cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Angle gathers from reverse time migration using analytic wavefield propagation and decomposition in the time domain

Angle-domain common imaging gathers (ADCIGs) are important input data for migration velocity analysis and amplitude variation with angle analysis. Compared with Kirchhoff migration and one-way wave equation migration, reverse time migration (RTM) is the most accurate imaging method in complex areas, such as the subsalt area. We have developed a method to generate ADCIGs from RTM using analytic wavefield propagation and decomposition. To estimate the wave-propagation direction and angle by spatial Fourier transform during the time domain wave extrapolation, we have developed an analytic wavefield extrapolation method. Then, we decomposed the extrapolated source and receiver wavefields into their local angle components (i.e., local plane-wave components) and applied the angle-domain imaging condition to form ADCIGs. Because the angle-domain imaging condition is a convolution imaging condition about the source and receiver propagation angles, it is costly. To increase the efficiency of the angle-domain imaging condition, we have developed a local plane-wave decomposition method using matching pursuit. Numerical examples of synthetic and real data found that this method could generate high-quality ADCIGs. And these examples also found that the computational cost of this approach was related to the complexity of the source and receiver wavefields.
The Influence of Technology on the Academic Achievement of Students with Low Socioeconomic Status

The accessibility to information is a powerful tool and today we find that new technology is being introduced into the classroom daily. There is an achievement gap that has many faces in education but the income gap has by far limited the access to this technology to low-income communities. A survey was conducted to explore low income student’s access to technology in the school and home. The instrument was administered to six Upward Bound Programs obtaining nearly 300 respondents. The Upward Bound Program is a federally funding program designed to services low income students to prepare them for college success. This study extracted a cluster of survey questions the specifically related to technology usage and analyzed the data to find those students the utilized the technology for school project performed higher. These results offer tremendous support to additional support to increase technology access to low income schools.
Vitamin D in Schizophrenia: A Clinical Review

Vitamin D (vitD) is known for its essential role in calcium homeostasis and bone health. VitD is made endogenously in the skin from UVB radiation from sunlight. VitD is now considered as a potent neurosteroid hormone, critical to brain development and normal brain function, and is known for its anti-inflammatory property affecting various aspects of human health. VitD ligand-receptor, a receptor that mediates much of vitD's biological actions, has been found throughout the body including the central nervous system. VitD deficiency is common in patients with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a debilitating chronic mental illness characterised by positive symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, and negative symptoms including flat affect and lack of motivation. Several environmental risk factors for schizophrenia, such as season of birth, latitude and migration, have been linked to vitD deficiency. Recent studies have suggested a potential role of vitD in the development of schizophrenia. For example, neonatal vitD status is associated with the risk of developing schizophrenia in later life obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and cardiovascular disease, which are commonly seen in patients with schizophrenia. It has been well established that vitD deficiency is related to these metabolic problems. The biological mechanism is most likely related to vitD's action on the regulation of inflammatory and immunological processes, consequently affecting the manifestation of clinical symptoms and treatment response of schizophrenia. Potential benefits of vitD supplementation to improve schizophrenia symptoms as well as physical health in patients with schizophrenia should be further explored in future studies.
Abstract PR-13: Inhibition of chronic colitis-induced carcinogenesis in IL-10 knockout mice by dietary supplementation of black raspberries

PR-13 Epidemiological and experimental studies indicate that inflammation is associated with the development of colon cancer. For example, it is known that patients with ulcerative colitis have an increased incidence of colon cancer, and anti-inflammatory drugs and bioactive food components that suppress colonic inflammation reduce the risk of colon cancer. IL-10 is an important regulatory anti-inflammatory cytokine associated with the development of colonic colitis. 100% of IL-10 knockout (KO) mice develop colitis after 3 months of age; histopathology reveals transmural inflammation, predominantly in the cecum. We have shown that the administration of a diet containing twice the recommended amount of iron leads to the development of colonic adenocarcinoma in more than 80% of IL-10 KO mice within 5 months. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of a dietary supplementation of black raspberries on spontaneous colitis-induced carcinogenesis in IL-10 KO mice. Beginning at 4 weeks of age, mice were administered black raspberry powder in AIN-93G diet at concentrations of 5% and 10% until termination of the experiment at 23 weeks. The colorectal tumor incidence in IL-10 KO mice fed control AIN-93G diet was 71.4% (10/14 mice with tumors). Significant reductions in colonic tumor incidence [38% (5/13 mice) and 30.8% (4/13 mice)] were observed in mice receiving 5% and 10% black raspberry diets, respectively. Histopathologic analysis of chronic inflammatory activity in the colon showed that the berries significantly inhibited the overall inflammatory index, including the extent of inflammation, ulcer formation and epithelial hyperplasia. Mechanistic studies suggest that inhibition of colitis-associated carcinogenesis by dietary berries might relate to their effects on modulation of myeloperoxidase-labeled inflammatory cells, nitro-oxidative stress, and cell proliferation. We conclude that black raspberries, as a food-based prevention agent, have potential for the prevention of inflammation-related carcinogenesis in the colon. (Supported by NIH grants R01-CA104741 and -CA103180). Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):PR-13.
Multi-physics modeling of hysteresis in vanadium dioxide thin films

