cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic photoelasticity as an aid in developing new ultrasonic-test methods

A prerequisite for the development of quantitative ultrasonic-inspection techniques for surface flaws is a thorough understanding of the ways in which elastic waves interact with defects. Analytical and numerical approaches are presently inadequate. Experimental methods are needed for a better understanding of wave interactions with real geometries. This paper describes how dynamic photoelasticity was used to study the interaction between Rayleigh waves and slots. To fully interpret the interactions between an incident Rayleigh wave and a surface slot, the problem was subdivided as follows: first, the reflections and mode conversions of a Rayleigh wave at a corner were studied. This simulated the Rayleigh-wave interaction with a slot opening. Then, the interaction when a Rayleigh wave ran off the tip of a slot was observed, and, finally, the total interaction with slots perpendicular to the surface was studied. The results for these three cases are presented. It is suggested that the most important property of a Rayleigh wave that can be used to size surface and near-surface defects is the subsurface particle motions. These motions persist up to a depth of the order of a wavelength. The shape (that is, the frequency spectrum of the transmitted wave) should, therefore, be affected by the depth of the slot. Spectroscopic analysis is applied to the photoelastic data to develop a simple method for sizing slots. Results from ultrasonic tests on slots in steel confirm the validity of the suggested method. By applying contemporary concepts of signal processing to photoelastic data, a powerful new area of experimental investigation is introduced. It promises to overcome the current inability of scatter theories to predict the interactions between real-life defects and acoustic waves as used in ultrasonic testing. Applications of this approach will improve the quantitative ability of ultrasonic-inspection methods.
Rubidium-Strontium Geochronologic Systematics in Igneous Contact Zones: Analog for 90-Sr and 137-Cs Behavior in the Near Field

The behavior of 90-Sr and 137-Cs in the near field of a HLW package can be investigated by use of Rb-Sr geochronologic information from igneous contact zones. The chemical behavior of 90-Sr is identical to other Sr isotopes, and Cs behavior is very similar to that of Rb. During igneous intrusion, the effect of heat from the igneous rock, coupled with fluid action, is to perturb Rb-Sr systematics of minerals in the intruded rock. Rb-Sr redistribution diagrams are useful not only for indirectly dating the time of intrusion, but also for determining the extent of closed versus open system conditions in the contact zones. Once open or closed system behavior is determined, the Rb-Sr systematics can be evaluated in terms of diffusion, fluid-induced metasomatism, selective dissolution, other, and coupled processes. All these can be discussed in terms of time-temperaturefluid compositional parameters. Rb migration is controlled predominantly by fluid flow, while diffusion models better explain some Sr isotopic behavior Cs, from geochemical arguments, should be less mobile than Rb. In most cases, even when temperature of the intrusive is 800–1200°C the cooling period on the order of 104 – 105 years, and in a highly convective system, Sr and Rb mobility is on the order of only microns to meters.
Research of flocculants used in oil fields

Using the sodium silicate,the polyaluminum chloride(PAC) and the cationic polyacrylamide(C-PAM) as the raw materials,the inorganic polymer composite flocculant-PCSM was prepared.The influences of the Si/Al ratios,the addition of C-PAM,the amounts of the dosage and the pH value on the sewage flocculating were investigated.And the main influencing factors were determined by the orthogonal experiment.Results showed that the composite flocculant has better flocculation effect compared with the single flocculant.Comparing with PSAC,PCSM has a good stability and a better degreasing ability.
Changes in the Compressive Nonlinearity of the Cochlea During Early Aging: Estimates From Distortion OAE Input/Output Functions.

