cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LABORATORY TRANSMISSION OF WESTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS VIRUS BY MOSQUITOES OF THE GENERA CULEX AND CULISETA

1. Western equine virus has been successfully transmitted in the laboratory by 3 species of mosquitoes from 2 genera not previously reported as laboratory vectors: Culex tarsalis, Culiseta inornata, and Culiseta incidens. 2. Though transmission was not demonstrated, survival of the virus for more than a few days was shown to occur in Culex stigmatosoma and Psorophora confinnis. Possibly transmission occurred by the former. 3. In experiments with Culex tarsalis, infection of the mosquitoes occurred from feeding on an inoculated guinea pig, a duck, and virus-blood suspensions. After an incubation period of 10 to 30 days at a temperature above 25 degrees C. these mosquitoes infected chickens and a guinea pig by their bite and virus was in turn demonstrated in the blood of the chickens and in the brain of the guinea pig. A total of 12 transmissions occurred. The fact that mosquitoes can be infected from fowl and in turn transmit to fowl, together with much other supporting data from field and laboratory, is interpreted as strengthening evidence that fowl serve as reservoirs of virus in nature. 4. Since Culex tarsalis mosquitoes have been repeatedly found infected with Western equine virus and epidemiologic evidence supports their incrimination, the vector role of this species is now established, and it may be regarded as fully incriminated. 5. Culiseta inornata has also been found infected in nature and now proven a laboratory vector. This species does not fit the epidemiological picture in the Yakima Valley as well as C. tarsalis, but may play an important role elsewhere. 6. Anopheles maculipennis freeborni and Culex pipiens found naturally infected have not transmitted the virus under laboratory conditions.
Psychiatry and Ethnology

The relationships between psychiatry and ethnology during the last twenty years must be understood in the context of their earlier relationships. These may be briefly outlined under three headings: descriptive content relationships — as when, for example, ethnological descriptions of cultural behavior and descriptions of individual behavior in psychiatric case histories were used to throw light on each other; theoretical relationships — as when a theory developed in one field was utilized for an advance in the other; and methodological relationships — as when a method primary in one field, such as the Rorschach method, was used in the other field.
Complete Genome Sequence of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Agona 460004 2-1, Associated with a Multistate Outbreak in the United States

ABSTRACT Within the last several years, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Agona has been among the 20 most frequently isolated serovars in clinical cases of salmonellosis. In this report, the complete genome sequence of S. Agona strain 460004 2-1 isolated from unsweetened puffed-rice cereal during a multistate outbreak in 2008 was sequenced using single-molecule real-time DNA sequencing.
The quality and helpfulness of answers to eating disorder questions in Yahoo! Answers : teens speak out

This research project investigated teens' perspectives on the quality and helpfulness of health information about eating disorders found on Yahoo! Answers, a Social Q&A site. A mixed methods approach was applied, using survey methods and semi-structured group interviews to gather data for the project. Eighteen teens completed a web-based questionnaire using sample question/answer sets about eating disorders from Yahoo! Answers. The teen participants were asked to choose one answer as "best" and then rank its credibility, accuracy, reliability, and helpfulness. Open-ended questions allowed teens to explain the rationale for their choice of "best" answer and to discuss why the chosen answer might (or might not) be helpful for teens. Following the questionnaire, six teens participated in a focus group interview using a semi-structured format that asked open-ended "why" questions in order to draw forth comments on criteria for evaluating the quality and and helpfulness of health information in Yahoo! Answers, as well as to reveal aspects of critical thinking. Findings suggest that, 1) teens make a distinction between health information in Social Q&A that is credible versus that which is helpful, 2) they value health information that isn't from a credible source if it addresses other needs, and, 3) when making judgments about health information on the Web, they apply an array of heuristics related to information quality, opinion, communication style, emotional support and encouragement, guidance, personal experience, and professional expertise.
Adjusting Livestock Farms in the North Central States to the Prospects of the 1960's

