cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Locating performance problems in massively parallel executions

Performance problems in asynchronous massively parallel programs are often the result of unforeseen and complex asynchronous interactions between autonomous processing elements. Then performance problems are not inefficiencies in source code, but gaps in the algorithm designer's understanding of a complex physical system. The analyst forms hypotheses about the probable causes or possible improvements, and verifies these hypotheses by modifying the program and testing it again. These hypotheses can be formed by a variety of methods, from simple and mostly fruitful techniques for suggesting possible source code improvements to the difficult, indirect, and possibly futile activity of visualizing execution. The author describes a visualization system for massively parallel execution data and shows how drawbacks in other analysis methods sometimes make visualization necessary despite its difficulty. >
A method for the evaluation of small antenna Q

A method is presented to calculate the quality factor (Q) of small antennas, which is based on the understanding that for a small antenna the total energy in Poynting theorem can be easily separated into the stored energy and radiated energy by using the low frequency expansions. The Poynting theorem in frequency domain provides an equation on the stored electric and magnetic energy while the Poynting theorem in time domain can be used as another independent equation for the stored electric and magnetic energy. By solving these equations the stored electric and magnetic energy can be obtained, thus, making the Q calculation possible.
Processes at the nick region link conjugation, T‐DNA transfer and rolling circle replication

Data from prokaryotic replicative and conjugative systems, which interrelate DNA processing events initiated by a site-specific nick, are reviewed. While the replicative systems have been established in accordance with the rolling circle replication model, the mechanism of conjugative replication has not been elucidated experimentally. We summarize data involving random point mutagenesis of the RK2 transfer origin (oriT), which yielded relaxation-deficient and transfer-deficient derivatives having mutations exclusively in a 10bp region defined as the nick region. Features of the RK2 (IncP) nick region, including the DNA sequence, nick site position, and 5' covalent attachment of the nicking protein, have striking parallels in other systems involving nicking and mobilization of single-stranded DNA from a supercoiled substrate. These other systems include T-DNA transfer occurring in Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid-mediated tumorigenesis in plants, and the rolling circle replication of plasmids of Gram-positive bacteria and of phi X174-like bacteriophage. The structural and functional similarities suggest that IncP conjugative replication, originating at the oriT, and T-DNA transfer replication, originating at the T-DNA border, produce continuous strands via a rolling circle-type replication.
The rural library’s role in Ugandan secondary students’ reading habits

This study explores reading and library factors related to secondary school student academic outcomes in rural areas in Uganda. This mixed methods study utilized quantitative data collected as part...
ASCORBIC ACID-GONADOTROPIC HORMONE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE CHICK

DURING the past decade evidence has been accumulating that ascorbic acid may play a part in the regulation of the normal reproductive processes and thatthe utilisation of vitamin C may be partially under endocrine control. Biskind and Glick (1) found that the corpus luteum of pregnancy contained twice asmuch vitamin C as that of the non pregnant guinea pig. Ley (2) reported that ascorbicacid was of therapeutic value in the treatment of habitual abortion of women. Phillipset al. (3, 4) found that the subcutaneous injection of ascorbic acid was of value in therestoration of fertility in certain impotent bulls and that similar treatment of cowswas followed by the correction of some types of sterility. Mosonyi (5) observed a reduction in the ascorbic acid content of the liver and adrenals following the injection of either the male or female sex hormones;Winkler and Binder (6) demonstrated a decrease in pituitary ascorbic acid following the injection of chorionic gonadotropin; and Israel and Meranse (7) report...
Organization and Expression of Potyviral Genes

The potyviruses have long been favored subjects for study by plant virologists. They constitute the most numerous of the three dozen or so groups of plant viruses, and collectively are responsible for more damage to the world’s crop plants than is caused by the viruses of most of if not all the other groups. This was rather dramatically illustrated by a recently conducted international election of “favorite” filamentous plant viruses among several eminent virologists in which the potyviruses emerged with a clear “victory” (Milne, 1988). The ecological and epidemiological aspects of diseases caused by potyviruses, with their many fascinating but varied and complex considerations, have also prompted the major efforts in research that have been directed over many years to this group of viruses.
Rock glacier surface motion in Beacon Valley, Antarctica, from synthetic-aperture radar interferometry

[1] We present radar interferograms of rock glaciers in the Beacon Valley sector of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, in East Antarctica, as part of a comprehensive study of surface processes in the area. Due to the relative absence of net precipitation (snow) in this region and the stability of the surface, the rock glaciers maintain excellent coherence of the radar returns over several years. As a result, we obtain a spatially continuous surface velocity field with a precision of fractions of a millimeter per year. On distinct rock glaciers entering Beacon Valley, we find coherent velocity patterns, with peak velocities approaching 40 mm per year. The ice supply from these rock glaciers nourishes the central portion of Beacon Valley, where velocities are found to be vanishingly small, and partly compensates for mass losses induced by sublimation. This analysis is consistent with the tantalizing notion that Beacon Valley ice is the oldest on Earth.
Towards energy-efficient code dissemination in wireless sensor networks

