cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of Nanoparticle Chain Aggregates of Carbon Under Tension

Carbon black in the form of nanoparticle chains is used as a reinforcing filler in elastomers. However, the dynamics of the filler particles under tension and their role in the improvement of the mechanical properties of rubber are not well understood. We have studied experimentally the dynamics of isolated nanoparticle chain aggregates (NCAs) of carbon made by laser ablation, and also that of carbon black embedded in a polymer film. In situ studies of stretching and contraction of such chains in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) were conducted under different maximum values of strain. Stretching causes initially folded NCA to reorganize into a straight, taut configuration. Further stretching leads to either plastic deformation and breakage (at 37.4% strain) or to a partial elastic behavior of the chain at small strains (e.g. 2.3% strain). For all cases the chains were very flexible under tension. Similar reorientation and stretching was observed for carbon black chains embedded in a polymer film. Such flexible and elastic nature of NCAs point towards a possible mechanism of reinforcement of rubber by carbon black fillers.
Sensitivity in frequency dependent angular rotation of optical vortices.

This paper presents robust strategies to enhance the rotation sensitivity (and resolution) of a coherent superposition of optical vortices emerging from a single spiral phase plate (SPP) device when light’s optical frequency (or wavelength) going into the SPP device is varied. The paper discusses the generation and measurement of ultrasmall rotation. Factors that affect the ability to perform precision rotation measurements include the linewidth and stability of the input light source, the number of photon counts making position rotation measurements on the CCD detector, SPP reflectivity, the length of SPP device, and the angular modulation frequency of the intensity pattern due to a coherent superposition of optical vortices in a single SPP device. This paper also discusses parameters to obtain a high-sensitivity single shot measurement and multiple measurements. Furthermore, it presents what I believe is a new scaling showing the enhancement in sensitivity (and resolution) in the standard quantum limit and Heisenberg limit. With experimentally realizable parameters, there is an enhancement of rotation sensitivity by at least one order of magnitude compared to previous rotation measurements with optical vortices. Understanding robust strategies to enhance the rotation sensitivity in an SPP device is important to metrology in general and for building compact SPP sensors such as gyroscopes, molecular sensors, and thermal sensors.
Coarse-grained modeling of protein second osmotic virial coefficients: sterics and short-ranged attractions.

A series of coarse-grained models, with different levels of structural resolution, were tested to calculate the steric contributions to protein osmotic second virial coefficients (B22,S) for proteins ranging from small single-domain molecules to large multidomain molecules, using the recently developed Mayer sampling method. B22,S was compared for different levels of coarse-graining: four-beads-per-amino-acid (4bAA), one-bead-per-amino-acid (1bAA), one-sphere-per-domain (1sD), and one-sphere-per-protein (1sP). Values for the 1bAA and 4bAA models were quantitatively indistinguishable for both spherical and nonspherical proteins, and the agreement with values from all-atom models improved with increasing protein size, making the CG approach attractive for large proteins of biotechnological interest. Interestingly, in the absence of detailed structural information, the hydrodynamic radius (Rh) along with a simple 1sP approximation provided reasonably accurate values for B22,S for both globular and highly asy...
A stochastic finite element approach to determine the safety of suspension bridge cables

A new methodology to determine the safety of suspension bridge main cables is proposed and illustrated on a corrosion-deteriorated cable composed of 9061 wires. The approach is the first one incorporating a finite element (FE) model to predict the cable’s failure load, accounting for load recovery due to friction in broken wires and simulating the reduced cable's strength as a three dimensional random field. In order to obtain the breaking load of a cable, the load is increased gradually (quasi-static loading) in a cable’s FE model, having wires break a few at a time according to their residual strength. Because of the load transfer to surrounding wires, the breakage of an individual wire affects the stress state inside the surrounding wires. This local damage eventually causes a global reduction in the load carrying capacity of the cable, up to a complete failure. The safety of the cable is determined through a Monte Carlo simulation, in which the reduced strength of the cable is generated for every realization through the Spectral Representation Method (SRM) and is input as a material parameter in the FE model. The statistics of the load that will drive a suspension bridge cable to failure under a hypothetical deterioration state are obtained at the end of the simulation. INTRODUCTION The structural function of the main cables in suspension bridges is to transfer the tension load, derived by supporting the roadway, to the towers. The main cables are composed of thousands of high strength parallel steel wires with a diameter of approximately 5 mm bundled together in strands either built in situ or prefabricated. These strands are then compacted and tightened together and eventually the cross section of the cable becomes semi-circular. The wires in pristine conditions have a strength ranging from 1570 MPa to 1800 MPa. However with aging, fatigue loading, and harsh environmental conditions, the wires strength reduces significantly (Shi et al., 2007). Field observations of aging suspension bridges indicate serious distress of
Understanding the breakdown of classic two-phase theory and spray atomization at engine-relevant conditions