T IS my view that the prospects for North Central livestock farms in the 1960's can be summarized in two words-severe competition. This includes competition with the farmers of other areas for markets, with other industries for resources, particularly labor and capital, and with other farmers for all production resources. While it is probable that the action of Government may tend to lessen the competition for markets, it is possible that the severity of competition for some production resources will be increased. For example, a supply management or control program that places primary emphasis on part-farm land retirement might reduce the competition for markets for farm output but materially increase the competition for land. It is my view also that in the last decade it has been adequately demonstrated that the adjustment of aggregate supply to prospective demand, at prices generally believed to be fair and equitable, is largely beyond the capabilities of individual action. Hence, this type of adjustment must be facilitated largely by group action, with or without the assistance of Government. However, a large area of agricultural adjustment is left for individual action. This area includes (1) adjustment of the combination of enterprises to meet shifts in relative demand-for beef versus hogs, for example, (2) changes in factor combination and technology to produce specified levels of output, and (3) changes in farm size or levels of output. It should be recognized that the nature of the industry is such that farmers are forced to adopt average cost-reducing but output-increasing techniques in an effort to maintain and improve their own financial positions, even though the aggregate effect is to increase production and add to the surplus problem. With an assignment such as adjusting livestock farms to the prospects of the 1960's, one is tempted to envision giant farms of several thousand acres with large feeding plants in which hogs and cattle are fed by the tens of thousands. But existing research information suggests that these temptations be curtailed. A study by Heady, McKee, and Haver, published by Iowa State University in 1955, concluded that "a farm of 240 acres, one falling within most of the definitions of family farms, is large enough to realize the major reductions in cost."2 A later study by Beneke
Low-cost single-switch variable-speed switched reluctance motor drive

This paper studies the effects of operating a single-switch converter for a variable-speed switched reluctance machine (SRM) drive without the large DC-link capacitor. The converter is intended for only low-cost, high-volume applications with low performance requirements. Detailed simulations are carried out to analyze the effects of having and removing the dc link capacitor in the converter. Efficiency and input power factor are compared for both converters. Simulation results show that removing the dc link capacitor results in a slight increase in efficiency and input power factor. However, absence of the dc link capacitor results in a slight increase in the magnitude and frequency content of the torque ripple. The studied drive, without the dc link capacitor, presents a viable variable speed motor drive alternative to traditional brush DC drives and universal motors in the low-cost market where cost is a major consideration. Examples of such applications are vacuum cleaners and low-power residential and industrial fans.
A Comparison of Long‐Distance HF Radio‐Signal Reception at High and Low Receiving Sites

High-frequency radio signals transmitted over two separate 10,000-km temperate-zone paths were received over 1-month periods at sea level and at elevated sites. Five frequencies were transmitted from Okinawa to Malta and one frequency from Puerto Rico to Hawaii. A comparison of the signal strengths indicates that antenna siting provides definite advantages over low siting for longdistance commumcation. Antennas at the high sites, which were located an average of 700 ft above the low sites, received greater Signal strengths than those at the low sites, the amount of signal strength advantage (as much as 10 dB) decreasing with increasing frequency. The higher sites were also less susceptible to temporary signal-strength reductions. When signal strengths were in the process of rising and falling as a result of the change of the MUF in the morning and evening, respectively, high antennas provided up to 1 1/2 hr more receiving time for a specified signal threshold.
Role of neutrophils in xanthine/xanthine oxidase-induced oxidant injury in isolated rabbit lungs.

Reactive oxygen species have been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of lung injury. This study was designed to clarify the role of intrapulmonary neutrophils in the development of...
Constitutive Elastic Models to Predict Shallow (<30m) Seismic Velocities: Natural Soils Beneath an Earthen Levee: Marrero, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Current constitutive elastic models of granular materials are able to predict shallow (< 30 m) seismic velocities in sands, but can be improved to predict seismic velocities in clay-rich soils where additional interparticle stresses exist, caused by capillarity and cohesion. We calculate the elastic moduli of granular matrices in nearsurface environments with an updated definition of total effective stress which also incorporates granular cohesion and capillary pressures. Commonly, Hertz-Mindlin (HM) theory is used to calculate the elastic moduli of granular materials by extending Biot-Gassmann theory to include pressure effects induced by water saturation changes. Hertz-Mindlin theory predicts that seismic velocity (V) will increase as a power function of stress (σ) (V∝√σ). HM theory can readily adapt to include the additional effects of interparticle stresses.
The Thermococcus kodakaraensis Tko CDC21-1 intein activates its N-terminal splice junction in the absence of a conserved histidine by a compensatory mechanism.

