflammation, copper levels are elevated, which is associated with increased inflammatory response. A potential target for Cu(I) during inflammation is TTP. To determine whether Cu(I) binds to TTP and how Cu(I) can affect TTP/RNA binding, two TTP constructs were prepared. One construct contained just the first CCCH domain (TTP-1D) and serves as a peptide model for a CCCH domain; the second construct contains both CCCH domains (TTP-2D) and is functional (binds RNA) when Zn(II) is coordinated. Cu(I) binding to TTP-1D was assessed via electronic absorption spectroscopy titrations, and Cu(I) bindin...
Four Facts About ALL Statistics

There are four very important facts about nonparametric statistics, and all statistics in general.
Epigenome-wide association study of total serum immunoglobulin E in children: a life course approach.

IgE-mediated sensitization may be epigenetically programmed in utero, but early childhood environment may further alter complex traits and disease phenotypes through epigenetic plasticity. However, the epigenomic footprint underpinning IgE-mediated type-I hypersensitivity has not been well-understood, especially under a longitudinal early-childhood life-course framework. We used epigenome-wide DNA methylation (IlluminaHumanMethylation450 BeadChip) in cord blood and mid-childhood peripheral blood to investigate pre- and post-natal methylation marks associated with mid-childhood (age 6.7–10.2) total serum IgE levels in 217 mother-child pairs in Project Viva—a prospective longitudinal pre-birth cohort in eastern Massachusetts, USA. We identified methylation sites associated with IgE using covariate-adjusted robust linear regressions. Nineteen methylation marks in cord blood were associated with IgE in mid-childhood (FDR < 0.05) in genes implicated in cell signaling, growth, and development. Among these, two methylation sites (C7orf50, ZAR1) remained robust after the adjustment for the change in DNA methylation from birth to mid-childhood (FDR < 0.05). An analysis of the change in methylation between cord blood and mid-childhood DNA (Δ-DNAm) identified 395 methylation marks in 272 genes associated with mid-childhood IgE (FDR < 0.05), with multiple sites located within ACOT7 (4 sites), EPX (5 sites), EVL (3 sites), KSR1 (4 sites), ZFPM1 (3 sites), and ZNF862 (3 sites). Several of these methylation loci were previously associated with asthma (ADAM19, EPX, IL4, IL5RA, and PRG2). This study identified fetally programmed and mid-childhood methylation signals associated with mid-childhood IgE. Epigenetic priming during fetal development and early childhood likely plays an important role in IgE-mediated type-I hypersensitivity.
A Markov Decision Problem

This chapter discusses Markov decision problem and provides an overview of the Markov decision model. A system is observed at equally-spaced epochs numbered 0, 1, 2,… so on. At each epoch, the system is observed to occupy one of N states that are numbered 1 through N . Each state i has associated with it a finite nonempty decision set D 1 . Whenever state i is observed, some decision k in D 1 must be selected. This model is stationary in that nothing depends on n . The chapter discusses the model under several performance criteria, each of which involves the limiting behavior of the income earned at the first n epochs, as n approaches infinity. Throughout in the model, it is assumed that each transition matrix P δ has one ergodic chain that must be acyclic. Transient states are allowed and they can vary with the policy. The chapter discusses stationary policies, the income generating characteristics of a particular policy, and the question of computing an optimal stationary policy. It discusses nonstationary policies and certain operating characteristics of the optimal (nonstationary) policy for a very long planning horizon. In the discounted model, a stationary non-randomized policy comes arbitrarily close to being optimal for the finite-horizon problem, provided the horizon is long enough.
Progression and regression of atherosclerotic lesions.

The most important concepts in understanding the progression and regression of clinically significant coronary atherosclerosis and the ways in which this disease process produces its most common clinical effects have been changing rapidly.
Management of Status Asthmaticus in Adults

Status asthmaticus is a severe, life-threatening exacerbation of bronchial asthma that fails to improve with conventional treatment. Status asthmaticus brings with it the possibility of the need for mechanical ventilation unless prompt and vigorous treatment is instituted. The use of the term “status asthmaticus” has the disadvantage of drawing attention away from other aspects of severe asthma, such as that patients die at home, and in some cases within minutes of the onset of an attack, before “conventional treatment” can be instituted. In some ways, therefore, it is better to describe “severe acute asthma” rather than status asthmaticus.
A 1 Adenosine Receptor Agonists, Antagonists, and Allosteric Modulators

