cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concentrations and inactivation of Ascaris eggs and pathogen indicator organisms in wastewater stabilization pond sludge.

During treatment in wastewater stabilization ponds (WSPs) many pathogens, in particular helminth eggs, are concentrated in the sludge layer. Because periodic removal of the sludge is often required, information is needed on the concentrations and inactivation of pathogens in the sludge layer to evaluate the public health risk they pose upon removal of the sludge. In this paper, previous reports on the sludge concentrations of various pathogen indicator organisms and helminth eggs are reviewed and results from our own recent experiments are reported. The advantages and disadvantages of several methods for studying inactivation in the sludge layer are discussed, as well as implications for the management of WSP sludge. In our recent experiments, which were conducted at three WSPs in central Mexico, sludge cores, dialysis chambers, and batch experiments were used to measure the inactivation rates of fecal coliform bacteria, fecal enterococci, F+ coliphage, somatic coliphage, and Ascaris eggs. The first-order inactivation rate constants were found to be approximately 0.1, 0.1, 0.01, 0.001, and 0.001 d-1, respectively. The concentrations of all the organisms were found to vary both vertically and horizontally in the sludge layer; therefore, to determine the maximum and average concentration of organisms in the sludge layer of a WSP, complete sludge cores must be collected from representative locations throughout the pond.
CAUSES OF PERINATAL MORTALITY EXCESS IN PROLONGED GESTATIONS

The study sought to determine what proportion of the perinatal mortality excess associated with prolonged gestations was due to placental insufficiency. Using data from a large prospective study of pregnancy, the perinatal mortality rate was 20.9/1000 births for post-term and 11.7/1000 for term infants. Only a quarter of the perinatal mortality rate excess in the post-term pregnancies was due to disorders related to inadequate uteroplacental perfusion, i.e., abruptio placentae, large placental infarcts and marked placental growth retardation. Twenty-six per cent of the mortality excess was due to congenital malformations, 19% to amniotic fluid infections, 8% to Rh erythroblastosis fetalis and the remaining 22% to a variety of other disorders. The post-term mortality excess due to congenital malformations was in infants who had hypoplastic adrenal glands, a well-known cause of prolonged gestation. The 4205 placentas of the post-term infants did not show any significant increases in those microscopic lesions that are characteristic of uteroplacental under-perfusion.
Comparison Study on Adverse Drug Reactions of the Plate Combination Anti-tuberculosis Drugs in Anti-tuberculosis Chemotherapy

Objective To explore the occurrence of adverse drug reactions(ADRs)of the plate combination anti- tuberculosis drugs, so as to provide evidence for the usage of anti- tuberculosis drugs in clinic. Methods Totally, 487 new smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients were randomly allocated into two groups with a ratio of 2 to 1, the plate combination drug group(332 cases)and the traditional drug group(155 cases). The occurrence of ADRs was observed and compared between the two groups. Results The total occurrence rate of ADRs was 33.47%, with 36.54% for the plate combination drug group and 27.10% for the traditional drug group. Compared with the traditional group, the total ADRs rate and the gastrointestinal reactions rate were higher in the plate combination drug group(P 0.05). For the plate combination drug group, the occurrence rate of ADRs at the intensify stage was 25.90%, and that in the elderly patients was 53.62%, both higher than those in the traditional group(P 0.05). No remarkable differences were found in hepatic injury between the two groups(P0.05). Conclusions The occurrence rate of ADRs, especially the occurrence rate of gastrointestinal reactions,is higher in the plate combination drug group than in the traditional group. ADR inspection should be intensified in the clinic, especially on the elderly and patients during the intensify stage.
The 2013 Joseph W. Richards Summer Research Fellowship — Summary Report: Microsegregation Effects on the Thermal Conductivity of Silicon-Germanium Alloys

