cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation Between the Expression of an Escherichia coli Cell Surface Protein and the Ability of the Protein to Bind to Lipopolysaccharide

The ompA gene of Escherichia coli codes for a major protein of the outer membrane. When this gene was moved between various unrelated strains ( E. coli K-12 and two clinical isolates of E. coli ) by transduction, the gene was expressed very poorly. Recombinants carrying “foreign” genes produced no OmpA protein which could be detected on polyacrylamide gels and became resistant to bacteriophage K3, which uses this protein as receptor. The recombinants were sensitive to host-range mutants of K3, indicating a very low level of OmpA protein was produced. When an E. coli K-12 recombinant carrying an unexpressed foreign ompA allele was subjected to two cycles of selection for an OmpA + phenotype, a mutant strain was obtained which was sensitive to K3 and which expressed nearly normal levels of OmpA protein in the outer membrane. This strain carried mutations in the foreign ompA gene, as indicated both by genetic mapping and the alteration of a peptide in the mutant OmpA protein. The ability of the OmpA protein to bind to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed similar strain specificity, and the mutant OmpA protein which was expressed in an unrelated host showed enhanced ability to bind LPS from its new host. Thus, cell surface expression of the ompA gene appears to depend upon the ability of the gene product to bind LPS, suggesting that an interaction between the protein and LPS plays an essential role in biosynthesis of this outer membrane protein. Images
A Portrait of Hunger, the Social Safety Net, and the Working Poor

In a study at the largest northeastern Iowa food pantry between 2004 and 2006, we found that neither working nor accessing government benefits has a meaningful impact on lessening the odds that a person will need long-term food assistance. In other words, the working poor are at greater risk for making recurrent visits to the food pantry than those who do not work. Pantry clients who work are more likely to have sacrificed food to pay for other life necessities. Moreover, government benefits do not seem to provide an adequate food safety net. As a result, nonprofits are experiencing increased pressure to fill the gap. If we wish to maintain the government responsibility to alleviate hunger in our country, benefits for eligible citizens must be increased or food assistance nonprofits need more government support. Otherwise we should face the fact that as an undeclared public policy, our society tolerates hunger.
Egg Yolk Layers Vary in the Concentration of Steroid Hormones in Two Avian Species

Maternally derived steroid hormones are known to be present in the yolks of avian eggs; however, the physiological mechanisms involved in their deposition remain largely unexplored. Investigations of steroid production by avian follicles have demonstrated temporal differences in the concentrations of progesterone, 17β-estradiol, and testosterone during yolk formation. Because yolk is deposited peripherally in concentric spheres as the oocyte develops, differences in the production of follicular hormones during yolk formation should be manifested in differences in the localization of steroids within layers of the yolk. To investigate this hypothesis we analyzed steroid hormone concentrations in layers of individual eggs of the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) and the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). We found that in the dark-eyed junco the concentration of progesterone is significantly greater at the periphery of the yolk, while the concentration of 17β-estradiol is significantly greater near the center of the yolk. We also found in both the dark-eyed junco and the red-winged blackbird that the concentration of testosterone remains constant from the interior to the intermediate layers of the yolk and then drops sharply between the intermediate and exterior layers. The patterns of hormone localization that we found agree with those predicted by studies of temporal changes in steroidogenesis in the maturing follicle of the chicken, thus suggesting that within-yolk variation in yolk steroid concentrations in the dark-eyed junco and the red-winged blackbird reflects temporal differences in the pattern of follicular steroidogenesis. Variation in the concentration of hormones among yolk layers presents a methodological concern for studies that involve the removal of yolk samples from viable eggs for subsequent hormonal analysis. This variation also has implications for the timing of embryonic exposure to steroid hormones.
Stability of 2-D periodically shift variant filters

The stability of two-dimensional (2-D) periodically shift varying (PSV) filters is considered. The considered system is represented in state space by the first model of Fornasini-Marchesini (FM) with periodic coefficients. The stability of this model is then studied. Two necessary conditions and two sufficient conditions are established for asymptotic stability. The conditions are easy to use and computationally simple.
Parallel simulation of software defined networks