One of the four G protein-coupled receptors for adenosine, the A1 adenosine receptors (A1AR), is widely distributed in the body and modulates numerous normal and pathological processes, through signaling pathways including those downstream from its coupled Gi protein. It is an attractive drug target for heart failure, arrhythmias, angina, asthma, stroke, seizure, pain, depression, and diabetes. In this chapter, we describe the A1AR structure, function, signaling pathways, and therapeutic applications. We detail numerous structure-activity features of A1AR agonists, antagonists, and allosteric modulators, introduced as pharmacological tools and molecules for clinical development.
Characterizing nonwoven materials via realistic microstructural modeling

Abstract A physics-based nonwoven structure generation model is presented in this work. The model is capable of incorporating the mechanical properties of the fibers in the simulations by treating each fiber as an array of beads connected to one another via springs and dampers. Our algorithm can realistically simulate the bending of the fibers at fiber–fiber crossovers or when external forces are applied to the fibers during fiber deposition process. In fact, a unique attribute of the modeling approach presented in this work is that it can be modified to emulate, to some extent, the manufacturing process by which the nonwoven media have been produced. Unlike most previous structure generation models, our mass-spring-damper algorithm does not require the thickness or porosity of the media to be fed to the model as an input, and it is also capable of avoiding fiber–fiber overlaps. For demonstration purposes, virtual media with bimodal fiber diameter or contact angle distributions were produced and used to estimate the pressure required for water to penetrate through a hydrophobic fibrous membrane, i.e., the so-called liquid entry pressure (LEP). The LEP calculations here are based on a simplifying assumption that the air–water interface remains intact across the width of the simulation domain as it travels throughout the media. Effects of fiber diameter(s), fiber orientations, or fiber contact angle(s) on LEP are simulated and discussed in detail.
Accountability, Achievement, and Inequality in American Public Schools: A Review of the Literature

In this chapter, we review the existing social science literature on the impacts of accountability systems in American schools. We begin by providing a brief history of accountability systems in American public education. We then review the impacts of these systems in three domains (instructional consequences, student outcome consequences, and policy feedback consequences), focusing on the literature that has been produced since the implementation of No Child Left Behind. We consider the evidence on alternatives and complements to test-based accountability systems that have been proposed, and close by discussing directions for future research.
Lessons From Tesla for Plasma Medicine

It can be argued that plasma medicine originated with Nikola Tesla in the late 19th century when he showed that one could pass large quantities of high frequency currents through a human body with no apparent damage. Tesla’s work inspired much more extensive investigations over a period of several decades by numerous other researchers, on both the physics and biomedical effects of these currents. These early pioneers had a surprisingly modern view of some aspects of the therapeutic mechanisms of high frequency currents that clearly overlap with recent results. The perspective of this community was that the most important physiological effects are associated with the high frequency currents rather than the gas phase plasma per se . Some early work, such as the analgesic effects of dielectric barrier air plasma on tissue, is not well known today. The range of afflictions that early practitioners treated successfully is remarkable. This body of work, in some cases almost 130 years old, might have important lessons for current investigations into plasma medicine. Observations from Tesla and other early practitioners suggests that high frequency currents are potentially important and plasma medicine researchers should probably pay more attention to them.
Time of copulation during estrus period on estrus duration and LH response in Boer goats.

The objectives of this investigation were to determine the effect of the time of copulation during the estrus period on estrus duration and luteinizing hormone (LH) response in goats. A controlled randomized study with two replicates (first = n = 12; second = n = 24), in which Boer does were divided at each replicate into three groups, was performed. Copulations at the beginning of estrus (two copulas within the first 4 h after estrus; COP-1; n = 12), copulations around the middle of estrus (two copulas around 16 h after estrus; COP-2; n = 12), and noncopulations (only mounts) throughout the estrus period (control group; CON; n = 12) were performed. Estrus duration for CON group was 41.3 ± 8.2 h; for COP-1, it was 34.0 ± 5.3 h, and for COP-2, it was 39.7 ± 6.9 h (P = 0.04). Differences were detected between COP-1 and CON groups (P = 0.01) and between COP-1 and COP-2 groups (P = 0.05) but not between CON and COP-2 groups (P = 0.56). The LH peak time for the CON group was 20.0 ± 8.0 h; for the COP-1 group, it was 13.0 ± 3.6 h, and for the COP-2 group, it was 20.5 ± 5.8 h (P = 0.04). The COP-1 group was different than the COP-2 (P = 0.02) and CON groups (P = 0.03), and no differences were detected between these last two groups (P = 0.87). It was concluded that copulation reduced estrus duration and hastened the LH peak time only when performed during the beginning of estrus.
Acoustic characteristics of aspirated fricatives in a Tibeto-Burman language