Inteins and other self-catalytic enzymes, such as glycosylasparaginases and hedgehog precursors, initiate autocleavage by converting a peptide bond to a (thio)ester bond when Ser, Thr, or Cys undergoes an N–[S/O] acyl migration assisted by residues within the precursor. Previous studies have shown that a His at position 10 in intein Block B is essential for this initial acyl migration and N-terminal splice junction cleavage. This His is present in all inteins identified to date except the Thermococcus kodakaraensis Tko CDC21-1 intein orthologs and the inactive Arthrobacter species FB24 Arth_1007 intein. This study demonstrates that the Tko CDC21-1 intein is fully active and has replaced the lost catalytic function normally provided by the Block B His using a compensatory mechanism involving a conserved ortholog-specific basic residue (Lys58) present outside the standard intein conserved motifs. We propose that Lys58 catalyzes the initial N–S acyl migration by stabilizing the thiazolidine–tetrahedral inter...
Utilization of Lumbar Spinal Fusion in New York State: Trends and Disparities.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review of an administrative database. OBJECTIVE To observe New York statewide trends in lumbar spine surgery and to compare utilization of fusion according to hospital size and patient population. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Over the last 30 years, studies have indicated increasing rates of spinal fusion procedures performed each year in the United States. There is no study investigating potential variability in this trend according to hospital volume. METHODS New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) administrative data were used to identify 228,882 lumbar spine surgery patients. New York State hospitals were categorized as low-, medium-, or high-volume and descriptive statistics were used to determine trends in spinal fusion. RESULTS The number of fusions per year increased 55% from 2005 to 2014. The ratio of fusion to nonfusion surgery increased from 0.88 to 2.67 at high-volume, from 0.84 to 2.30 at medium- volume, and from 0.66 to 1.52 at low-volume hospitals. In 2014, 22% of spine surgery patients at low-volume hospitals were either African Americans or Hispanics compared with 12% and 14% at high- and medium-volume hospitals, respectively. At high-volume hospitals, 33% of patients were privately insured and 3% had Medicare compared with 30% and 6% at low-volume hospitals. CONCLUSION The annual number of lumbar spinal fusions continues to increase, especially at high- and medium-volume hospitals. The percentage of patients treated surgically for lumbar spinal stenosis that undergoes fusion ranges from 53.2 to 66.4% depending on hospital volume. Individual surgeon opinion, patient disease characteristics, and socioeconomic factors may affect surgical decision making. Caucasians and private insurance patients most often receive care at high-volume hospitals. Minorities and patients with Medicaid are over-represented at low-volume centers where fusions are less often performed. Accessibility to care at high-volume centers remains a major concern for these vulnerable populations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Single-dose effects of marihuana smoke. Bronchial dynamics and respiratory-center sensitivity in normal subjects.

Abstract Normal volunteers with previous marihuana smoking experience inhaled the total smoke from 3.23 mg per kilogram of marihuana, using a bag-in-box technic. Randomly, nine received marihuana containing a high (2.6 per cent), and eight a low (1.0 per cent) concentration of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Physiologic variables were monitored before and for 20 minutes after smoking. In the high-dose group the heart rate increased 28 per cent. Concomitantly, airway resistance, measured in a body plethysmograph, fell 38 per cent; the functional residual capacity remained unchanged (± 50 ml) throughout, and specific airway conductance increased 44 per cent. Flow-volume loops showed a 45 per cent increase in flow rate at 25 per cent of vital capacity. The low-dose group showed no increase in heart rate but significant, if lesser changes, in airways dynamics. Carbon dioxide sensitivity, measured by rebreathing remained unchanged in both groups. Marihuana smoke, unlike cigarette smoke, causes bronchodilatation ...
The Education and Training of Mediators: Questions and Answers about Mediator Training

Because mediation has become one of the major ways to resolves disputes, there is a great interest in the training of mediators. This paper first describes mediation and then discusses mediation training by answering questions such as: What kinds of conflicts can be mediated? Who can and should become a mediator? Do you need to be a lawyer to be a mediator? Can non-lawyers be good mediators? Where can people learn more about mediation? Is mediation training necessary? What would be included in mediation training? Where to go to take mediation training? What does it mean to be a "certified" as a mediator? How do you get hired as a mediator? This paper was presented at the Second International Conference for Construction Law and Economics Circle in Asia and Pacific (CLECAP) which was held in conjunction with the Fifth International Conference on Multi-national Joint Venture for Construction Works and the Inaugural Conference on Construction in the Muslim World Oct. 21-23, 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Quantification of motion of the thoracic aorta after ascending aortic repair of type-A dissection

To quantify cardiac and respiratory deformations of the thoracic aorta after ascending aortic graft repair. Eight patients were scanned with cardiac-resolved computed tomography angiography during inspiratory/expiratory breath-holds. Aortic centerlines and lumen were extracted to compute the arclength, curvature, angulation, and cross-section shape. From systole to diastole, the angle of graft $$\sim $$ arch increased by 2.4 $${^{\circ }}$$ ± 1.8 $${^{\circ }}$$ (P < 0.01) and the angle of arch $$\sim $$ descending aorta decreased by 2.4 $${^{\circ }}$$ ± 2.6 $${^{\circ }}$$ (P < 0.05), while the effective diameter of the proximal arch decreased by 2.4 ± 1.9% (P < 0.01), a greater change than those of the graft or distal arch (P < 0.05). From inspiration to expiration, the angle of graft $$\sim $$ arch increased by 2.8 $${^{\circ }}$$ ± 2.6 $${^{\circ }}$$ (P < 0.02) with the peak curvature increase (P < 0.05). Shorter graft length was correlated with greater cardiac-induced graft $$\sim $$ arch angulation, and longer graft length was correlated with greater respiratory-induced arch $$\sim $$ descending aorta angulation (R $$\ge $$ 0.50). The thoracic aorta changed curvature and angulation with cardiac and respiratory influences, driven by aortic root and arch motion. The thoracic aortic geometry and deformation are correlated with the ascending aortic graft length.
Late Complications of Bariatric Procedures