Existing network architectures fall short when handling networking trends, e.g., mobility, server virtualization, and cloud computing, as well as market requirements with rapid changes. Software-defined networking (SDN) is designed to transform network architectures by decoupling the control plane from the data plane. Intelligence is shifted to the logically centralized controller with direct programmability, and the underlying infrastructures are abstracted from applications. The wide adoption of SDN in network industries has motivated development of large-scale, high-fidelity testbeds for evaluation of systems that incorporate SDN. We leverage our prior work on a hybrid network testbed with a parallel network simulator and a virtual-machine-based emulation system. In this paper, we extend the testbed to support OpenFlow-based SDN simulation and emulation; show how to exploit typical SDN controller behavior to deal with potential performance issues caused by the centralized controller in parallel discrete-event simulation; and investigate methods for improving the model scalability, including an asynchronous synchronization algorithm for passive controllers and a two-level architecture for active controllers. The techniques not only improve the simulation performance, but also are valuable for designing scalable SDN controllers.
Salinity effects on annual bedding plants in a peat‐perlite medium and solution culture

Abstract Annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don ‘Pink Carpet'), geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum L. H. Bailey ‘Jackpot'), and marigold (Tagetes erecta L. ‘First Lady') were grown in a sphagnum peat moss and perlite medium. Plants were irrigated with solutions of different salinity by the addition of 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 g/1 of a NaCl and CaCl2 mixture resulting in solution electrical conductivity (EC) values of about 1.3, 3.0, 4.5, 7.9, and 13.9 ds/m, respectively. In another experiment marigold and geranium were grown in solution culture containing the same salt mixture at 0.0, 1.0, 4.0, and 8.0 g/1 with EC values of 1.4, 3.0, 7.4, and 12.5 ds/m, respectively. All species showed some salinity tolerance up to 2.0 g/1 in peat‐perlite and 1.0 g/1 in solution culture as growth reductions were below 10% and no foliar injury occurred. Foliar injury occurred on marigold and geranium, but not annual vinca, at 4.0 and 8.0 g/1 in both growing media. On a concentration basis, recently mature leaves sa...
Peripheral neuritis associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Involvement of peripheral nerves has, thus far, received too little attention as a systemic manifestation of rheumatoid disease. This article describes peripheral neuropathy in six patients with rheumatoid arthritis, all of whom were receiving or had received adrenal steroid therapy. Histologic studies revealed diffuse angiitis and suggested that vascular involvement of the nerve trunk contributed to the pathogenesis of the neuropathy. Le affection de nervos peripheric como manifestation de morbo rheumatoide non ha, usque nunc, habite le attention que illo merita. Iste articulo describe neuropathia peripheric in sex patientes con arthritis rheumatoide qui omnes recipeva o habeva recipite therapia adreno-steroide. Studios histologic rvelava diffuse angiitis e suggereva que un affection vascular del trunco nervose contribueva al pathogenese del neuropathia.
AMD-associated genes encoding stress-activated MAPK pathway constituents are identified by interval-based enrichment analysis.

Purpose: To determine whether common DNA sequence variants within groups of genes encoding elements of stressactivated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways are, in aggregate, associated with advanced AMD (AAMD). Methods: We used meta-regression and exact testing methods to identify AAMD-associated SNPs in 1177 people with AAMD and 1024 AMD-free elderly peers from 3 large-scale genotyping projects on the molecular genetics of AMD. SNPs spanning independent AAMD-associated genomic intervals were examined with a multi-locus-testing method (INRICH) for enrichment within five sets of genes encoding constituents of stress-activated MAPK signaling cascades. Results: Four-of-five pathway gene sets showed enrichment with AAMD-associated SNPs; findings persisted after adjustment for multiple testing in two. Strongest enrichment signals (P=0.006) existed in a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/ MAPK cascade (Science Signaling, STKE CMP_10827). In this pathway, seven independent AAMD-associated regions were resident in 6 of 25 genes examined. These included sequence variants in: 1) three MAP kinase kinase kinases (MAP3K4, MAP3K5, MAP3K9) that phosphorylate and activate the MAP kinase kinases MAP2K4 and MAP2K7 (molecules that phosphorylate threonine and tyrosine residues within the activation loop of JNK); 2) a target of MAP2K7 (JNK3A1) that activates complexes involved in transcriptional regulation of stress related genes influencing cell proliferation, apoptosis, motility, metabolism and DNA repair; and 3) NR2C2, a transcription factor activated by JNK1A1 (a drugable molecule influencing retinal cell viability in model systems). We also observed AAMD-related sequence variants resident in genes encoding PPP3CA (a drugable molecule that inactivates MAP3K5), and two genes (TGFB2, TGFBR2) encoding factors involved in MAPK sensing of growth factors/cytokines. Conclusions: Linkage disequilibrium (LD)-independent genomic enrichment analysis yielded associations of AAMD with aggregates of functionally related genes encoding constituents of the JNK MAPK signaling pathway. FDA-approved drugs now exist to target constituents of stress-activated MAPK pathways and may offer reasonable approaches to preventing or treating AAMD.
Sub-milliarcsecond determination of pole position using Global Positioning System data