Due to increased need for renewable energy sources in recent years, a significant number of both experimental and theoretical efforts have been undertaken to find effective ways to enhance the performance of thermoelectric (TE) energy conversion. Since the 1960s, SiGe alloys have received much attention as one of the promising candidates for TE materials, due to their low thermal conductivity (κ), as compared to pure Si and Ge. Earlier studies1,2 demonstrated that the low κ is mainly attributed to phonon scattering as a result of the mass difference between Si and Ge atoms (the so-called alloy scattering). While the strength of alloy scattering is a strong function of the Si/Ge ratio, previous experiments3 also showed evidence that Si and Ge atoms often remain locally segregated in bulk SiGe samples prepared by mechanical alloying. However, no research has been reported regarding the microsegregation effect on κ. As a part of the ECS summer project, we performed a computational analysis to explore how the local atomic arrangement affects thermal transport in bulk SiGe; some results of this work are presented herein. To investigate the microsegregation effect, we prepared several Si0.8Ge0.2 samples by embedding spherical Ge particles of different sizes (ranging from 5 to 293 atoms) in the Si matrix. As illustrated in Fig. 1, embedded Ge particles were randomly positioned but not allowed to overlap each other. A nonequilibrium MD (NEMD) method4 with the Stillinger-Weber (SW) potential model5 was used to calculate the κ of SiGe alloys at 300 K, while the SW parameters were modified using the first-principles-based force-matching method.6 For each of the Si1-xGex systems considered, five independent NEMD simulations were performed with different atomic arrangements and initial velocity distributions. All NEMD simulations were performed using LAMMPS (Large-Scale Atomic and Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator)7 with a time step of 1 fs; a detailed description of the simulation steps can be found in Ref. 8 and 9. Figure 2 shows the variation of κ for the Si0.8Ge0.2 samples as a function of Ge particle diameter (De); here, De is approximated by (6NGeVGe/π) 1/3, where NGe is the number of Ge atoms in the particle and VGe is the volume per atom for Ge (= 0.0238 nm3 from our DFT-GGA calculation). The κ is predicted to monotonically increase with Fig 1. The various Si0.8Ge0.2 configurations show a random distribution of Si and Ge atoms (random) and embedded Ge particles with different diameters (De = 0.91, 1.58, and 2.37 nm) in the Si matrix. Green (black) balls and yellow lattices represent Ge and Si atoms, respectively.
Neurobehavioral Toxicology in the 21st Century: A Future or a Failure?1: The 1991 Hänninen Lecture

Toxic substances in the workplace and general environment have been shown to cause adverse health effects in human populations. This has occurred as the result of such factors as industrialization, environmental pollution, and increased reliance on chemicals in agriculture. Effects of toxic substances on the human nervous system have been identified and characterized through use of neurobehavioral methods, essentially over the past 20 years. This paper examines 10 key publications in neurotoxicology and relates them to the future of neurobehavioral toxicology in the next century. The view is expressed that the future of neurobehavioral methods lies in more firmly rooting them in basic mechanisms of neurotoxicity. © 1993 Academic Press, Inc.
War and Genocide: ‘Cleansing’ the Lebensraum

The question of ‘genocide’ in US history is quite naturally a threatening and disturbing one for contemporary Americans, one that calls into question the very nature and consequences of the Early American national project in ‘the West’. Recognition of such a ‘genocide’, moreover, would severely discredit our national belief in America’s ‘exceptionalist’ past. Among historians of Early America and the American ‘West’, the dispossession and destruction of Native American communities is far from a consensually accepted case of ‘genocide’, with the vast majority of scholars objecting, sometimes heatedly, to the use of the ‘g’ word and others seeing it as a case of ‘ethnic cleansing’ — a step below genocide, as they see it, in the hierarchy of extreme political violence.1 Outside of a few historians of the American West and some specialists in Native American history, there has been, until very recently, an almost universal reluctance on the part of mainstream American historians to consider ‘genocide’ in the case of the Indian Americans.2 Within the disciplines of genocide studies and ethnic studies, however, the notion of genocide against Native Americans, in both the colonial and early national periods, is slowly gaining wider acceptance.3
Finishing monkeypox genomes from short reads: assembly analysis and a neural network method

Poxviruses constitute one of the largest and most complex animal virus families known. The notorious smallpox disease has been eradicated and the virus contained, but its simian sister, monkeypox is an emerging, untreatable infectious disease, killing 1 to 10 % of its human victims. In the case of poxviruses, the emergence of monkeypox outbreaks in humans and the need to monitor potential malicious release of smallpox virus requires development of methods for rapid virus identification. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is an emergent technology with increasing application to the diagnosis of diseases and the identification of outbreak pathogens. But “finishing” such a genome is a laborious and time-consuming process, not easily automated. To date the large, complete poxvirus genomes have not been studied comprehensively in terms of applying WGS techniques and evaluating genome assembly algorithms. To explore the limitations to finishing a poxvirus genome from short reads, we first analyze the repetitive regions in a monkeypox genome and evaluate genome assembly on the simulated reads. We also report on procedures and insights relevant to the assembly (from realistically short reads) of genomes. Finally, we propose a neural network method (namely Neural-KSP) to “finish” the process by closing gaps remaining after conventional assembly, as the final stage in a protocol to elucidate clinical poxvirus genomic sequences. The protocol may prove useful in any clinical viral isolate (regardless if a reference-strain sequence is available) and especially useful in genomes confounded by many global and local repetitive sequences embedded in them. This work highlights the feasibility of finishing real, complex genomes by systematically analyzing genetic characteristics, thus remedying existing assembly shortcomings with a neural network method. Such finished sequences may enable clinicians to track genetic distance between viral isolates that provides a powerful epidemiological tool.
Experimental Observation of Cusp Catastrophes in Strong Field Dissociation

