cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature-dependent development of Eriopis connexa (Coleoptera : Coccinellidae)

Temperature-dependent development in a ladybeetle, Eriopis connexa Mulsant, was determined at seven constant temperatures between 10 and 34°C. Egg hatch at 10°C was 0% after 75 days. Egg hatch at temperatures between 14 and 26°C averaged 67%, and 43% of the eggs hatched at 30 and 34°C. None of the larvae developed into pupae at 10°C. Larval mortality was 33.1% at 14°C and ranged between 3.6 and 17.7% at 18–34°C. Development from oviposition to adult ranged from 53.3 days at 14°C to 10.9 days at 34°C. Lower developmental thresholds were 9.5, 9.9, and 5.9°C for eggs, larvae, and pupae, respectively. Overall, heat-unit requirements for development from egg to adult were 259.1 degree-days above a developmental threshold of 9.2°C. The ability of E. connexa to develop at relatively cool temperatures is discussed in a comparison with other temperate aphidophagous coccinellids.
Highly accurate molecular genetic testing for HFE hereditary hemochromatosis: results from 10 years of blinded proficiency surveys by the College of American Pathologists.

The College of American Pathologists offers blinded proficiency testing (PT) for laboratories performing HFE genetic tests for hereditary hemochromatosis (common C282Y and H63D variants). This study used 10 years of PT data to determine laboratory performance for HFE analytical genotyping and clinical interpretation. Laboratories were graded for accuracy of genotype determination (six possible C282Y/H63D genotypes) and clinical interpretation regarding whether the genotype was likely to have contributed to iron overload in a hypothetical patient. The analytical genotyping error rate was low (0.73%) in 7,663 results (from 257 unique laboratories). Genotyping errors were significantly higher in C282Y heterozygous, H63D homozygous, and C282Y homozygous samples, in non-American laboratories, and in laboratories with lower testing volume. Analytical sensitivity and specificity were >98.5 and >99.5%. The interpretive error rate (4.3%) was higher than the genotyping error rate, with two problematic genotypes (C282Y heterozygous and H63D homozygous) accounting for 77% of total interpretive errors. There was a time-dependent improvement in the interpretation of the clinical significance of HFE genotypes. HFE molecular genetic testing, performed by non–US Food and Drug Administration–approved laboratory-developed tests, demonstrated excellent accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Clinical interpretations were more heterogeneous, probably owing to the low clinical penetrance of some common HFE genotypes. Genet Med 18 12, 1206–1213.
Histologic comparison of experimental coronary artery bypass grafts: Similarity of in situ and free internal mammary artery grafts

This study compares patency and histologic structure of in situ internal mammary artery grafts, free internal mammary artery grafts, stripped, free internal mammary artery grafts, and stripped, free superficial femoral artery grafts (a muscular artery model) in a canine model of coronary artery bypass. Twenty-four adult mongrel dogs underwent bypass of the circumflex coronary artery with one of the above grafts. Three months postoperatively, graft patency was assessed by angiogram, and postmortem specimens were studied by intraluminal injection of a dilute barium solution proximal to the graft. Proximal, mid, and distal segments of each graft were examined microscopically. In situ internal mammary artery grafts and free internal mammary artery grafts were not significantly different in regard to patency, vascular wall cellular structure, or perfusion of the vasa vasorum. The stripped, free internal mammary artery group had a higher incidence of thrombosis, intimal thickening, and medial injury than the pedicled (in situ and free internal mammary artery) grafts. This difference may be due to early vascular wall ischemia as a result of poor early perfusion of the vasa vasorum. The stripped, free superficial femoral artery grafts were all patent, but all had adventitial injury.
Modeling of Thermodynamic and Diffusion Properties in Ionic Materials

In this chapter, the modeling techniques of the thermodynamic and diffusion properties based on density functional theory in ionic materials, specifically oxide ceramic materials or ionic conductor materials are reviewed. Section 1 is the introduction of this book chapter. Section 2 is devoted to introduce the modeling methods of first-principles finite temperature thermodynamics, including quasi-harmonic phonon calculations and the Debye model. In the phonon model, the frozen phonon method, the linear response method, and the newly developed mixed-space method to model ionic polar materials are discussed. Section 3 introduces the general atomic diffusion theory, first-principles transition state calculations (double-well approach), and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the diffusion coefficients in ionic materials. Section 4 discusses some of the recent works of first-principles prediction of the thermodynamic and diffusion properties of ionic materials from our group and in the literature, with a focus on oxides for energy applications. Section 5 summarizes this book chapter.
Modeling Mechanically-Induced Growth Cone Advance Reveals the Importance of Micrometer-Scale Elastic Adhesion Structures in Rigidity Sensing

