cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions of Instructing Students with Disabilities

This investigation determined the perceptions of kindergarten teachers about the desirability and feasibility of practices identified to enhance outcomes for children with disabilities as they make the transition from their prekindergarten programs to kindergarten. Thirty-one kindergarten teachers participated by completing the 28-item, Likert-type (1 = low, 5 = high) Adaptations for Kindergarten Children with Disabilities questionnaire and responding to two open-ended questions. Applying the Wilcoxon signed ranks two-tailed test, it was shown that, with the exception of one item (maintain portfolios), there were statistically significant differences between teachers' views of the desirability of implementing each practice and the feasibility of implementation. Furthermore, the median scores for desirability of implementation were less than 5 for only two items, while most of the ratings for feasibility received median scores lower than 5. Responses to open-ended questions revealed that the majority of te...
Behavioral Diversity of Predatory Arboreal Ants in Coffee Agroecosystems

Aspects of predator assemblages that alter predator effects on prey have received extensive recent attention. Among other mechanisms, differences in behavior or resource use within predator trophic levels may enhance predator effects on prey, especially if effects of each predator species differ with environmental conditions. We address whether three common ant species (Azteca instabilis F. Smith, Camponotus textor Forel, and Crematogaster spp.) are functionally unique in coffee agroecosystems, asking if each species differs in (1) cooperative foraging behavior, (2) responses to experimentally introduced herbivores, and (3) responses to pest outbreaks. Furthermore, we examined the behaviors and effects of each ant species under different conditions by varying herbivore species, herbivore size, and herbivore density and carrying out observations in different seasons. Ant species significantly differed in foraging behaviors, in effects on individual herbivores, and in responses to pest outbreaks in terms of both type and time of response to herbivores. The behaviors and effects of each ant species differed in the dry and wet seasons and for different herbivore species and sizes. Although A. instabilis generally removed more larvae and more quickly removed larvae, this was not the case under all conditions. The data presented thus support that common ant species in coffee agroecosystems are behaviorally diverse in their responses to herbivores under different conditions. We discuss the implications of these differences in ant behaviors for enhancement of predatory function in light of both multipredator effects and in terms of the potential importance of predator diversity.
Greedy sensor selection: Leveraging submodularity

We consider the problem of sensor selection in resource constrained sensor networks. The fusion center selects a subset of k sensors from an available pool of m sensors according to the maximum a posteriori or the maximum likelihood rule. We cast the sensor selection problem as the maximization of a submodular function over uniform matroids, and demonstrate that a greedy sensor selection algorithm achieves performance within (1 − 1 over e ) of the optimal solution. The greedy algorithm has a complexity of O(n3mk), where n is the dimension of the measurement space. The complexity of the algorithm is further reduced to O(n2mk) by exploiting certain structural features of the problem. An application to the sensor selection in linear dynamical systems where the fusion center employs Kalman filtering for state estimation is considered. Simulation results demonstrate the superior performance of the greedy sensor selection algorithm over competing techniques based on convex relaxation.
Novel oral anticoagulants: efficacy, laboratory measurement, and approaches to emergent reversal.

Warfarin, the most commonly used of the vitamin K antagonists, has been a mainstay of oral anticoagulation for decades. However, its usage is limited by morbidity and mortality secondary to bleeding as well as a cumbersome therapeutic monitoring process. In the past several years, a number of competing novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been developed, each of which aspires to match or exceed warfarin's effectiveness while mitigating bleeding risk and eliminating therapeutic monitoring requirements. At present, 1 oral direct thrombin inhibitor and 2 direct factor Xa inhibitors are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Here, we compare the clinical efficacy and safety profiles of these new drugs. In addition, we discuss various laboratory assays that may be useful to measure these drugs in certain clinical circumstances. Finally, we discuss emerging strategies to reverse these agents in an emergency. The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for practicing pathologists to advise ...
Information Erasure in Quantum Systems

Abstract The physical cost of information erasure is considered within a new approach that regards erasure as loss of correlation between the state of an erasable quantum system and that of an enduring “referent” system holding classical information. A physical model of information erasure built on this referential picture is described in detail, and lower bounds on entropic and energetic costs are obtained from quantum dynamics and entropic inequalities alone.
Lithium beam generation and focusing with a radial diode on PBFAII

The performance of a 15-cm-radius applied-magnetic-field ion diode was investigated on the PBFA II accelerator at a power of 23 TW. The power coupling between the accelerator and diode was measured and compared with numerical simulations that show the effects of the electron flow in the MITL. The power coupled to the cathode of the diode was 18 MW. Measurements of the lithium beam generated from an electric-field-emission LiF anode showed a lithium beam power of 9 TW. The lithium beam was ballistically focused in a gas cell filled with 2 torr argon. The resultant focused power density was ∼1.8 TW/cm2 equivalent on a cylindrical target at the centerline of the diode. The focused power was limited by the 20- to 30-mR divergence of the beam caused by the LiF source used and by virtual cathode instabilities in the anode–cathode gap. The ion mode instability in the virtual cathode was studied extensively by measurement of waves in the ion emission pattern from the anode and of the E-P0 correlation between variations in the beam energy and transverse momentum. The instability Played a dominant role in the limitation of the focused lithium power.
On a numerical solution of the plastic buckling problem of structures