A generalized framework for multi-component liquid injections is presented to understand and predict the breakdown of classic two-phase theory and spray atomization at engine-relevant conditions. The analysis focuses on the thermodynamic structure and the immiscibility state of representative gas-liquid interfaces. The most modern form of Helmholtz energy mixture state equation is utilized which exhibits a unique and physically consistent behavior over the entire two-phase regime of fluid densities. It is combined with generalized models for non-linear gradient theory and for liquid injections to quantify multi-component two-phase interface structures in global thermal equilibrium. Then, the Helmholtz free energy is minimized which determines the interfacial species distribution as a consequence. This minimal free energy state is demonstrated to validate the underlying assumptions of classic two-phase theory and spray atomization. However, under certain engine-relevant conditions for which corroborating experimental data are presented, this requirement for interfacial thermal equilibrium becomes unsustainable. A rigorously derived probability density function quantifies the ability of the interface to develop internal spatial temperature gradients in the presence of significant temperature differences between injected liquid and ambient gas. Then, the interface can no longer be viewed as an isolated system at minimal free energy. Instead, the interfacial dynamics become intimately connected to those of the separated homogeneous phases. Hence, the interface transitions toward a state in local equilibrium whereupon it becomes a dense-fluid mixing layer. A new conceptual view of a transitional liquid injection process emerges from a transition time scale analysis. Close to the nozzle exit, the two-phase interface still remains largely intact and more classic two-phase processes prevail as a consequence. Further downstream, however, the transition to dense-fluid mixing generally occurs before the liquid length is reached. The significance of the presented modeling expressions is established by a direct comparison to a reduced model, which utilizes widely applied approximations but fundamentally fails to capture the physical complexity discussed in this paper.
Study on the Inheritance of Cold Tolerance Characters of Weedy Rice

Red long awn weedy rice,white long awn weedy rice,Longjing 11,Kendao No.8 and Suijing No.3 were selected as parent materials,complete diallel cross was conducted.Cold tolerance in booting stage was identified with parent materials and their F1and F2 progeny.The results as follows:compared with cultivated varieties,the seed setting rate and the spike rate of weedy rice were higher than those of cultivated varieties,ripening was speeder than that of cultivated varieties with cold water treatment.The combining ability of main characters for F1 progeny of each cross combination such as heading date,plant height,spike number,spike rate,grain number per spike,seed setting rate,1000-grain weight,neck length of spike and mature stage with cold water treatment were analyzed.Cold response index(CRI) of most characters for weedy rice had higher general combining ability.The cold water response of F1 progeny which weedy rice was the parent was more insensitive than that of cultivated varieties.In cold tolerance breeding,the narrow heritability of plant height,1000-grain weight and seed setting rate were higher with cold water treatment,and the general combining ability of these characters was higher,in this case,the expected generation would be selected by parent's selection,the effect of low generation selection would be better.
Control of a ball-bot using a PSO trained neural network

A ball-bot is an extremely agile mobile robotic platform due to its inherent instability. In order to maneuver at high speeds, a specialized controller is needed. A ball-bot can be modelled as two decoupled, 2-DOF pendulum on a cart systems. These systems comprise a classical and frequently encountered problem in the area of control theory. This paper proposed a novel technique for adaptive control of a ball-bot based on inverted pendulum on a cart system using particle swarm optimization (PSO) trained neural network. The generic PID controller is used to control the above mentioned system. The controller is able to learn the demonstrative behavior and keep the pendulum up right when subjected to perturbations. Mean Square Error for training data is found to be 7.68×10−3 and 5.5×10−4 for the testing data. The results show a promising future of the proposed technique.
Politeness strategies in a Mesoamerican language isolate: The case of P'urhepecha

Linguistic politeness has been a topic of inquiry for a number of years now, yet to date there exist many languages that have scarcely been considered in this endeavor. One of them is P’urhepecha (also known as Tarascan), a Mesoamerican isolate, still spoken by more than 124,000 people in Mexico. Given that speakers of different languages possess different means of expressing politeness; it is crucial to investigate the particular politeness strategies speakers resort to in specific languages in order to further our understanding of the social functions of language. Thus, this article presents a study of some of the main politeness strategies found in P’urhepecha, with a comparison to similar strategies in Spanish, including the use of formal pronouns and enclitics, and verbal tenses such as the future and the conditional. Ultimately, the comparison between such typologically divergent languages, P’urhepecha and Spanish, can shed light on the universality of theories of linguistic politeness.
Drug Education. A Review of Goals, Approaches and Effectiveness, and a Paradigm for Evaluation

The controversy over the goals and educational methods currently used in alcohol and drug education is outlined. A review of the research on drug education programs indicates that there is almost n...
Brain responses to architecture and planning: a preliminary neuro-assessment of the pedestrian experience in Boston, Massachusetts