Post-deployment code dissemination has become an important design issue for many applications in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). While several dissemination protocols have been proposed, challenges still exist due to the high energy consumption of transmitting wireless signals. In this paper, we present update-conscious compilation (UCC) techniques for energy-efficient code dissemination in WSNs. An update-conscious compiler, when compiling the modified code, includes the compilation decisions that were made when generating the old binary. In most cases, matching the previous decisions improves the binary code similarity, reduces the amount of data to be transmitted to remote sensors, and thus, consumes less energy. In this paper, we focus on the development of update-conscious register allocation (UCC-RA) algorithms. Our experimental results show that UCC-RA can achieve great improvements over the traditional, update-oblivious approaches.
Alzheimer's disease can spare local metacognition despite global anosognosia: Revisiting the confidence–accuracy relationship in episodic memory

Alzheimer's disease (AD) can impair metacognition in addition to more basic cognitive functions like memory. However, while global metacognitive inaccuracies are well documented (i.e., low deficit awareness, or anosognosia), the evidence is mixed regarding the effects of AD on local or task-based metacognitive judgments. Here we investigated local metacognition with respect to the confidence-accuracy relationship in episodic memory (i.e., metamemory). AD and control participants studied pictures of common objects and their verbal labels, and then took forced-choice picture recollection tests using the verbal labels as retrieval cues. We found that item-based confidence judgments discriminated between accurate and inaccurate recollection responses in both groups, implicating relatively spared metamemory in AD. By contrast, there was evidence for global metacognitive deficiencies, as AD participants underestimated the severity of their everyday problems compared to an informant's assessment. Within the AD group, individual differences in global metacognition were related to recollection accuracy, and global metacognition for everyday memory problems was related to task-based metacognitive accuracy. These findings suggest that AD can spare the confidence-accuracy relationship in recollection tasks, and that global and local metacognition measures tap overlapping neuropsychological processes.
Factors Associated with Skin Cancer Prevention Practices in a Multiethnic Population

A better understanding of factors influencing sun protection practices can improve the design and evaluation of skin cancer prevention programs. These data are from a cross-sectional survey of 756 parents with children in Grades 1 through 3, and 176 recreation program staff members in a multiethnic population in Hawaii. Questionnaires asked about skin cancer prevention practices (sunscreen use, covering up, shade seeking), knowledge, benefits and barriers, policies, and staff norms for prevention. The most important correlates of children’s prevention practices were their parents’ sun protection habits. Multiple regression models—which included knowledge, beliefs, program policies, and covariates related to sun protection—explained a total of between 38% and 41% of the variance in children’s sun safety habits, 22% to 25% of parents’habits, and 24% of recreation staff members’sun safety habits. The models were less successful at predicting the use of hats, shirts, and shade seeking and a composite sun prot...
Implicit Theories of Persuasion

This research explores whether individuals have implicit theories of persuasion. Thefirst study sought to understand how persuasive strategies are cognitively represented. Using multidimensional scaling, two dimensions were identi/ied. Thejirst dimension distinguishes the types of tactics used to bring about attitude change. The second dimension diffeentiated the social acceptability of the persuasive strategies. The second stage of this research explored the nature of people‘s implicit them‘es of persuasion. Expmhnent 1 demonstrated that implicit theories of persuasion are sensitive to the operation ofmultiple goals in a situation. Expm’ment 2fOund that implicit theories of persuasion reflect the audience’s familiarity with the topic. In Experiment 3, implicit theories were demonstrated to be sensitive to the topic-relevant knowledge ofthe communicator. mplicit theories of persuasion involve commonsense beliefs about persuasion and persuasive strategy use. These implicit I theories of persuasion should have important implications for understanding persuasive interactions because they are the foundations from which expectations concerning persuasive strategy use arise. However, little research has focused on implicit theories of persuasion (OKeefe, 1993), which is unfortunate because persuasion is a common goal of interpersonal communication (Rule, Bisanz, & Kohn, 1985). The following research explores whether individuals have implicit theories of persuasion. The first study sought to understand how persuasive strategies are cognitively represented. The second stage of this research involved three experiments exploring the nature of people’s implicit theories of persuasion.
Penetration of direct non-thermal plasma treatment into living cells

Here the possibility that effects of the plasma treatment can penetrate though cellular membranes without destroying them is studied. DNA double stranded breaks (DSB's) in human fibroblast cells were detected to assess effects of plasma treatment. Hydrogen peroxide treatment was used as a positive control as it is comparable to ionizing radiation. The results indicate that short direct plasma treatment at low power does produce DNA DSB's at the levels comparable to the positive control without permanent membrane damage.
Impact of inhalation exposure modality and particle size on the respiratory deposition of ricin in BALB/c mice.