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) exhibits a strong metal-insulator transition (MIT) near 68°C. The resulting changes in electrical, optical, thermal and mechanical properties make VO2 thin films interesting for a variety of sensor and actuator applications. The transition displays significant hysteresis that may significantly affect device performance. An accurate model of the transition would be valuable for predicting and compensating these effects. In this paper we investigate first-principles, multi-physics models using simultaneous measurement of optical and electrical properties. Our experimental results strongly validate use of a standard Preisach model to capture hysteresis in the optical properties of the VO2 film. We then investigate several physics-based models relating electrical resistivity to the fraction of material transformed. Of the models investigated, a percolation-based approach is the most successful. There are opportunities for further refinement of the resistivity model and explicit treatment of temperature dependence.
Methylphenidate, Academic Performance, and Behavior

The effects of 0.3 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg of methylphenidate on the overt behavior and academic functioning of 12 children with ADDH are reported from the Department of Psychiatry Research, Hospital For Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Numerical Simulation of Steady Newtonian and Non-Newtonian Flow Through Vascular Stenoses

The high cost and risk factors associated with surgical procedures on vascular diseases such as arterial aneurysms and stenoses make accurate diagnosis of such conditions critical. Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PCMRI) has become widely used to measure blood velocities as a fast, noninvasive technique to diagnose vascular diseases. The primary purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the ability of a commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver, FLUENT, to validate results obtained from in vitro PC-MRI experiments on vascular stenoses and to investigate the effects of non-Newtonian flow through the same geometry.
The Developing Ego and the Emerging Self in Group Therapy

(1989). The Developing Ego and the Emerging Self in Group Therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy: Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 265-268.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia Improves Patient-Reported Quality of Life and Reduces Depression.

Abstract Purpose To characterize quality of life (QOL) outcomes following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Methods and Materials The EuroQOL 5-Dimension (EQ-5D) and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) were prospectively collected before and after SRS for 50 patients with TN. Pain response and treatment-related facial numbness were classified using Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scales. Differences in pooled QOL outcomes were tested with paired t-tests and sign tests. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate time-dependent improvements in the EQ-5D index, EQ-5D perceived health status (PHS), PHQ-9 score, and freedom from pain failure (BNI IV-V) or facial numbness (BNI III-IV). Results Following SRS, the 12-month freedom from pain failure was 92% (95% CI: 77-97%), while the 12-month freedom from facial numbness was 89% (95% CI: 66-97%). Significant improvements in the EQ-5D index ( p p =0.01), and PHQ-9 ( p =0.03) were observed, driven by the self-care and pain/discomfort EQ-5D subscores ( p =0.02 and p p Conclusions Patients with TN treated with SRS reported significant improvements in multiple QOL measures, with the therapeutic benefit strongly driven by improvements in pain/discomfort and self-care, along with lower rates of depression. In this analysis, there appears to be a correlation between prescription dose and treatment response as measured by the EQ-5D.
School-based secondary prevention for children with disruptive behavior : Initial outcomes

First through fourth graders from 22 suburban elementary schools were screened for cross-setting disruptive behavior as eligibility criteria for participation in a longitudinal secondary prevention study aimed at reducing the risk for serious externalizing behavioral disorders. Three hundred nine subjects participated in either a multicomponent competence enhancement intervention (MCEI) or an information/attention control (IAC) condition over a 2-year period. Following baseline measurements, initial intervention effects were assessed at the end of intervention Year 1, at the beginning of intervention Year 2 (fall of the next school year), and at the end of intervention Year 2. Multisource assessments were not supportive of the efficacy of the MCEI over the IAC condition. Children in both groups rated themselves as improved over time in terms of increased adaptive skills and decreased school problems and internalizing symptoms. Teacher and parent ratings of externalizing behavior did not yield evidence of positive change, but teachers noted improved problem solving and observers noted a decrease in behavioral interference in both groups over time, possibly as a result of maturation.
Effects of diethylstilbestrol and estramustine phosphate on serum sex hormone binding globulin and testosterone levels in prostate cancer patients.