ABSTRACTThere is a revolution underway in the interface between architecture and planning. Very recent research is enabling a novel understanding of the neuroscience behind how people perceive and experience the built environment. One such work, Cognitive Architecture: Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment (Sussman, Ann, and Justin B. Hollander. 2015. New York: Routledge), argues for a set of testable principles for architecture and planning practice. Its overall line of investigation is that certain design characteristics of the built environment can influence brain wave production. Specifically, the interest lies in whether the presence of features suggestive of Cognitive Architecture is associated with certain brain responses. This working paper presents the results of a pilot study into this question, discusses technical issues and limitations and provides suggestions for future research avenues.
Effects of SiPM multiplexing on timing performance

Using time of flight (ToF) measurements for positron emission tomography (PET) is an attractive avenue for increasing the signal to noise (SNR) ratio of PET images. However, achieving fast timing resolution required for high SNR gain using silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) requires many resource heavy high speed readout channels. A method of multiplexing many SiPM signals into a single electronic channel would greatly simplify ToF PET readout systems. In this work the effect of multiplexing on the timing resolution of analog SiPMs is modeled, simulated and tested. The simulations and experiments show that baseline fluctuations from cumulative uncorrelated dark noise are the most important cause of timing degradation, but their effects can be mitigated with baseline correction. A charge sharing network for position sensitive multiplexing is proposed and tested. Results show a full width at half maximum (FWHM) coincidence timing resolution of 232 +/−2ps for single 3mm × 3mm × 20mm LYSO scintillation crystals with 16 SiPMs multiplexed to a single timing channel (in addition to 4 position channels). Measurements with a 4×4 array of 3mm × 3mm × 20mm LFS crystals show excellent crystal separation with a minimum ratio of distance between crystal peaks to standard deviation of crystal peaks of 11.9. The mean FWHM coincidence timing resolution of the 4×4 LFS array was 278 +/−7ps. All experiments were performed at room temperature with no thermal regulation. These results show that fast timing resolution for ToF can be achieved with highly multiplexed analog readout.
Ectopic Pregnancy in a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)

Ectopic pregnancies have been rarely reported in animals and little is known in wildlife species regarding the capacity of the placenta to support extrauterine fetal development. An adult, female, free-ranging California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus ) died suddenly after four weeks in a rehabilitation center. At necropsy, a partially mummified fetus, covered by light-brown membranes occupied the lower third of the abdominal cavity. The maternal uterus was intact and a prominent corpus luteus enlarged the right ovary. The fetal membranes epithelium had immunohistochemical profile identical to normal sea lion placenta but was different from the staining profile of sea lion omentum. The findings in this case suggest that partial placentation occurred in the abdominal cavity, highlighting the potential of otariids placenta to support ectopic fetal development. Acute toxic shock with disseminated intravascular coagulation was considered the most likely cause of death of the adult female sea lion.
Deep brain stimulation with a pre-existing cochlear implant: Surgical technique and outcome.

Background Patients with previously implanted cranial devices pose a special challenge in deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. We report the implantation of bilateral DBS leads in a patient with a cochlear implant. Technical nuances and long-term interdevice functionality are presented. Case description A 70-year-old patient with advancing Parkinson's disease and a previously placed cochlear implant for sensorineural hearing loss was referred for placement of bilateral DBS in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Prior to DBS, the patient underwent surgical removal of the subgaleal cochlear magnet, followed by stereotactic MRI, frame placement, stereotactic computed tomography (CT), and merging of imaging studies. This technique allowed for successful computational merging, MRI-guided targeting, and lead implantation with acceptable accuracy. Formal testing and programming of both the devices were successful without electrical interference. Conclusion Successful DBS implantation with high resolution MRI-guided targeting is technically feasible in patients with previously implanted cochlear implants by following proper precautions.
A stereologic technique to quantify the specific hydraulic conductivity of extracellular matrix using electron microscopy

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a new stereo-logic technique to quantify the specific hydraulic conductivity K, of extracellular matrix (ECM) directly from electron micrographs. This approach utilizes Darcy's law and Carmen-Kozeny theory to express K in terms of ECM porosity (s: ratio of void volume to total volume) and specific surface area (a: ratio of wetted surface area of total volume). A stereo-logic technique is developed to define s and K, in terms of the measurable pore area and perimeter on a micrograph of known depth-of-field. Monte Carlo simulations of random polymer arrangements are performed to demonstrate the accuracy of the stereo-logic theory. The chapter focuses upon the development of a quantitative stereo logic technique to determine the specific hydraulic conductivity of ECM directly from electron micrographs. It validates the stereo logic theory by showing that the theoretical predictions are consistent with results from Monte Carlo simulations of random polymer arrangements, which are representative of the ultra-structure generally observed within ECM. These findings support the application of the stereologic theory as an analytical tool to quantify the specific hydraulic conductivity of ECM directly from electron micrographs. Moreover, a recent study has shown that this stereologic technique is able to successfully predict K for bovine corneal stroma.
Involuntary Turnover as a Precursor to Employee Entrepreneurship: Vengeance of the Demi-Gods?