Objectives: The level-dependent growth of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) provides an indirect metric of cochlear compressive nonlinearity. Recent evidence suggests that aging reduces nonlinear distortion emissions more than those associated with linear reflection. Therefore, in this study, we generate input/output (I/O) functions from the isolated distortion component of the DPOAE to probe the effects of early aging on the compressive nonlinearity of the cochlea. Design: Thirty adults whose ages ranged from 18 to 64 years participated in this study, forming a continuum of young to middle-age subjects. When necessary for analyses, subjects were divided into a young-adult group with a mean age of 21 years, and a middle-aged group with a mean age of 52 years. All young-adult subjects and 11 of the middle-aged subjects had normal hearing; 4 middle-aged ears had slight audiometric threshold elevation at mid-to-high frequencies. DPOAEs (2f1 − f2) were recorded using primary tones swept upward in frequency from 0.5 to 8 kHz, and varied from 25 to 80 dB sound pressure level. The nonlinear distortion component of the total DPOAE was separated and used to create I/O functions at one-half octave intervals from 1.3 to 7.4 kHz. Four features of OAE compression were extracted from a fit to these functions: compression threshold, range of compression, compression slope, and low-level growth. These values were compared between age groups and correlational analyses were conducted between OAE compression threshold and age with audiometric threshold controlled. Results: Older ears had reduced DPOAE amplitude compared with young-adult ears. The OAE compression threshold was elevated at test frequencies above 2 kHz in the middle-aged subjects by 19 dB (35 versus 54 dB SPL), thereby reducing the compression range. In addition, middle-aged ears showed steeper amplitude growth beyond the compression threshold. Audiometric threshold was initially found to be a confound in establishing the relationship between compression and age; however, statistical analyses allowed us to control its variance. Correlations performed while controlling for age differences in high-frequency audiometric thresholds showed significant relationships between the DPOAE I/O compression threshold and age: Older subjects tended to have elevated compression thresholds compared with younger subjects and an extended range of monotonic growth. Conclusions: Cochlear manifestations of nonlinearity, such as the DPOAE, weaken during early aging, and DPOAE I/O functions become linearized. Commensurate changes in high-frequency audiometric thresholds are not sufficient to fully explain these changes. The results suggest that age-related changes in compressive nonlinearity could produce a reduced dynamic range of hearing, and contribute to perceptual difficulties in older listeners.
Eusociality and other improbable evolutionary outcomes can be accelerated by trait hitchhiking in boom-bust feedback loops

Here I analyze the brush-fire cycle behind the brushy frontier of a grassland, seeking evolutionary feedback loops for large grazing animals and their hominin predators. The burn scar's new grass is an empty niche for grass-specialized herbivores, which evolved from mixed feeders only in the early Pleistocene. The frontier subpopulation of grazers that discovers the auxiliary grassland quickly multiplies, creating a secondary boom among predators. Following this boom, a bust occurs several decades later when the brush returns; it squeezes both offshoot populations back into their core grasslands population. For both prey and predators, such a feedback loop can shift the core's gene frequencies toward those of the brush explorers. Any brush-relevant allele could benefit from this amplifying feedback loop, so long as its phenotypes concentrate near where empty niches can open up in the brush; with hitchhiking, improved survival is unnecessary. Cooperative nurseries in the brush's shade should concentrate the alleles favoring eusociality, enabling their amplification.
Pure Consciousness as Transcendental Proto-Constitution of Adesse Objectivity

This chapter uses examples from perception to arrive at the notion of ad aliquid, a term used formally to describe the proto-constitution of any real relation. Instances of such constitution are given from both Western and Eastern philosophy. Thus, on the one hand, Aquinas’s notion of the proportionality between a primary and a secondary analogate is described in detail. Then, on the other hand, the notion of the timeless significance of ritualistic symbolism in religious dancing is employed to bring out instances of ad aliquid in Eastern schools of thought.
Thermal mixing via acoustic vibration during continuous flow cooling of viscous food products

Abstract During conventional continuous flow cooling of viscous foods, laminar flow and low thermal conductivity lead to a wide temperature distribution within the product, resulting in non-uniformity, slow cooling processes and degradation of final food quality. It was hypothesized that continuous flow cooling would be enhanced by equalizing the temperature profile (thermal mixing) during cooling. In this study, a computer-controlled frequency, audio transducer amplifier was used to impose transversal vibration motion on a 180° bend pipe and generate thermal mixing of viscous foods, such as sweet potato puree, banana puree, apple sauce and cheese sauce, at the temperature range of 110–60 °C. Applying vibration at the maximum amplifier volume and 20 Hz, the resonance frequency of the unit, the initial radial temperature distribution of 3–20 °C was reduced to a temperature difference of 0–4 °C, for all the food products. Although parameters such as the magnitude of the initial temperature difference and the gel formation at the pipe wall, which occurs during the cooling of these kinds of food materials, need to be controlled better for future applications of this method.
Numerical Simulation of Nonlinear Free-Surface Flows Generated by a Heaving Body of Arbitrary Cross Section

A two-dimensional potential-flow model is employed to predict the wave and flow fields generated by wedge, circular, and semicircular cylinders and ship-shaped bodies in forced heaving motion. The case of a wedge penetrating still fluid at constant velocity is also studied. The model solves the potential-flow equation, including the full nonlinear free-surface boundary conditions on a boundary-fitted coordinate system. The model equations are solved using a second-order finite-difference technique with a modified Euler method for the time domain and a successive overrelaxation procedure for the spatial domain
Unveiling your secret superpower

If you thought weird visual abilities belonged to the realm of the few, think again. David Shane describes a bizarre talent that most sighted human beings have but probably don't know about.
Augusta Webster’s Mother and Daughter and the only child debate