It is known that neuronal growth cones control the advance of axons in part by sensing and responding to the substrate rigidity, yet the mechanical interactions governing these mechanisms are unclear. We recently measured traction force in Aplysia Californica growth cones as it developed over time in response to a new adhesion substrate. We found that the level of substrate deformation, rather than the level of traction force generated, better predicts whether the growth cone would advance towards the adhesion site or not. Our observations support a hypothesis that actin-based adhesion complexes, which can undergo micron-scale elastic deformation, regulate the coupling between the retrogradely flowing actin cytoskeleton and the substrate, stimulating growth cone advance if sufficiently abundant. This hypothesis is further supported in the current work through mathematical modeling to stochastically simulate the behavior of the growth cone as it encounters a substrate with a specific stiffness. In particular, the model simulates the behavior of the micrometer-scale elastic adhesion structures as they form a dynamic linkage between the retrograde F-actin flow and the adhesion substrate, which ultimately slow down the flow enough to trigger a growth cone advance response. As such the stochastic model predicts the time required for the growth cone to respond given a specific substrate stiffness. The model reproduces our previous experimental observations in which traction force gradually increased during adhesion-mediated growth cone advance.Simulation results show that the time to trigger a growth cone advance response and the number of adhesion structures required increase with increasing stiffness. Both experimental results and theoretical simulations support the hypothesis that sensing and responding to environmental stiffness in neuronal growth cones is mediated by micrometer-scale actin-based elastic structures.
Bit Serializing a Microprocessor for Ultra-low-power

Many emerging sensor applications are powered by energy harvesters that impose strict power constraints. These applications often do not require high performance or energy efficiency. We explore a technique for minimizing power of a microprocessor for power constrained applications: bit serial computing. Bit serial computing promises power benefits up to the data width for fully bit serializable logic. We perform a best-effort bit serialization of the openMSP430 microprocessor without making instruction set architecture (ISA) modifications. Although it is very challenging to serialize much of the logic in the microprocessor, we show that power benefits of serialization exceed 42% when the serial and parallel designs synthesized for their maximum operating frequency are running at a low duty cycle. Benefits are expected to be higher when ISA modifications are allowed.
Examination of the Lower Limb

Muscles are tested and graded using the MRC system: 0: no function, 1: flicker, 2: movement with gravity eliminated, 3: movement against gravity, 4: movement against some resistance, 5: normal (Figs. 24.1, 24.2, 24.3, 24.4, 24.5, 24.6, 24.7, 24.8, 24.9, 24.10, 24.11, 24.12, 24.13, 24.14, and 24.15).
Legal Update of Gifted Education.

This update of the legislation/regulations and case law specific to pre-K–12 gifted students since a cluster of publications in 2004–2005 primarily focuses on the “gifted alone” category, with only...
Administration of the ASCO Pain Survey to identify patient education deficiencies in patients with cancer.

68Background: The Doris Howell Palliative Care (PC) Outpatient Consultation Service consists of a multidisciplinary team. Reasons for consultation include pain management, treatment of other physical symptoms, education about non-drug options for pain, and advanced care planning. To assess methods used for patient education, the PC team administered the ASCO pain survey to those prescribed opioid pain medications. Methods: The survey was a 26-item questionnaire evaluating patient education content communicated by a provider to a patient during a routine clinic visit. Twenty surveys were completed anonymously. After survey review, the outpatient PC team developed an intervention to address patient education concerns. The intervention consisted of written and verbal instructions on pain medication management reviewed by the PC nurse with the patient and/or caregiver at the end of the outpatient visit. Another twenty surveys were completed anonymously with patients after intervention implementation. Time req...
Redesigning Hospital Alarms for Reliable and Safe Care

Alarms contribute significantly to noise pollution in healthcare and “alarm fatigue” limits a care provider’s capacity to identify and prioritize these signals. The exceedingly high rates of clinically irrelevant alarms and high background noise levels in clinical environments contribute to staff desensitization resulting in response failures.
Cell Sources for Tissue Engineering: Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The use of mature cell types or their progenitors to engineer tissue repair and/or tissue replacement strategies requires adequate sources of cells to be identified. These cells are often expanded in number in plate cultures or bioreactors prior to the implantation of a cell-scaffold composite. Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the putative progenitors for a number of different skeletal and mesenchymal tissues. The optimization of isolation and in vitro expansion and assay parameters are essential for each tissue source, and for each species that serve as the source and recipient for cell-based therapies. New information about the intrinsic functioning of MSCs has changed the emphasis of their clinical delivery and utility. Highly specialized, differentiated cells fabricate tissues and further differentiate to maintain these tissues. These specialized cells are derived from progenitor cells that are available to replace and regenerate the cells which expire or become injured.
Proper Distance in Edge-Colored Hypercubes

Abstract An edge-colored path is called properly colored if no two consecutive edges have the same color. An edge-colored graph is called properly connected if, between every pair of vertices, there is a properly colored path. Moreover, the proper distance between vertices u and v is the length of the shortest properly colored path from u to v . Given a particular class of properly connected colorings of the hypercube, we consider the proper distance between pairs of vertices in the hypercube.
Induction motor bearing faults diagnosis using Root-AR approach: simulation and experimental validation