The determination of pole-position variations from the analysis of 23 days of Global Positioning System (GPS) data continuously collected with a globally distributed, 21-station network is discussed. The comparison of the estimated pole positions from these data with results from 11 very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) experiments conducted during this same interval yields weighted root-mean-square differences about the mean differences of 0.5 mas for both X- and Y-pole position estimates from an analysis using single-day arcs, and 1.0 and 0.8 mas from an analysis using three weekly multiday arcs. These results are of sufficient quality that GPS could provide an alternative technique to VLBI and satellite laser ranging for regular monitoring of high-time-resolution variations in the position of the earth's rotation axis.
Upwind flight to cotton flowers by Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).

Wind tunnel bioassays were performed to examine upwind flight by pink bollworm moths, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), to different parts of the cotton plant ( Gossypium hirsutum L.). More moths approached and landed on flowers than on flower buds, bolls, or leaves. Mated female moths were more readily attracted to flowers than were unmated female or male moths. Attraction of moths to flowers was virtually eliminated by washing flowers in pentane, suggesting that the attraction was mediated by olfactory cues. Moths also responded to a hexane extract of flowers and to flowers without petals. We propose that flower volatiles act as a food lure attracting moths to extrafloral nectaries.
INFLUENCE OF DIETARY POTASSIUM, RUBIDIUM, OR SODIUM ON THE RETENTION TIME OF RADIOCESIUM IN RATS.

SummaryIncreasing the K intake of rats above requirements reduced the half-retention time for 134Cs but at a decreasing rate. Maximum intake was 5% which resulted in T1/2 of 6 days. The Na added at 0.3 or 2% to high K diet had no influence on the T1/2 for 134Cs. The influence of Rb salts on 134Cs retention would indicate that this ion is less effective than K. The decreased effect of Rb may be due to its failure to adequately substitute for K in normal muscle cell metabolism.
Four dimensional MR image analysis of dynamic renography.

� Abstract—A novel four dimensional image analysis approach including registration and segmentation of dynamic contrast enhanced renal MR images is presented. This integrated method is motivated by the observation of the reciprocity between registration and segmentation in 4D time-series images. Fully automated Fourier-based registration with sub-voxel accuracy and semi-automated time-series segmentation were intertwined to improve the accuracy in a multi-step fashion. We have tested our algorithm on several real patient data sets. Clinical validation showed remarkable and consistent agreement between the proposed method and manual segmentation by experts. I. INTRODUCTION
An optimization approach to understanding structure-function relationships in the visual cortex

The relationship between structure and function is of central importance in neuroscience. Computational modeling techniques can play a crucial role in exploring this relationship. Neuroscientists have revealed an interesting patterning in the connectivity of visual cortical areas, where the receptive field sizes for feed-forward, lateral and feedback connections are monotonically increasing and these roughly double. In this paper, we use a computational modeling approach to understand the behavior of the visual system, and show that this observed connectivity pattern can be explained via a maximization of functional metrics based on separation and segmentation accuracies. We use an optimization function based on sparse spatiotemporal encoding and faithfulness of representation to derive the dynamical behavior of a multi-layer network of oscillatory units. The network behavior can be quantified in terms of its ability to separate and segment mixtures of inputs. We vary the topological connectivity between different layers of the simulated visual network and study its effect on performance in terms of separation and segmentation accuracy. We demonstrate that the best performance occurs when the topology of the simulated system is similar to that in the primate visual cortex where the receptive field sizes of feedforward, lateral and feedback connections are monotonically increasing. This explanation of the functional significance of topological connectivity provides a new perspective for the understanding of cortical function.
Price floors and technical inefficiency in India's sugar processing industry