AbstractSerum testosterone-estradiol binding globulin and total testosterone were measured in 2 groups of male controls (less than 50 and more than 65 years old) and in 7 groups of prostatic cancer patients treated with various endocrine manipulation procedures, including orchiectomy, and estramustine phosphate and diethylstilbestrol therapy. There were 133 individuals studied. Total serum testosterone levels were significantly higher in the younger versus the older control group and testosterone-estradiol binding globulin levels were significantly higher in the older men. Whereas orchiectomy reduced serum testosterone to low concentrations (72 plus or minus 11ng. per 100ml.) testosterone-estradiol binding globulin levels were not altered. In contrast, estramustine phosphate and diethylstilbestrol therapy, when administered to intact or castrated patients, resulted in depressed testosterone and markedly elevated testosterone-estradiol binding globulin serum levels, particularly in those patients receiving...
IDENTIFICATION OF DISTRIBUTED FATIGUE CRACKING BY DYNAMIC CRACK-CLOSURE

Early fatigue damage is typically a distributed phenomenon affecting the structure at many locations. Multiple-site crack initiation and growth occur at numerous points of stress concentration, e.g., at rivet holes in a wing panel. Coalescence of such relatively large cracks can lead to sudden fracture, and may occur at loads significantly below what would be expected from considering the fracture resistance of single cracks [1,2]. Under laboratory conditions, a great variety of NDE techniques are available for early fatigue damage detection and characterization. These techniques include acoustic emission, linear and nonlinear ultrasonics, vibration analysis, eddy current inspection, magnetics, thermal imaging, X-ray, etc. Unfortunately, most of these methods cannot be directly adapted to infield inspection of aging aircraft. One reason for this is that the most sensitive ultrasonic and eddy current methods are essentially short-range, localized measurements. On a large airframe structure, their use is limited to the inspection of a few suspected areas of high stress concentration, but they tend to loose sensitivity very rapidly when applied to distributed and multiple-site cracking. Large-scale, overall inspection has inevitably lower sensitivity to distributed multiple-site cracking, especially in the presence of artifacts causing false alarms. Strong artifact signals are caused by uncertainties in the inspection procedure (e.g., coupling in ultrasonic testing or lift-off in eddy current testing), inherent geometrical features (e.g., nearby holes and edges), and additional irregularities (e.g., uneven machining, mechanical wear, corrosion, etc.). There seems to be a need for specialized long-range ultrasonic and eddy current techniques which do a better job at distinguishing real fatigue cracks from inherent structural and material variations. These techniques need to be fine-tuned to characteristic features exhibited by fatigue cracks and only fatigue cracks. First, we shall demonstrate that crack-closure under external deformation can be exploited to achieve significant improvements in the threshold sensitivity of long-range ultrasonic and eddy current inspection methods. Second, we shall demonstrate the feasibility of producing dynamic crack-closure by localized cooling with a commercial freezing spray.
The Molecular Structure of Transfer RNA and Its Interaction with Synthetases

One of the vital links in the flow of genetic information is the association of a given amino acid with a triplet of bases in messenger RNA. The accuracy of genetic expression is determined by the accuracy of protein synthesis, in particular by the accuracy of the system whereby an amino acid is selected by a messenger RNA codon. This selection procedure takes place in the ribosome where the aminoacylated transfer RNA (tRNA) interacts specifically with the codon of messenger RNA. However, the accuracy of protein synthesis is determined not only by the events occurring within the ribosome, but by the prior reaction in which amino acids are attached to individual transfer RNA molecules by the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. There are 20 of these synthetases in living systems, each of which has the specificity for adding a particular amino acid to a particular subset of tRNA molecules, an isoacceptor species. We do not understand the molecular events which give rise to the accuracy of amino acid selection in protein synthesis either at the level of the ribosome or at the level of the synthetase. We do, however, have a general picture of the nature of these events and detailed information about some features.
Measurements of the chiral magnetic effect with background isolation in 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at STAR

Abstract Using two novel methods, pair invariant mass ( m inv ) and comparative measurements with respect to reaction plane (Ψ RP ) and participant plane (Ψ PP ), we isolate the possible chiral magnetic effect (CME) from backgrounds in 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at STAR. The invariant mass method identifies the resonance background contributions, coupled with the elliptic flow ( ν 2 ), to the charge correlator CME observable (Δ γ ). At high mass ( m i n v > 1.5 GeV / c 2 ) where resonance contribution is small, we obtain the average Δ γ magnitude. In the low mass region ( m i n v 1.5 GeV / c 2 ) , resonance peaks are observed in Δ γ ( m i n v ) . An event shape engineering (ESE) method is used to model the background shape in m inv to extract the potential CME signal at low m inv . In the comparative method, the Ψ RP is assessed by spectator neutrons measured by the ZDCs, and the Ψ PP by the 2 nd -harmonic event plane measured by the TPC. The ν 2 is stronger along Ψ PP and weaker along Ψ RP ; in contrast, the magnetic field, mainly from spectator protons, is weaker along Ψ PP and stronger along Ψ RP . As a result, the Δ γ measured with respect to Ψ RP and Ψ PP contain different amounts of CME and background, and can thus determine these two contributions. It is found that the possible CME signals with background isolation by these two novel methods are small, on the order of a few percent of the inclusive Δ γ measurements.
Autonomous Control of the Interacting-BoomCopter UAV for Remote Sensor Mounting