Aspirated fricatives are typologically rare, though they are relatively more common in Asia (Jacques, 2011). Of the 2155 languages in the PHOIBLE Online database of phonological segments, only 7 are reported to have distinctive fricative aspiration (Moran et al., 2014). This paper examines the acoustic properties of aspirated fricatives in Matu, an under-documented Kuki-Chin (Tibeto-Burman) language spoken in Chin State, Burma (Myanmar). Matu contrasts unaspirated alveolar fricative /s/ with aspirated alveolar fricative /sh/. Aspirated alveolar fricatives are also found in other Chin languages and have been reconstructed for Proto-Kuki-Chin (VanBik, 2009, p. 186). The data were recorded with Matu-speaking refugees living in Indiana, U.S. and are analyzed using durational and spectral measures. This research expands literature on an uncommon—and reportedly diachronically unstable (Jacques, 2011)—phonemic contrast while increasing documentation of an understudied language. Jacques, G., “A panchronic study of aspirated fricatives, with new evidence from Pumi,” Lingua 121, 1518–1538 (2011). and Wright, R.(eds). 2014. PHOIBLE Online, edited by S. Moran, D. McCloy, and R. Wright (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Lepzig, 2014). VanBik, K., “Proto-Kuki-Chin: A reconstructed ancestor of the Kuki-Chin languages,” STEDT Monograph Series #8 (University of California, Berkeley, CA, 2009). Aspirated fricatives are typologically rare, though they are relatively more common in Asia (Jacques, 2011). Of the 2155 languages in the PHOIBLE Online database of phonological segments, only 7 are reported to have distinctive fricative aspiration (Moran et al., 2014). This paper examines the acoustic properties of aspirated fricatives in Matu, an under-documented Kuki-Chin (Tibeto-Burman) language spoken in Chin State, Burma (Myanmar). Matu contrasts unaspirated alveolar fricative /s/ with aspirated alveolar fricative /sh/. Aspirated alveolar fricatives are also found in other Chin languages and have been reconstructed for Proto-Kuki-Chin (VanBik, 2009, p. 186). The data were recorded with Matu-speaking refugees living in Indiana, U.S. and are analyzed using durational and spectral measures. This research expands literature on an uncommon—and reportedly diachronically unstable (Jacques, 2011)—phonemic contrast while increasing documentation of an understudied language. Jacques, G., “A panchronic study ...
Toward automated identification and quantification of meso-scale damage modes in plain weave glass/epoxy composite laminates:

We investigated three different automated methods for identification and quantification of meso-scale damage on single-layer composite laminates subjected to ballistic impact by a 5.5 mm (0.22 cali...
Simulating stomatal response to cloud immersion for montane cloud forests in the Southern Appalachians

Abstract Montane cloud forests are incredibly biodiverse regions that exist globally at narrow elevation bands and are frequently under the presence of low-level clouds and fog. Increasing temperatures and rising cloud base heights threaten these ecosystems, and may reduce the duration of time that plants are exposed to fog. Some cloud forest species have adapted to cloud immersion and enhanced photosynthesis rates have been observed under such conditions. This manuscript tests a simple model for simulating stomatal conductance for vegetation under cloud immersion based on Jarvis's empirical formulation. The light-available energy function within the model is modified to reflect variability observed in Abies fraseri under sun, low cloud, and cloud immersed sky conditions in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Results demonstrate that this approach captures differences amongst stomatal opening during sun, low cloud and immersed conditions for similar ranges of temperature, light, diffusivity, and xylem water potential. Simulated average stomatal conductance during cloud immersion exceeded estimates during sun and low cloud conditions by 3 and 1.5 times, respectively. The magnitude of the estimated stomatal conductance for immersed and low cloud conditions falls below experimental data under all potential environmental states. Similarly, transpiration rates estimated from modeled stomatal conductance were also lower than observed values. The larger discrepancy for cloud immersed periods highlights the need to account for plant adaptation strategies like reduced transpiration and foliar uptake that occur during cloud immersion. Simulating adaptation processes for cloud forests in modeling studies is critical in order to evaluate fully the resilience of montane cloud forest vegetation under disturbance regimes.
Two-Stage Dual-Nerve Facial Reanimation: Outcomes and Complications in a Series of Pediatric Patients:

Background:In facial reanimation via microneurovascular muscle transfer, dual-nerve reinnervation of the muscle capitalizes on the synergistic effects of spontaneous motion from cross facial nerve ...
“I Just Don’t Like to Have My Car Marked”: Nuancing Identity Attachments and Belonging in Student Veterans

Feelings of belonging factor importantly in college student retention and degree completion; for student veterans, these feelings are strongly associated with college adjustment. The experiences of student veterans in higher education continues to be an area of inquiry, as favorable expansions to GI Bill benefits ease access pathways and institutions adopt support services specific to their veteran and military populations. Despite a wealth of research, explicit investigations into identity conflict and cultural incongruence as aspects of student veterans’ postsecondary experiences are less frequent. This article shares findings from the interview portion of a three-phrase, mixed-methods study with student veterans currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The study investigated the degree to which 10 diverse undergraduate student veterans aligned their identities as similar to typical military servicemembers, student veterans, and college students using an adapted approach from Mael and Tetrick’s (1992) Identification with a Psychological Group instrument. Results reveal complexity in their identity alignment as well as an acute awareness of the identity negotiations they experience in repatriating from the military into civilian culture largely and higher education culture specifically. The findings support previous scholarship by reiterating the multifaceted nature of identity association for student veterans and underscoring the importance of recognizing diversity among student veterans. Finally, this study adds uniquely to veterans studies research by attending to the ways some student veterans deliberately curate identity performances with faculty and college peers.
Inter-chromosomal linkage disequilibrium and linked fitness cost loci influence the evolution of nontarget site herbicide resistance in an agricultural weed

Abstract The adaptation of weedy plants to herbicide is both a significant problem in agriculture and a model for the study of rapid adaptation under regimes of strong selection. Despite recent advances in our understanding of simple genetic changes that lead to resistance, a significant gap remains in our knowledge of resistance controlled by many loci and the evolutionary factors that influence the maintenance of resistance over time. Here, we perform a multi-level analysis involving whole genome sequencing and assembly, resequencing and gene expression analysis to both uncover putative loci involved in nontarget herbicide resistance and to examine evolutionary forces underlying the maintenance of resistance in natural populations. We found loci involved in herbicide detoxification, stress sensing, and alterations in the shikimate acid pathway to be under selection, and confirmed that detoxification is responsible for glyphosate resistance using a functional assay. Furthermore, we found interchromosomal linkage disequilibrium (ILD), most likely associated with epistatic selection, to influence NTSR loci found on separate chromosomes thus potentially mediating resistance through generations. Additionally, by combining the selection screen, differential expression and LD analysis, we identified fitness cost loci that are strongly linked to resistance alleles, indicating the role of genetic hitchhiking in maintaining the cost. Overall, our work strongly suggests that NTSR glyphosate resistance in I. purpurea is conferred by multiple genes which are maintained through generations via ILD, and that the fitness cost associated with resistance in this species is a by-product of genetic-hitchhiking.
Fail-slow fault tolerance needs programming support

The need for fail-slow fault tolerance in modern distributed systems is highlighted by the increasingly reported fail-slow hardware/software components that lead to poor performance system-wide. We argue that fail-slow fault tolerance not only needs new distributed protocol designs, but also desires programming support for implementing and verifying fail-slow fault-tolerant code. Our observation is that the inability of tolerating fail-slow faults in existing distributed systems is often rooted in the implementations and is difficult to understand and debug. We designed the Dependably Fast Library (DepFast) for implementing fail-slow tolerant distributed systems. DepFast provides expressive interfaces for taking control of possible fail-slow points in the program to prevent unexpected slowness propagation once and for all. We use DepFast to implement a distributed replicated state machine (RSM) and show that it can tolerate various types of fail-slow faults that affect existing RSM implementations.
Do Lawyers Make Good Gatekeepers