The faults diagnosis of induction motors is an important area of research that has been increasingly developed in recent years. This interest is due to the development and improvement of control circuits making the induction motor very used by researchers and industrials. In this regard, several techniques are used in fault diagnosis based on the stator current analysis by applying signal processing techniques. Indeed, the periodogram technique is the most used technique but has several disadvantages associated with its low frequency resolution leading to a difficult localization of faults harmonics, even an impossible localization in some cases of incipient faults. To solve this problem, a new technique based on the auto-regressive modeling of the stator current is used in this paper, thus improving the frequency resolution at the expense of important computation time. To this end, two improvements are proposed to reduce the computation time while providing a better readability of the stator current spectrum with the use of the proposed technique. In this aim, several simulation and experimental tests are achieved in the case of bearing cage fault and rotor faults to show the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Early Life Characteristics and Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in the Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Center

Neurodevelopmental outcomes including behavior, executive functioning, and IQ exhibit complex correlational structures, although they are often treated as independent in etiologic studies. We performed a principal components analysis of the behavioral assessment system for children, the behavior rating inventory of executive functioning, and the Wechsler scales of intelligence in a prospective birth cohort, and estimated associations with early life characteristics. We identified seven factors: (1) impulsivity and externalizing, (2) executive functioning, (3) internalizing, (4) perceptual reasoning, (5) adaptability, (6) processing speed, and (7) verbal intelligence. Prenatal fish consumption, maternal education, preterm birth, and the home environment were important predictors of various neurodevelopmental factors. Although maternal smoking was associated with more adverse externalizing, executive functioning, and adaptive composite scores in our sample, of the orthogonally-rotated factors, smoking was only associated with the impulsivity and externalizing factor ( $$\hat{\beta}$$ − 0.82, 95% CI − 1.42, − 0.23). These differences may be due to correlations among outcomes that were accounted for by using a phenotypic approach. Dimension reduction may improve upon traditional approaches by accounting for correlations among neurodevelopmental traits.
Tears of the TFCC

Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears can either be traumatic or degenerative and are an important cause of ulnar-sided wrist pain. This structure is made up of numerous structures, supports the ulnar side of the wrist, and participates in all aspects of wrist motion. While most degenerative and many acute injuries are managed conservatively, wrist arthroscopy with debridement and/or repair may be reasonable treatments in patients who have failed conservative management.
Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes for Liquid Filtration

Liquids are essential for most of the lives and activities on earth, where liquid filtration is an important tool to remove undesired suspended solids, emulsified particles, dissolved molecules, and ions from liquids by separating the permeate from the unwanted impurities through filters. Electrospun nanofibrous membranes (ENMs) have been developed as filtration media having unique advantages over traditional membranes, due to high porosity, interconnected pore structures, large surface-to-volume ratio with capability for chemical/physical functionalization, and cost-effectiveness. The new fibrous membrane format has been used in many applications, including filtration, (membrane) distillation, and pervaporation.
Pharmacoeconomics of the myeloid growth factors: a critical and systematic review.

The pharmacoeconomics of the myeloid growth factors (MGFs) is an important topic that has received substantial attention in recent years. The use of the MGFs as primary prophylaxis to prevent febrile neutropenia (FN) has grown considerably over the past decade and professional guidelines regarding their use have broadened the settings in which these agents are indicated. Recent data also suggest a potential role for them in reducing infection-related and all-cause mortality. The cost and effectiveness of these agents will continue to gain visibility as companies pursue approval for bio-similar agents in the US, similar to their recent approval in Europe. The objective of this paper is to review the available pharmaco-economic literature on the MGFs, which is particularly timely in light of the recent passage of healthcare reform and the increasing focus on cost control. The cost of treating cancer in the US is rising faster than the already rapid increase in overall medical expenditure. The clinical utility and cost effectiveness of supportive care measures in oncology must therefore be weighed carefully. This review focuses on the use of different formulations of MGFs for primary and secondary prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. A MEDLINE search was performed to find studies that became available since the prior review of this topic was published in Pharmacoeconomics in 2003. Acceptable cost-minimization estimates for primary prophylaxis with the MGFs in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy have been provided by several studies in the US. Of the commonly used agents in the US, pegfilgrastim appears to be superior to the currently recommended dose and schedule of filgrastim in terms of cost minimization, and primary prophylaxis appears to be less costly than secondary prophylaxis. However, the cost benefits of primary prophylaxis in Europe are not as pronounced as in the US, due to the lower costs of medical care. Data continue to emerge suggesting a decreased risk of early mortality from averted infections as well as the possibility of a disease-specific mortality benefit through maintaining the relative dose intensity of chemotherapy with MGF support. This evidence will prove valuable in assessing the overall cost effectiveness and cost utility of the MGFs in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.
Abstract 19292: KLF4 Regulates Mitochondrial Homeostasis in the Heart