In India, cane is processed into sugar by cooperatives, public enterprises, and private (for-profit) firms. The Indian government sets a unique floor price for each processor that is increasing in the firm's effectiveness in converting cane into sugar. The floor price binds for public and private firms but not for cooperatives, which rebate profits to members. We argue that this price floor policy creates a disincentive for private and public firms to be technically efficient in converting cane to sugar. In support of this hypothesis an analysis of 593 Indian sugar factories from 1992 to 2007 reveals statistically significant differences in technical efficiency, with cooperatives being the most efficient and public firms least efficient. We estimate welfare losses due to the technical inefficiency attributable to the price-floor policy and argue that it can be eliminated by enacting policy to base price floors upon quality of the cane input received by a factory.
Excellence of Suito Index for Assessing Clinical Outcome of Islet Transplantation

Background. Monitoring functional islet mass after transplantation is critical to follow patients. Previously we demonstrated that the average secretory unit of islet transplant objects (SUITO) index within 1 month was an excellent predictor of insulin-free status or reduction in insulin dose. In this study, we analyzed the usefulness of daily SUITO index to assess clinical outcomes. Methods. Five patients underwent islet transplantation, including 3 who received 2 transplantations and 2 who received a single graft. All 5 patients achieved insulin-free status with 3 remaining insulin free at the time of evaluation. We analyzed the daily relative insulin dose and SUITO index. The daily relative insulin dose was calculated as the total daily insulin dose/average pretransplant insulin dose. The SUITO index was calculated as [fasting C-peptide (ng/mL)]/[fasting blood glucose (mg/mL) - 63] × 1,500. The data analyzed based on time after islet transplantation were categorized as within or after 1 month. Results. Within 1 month after islet transplantation, there was no correlation between the daily relative insulin dose and the daily SUITO index (P = .068; R = -0.33). After 1 month, the daily relative insulin dose and the daily SUITO index were strongly correlated (P < .0001; R = -0.70). When the cutoff value of the SUITO index was decided at 26 for insulin-free status, the positive predictive value was 84.1% and negative predictive value 89.4%. Conclusion. SUITO index was an excellent index to assess clinical outcomes beyond 1 month after islet transplantation.
Evaluation of Cultural Practices for Potential to Control Strawberry Sap Beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

Strawberry sap beetle, Stelidota geminata (Say) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), adults and larvae feed on and contaminate marketable strawberry (Fragaria L.) fruit. The beetle is a serious pest in the northeastern United States, with growers in multiple states reporting closing fields for picking prematurely due to fruit damage. Three options were evaluated for potential to reduce strawberry sap beetle populations. First, the influence of plant structure on accessibility of fruit in different strawberry cultivars to strawberry sap beetle was assessed by modifying plant structure and exposing caged plants to strawberry sap beetle adults. Severity of damage to berries staked up off the ground was similar to damage to those fruit contacting the soil, showing that adults will damage fruit held off the ground. Second, baited traps were placed at three distances into strawberry fields to determine whether overwintered beetles enter strawberry fields gradually. Adult beetles were first caught in the strawberries ≈19 d after occurring in traps placed along edges of adjacent wooded areas. The beetles arrived during the same sampling interval in traps at all distances into the fields, indicating that a border spray is unlikely to adequately control strawberry sap beetle. Third, the number of strawberry sap beetle emerging from strawberry for 5 wk after tilling and narrowing of plant rows was compared in plots renovated immediately at the end of harvest and in plots where renovation was delayed by 1 wk. In the 2-yr study, year and not treatment was the primary factor affecting the total number of emerging strawberry sap beetle. Overall, limited potential exists to reduce strawberry sap beetle populations by choosing cultivars with a particular plant structure, applying insecticide as a border spray, or modifying time of field renovation.
The Importance of Ethics and Ethical Leadership in the Accounting Profession