We observe a sharp peak in angle-resolved H 2 + photodissociation over the entire measured kinetic energy releases range, due to a cusp type catastrophe that drives angular focusing of non-resonant states coupled to the strong field.
Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study Auxiliary Findings on 2007-Compliant Diesel Engines: A Comparison With Diesel Exhaust Genotoxicity Effects Prior to 2007

Since its beginning, more than 117 years ago, the compression-ignition engine, or diesel engine, has grown to become a critically important part of industry and transportation. Public concerns over the health effects from diesel emissions have driven the growth of regulatory development, implementation, and technological advances in emission controls. In 2001, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board issued new diesel fuel and emission standards for heavy-duty engines. To meet these stringent standards, manufacturers used new emission after-treatment technology, and modified fuel formulations, to bring about reductions in particulate matter and nitrogen oxides within the exhaust. To illustrate the impact of that technological transition, a brief overview of pre-2007 diesel engine exhaust biomarkers of genotoxicity and health-related concerns is provided, to set the context for the results of our research findings, as part of the Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES), in which the effects of a 2007-compliant diesel engine were examined. In agreement with ACES findings reported in other tissues, we observed a lack of measurable 2007-compliant diesel treatment–associated DNA damage, in lung tissue (comet assay), blood serum (8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG] assay), and hippocampus (lipid peroxidation assay), across diesel exhaust exposure levels. A time-dependent assessment of 8-OHdG and lipid peroxidation also suggested no differences in responses across diesel exhaust exposure levels more than 24 months of exposure. These results indicated that the 2007-compliant diesel engine reduced measurable reactive oxygen species–associated tissue derangements and suggested that the 2007 standards–based mitigation approaches were effective.
Background lead and mercury exposures: Psychological and behavioral problems in children.

Abstract Background The potential harm from exposure to nonessential metals, particularly mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), has been the focus of research for years. Initial interest focused on relatively high exposures; however, recent evidence suggests that even background exposures might have adverse consequences for child development. Identifying the extent of these consequences is now a priority. Methods We assessed blood Pb and Hg levels in a biracial sample of 9–11 year-old children ( N = 203). Neurodevelopment and psychological functioning assessments included hostility, disruptive behaviors, emotion regulation, and autism spectrum disorder behaviors. Parasympathetic (vagal) responses to acute stress were indexed by heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and during stress. Results With increasing Pb levels, children exhibit higher levels of hostile distrust and oppositional defiant behaviors, were more dissatisfied and uncertain about their emotions, and had difficulties with communication. These significant associations were found within a range of blood Pb levels from 0.19 to 3.25 μg/dL, well below the “reference value” for children of >5 μg/dL. Vagal reactivity interacted with Hg such that increasing Hg was associated with increasing autism spectrum behaviors for those children with sustained vagal tone during acute stress. Conclusions This study is the first to demonstrate an association between very low-level Pb exposure and fundamental psychological mechanisms that might explain prior associations with more complex outcomes such as delinquency. Analyses of vagal reactivity yielded entirely novel associations suggesting that Hg may increase autism spectrum behaviors in children with sustained vagal tone during acute stress. The novelty of these later findings requires additional research for confirmation and the cross-sectional nature of the data caution against assumptions of causality without further research.
Spiritual well-being after trauma: Correlates with appraisals, coping, and psychological adjustment

ABSTRACTSpiritual issues are often implicated in trauma, yet little research has examined the specific pathways through which trauma may affect spiritual well-being or relations between spiritual well-being and other aspects of adjustment following trauma. Such information would be helpful in developing psychological interventions for trauma recovery. In a sample of 436 college students who had survived a traumatic experience, a transactional stress and coping perspective were used to examine both predictors of three components of spiritual well-being (faith, meaning, and peace) and relations between spiritual well-being and other aspects of psychological adjustment. Results suggest that different patterns of appraisals and coping predict each component of spiritual well-being and that all three components—particularly those of meaning and peace—are related to psychological adjustment. These results suggest that spiritual well-being is an important posttraumatic outcome warranting future research and clin...
Traveling Forward: Revisiting Online Instruction for Global Sites

Column description. Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, s...
Optimization of Patients for Esophageal Cancer Surgery

Esophagectomy is a complex surgical procedure. The esophageal cancer patient often presents with significant comorbidities in addition to new onset weight loss and malnutrition. Optimization for neoadjuvant therapy and subsequent esophagectomy requires careful consideration of patient comorbidities and nutritional status. This chapter discusses the medical evaluation of esophageal cancer surgery patients including nutritional optimization.
Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fonder? Work-Related Travel and Marital Satisfaction