Strategy scholars are developing theory on employee entrepreneurship and mobility by identifying the conditions under which valuable human capital might defect to entrepreneurship. It is posited that such employee entrepreneurship can result in the emergence of a strong and competitive rival firm that may undermine a focal firm’s competitive advantage. This is because the transfer of such valuable, top-performing human assets increases the likelihood of duplication or replication of a firm’s strategic resource position. However, these current lines of inquiry make an underlying assumption that employee entrepreneurship is driven by voluntary turnover, as evidenced by the emphasis on the importance of both monetary and non-monetary, complimentary compensation strategies that may help tether valuable human capital to a focal firm. As a result, the role of involuntary turnover as a pre-cursor to employee entrepreneurship is yet to be investigated – perhaps because involuntary turnover is typically associated...
Synopsis of Chapters 1 to 5

This chapter presents the set of equations for the ConLaw model. It compares the purpose, the inputs and the outputs of five different baseball models. Finally, it answers the question, “Could Ted Williams, or anyone else, see his bat hit the ball?”
Correlation of the Lateral Wrist Radiograph to Ulnar Variance: A Cadaveric Study.

Purpose Both positive and negative ulnar variance have been implicated in a variety of wrist disorders. Surgery aims to correct the variance in these pathologic conditions. This necessitates accurate and reproducible measuring tools; however, the most accurate radiographic measurement technique remains unclear. The purposes of this study were to evaluate 3 methods for determining ulnar variance and to compare each with direct anatomic measurement in a cadaver model. Methods We fixed 10 fresh above-elbow cadaver specimens in neutral rotation and obtained standardized fluoroscopic posteroanterior and lateral wrist images. A dorsal approach was performed and two independent investigators directly measured ulnar variance using digital calipers with the cartilage both intact and denuded. Ulnar variance was measured radiographically using the lateral, perpendicular, and central reference point methods. The reliability of each set of measurements (within a 1-mm cutoff) was assessed by the intraclass coefficient; agreement between radiographic and direct measurements was evaluated by the Bland–Altman method. Results Each method of determining ulnar variance demonstrated near perfect agreement by the intraclass coefficient. The lateral radiograph method correlated highly with the directly measured ulnar variance with the cartilage denuded with an average measurement difference of 0.06 mm. No radiographic measurement technique demonstrated consistent agreement within 1 mm of the measured ulnar variance with the cartilage intact. Conclusions Ulnar variance measured by the lateral wrist radiograph technique correlates highly with the directly measured osseous ulnar variance. The remaining measurement techniques did not correlate reliably to within 1 mm of the directly measured ulnar variance with 95% confidence. No method was able to account accurately for the articular cartilage thicknesses at the lunate facet of the radius or the distal ulnar head, which we found to vary in an unpredictable manner. Whereas the lateral radiograph has been shown to allow for more reliable standardization of wrist position compared with the posteroanterior view, this study also highlights the inherent limitations of using static radiographic images in evaluating ulnar variance. Clinical relevance The results of the current study demonstrate the utility of the lateral wrist radiograph for assessing bony ulnar variance.
Gut colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and risk for subsequent enteric infection

Gut colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is associated with poor outcomes. This study evaluated the impact of VRE colonization on subsequent acquisition of enteric pathogens. We performed a retrospective cohort study of adults admitted to an ICU from 2012 to 2017 who were screened for VRE colonization and subsequently underwent stool testing with a gastrointestinal pathogen PCR panel (GI PCR) with or without PCR testing for Clostridium difficile. Our primary outcome was the presence of any enteric pathogen. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to adjust for factors associated with enteric infection. Of 761 patients who underwent VRE screening and subsequent GI PCR, 131 (17%) were colonized with VRE. Patients with VRE colonization were less likely to test positive on GI PCR compared to patients without VRE (9.2% vs 18%, p = 0.01); specifically for E. coli species (p = 0.03) and viral (p = 0.04) enteric infections. In 716 patients who underwent C. difficile testing, there was a trend towards more C. difficile infections in patients colonized with VRE (15% vs 10%, p = 0.11). On multivariable analysis, patients with VRE had a decreased risk of a positive GI PCR (aHR 0.47, 95% CI 0.25–0.88, p = 0.02) but not C. difficile infection, effects which persisted during 5 years of follow-up. Among positive tests, there was a greater proportion of C. difficile with VRE (57% vs 28%, p < 0.01). VRE colonization was associated with a decreased risk of subsequent non-C. difficile enteric infection. VRE domination of the gut microbiome may protect against acquisition of common enteric pathogens.
Measuring What You Know: An Individual Information Processing Perspective