An automated digital computer procedure is presented for the accurate and efficient solution of the plastic buckling problem of structures. This is achieved by a Sturm sequence method employing a bisection strategy, which eliminates the need for having to solve the buckling eigenvalue problem at each incremental (decremental) loading stage that is associated with the usual solution techniques. The plastic buckling mode shape is determined by a simple inverse iteration process, once the buckling load has been established. Numerical results are presented for plate problems with various edge conditions. The resulting computer program written in FORTRAN V for the JPL UNIVAC 1108 machine proves to be most economical in comparison with other existing methods of such analysis.
The Mouse SCA2 Gene: cDNA Sequence, Alternative Splicing and Protein Expression

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is caused by expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat located in the coding region of the human SCA2 gene. Sequence analysis revealed that SCA2 is a novel gene of unknown function. In order to provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of SCA2 and to identify conserved domains, we isolated and characterized the mouse homolog of the SCA2 gene. Sequence and amino acid analysis revealed 89% identity at the nucleotide and 91% identity at the amino acid level. However, there was no extended polyglutamine tract in the mouse SCA2 cDNA, suggesting that the normal function of SCA2 is not dependent on this domain. Northern blot analysis of different mouse tissues indicated that the mouse SCA2 gene was expressed in most tissues, but at varying levels. Alternative splicing seen in human SCA2 was conserved in the mouse. By northern blot analysis, SCA2 was expressed during embryogenesis as early as day 8 of gestation (E8). Immunohistochemical staining using affinity-purified antibodies demonstrated that ataxin 2 was expressed in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells as well as in other neurons of the CNS.
A practical architecture for reliable quantum computers

Quantum computation has advanced to the point where system-level solutions can help close the gap between emerging quantum technologies and real-world computing requirements. Empirical studies of practical quantum architectures are just beginning to appear in the literature. Elementary architectural concepts are still lacking: How do we provide quantum storage, data paths, classical control circuits, parallelism, and system integration? And, crucially, how can we design architectures to reduce error-correction overhead? The authors describe a proposed architecture that uses code teleportation, quantum memory refresh units, dynamic compilation of quantum programs, and scalable error correction to achieve system-level efficiencies. They assert that their work indicates the underlying technology's reliability is crucial; practical architectures will require quantum technologies with error rates between 10/sup -6/ and 10/sup -9/.
Long-Term Experience With an Accelerated Protocol for Diagnosis of Chest Pain

Abstract Context.—More than 6 million patients present annually with chest pain suggestive of acute coronary syndrome. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential for best clinical outcomes, for optimal management of hospital resources, and for minimizing medicolegal exposure. Objective.—To evaluate the clinical and cost outcomes of an accelerated protocol for chest pain triage in a community-based hospital of moderate size. Methods.—One hundred successive patients with chest pain were diagnosed according to the Traditional Chest Pain Protocol, which included testing of serial blood samples for creatine kinase (CK)-MB and total CK. These patients were also subjected to the Accelerated Chest Pain Protocol under evaluation, which included testing at shortened intervals for myoglobin and cardiac troponin I in addition to CK and CK-MB. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were compared versus the final assigned diagnosis. The Accelerated Chest Pain Protocol was implemented for routine use. Follow-up evaluatio...
Queuing networks and facility planning

Abstract Open, closed, and mixed networks of queues are shown to be viable techniques for modelling public buildings. The optimal access and egress problems of public buildings together with the necessary assumptions, concepts and mathematical details for employing these queuing network models are presented. The paper concludes with an example comparison of a single-story and a three-story public building modelled as a queuing network. The demonstration indicates how queuing networks can quantify system bottlenecks, measures of congestion and overall sojourn time for the different customer classes intent on utilizing the facility.
Towards a deep learning approach to brain parcellation

Establishing correspondences across structural and functional brain images via labeling, or parcellation, is an important and challenging task for clinical neuroscience and cognitive psychology. A limitation with existing approaches is that they i) possess shallow architectures, ii) are based on heuristic manual feature engineering, and iii) assume the validity of the designed feature model. In contrast, we advocate a deep learning approach to automate brain parcellation. We present a novel application of convolutional networks to build discriminative features for brain parcellation, which are automatically learned from labels provided by human experts. Initial validation experiments show promising results for automatic brain parcellation, suggesting that the proposed approach has potential to be an alternative to template or atlas-based parcellation approaches.
Methods of Information Hiding and Detection in File Systems