Using a sample of 961 dual-earner couples, the authors examined the relationship between work-related travel and marital satisfaction, using gender role attitudes and parental status as moderators. For women and men with children, the impact of travel is generally consistent with gender role congruence theory, which posits that marital satisfaction will be highest when gender role attitudes and gender role behaviors are congruent. Generally, when one holds traditional gender role attitudes, marital satisfaction is stable or enhanced when the husband travels, and is lower when the wife travels. Nontraditional parents are generally less happy if either member travels. The results were less predictable among couples without children in the home.
Many Electron Ionization Processes in Strong and Ultrastrong Fields

Total ionization yields are reported for the noble gases in ultrastrong fields. The intensity range studied is from 1015W/cm2yy to 1018W/cm2 with ionization charge states from one to twelve. Sequential ionization processes are modeled by tunneling ionization and shown to be accurate within a factor of two near saturation. Nonsequential, multielectron ionization is observed for most species and involves the correlation of up to four electrons; furthermore, correlated ionization is observed to occur for electrons initially in different atomic shells. A semiclassical, 3D relativistic rescattering model is compared to the data with limited success. The model shows the qualitative behavior of nonsequential ionization but fails to accurately predict the yields for many higher charge states. In neon the model accounts for 15% of the observed nonsequential ionization but in xenon only 1% is accounted for. The laser magnetic field does not play a role in many nonsequential ionization processes and a rescattering deflection parameter is presented to predict when magnetic field effects will impact rescattering processes such as high harmonic generation and nonsequential ionization.
Implementing the Community-Based Teaching-Family Model at Boys Town

Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home, or “Boys Town,” as it is popularly known, was founded in 1917 by Father Edward J. Flanagan. Father Flanagan started the program to provide shelter and care for young boys who were orphans or in trouble. Eventually, they moved to what was then known as Overlook Farm, several miles west of Omaha, where there was space enough to care for dozens of boys. Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home had become Boys Town, an incorporated village with its own schools, homes for boys, police and fire departments, and post office.
A Hypothesis Testing Using the Total Time on Test from Censored Data as Test Statistic

The total time on test for censored data from an exponentially distributed population has been proved to be a prediction sufficient (or adequate) statistic by Nair and Cheng [10] in light of the works by Cheng and Mordeson [4], and others [1, 9, 12-14]. The test may be repeated for many times. As a result, since the total time on test until the r-th ordered failure time is observed will be recorded for each test, several total time on test (for censored data) for the same system are available for use in analyzing the reliability of the system. The main objective of this proposal is to create a statistical test for the parameter of the exponential distribution on the basis of the total time on test from censored data.
Foreign Net Discount Rates: The Case of Undocumented Mexican Workers

While undocumented immigrants have standing to sue in state and federal courts in the United States, the number of legal cases dealing with the question of measuring damages awards is limited. Although the approaches taken by courts differ widely, a common past approach has involved foreclosing damages recovery to undocumented workers. Some courts, however, have allowed damages awards based on wages in the undocumented worker's country of origin. As the issue of how to correctly estimate damages of undocumented workers arises going forward, it is reasonable to expect that forensic economists will be required to estimate damages awards based on foreign wages. As an effort to equip forensic economists with the tools to conduct such estimates, this paper addresses the issue for the case of Mexican undocumented workers. First, the paper reviews developing case law on the subject. Second, based on official sources, time series data on interest rates and Mexican annual wages by industry since 1980 are investigated and reported. Third, the historical net discount rate (NDR) is discussed and proposed as a methodology to estimate damage awards. Fourth, NDR stability is discussed. The paper concludes by summarizing the findings and offering concluding comments.
Modification of Food Proteins by Enzymatic Methods

Protein structure is modified to improve solubility, emulsification and other functional properties of proteins thereby enhancing their effective use as foods and food ingredients. Modification of protein functionality can also make food products better suited for human nutritional utilization, thus increasing the world’s food supply.1 Therefore, the purpose of modifying the structure of proteins is to create new and unique products that would possess better functional properties in food systems than the unmodified protein. In the past 15 years, protein modification has been the subject of many excellent reviews.1–9 Existing commercial modification procedures are limited in number and usefulness. There is a need to develop other modification methods. The newly developed method(s) should produce an end product that is safe for human consumption by meeting the food additive standards imposed by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most importantly, industrial modification processes must be specfic, reproducible and cost effective.
Field Assessment of Colorado pikeminnow Exposure to Mercury Within Its Designated Critical Habitat in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.