AbstractThe enduring debate about family size has roots in Victorian England, most notably in literary works addressing the issue of balancing motherhood and a writing career. One Victorian writer and activist, Augusta Webster (1837–1894), directly addressed the issue of family size in her uncompleted sonnet sequence Mother and Daughter (1895), which she began when her only child was a newborn. In this posthumous series of 14-line poems, Webster defends her decision to have one child and, in doing so, challenges popular assumptions that only women with multiple children could be considered ‘complete’, socially-acceptable mothers. Despite her efforts, however, and despite the rising popularity of one-child families, the results of numerous scientific studies and the lingering critiques of mommy blogs make it clear that challenges to mothers of ‘onlies’ remain.
Predictors of Depressive Cognitions in Young Adolescents

This prospective study examined the contribution of maternal history of depression, mothers' cognitive style, mothers' parenting style, and stressful life events to depressive cognitions in 240 young adolescents. Mothers and adolescents were assessed annually over 3 years starting in sixth grade. The cognitions examined were derived from cognitive models of depression and included self-worth, attributional style, and hopelessness. Maternal history of depression was associated with all three types of negative cognitions in offspring; maternal parenting style and stressful life events significantly incremented the prediction of teens' negative cognitions beyond maternal depression. Adolescents' self-worth was significantly predicted by low maternal acceptance. Attributional style was associated with maternal attributional style for child-focused events, and significantly predicted by maternal psychological control and negative life events. Hopelessness was predicted by high levels of stressful life events, particularly among youth with low self-worth.
EEG-assisted modulation of sound sources in the auditory scene

Abstract Noninvasive EEG (electroencephalography) based auditory attention detection could be useful for improved hearing aids in the future. This work is a novel attempt to investigate the feasibility of online modulation of sound sources by probabilistic detection of auditory attention, using a noninvasive EEG-based brain computer interface. Proposed online system modulates the upcoming sound sources through gain adaptation which employs probabilistic decisions (soft decisions) from a classifier trained on offline calibration data. In this work, calibration EEG data were collected in sessions where the participants listened to two sound sources (one attended and one unattended). Cross-correlation coefficients between the EEG measurements and the attended and unattended sound source envelope (estimates) are used to show differences in sharpness and delays of neural responses for attended versus unattended sound source. Salient features to distinguish attended sources from the unattended ones in the correlation patterns have been identified, and later they have been used to train an auditory attention classifier. Compared to the existing results in the literature, in this paper we have two main contributions. First, using the auditory attention classifier, we have shown high offline detection performance with single channel EEG measurements of shorter duration compared to the existing approaches in the literature which employ large number of channels with longer EEG measurements. Second, using the classifier trained offline in the calibration session, we have shown the performance of the online sound source modulation system. We observe that online sound source modulation system is able to keep the level of attended sound source higher than the unattended source.
Pore-scale network modeling of sharp and diffuse infiltration fronts through the addition of viscous effects

Most infiltrations of a wetting phase have an imbibition front that is diffuse at the pore-scale, allowing the common use of continuum formulations to model the macroscopic flow. But for macroscopic flow phenomena such as preferential flow, this continuum approach fails as the imbibition water front is sharp at the pore- scale. Pore-scale network models are ideal for handling sharp fronts due to their inherent discreteness, but many models produce only sharp fronts contrary to observations. Here we modify the physically-based static network model of Valvatne and Blunt to add viscous effects in a quasi-static manner. We find that at low imbibition velocities, that the imbibing front is diffuse due to flow within the layers of the model, and the majority of the elements filling through snap-off. At high imbibition velocities, the front becomes sharp at the pore-scale due to the viscous forces enhancing collective piston-like pore filling. The width of the transition between diffuse and sharp fronts in terms of velocity matches well what is observed in experimental measurements. We discuss how the initial layer conductivity, pore-size distribution, and the wetting properties of the media control the absolute magnitude of the transition.
A Solution Processable High‐Performance Thermoelectric Copper Selenide Thin Film

A solid-state thermoelectric device is attractive for diverse technological areas such as cooling, power generation and waste heat recovery with unique advantages of quiet operation, zero hazardous emissions, and long lifetime. With the rapid growth of flexible electronics and miniature sensors, the low-cost flexible thermoelectric energy harvester is highly desired as a potential power supply. Herein, a flexible thermoelectric copper selenide (Cu2 Se) thin film, consisting of earth-abundant elements, is reported. The thin film is fabricated by a low-cost and scalable spin coating process using ink solution with a truly soluble precursor. The Cu2 Se thin film exhibits a power factor of 0.62 mW/(m K2 ) at 684 K on rigid Al2 O3 substrate and 0.46 mW/(m K2 ) at 664 K on flexible polyimide substrate, which is much higher than the values obtained from other solution processed Cu2 Se thin films (<0.1 mW/(m K2 )) and among the highest values reported in all flexible thermoelectric films to date (≈0.5 mW/(m K2 )). Additionally, the fabricated thin film shows great promise to be integrated with the flexible electronic devices, with negligible performance change after 1000 bending cycles. Together, the study demonstrates a low-cost and scalable pathway to high-performance flexible thin film thermoelectric devices from relatively earth-abundant elements.
Filopodia: A Rapid Structural Plasticity Substrate for Fast Learning