This paper presents a novel approach for autonomously mounting a sensor package on a vertical surface with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The Interacting-BoomCopter (I-BC) UAV uses an on-board webcam and computer along with a horizontally-mounted reversible propeller on its front boom to autonomously perform the aerial manipulation task. An overview of the vehicle design is presented along with the image processing algorithms used for target tracking, and the implementation of an extended finite state machine (EFSM) for carrying out the high-level autonomous control. The effectiveness of the autonomous control strategy and I-BC platform are examined through the performance of several autonomous sensor mounting flight tests.
Foreclosure’s Fallout: Economic Adversity and Voter Turnout

With the foreclosure crisis continuing to impact individuals and communities across the country, understanding the extent of its effect on political life is tantamount. In this paper, we ask how political behaviors are influenced by the economic adversities created by this crisis: loss of home, loss of resources, and perhaps loss of political efficacy. Previous research on economic adversity focuses almost exclusively on unemployment. Here we explore the demobilizing effects of foreclosures at the individual level, community levels, and the intersection of individuals nested in communities. With a unique dataset that matches voter file data to a database on individual foreclosures, we show that the foreclosure crisis was associated with a decline in voter turnout, both individually and for those in neighborhoods hit harder by the foreclosure crisis. We find that homeowners facing the loss of their homes were less likely to go to the polls. Consistent with previous research, we also show that turnout was suppressed in neighborhoods with higher rates of foreclosure. Taken together, our results suggest that political elites were less likely to hear from constituents most directly impacted by the foreclosure crisis.
Case-based simulation empowering pediatric residents to communicate about diagnostic uncertainty

Background Uncertainty is ubiquitous in medical practice. The Pediatrics Milestones from the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education state that advanced learners should acknowledge and communicate about clinical uncertainty. If uncertainty is not acknowledged, patient care may suffer. There are no described curricula specifically aimed to improve learners' ability to acknowledge and discuss clinical uncertainty. We describe an educational intervention designed to fill this gap. Methods Second-year pediatric residents engaged in a two-phase simulation-based educational intervention designed to improve their ability to communicate about diagnostic uncertainty with patients and caregivers. In each phase, residents engaged in two simulated cases and debriefs. Performance was assessed after each simulated patient encounter using standardized metrics, along with learner perceptions of the experience. Results Residents' skills in communicating with patients and families about diagnostic uncertainty improved after this intervention (mean score post 3.84 vs. 3.28 pre on a five-point Likert scale, p<0.001). Residents rated the experience as relevant, challenging and positive. Conclusions This prospective study suggests that a simulation-based intervention was effective in improving resident physicians' skills in communicating about diagnostic uncertainty with patients and families. Further study is needed to determine how learners perform in real clinical environments.
Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone Response to Exercise, Twitching, Epinephrine Injection, Substance P Injection, and Prostaglandin-F2α Administration in Mares

Abstract Five experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that α-melanocyte–stimulating hormone (MSH) is secreted in response to various stressors in horses similar to prolactin, growth hormone, and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). There was considerable variation in resting concentrations of MSH and in the degree of stimulation in responders; thus all data sets were tested for heterogeneity of variance and corrected for as needed before analysis. In experiment 1, 12 mares were used in a switchback design to test the effect of a 2-minute exercise bout on MSH secretion. Plasma MSH concentrations were constant when mares were not exercised but increased (P
Mixed ICC/ℋ ∞ control for systems with sensors aging

A faulty sensor may lead to degraded system performance, system instability or even a fatal accident. On the other hand, the increasing need for safety and reliability has motivated the development of fault-tolerant control techniques. In this work, the sensor performance degradation due to its aging is modelled by the increment of sensor measurement noise covariance. The main contribution of this paper is the characterisation of the control synthesis conditions using parametrised linear matrix inequalities (PLMIs) for a multi-objective gain-scheduled noisy output-feedback controller that minimises the output cost on H2 performance with satisfactory system stability, H∞ performance and control input covariance constraints (H2 constraints on the control inputs) in the presence of sensor aging. The closed-loop system stability and performance, in terms of mixed H2/H∞ performances, relative improvement, numerical complexity, computation time, and initial conditions response, are studied, and a numerical exam...
Intracerebellar cannabinoid administration impairs delay but not trace eyeblink conditioning