Mercury contamination in freshwater fish is widespread across North America, including the western United States. Atmospheric mercury from both natural and manmade emissions deposits into watersheds and, through methylation and biomagnification, accumulates in aquatic food webs. Highest mercury concentrations are found in predatory fish. The endangered Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) is a long-lived, top-level piscivore endemic to the Colorado River basin. Mercury exposure to Colorado pikeminnow and another native fish species, the roundtail chub (Gila robusta), was assessed by analyzing muscle tissues collected using a nonlethal technique. Mercury concentrations in Colorado pikeminnow > 400-mm long, captured from critical habitat throughout the species’ present range, exceeded the tissue threshold-effect level of 0.2 µg/g wet weight (WW) for whole body fish (0.31 µg/g WW in muscle) recommended to protect fish from injury. Mercury is a neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor, and impacts to fish may include reduced ability to avoid predators, secure food, and reproduce. The highest mercury concentrations were found in both Colorado pikeminnow and roundtail chub collected from the White River, a tributary to the Green River. Colorado pikeminnow from the White and Green rivers had the highest mean mercury concentrations and the lowest mean relative body conditions. Exposure to high mercury concentrations may act in concert with other threatening factors to compromise Colorado pikeminnow population viability and eventual recovery.
Hexverter–Based Optimal Low Frequency AC Transmission System

The transmission system, which is a key part of the power grid, is ever–growing and always being improved. Conventionally, AC transmission systems have been used to move power where its needed, however in certain recent applications related to renewable energy sources, DC transmission systems have been chosen over AC transmission systems mostly due to the long transmission distances. Currently, power electronic converters make possible to implement alternatives to HVDC transmission systems such as Low Frequency AC Systems, which have the potential to increase the capacity of existing transmission lines, thus improving the transmission system. In this paper, a Hexverter–based Low Frequency transmission system is studied. The effect of frequency on the parameters of the transmission line and on the design of the Hexverter are discussed and an optimization problem is proposed to select the optimal transmission frequency.
Implementing condom distribution programs in the United States: Qualitative insights from program planners.

Abstract With the growing number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people (15–24) in the US, condom distribution programs (CDP) remain an integral part of prevention strategies. The objective of the study was to gather qualitative insights from CDP planners to inform effective CDP implementation. Ten semi-structured interviews with program planners were conducted via telephone (response rate of 58.8%). Condom distribution channels included site-based distribution (n = 6), web-based distribution (n = 4), and distribution via Uber (n = 1). Site-based distribution programs had distribution networks ranging from 100 to 3500 sites in a given jurisdiction. Planners of site-based CDPs experienced challenges with ensuring quality control at sites and supplying condoms to sites. Web-based CDPs allow individuals to order free condoms online. These CDP planners reported growing demand for this discreet service, particularly among young people. Web-based CDPs leveraged e-mail surveys to collect data on sexual behavior and behavior change, yielding response rates as high as 63%. All CDPs emphasized the importance of supplying a variety of products. Total supplies distributed (male condoms, internal condoms, lubricant sachets) ranged from 16,000 to 45 million per year. Novel channels of distribution should be explored to ensure reach to adolescents and young adults.
An outbreak of HIV infection among people who inject drugs linked to injection of propofol in Taiwan.

Introduction The aim of this study was to report an HIV outbreak related to propofol-injection and the impact of regulating propofol on the HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID). Methods A retrospective cohort study of 252 PWID who were diagnosed with an HIV infection between 2014 and 2017 in Taiwan. The propofol information was collected by routine epidemic surveillance and interviews. We linked several national databases to collect other related factors, including methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) attendance and incarceration. The serums were tested for recent infection by the LAg-avidity EIA assay and relationship of the trains by the Phylogenetic tree analysis. Analyses were conducted using the R Surveillance package for retrospective modeling for outbreak detection. A multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between propofol-injection and other related factors. Results There were 28 cases reported with propofol-injection, all of which were reported in Central Taiwan. A total of 11 (50%) cases among 22 propofol-injectors with serums were recent infections, which were higher than that 33 (23.4%) of non-propofol group. The phylogenetic tree indicated that 6 propofol-injectors were grouped together with the same cluster in circular. The HIV epidemic curve among PWID revealed an outbreak of 82 in 2015, which then decreased to 43 in 2016 after propofol began to be regulated as a Schedule 4 controlled drug in August 2015. In a multiple logistic regression, attendance at methadone clinics was associated with a significantly higher risk for propofol-injection (adjusted OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 0.98-5.98), and HIV reported in the year 2015 was associated with an increased risk of propofol-injection (adjusted OR = 4, 95% CI = 1.08-14.86). Conclusions Our data indicate that the government regulation of propofol as a controlled drug strategy was associated with significant reduction in the spread of HIV among PWID.
Upper airway resistance syndrome 2018: non-hypoxic sleep-disordered breathing

Introduction: Upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been described as abnormal breathing during sleep, based on the recording technologies and knowl...
Plasma Sources used for Sputter Deposition