Multiple methods of information hiding can be used by criminals to conceal incriminating data. The FAT and NTFS file systems are the most commonly used file systems in operating systems today, and therefore are the most exploited. Most methods of information hiding can be detected using forensic tool kits designed specifically for cyber crime investigators. The purpose of this paper is to explore various methods of information hiding in the FAT and NTFS file systems)
Effects of partly replacing dietary starch with fiber and fat on milk production and energy partitioning

The effects of partly replacing dietary starch with fiber and fat to provide a diet with similar net energy for lactation (NEL) density on yields of milk and milk components and on energy partitioning were evaluated in a crossover design experiment. Holstein cows (n = 32; 109 ± 22 d in milk, mean ± standard deviation) were randomly assigned to treatment sequence. Treatments were a high-starch diet containing 33% corn grain (mixture of dry ground and high-moisture corn; HS) or a high-fiber, high-fat diet containing 2.5% palmitic acid-enriched fatty acid (FA) supplement (HFF). Diets contained corn silage, alfalfa silage, and wheat straw as forage sources; HS contained 32% starch, 3.2% FA, and 25% neutral detergent fiber, whereas HFF contained 16% starch, 5.4% FA, and 33% neutral detergent fiber. Compared with HS, the HFF treatment reduced milk yield, milk protein concentration, and milk protein yield, but increased milk fat concentration, milk fat yield, milk energy output, and milk to feed ratio (energy-corrected milk/dry matter intake). The HFF treatment reduced the yield of de novo synthesized ( 16-carbon) milk FA was not different. The HFF treatment increased plasma concentrations of triglycerides and nonesterified fatty acids, but decreased plasma concentration of insulin. Compared with HS, the HFF treatment reduced body weight gain, change in body condition score, and fat thickness over the rump and rib. Calculated body energy gain, as a fraction of NEL use, was less for HFF than HS, whereas milk energy as a fraction of NEL use was increased for HFF. We concluded that the 2 treatments resulted in similar apparent NEL densities and intakes, but the HS treatment partitioned more energy toward body gain whereas the HFF treatment partitioned more energy toward milk. A high-fiber, high-fat diet might diminish the incidence of over conditioning in mid-lactation cows while maintaining high milk production.
A seasonal, density‐dependent model for the management of an invasive weed

The population effects of harvest depend on complex interactions between density dependence, seasonality, stage structure, and management timing. Here we present a periodic nonlinear matrix population model that incorporates seasonal density dependence with stage-selective and seasonally selective harvest. To this model, we apply newly developed perturbation analyses to determine how population densities respond to changes in harvest and demographic parameters. We use the model to examine the effects of popular control strategies and demographic perturbations on the invasive weed garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). We find that seasonality is a major factor in harvest outcomes, because population dynamics may depend significantly on both the season of management and the season of observation. Strategies that reduce densities in one season can drive increases in another, with strategies giving positive sensitivities of density in the target seasons leading to compensatory effects that invasive species managers should avoid. Conversely, demographic parameters to which density is very elastic (e.g., seeding survival, second-year rosette spring survival, and the flowering to fruiting adult transition for maximum summer densities) may indicate promising management targets.
Caroli's disease and orthotopic liver transplantation

Caroli's disease is a rare congenital hepatic disease, characterized by segmental dilatation of the biliary tree. Patients who have recurrent bouts of biliary infection, particularly those with complications related to portal hypertension, may require orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Few case reports have described the outcome of OLT in patients with Caroli's disease and to date there is no large series reported in the literature. We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of OLT in patients with Caroli's disease who underwent OLT between 1982 and 2002 at Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh. Patients were identified and data was collected by computerized search of the electronic database system. All patients had confirmation of diagnosis by histopathology of explanted liver. A total of 33 patients with Caroli's disease were listed for liver transplantation, 3 of whom were excluded, as they were not transplanted. A total of 90% had signs of hepatic decompensation at the time of OLT. Median posttransplantation follow-up was 7.7 yr. Short-term graft and patient survival at 1 month was 83% and 86%, whereas overall long-term graft survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 yr were 73%, 62%, and 53%, respectively, and patient survival rates were 76%, 65%, and 56%, respectively. Long-term outcome in patients who survived the first year after transplantation was significantly better. Their survival rate at 5 and 10 yr was 90% and 78%. On univariable analysis, recipient age, donor male gender, coexistent congenital hepatic fibrosis, and re-OLT were associated with poor patient survival. Eight patients were retransplanted, 3 of whom had primary nonfunction. A total of 13 patients died; the most common cause of death being sepsis and cardiovascular complications. Patients who died of sepsis had cholangitis pre-OLT. In conclusion, OLT is a form of curative and life-saving therapy in patients with Caroli's disease, especially in those with decompensated liver disease. Overall survival is better with liver transplantation and is comparable with the survival of recipients who undergo OLT for other etiologies of chronic liver disease. Survival was poor in patients with congenital hepatic fibrosis (Caroli's syndrome) and in those who had cholangitis at the time OLT.
Towards Adapting System Execution Traces for Validation of Enterprise Distributed System QoS Properties