Abstract Intracerebellar administration of cannabinoid agonists impairs cerebellum-dependent delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC) in rats. It is not known whether the cannabinoid-induced impairment in EBC is found with shorter interstimulus intervals (ISI), longer ISIs, or with trace EBC. Moreover, systemic administration of cannabinoid agonists does not impair trace EBC, suggesting that cannabinoid receptors within the cerebellum are not involved in trace EBC. To more precisely assess the effects of cannabinoids on cerebellar learning mechanisms the current study examined the effects of the cannabinoid agonist WIN55,212-2 (WIN) infusion into the area of the cerebellar cortex necessary for EBC (the eyeblink microzone) in rats during short delay (250 ms CS), long delay (750 ms CS), and trace (250 ms CS, 500 ms trace interval) EBC. WIN was infused into the eyeblink microzone 30 min before pretraining sessions and five EBC training sessions, followed by five EBC training sessions without infusions to assess recovery from drug effects and savings. WIN had no effect on spontaneous blinks or non-associative responses to the CS or US during the pretraining sessions. Short and long delay EBC were impaired by WIN but trace EBC was unaffected. The results indicate that trace EBC is mediated by mechanisms that are resistant to cannabinoid agonists.
Cognition and Reward Circuits in Schizophrenia: Synergistic, Not Separate

Schizophrenia has been studied from the perspective of cognitive or reward-related impairments, yet it cannot be wholly related to one or the other process and their corresponding neural circuits. We posit a comprehensive circuit-based model proposing that dysfunctional interactions between the brain's cognitive and reward circuits underlie schizophrenia. The model is underpinned by how the relationship between glutamatergic and dopaminergic dysfunction in schizophrenia drives interactions between cognition and reward circuits. We argue that this interaction is synergistic: that is, deficits of cognition and reward processing interact, and this interaction is a core feature of schizophrenia. In adopting this position, we undertake a focused review of animal physiology and human clinical data, and in proposing this synergistic model, we highlight dopaminergic afferents from the ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens (mesolimbic circuit) and frontal cortex (mesocortical circuit). We then expand on the role of glutamatergic inputs to these dopamine circuits and dopaminergic modulation of critical excitatory pathways with attention given to the role of glutamatergic hippocampal outputs onto nucleus accumbens. Finally, we present evidence for how in schizophrenia, dysfunction in the mesolimbic and mesocortical circuits and their corresponding glutamatergic inputs gives rise to clinical and cognitive phenotypes and is associated with positive and negative symptom dimensions. The synthesis attempted here provides an impetus for a conceptual shift that links cognitive and motivational aspects of schizophrenia and that can lead to treatment approaches that seek to harmonize network interactions between the brain's cognition and reward circuits with ameliorative effects in each behavioral domain.
Atypical language development matters: A commentary on Ambridge (2020):

This commentary critiques Ambridge’s radical exemplar model of language acquisition using research from the Longitudinal Study of Early Language, which has tracked the language development of 30+ c...
ATMOSPHERIC OSCILLATIONS AND RELATED SYNOPTIC PATTERNS

Abstract : Records from sensitive microbarovariographs installed at Palisades, N. Y., Columbia University, and the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, L. I. were studied in connection with synoptic and local weather data. A number of pressure events were noted in connection with the passage of certain synoptic situations. These included pressure jump lines, squall lines, cold fronts, and thunderstorms. Low level turbulence or convection associated with certain air masses at certain times is well-recorded by short-period pressure variations. Conclusions regarding the origin of squall lines are drawn from the empirical evidence given.
Cellular AND Gates: Synergistic Recognition to Boost Selective Uptake of Polymeric Nanoassemblies

The development of nanoparticle-based biomedical applications has been hampered due to undesired off-target effects. Herein, we outline a cellular AND gate to enhance uptake selectivity, in which a nanoassembly-cell interaction is turned on, only in the concurrent presence of two different protein functions, an enzymatic reaction (alkaline phosphatase, ALP) and a ligand-protein (carbonic anhydrase IX, CA IX) binding event. Selective uptake of nanoassemblies was observed in cells that overexpress both of these proteins (unicellular AND gate). Interestingly, selective uptake can also be achieved in CA IX overexpressed cells, when cocultured with ALP overexpressed cells, where the nanoassembly presumably acts as a mediator for cell-cell communication (bicellular AND gate). This logic-gated cellular uptake could find use in applications such as tumor imaging or theranostics.
Acute Respiratory Failure Secondary to COVID-19 Viral Pneumonia Managed With Hydroxychloroquine/Azithromycin Treatment

A 74-year-old male was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center following acute respiratory failure secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) viral pneumonia. The patient had significant comorbidities, including a history of lung and esophageal cancer status-post resection, cerebrovascular accident with neurological deficits, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease. The patient was in septic shock and respiratory failure on admission requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed patchy bilateral opacities suspicious for viral pneumonia and the COVID-19 sputum sample sent to the New York Department of Health returned positive. This patient's comorbidities, along with his age, placed him in the highest risk of mortality for COVID-19. The patient was managed pharmacologically with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. By Day 5 of his admission, he improved significantly and was extubated and downgraded from the ICU to the medical floor, pending discharge. This case report provides anecdotal evidence for the effectiveness of the hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin combination currently being used across the nation to manage COVID-19, pending development of a definitive vaccine or antiviral treatment.
Biuret—A Crucial Reaction Intermediate for Understanding Urea Pyrolysis To Form Carbon Nitrides: Crystal-Structure Elucidation and In Situ Diffractometric, Vibrational and Thermal Characterisation