With the basic structure of the plasma outlined in Chapter 2, Chapter 3 will describe the different types of sputtering sources and their characteristics that are typically employed. Because of the vast configurations of the sputter systems that have been developed, only a survey of those techniques that significantly affect the flux of charged particles to an electrode in response to an applied bias will be offered. References that offer a more thorough descriptions of the various techniques employed in sputter deposition will be offered throughout the discussion. After discussing some basic phenomena that occur in a plasma in Chapter 2, a summary of the plasma properties and operating conditions that these techniques demonstrate will be given. These sources to be discussed include the conventional planar sputtering source, the dc magnetron, the unbalanced magnetron, the hollow cathode magnetron and the high-vacuum magnetron (including a self-sputtering source). Capacitively driven radio frequency (rf) diode and rf magnetron as well as inductively driven plasmas used in ionized physical vapor deposition will be discussed also.
Provably Secure Subsitution of Cryptographic Tools.

Many cryptographic protocols secure against malicious players use specially designed cryptographic tools. Essentially, these special tools function much like less-expensive tools, but give extra ‘powers’ to a reduction or simulation algorithm. Using these powers, cryptographers can construct a proof of security using standard techniques. However, these powers are not available to either the honest parties or the adversary. In a large class of protocols, by replacing the expensive, specially designed cryptographic tool with a corresponding less-expensive tool, we can improve the protocol’s efficiency without changing the functionality available to either the adversary or the honest parties. The key motivating question we address in this paper is whether the new, ‘substituted’ protocol is still secure. We introduce a framework for reasoning about this question. Our framework uses translators: special purpose oracles that map outputs of one cryptographic tool to corresponding outputs of a different tool. Translators are similar to, but generally weaker than, the “angels” of Prabhakaran and Sahai [29]. We introduce the notion of substitution-friendly protocols and show that such protocols remain secure after substitution in our framework. We also leverage existing proofs of security; there is no need to re-prove security from scratch. We demonstrate our framework with a non-interactive non-malleable bit commitment protocol.
Predictors of Radiographic Osteoarthritis 2 to 3 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Data From the MOON On-site Nested Cohort

Background:Multiple studies have shown that patients are susceptible to posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, even with ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Pr...
Circadian Rhythms and Physiological Synchrony: Evidence of the Impact of Diversity on Small Group Creativity

Circadian rhythms determine daily sleep cycles, mood, and cognition. Depending on an individual's circadian preference, or chronotype (i.e.,"early birds" and "night owls"), the rhythms shift earlier or later in the day. Early birds experience circadian arousal peaks earlier in the morning than night owls. Prior work has shown that individuals are more effective at analytic tasks during their peak arousal times but are more creative during their off-peak times. We investigate if these findings hold true for small groups. We find that time of day and a group's majority chronotype impact performance on analytic and creative tasks. Physiological synchrony among group members positively predicts group satisfaction. Specifically, homogeneous groups perform worse on all tasks regardless of time of day, but they achieve greater physiological synchrony and feel more satisfied as a group. Based on these findings, we present and advocate for a temporal dimension of group diversity.
The evolution of choice and learning in the two-person beauty contest game from kindergarten to adulthood

Abstract We develop a graphical, non-analytical version of the two-person beauty contest game to study the developmental trajectory of instinctive behavior and learning from kindergarten to adulthood. These are captured by observing behavior when the game is played in two consecutive trials. We find that equilibrium behavior in the first trial increases significantly between 5 and 10 years of age (from 17.9% to 61.4%) and stabilizes afterwards. Children of all ages learn to play the equilibrium, especially when they observe an equilibrium choice by the rival. Our younger children are the weakest learners mainly because they are less frequently paired with rivals who play at equilibrium. Finally, the choice process data suggests that participants who play at equilibrium in the second trial are also performing fewer steps before reaching a decision, indicating that they are less hesitant about their strategy.
SAR-enhanced mapping of live fuel moisture content