Mitochondrial homeostasis is critical for heart function and mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to numerous heart diseases such as heart failure. Our previous work indicates that mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted deficiency of KLF4 develop heart failure precipitously in response to pressure-overload but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We hypothesized that KLF4 may regulate mitochondrial function in the heart. Here we show that KLF4 governs mitochondrial biogenesis, metabolic function, dynamics and autophagic clearance. Adult mice with cardiac-specific KLF4 deficiency develop cardiac dysfunction with aging or in response to pressure overload characterized by reduced myocardial ATP levels, elevated ROS, and marked alterations in mitochondrial heterogeneity and alignment. Studies in mitochondria isolated from KLF4-deficient hearts revealed reduced respiration rate likely due to defects in ETC Complex I. Further, embryonic cardiac KLF4 deletion resulted in postnatal premature mortality, impaired mitochondrial biogenesis, and altered mitochondrial maturation. Mechanistically, we show that KLF4 binds to, cooperates with, and is requisite for optimal function of the ERR/PGC-1 transcriptional regulatory module on metabolic and mitochondrial targets. Finally, KLF4 also regulates autophagy through transcriptional control of a broad array of autophagy genes in cardiomyocytes. Collectively, these findings identify KLF4 as a nodal transcriptional regulator of mitochondrial homeostasis.
Impact of Alignment Point Distance Distribution on SPAAM Calibration of Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays

The use of Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays (OST-HMDs) for presenting Augmented Reality experiences has become more common, due to the increasing availability of lower cost head-worn device options. Despite this growth, commercially available OST hardware remains devoid of the integrated eye-tracking cameras necessary for automatically calibrating user-specific view parameters, leaving manual calibration methods as the most consistently viable option across display types. The Single Point Active Alignment Method (SPAAM) is currently the most-cited manual calibration technique, due to the relaxation of user constraints with respect to allowable motion during the calibration process. This work presents the first formal study directly investigating the effects that alignment point distribution imposes on SPAAM calibration accuracy and precision. A user experiment, employing a single expert user, is presented, in which SPAAM calibrations are performed under each of five conditions. Four of the conditions cross alignment distance (arm length, room scale) with user pose (sitting, standing). The fifth condition is a control condition, in which the user is replaced with a rigidly mounted camera; the control condition removes the effect of noise from uncontrollable postural sway. The final experimental results show no significant impact on calibration due to user pose (sitting, standing). The control condition also did not differ from the user produced calibration results, suggesting that posture sway was not a significant factor. However, both the user and control conditions show significant improvement using arm's length alignment points over room scale alignments, with an order of magnitude difference in eye location estimate error between conditions.
Rapidly Progressive Dementia in the Outpatient Clinic: More than Prions (P5.083)

Objective: To determine the causes of rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) in patients diagnosed and managed in an outpatient tertiary-care memory clinic. Background: The emphasis on Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) as the predominant cause of RPD has contributed to under-appreciation of rapidly progressive presentations of more common neurodegenerative dementing illnesses (NDI)—particularly in older populations in whom the prevalence of NDI are highest. Design/Methods: Sixty-seven patients with RPD were assessed from 2006–2016 within the outpatient Memory Diagnostic Center at Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO), and medical records reviewed. The most likely cause of dementia was determined by the treating clinician, and verified by neuropathological or genetic analyses in 5/67 (7%) cases. In the remainder, a consensus clinical diagnosis was established following chart review by a second (blinded) dementia specialist. Results: Median patient age was 69.1 [47.0–91.7] years. Causes of RPD were established by clinical consensus in 93% (62/67) of cases, with excellent inter-rater agreement (Cohen’s Kappa=0.77). Primary NDI accounted for 90% (60/67) of all cases of RPD, with Alzheimer disease most commonly diagnosed. CJD accounted for 6% (4/67) of cases. Older age at diagnosis was associated with an increased probability of Alzheimer disease dementia (p=0.02), while the detection of cortical visual signs (p=0.02) and/or parkinsonism (p=0.01) predicted diagnosis of other NDI (including prion disease). Secondary modifiers were identified in 34% (23/67) of patients: most commonly, cerebrovascular disease (15%) and mood disorders (10%). Although prevalent, secondary modifiers did not affect rates of dementia progression when controlling for age, gender and primary diagnosis (p=0.36). Neuroimaging (100%), serum thyroid/B 12 studies (82%), CSF analysis (52%), and electroencephalograms (31%) were routinely completed in affected patients. Conclusions: Common neurodegenerative dementing illnesses may present as RPD and can be reliably diagnosed in the outpatient clinic using widely-available diagnostic tools. Study Supported by: This project was supported by a career development grant to GS Day (Weston Brain Foundation), and by an endowed post-doctoral fellowship (Neiss-Gain Fellowship) through the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center. GS Day is the current recipient of an American Brain Foundation Clinical Research Training Fellowship. Disclosure: Dr. Day holds stock and/or stock options in ANI Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Day has received research support from Avid Radiopharmaceuticals. Dr. Musiek has nothing to disclose. Dr. Alcazaren has nothing to disclose. Dr. Morris has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly & Company. Dr. Morris has received royalty payments from John Wiley & Sons.
Urinary concentrations of monohydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in adults from the U.S. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 1 (2013-2014).