Abstract The beginning of the twenty-first century was plagued with extensive, evasive, and disheartening U.S. business and political leadership failures. Despite the accounting profession’s standards of professional ethics, accounting as a profession also was tainted with various ethical leadership indiscretions during this time. In response to these ethical leadership failings, renewed interest in developing accounting professionals with strong ethical principles and ethical leadership behaviors emerged. In many firms, training and development in ethical behavior is now at the forefront of communications and professional development efforts. The question remains, however, can the profession instill in its members the importance of ethical conduct? Can ethical leaders be developed who model ethical behavior? In response to the call for leaders who are ethical and moral, this research examined a model of ethical leadership and its impact on leader effectiveness for leaders within the accounting profession. The analysis shows that ethical and transformational leadership behaviors make independent and significant contributions to explaining leader effectiveness.
Evaluation of Urban Public Transportation

Many attempts are now being made to evaluate public transportation. This is brought about by the large public expenditures for mass transit services. The evaluation procedures now employed provide only for a superficial treatment. It is time that clear, concise, quantifiable objectives be defined for public transportation. Unless this quantification can occur, the evaluation process will remain meaningless.
Content+Context=Classification: Examining the Roles of Social Interactions and Linguist Content in Twitter User Classification

Twitter users demonstrate many characteristics via their online presence. Connections, community memberships, and communication patterns reveal both idiosyncratic and general properties of users. In addition, the content of tweets can be critical for distinguishing the role and importance of a user. In this work, we explore Twitter user classification using context and content cues. We construct a rich graph structure induced by hashtags and social communications in Twitter. We derive features from this graph structure—centrality, communities, and local flow of information. In addition, we perform detailed content analysis on tweets looking at offensiveness and topics. We then examine user classification and the role of feature types (context, content) and learning methods (propositional, relational) through a series of experiments on annotated data. Our work contrasts with prior approaches in that we use relational learning and alternative, non-specialized feature sets. Our goal is to understand how both content and context are predictive of user characteristics. Experiments demonstrate that the best performance for user classification uses relational learning with varying content and context features.
Abstract 261: Intermittently Encouraging Laypersons to Practice CPR Does Not Improve CPR Quality, Whereas Actual Practice Does Improve CPR Quality, 6 Months Post Training

Background: CPR quality varies considerably and skills deteriorate over time from initial training. Investigations suggest that frequent training may improve CPR skills. Few studies have tested met...
A method to study induction of autoimmunity in vitro: co-culture of lacrimal cells and autologous immune system cells.

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or dry eye, is the most frequently encountered form of ocular morbidity in developed countries.1 In the United States alone, 2 million people, 90% of them women, are estimated to suffer from dry eye associated with Sjogrens syndrome, an autoimmune disease. Perhaps another 8 million suffer from dry eye resulting either from unknown etiologies, termed “primary lacrimal deficiency” (PLD), or from the side effects of drug and/or radiation therapies.2 In addition to Sjogrens syndrome, immune system disorders such as sarcoidosis, graft-vs.-host disease,3 and diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome (DILS)4 can cause dry eye.
Screening of nattokinase high-yielded in different Bacillus Subtilis and optimization of fermentation conditions

This study was based on soybeans as main material,added different auxiliary material and handled with different treatments. Three Bacillus Subtilis fermentation characteristics were compared and the optimal strain was selected with the index of enzyme activity. The optimal process conditions were determined by solid-state fermentation experiments with the optimal strain. The result showed as follows:among three testing strains,BS21076 had the optimal fermentation characteristics,higher viable count and nattokinase activity. The optimal conditions of solid fermentation were baked at 90℃ for 5min,crushed degree four,3% konjac power,the inoculation of 8% and fermented at 37℃ for 24 h. Under these conditions,the enzyme activity reached(3582.48±83.13)U/g,which compared with traditional fermentation NK activity increased significantly(p0.01).
An examination of the concept of milieu therapy.