Abstract Assessing wildfire risk presents several challenges due to uncertainty in fuel flammability and ignition potential. Live fuel moisture content (LFMC) - the mass of water per unit dry biomass in vegetation - exerts a direct control on fuel ignitability, fuel availability and fire spread, and is thus an important parameter in assessing wildfire risk. Current estimates of LFMC from optical remote sensing or meteorological indices are insufficient to accurately map LFMC at landscape scale. In this study, we present a physics-assisted recurrent neural network model for mapping LFMC every 15 days at 250 m resolution over the western US using microwave backscatter (from Sentinel-1) and optical reflectance (from Landsat-8). The model was physics-assisted by adding handcrafted inputs representing radiative transfer processes and related parameters. Field data from the National Fuel Moisture Database was used to train the deep learning model. The model had a satisfactory overall predictability of R2 = 0.63, RMSE = 25.0% and bias = 1.9% when cross-validated at 125 sites. The model was substantially better at predicting site-means (R2 = 0.71 and RMSE = 14.3%) as compared to site-anomalies (R2 = 0.55 and RMSE = 21.3%). Of the 6 land cover types tested, the model was most accurate in predicting LFMC in shrublands (R2 = 0.69), while closed broadleaf deciduous sites had the least accuracy (R2 = 0.49). Incorporating microwave backscatter as a model input significantly enhanced performance (R2 increasing from 0.44 to 0.63, and RMSE decreasing from 31.8% to 25.0%). Microwave backscatter therefore presents a complementary source of information to optical remote sensing metrics for LFMC mapping. The high resolution dynamic LFMC maps presented here may assist in improved wildfire risk characterization and also have potential applications in quantifying plant drought stress at large scales.
Towards next generation pandemic proof factories

The coronavirus disease pandemic has caused serious challenges for manufacturing organizations Several existing smart manufacturing technologies can be adapted and integrated into factory operations to ensure that the factory can continue to operate efficiently during the next pandemic This technical note describes how technologies such as collaborative robotics, augmented reality, virtual reality, telepresence, artificial intelligence, and additive manufacturing can be used to minimize disruptions to factory operations and realize pandemic proof factories © 2020 by ASTM International
Neutron irradiation induced defects in oxides and their impact on the oxide properties

Understanding the irradiation-induced defects in oxides is of interest for a wide range of applications. ZnO is an interesting oxide with mixed ionic and covalent bonding that contains a variety of point defect structures—making it an excellent model for studying irradiation-induced defects and their impact on properties. Here, we investigate the effects of neutron irradiation on the formation of defects and on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of ZnO single crystals. We observe the formation of vacancies and voids via positron annihilation spectroscopy. Neutron irradiation led to a significant deterioration of the ZnO structure and formed a high concentration of point defects, vacancy clusters, and voids with large disparities in their structure across variable irradiation times. It also led to significant changes in the optical properties and sample color. Irradiation for 444 h induced a high concentration of Cu acceptors as well as a high concentration of Ga donors. Temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements revealed the competing production of donors and acceptors and showed an increase in the slope of the carrier freeze-out curve with increasing irradiation dose. This work demonstrates the combined effects of neutron irradiation in producing a wide range of structural defects, impurities, and dopants in oxides and their enormous impact on modifying the oxide structure and both the optical and electronic properties. It particularly emphasizes the importance of considering the production of new impurities and dopants during the neutron irradiation of oxides.
The Vehicle Routing Problem with Availability Profiles

In business-to-consumer (B2C) parcel delivery the presence of the customer at the time of delivery isimplicitly required in many cases. If the customer is not at home, the delivery fails – causing additional costs and effort for the parcel service provider as well as inconvenience for the customer. Typically, parcel service providers report high failed-delivery rates, as they have limited possibilities to arrange a delivery time with the recipient. We address the failed-delivery problem in B2C parcel delivery by considering customer-individual availability profiles (APs) that consist of a set of time windows, each associated with a probability that the delivery is successful if conducted in the respective time window. To assess the benefit of APs for delivery tour planning, we formulate the vehicle routing problem with availability profiles (VRPAP) as a mixed integer program (MIP), including the tradeoff between transportation and failed-delivery costs. We provide analytical insights concerning the model’s cost savings potential by determining lower and upper bounds. In order to solve larger instances we develop a novel hybrid adaptive large neighborhood search (HALNS) with problem-specific operators. We find new best-known solutions for related benchmark instances from the literature and conduct various experiments on self-generated instances. In a case study using real-world data, despite little information on the APs, we were able to reduce failed deliveries by approximately 12% and overall costs by 5%.
Health Care in the Service of Science

What Price Better Health? Hazards of the Research Imperative. by Daniel Callahan. University of California Press, Berkeley, and The Milbank Memorial Fund, New York, 2003. 341 pp. $29.95, £19.95. ISBN 0-520-22771-9. Callahan's exploration of the history, conduct, and goals of biomedical research in the United States questions the claims that more science improves our lives and that aging is a preventable disease.
Yik Yak: a social media sensor

This is the first academic paper which focuses specifically on the new social media application Yik Yak. To provide a solid foundation, a brief overview of a few anonymous social media platforms is provided. A social media sensor framework is then presented which utilizes a three-layered approach to addressing the use of analytic tools. Specifically the use of keyword, geolocation, sentiment, and network analysis is explored through the perspective of social media as a sensor. Challenges and criticisms are exposed in addition to some possible solutions. A theoretical case study is then offered which outlines a potential use of social media as a senor for emergency managers. The paper culminates with a data collection for the development of a lexicon for Yik Yak. This data collection focuses on an 18 day study which collects Yik Yak posts and Twitter tweets simultaneously. The top 100 keywords for each platform are collected for every 24 hour period and placed through a relative change comparison. Overall, Yik Yak offers a more stable baseline as compared to Twitter.
Contributions of pathological alterations to forensic anthropology interpretation