Abstract Background Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants formed from incomplete combustion of organic matter; some PAHs are carcinogens. Smoking, diet, and other activities contribute to exposure to PAHs. Exposure data to PAHs among combustible tobacco product users (e.g. cigarette smokers) exist; however, among non-combustible tobacco products users (e.g., e-cigarette users), such data are rather limited. Objectives We sought to evaluate exposure to PAHs among participants in Wave 1 (2013–2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study based on the type of tobacco product (combustible vs non-combustible), and frequency and intensity of product use. Methods We quantified seven PAH urinary biomarkers in 11,519 PATH Study participants. From self-reported information, we categorized 8327 participants based on their use of tobacco products as never-tobacco user (never user, n = 1700), exclusive current established combustible products user (combustible products user, n = 5767), and exclusive current established non-combustible products user (non-combustible products user, n = 860). We further classified tobacco users as exclusive cigarette user (cigarette user, n = 3964), exclusive smokeless product user (SLT user, n = 509), and exclusive e-cigarette user (e-cigarette user, n = 280). Last, we categorized frequency of product use (everyday vs some days) and time since use (last hour, within 3 days, over 3 days). We calculated geometric mean (GM) concentrations, and evaluated associations between tobacco product user categories and PAH biomarkers concentrations. Results Combustible products users had significantly higher GMs of all biomarkers than non-combustible products users and never users; non-combustible products users had significantly higher GMs than never users for four of seven biomarkers. For all biomarkers examined, cigarette users had the highest GMs compared to other tobacco-product users. Interestingly, GMs of 2-hydroxyfluorene, 3-hydroxyfluorene and ∑2,3-hydroxyphenanthrene were significantly higher in SLT users than in e-cigarette users; 3-hydroxyfluorene and 1-hydroxypyrene were also significantly higher in e-cigarette and SLT users than in never users. Everyday cigarette and SLT users had significantly higher GMs for most biomarkers than some days' users; cigarette and SLT users who used the product in the last hour had significantly higher GMs of most biomarkers than other occasional cigarette or SLT users respectively. By contrast, everyday e-cigarette users' GMs of most biomarkers did not differ significantly from those in some days' e-cigarette users; we did not observe clear trends by time of last use among e-cigarette users. Conclusions Users of tobacco products had higher PAH urinary biomarker concentrations compared to never users, and concentrations differed by type and frequency of tobacco product use.
Laboratory-based assessment of HVAC equipment for power grid frequency regulation: Methods, regulation performance, economics, indoor comfort and energy efficiency

Abstract Real-time power supply and demand balances are critical to ensure stable power frequency and quality power services. However, the growing integration of renewable energy increasingly challenges the power infrastructure because most of the renewable resources, e.g., solar and wind energy, are intermittent and difficult to predict. To meet stringent power frequency requirements, more fast reacting frequency regulation resources are being brought online among which grid-level batteries are the dominant ones. Buildings consume more than 73% of the electricity in the US, offering significant regulation reserve for the power grid. Variable-speed air-conditioning and heat pump systems are taking an increasing share of the market due to higher efficiency requirements imposed by federal agencies. In addition to efficiency benefits, variable-speed cooling/heating systems are also perfectly suited to provide frequency regulation service since these units can modulate their power continuously over a wide range. This paper presents a methodology and case study results for laboratory-based assessments of power frequency regulation service performance for variable-speed HVAC cooling equipment. The assessment methodology involves the use of both open- and closed-loop testing in psychrometric chambers. The open-loop testing quantifies the maximum possible performance of regulation services that is building independent, whereas the closed-loop testing provides representative performance for regulation services when the equipment must maintain comfort conditions for typical “virtual” buildings. Two air-conditioning units, a variable-speed packaged rooftop unit (RTU) and a split heat pump with an after-market variable-speed retrofit, were utilized for regulation tests performed in psychrometric chambers. Both open-loop and closed-loop regulation control strategies were developed and tested for this equipment. Open-loop test results showed that variable-speed HVAC equipment can provide high quality regulation service with performance scores of up to 0.98. With PJM historical wholesale energy and regulation prices, the estimated regulation credit can offset up to 48% of the electricity price. The closed-loop regulation control was shown to have negligible impact on indoor comfort with temperature fluctuations smaller than 0.1 °C. Power regulation also did not cause any efficiency degradation for the closed-loop tests. In fact, for more humid climate conditions, the electrical input for cooling can even be reduced with regulation control due to reduced moisture removal.
Trajectory from beech and oak forests to eastern broadleaf forests in Indiana, USA