The crystal structure of biuret was elucidated by means of XRD analysis of single crystals grown through slow evaporation from a solution in ethanol. It crystallises in its own structure type in space group C2/c (a=15.4135(8) A, b=6.6042(3) A, c=9.3055(4) A, Z=8). Biuret decomposition was studied in situ by means of temperature-programmed powder XRD and FTIR spectroscopy, to identify a co-crystalline biuret-cyanuric acid phase as a previously unrecognised reaction intermediate. Extensive thermogravimetric studies of varying crucible geometry, heating rate and initial sample mass reveal that the concentration of reactive gases at the interface to the condensed sample residues is a crucial parameter for the prevailing decomposition pathway. Taking these findings into consideration, a study on the optimisation of carbon nitride synthesis from urea on the gram scale, with standard solid-state laboratory techniques, is presented. Finally, a serendipitously encountered self-coating of the crucible inner walls by graphite during repeated synthetic cycles, which prove to be highly beneficial for the obtained yields, is reported.
Factors Associated with E-Cigarette Use in U.S. Young Adult Never Smokers of Conventional Cigarettes: A Machine Learning Approach

E-cigarette use is increasing among young adult never smokers of conventional cigarettes, but the awareness of the factors associated with e-cigarette use in this population is limited. The goal of this work was to use machine learning (ML) algorithms to determine the factors associated with current e-cigarette use among US young adult never cigarette smokers. Young adult (18–34 years) never cigarette smokers from the 2016 and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) who reported current or never e-cigarette use were used for the analysis (n = 79,539). Variables associated with current e-cigarette use were selected by two ML algorithms (Boruta and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)). Odds ratios were calculated to determine the association between e-cigarette use and the variables selected by the ML algorithms, after adjusting for age, gender and race/ethnicity and incorporating the BRFSS complex design. The prevalence of e-cigarette use varied across states. Factors previously reported in the literature, such as age, race/ethnicity, alcohol use, depression, as well as novel factors associated with e-cigarette use, such as disabilities, obesity, history of diabetes and history of arthritis were identified. These results can be used to generate further hypotheses for research, increase public awareness and help provide targeted e-cigarette education.
Tuning the Chern number in quantum anomalous Hall insulators

A quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state is a two-dimensional topological insulating state that has a quantized Hall resistance of h/(Ce2) and vanishing longitudinal resistance under zero magnetic field (where h is the Planck constant, e is the elementary charge, and the Chern number C is an integer)1,2. The QAH effect has been realized in magnetic topological insulators3–9 and magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene10,11. However, the QAH effect at zero magnetic field has so far been realized only for C = 1. Here we realize a well quantized QAH effect with tunable Chern number (up to C = 5) in multilayer structures consisting of alternating magnetic and undoped topological insulator layers, fabricated using molecular beam epitaxy. The Chern number of these QAH insulators is determined by the number of undoped topological insulator layers in the multilayer structure. Moreover, we demonstrate that the Chern number of a given multilayer structure can be tuned by varying either the magnetic doping concentration in the magnetic topological insulator layers or the thickness of the interior magnetic topological insulator layer. We develop a theoretical model to explain our experimental observations and establish phase diagrams for QAH insulators with high, tunable Chern number. The realization of such insulators facilitates the application of dissipationless chiral edge currents in energy-efficient electronic devices, and opens up opportunities for developing multi-channel quantum computing and higher-capacity chiral circuit interconnects. The number of edge channels in quantum anomalous Hall insulators is controlled by varying either the magnetic dopant concentration or the interior spacer layer thickness, yielding Chern numbers up to 5.
The Perinatal Psychiatric Interview

The basic principles of the perinatal psychiatric interview will be covered in detail in this chapter. The importance of establishing rapport and creating a therapeutic alliance will be reviewed. Details of the context of the interview, including thoughtful consideration of the setting, situation, subject and significance will be outlined. The content of the psychiatric interview will be covered in full, including the mental status examination. Attention regarding the conclusion of the interview and assessment, including coordination of care with other providers and areas of possible difficulty, will also be discussed.
DNA methylation-modifiers reduced food intake in juvenile chickens (Gallus gallus) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).