Ricin is a toxic lectin derived from the seed of Ricinus communis (castor plant). It is lethal in small quantities when disseminated as an aerosol. We determined the impact of using two types of exposure chambers and different particle sizes on the deposition of ricin aerosols in mice. Initially, two types of inhalation exposure chambers (whole-body [WB] or nose-only [NO]) were compared using the same size aerosol (1 µm) to determine the potential impact upon respiratory deposition and presented dose. We then assessed the role of particle size on deposition by using aerosols with two distinctly sized particle distributions. Selected organs were collected at four time points after exposure and were analyzed by quantitative enyzme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and epifluorescence microscopy. Results of the exposure chamber comparison, using 1-µm particles only, indicated approximately 50% of the total ricin in the 4 organs was detected in the lung tissue 1 h after exposure. The trachea and nasopharynge...
The Impact of Adding Radiation Treatment After Breast Conservation Surgery for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS; intraductal carcinoma) is most commonly detected as suspicious microcalcifications on routine screening mammography in an asymptomatic woman. As most women with newly diagnosed DCIS are eligible for breast conservation treatment, a major decision for most women is whether or not to add radiation treatment after surgical excision (lumpectomy). In four prospective randomized clinical trials, the addition of radiation treatment after lumpectomy reduced the risk of local recurrence by approximately 50%, both for overall local recurrence and for the subset of invasive local recurrence. Nonetheless, efforts have continued to attempt to identify a subset of patients with favorable DCIS who are at sufficiently low risk of local recurrence that omitting radiation treatment is reasonable. Prospective and retrospective studies have demonstrated excellent long-term outcomes at 10 and 15 years after breast conservation treatment with radiation. Careful follow-up, including yearly surveillance mammography, after initial breast conservation treatment with radiation is warranted for the early detection of potentially salvageable local and local-regional recurrences.
Bronze Age textile evidence in ceramic impressions: weaving and pottery technology among mobile pastoralists of central Eurasia

Textiles are powerful indicators of technology and contact, as the authors show for the peoples of the Bronze Age central Asian steppes. In this case the textiles are mainly missing, but have left their imprints on the surface of the inside of pots, captured when otherwise redundant cloths were used to paddle or jacket the clay before hardening and firing. A good supply of old cloths seems to have been part of a potters' equipment and some were used several times. The authors analyse and date the fibres and weaves to give an indication of changing cultural context through the Bronze Age.
Effects of Anthranil-, Benzo-, and Salicyl-Hydroxamic Acids on Mouse Brain Amines and L-DOPA Decarboxylase.∗

SummaryAnthranil-, benzo- and salicyl-hydroxamic acids were given intraperitoneally to mice. Brain L-DOPA decarboxylase activity was reduced shortly after the hy-droxamates entered the brain and returned to normal as the hydroxamates were eliminated. Salicyl-hydroxamic acid was the strongest inhibitor. Only benzo-hydroxamic acid lowered both 5-hydroxytryptamine and catecholamine levels in brain. Anthranil-hydroxamic acid lowered only catecholamine levels and salicyl-hydroxamic acid lowered only 5-hydroxytryptamine levels.
Does investor sentiment impact the returns and volatility of Islamic equities

In this paper, we estimate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) and vector autoregressive (VAR) models to examine whether investor sentiment impacts the returns and volatility of various U.S. Dow Jones Islamic equity indices. The results from GARCH estimations show that changes in investor sentiment are positively correlated with the returns of the Shari’ah-compliant market portfolio. In addition, we find similar results for the three Shari’ah-compliant firm-size portfolios (i.e., large-, medium-, and small-cap). However, this relationship is stronger for harder to arbitrage Shari’ah-compliant stocks; that is, investor sentiment has a greater influence on small-cap equities. Additionally, estimations from the vector autoregressive model confirm the aforementioned results. In terms of volatility, GARCH estimations suggest that bullish shifts in investor sentiment in the current period are accompanied by lower conditional volatility in the ensuing period. In general, our findings suggest that as noise traders create more risk the market seems to reward them with higher expected returns.
Analysis on security management of fire control in construction sites

With the rapid development of economic and society in China,the increased new great opportunities for the building industry make more and more new or renew constructions in nationwide,which also brings a number of new materials,new structures and new technologies to be widely used in practice.However,this prosperous market is making a large amount of fire potentials in construction sites,which can easily trigger some fire accidents even cause significant economic losses and casualties.For example,the fire accidents in construction site of CCTV affiliated cultural center in Beijing and 11.15 high-rise residential buildings in Shanghai are mainly caused by some reasons like not well fulfilling responsibilities of fire security inspection,not well implementing requirements of fire control.This paper gives some views about security management of fire control in construction sites.
Genetic characteristics of enterovirus 71 isolates from hand foot and mouth disease in Baicheng city 2010