Pathology plays a key role in various aspects of interpretation within forensic anthropology. These contributions include of the effects of pathological conditions and using them to facilitate identification efforts. In the context of the broader definition of pathology as “something abnormal” it forms the foundation of much of the logic, methodology and practice of forensic In fact, only unusual conditions not by many others can be utilized for positive identification. Recovery efforts and evaluation of the evidence of foul play, as well as the estimation sex, age at death, ancestry, living stature, time since death and other important components depend upon recognition of normal and abnormal patterns. The multifaceted contributions of pathology to the practice of forensic are firmly documented in casework applications.
Radiation management of primary carcinoma of the vagina

This 15-year retrospective study includes 71 patients with diagnosis of primary carcinoma of the vagina treated at the University of Maryland Hospital, Radiation Therapy section from 1957 to 1970. The lesions were staged according to the system advocated by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) with a minor modification (Perez et al.11). With the exception of Stage O, histologic diagnosis was 94% (60/64) invasive squamous cell carcinoma and 6.0% (4/64) adenocarcinoma. Of 71 cases who are eligible for a minimum five-year follow-up, the absolute five-year cure rate for various clinical stages is as follows: Stage O 100% (7/7), Stage 1 83.2% (5/6), Stage 11A 65% (13/20), Stage 11B 63.5% (7/11), Stage 111 40% (8/20), Stage IV 0% (0/7). The overall absolute five-year cure-rate for all stages combined was 56.3% (40/71). A comparable result and even better in some stages (II and III) as compared to several previous reports are thought to be due to the proper intergrated irradiation combining interstitial and intracavitary radium with external super-voltage beam. Furthermore, an aggressive radium implant to the vagina, paracolpium, and specifically to parametrium and pelvic wall in Stage II and III appears to be one of the keys to our good results. The technique of treatment, stage by stage, are being fully discussed along with a few complications and failures.
Regulation of Hypercompetence in Legionella pneumophila

Although many bacteria are known to be naturally competent for DNA uptake, this ability varies dramatically between species and even within a single species, some isolates display high levels of competence while others seem to be completely nontransformable. Surprisingly, many nontransformable bacterial strains appear to encode components necessary for DNA uptake. We believe that many such strains are actually competent but that this ability has been overlooked because standard laboratory conditions are inappropriate for competence induction. For example, most strains of the gram-negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila are not competent under normal laboratory conditions of aerobic growth at 37°C. However, it was previously reported that microaerophilic growth at 37°C allows L. pneumophila serogroup 1 strain AA100 to be naturally transformed. Here we report that another L. pneumophila serogroup 1 strain, Lp02, can also be transformed under these conditions. Moreover, Lp02 can be induced to high levels of competence by a second set of conditions, aerobic growth at 30°C. In contrast to Lp02, AA100 is only minimally transformable at 30°C, indicating that Lp02 is hypercompetent under these conditions. To identify potential causes of hypercompetence, we isolated mutants of AA100 that exhibited enhanced DNA uptake. Characterization of these mutants revealed two genes, proQ and comR, that are involved in regulating competence in L. pneumophila. This approach, involving the isolation of hypercompetent mutants, shows great promise as a method for identifying natural transformation in bacterial species previously thought to be nontransformable.
Hierarchical characterization procedures for dimensional metrology

We present a series of dimensional metrology procedures for evaluating the geometrical performance of a 3D imaging system that have either been designed or modified from existing procedures to ensure, where possible, statistical traceability of each characteristic value from the certified reference surface to the certifying laboratory. Because there are currently no internationally-accepted standards for characterizing 3D imaging systems, these procedures have been designed to avoid using characteristic values provided by the vendors of 3D imaging systems. For this paper, we focus only on characteristics related to geometric surface properties, dividing them into surface form precision and surface fit trueness. These characteristics have been selected to be familiar to operators of 3D imaging systems that use Geometrical Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T). The procedures for generating characteristic values would form the basis of either a volumetric or application-specific analysis of the characteristic profile of a 3D imaging system. We use a hierarchical approach in which each procedure builds on either certified reference values or previously-generated characteristic values. Starting from one of three classes of surface forms, we demonstrate how procedures for quantifying for flatness, roundness, angularity, diameter error, angle error, sphere-spacing error, and unidirectional and bidirectional plane-spacing error are built upon each other. We demonstrate how these procedures can be used as part of a process for characterizing the geometrical performance of a 3D imaging system.