Abstract S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) is the major endogenous methyl donor for methyltransferase reactions, while 5-Azacytidine (AZA) is a synthetic drug inhibiting DNA methyltransferase activity. Both molecules can thus influence DNA methylation patterns in an organism and thereby affect gene expression and ultimately behavior in the long-term. Whether or not effects on behavior are exerted on a shorter time scale is unclear. The goal of this study was to explore the direct effects of SAM and AZA on appetite regulation, using broiler chicken and Japanese quail as the animal models. Fed or 180 min-fasted broilers (at day 4 post-hatch) or 360 min-fasted quail (at day 7 post-hatch) were intracerebroventricularly injected with SAM or AZA and food intake was measured for 360 min. For broilers, there was no effect of AZA, at any dose, on food intake in either fed or fasted chicks at any time point. In contrast, 1 and 10 µg doses of SAM reduced food intake in fed chicks at 60 min post-injection. In fasted chicks, although there were no differences for the first 30 min post-injection, SAM suppressed food intake during the second 30-min period. For quail, however, AZA (25 µg dose) decreased food intake at 60 and 150–360 min post-injection in fasted birds. A reduction in food intake was also observed at 120- and 360-min post-injection in fed quail in response to 5 and 25 µg doses of AZA, respectively. SAM had no effect when quail were fasted, whereas 1 µg dose of SAM suppressed food consumption in fed quail during the third 30-min period. Thus, when administered directly into the central nervous system, SAM may act as a transient appetite suppressant in both broilers and quail, whereas the direct inhibitory effect of AZA on food consumption depends on species and nutritional states.
Adaptation Strategies for Managing Recurring Congestion—Adding New Capacity

Most operational improvements provide about modest gains in capacity. Important as they are, they produce short-lived travel time reductions in areas with a growing population and employment.
Ophthalmologic Surgery and the Management of Diabetes

Ophthalmologic procedures are the most common ambulatory surgeries for geriatric patients. In developed countries throughout the world, cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure. As the incidence of diabetes increases in the population, retina surgery is also becoming more common.
DNS of Flow in a Low-Pressure Turbine Cascade Using a Discontinuous-Galerkin Spectral-Element Method

A new computational capability under development for accurate and efficient high-fidelity direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large eddy simulation (LES) of turbomachinery is described. This capability is based on an entropy-stable Discontinuous-Galerkin spectral-element approach that extends to arbitrarily high orders of spatial and temporal accuracy and is implemented in a computationally efficient manner on a modern high performance computer architecture. A validation study using this method to perform DNS of flow in a low-pressure turbine airfoil cascade are presented. Preliminary results indicate that the method captures the main features of the flow. Discrepancies between the predicted results and the experiments are likely due to the effects of freestream turbulence not being included in the simulation and will be addressed in the final paper.
SIMPLE RULES FOR MEASURING CHANGES IN ECOSYSTEM CARBON IN FORESTRY-OFFSET PROJECTS

There is growing interest in the use of forestry-offset projects to mitigate increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If forestry-offset projects are to be employed broadly and successfully there need to be accounting rules that are easy to operationalize and effective in preventing cheating. Since carbon is both tangible and predictable in where it occurs it is feasible to develop simple accounting rules. Such rules must be conservative with respect to the amount of carbon credited. If accounting practices based on the following simple rules are employed, costs will be kept low and projects will credit only carbon that is physically present: Changes in living aboveground biomass must always be measured in forestry -offset projects. Belowground living biomass can be estimated from aboveground living biomass in forestry- offset projects. Generalized root/shoot ratios can be used as long as conservative ratios are applied. Not all changes in soil carbon stocks need to be measured, only those for which there is a possibility the stock is declining. The necromass pool need not be measured except when there has been a recent disturbance (interval varies with ecosystem). To insure that inaccurate techniques do not lead to overestimating of carbon stock changes, imprecise estimates of the carbon content of an ecosystem compartment should be discounted. There should be no required level of accuracy associated with estimates of carbon stock changes in forestry-offset projects, but the creditable carbon should be discounted proportional to the uncertainty.
X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia and Immunoglobulin Deficiency with Normal or Elevated IgM: Immunodeficiencies of B Cell Development and Differentiation

Publisher Summary X-linked immunoglobulin deficiency (XLA) and hyper immunoglobulin M (HIGMX-1) are two immunodeficiency diseases resulting from defects in B cell development and differentiation. XLA undoubtedly plays an important role in B cell development. In contrast to patients with XLA, patients with HIGMX-1 have circulating B cells that synthesize immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin D but fail to switch to the production of other immunoglobulin isotypes. HIGMX-1 patients also differ from XLA patients in their capacity to produce specific antibody titers albeit restricted to the IgM class. The presence of recombination between the HIGMX-1 locus and the XLA locus indicated that HIGMX-1 is not a phenotypic variant of XLA. Mapping of XLA and HIGMX-1 to different regions of the X chromosome, Xq22 and Xq26, respectively, further confirmed that they represented two distinct immunodeficiency diseases. XLA results from a failure of B cell development, whereas a defect in B cell differentiation appears to be responsible for HIGMX-1, which develops as a result of a defect in the gene encoding CD4OL that directs T cell-dependent B cell differentiation. Identification of the genetic basis of these diseases has led to a better understanding of their immune-pathology, will allow detection of carriers and affected fetuses for genetic counseling and in utero diagnosis, and will pave the way for gene therapy of XLA and HIGMX-1.
Exploration of area and performance optimized datapath design using realistic cost metrics