Formation of new synapses between neurons is an essential mechanism for learning and encoding memories. The vast majority of excitatory synapses occur on dendritic spines, therefore, the growth dynamics of spines is strongly related to the plasticity timescales. Especially in the early stages of the developing brain, there is an abundant number of long, thin, and motile protrusions (i.e. filopodia), which develop in timescales of seconds and minutes. Because of their unique morphology and motility, it has been suggested that filopodia can have a dual role in both spinogenesis and environmental sampling of potential axonal partners. I propose that filopodia can lower the threshold and reduce the time to form new dendritic spines and synapses, providing a substrate for fast learning. Based on this proposition, the functional role of filopodia during brain development is discussed in relation to learning and memory. Specifically, it is hypothesized that the postnatal brain starts with a single-stage memory system with filopodia playing a significant role in rapid structural plasticity along with the stability provided by the mushroom-shaped spines. Following the maturation of the hippocampus, this highly-plastic unitary system transitions to a two-stage memory system, which consists of a plastic temporary store and a long-term stable store. In alignment with these architectural changes, it is posited that after brain maturation, filopodia-based structural plasticity will be preserved in specific areas, which are involved in fast learning (e.g. hippocampus in relation to episodic memory). These propositions aim to introduce a unifying framework for a diversity of phenomena in the brain such as synaptogenesis, pruning, and memory consolidation.
Genome of Pseudomonas nitroreducens DF05 from dioxin contaminated sediment downstream of the San Jacinto River waste pits reveals a broad array of aromatic degradation gene determinants

Abstract P . nitroreducens DF05 is a Gram negative, motile, aerobic, rod-shaped and psychrotrophic bacterium that was isolated from contaminated San Jacinto River sediment near River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. The draft genome of strain DF05 consists of a total of 192 contigs assembled at the scaffold level totaling 6,487,527 bp and encoding for 5862 functional proteins, 1116 of which are annotated as hypothetical proteins. The bacterial chromosome has a GC content of 65.15% and contains 22 rRNA and 70 tRNA loci. In addition, approximately 142 proteins localized on the bacterial chromosome are associated with metabolism of aromatic compounds. A single plasmid approximately 95 kb in size was also detected carrying copies of RNA genes and multiple phage assembly proteins.
The Thermodynamic properties of deuterium

The recent use of deuterium in bubble chambers and Yarious experimental physics programs has prompted a literature survey of existing data and the compilation of useful thermodynamic properties for this fluid. The compilation of thermodynamic properties for a fluid generally involves the summarization and correlation of large quantities of sometimes isolated information, both theoretical and experimental, into a composite form. This has been accomplished in the present study by the development within the precision of the data, of an equation of state that represents the available P-ρ-T data for deuterium and a vapor pressure equation that fits the data of this fluid from the triple point to the critical point. Consistency of the equation of state has been checked by making comparisons of the calculated second virial coefficients with available experimental data.
Threats and civil–military relations: explaining Singapore’s “trickle down” military innovation

ABSTRACTThis article explains why Singapore, despite its small size and semi-authoritarian regime, retains one of the best military forces in the Indo-Pacific. It unpacks Singapore’s ability to con...
Prevalence, Comorbidity and Investigation of Anemia in the Primary Care Office.

Background: Anemia has a myriad of causes and its prevalence is growing. Anemia is associated with increased all-cause hospitalization and mortality in community-dwelling individuals above age 65 years. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and severity of anemia in adult patients in our primary care office and to determine the relationship between anemia and medical comorbidities. Methods: Electronic medical records of 499 adult patients in our suburban internal medicine office were reviewed who had had at least one hemoglobin value and did not undergo moderate to high-risk surgery in the preceding 30 days. Results: About one-fifth (21.1%) of the patients had anemia. The mean age of patients with anemia was 62.6 years. Among all patients with anemia, 20.3% were males and 79.6% were females. Of these patients, 60.1% had mild anemia (hemoglobin 11 - 12.9 g/dL) and 39.8% had moderate anemia (hemoglobin 8 - 10.9 g/dL). For every year of increase in age, there was 1.8% increased odds of having anemia. African-American race had 5.2 times greater odds of having anemia than the Caucasian race. Hispanic race had 3.2 times greater odds of having anemia compared to the Caucasian race. Patients with anemia had a greater average number of comorbidities compared to patients without anemia (1.74 and 0.96, respectively; P < 0.05). There was a statistically greater percentage of patients with essential hypertension, hypothyroidism, chronic kidney disease, malignancy, rheumatologic disease, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease in the anemic population as compared to the non-anemic population. Of the patients, 41% with mild anemia and 62% with moderate anemia underwent additional diagnostic studies. Of the patients, 14.8% had resolution of anemia without therapy in 1 year, 15.7% were on iron replacement therapy, and 6.5% were on cobalamin therapy. No specific etiology of anemia was found in 24% of patients. Conclusion: A higher prevalence of anemia was associated with advancing age, African-American and Hispanic ethnicity, and comorbidities, such as essential hypertension, hypothyroidism, chronic kidney disease, malignancy, rheumatologic disease, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. It is important to be aware of the demographic factors and their relationship to anemia in primary care. J Clin Med Res. 2017;9(12):970-980 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr3221w
Accuracy preserving computation of asymptotically smoothed layered medium Green's functions in finite precision arithmetic