This Chapter, which will appear in The Cambridge Handbook of Investor Protection, ed. Arthur Laby (Cambridge University Press, 2021), argues that there is a strong case for imposing gatekeeping duties on lawyers and reviews the growing body of empirical studies in the accounting and finance journals that partially illumine whether lawyers will act in ways that ultimately inhibit managerial malfeasance and benefit public investors. This Chapter briefly describes the traditional gatekeeping theory, the key elements of a gatekeeper enforcement strategy, and the principal attributes commonly ascribed to gatekeepers. It explains why the designation of lawyers as gatekeepers has been so controversial and argues that the case for imposing gatekeeping obligations on both outside and in-house lawyers is strong in light of the economies of scope that can be exploited from adding gatekeeping to the tasks that lawyers already perform for their clients. It then specifically addresses the potential efficacy of in-house lawyers as gatekeepers. On the issue of whether lawyers make effective gatekeepers, this Chapter finds that the empirical evidence is both complex and mixed, but that the weight of the evidence generally supports that general counsel are effective (albeit conflicted) gatekeepers, who appear willing to police material illegalities but who also tolerate a good deal of aggressive and perhaps unethical conduct. The more limited evidence about outside lawyers suggests that they may be less likely to press their client representatives to comply with the law, opting instead to perform their strictly advisory role as neutral risk-assessors. Nonetheless, their involvement in disclosure matters appears to generate some salutary, longer term effects, demonstrating perhaps a net benefit to public investors. Finally, this Chapter reviews the findings of one study, which highlighted the promising gatekeeping potential of board members with legal backgrounds. It raises the possibility that appointing lawyers to the board may offer the best strategy for promoting compliance within the firm and deterring corporate malfeasance. It calls for further research to be conducted on the efficacy of these understudied legal gatekeepers.
Was the Document Reinserted in the Typewriter

Experimentation indicates that, with care, a typist can in many cases reinsert a typewritten document in a typewriter and add a word, line, or paragraph without having vertical or horizontal misalignment.
Resilience Among Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: The Role of Risk and Protective Factors

Individual and family characteristics that predict resilience among children exposed to domestic violence (DV) were examined. Mother-child dyads (n = 190) were assessed when the children were 2, 3, and 4 years of age. DV-exposed children were 3.7 times more likely than nonexposed children to develop internalizing or externalizing problems. However, 54% of DV-exposed children maintained positive adaptation and were characterized by easy temperament (odds ratio [OR] = .39, d = .52) and nondepressed mothers (OR = 1.14, d = .07), as compared to their nonresilient counterparts. Chronic DV was associated with maternal depression, difficult child temperament, and internalizing or externalizing symptoms. Results underscore heterogeneous outcomes among DV-exposed children and the influence of individual and family characteristics on children's adaptation.
A survey course on computer audio

A new one-semester course for graduate students introduces them to the field of computer audio from a computer science perspective. Students gain an understanding of sound, speech, and music and their digital representation and processing in computer software. Programming assignments provide hands-on experience in playing, recording, mixing, synthesizing, and analyzing audio. Class lectures present algorithms and techniques for compression, watermarking, synthesis, sonification, pitch and beat detection, audio fingerprinting, speech and speaker recognition, and audio retrieval.
Bivariate Natural Spline Smoothing

The purpose of this paper is to develop a highly efficient stable algorithm for smoothing data given on a grid in the plane. Our approach is to use the natural B-splines introduced for the univariate case in [6], coupled with the tensor technique of [3].
Defining the requirements for the Micro Electric Propulsion systems for small spacecraft missions

Recent technology advancements in Micro Electric Propulsion (MEP) will enable the next generation of small spacecraft to perform trajectory and attitude maneuvers with significant ΔV requirements, provide thrust over long mission durations, and replace reaction wheels for attitude control. These advancements will open up the class of mission architectures achievable by small spacecraft to include formation flying, proximity operations, and precision pointing missions in both LEO and interplanetary destinations. The goal of this study is to establish the optimal performance parameters for future MEP technology that are applicable to a broad range of flight demonstration platforms (e.g. dedicated 3–12U CubeSats to ESPA-class spacecraft ), for a variety of applications, including LEO and Earth escape orbit transfers, travel to interplanetary destinations, hover and drag make-up missions, and performing reaction wheel-free attitude control. An integrated systems-level model for propulsion, spacecraft (power, data, telecommunication, thermal management), and orbit and attitude maneuvers is developed to support solution space exploration. MEP system performance parameters are derived that maximize the performance capability subject to realistic system-level constraints in the context of upcoming mission opportunities where MEP is enabling or advantageous relative to other technologies.