System execution traces are useful artifacts for validating enterprise distributed software system quality-of-service (QoS) properties, such as end-to-end response time, service time, and throughput. With proper planning during development phase of the software lifecycle, it is possible to ensure such traces contain required properties to facilitate analysis for QoS validation. In some case, however, it is not possible to ensure system execution traces contain the necessary properties for QoS analysis. Consequently, this makes it hard to analyze such system execution traces for validation of QoS properties. This paper therefore presents preliminary work on the System Execution Trace Adaptation Framework (SETAF) for adapting system execution traces to support analysis of It also presents preliminary results from applying SETAF to externally developed applications. The initial results show that it is possible to validate QoS properties by adapting system execution traces at analysis time instead of modifying the application's existing source code.
The moral acceptability of nuclear deterrence: A critique

Abstract Theorists within the just war tradition of ethics differ in their conclusions about nuclear warfare and nuclear deterrence. This paper examines three arguments for the conditional moral acceptability of nuclear deterrence—those of the U.S. National Conference of Catholic Bishops in their pastoral letter, of J. Bryan Hehir, and of Michael Walzer—and argues that none of the three constitutes intellectually compelling and practically useful moral advice. The bishops fail to convince us that nuclear use can ever fulfil the requirements of proportionality, and therefore that the intention to use nuclear weapons can ever be justified. Hehir fails to convince us that nuclear deterrence policies in fact distinguish categorically between intention and use. Walzer's case that deterrence is bad but necessary is more convincing but it, like Hehir's, does not constitute coherent moral advice for the citizen, soldier or government official. I conclude that, given the inadequacy of attempts to justify nuclear d...
Mass spectrometry and proteomics

the 15th asilomar conference on Mass Spectrometry this October was devoted to the role of mass spectrometry (MS) in proteomics. The Asilomar Conference site is in a picturesque national park in Pacific Grove, CA, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The conference aims to bring together scientists from a
Clinical Pathology of Bovine Neurologic Disease

This article describes the general and specific interpretations of common laboratory tests used to evaluate bovine neurologic disease. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis is emphasized. Comments are made about general conclusions such as hemorrhage, inflammation, infection, and neoplasia as well as specific diseases like thromboembolic meningoencephalitis. Tests in commonly available serum chemistry profiles like total calcium concentration and aspartate aminotransferase activity are described in terms of their usefulness in diseases such as parturient paresis or hepatic encephalopathy. The indications for more specific tests like ionized calcium, blood ammonia concentration, or erythrocyte transketolase are included.
Indirect Reports, Information, and Non-declaratives

The study of indirect reports has gained momentum in the last few years and a variety of philosophical and linguistic proposals have provided a very intriguing picture of what appears to be a very complex phenomenon, comprising several interrelated properties. As is usual in the literature, we can distinguish the utterance of a proposition such as (1) by an agent (John) at a given time from a quotation of said utterance (2) and an indirect report of it (3)
Current evidence of engagement, understanding, and achievement in the taiga curriculum in quest atlantis

Research Goals and Theoretical Framework. Prior annual design research cycles of a 13-hour ecological science curriculum refined the way students drafted and revised in-game assignments, and the way the game and the teacher provided formative feedback. Substantial incremental improvements in scientific discourse, conceptual understanding, and science achievement were obtained (Barab et al., 2007; Hickey, et al., 2009). In this most recent cycle, new insights about participatory assessment (Hickey & Anderson, 2007; Hickey et al., in press) led to new reflective prompts for the assignments, and a 30-screen formative feedback routine was reformulated as FAQs. These and other refinements were coordinated using new insights about consequential and critical engagement (Gresalfi et al., 2009).
Cellular and behavioral effects of D2 dopamine receptor hydrophobic eigenmode-targeted peptide ligands.

Patterns in G-protein-coupled receptors' hydrophobically transformed amino-acid sequences can be computationally characterized as hierarchies of autocorrelation waves, ‘hydrophobic eigenmodes,’ using autocovariance matrix decomposition and all poles power spectral and wavelet transformations. L- or D-amino acid (retro–inverso) 12–18 residue peptides targeting these modes can be designed using eigenvector templates derived from these computations. In all, 12 human long-form D2 dopamine receptor eigenmode-targeted 15 mer peptides were designed, synthesized, and shown to modulate and/or indirectly activate the extracellular acidification response, EAR, in stably receptor-transfected CHO and LtK cells, with an 83% hit rate. Representative L- and D-amino-acid retro–inverso peptides injected bilaterally in the nucleus accumbens demonstrated changes in rat exploratory behavior and prepulse inhibition similar to those observed following parenteral amphetamine. In contrast with geometric models used for ligand design, such as pharmacophores, the hydrophobic eigenmode approach to lead modulatory peptide design targets hydrophobic eigenmode-bearing subsequences, including those not visible from X-ray and NMR studies such as extracellular segments and loops.
Jeremy Lin’s Model Minority Problem:

In 2012, an Asian American, Ivy-League educated basketball player captured the country's attention: what was it that made Jeremy Lin so exceptional, from his race to his physical and mental prowess to his athletic masculinity. In short: what led to the rise and fall of Linsanity? Will it have a legacy?
Complete genome sequence of Streptococcus mitis strain SVGS_061 isolated from a neutropenic patient with viridans group streptococcal shock syndrome

ABSTRACT Streptococcus mitis frequently causes invasive infections in neutropenic cancer patients, with a subset of patients developing viridans group streptococcal (VGS) shock syndrome. We report here the first complete genome sequence of S. mitis strain SVGS_061, which caused VGS shock syndrome, to help elucidate the pathogenesis of severe VGS infection.
Genetic epidemiology of 'neurotic' disorders

We review the literature on the genetic epidemiology of four 'neurotic' disorders along with the personality trait of neuroticism.Unipolar depression, phobic disorders, panic disorder, neuroticism, and, to a lesser extent, generalized anxiety disorder are familial. The familiality of these disorders and neuroticism appears to be due to genetic factors, particularly for unipolar depression and neuroticism. Despite substantial interest in the molecular genetics of unipolar depression, panic disorder, and neuroticism, no genes have as yet been definitively identified.
The development of a nucleon water level gauging system for use with a high-pressure steam chest based on LabWindows/CVI

In view of some problems existing in the application of the conventional water-level gauges to high-pressure steam chests,the paper puts forward a design conception to develop a nucleon water-level gauging system for use with a high-pressure steam chest based on LabWindows/CVI by using multithread techniques,data base methods and modularization.It can realize direct water-level display,analog control signal output,multi-point water-level alarm setup,history water-level data query,printout,etc.This gauging system can carry out real-time detection under the condition when the boiler starts to reach a full load state.
Dramatizing the Italian-Turkish War (1911–12): reports of atrocities, newsreels, and epic films in Italy and the USA

AbstractIn discussions about warfare and modern media mobilization, the so-called Italian-Turkish War (1911–12) stands as a largely ignored case study. This essay examines its remarkable and yet often understudied media currency in newspapers and film periodicals across the Atlantic in relationship to conflicting news about Italian crimes against local populations. Filtered through the concomitant rise of newsreel and feature-length film productions, early reports about Italian atrocities soon gave away to a pro-Italian coverage that relied on the literary and geopolitical trope of Western civilization against Eastern barbarism and that stressed the Ottoman empire’s use of civilians as shields and the press. The essay details the coverage of contemporary melodramas of national sacrifice, war newsreels, and actualites as well as of historical and literary film epics that revived the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, Aeneas’ travel from Troy to Rome, or even the Crusades. By projecting Rome’s timeless m...
Fabrication of Polymer Shells Using a Depolymerizable Mandrel

A new technique for producing hollow shell laser fusion fuel capsules has-been developed that starts with a depolymerizable mandrel. In this technique we use poly({alpha}-methylstyrene) (PAMS) beads or shells as mandrels which are overcoated with plasma polymer. The PAMS mandrel is thermally depolymerized to gas phase monomer. which diffuses through the permeable and thermally more stable plasma polymer coating, leaving a hollow shell. Using this technique we made shells from 200 {mu}m to 4 mm diameter with 15 to 100 {mu}m wall thickness having sphericity better than 0.5 {mu}m and surface finish better than 10 nm RMS. 13 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
Evaluating the Economic and Social Implications of Participation in Clean Vehicle Rebate Programs: Who’s In, Who’s Out?

To motivate consumers to buy fuel-efficient vehicles, governments have established national and state incentives to change purchasing behaviors. With California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) as a case study, this paper assesses the distribution of rebates across census tracts and socioeconomic divisions. Race–ethnicity, income, and socioeconomic and environmental disadvantage were used to understand variations in rebate allocation across census tracts in California between 2010 and 2015. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and negative binomial regressions were conducted to identify the definitive effect that income played in obtaining rebates: wealthier census tracts secure more rebates. Furthermore, this analysis determined a significant and negative relationship between the proportion of Hispanic and African-American residents and the number of rebates received per household, even when controlling for income. These findings suggest that the distribution of CVRP rebates is problematic across economic a...
Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Dynamics

The Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of mechanics contain no physics beyond Newtonian physics. They are simply reformulations that provide recipes to solve problems that are difficult to solve using elementary methods. Additionally, these formulations, especially Hamiltonian dynamics, play an important role in the development of quantum mechanics and in the elucidation of the deep relationships between quantum and classical physics.
Hip Dysplasia: Clinical Signs and Physical Examination Findings