Objective To analyze the genetic characteristics of enterovirus type71(EV71) isolates causing hand foot and mouth disease(HFMD) epidemics in Baicheng city in 2010.Methods 6 EV71 virus strains from the Baicheng city were chosen to do the RT-PCR and sequences of VP1 genes of EV71 strains,and analyzed by the software of bioedit and Mega 4.0.Results All 6 virus strains belonged to C4a genotype.The nucleotide homology among 6 virus strains of Baicheng city reached 98.6%-100.0%,and two transmission chain were formed.The homology which 4 Baicheng isolated strains in 2010 compared to the strain(JL-HFM-10-5) isolated in Jilin province in 2010 was the nearest which attained 99.7-100.0% among transmission chain 1.The homology which 2 Baicheng isolated strains in 2010 compared to the Fuyang strain in 2008 and the 2 strain isolated in Jilin province in 2009 was the nearest which attained 99.3%-99.4% among transmission chain 2.Conclusion At least 2 transmission chains cause HFMD epidemic in 2010 in Baicheng city,the virus strain of transmission chain 1 circulates and causes HFMD epidemic in Baicheng city and Jilin province,the virus strain of transmission chain 2 circulates longer time in China and reminds that EV71 has the characteristic with spreading rapidly and widely.
Towards State Summarization for Autonomous Robots

Mobile robots are an increasingly important part of search and rescue efforts as well as military combat. In order for users to accept these robots and use them effectively, the user must be able to communicate clearly with the robots and obtain explanations of the robots' behavior that will allow the user to understand its actions. This paper describes part of a system of software that will be able to produce explanations of the robots' behavior and situation in an interaction with a human operator.
Health Information Technology (Health IT): The Future of Personal Medicine

Health IT is changing the focus of healthcare providers from curing illness to empowering the individual to improve their personal health. Cloud computing stores big data for safe and easy access by individuals, mobile devices are used to enter data during a health event, wearable sensors detect changes in our bodies’ physical changes, and social media permits sharing our health information to support communities. These four health IT trends combine to generate the big data that personalizes healthcare and feeds the electronic systems of the learning health system (LHS). The learning health system continuously analyzes this data as well as the data from hospital electronic health records and other healthcare entities. The continuous data aggregation and analysis allows the “learning” of the learning health system to occur. Subsequently, each of us, as well as our healthcare providers, uses health IT to access this “learned” knowledge to proactively improve our health. Health IT combined with the learning health system is anticipated to shorten the 17-year “bench-to-bedside” gap between knowledge discovery and its application in personal health to 17 months.
Enriching Triangle Mesh Animations with Physically Based Simulation

We present a system to combine arbitrary triangle mesh animations with physically based Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation, enabling control over the combination both in space and time. The input is a triangle mesh animation obtained using any method, such as keyframed animation, character rigging, 3D scanning, or geometric shape modeling. The input may be non-physical, crude or even incomplete. The user provides weights, specified using a minimal user interface, for how much physically based simulation should be allowed to modify the animation in any region of the model, and in time. Our system then computes a physically-based animation that is constrained to the input animation to the amount prescribed by these weights. This permits smoothly turning physics on and off over space and time, making it possible for the output to strictly follow the input, to evolve purely based on physically based simulation, and anything in between. Achieving such results requires a careful combination of several system components. We propose and analyze these components, including proper automatic creation of simulation meshes (even for non-manifold and self-colliding undeformed triangle meshes), converting triangle mesh animations into animations of the simulation mesh, and resolving collisions and self-collisions while following the input.
Assessment of self-produced PCR methods for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in meat

The objective was to develop a highly sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in meat. To increase the capacity for the processing of meat samples by improving DNA extraction, four PCR assays were developed and compared using the B1 gene as the target gene for the detection of T. gondii DNA in meat. The results show high specificity and reproducibility for all four PCR assays in clearly detecting DNA samples from four strains of T. gondii while producing no amplification signal for ten other parasites or in healthy meat. Three real-time quantitative PCR assays were 10-fold more sensitive than the conventional PCR assay, with a detection limit of 4.5 × 101 copies of T. gondii DNA being equivalent to 1.3 bradyzoites. The most sensitive method was SYBR Green I qPCR because it uses special fluorescent dyes directly binding to the amplified double-stranded DNA sequences and the fluorescence signal is proportional to the amount of PCR products that observed by nearly 1,000-fold increase in fluorescence intensity. This assay has another advantages over other PCR assays, including less expense (without probe), ease of operation and quicker operation of the test. Practical applications The traditional method for detecting T. gondii in meat samples involves the use of a bioassay that is laborious, time-consuming and not sensitive. The SYBR Green I qPCR assay developed in this study provides a rapid, sensitive, and specific technique and is applicable to surveillance measures for foodborne toxoplasmosis pathogens in meat or meat products as an alternative detection method.
New Species of Stylasterid (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Stylasteridae) from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Abstract A new species of Crypthelia, C. kelleyi, is described from a seamount in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, making it the fifth species of stylasterid known from the Hawaiian Islands. Collected at 2,116 m, it is the fourth-deepest stylasterid species known.
The Checkpoint Kinase 1 Inhibitor Prexasertib Induces Regression of Preclinical Models of Human Neuroblastoma