In this paper an attempt is made to examine, by a brief review of literature and of diagrams of actual psychiatric wards, some present thinking about the nature of a treatment environment.Three “di...
Sibling Caregivers of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Sociodemographic Characteristics and Material Hardship Prevalence

Abstract In growing numbers, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are outliving their parents, or at least their parents' ability to care for them. Consequently, adult siblings w...
Multi-intelligence critical rating assessment of fusion techniques (MiCRAFT) method

Assessment of multi-intelligence fusion techniques includes algorithm performance credibility, mission needs quality assessment, and work-domain usability. Situation awareness (SAW) bridges low-level information fusion (tracking and identification), with high-level information fusion (threat and scenario-based assessment), against user refinement (physical, cognitive, and information tasks). To measure SAW, common techniques include the NASA TLX (Task Load Index), SAGAT (Situational Awareness Global Assessment Technique) probes, SART (Situational Awareness Rating Technique) questionnaires, and CDM (Critical Decision Method) decision points. These SAW tools are combined for a Multi-Intelligence Critical Rating Assessment of Fusion Techniques (MiCRAFT). The focus is to measure user refinement of a situation over the information fusion quality of service (QoS) metrics: timeliness, accuracy, confidence, workload (cost), and attention (throughput). A key component of any user analysis includes correlation, association, and summarization of data; so we also seek measure SAW in the QuEST of information.
Perceived neighborhood boundaries: A missing link in modeling post-disaster housing recovery

Abstract Literature in the domain of disasters has highlighted the importance of reestablishment of housing to restore a community due to its ripple effect on the overall timing of recovery. In fact, previous research studies have revealed the significance of members of social support networks, such as neighbors, church members, and others who share local communal spaces, on the making of recovery decisions. The objective of this research is to explore the determinants that drive households’ perceived neighborhood boundaries, which will in turn facilitate future research on exploring the importance of community assets which would lead to establishment of these social support networks within perceived neighborhoods. To accomplish this, an online survey was designed and conducted in the states of New York and Louisiana, which bore the brunt of the nation's two costliest hurricanes, Sandy and Katrina. The survey provided an online graphical user interface with which participants could manually draw a polygon around the area they perceived to be their neighborhood. These manually-selected neighborhoods were then compared to fixed units defined by the Census Bureau to check for similarities and differences. In summary, out of various internal attributes, prior disaster-related personal impact resulted in identifying larger areas as perceived neighborhood boundaries. Similarly, location density was shown to have an increasing effect on perceived neighborhood area. Moreover, married participants tended to have larger perceived neighborhoods when compared to their unmarried counterparts. Finally, the results revealed a direct relationship between number of perceived community assets and size of perceived neighborhood.
The New Professionalism? Charter Teachers’ Experiences and Qualities of the Teaching Profession

While teacher professionalism remains a contested topic, scholars increasingly acknowledge the field has entered a “new professionalism” wherein its parameters are dictated by management and the organization rather than those within the occupation. Many argue that this shift has served to decrease teachers' sense of professionalism, efficacy and persistence. Simultaneously, no-excuses charter schools, considered to embrace this new professionalism, continue to proliferate. Yet little is known about how teachers within these schools view teaching and the qualities of teacher professionalism. To address this gap, we interviewed twenty new and novice teachers teaching in high profile charter organizations in the northeast such as Uncommon Schools, KIPP, MATCH, and Boston Collegiate. Our findings suggest that these teachers largely perceived their schools and the degree of professionalism positively. For example, teachers reported that their schools fostered teacher autonomy, professional accountability, and collaboration. However, their schools' high-accountability climates encouraged feelings of competition and caused teachers to question their efficacy, ultimately reinforcing views of teaching as a short-term endeavor. Finally, professional status and rewards were described as low with many teachers saying they felt underappreciated or undervalued. Our findings demonstrate how the climate of “new professionalism” can produce outcomes both consistent and in tension with efforts to professionalize teaching.
Mechanical Behavior of a Low-Cost Ti–6Al–4V Alloy

Mechanical compression tests were performed on an economical Ti–6Al–4V alloy over a range of strain-rates and temperatures. Low rate experiments (0.001–0.1/s) were performed with a servo-hydraulic load frame and high rate experiments (1000-80,000/s) were performed with the Kolsky bar (Split Hopkinson pressure bar). Emphasis is placed on the large strain, high-rate, and high temperature behavior of the material in an effort to develop a predictive capability for adiabatic shear bands. Quasi-isothermal experiments were performed with the Kolsky bar to determine the large strain response at elevated rates, and bars with small diameters (1.59 mm and 794 µm, instrumented optically) were used to study the response at the higher strain-rates. Experiments were also conducted at temperatures ranging from 81 to 673 K. Two constitutive models are used to represent the data. The first is the Zerilli-Armstrong recovery strain model and the second is a modified Johnson–Cook model which uses the recovery strain term from the Zerilli–Armstrong model. In both cases, the recovery strain feature is critical for capturing the instability that precedes localization.
Guidelines for Appropriate CT Imaging