We present a novel technique for datapath allocation, which incorporates interconnection area and delay estimates based on dynamic floorplanning. In this approach, datapath area is minimized by minimizing the number of wires, routing tracks, and multiplexers, while performance is optimized by minimizing wire length. The simultaneous optimization of these physical cost metrics allows the system to explore realistic design solutions.
Negative ion electron impact studies of inorganic halides: Niobium and tantalum pentachlorides

Abstract Appearance potentials of the negative ions Cl − , NbCl 4 − and Cl − , TaCl 4 − formed by dissociative resonance capture of NbCl 5 and TaCl 5 have been measured, along with translational energy measurements on the Cl − ions. The processes giving rise to the Cl − are accompanied by the formation of electronically excited neutrals, the electronic excitation energy being 4·3 and 4·4 eV for NbCl 4 and TaCl 4 , respectively. Lower limits of the electron affinities of NbCl 4 and TaCl 4 of 1·4 eV are established.
Controversy and Constitutionality: An Analysis of the Convention System in Utah

The current caucus-and-convention system used by political parties in Utah to nominate candidates for the primary and general elections has become quite controversial in recent years. Top political minds in the state have been taking divisive stances on the issue, which was brought to center stage with the recent election cycle in 2010. At the party nominating conventions in May, delegates used their narrowing power to unseat three-term Republican incumbent Senator Bob Bennett and force a primary election for four-term Democratic incumbent Congressman Jim Matheson against challenger Claudia Wright. The central focus of the debate targets the selection of state party delegates who are chosen to represent the rest of the voting population. Advocates of the current system maintain its republican, representative nature, while opponents argue the system as it stands violates the principle of equal protection as presented in the United States Constitution. This paper will present both arguments, as well as an in-depth analysis of the caucus and convention system in Utah, and formulate a conclusion on the constitutionality of the system. I will not specifically call for a complete end to the convention system in Utah, but I will argue for the need for immediate reform in the way delegates are allocated within the convention system.
Using Process Models with Expert Systems to Aid Process Control Operators

Expert systems technology seems to have great promise as a medium through which the expertise of master process control operators may be made available as a tool for the average operator. However, fulfillment of this promise will depend upon the extent to which expert systems can be of immediate use to operators in the performance of their critical job duties, and provide them with help that is not more readily available through other approaches. In this paper, we describe how expert systems might be applied to the process control operator's various duties, in order to identify the technical advances needed for the full potential of expert systems technology to be realized. Next, we describe how process models of various types may be used in conjunction with expert systems in order to meet some of these needs, and advance the state-of-the-art in the applications of expert systems to process control. Finally, we list several criteria for choosing near-term expert systems development projects, in light of these considerations.
Studies on the relation of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Evidence that GABA is not the sole source for GHB in rat brain.

The effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-alpha-oxoglutarate aminotransferase (GABA-T) inhibitors, L-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) inhibitors, and antipetit mal anticonvulsants on gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and GABA were studied. Treatment with anticonvulsants and GABA-T inhibitors resulted in an increase in steady-state brain levels of both GHB and GABA. GAD inhibitors produced markedly decreased levels of brain GABA but no change in GHB concentrations. Studies of GHB derived exclusively from GABA showed that GABA-T inhibitors which produced an elevation of steady-state levels of GHB in brain also resulted in a decrease in GABA-derived GHB. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of GABA, putrescine, and 1,4-butanediol all produced significant elevations in brain GHB, but GABA-T inhibitors blocked this effect of GABA and putrescine. These data suggest that there may be another source for GHB in brain in addition to GABA and raise the possibility that 1,4-butanediol may be that source.
Hydromagnetic Waves, Turbulence, and Collisionless Processes in the Interplanetary Medium

The solar wind does not flow quietly. It seethes and undulates, fluctuating on time scales that range from the solar rotation period down to fractions of milliseconds. Most of the power in interplanetary waves and turbulence lies at hydromagnetic scales. These fluctuations are normally of large amplitude, containing enough energy to affect solar and galactic cosmic rays, and may be the remnants of a coronal turbulence field powerful enough to play a major role in accelerating the solar wind itself. The origin and evolution of interplanetary hydromagnetic waves and turbulence, and their influence on the large- scale dynamics of the solar wind are among the most fundamental questions of solar-terrestrial physics. However, the motivation for studying interplanetary fluctuations goes beyond that. The solar wind is at present the best laboratory we have for studying hydromagnetic waves and turbulence, because the fluctuations are abundant and for the most part not complicated by nearby boundaries. This field of study thus provides an opportunity to advance the understanding of one of the most fundamental processes of astrophysical plasmas.