Purpose: Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is a key regulator of the DNA damage response and a mediator of replication stress through modulation of replication fork licensing and activation of S and G2-M cell-cycle checkpoints. We evaluated prexasertib (LY2606368), a small-molecule CHK1 inhibitor currently in clinical testing, in multiple preclinical models of pediatric cancer. Following an initial assessment of prexasertib activity, this study focused on the preclinical models of neuroblastoma.Experimental Design: We evaluated the antiproliferative activity of prexasertib in a panel of cancer cell lines; neuroblastoma cell lines were among the most sensitive. Subsequent Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses measured DNA damage and DNA repair protein activation. Prexasertib was investigated in several cell line-derived xenograft mouse models of neuroblastoma.Results: Within 24 hours, single-agent prexasertib promoted γH2AX-positive double-strand DNA breaks and phosphorylation of DNA damage sensors ATM and DNA-PKcs, leading to neuroblastoma cell death. Knockdown of CHK1 and/or CHK2 by siRNA verified that the double-strand DNA breaks and cell death elicited by prexasertib were due to specific CHK1 inhibition. Neuroblastoma xenografts rapidly regressed following prexasertib administration, independent of starting tumor volume. Decreased Ki67 and increased immunostaining of endothelial and pericyte markers were observed in xenografts after only 6 days of exposure to prexasertib, potentially indicating a swift reduction in tumor volume and/or a direct effect on tumor vasculature.Conclusions: Overall, these data demonstrate that prexasertib is a specific inhibitor of CHK1 in neuroblastoma and leads to DNA damage and cell death in preclinical models of this devastating pediatric malignancy. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4354-63. ©2017 AACR.
FGF and canonical Wnt signaling cooperate to induce paraxial mesoderm from tailbud neuromesodermal progenitors through regulation of a two-step epithelial to mesenchymal transition

Mesoderm induction begins during gastrulation. Recent evidence from several vertebrate species indicates that mesoderm induction continues after gastrulation in neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) within the posteriormost embryonic structure, the tailbud. It is unclear to what extent the molecular mechanisms of mesoderm induction are conserved between gastrula and post-gastrula stages of development. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is required for mesoderm induction during gastrulation through positive transcriptional regulation of the T-box transcription factor brachyury We find in zebrafish that FGF is continuously required for paraxial mesoderm (PM) induction in post-gastrula NMPs. FGF signaling represses the NMP markers brachyury (ntla) and sox2 through regulation of tbx16 and msgn1, thereby committing cells to a PM fate. FGF-mediated PM induction in NMPs functions in tight coordination with canonical Wnt signaling during the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) from NMP to mesodermal progenitor. Wnt signaling initiates EMT, whereas FGF signaling terminates this event. Our results indicate that germ layer induction in the zebrafish tailbud is not a simple continuation of gastrulation events.
Predictors of outcome among patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to lung transplantation.

Background There is a lack of data regarding clinical variables associated with successful bridge to lung transplantation (LT) using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Methods We reviewed the institutional database for patients supported with veno-venous (VV) or veno-arterial ECMO as a bridge to LT (n=25; mean age:50.6±14.2 years). We recorded clinical and laboratory variables, findings on echocardiogram and development of organ dysfunction along with hospital and one-year survival. Variables were compared between patients successfully bridged to LT versus those who were not. Results The most common diagnostic group was interstitial lung disease (18/25, 72%). VV-ECMO was used in the majority (84%). Fifteen patients (60%) were successfully bridged to LT and majority were alive at one year (14/15, 93.3%). The presence of right ventricular systolic dysfunction on pre-ECMO echocardiogram was associated with increased risk of unsuccessful bridging (OR, 95% CI: 2.67, 1.01-6.99, p=0.041). While on ECMO, trough albumin levels 35 mg/dL and positive fluid balance were also associated with failure to bridge to LT. Conclusions Among patients awaiting LT, the presence of RV systolic dysfunction before ECMO initiation along with worsening renal functions, low albumin levels, and volume overload are associated with poor outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Integrated Computing And Tracking System For Centralized High-Throughput Genetic Analysis: A Case Study