This chapter focuses on common complications that occur in bariatric surgery >30 days after initial operation. The four procedures written about are the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB), the Roux-en-y gastric bypass (RYGB), the sleeve gastrectomy (SG), and the biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS). Issues encountered include equipment failures, infections, intestinal obstructions, and nutritional deficiencies. Presentation, diagnosis, and treatment are discussed for the various complications.
Aggressive Responding in the Laboratory Maintained by the Initiation of a Provocation-Free Interval

Four adults participated in an experiment designed to study how the duration of an interval free from provocation, following aggressive responding, affected the maintenance of such responding. In testing sessions, two response options were made available on separate buttons labeled “A” and “B.” Pressing Button A 100 times incremented a point accumulation counter, and these points were later exchanged for money (one point = 10 cents). Pressing Button B 10 times subtracted a point from a fictitious other subject. These B button responses were defined as aggressive because they ostensibly presented an aversive stimulus (i.e., point subtraction) to another person. Subjects were provoked by subtracting points from their point counter at random intervals (ranging from 6 s to 120 s), and instructions attributed these point subtractions to the responding of the other subject. Button B responding could initiate periods free from provocation. Subjects were exposed to two provocation-free interval durations (5 s and 62.5 s) in order to determine what role the provocation-free interval had in maintaining aggressive responding. We found that brief (5 s) provocation-free intervals (a) can initially engender high rates of aggressive responding; but (b) cannot maintain aggressive responding during extended periods of exposure. These findings demonstrate the importance of the consequences of aggressive responding in determining the probability of an aggressive response following provocation.
Roadway classifications and the accident injury severities of heavy-vehicle drivers

Abstract Previous heavy-vehicle (a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds) injury severity studies have disaggregated data by factors such as urban/rural and time-of-day, yet a focus on contributing factors by roadway classification is lacking. Taking this into consideration, the current study aims to extend traditional heavy-vehicle driver injury severity analyses, through the application of a mixed logit modeling framework, by determining statistically significant injury severity contributing factors by roadway classification. In the course of identifying statistically significant injury severity factors, a parameter transferability test is conducted to determine if roadway classifications need to be considered separately for safety analyses. Empirical results show that roadway classifications need be modeled separately with a high level of confidence, as the estimated parameters are statistically different by classification based on corresponding chi-square statistics and degrees of freedom. The majority of significant contributing factors are exclusive to a specific road classification, however, two factors were found to impact injury severity regardless of classification while some factors were significant for two classifications. Findings from this study can prompt future work to focus on injury severity, as well as other safety measures, by roadway classification and/or other subpopulations within crash datasets.
Research in Group Work: Next Steps in the Research of Group Work

This issue is the last in a three-part special issue that explored research in group work. Part I provided an overview of different methodological issues one should consider in the exploration of g...
A Politics of the Body as Body Politics: Rethinking Europe’s Worksites of Democracy

Recapturing displaced memories, Dagmawi Yimer, documentarist and film-maker, rematerializes what lies under the calm surface of the sea: the migrant’s body. The voices of the dead, in his short Asmat/Names, rise in opposition to the oversimplified one-sided narrative that dominates the political spheres and the mainstream media. Their objective is to challenge the historical paradigms that justify the economic exploitation of underdeveloped areas, putting Europe to the test vis-a-vis new forms of colonialism. Grounded in a theoretical framework that engages with the Gramscian concepts of subalternity and hegemony, Fanon’s and Cesaire’s critical texts on colonialism, Butler’s observations on Precarious Life, and with the concept of the archive expounded by Chambers, Grechi and Nash, this study examines how the migrant body is remembered and memorialized.
In Vivo Imaging of the Mouse Reproductive Organs, Embryo Transfer, and Oviduct Cilia Dynamics Using Optical Coherence Tomography

The oviduct (or fallopian tube) serves as the site where a number of major reproductive events occur for the start of a new life in mammals. Understanding the oviduct physiology is essential to uncover hidden mechanisms of the human reproduction and its disorders, yet the current analysis of the oviduct that is largely limited to in vitro imaging is a significant technical hurdle. To overcome this barrier, we have recently developed in vivo approaches based on optical coherence tomography for structural and functional imaging of the mouse oviduct. In this chapter, we describe the details of such live imaging methods that allow for three-dimensional visualization of the oviduct wall morphology, microscale mapping of the oviduct cilia beat frequency, and high-resolution observation of the cumulus-oocyte complex at the cellular level. We expect this set of imaging tools will enable novel studies toward a comprehensive knowledge of the mammalian reproduction.
Spatial Micropatterning of Growth Factors in 3D Hydrogels for Location-Specific Regulation of Cellular Behaviors