According to the information processing perspective, the organization’s ability to draw upon and utilize information helps resolve problems stemming from uncertainty. Although Tushman and Nadler (1979) noted decades earlier that the manner in which an organization structures and coordinates individuals’ efforts is critical in this regard, there has been relatively little evidence in the literature on the relationship between structure and the ability of individuals to process information. This research attempts to address this issue. We consider the effect of two types of structure, organic and mechanistic, on individuals’ gathering, interpretation and synthesis of information, and their problem solving orientation. Our evidence shows that individuals develop more information processing capability under organic than mechanistic structures, which in turn creates more problem solving orientation in individuals. A key finding is support for the mediation effect of information processing in the relationship between structure and problem solving.
Abstract 1846: HPV oncoproteins cause specific types of chromosomal instability in head and neck cancer

Aneuploidy, a karyotype that differs from a multiple of the haploid, is a hallmark of cancer. Aneuploidy can be caused by an ongoing rate of chromosome missegregation during mitosis, known as whole chromosomal instability (CIN). Work from our lab and others has shown that while low rates of CIN can promote tumorigenesis, high levels of CIN are tumor suppressive. Combining two insults that each cause low CIN results in high CIN, cell death, and tumor suppression. We recently showed that the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel causes CIN due to multipolar divisions in breast cancer. Preliminary evidence suggests that tumors which exhibit CIN prior to therapy are sensitized to paclitaxel because it increases their level of CIN over a maximally tolerated threshold. Radiation also induces CIN, and rectal adenocarcinomas which exhibit CIN prior to treatment are sensitized to chemoradiation therapy. Human papillomavirus (HPV), specifically HPV subtype 16, is a growing cause of head and neck cancer worldwide. In cervical cancer, HPV is associated with CIN, which has been attributed largely to the expression of its E6 and E7 oncoproteins. HPV+ head and neck cancer patients show improved responses to radiation therapy than HPV- head and neck patients, potentially due to an increased basal rate of CIN. Here, we tested the ability of HPV E6, E7, or E6+E7 expression to induce CIN in normal oral keratinocytes (NOKs). Expression of E6 alone robustly induced misaligned chromosomes and multipolar spindles with supernumerary centrosomes, while E7 expression alone produced more moderate effects. Combined expression of E6 and E7 exacerbated the phenotypes observed in NOKs expressing E6 alone. Expression of E6, either alone or in combination with E7 caused reduced protein levels of the mitotic kinesin CENP-E, which is sufficient to induce misaligned chromosomes. Interestingly, HPV+ patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma showed less evidence of mitotic defects than NOKs expressing E6 alone. A subset of HPV+ PDX tumors showed an increase in misaligned chromosomes when compared to HPV- tumors, but no increase in lagging chromosomes or multipolar spindles was observed. Together, these data suggest HPV infection causes an incompletely penetrant increase in specific types of CIN in head and neck cancer and that a basal rate of CIN may be predictive of treatment response independent of HPV status. Citation Format: Laura C. Funk, Denis L. Lee, Randall J. Kimple, Paul F. Lambert, Beth A. Weaver. HPV oncoproteins cause specific types of chromosomal instability in head and neck cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1846.
Advances in the Understanding and Prediction of Cyclone Development with Limited-Area Fine-Mesh Models

Since the early scientific theories of the development of extratropical cyclones in the 19th century (Kutzbach 1979), meteorologists have sought a complete and quantitative description of the physics of these atmospheric systems that dominate weather in middle latitudes. The earliest studies were descriptive and based almost entirely on surface observations. With the advent of instrumented aircraft in the early 1930s, operational rawinsondes in the 1940s and satellites in the 1960s, a more complete threedimensional picture of the structure of extratropical cyclones emerged, as described by others in this volume.
Stereochemistry and glycosidic linkages of C3-glycosylations affected the reactivity of cyanidin derivatives.

Abstract The impact of glycosylation on anthocyanin stability has largely been associated with sugar type, site, and size, with glycosyl stereochemistry being under-explored. Seven cyanidin-3-glycosides were isolated by HPLC, diluted in pH 1–9, mixed with bisulfite or ascorbic acid at pH 3, and stored for 8 weeks (25 °C, dark). Spectral changes, half-lives, and bleaching rates were determined. Cyanidin-3-galactoside was more reactive (susceptible to hydration and bleaching) than cyanidin-3-glucoside. The 1 → 2 disaccharides exhibited greater λvis-max (≤16 nm), resistance to hydration, and bleaching compared to 1 → 6 disaccharides.The 1 → 6 disaccharides had similar λvis-max (∼2 nm) to the monosaccharides but slightly improved resistance to hydration and bleaching. The tri-glycosylated anthocyanin had the greatest stability and its spectral and bleaching characteristics was intermediate to 1 → 2 and 1 → 6 disaccharides. The 1 → 2 disaccharides generally exhibited lower half-lives compared to monosaccharides; whereas, 1 → 6 disaccharides exhibited higher stability. These findings highlight the role of glycosyl assembly on anthocyanin reactivity and stability.
Toward universal, progressive, and lifelong asset building: introduction to the special issue on inclusive child development accounts