Hip dysplasia is a common developmental disorder of the dog, consisting of varying degrees of hip laxity, progressive remodeling of the structures of the hip, and subsequent development of osteoarthritis. It is a juvenile-onset condition, with clinical signs often first evident at 4 to 12 months of age. A tentative diagnosis of hip dysplasia can be made based on signalment, history, and physical examination findings. The Ortolani test is a valuable tool for identifying juvenile dogs affected with this condition. Further diagnostics can then be prioritized, contributing to prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Solvent-Driven Dynamical Crossover in the Phenylalanine Side-Chain from the Hydrophobic Core of Amyloid Fibrils Detected by 2H NMR Relaxation

Aromatic residues are important markers of dynamical changes in proteins’ hydrophobic cores. In this work we investigated the dynamics of the F19 side-chain in the core of amyloid fibrils across a wide temperature range of 300 to 140 K. We utilized solid-state 2H NMR relaxation to demonstrate the presence of a solvent-driven dynamical crossover between different motional regimes, often also referred to as the dynamical transition. In particular, the dynamics are dominated by small-angle fluctuations at low temperatures and by π-flips of the aromatic ring at high temperatures. The crossover temperature is more than 43 degrees lower for the hydrated state of the fibrils compared to the dry state, indicating that interactions with water facilitate π-flips. Further, crossover temperatures are shown to be very sensitive to polymorphic states of the fibrils, such as the 2-fold and 3-fold symmetric morphologies of the wild-type protein as well as D23N mutant protofibrils. We speculate that these differences can ...
A brief history of language and cultural specialists in the state of Montana—Class 7 testing

In 1995, the Montana Office of Public Instruction supported the Class 7 Indian language and culture specialist license to allow experts in Indigenous languages/cultures identified and certified by ...
Improving oxygen barrier property of biaxially oriented PET/phosphate glass composite films

Abstract A new formulation of low glass transition temperature phosphate glass (Pglass) was developed to avoid degradation of, then melt blended with poly(ethylene terephthalate), (PET), in the presence of a sulfonated PET copolymer compatibilizer, providing an effective dispersion of the filler in polymer matrix. Compression molded films were then stretched to a draw ratio of 3 × 3 at the polymer glass transition temperature; scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the Pglass droplets successfully transformed into platelets with high aspect ratio under the processing condition. A 20-fold reduction in oxygen permeability was obtained with oriented 20 vol% Pglass in the PET matrix. The experiment data were fitted with the Nielsen and Cussler models to extract the platelet filler aspect ratios; the fitting result also indicated that the compatibilizer was effective in bringing Pglass and PET together. Enhanced the moduli and significantly reduced ductility, typical of filled systems, were observed in this family of materials.
ON SCHEDULING WITH RELEASE TIMES AND DEADLINES

Algorithms for the scheduling of unit-time jobs with release times and deadlines on one or many identical machines are presented and generalizations which result in NP-complete problems are discussed.
Substance Abuse and the Law

The present chapter reviews the interaction of medicine and the law as it relates the diagnosis, treatment planning, and course of substance use disorders. The case of Robinson v. California, US Supreme Court of 1962, is used as a legal base for this examination. Robinson v. California led to the overturning of laws which made the state of being “dependent” on substances a criminal act. Even though a substance use disorder alone cannot be grounds for a criminal conviction, there are many criminal drug-related offenses, and the rates of substance use disorders in the criminal justice system are incredibly high. For this reason, medical providers who provide assessment and/or ongoing treatment to individuals with substance use disorders are likely to have a client involved the criminal justice system at some point. Thus it is important for medical professionals to understand the perspectives of medicine and the law, specifically understanding the ways in which the two fields may contrast in their views. Key concepts covered in this chapter include current definitions and practical considerations in the diagnosis of substance use disorders, the concept of choice versus compulsion, conceptualization of treatment and remission, and a brief review of crime and drug use. Finally, recommendations on the role of medicine in communicating the course, implications, and effects of substance use disorders when interacting with the law are discussed.
A small hybrid ground-air vehicle concept