Growth factors are potent stimuli for regulating cell function in tissue engineering strategies, but spatially patterning their presentation in 3D in a facile manner using a single material is challenging. Micropatterning is an attractive tool to modulate the cellular microenvironment with various biochemical and physical cues and study their effects on stem cell behaviors. Implementing heparin's ability to immobilize growth factors, dual-crosslinkable alginate hydrogels are micropatterned in 3D with photocrosslinkable heparin substrates with various geometries and micropattern sizes, and their capability to establish 3D micropatterns of growth factors within the hydrogels is confirmed. This 3D micropatterning method could be applied to various heparin binding growth factors, such as fibroblast growth factor-2, vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor-betas and bone morphogenetic proteins while retaining the hydrogel's natural degradability and cytocompability. Stem cells encapsulated within these micropatterned hydrogels have exhibited spatially localized growth and differentiation responses corresponding to various growth factor patterns, demonstrating the versatility of the approach in controlling stem cell behavior for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.
Identifying specific risk factors for the development of atrial fibrillation on ibrutinib.

128Background: Ibrutinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has proven benefit in B-cell malignancies. Previous studies have shown that the overall incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) while on i...
Using Personal Learning Networks to Leverage Communities of Practice in Public Affairs Education

Public affairs education can be strengthened by use of emerging technologies to connect students to practitioners in selected communities of practice. Communications technologies including Web 2.0 ...
Ribozyme-Mediated Reversal of Human Pancreatic Carcinoma Phenotype

Point mutations in the ras gene have been found in approximately 90% of human pancreatic carcinomas. These alterations can be used as potential targets for specific ribozyme-mediated reversal of the malignant phenotype. We have evaluated the efficacy of a hammerhead ribozyme directed against codon 12 (GUU) of the activated K-ras gene in a Capan-1 human pancreatic carcinoma cell line using different delivery systems. Our results have demonstrated that the anti-Kras ribozyme cloned into the pHs plasmid was able to efficiently suppress K-ras gene expression and to inhibit the proliferation of transfected Capan-1 cells. In contrast, the anti-K-ras ribozyme was less efficient against the Capan-1 cells when cloned into a pLNCX retroviral plasmid. In addition, our results showed that adenoviral-mediated expression of the ribozyme RNA was more effective than the two other plasmid vectors. Our studies have characterized different viral and non-viral delivery systems for the therapeutic application of an anti-K-ras ribozyme against a human pancreatic carcinoma cell line. In the near future, ribozymes could emerge as important therapeutic agents against human malignancies, and optimal delivery systems are necessary to achieve maximal gene therapy benefit.
Diabetes update, part 2: Unlock the mysteries of insulin therapy

Learn about the traditional insulins and the newer analogs so you can explain the options to your patient.
Evaluation of interfaces for IRS: modelling end-user searching behaviour

This paper describes an investigation in progress into the searching behaviour of end-users and how it is affected by interface design. The project focused on qualitative data gathering and heavily relies on think-aloud protocols. 65 end-users were observed searching a bibliographic database (Medline) in their natural setting. The two most commonly used commercial versions of Medline were selected as experimental variable (OVID for Windows and WinSPIRS)- both use an underlying Boolean system and a Windows-based interface, but present fundamental differences in terms of the use and the presentation of searching tools and results presentation. Marchionini's model of information seeking (1995) was used as a framework. The results showed that there are some discrepancies between this model and the behaviour observed. The results of the comparison of searching behaviour with the two systems have shown some fundamental differences, but also have provided some areas of similarities in behaviour which seem to indicate that there could be some genuine end-user characteristics which are independent of system and interface design.
Family-Based Intervention with High-Risk Infants and Their Families

A model of family-based intervention for high-risk infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit and their families is presented. The theoretical underpinnings, principles, and nature of the intervention are described. The adaptation of the model from a clinical–research demonstration project to a clinical consultation service is highlighted, with particular emphasis on the practical application of the model. Domains of the intervention include infant behavior, family organization and functioning, caregiving environment, and home discharge/community resources. Three case illustrations are provided to demonstrate the breadth of the intervention and how it can be individualized based upon the presentation of the infant and family.
Theories of revolution and revolution without theory