Computed Tomography (CT) is now used to diagnose or guide management of virtually every disease state. However, this increase in CT use is associated with a rapid increase in medical radiation exposure. In response, there has been increased emphasis on reducing the radiation exposure associated with CT. This includes both using alternate imaging modalities and optimizing the technical parameters of the CT scans that are performed. An insidious and often overlooked source of medical radiation exposure is multiphasic examinations. Multiple CT phases (before and after contrast administration, delayed imaging, and venous and arterial phases among others) can be highly useful for certain specific clinical indications. However, when used incorrectly, multi-phase examinations multiply radiation dose for no benefit. In response to the need for guidelines for appropriate CT use, the American College of Radiology has created appropriateness criteria to provide guidance regarding the most efficacious use of multi-phase CT.
Individualizing Drug Therapy

Pharmacotherapy for overactive bladder (OAB) has been a mainstay of treatment for many years. Several oral medications are available including anticholinergic drugs and β3-agonists (mirabegron). Both classes of medications are effective in controlling the symptoms associated with OAB; however, they may produce side effects that may limit successful therapy. Successful therapy is dependent upon patient’s compliance, and thus individualizing drug therapy to maximize compliance will, in turn, result in successful treatment. Pharmacotherapy for OAB not only requires an understanding of the pharmacological properties of drugs, it also requires physicians and patients to have a candid discussion about treatment expectations in addition to counseling on drug side effects. Furthermore, patient comorbidities and age should be taken into consideration, as treatment should not create a hazardous situation for patients.
Reactions in Drift Tubes

Ion–molecule reactions are an important part of chemistry, but their study covers such a wide range of things that a book the size of this one can only describe a small fraction of this research field. We focus on the range of kinetic energy from about 0.1 to 2 eV, equivalent to thermal energies from 1000 to 20,000 K. This range can best be studied by using a drift tube, either as a stand-alone device or in combination with a mass spectrometer and/or a flowing afterglow apparatus. The history of flowing afterglow experiments has been reviewed several times (Graul and Squires in Mass Spectrom. Rev. 7:263, 1988, Bohme, Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 200:97 2000, Bierbaum, Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 377:456, 2015) and will not be repeated here.
Timeline Followback Self-Reports Underestimate Alcohol Use Prior to Successful Contingency Management Treatment

AIMS Alcohol consumption is a modifiable and plausible risk factor for age-related cognitive decline but more longitudinal studies investigating the association are needed. Our aims were to estimate associations of adult-life alcohol consumption and consumption patterns with age-related cognitive decline. METHODS We investigated the associations of self-reported adult-life weekly alcohol consumption and weekly extreme binge drinking (≥10 units on the same occasion) with changes in test scores on an identical validated test of intelligence completed in early adulthood and late midlife in 2498 Danish men from the Lifestyle and Cognition Follow-up study 2015. Analyses were adjusted for year of birth, retest interval, baseline IQ, education and smoking. RESULTS Men with adult-life alcohol consumption of more than 28 units/week had a larger decline in IQ scores from early adulthood to late midlife than men consuming 1-14 units/week (B29-35units/week = -3.6; P < 0.001). Likewise, a 1-year increase in weekly extreme binge drinking was associated with a 0.12-point decline in IQ scores (P < 0.001). Weekly extreme binge drinking explained more variance in IQ changes than average weekly consumption. In analyses including mutual adjustment of weekly extreme binge drinking and average weekly alcohol consumption, the estimated IQ decline associated with extreme binge drinking was largely unaffected, whereas the association with weekly alcohol consumption became non-significant. CONCLUSIONS Adult-life heavy alcohol consumption and extreme binge drinking appear to be associated with larger cognitive decline in men. Moreover, extreme binge drinking may be more important than weekly alcohol consumption in relation to cognitive decline.
Bacterial Controller Aided Wound Healing: A Case Study in Dynamical Population Controller Design