Small robots benefit from the ability to go places where humans cannot and are attractive for numerous practical reasons such as portability and manufacturing simplicity. However, with smaller scale comes more difficulty traversing rough terrain, especially for robots which use wheel-based locomotion. Previous approaches to overcome this drawback have included auxiliary mechanisms such as jumping, transformations of the robot or its appendages, and alternative forms of locomotion such as aerial flight capability. This paper presents a small scale robot that is capable of both ground travel and aerial flight. In combination, these methods of locomotion allow for efficient ground-based movement as well as the ability to overcome obstacles and explore otherwise unreachable locations through air travel. The novel aspect of the robot design is a transformation between ground and air configurations. This feature offers advantages over previous approaches such as a highly compact ground configuration and protection of delicate flight hardware when not in use. In this paper, the robot concept is compared to other approaches to address ground robot mobility drawbacks. This is followed by a detailed design description with a focus on the transformation between the ground and air modes. Lastly, a fully functional prototype is presented which is capable of ground and air locomotion and the transformation between these configurations.
Processed and raw tomato consumption and risk of prostate cancer: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among men worldwide. Many epidemiological studies have found an inverse association between increased tomato consumption and PCa risk. This study aims to determine the associations between consumption of various types of tomato products and PCa risk and to investigate potential dose–response relationships. We conducted a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of dietary tomato in relation to PCa. Eligible studies were published before April 10, 2017 and were identified from PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. We estimated pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using random and fixed effects models. Linear and nonlinear dose–response relationships were also evaluated for PCa risk. Thirty studies related to tomato consumption and PCa risk were included in the meta-analysis, which summarized data from 24,222 cases and 260,461 participants. Higher total tomato consumption was associated with a reduced risk of PCa (RR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71–0.92, p = 0.001). Specifically, tomato foods (RR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72–0.98, p = 0.030) and cooked tomatoes and sauces (RR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73–0.98, p = 0.029) were associated with a reduced risk of PCa. However, no associations were found for raw tomatoes (RR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.84–1.09, p = 0.487). There was a significant dose–response association observed for total tomato consumption (p = 0.040), cooked tomatoes and sauces (p < 0.001), and raw tomatoes (p = 0.037), but there was not a significant association with tomato foods (plinear = 0.511, pnonlinear = 0.289). Our data demonstrate that increased tomato consumption is inversely associated with PCa risk. These findings were accompanied with dose–response relationships for total tomato consumption and for cooked tomatoes and sauces. Further studies are required to determine the underlying mechanisms of these associations.
Substance Use and Suicide in Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Multiracial Youth

Introduction National estimates of U.S. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHPI), American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN), and multiracial adolescent substance use and suicidality are scarce because of their small population sizes. The aim was to estimate the national prevalence of, and disparities in, substance use and suicidality among these understudied adolescents. Methods Analyses conducted in 2017 of U.S. adolescents (grades ninth to 12th) from the 1991–2015 Combined National Youth Behavioral Risk Surveys estimated (1) prevalence of lifetime and current (past 30-day) substance use, past 12-month depressed mood, and suicidality by racial group; and (2) AORs for depressed mood and suicidality regressed on current alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Results Among 184,494 U.S. adolescents, alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana were commonly used with lifetime prevalence of 75.32%, 58.11%, and 40.55%, respectively, and current prevalence of 44.51%, 24.58%, and 22.01%, respectively. Past 12-month prevalence of suicidal thoughts, suicide planning, and attempted suicide were 18.87%, 14.75%, and 7.98%, respectively. Relative to non-Hispanic whites, NHPI, AIAN, and multiracial adolescents had higher prevalence of using many illicit substances (e.g., marijuana, heroin), depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts (p Conclusions U.S. NHPI, AIAN, and multiracial adolescents are disproportionately burdened by illicit substance use, depressed mood, and suicidality. Current alcohol and cigarette use may predispose these adolescents toward suicidality, offering potential pathways to alleviate suicide risk.
Agility in Audit: Could Scrum Improve the Audit Process?

SUMMARY Changes in environmental forces provide an opportunity for audit firms to move away from an up front and reactive audit planning approach to one that is more agile. Agility involves quicker...
Dinosaurs and Ancient Civilizations: Reflections on the Treatment of Cancer

Research efforts in the area of palaeopathology have been seen as an avenue to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of cancer. Answers to questions of whether dinosaurs had cancer, or if cancer plagued ancient civilizations, have captured the imagination as well as the popular media. Evidence for dinosaurian cancer may indicate that cancer may have been with us from the dawn of time. Ancient recorded history suggests that past civilizations attempted to fight cancer with a variety of interventions. When contemplating the issuewhy a generalized cure for cancer has not been found, it might prove useful to reflect on the relatively limited timethat this issue has been an agenda item of governmental attention as well as continued introduction of an every evolving myriad of manmade carcinogens relative to the total time cancer has been present on planet Earth. This article reflects on the history of cancer and the progress made following the initiation of the “era of cancer chemotherapy.”
Component Hardware for Transforming Growth Factor-β Signal Transduction: TGF-β Ligands, TGF-β Receptors, and Smads