The above analysis identified four conditions as necessary and sufficient for revolution in general and the Mexican revolution in particular: a favorable world context, an administrative and coercive crisis of the state, widespread rural rebellion, and dissident elite movement(s). The first three interact to produce a revolutionary situation; the fourth, given the near-automatic existence of alternate contenders, emerges to effect political and social transformation after military superiority is proved. Other conceptions of revolution - with their foci on expectations and deprivations, or dissensus and ideology, or political conflict, or change of “stage” and class struggle - were found wanting theoretically and to varying degrees unhelpful in making sense of the empirical realities of the Mexican case. The historically grounded, world-system informed structural explanation better fits the data. And theoretically, it integrates the two levels of description that analysts of revolution must comprehend: changes in social and political organization, and conscious human action. It preserves the distinction between revolution and other less far-reaching socio-political phenomena. And it suggests, sternly and surely, that in contemporary advanced societies the kind of conjuncture specified above cannot occur. Past revolutions may inspire but cannot serve as models for our own future.
Fitted Fat-Tree for Localized Traffic in Data Center Networks

In this paper, we propose a data center network architecture, named fitted fat-tree. Fitted fat- tree provisions unique flexibility in the sense that its topology and performance can be tailored with great freedom. This flexibility allows the architecture to closely follow the demands of the traffic. Given that traffic localization is ubiquitous in today's data centers, the fitted fat-tree can find its wide applications because it can be configured to adapt to the localized traffic load. We first propose a simple and efficient way to profile the localized traffic in the data centers, and then fit the architecture into the profile.We design the topology of the fitted fat-tree, propose its addressing and routing schemes, analyze its cost, and evaluate its performance. Because of its fitted nature, the architecture delivers the same performance as the original fat-tree, but incurs significantly reduced cost, because it uses the network resource much more efficiently.
Acceleration Factor Modeling for Degradation Rate Prediction of Photovoltaic Encapsulant Discoloration

An acceleration factor modeling approach to predict the degradation rate for climate-specific encapsulant discoloration in glass/polymer construction modules is presented. The modeling has two different routes of determining the acceleration factor and activation energy for encapsulant browning, which is governed by the degradation data obtained from either the outdoor field or the indoor accelerated UV stress testing. The model developed based on the modified Arrhenius equation uses hourly meteorological data in conjunction with the degradation data. An acceleration factor of 23 is determined for encapsulant browning of c-Si modules exposed to Arizona climate (Hot and Dry) and the degradation rate predicted due only to encapsulant browning is about 0.37±0.04% per year.
Information transfer from causal history in complex system dynamics.

In a multivariate evolutionary system, the present state of a variable is a resultant outcome of all interacting variables through the temporal history of the system. How can we quantify the information transfer from the history of all variables to the outcome of a specific variable at a specific time? We develop information theoretic metrics to quantify the information transfer from the entire history, called causal history. Further, we partition this causal history into immediate causal history, as a function of lag $\ensuremath{\tau}$ from the recent time, to capture the influence of recent dynamics, and the complementary distant causal history. Further, each of these influences are decomposed into self- and cross-feedbacks. By employing a Markov property for directed acyclic time-series graph, we reduce the dimensions of the proposed information-theoretic measure to facilitate an efficient estimation algorithm. This approach further reveals an information aggregation property, that is, the information from historical dynamics are accumulated at the preceding time directly influencing the present state of variable(s) of interest. These formulations allow us to analyze complex inter-dependencies in unprecedented ways. We illustrate our approach for: (1) characterizing memory dependency by analyzing a synthetic system with short memory; (2) distinguishing from traditional methods such as lagged mutual information using the Lorenz chaotic model; (3) comparing the memory dependencies of two long-memory processes with and without the strange attractor using the Lorenz model and a linear Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process; and (4) illustrating how dynamics in a complex system is sustained through the interactive contribution of self- and cross-dependencies in both immediate and distant causal histories, using the Lorenz model and observed stream chemistry data known to exhibit $1/f$ long memory.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: A Primer for Raising a Defense Against the Juvenile Death Penalty in Federal Courts

Introduction 756 I. The Death Penalty for Juveniles and Article Six of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 761 A. Overview of Death Penalty 761 B. Jus Cogens Norm 765 II. Argument One: The ICCPR is Self-Executing 767 A. The ICCPR is Self-Executing Because the United States Intended the Declaration to Apply Only to Private Rights of Action 771 B. The ICCPR, When Raised as a Defense, May be Judicially Applied Even in the Absence of Implementing Legislation 776 C. A Defense Under Article Six is Easily Justiciable 779 III. Argument Two: The Reservation to Article Six of the ICCPR is Invalid 782 IV. Argument Three: Recognizing Article Six as a Defense Does not Threaten the Integrity of Federalism or the Separation of Powers Doctrine 786 A. Separation of Powers and the Political Question 786 B. Concerns of Federalism 790 Conclusion 791
Theoretical and Experimental Work on Optimal Contact Geometries on Fast Mechanical Disconnect Switches