The catastrophic cancellation due to singularity subtraction when computing layered medium Green's functions (LMGFs) is discussed. An efficient and accurate method based on Taylor series expansions is proposed for computing LMGFs to a prescribed accuracy in finite precision arithmetic.
THE JAILED STENT BALLOON TECHNIQUE: A NOVEL CORONARY BIFURCATION TECHNIQUE

Bifurcation lesions are a challenging lesion subset, with higher rates of restenosis and procedural complications. We present a novel bifurcation technique, the jailed stent balloon technique (JSBT). This two stent technique provides excellent side branch coverage and access with a simplified
Pediatric Ocular Tumors and Simulating Lesions

• The management of retinoblastoma has become more complex in the era of primary systemic chemotherapy.
Thyroid surgery for differentiated thyroid cancer — recent advances and future directions

Population-based studies have demonstrated that an increasing number of incidental thyroid nodules are being identified. The corresponding increase in thyroid-based diagnostic procedures, such as fine-needle aspiration biopsy, has in part led to an increase in the diagnoses of thyroid cancers and to more thyroid surgeries being performed. Small papillary thyroid cancers account for most of this increase in diagnoses. These cancers are considered to be low risk because of the excellent patient outcomes, with a 5-year disease-specific survival of >98%. As a result, controversy remains regarding the optimal management of newly diagnosed differentiated thyroid cancer, as the complications related to thyroidectomy (primarily recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and hypoparathyroidism) have considerable effects on patient quality of life. This Review highlights current debates, including undertaking active surveillance versus thyroid surgery for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, the extent of thyroid surgery and lymphadenectomy for low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer, and the use of molecular testing to guide decision-making about whether surgery is required and the extent of the initial operation. This Review includes a discussion of current consensus guideline recommendations regarding these topics in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Additionally, innovative thyroidectomy techniques (including robotic and transoral approaches) are discussed, with an emphasis on patient preferences around decision-making and outcomes following thyroidectomy. Small papillary thyroid cancers are considered low risk and account for the majority of incidental thyroid nodules. Here, Tracy S. Wang and Julie A. Sosa discuss the current debates and advances regarding the diagnosis and optimal treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer.
Serpent Mound: Still Built by the Adena, and Still Rebuilt During the Fort Ancient Period

Radiocarbon dates from the base of Serpent Mound in Ohio demonstrate that it was built 2,100–2,300 years ago during the Adena period but was subsequently rebuilt or repaired about 900 years ago during the Fort Ancient period. We describe the basis for supporting the chronology of this building sequence, why it is the best and most complete explanation from the data at hand, and discuss the errors and misconceptions that critics of it have put forth. Our interest is in establishing a chronology of mound construction in order to address questions about cultural continuity/discontinuity, appropriation, and reuse of cultural monuments and religious/political symbols. We also plead that researchers jointly collect new data from Serpent Mound to end the back-and-forth questioning of chronological context and research competence.
Student evaluations of teaching: phrenology in the 21st century?

We argue that student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are a key tactic for justifying and maintaining white male dominance in US higher education. As such, tenure and promotion processes that rely o...
The cost burden of clinically significant esophageal anastomotic leaks-a steep price to pay.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate resource consumption of clinically significant esophageal anastomotic leaks. Methods Between September 1, 2008, to December 31, 2014, a prospectively maintained database was queried to identify patients with grade III to IV anastomotic leaks after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Inflation-adjusted standardized costs were applied to billed services related to leak diagnosis and treatment, from time of leak detection to resumption of oral diet. A matched analysis was used to compare average expenditures in patients without vs. those with an anastomotic leak. Results Of 448 patients undergoing esophagectomy after neoadjuvant treatment, 399 patients met inclusion criteria. Twenty-four grade III to IV anastomotic leaks were identified (6% leak rate). Five transhiatal esophagectomies accounted for 20.8% of cases, whereas 9 Ivor Lewis and 10 McKeown esophagectomies accounted for 37.5% and 41.7%, respectively. The median time required to treat an anastomotic leak was 73 days (range 14-701). The additional median standardized cost per leak was $68,296 (mean $119,822). Matched analysis demonstrated that mean treatment costs were 2.6 times greater for patients with an anastomotic leak. This was primarily attributed to prolonged hospitalization, with post-leak detection length of stay ranging from 7 to 73 days. The largest contributors to cost for all patients were intensive care stay (30%), hospital room (17%), pharmacy (16%), and surgical intervention (13%). Conclusions Grade III to IV esophageal anastomotic leaks more than double the cost of an esophagectomy and have a significant cost burden. Focus should be placed on preventative measures to avoid leaks at the time of the index operation.
Mental health status and dietary intake among California adults: a population-based survey