The Genetic Analysis Center (GAC) of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) developed an Integrated Computing and Tracking system (ICT) in order to perform genome-wide and other genetic association studies automatically and efficiently, while documenting all analysis specifications. This system provides easy-to-use analysis set-up and computing procedures, automatic reports, and analysis search functionality due to integration with an on-site database. In this paper we describe the ICT and demonstrate how it satisfies key principles of reproducible research, while respecting constraints and challenges arising from using very large, restricted access, human-subjects data. This case study may benefit other groups that have similar requirements for high-throughput analysis execution and management.
Chapter 1 – Introduction and Overview of Underground Sensing for Sustainable Response

Abstract Managing the performance and safety of geographically distributed infrastructure subject to low probability/high consequence hazards underground and protecting the soils and aquifers that provide the essential resources to mankind and nature alike is arduous and costly. The task requires sustainable sensing systems that enable sustainable response to the perceived hazards. This chapter discusses the sustainability requirement of underground sensing systems and presents an overview of current developments in environmental and geotechnical underground sensing, with particular emphasis on time and space-continuous systems.
Dietary assessment in African Americans: methods used in the Jackson Heart Study.

OBJECTIVES The dietary assessment methods used in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) with the entire cohort and a subset of the cohort who participated in a diet and physical activity substudy (DPASS) are reported. These methods were employed to validate culturally explicit data collection instruments developed by Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative (NIRI) for assessing dietary intake in an all African-American cohort. DESIGN A validation/calibration design was employed. A short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used with all JHS participants (N=5302). A long FFQ and four 24-hour diet recalls were used for the subset of DPASS participants (n=449). OUTCOME MEASURES Completion rates and preliminary macronutrient intakes are reported for the cohort and DPASS methods. RESULTS Participants (5302) in the JHS full cohort completed the short FFQ. Of these, 572 were enrolled in the DPASS. A total of 506 participants completed four 24-hour dietary recalls, and 499 completed all six measures, including the long FFQ. Validation of dietary instruments in African Americans will help assure that valid conclusions can be drawn regarding the effects of diet on cardiovascular disease in this population.
Leadership, Community Decisions, and Geothermal Energy Development: Imperial County, California

Power structures are made up of decision makers who are largely responsible for the actions and nonactions in organizations at all levels in the United States. At the individual level, the ability to make decisions enables one to influence the behavior of another. At the communty-system level, an organization or power group may be able to command the behavior of other individuals or organizations. From a social system point of view, decisions involve every unit of human organization: the individual, the family, voluntary as opposed to involuntary organizations, the government, corporations, and the community (Hawley, 1971). Power is obtained by controlling that which is valued by people in a society (Lasswell and Kaplan, 1950). In the U.S., those who control economic institutions have power, influence decisions, and can implement decisions (Goldberg and Lindstromberg, 1966). Power structures are defined as the characteristic pattern within a community whereby resources are mobilized and sanctions employed in making decisions (Walton, 1967). Thus, a community is considered an organization of units held together through the use of power.
Teachers’ Knowledge and the Teaching of Algebra

In this chapter an analysis of the research on teachers’ knowledge and practice and its development with respect to the teaching of algebra is presented. The chapter begins with a brief discussion of four dilemmas that were confronted during this analysis. The findings from research on teachers’ knowledge are reported in three areas: (a) teachers’ subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, (b) teachers’ conceptualisations of algebra, and (c) teachers learning to become teachers of algebra. The chapter concludes with a discussion of critical issues and suggestions for further research.
Locally recurrent rectal cancer: predictors and success of salvage surgery.

PURPOSE: After curative surgery for rectal cancer, patients with pelvic recurrence may undergo curative surgical resection. We determined whether salvage surgery in appropriately selected patients could significantly lengthen disease-free survival time and if so what factors predicted this outcome. METHOD: We reviewed the records of all patients treated for rectal cancer at our institution between 1980 and 1993. Of 937 patients who underwent surgery with curative intent after proctectomy or transanal local excision, 81 (8.6 percent) experienced local recurrence. During the same period 36 patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer were referred from other institutions. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of salvage surgery. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate cancer-specific and disease-free survival times in 43 patients who underwent salvage surgery. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify factors associated with these outcomes. RESULTS: Of 117 patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer, 43 (36.7 percent) underwent salvage surgery. Factors associated with higher chance of receiving salvage surgery were female gender, the first operation performed at outside institutions, and transanal local excision as the initial operation. For 43 patients who underwent salvage surgery, five-year cancer-specific and disease-free survival rates were 49.7 and 32.2 percent, respectively. No factors were significantly associated with death caused by cancer. However, a trend for poor prognosis was observed in patients with recurrence diameter >3 cm and tumor fixation Degree 2. CONCLUSION: Salvage surgery for properly selected patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer allows long-term palliation and significantly lengthens disease-free survival.
Evaluation of Hematuria in a Large Public Health Care System.