Child Development Accounts (CDAs) are subsidised savings or investment accounts that enable families to accumulate assets to invest in children’s long-term development. Ideally, CDAs are universal ...
Immune Therapy in Respiratory Disease

Pharmacologic manipulation of pulmonary immunity plays an important role in primary and adjunct therapy for equine respiratory disease. Frequent exposure to respiratory viral pathogens, strenuous exercise, long distance transport, and inhalation of harmful substances destroy various aspects of the pulmonary defense system and predispose performance horses to development of infectious and noninfectious respiratory disease. Pulmonary immunity may be bolstered by nonspecific immunostimulants to combat primary or secondary immunodeficiency. State of the art technology improves active- and passive-specific immunity for prevention of common infectious respiratory diseases in horses. Immuno-suppressive therapy can attenuate hyperreactive pulmonary immune responses in horses with allergic airway disease.
Central Bank Digital Currencies and the Long-Term Advancement of Financial Stability

The United States financial system can be restructured by giving universal direct access to credit risk-free central bank money. In the 10 years since the financial crisis, technological advancements and regulatory tools have laid the foundation for Central Bank Digital Currencies to emerge as this economic resolution. Our paper analyzes similar economic cases and contends that introducing Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) can improve financial stability without degrading credit availability in the long term. We illustrate this by focusing on similar market shifts, namely in the U.S. student loan market and the New Zealand agribusiness sector. Our analysis showcases that by introducing CBDCs, market participants can subsequently remove certain market subsidies that promote poor risk practices and improper pricing. This subsidy to financial institutions is both explicit in the form of FDIC deposit insurance and implicit in the stipulation of taxpayer funded bailouts that materialized in 2008. We calculate the effect of introducing CBDCs by focusing on historical market examples when similar fundamental market shifts happened. Our conclusion is that CBDCs diminish credit availability within one-year, but this effect is ameliorated as financial stability improves in subsequent years. Accordingly, we recommend a roadmap for rolling out CBDCs in the least disruptive fashion.
Detection and mitigation of cyber-threats in the DC microgrid distributed control system

Abstract This paper addresses the cyber-threat detection and mitigation in a DC microgrid distributed control system. Due to the deployment of communication and control technologies, a DC microgrid resembles a cyber-physical system that is highly exposed to cyber-threats. A cyber-threat detection technique is proposed that relies on a Kullback-Liebler divergence-based criterion. This criterion detects the misbehavior of a compromised Distributed Energy Resource (DER) control unit and, consequently, calculates an interior-belief factor and communicates it with its neighboring DERs to inform them of the reliability of its outgoing information. Moreover, DERs calculate an exterior-belief value related to the trustworthiness of the received information from neighbors. The cyber-threat mitigation technique at each DER utilizes the neighbors' interior-belief and its own calculated exterior-belief value for neighboring DERs to slow down and eventually mitigate attacks. The proposed approach requires a communication network with mild graph connectivity. A typical medium-voltage DC microgrid system is simulated to verify the validity of proposed distributed cyber-secure control scheme. It is shown that using the proposed cyber-secure approach, the voltage of a critical bus of microgrid is well regulated and DERs can successfully distinguish cyber-attacks from legitimate events.
Do Student-Level Incentives Increase Student Achievement? A Review of the Effect of Monetary Incentives on Test Performance:

BackgroundPolicymakers have debated whether test scores represent students’ maximum level of effort, prompting research into whether student-level financial incentives can improve test scores. If c...
Preparing junior radiology residents for overnight call via peer-led, hands-on simulation.

The aim of this study was to assess the perceived value and impact of a hands-on mock call simulation program on resident confidence with interpretation of emergency department overnight call cases. A five-session course was implemented in June of 2018 for rising PGY-3/R2 residents to mimic the experience of overnight call with indirect supervision. Sessions were led by senior residents in the program and consisted of timed, independent interpretation of 15–20 high-yield cases per day which highlighted “do-not miss” critical findings and simulated workflow interruptions including phone calls, consultations, and questions from technologists. IRB-approved, and anonymous pre- and post-course surveys were administered to participants which assessed residents’ degree of confidence in interpretation of on-call cases and comparison of the mock call experience with existing preparatory strategies. Survey responses were analyzed using McNemar’s test and Mann-Whitney U test. Our survey response rate was 91% (29/32). After completing the mock call simulation, there was a significant increase in the mean Likert score of resident confidence levels and feelings of preparedness from 4.59 to 7.38 (p < 0.01). The majority of respondents (72.4% [21/29]) felt that the mock call simulation was “extremely useful.” One hundred percent of respondents indicated that the mock call simulation should be implemented for the following year. Implementation of a hands-on mock call simulation significantly improves the confidence levels of radiology residents before assuming on-call responsibilities and may serve as an adjunct to existing preparatory strategies.
Subcellular localization of neuronal nuclei (NeuN) antigen in size and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) populations of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons during acute peripheral inflammation.