Fast mechanical disconnect switches (FMS) are an integral part of hybrid circuit breakers, which are proposed as protection devices to clear faults in medium voltage distribution systems. The proposed FMS is a vacuum switch that is operated by an amplified piezoelectric actuator. Such actuators enable unprecedented speed and contact separation in less than one millisecond. The limitations that come with such designs are the low contact separation of typically less than one millimeter in open position and low contact force in the order of 100 N in closed position. This requires a new design of the contacts to operate under such constraints. The geometry of the contacts must be carefully designed to minimize electrical resistance when closed and minimize electric field enhancement when open. The paper presents finite element analysis and experimental results with the aim of identifying the most suitable contact geometry for FMS. The experiments show that optimized contact geometries have up to 40% less resistance than the initial spherical geometry.
The GOER Concept

Abstract : This paper has been written to further the designer's understanding of the military vehicle design parameters, as they exist today of the modern day field army's need for a new family of vehicles, which will traverse all types of terrain rapidly and efficiently with an increasing variety of cargo and weapons. The walking army of the past is yielding to the mechanized army on wheels. Since the design of automotive vehicles is at best a compromise, the effectiveness of the completed design depends largely on the talent and finesse of the designer. The GOER concept is such an approach.
P170 Four-Week Nutrition Education Series Associated with Improved Dietary Behaviors and Confidence Among SNAP-Eligible Mainers

Background Ten Tips for Adults (10 Tips) was developed by the University of New England, implementing agency for Maine Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed). 10 Tips comprises two independent four-session nutrition education series: Series A focuses on MyPlate while Series B focuses on eating better on a budget. Altarum was contracted by the State of Maine—DHHS Office for Family Independence to evaluate 10 Tips. Objective To assess changes in dietary behaviors and cooking and purchasing foods on a budget among participants in 10 Tips. Study Design, Settings, Participants The target audience is Maine adults eligible for SNAP benefits. A retrospective pre/post survey was administered to 10 Tips participants after the last class. Measurable Outcome/Analysis The survey assessed dietary behaviors and confidence cooking and purchasing foods on a budget before and after participation in 10 Tips. To estimate significant changes, Wilcoxon signed rank tests and z-tests with Bonferroni correction were used. Longitudinal modeling assessed the association between number of sessions attended and outcomes. Results Respondents significantly improved consumption of fruit, vegetables, low-fat and skim dairy products, whole grains, and sweets after participating in 10 Tips (P Conclusion Respondents significantly increased consumption of healthy foods and water, decreased consumption of SSB and sweets, and improved skills in buying and preparing healthy foods on a budget after participation in 10 Tips.
Imaging of Bone Perfusion and Metabolism in Subjects Undergoing Total Ankle Arthroplasty Using 18F-Fluoride Positron Emission Tomography.

Background:Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) continues to exhibit a relatively high incidence of complications and need for revision surgery compared to knee and hip arthroplasty. One common mode of f...
Sparse Bayesian Learning for Robust PCA: Algorithms and Analyses

In this paper, we propose a new Bayesian model to solve the Robust PCA problem - recovering the underlying low-rank matrix and sparse matrix from their noisy compositions. We first derive and analyze a new objective function, which is proven to be equivalent to the fundamental objective of minimizing the “rank+sparsity”. To solve this objective, we develop a concise Sparse Bayesian Learning (SBL) method that makes minimal assumptions and effectively deals with the requirements of the problem. The concise modeling allows simple and effective Empirical Bayesian inference via maximum a posteriori expectation-maximization (MAP-EM). We further propose a modified SBL method that additionally utilizes the sparsity pattern information of the outliers in the Robust PCA problem. Simulation studies demonstrate the superiority of the proposed methods over the existing state-of-the-art methods. The efficacy of the proposed methods is further verified through two image processing tasks.
Collision-Free Decentralised Density Feedback Control for Swarms

Abstract This paper reports initial collision avoidance results regarding density-based feedback control for swarm robotics from our previous works. The method controls the density distribution of the agents via smooth velocity fields synthesised in a decentralised fashion. Local estimates of density around each agent are compared with the desired swarm density and the difference is fed to the density based feedback controller to generate the velocity commands to be tracked. The continuity of the resulting velocity field promotes smooth and organised behaviour, and as the mathematical analyses reveals, it facilitates collision-free trajectories for each agent.
Dashboard directed decision support to increase cancer survivorship care plan adherence.

e24043Background: Oncology practices face multiple challenges when trying to implement the Commission on Cancer (CoC) Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) documentation standard. First, it is difficult to ...
Long-term effects of a peer-led asthma self-management program on asthma outcomes in adolescent peer leaders.