Background Hematuria is the most common presenting symptom in bladder cancer, but many patients are not adequately evaluated. Objectives To evaluate the type and frequency of hematuria evaluation in a large public health care system. Patients and methods Electronic medical records of adult patients with urinalysis positive for hematuria (≥3 RBCs/HPF) from January 2015 to April 2018 in an outpatient setting were reviewed. Logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with urology referral and complete evaluation. Results 11,422 patients met the inclusion criteria; the majority were females (72%) and white race (60%). There were an additional 3,221 patient's with initial diagnosis of UTI. Median age was 49.0 years. Testing included repeat urinalysis (50%), imaging (26%), urology referral (11.4%), cystoscopy (4.4%) and complete evaluation defined as cystoscopy and US/CT/MRI (4%). In the multivariable analysis, factors independently associated with higher referral to urology were age >35, male gender, hypertension, RBCs ≥20. African American race was associated with less referral to urology. Smoking was a significant variable on univariable analysis only. 37 patients (0.25%) were diagnosed with urological malignancies, with bladder cancer in 33, 12 of whom are missed by excluding UTI patients. Conclusions In the outpatient setting of a public health care system, the vast majority of patients with hematuria are not referred and evaluated properly across all age categories and regardless of smoking status. This might result in missed cancer diagnoses and requires quality improvement measures.
Rotational stability of twisted bilayer graphene

Moir\'e superlattices form in twisted graphene bilayers due to periodic regions of commensurability, but truncation of the moir\'e patterns affects the rotational stability of finite-sized sheets. Here, we report the stepwise untwisting of nanometer-sized bilayer graphene flakes at elevated temperatures, each step corresponding to a potential energy barrier formed by changes to the commensurability between the moir\'e superlattice and flake size with twist angle. The number of locally stable energy states and their barrier energies scale with the flake size, allowing twisted graphene flakes of several tens of nanometers to remain thermally stable even at chemical vapor deposition temperatures.
The Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) in the Global and Marine Context: Major Estuaries, Coast-Scapes, Ocean Coupling, Seawalls, over 2 Billion People and Global (Food) Security

Water and nutrients have global cycles; it’s based on rivers those systems collect and involve land, oceans and the atmosphere. Most rivers end in estuaries where freshwater meets the saltwater. The Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region features major watersheds and usually those end in extensive wetlands and then estuaries. Many estuaries of world relevance are fed by the HKH watersheds affecting global biodiversity, biomass and carbon sequestration, but also human civilizations! The productivity of rivers and their estuaries can affect human well-being, entire nations, the global economy and even trigger warfare. Here an overview is shown for river outflows, the major estuaries in the HKH region such as the Yellow Sea, the Mekong, the Sea of Okhotsk, the deltas of the Ganges and the Indus. Central Asian wetlands fed by rivers but not ending in oceans are also covered in this assessment, e.g. Aral and Balkash Lakes. While mapping the HKH area has been ongoing for centuries, precise maps of the dynamic wetlands and estuaries, within a good time frame and available – are rare making impact assessment tricky. Even for tsunami forecasts (where human lives are lost and precise coastline maps are needed with a 1 m accuracy or better) such data rarely exist. Man-made climate change- namely melting glaciers, floods and brackish water inflow – are creating major changes in those millennia-old life-systems and human societies. The status and connectivity of those estuaries are discussed and how they affect global society. Arguably, we are facing a global river, estuary and ocean crisis still to be addressed.
A cross-sectional study of temporomandibular joint coronal plane disk position: imaging reliability and clinical utility

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the reliability, frequency, and clinical significance of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) medial and lateral disk positions, observed in the coronal–oblique plane, to determine their importance in clinical diagnosis and for routine imaging. Study Design This cross-sectional study involved secondary data analysis (clinical and imaging) of 401 participants of the TMJ Impact Study. We used the χ2 statistic to evaluate the associations between coronal disk positions with (1) anterior disk displacements with reduction and without reduction; and (2) familiar TMJ pain resulting from excursive movements and palpation, range of motion, and joint sounds. Results Anterior disk displacements of any type occurred in 67.5% of joints; in contrast, medial and lateral disk positions occurred in 16% and 24% of joints, respectively. Radiologist reliability was as follows: sagittal posterior band position: right κ = 0.68, left κ = 0.60, average 84% agreement; and medial or lateral disk position: right κ = 0.36, left κ = 0.32, average 70% agreement. Medial and lateral disk positions were associated with sagittal displacements (P Conclusions Coronal disk position does not contribute to clinical symptomatology or findings and currently lacks sufficient evidence to support its inclusion into standard TMJ imaging protocols or into a clinical diagnostic category.
“We’re not a bank providing support”: Street-level bureaucrats and Syrian refugee youth navigating tensions in higher education scholarship programs in Lebanon