Historical forests (circa 1799 to 1846) of Indiana were predominantly composed of American beech (25% of all trees) and upland oaks (27% of all trees). I compared historical forest composition, using studies of smaller areas to approximate composition for uncommon species or genera (< 4.5% of all trees) and forest types, to current forest composition and forest types in Indiana. I also compiled published historical density estimates from small studies and estimated current density for the state. Current forests are diverse with an even composition of many eastern broadleaf species. In addition to upland oaks, which decreased to 13% of all trees, only sugar maple currently comprises greater than 10% of all trees. Other increasing species were yellow-poplar, red maple, black cherry, and eastern redcedar. Eastern redcedar increased from no presence to one of the most abundant ten species (≥ 3.5% of composition), similarly to the pine genus, becoming more common currently than American beech. Beech or oak or beech-oak forest types (≥ 24% of all trees) became eastern broadleaf forests, with no dominant species, and black cherry, red maple, and eastern redcedar forest types now occurred. Estimates of historical oak or beech forests ranged from 28 trees per hectare to 175 trees per hectare, which probably represent savannas and woodlands. Current mean density of Indiana forests is 385 trees per hectare, ranging from 180 trees per hectare to 450 trees per hectare. These forests likely contain dense layers of woody vegetation, filling the midstory and replacing herbaceous vegetation in the ground layer. Historically dominant beech and oak forests in the eastern United States have transitioned to an alternative state of closed eastern broadleaf forests due to uncontrolled establishment of many tree species.
Acceleration of Hydrology Simulations Using DHSVM for Multi-thousand Runs and Uncertainty Assessment

Hydrology is the study of water resources. Hydrology tracks various attributes of water such as its quality and movement. As a tool Hydrology allows researchers to investigate topics such as the impacts of wildfires, logging, and commercial development. Due to cost and difficulty of collecting complete sets of data, researchers rely on simulations. The Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) is a software package that uses mathematical models to numerically represent watersheds. In this paper we present an acceleration of DHSVM. As hydrology research produces large amounts of data and the accurate simulation of realistic hydrology events can take prohibitive amounts of time accelerating these simulations becomes a crucial task. The paper implements and analyzes various high-performance computing (HPC) advancements to the original code base at different levels; at compiler, multicore level, and distributed computing level. Results show that compiler optimization provides improvements of 220% on a single computer and multicore features improve execution times by about 440% compared by a sequential implementation.
ISOZYME POLYMORPHISMS IN THE STUDY OF EVOLUTION IN THE PHASEOLUS VULGARIS – P. COCCINEUS COMPLEX OF MEXICO

ABSTRACT . Alcohol dehydrogenase and anodal and cathodal esterase seed polymorphisms are present in wild, cultivated, and feral populations of the Mexican Phaseolus vulgaris-P . cocoineus complex. Three zones of anodal ADH mobility are found. Allozymes (allelic isozymes) of the Adh-3 locus are controlled by two codominant alleles in P. vulgaris . Individuals heterozygous for these alleles usually produce one band of intermediate mobility, suggesting that these allozymes are dimers. The Adh-1 zone is monomorphic in P. vulgaris but polymorphic in P. cocoineus . It is suggested that Adh-1 isozymes are controlled by a second locus, and that Adh-2 isozymes are interaction products formed by the association of monomeric products coded by alleles at the Adh-1 and Adh-3 loci. Anodal esterase allozymes of the Est-1 locus are found consistently only in P. vulgaris . Faster and slower variants are controlled by codominant alleles. Cathodal esterases are found in all populations of the Phaseolus complex. Codominant alleles control two cathodal esterases at the Est-2 locus, and two other bands are found. Adh-3 and Est-1 allozyme data for several wild and cultivated populations of P. vulgaris are indicative of outcrossing well in excess of previous estimates, suggesting a more flexible breeding system for P. vulgaris .
Textile band electrodes as an alternative to spot Ag/AgCl electrodes for calf bioimpedance measurements.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of five different types of textiles as band electrodes for calf bioimpedance measurements in comparison with conventional spot Ag/AgCl electrodes. Approach: Calf bioimpedance measurements were performed in 10 healthy volunteers with five different textile materials cut into bands and Ag/AgCl spot electrodes as a baseline. Collected bioimpedance data were analyzed in terms of precision, fit error and presence of measurement artifacts. Each textile material was also evaluated for participant comfort. Main Results: Bioimpedance values for spot electrodes were higher at low frequencies as compared with band electrodes but not at high frequencies. This suggests that spot electrodes have frequency dependent current distributions that adversely impact their use for volume measurements and band electrodes are preferable. The SMP130T-B fabric had the highest precision and the lowest best fit error to the Cole model of the tested textile materials. However, it was the least comfortable textile and most expensive. The Stretch material performed slightly worse than the SMP130T-B fabric, but was half the cost and the most comfortable. Significance: These results suggest that there are suitable textile materials for use as dry, band electrodes for calf bioimpedance measurements and that these band electrodes enable greater current uniformity. These textiles could be integrated into a compression sock for remote monitoring of diseases such as Congestive Heart Failure.
Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein Bidirectionally Controls Dendritic Ih in a Cell Type-Specific Manner between Mouse Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex.