California Health Interview Survey (2005-2015) data were used to examine the association between dietary intake frequencies and mental health - Kessler-6 scores categorised as no/low (NLPD), moderate (MPD) or serious psychological distress (SPD). The 245,891 surveys represented 27.7 million adults annually, with 13.2% having MPD and 3.7% SPD. Survey-adjusted regression adjusting for gender, age, race, education, poverty, marital status, BMI, geography and year found MPD and SPD associated with lower consumption of fruits (adjusted odds ratio 0.79 and 0.65, respectively), vegetables (AOR 0.81 and 0.68), and increased consumption of French fries (AOR 1.24, 1.30), fast food (AOR 1.32, 1.27), soda (AOR 1.23, 1.26) and variance-adjusted daily teaspoons of sugar (coefficients 3.05, 4.21), all p-values less than 0.001. In this large population-based sample, moderate and SPD were independently associated with unhealthy diet. Targeted public health interventions could focus on young adults and those with less than 12 years of education.
Comprehensive evaluation of deep learning architectures for prediction of DNA/RNA sequence binding specificities.

Motivation Deep learning architectures have recently demonstrated their power in predicting DNA- and RNA-binding specificity. Existing methods fall into three classes: Some are based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), others use recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and others rely on hybrid architectures combining CNNs and RNNs. However, based on existing studies the relative merit of the various architectures remains unclear. Results In this study we present a systematic exploration of deep learning architectures for predicting DNA- and RNA-binding specificity. For this purpose, we present deepRAM, an end-to-end deep learning tool that provides an implementation of a wide selection of architectures; its fully automatic model selection procedure allows us to perform a fair and unbiased comparison of deep learning architectures. We find that deeper more complex architectures provide a clear advantage with sufficient training data, and that hybrid CNN/RNN architectures outperform other methods in terms of accuracy. Our work provides guidelines that can assist the practitioner in choosing an appropriate network architecture, and provides insight on the difference between the models learned by convolutional and recurrent networks. In particular, we find that although recurrent networks improve model accuracy, this comes at the expense of a loss in the interpretability of the features learned by the model. Availability and implementation The source code for deepRAM is available at https://github.com/MedChaabane/deepRAM. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Detecting the influence of climate and humans on pine forests across the dry valleys of eastern Nepal’s Koshi River basin

Abstract Pine forests provide goods and services crucial to more than ten million people living in the middle-mountains (600–4000 m) of Nepal. These critically important forests are already often overexploited and could be at risk from future climate change. In order to investigate the combined effects of climate and human disturbances on the growth of pine forests, we established a new network of tree-ring sites in six Pinus wallichiana and four P. roxburghii forests across the dry inner valleys of eastern Nepal’s Koshi River watershed. We produced measurements of total annual ring widths, and detrended individual tree-ring series with 67% cubic splines to produce site-level chronologies. The Koshi tree-ring chronologies were compared against local records of mean monthly temperature and total monthly rainfall to identify the main climatic factor(s) limiting pine growth. We also employed a relative growth change method to estimate growth releases and suppressions in ring-width series as indicators of disturbances. At all sites, trees are relatively young (median age was 102 years) and variations in ring-width provide estimates of tree growth over only the past century. Ring-width chronologies from the Koshi have a weak common signal strength in comparison to trees from the same species obtained from sites in the central Himalaya, and the climate-growth response of Koshi pines appears to be governed primarily by moisture balance during winter. Disturbance events evident in pine ring-width data are largely asynchronous, which suggests these forest have been historically perturbed by human influences rather than large-scale climatic or ecological influences. The sacred forest at Sikri contained the oldest living trees (118 years), had the lowest number of disturbance events, and preserved a stronger common signal, which provided additional evidence of the effects of humans on other pine forests in the Koshi basin. Based on our findings, we suggest that modeling the future growth and distribution of pine trees in eastern Nepal should consider winter moisture. Furthermore, management strategies to better conserve pine forests in eastern Nepal should incorporate the two competing influences of climate and human activities on tree growth.
Modified Proteins and Peptides