Abstract Scholarships are increasingly used to expand higher education access for refugee youth in exile, but less is known about their equity implications. Drawing from scholarship on street-level bureaucrats and Nancy Fraser’s theory of social justice, I identify street-level bureaucrats’ (SLBs) decision-making within refugee higher education. Drawing on 62 interviews with Syrian youth and organizations in NGOs in Lebanon, and 24 organizational, scholarship-related documents, I elaborate the fundamental (mis)alignments that emerge in scholarship-granting organizations’ goals, and the needs of refugee youth they seek to support. Organizations over-emphasize transitions to university, overlooking the most vulnerable youths’ transitions through university. Though youth link their futures to opportunity and not geography, SLBs seek to fund youth willing to return to Syria and engage in post-conflict reconstruction.
Isotropic nanocrystalline Sm(Fe,Co)11.3Ti0.7 magnets modified with B and Zr

Abstract Rare-earth-lean Sm(Fe,Co,Ti)12 alloys with the ThMn12 crystal structure and less than one Ti atom per formula unit have the potential of exceptionally powerful permanent magnets, but all prior attempts to develop high coercivity in bulk alloys, especially coercivity combined with crystallographic texture, have fallen short of the expectations. This study was aimed at improvement of the currently best Sm(Fe,Co,Ti)12 magnets prepared through melt-spinning which are inherently isotropic. Modifications of the alloys with B and Zr, already demonstrated in earlier studies to be effective separately, have been implemented simultaneously. A systematic study of Sm1.1-x(Fe,Co)11.3-yTi0.7By alloys melt-spun at a tangential speed of 50 m/s and annealed at 600–950 °C allowed for monitoring the continuous evolution of the two consecutive crystal structures, those of the TbCu7 and ThMn12 types. Zirconium was found to facilitate the formation of the 1:12 structure at the expense of the 1:7, whereas boron has the opposite effect, at certain concentrations completely suppressing the 1:12. When the two alloying elements are introduced simultaneously, they inhibit growth of the 1:12 crystallites at annealing temperatures higher than 800 °C, thus allowing for the development of a higher coercivity. Because of instrumental limitations, bulk magnets were prepared through a two-step process – compaction of the melt-spun ribbons at 650 °C and additional treatment at a higher temperature – and they were characterized by a reduced, 90–93%, density. Nevertheless, an isotropic Sm0.9Zr0.2(Fe,Co)10.8Ti0.7B0.5 magnet exhibited fair values of the remanence (7.4 kG), maximum energy product (8.5 MGOe) and coercivity (5.4 kOe), as well as high Curie temperature of 525 °C and remarkably small temperature coefficient of the coercivity, −0.25%/°C.
Anemia at Altitude Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Disease, and Other Inherited Anemias

DeLoughery, Thomas G. Anemia at altitude-thalassemia, sickle cell disease, and other inherited anemias. High Alt Med Biol. 22: 113-118, 2021.-Anemia due to any etiology is a common medical condition throughout the world. This article discusses the most common inherited anemia types-sickle cell disease and trait, thalassemia, hereditary spherocytosis, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. The implications of anemia for travel at altitude are discussed, and suggestions for counsel and preparations for such travel are presented.
Challenging the Stereotype that Minority Segregated Schools are Unsafe: Are Crime and Violence Really More Prevalent in Segregated Minority High Schools?

There is a longstanding stereotype that segregated high schools serving a large majority of minority students are unsafe. But it is unclear if this stereotype has any merit. I use a QuantCrit theor...
Orchestrating Extracellular Vesicle With Dual Reporters for Imaging and Capturing in Mammalian Cell Culture

Background: Recent technological advancements have enabled live-cell imaging of intracellular organelles to monitor their biogenesis in mammalian cells. However, applying this method to gain insight into extracellular organelles, such as extracellular vesicles (EVs), presents unique challenges that require special considerations in design and engineering. Results: We have developed a dual-reporter system that combines genetic fusion, fluorescence microcopy and magnetic beads capture of EVs to study the biogenesis of EVs in mammalian cell cultures. First, we genetically produced a series of reporters by fusing a green fluorescent protein (GFP) and an affinity peptide (6xHis), with either the endogenous transmembrane protein, CD63, or EVs targeting vesicular stomatitis viral glycoprotein (VSVG). Transfection of these reporters into human 293T cells resulted in expression and integration of these reporters into pre-exosome compartments, which were subsequently released into the culture medium. Confocal imaging and nano-particle tracking analysis demonstrated that EVs were appropriately labeled and exhibited a single dominant peak in the 80-110 nm size range, indicating that isolated EVs were comprised of micro-vesicles and/or exosome subpopulations. Incubation of isolated EVs with nickel-coated magnetic beads resulted in successful capture of GFP-positive EVs. Finally, addition of EVs into culture medium was able to reveal the cellular uptake of GFP-labeled EVs by recipient cells. Taken together, our dual-reporter system provides a powerful method for both monitoring and capturing of EVs in mammalian cell culture systems. Conclusion: A dual-reporter system provides a robust tool to study the life cycle of EVs in mammalian cells from biogenesis and excretion to cellular uptake.