Channelopathies are implicated in Fragile X syndrome (FXS), yet the dysfunction of a particular ion channel varies with cell type. We previously showed that HCN channel function is elevated in CA1 dendrites of the fmr1–/y mouse model of FXS, but reduced in L5 PFC dendrites. Using male mice, we tested whether Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRPO), the protein whose absence causes FXS, differentially modulates HCN channels in CA1 versus L5 PFC dendrites. Using a combination of viral tools, intracellular peptide, and dendritic electrophysiology, we found that FMRP regulates HCN channels via a cell-autonomous protein–protein interaction. Virally expressed FMRP restored WT HCN channel-related dendritic properties in both CA1 and L5 neurons. Rapid intracellular perfusion of the non-mRNA binding N-terminal fragment, FMRP1-298, similarly restored dendritic function. In support of a protein–protein interaction, we found that FMRP associated with HCN-TRIP8b complexes in both hippocampus and PFC. Finally, voltage-clamp recordings showed that FMRP modulated Ih by regulating the number of functional dendritic HCN channels rather than individual channel properties. Together, these represent three novel findings as to the nature of the changes in dendritic function in CA1 and PFC neurons based on the presence or absence of FMRP. Moreover, our findings provide evidence that FMRP can regulate its targets in opposite directions depending upon the cellular milieu. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Changes in dendritic function, and voltage-gated ion channels in particular, are increasingly the focus of neurological disorders. We, and others, previously identified cell type-specific channelopathies in a mouse of model of Fragile X syndrome. The present study shows that replacing Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein, which is absent in Fragile X syndrome, in adult CA1 and L5 PFC neurons regulates the number of functional dendritic HCN channels in a cell type-specific manner. These results suggest that Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein regulates dendritic HCN channels via a cell-autonomous protein--protein mechanism.
Facial Paralysis in a Babylonian Plaque.

HYPOTHESIS: A terra cotta plaque [LMU 2551] from the Neo-Babylonian period (c.629-539 BCE), housed in the museum of the Archaeology Center at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, is a representation of right peripheral facial paralysis. BACKGROUND: Ancient representations of pathology are rare and often difficult to identify. This is particularly true of Assyrian-Babylonian cultures where, despite numerous surviving medical texts, artistic examples of disease are almost non-existent. METHODS: Precise caliper measurements and archaeological analysis of LMU 2551 were used to confirm the authors' hypothesis. RESULTS: The facial distortions portrayed in LMU 2551 are not accidental. Measurements show a pronounced asymmetry of the lower face where the length from the mid-philtrum to the oral commissure and from the lateral edge of the ala nasi to the mid-ipsilateral nasolabial fold are twice as long in the left than in the right side. The left eye is closed, whereas the right is widely open. CONCLUSION: The described plaque is among the oldest representations of facial paralysis on record. It correlates with contemporary Babylonian texts describing neurological disorders but its function is unknown.
Interaction of Red Crabs With Yellow Crazy Ants During Migration on Christmas Island

Abstract Invasive species have had a profound impact on ecosystems all over the world. Their presence can lead to fundamental changes in the biodiversity of a given ecosystem as well as the extinction of native species. In particular, this work looks at the effect on the Gecarcoidea natalis (Red Crab) population on Christmas Island due to the presence of vast arrays of supercolonies containing Anoplolepis gracilipes (Yellow Crazy Ant). We primarily study the inter-species interaction occurring during the crab migration to the island coast. We propose a microscopic model for the dynamics of the crabs and ants with the goal of increasing crab survival. Through analysis of the model, we investigate a range of potential preventative measures that could be taken to preserve the native crab population dependent on their locations. The main result of this work is that by considering the locations of ant supercolonies incorporated into Monte Carlo simulations of the model, we can identify the order that the supercolonies need to be removed to provide the greatest chance at survival for the crabs per migration cycle.
Violence Toward Older Adults in the Forms of Ageism and Sexual Offense Presented in An Old Lady: A Film Review.

An Old Lady is a South Korean film released in the summer of 2020. It is based on an incident where a 69-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by her physiotherapist. The film portrays how the woma...
The Electronic Medical Record: Whom Does It Serve?