Pseudo-unipolar cell bodies of somatosensory primary neurons are located in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The somatic and peripheral domains of DRG neurons are often studied in sensory pain research to understand molecular mechanisms involved in the activation of pain and maintenance of inflammation. Adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) is an inflammatory model that elicits a robust and rapid onset immune response with a maximal swelling period of 24-48 h and persisting for several weeks. The AIA model in the hind paw of the rat elicits a potent inflammatory response of the dermis and epidermis, leading to protein expression changes for sensitization of many DRG neurons; however, it is unknown if the AIA model in the hind paw of the rat induces DRG neuronal injury, necrosis, or apoptosis at the somatic level. Neuronal nuclei (NeuN) antigen is a biomarker for post-mitotic neurons, neuronal identification, protein alterations, injury, and loss. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is expressed in C and Aδ DRG neurons, a subset of DRG neurons known to play a role in peripheral sensitization. The focus of this research was to evaluate the expression pattern of NeuN immunoreactivity, in size (soma) and CGRP subpopulations of DRG neurons in naive and inflamed groups. Confirmed by both immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation, DRG neuronal expression of NeuN was localized to nuclear and cytoplasmic subcellular compartments. NeuN increased within the nucleus of small CGRP positive DRG neurons during inflammation, indicating a potential role for NeuN in a subset of nociceptive neurons.
Machine Learning for Occupational Slip-Trip-Fall Incidents Classification Within Commercial Grain Elevators

The grain handling industry plays a significant role in U.S. agriculture by storing, distributing, and processing a variety of agricultural commodities. Commercial grain elevators are hazardous agro-manufacturing work environments where workers are prone to severe injuries, due to the nature of the activities and workplace. One of the leading causes of occupational incidents in all industries, including grain elevators, is slip, trip, and fall (STF). Therefore, prediction of STF incidents prior to occurrence is significant in occupational safety analysis. Despite high frequency of STF incidents at work, exploring their dominant factors via machine learning algorithms in agro-manufacturing environments is relatively new or unaddressed. Safety professionals may utilize the prediction and analysis of determinant factors of occupational incidents for actionable prevention and safety mitigation planning and practices. The objective of this research is to describe the slip-trip-fall (STF) injuries and trends in a population of agribusiness operations workers within commercial grain elevators in the Midwest of the United States, identify risk factors for STF injuries, and develop prevention strategies for STF hazards.
Deep Sequencing of a Systematic Peptide Library Reveals Conformationally-Constrained Protein Interface Peptides that Disrupt a Protein-Protein Interaction.

Disrupting protein-protein interactions is difficult due to the large and flat interaction surfaces of the binding partners. The BLIP and BLIP-II proteins are unrelated in sequence and structure and yet each potently inhibit β-lactamases. High-throughput oligonucleotide synthesis was used to construct a 12,470-member library containing overlapping linear and cyclic peptides ranging in size from 6 to 21 amino acids that scan through the sequences of BLIP and BLIP-II. Phage display affinity selections and deep sequencing revealed that, despite the differences in interaction surfaces with β-lactamases, rapid enrichment of consensus peptide regions originating from both BLIP and BLIP-II contact residues in the binding interface occurred. BLIP and BLIP-II peptides that were enriched by affinity selection were shown to bind b-lactamases and disrupt the BLIP/β-lactamase interaction. The results suggest that peptides that bind at and disrupt PPI interfaces can be identified through systematic peptide library construction, affinity selection, and deep sequencing.
Patient-Reported Use of Personalized Video Recordings to Improve Neurosurgical Patient-Provider Communication.