The aim of this chapter is to present an overview of bench-top methodology for the structural elucidation of modified proteins and peptides. The techniques covered in previous chapters provide most of the basics for studying protein modifications.
AcrAB–TolC Inhibition by Peptide-Conjugated Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomers Restores Antibiotic Activity in Vitro and in Vivo

Overexpression of bacterial efflux pumps is a driver of increasing antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative pathogens. The AcrAB–TolC efflux pump has been implicated in resistance to a number of impo...
Non-destructive Failure Analysis of Various Chip to Package Interaction Anomalies in FCBGA Packages Subjected to Temperature Cycle Reliability Testing

Failure analysis and root cause investigation of various package anomalies are key criteria to predict the failures, and thus the life of a device after reliability testing. Currently, quality assurance teams depend on less reliable electrical resistance probe testing and destructive methods such as cross-sectioning and microscopy, for the failure analysis. However, a reliable non-destructive test is preferred for failure analysis to provide more accurate and efficient data. Laser Ultrasonic and Laser Interferometer (LULI) Inspection System is a non-contact and non-destructive system that can be used for failure analysis of package anomalies. This system uses pulsed laser to generate ultrasound within the sample and a laser interferometer to sense the surface displacement response. To predict an anomaly at a location on the test sample, the surface displacement response at that location on the test sample will be compared against the response at the same location on the reference sample. For this research, original Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array (FCBGA) samples were used to evaluate various chip-to-package anomalies including inner and outer layer substrate discontinuities, second level joint imperfections (like voiding), and pad cratering in the printed circuit board. This paper presents promising results that can circumvent time consuming cross sectioning of substrate layers and laborious sample preparation consistent with general failure analysis tactics to facilitate root cause investigation of various package anomalies using the nondestructive LULI inspection technique.
From Manual Driving to Automated Driving: A Review of 10 Years of AutoUI

This paper gives an overview of the ten-year development of the papers presented at the International ACM Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications (AutoUI) from 2009 to 2018. We categorize the topics into two main groups, namely, manual driving-related research and automated driving-related research. Within manual driving, we mainly focus on studies on user interfaces (UIs), driver states, augmented reality and head-up displays, and methodology; Within automated driving, we discuss topics, such as takeover, acceptance and trust, interacting with road users, UIs, and methodology. We also discuss the main challenges and future directions for AutoUI and offer a roadmap for the research in this area.
Promoting Healthy Eating Among African-American School-Aged Girls in a Community Setting.

The prevention of obesity is vital to the health of American children. In the urban African-American community, the health of school-aged children is in particular jeopardy due to the high prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and poor dietary choices such as the purchase of sugary drinks, salty snacks, low consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and reliance on fast food meals. African-American girls are at a higher risk for obesity and early puberty before age 10, placing them at a greater risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Our current "Cooking with Kids" program in a local grocery store has allowed us to promote healthy eating behavior in a unique way; teaching 6 through 11-year-olds how to prepare easy healthy breakfasts, lunches, and snack food recipes at a local grocery store while their mothers shopped.
Exposing Technowashing: To Mitigate Technosocial Inequalities [Last Word]

The term whitewashing is a metaphor derived from the practice of applying substances onto surfaces of walls to conceal unwelcome elements, thereby giving the eye-gate a false impression. Thus, the reality of the situation is surreptitiously glossed over. Greenwashing is a label for an organization that creates a false portrayal of environmentally friendly practices or products. Redwashing refers to an organization that claims exemplary corporate citizenship; yet such companies may sponsor humanitarian programs for indigenous groups, while destroying the lands of these same populations. History is often whitewashed; our peers reviewed literary works and appropriately questioned unexplained omissions in otherwiseencyclopedic accounts of artificial women.
Abstract 5788: Area deprivation index and ovarian cancer survival: Preliminary findings for two validated measures

Objective: Individual-level measures of socioeconomic status (SES), such as income and education, have been well-studied in relation to ovarian cancer survival. Emerging evidence suggests that area-level measures, which incorporate the affluence and resources of a neighborhood, may be significant drivers of these associations. Existing studies on the role of area-level deprivation and cancer outcomes are limited; no studies to date have examined validated state and national-level area-deprivation indices in the context of ovarian cancer. We therefore undertook this study to elucidate relationships between Area Deprivation Index (ADI), clinical characteristics, and ovarian cancer progression and survival. Methods: We abstracted clinical data from electronic medical records for epithelial ovarian cancer cases from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Patient addresses at the time of treatment were used to ascertain state and national ADIs based on 17 measures from the Census and American Community Survey, including regional education, employment, and housing-quality indices. We used Pearson9s coefficient to quantify correlations between continuous variables and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test to assess associations between ADI and clinical characteristics. Associations with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were quantified by hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Cox proportional-hazards regression. P-values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Among 183 epithelial ovarian cancer cases from the VUMC, state and national ADIs were highly correlated (r = 0.94, p Conclusions: Our preliminary findings support the hypothesis that increasing area-level deprivation negatively impacts ovarian cancer survival. Additional research to include additional clinical characteristics and replicate this association in a larger study population are currently underway. Citation Format: Demetra H. Hufnagel, Andrew J. Wilson, Fiona E. Yull, Pamela C. Hull, Joellen Schildkraut, Marta A. Crispens, Alicia Beeghly-Fadiel. Area deprivation index and ovarian cancer survival: Preliminary findings for two validated measures [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5788.
Progesterone receptor membrane components: key regulators of fetal membrane integrity