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a multifunctional regulatory polypeptide that is the prototypical member of a large family of cytokines that controls many aspects of cellular function, including cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, apoptosis, adhesion, angiogenesis, immune surveillance, and survival. The actions of TGF-β are dependent on several factors including cell type, growth conditions, and the presence of other polypeptide growth factors. The TGF-β signaling pathway has been the subject of several thousand articles that have reinforced the view of the importance of this polypeptide growth factor in normal physiology and pathology. As nearly all cells both produce and respond to TGF-β, understanding the components of the TGF-β signal transduction pathway in normal cells, including the TGF-β ligands, the TGF-β receptors, and the regulatory and inhibitory Smads, and how they may be perturbed in tumor cells, is important. TGF-β exhibits numerous effects that are dependent on the cell type and context, and often appear to be conflicting. Crosstalk with other signaling pathways may provide one explanation that the biological response to TGF-β is often dependent on the extracellular environment of the cell. New therapeutic opportunities may develop from a clearer and more in-depth understanding of the TGF-β signal transduction pathway and the molecular and cellular contexts that permit the tumor suppressor or pro-oncogenic activities of TGF-β.
First Demonstration of Additive Manufacturing of Cutting Tools using Directed Energy Deposition System: Stellite™-Based Cutting Tools

Abstract Machine-tool concepts are becoming increasingly complex to meet the demanding requirements of advanced applications. This raises per-tool costs for manufacturers and end users, motivating the development of novel, innovative fabrication methods for these tools. Our objective herein is to investigate laser-based additive manufacturing to fabricate application-optimized machine-tools that perform comparably to commercially-available products. To demonstrate this technology, multi-layer Stellite™ (Co-Cr-W superalloy) structures were deposited on a stainless-steel substrate via directed energy deposition technique to be used as a tool for cutting applications requiring high-temperature strength and ductility, an area where conventional carbide and high-speed steel tools are challenged. The as-printed structures were free of large-scale defects and voids, and were further characterized and compared to commercial Blackalloy 525 barstock (B525), a Co-Cr-W alloy tool of similar composition. The Stellite™ contained mostly Co-rich (α-phase) dendrites, as well as inter-dendritic Cr7C3 and Cr23C6 phases. The B525 composition consisted of a range of lamellar-eutectic microstructure comprised of Co-phase with W6C reinforcement. In reciprocating wear testing, Stellite™ 6 maintained a steady-state COF within 20% of B525 (0.36 ± 0.01 vs. 0.30 ± 0.01), and final wear rate as low as 38% difference from B525 (5.14*10−6 ± 4.58*10−7 N m m 3 vs. 3.20*10−6 ± 4.99*10-7 N m m 3 ). During a turning operation of SS304L, the Stellite™ 6 tool demonstrated consistent chip formation and more consistent rake-face and cratering wear in comparison to the B525 tool, indicating its adequacy for service in this application. Our results demonstrate for the first time that directed-energy-deposition can be utilized to fabricate advanced cutting tool concepts for job-specific applications.
Management of non-missile penetrating spinal injury

Review of the literature with case illustration. Non-missile penetrating spinal injury (NPSI) represents a small subset of spinal cord injuries at tertiary trauma centers and is comprised mostly of knife violence. Strict guidelines for the management of penetrating spinal cord injury remain elusive given the variability of mechanisms, rarity of clinical experience, and paucity of prospective studies. A review of the literature was conducted by search of the National Library of Medicine (PubMed) in the English language through June of 2018. Additional articles were culled from the reference lists of the included series. Eleven case series totaling 1007 patients, along with 21 case reports, were identified. In summary, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be beneficial in assessing incomplete or progressive spinal injuries and can be considered with retained foreign bodies in select cases. Forty-eight hours of antibiotic prophylaxis is likely sufficient to prevent infection. Puncture wounds should be debrided, washed, and closed. Retained foreign bodies should be removed in the operating room and often require laminectomy. Early intervention is preferred. Non-missile penetrating spinal injury has a higher likelihood of neurologic recovery as compared to other traumatic spinal injuries.
A Machine Learning Approach to Delineating Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque Structure and Composition by ARFI Ultrasound, In Vivo

Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques have high risk for rupture, with rupture potential related to plaque composition and structure. We have previously shown that soft (intraplaque hemorrhage IPH, and lipid rich necrotic core LRNC) are differentiated from stiff (collagen COL, and calcium CAL) plaque elements in human carotid plaques by Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI)-derived peak displacement (PD). However, PD had lower performance for differentiating between features with similar stiffness. Here we evaluate an alternative method to improve intraplaque feature delineation by using machine learning methods. From ARFI imaging data, SNR, cross-correlation coefficient, and displacement were used as inputs to random forests (RaF) and support vector machines (SVM) algorithms. The algorithms were trained to identify IPH, LRNC, COL and CAL by 5-fold cross-validation with ground truth identified from histology. From output likelihood matrices, CNR between plaque components were calculated and compared to the corresponding CNR achieved by ARFI PD and VoA. Results showed that both RaF and SVM achieved higher CNRs for distinguishing between features than ARFI outputs alone. These results suggest that, relative to PD, machine learning improves ARFI discrimination of carotid plaque components that are correlated to vulnerability for rupture.