Background: Providing patients with a video recording of their visit with a medical professional is a common-sense method for improving patient-provider communication. Objective: To describe the patient and provider experiences to video recording clinical medical encounters and providing the patient with a copy of the video for informational purposes. Methods: Since 2009, over 2,800 patients of eight different neurosurgeons chose to be video recorded during their encounter with the doctor and were provided access to the recording to watch over again as a way to recall what the doctor had said. The video system was set up as a handheld video camera, and video files were downloaded and made accessible to patients via a secure Internet patient portal. Between 2012 and 2014, patients who participated were surveyed regarding their use of the video and what was recorded on the video. The experience of the providers from a clinical and medico-legal standpoint was also reviewed. Results: Three hundred and thirty-three responses to the survey were received (39.2% response rate). More than half of patients (N=333; 56.2%) watched their video more than once, and over two-thirds (N=333; 68.6%) shared their video with a family member, friend, or another physician. Patients self-reported improved memory after watching their videos (N=299; 73.6% could remember more) and 50.2% responded that having the video made them feel more “at ease” with their medical problem (N=299). Overall, 88.0% of respondents indicated that their video had been helpful to them, and 98.5% would recommend having future visits video recorded. No patient made a comment that the video was intrusive or had prevented them from being open with their doctor. Finally, in the high-risk specialty of neurosurgery, none of the 2,807 patients who have been recorded since 2009 have used a video in a medico-legal action. Conclusions: Patient responses to the recording system and having a copy of their video were very positive. Most respondents indicated that they had improved memory as well as decreased anxiety about their neurosurgical problem. There have been no legal challenges to date from giving patients access to the video recording. Our results indicate that the benefits to patients for expanding the use of video in medicine may outweigh perceived risks to providers.
Manipulation of prenatal hormones and dietary phytoestrogens during adulthood alter the sexually dimorphic expression of visual spatial memory.

Background In learning and memory tasks, requiring visual spatial memory (VSM), males exhibit higher performance levels compared to females (a difference attributed to sex steroid hormonal influences). Based upon the results from our companion investigation, this study examined the influence of prenatal sex steroid hormone manipulations on VSM in adulthood, as assessed in the radial arm maze. Additionally, the influence of dietary soy phytoestrogens (i.e., the presence of high or low estrogen-like compounds present in the animal's diet) on VSM was examined in combination with the prenatal hormonal manipulations.
Wavelets in Boundary Integral Equations

In this chapter we present applications of wavelets in solving integral equations. Special treatments of edges are discussed, including periodic wavelets and intervallic wavelets. The integral equations obtained from field analysis of electromagnetic wave scattering, radiating, and guiding problems are solved by the wavelet expansion method.
The Common Good, Civic Friendship, and Political Authority

This paper argues that the political common good is intrinsically — though only partially — constitutive of the human social good. Thomas Aquinas makes a crucial shift away from Aristotle’s political primacy in his more pluralistic account of human sociability and emphasis on the extensiveness of the political good over the superiority of political activity per se. Nevertheless, there are essential human virtues — justice, love, generosity — that are uniquely, if not exclusively, fostered in political community and potentially realized in civic friendship.
An overview of the TPX neutronics and shielding aspects

The Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) device, which is under conceptual design in the US, presents several neutronics and shielding issues that are challenging from the design analysis viewpoint. This paper presents an overview of the various issues and a summary of the various design analyses that have been performed thus far to quantify the issues and to guide the design toward near-optimal engineering solutions to the problems. Some planned activities are also discussed.
Coronal Activity of Near-Contact Binaries

The subclass of Near-Contact Binary stars (NCB) was defined by Shaw (1990). They are eclipsing binaries which 1) have periods of less than one day, 2) exhibit strong tidal actions, 3) are less than 0.1 orbital radius apart at their facing surfaces, but they are not in contact. They also have an A- or F- type primary component and a much cooler (by one or two spectral types) secondary, and most have at least one component filling its Roche lobe. There is evidence that they are evolutionary precursors to A-type UMa sources and that they are in the early stages of mass transfer.
Soft-tissue release for hip subluxation in cerebral palsy: what is the role in the nonambulatory patient?: commentary on an article by Benjamin J. Shore, MD, FRCSC, et al.: "Adductor surgery to prevent hip displacement in children with cerebral palsy: the predictive role of the Gross Motor Function Classification System".

In this Level-II study, the authors present a very large series of patients with hip subluxation due to cerebral palsy who were treated with soft-tissue releases. The surgery consisted of adductor lengthening, often combined with iliopsoas lengthening and phenol injection around the anterior branch of the obturator nerve. The authors defined failure of the treatment as either the need for further surgery or progression of the migration percentage beyond 50%. In 330 patients with a mean follow-up of 7.1 years, the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and the initial migration percentage were the best predictors of long-term success or failure. Their results are sobering: in the 242 patients who were classified as GMFCS level IV or V, the success rates were only 27% and 14%, respectively. This appears to be the first large study to examine the GMFCS classification as a predictor of success of soft-tissue hip surgery in patients with cerebral palsy. To be fair, if one considers level-IV and …
A Note on the Divisibility of Class Numbers of Real Quadratic Fields

Abstract Suppose g>2 is an odd integer. For real number X>2, define Sg(X) the number of squarefree integers d⩽X with the class number of the real quadratic field Q ( d ) being divisible by g. By constructing the discriminants based on the work of Yamamoto, we prove that a lower bound Sg(X)⪢X1/g−e holds for any fixed e>0, which improves a result of Ram Murty.