Pro-pregnancy hormone progesterone (P4) helps to maintain a quiescent status of uterine tissues during gestation. However, P4's functional role in maintaining fetal membrane (amniochorion) integrity remains unclear. P4 functions through its membrane receptors (progesterone receptor membrane components (PGRMCs)) as fetal membrane cells lack nuclear receptors. This study screened the differential expression of PGRMCs in the fetal membranes and tested P4-PGRMC interactions under normal and oxidative stress (OS) conditions expected that can disrupt P4-PGRMC interactions impacting fetal membrane stability resulting in parturition. Human fetal membranes were collected from term and preterm deliveries (N = 5). Immunohistochemistry and western blot localized and determined differential expression of P4 receptors. Primary amnion epithelial, mesenchymal (AMCs), and chorion cell were treated with P4 alone or co-treated (P4 + OS induced by cigarette smoke extract (CSE)). Proximity ligation assay (PLA) documented P4-receptor binding, whereas P4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay documented culture supernatant levels. Immunohistology confirmed lack of nuclear progesterone receptors; however, confirmed expressions of PGRMC 1 and 2. Term labor (P = 0.01) and preterm rupture (P = 0.01) are associated with significant downregulation of PGRMC2. OS-induced differential downregulation of PGRMCs in both amnion and chorion cells (all P < 0.05) and downregulates P4 release (AMCs; P = 0.01). The PLA showed preferential receptor-ligand binding in amnion and chorion cells. Co-treatment of P4 + CSE did not reverse CSE-induced effects. In conclusion, P4-PGRMCs interaction maintains fetal membranes' functional integrity throughout pregnancy. Increased OS reduces endogenous P4 production and cell type-dependent downregulation of PGRMCs. These changes can lead to fetal membrane-specific "functional progesterone withdrawal," contributing to the dysfunctional fetal membrane status seen at term and preterm conditions.
Six assumptions of contemporary integrative interpersonal theory of personality and psychopathology.

Abstract Contemporary integrative interpersonal theory is an evidence-based model of personality, psychopathology, and intervention. In this article, we review six assumptions of contemporary integrative interpersonal theory that distinguish it from other frameworks and suggest five particularly promising and important areas for future research.
Detection of Pathogens and Regulation of Immunity by the Caenorhabditis elegans Nervous System.

ABSTRACT Although Caenorhabditis elegans has been used as a model host for studying host-pathogen interactions for more than 20 years, the mechanisms by which it identifies pathogens are not well understood. This is largely due to its lack of most known pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize pathogen-derived molecules. Recent behavioral research in C. elegans indicates that its nervous system plays a major role in microbe sensing. With the increasing integration of neurobiology in immunological research, future studies may find that neuronal detection of pathogens is an integral part of C. elegans-pathogen interactions. Similar to that of mammals, the C. elegans nervous system regulates its immune system to maintain immunological homeostasis. Studies in the nematode have revealed unprecedented details regarding the molecules, cells, and signaling pathways involved in neural regulation of immunity. Notably, some of the studies indicate that some neuroimmune regulatory circuits need not be “activated” by pathogen infection because they are tonically active and that there could be a predetermined set point for internal immunity, around which the nervous system adjusts immune responses to internal or external environmental changes. Here, we review recent progress on the roles of the C. elegans nervous system in pathogen detection and immune regulation. Because of its advantageous characteristics, we expect that the C. elegans model will be critical for deciphering complex neuroimmune signaling mechanisms that integrate and process multiple sensory cues.
Motivational Resilience during COVID-19 across At-Risk Undergraduates

Media reports suggest the switch to online courses due to COVID-19 has "demotivated" undergraduates. Our semester-long study of motivation for biology was in progress when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. We analyze changes in student (N = 182) motivation from before and after. Across variables, subgroups of students changed in adaptive and maladaptive ways; some remained stable. In cross-tabulations, one significant difference was found by sex, and a number of adaptive and maladaptive differences by race and socioeconomic status (SES). Despite obvious burdens on low-SES groups, undergraduate motivation was affected positively and negatively in this sample; only some variables were related to intention to remain in STEM.