Abstract Objective To examine the long-term effects of a peer-led asthma self-management program on urban adolescent peer leaders with asthma. Methods This longitudinal study includes 51 adolescents (16−20 years) enrolled in an asthma self-management program implemented at a one-day camp as peer leaders. Study outcomes, including quality of life, asthma control, asthma knowledge, and attitudes toward asthma were collected for 15 months post-intervention. Mixed-effects models were conducted to estimate time effects, and effect sizes were calculated for each model. Results Of 51 enrolled, 41 completed the training, of which 35 successfully participated in the camp program. A total of 17 peer leaders withdrew between enrollment and 15-months follow-up. Quality of life, asthma control, and knowledge significantly improved after peer leader training and remained elevated for 15 months, while significant improvement in attitudes emerged immediately after camp, in which they served as leaders, and sustained for 15 months. Conclusion This study demonstrates the long-term positive effects of a peer-led program on a wide range of asthma outcomes in urban adolescent peer leaders. Practice Implications A peer-led approach to asthma education providing peer leaders with intense training and leadership experience can be effective and sustainable in improving asthma outcomes among urban adolescents.
Astrocytes and Behavior

Animal behavior was classically considered to be determined exclusively by neuronal activity, whereas surrounding glial cells such as astrocytes played only supportive roles. However, astrocytes are as numerous as neurons in the mammalian brain, and current findings indicate a chemically based dialog between astrocytes and neurons. Activation of astrocytes by synaptically released neurotransmitters converges on regulating intracellular Ca2+ in astrocytes, which then can regulate the efficacy of near and distant tripartite synapses at diverse timescales through gliotransmitter release. Here, we discuss recent evidence on how diverse behaviors are impacted by this dialog. These recent findings support a paradigm shift in neuroscience, in which animal behavior does not result exclusively from neuronal activity but from the coordinated activity of both astrocytes and neurons. Decoding how astrocytes and neurons interact with each other in various brain circuits will be fundamental to fully understanding how behaviors originate and become dysregulated in disease.
Investigation into the difference in mitochondrial-cytosolic calcium coupling between adult cardiomyocyte and hiPSC-CM using a novel multifunctional genetic probe

Ca2+ cycling plays a critical role in regulating cardiomyocyte (CM) function under both physiological and pathological conditions. Mitochondria have been implicated in Ca2+ handling in adult cardiomyocytes (ACMs). However, little is known about their role in the regulation of Ca2+ dynamics in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). In the present study, we developed a multifunctional genetically encoded Ca2+ probe capable of simultaneously measuring cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ in real time. Using this novel probe, we determined and compared mitochondrial Ca2+ activity and the coupling with cytosolic Ca2+ dynamics in hiPSC-CMs and ACMs. Our data showed that while ACMs displayed a highly coordinated beat-by-beat response in mitochondrial Ca2+ in sync with cytosolic Ca2+, hiPSC-CMs showed high cell-wide variability in mitochondrial Ca2+ activity that is poorly coordinated with cytosolic Ca2+. We then revealed that mitochondrial-sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) tethering, as well as the inter-mitochondrial network connection, is underdeveloped in hiPSC-CM compared to ACM, which may underlie the observed spatiotemporal decoupling between cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics. Finally, we showed that knockdown of mitofusin-2 (Mfn2), a protein tethering mitochondria and SR, led to reduced cytosolic-mitochondrial Ca2+ coupling in ACMs, albeit to a lesser degree compared to hiPSC-CMs, suggesting that Mfn2 is a potential engineering target for improving mitochondrial-cytosolic Ca2+ coupling in hiPSC-CMs. Physiological relevance: The present study will advance our understanding of the role of mitochondria in Ca2+ handling and cycling in CMs, and guide the development of hiPSC-CMs for healing injured hearts.
Multi-layer wind velocity field visualization in infrared images of clouds for solar irradiance forecasting

Abstract The energy available in a solar energy powered grid is uncertain due to the weather conditions at the time of generation. Forecasting global solar irradiance could address this problem by providing the power grid with the capability of scheduling the storage and dispatch of energy. The occlusion of the Sun by clouds is the main cause of instabilities in the generation of solar energy. This investigation proposes a method to visualize the wind velocity field in sequences of longwave infrared images of clouds when there are multiple wind velocity fields in an image. This method can be used to forecast the occlusion of the Sun by clouds, providing stability in the generation of solar energy. Unsupervised learning is implemented to infer the distribution of the clouds’ velocity vectors and heights in multiple wind velocity fields in an infrared image. A multi-output weighted support vector machine with flow constraints is used to extrapolate the wind velocity fields to the entire frame, visualizing the path of the clouds. The proposed method is capable of approximating the wind velocity field in a small air parcel using the velocity vectors and physical features of clouds extracted from infrared images. Assuming that the streamlines are pathlines, the visualization of the wind velocity field can be used for forecasting cloud occlusions of the Sun. This is of importance when considering ways of increasing the stability of solar energy generation.