This short fictional case describes two very different patients, each waiting to see a new doctor. It includes questions about patient needs in terms of health care, technology, and electronic medical records. Excerpt UVA-OM-1674 Nov. 30, 2020 The Electronic Medical Record: Whom Does It Serve? Edith Johnson Edith Johnson, age 80, was in frail health. Her husband of 57 years had passed away the prior spring, and she had not fared well since then. She had a long history of heart disease, complicated by diabetes. Over the past 30 years, she had undergone several cardiac operations, including a mitral valve replacement in the 1990s. Last fall, she had an aortic valve replacement, which was done using the new transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) technique. She lived in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, and her procedures had been done at Metro Health and, most recently, at the Cleveland Clinic. She was in the office of a new provider today, due to the retirement of her previous doctor, Dr. Jones, whom she had seen for 50 years. Her main problems were loss of appetite, inability to sleep, and feelings of hopelessness. She had also had some abdominal pain and blood in her stools, and she was very afraid that the new doctor was going to put her back in the hospital. She had not recovered from the trauma of her late husband's two-month stay in the hospital before his death. She sat quietly in the room waiting for her new doctor; was he going to be engaging like Jones, or would she only see his back as he sat at the computer? Courtney Fleming . . .
Compensatory Ethics

Several theories, both ancient and recent, suggest that having the time to contemplate a decision should increase moral awareness and the likelihood of ethical choices. Our findings indicated just the opposite: greater time for deliberation led to less ethical decisions. Post-hoc analyses and a followup experiment suggested that decision makers act as if their previous choices have created or lost moral credentials: after an ethical first choice, people acted significantly less ethically in their subsequent choice but after an unethical first choice, people acted significantly more ethically in their subsequent choice. These findings provide the basis for a model of compensatory ethics.
Two-dimensional flow patterns near contour grass hedges

Grass hedges are narrow strips of stiff-stemmed vegetation used to control erosion and sediment delivery. When planted on the contour, the hydraulic resistance of the vegetation slows runoff, creates ponding, and promotes sediment deposition. When tillage is performed between grass hedges, soil may be thrown against the vegetation, where it settles to form a berm within the hedge. Tillage-induced berms divert part of runoff, causing it to flow alongside the hedge without crossing it. Such flow partitioning created by grass hedges was measured on experimental plots located on silt loam loess soil near Holly Springs, Mississippi, USA, where hedges planted at the bottom of 5%, 22.1-m-long slopes evolved berms averaging 0.13 m in height. They diverted about 80% of the runoff for events smaller than 5 mm and about 50% for large events. A two-dimensional model was developed to determine overland flow patterns over complex terrains, accounting for oriented roughness created by tillage corrugations, crop rows, and larger features such as berms and vegetative barriers. The model was used to reproduce the flow partition observed in the field experiments and to determine how berm height and slope steepness and length affected runoff redistribution. Numerical simulations indicated that for most runoff events, ponded runoff depths were not high enough to overtop the berm but rather crossed the berms through cracks and gaps, represented in the model as small triangular weirs. The model also was applied to a 6.0-ha watershed in Western Iowa, USA, where nine grass hedges were planted across 12–16% slopes. Computed dynamic flow properties showed that berms increased the amount of runoff flowing laterally upslope of the hedges and that a large portion of the runoff crossed the vegetative strips at a few locations and with high flow depths, increasing the risk of development of ephemeral gullies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evidence for two states of F pili.

Abstract The addition of phenethyl alcohol (PEA) to cultures of male strains of Escherichia coli rapidly prevents the adsorption of the male-specific bacteriophages f1 and f2 to the donor cells. The adsorption of f2 to F pili in cell-free preparations is unaffected by PEA. In a mating system, PEA alters the kinetics of gene transfer in minimal medium but not in broth. Sodium cyanide, azide, and iodoacetate also apparently inhibit f2 adsorption to cells but not to detached F pili. The phage adsorption inhibitory action of PEA is completely reversible in the presence of 100 μg of chloramphenicol per ml.
Living Your Best with Early-Stage Alzheimer's: An Essential Guide, by Lisa Snyder

In Living Your Best with Early-Stage Alzheimer's, Lisa Snyder offers guidance for those living with early-stage Alzheimer's, their families, and their friends. Packed with information and insights,...
The revealed preferences of a local government: Black/white disparities in scholastic achievement

Abstract Many studies of the educational sector implicitly assume schools attempt only to maximize student cognitive achievement subject to a budget constraint. The validity of this assumption is tested in this paper. In specific, the preferences of a representative bureaucrat in an urban school system are estimated. The results indicate he does not simply maximize achievement. The representative bureaucrat also has preferences with respect to the distribution of inputs and outputs between black and white children.
A rule-based acquisition model adapted for morphological analysis

We adapt the cognitively-oriented morphology acquisition model proposed in (Chan 2008) to perform morphological analysis, extending its concept of base-derived relationships to allow multi-step derivations and adding features required for robustness on noisy corpora. This results in a rule-based morphological analyzer which attains an F-score of 58.48% in English and 33.61% in German in the Morpho Challenge 2009 Competition 1 evaluation. The learner's performance shows that acquisition models can effectively be used in text-processing tasks traditionally dominated by statistical approaches.