Wound healing is a complicated biological process consisting of many types of cellular dy- namics and functions regulated by chemical and molecular signals. Recent advances in synthetic biology have made it possible to predictably design and build closed-loop controllers that can function appropriately alongside biological species. In this paper we develop a simple dynamical population model mimicking the sequential relay-like dynamics of cellular populations involved in the wound healing process. Our model consists of four nodes and five signals whose pa- rameters we can tune to simulate various chronic healing conditions. We also develop a set of regulator functions based on type-1 incoherent feed forward loops (IFFL) that can sense the change from acute healing to incomplete chronic wounds, improving the system in a timely manner. Both the wound healing and type-1 IFFL controller architectures are compatible with available synthetic biology experimental tools for potential applications.
Initiation of a nursing education curriculum with accessibility to all learners

Over the last few decades, a surge in academic programs developed and offered through distance education has occurred. Educators have embraced course work and programs delivered through asynchronous online formats. The University of South Carolina College of Nursing designed a plan to assure online courses and course components would meet all federal, state and university mandates for materials to be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. This effort assured that all courses met the Quality Matters standards for online excellence. The authors identified challenges involved, technologies that could facilitate this process, and a step-by-step plan and process which provided the positive outcome.
Winter bird-window collisions: mitigation success, risk factors, and implementation challenges.

Millions of birds die in bird-window collisions in the United States each year. In specialized test settings, researchers have developed methods to alter window designs to mitigate collisions. However, few published studies provide pretest and posttest evaluations of mitigation treatment areas and untreated control areas on existing buildings. We initially monitored bird-window collisions at a single building on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, during winter 1 (November 9, 2017-January 2, 2018). We found 15 bird-window collisions, most under a portion of the building with a mirrored facade. To test a mitigation treatment, we installed Feather Friendly® bird deterrent film on part of the mirrored facade after winter 1. The unmitigated areas of the same building served as a control area. We continued monitoring during the following winter 2 (November 15, 2018-January 12, 2019). The treated area collisions declined from seven before mitigation to two after mitigation, a 71% reduction. The control area had eight collisions at both times. Results of a generalized estimating equation yielded a significant area by season interaction effect (p = 0.03) and fewer collisions in the mitigated area than the control area at winter 2 (p = 0.03), supporting efficacy of the mitigation. In winter 2 we also expanded monitoring to eight total buildings to evaluate the risks of mirrored windows and proximity to fruiting pear trees (Prunus calleryana) and the benefits of bird-friendly glass. Bird-friendly glass, found on two buildings, included windows with permanent fritted dots or embedded ultraviolet patterns. We counted 22 collisions across the eight buildings. Mirrored windows and proximity to fruiting pear trees related to higher odds of bird-window collisions, based on separate generalized estimating equations. The best fit model included mirrored windows and pear trees. The two buildings with bird-friendly glass had only one collision, suggesting that these designs deter collisions, although the difference was not statistically significant. To publicize the study and to receive reports of additional bird collisions or fatalities on campus, we created a citizen science project on iNaturalist and engaged in additional outreach efforts that yielded 22 ad hoc reports. Many previous studies have documented Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) collisions, but at relatively low numbers. Cedar Waxwings accounted for 31 of 34 identifiable collisions from the monitoring study and 4 of 21 identifiable collisions or fatalities from ad hoc reports.
Associations Between Nonclinical Services and Patient-Experience Outcomes in US Acute Care Hospitals.

Background:Patient experience is an important measure of hospital quality and performance. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, patient experiences with their care encounters are embedded ...
Reliability of Radiographic Union Scoring in Humeral Shaft Fractures.

Objectives To establish the reliability of two radiographic union scoring systems for non-operative humeral shaft fractures. Design Retrospective medical record review. Patients identified had humeral shaft fractures and radiographs at various follow-up time points which were graded according to the both the standard (RUST) and modified radiographic union scoring systems (mRUST). Setting A single North American Level-1 Trauma center in Connecticut, including emergency department and clinic follow-up visitsPatients/Participants: 45 adult patients (162 image sets) met the following inclusion criteria: diaphyseal humerus fracture, initial non-operative management, and greater than 2 weeks of follow-up with imaging. Intervention All 162 image sets of AP and lateral radiographs were scored and divided into four tiers based on increasing score. AP and lateral image sets were randomly selected from each tier for a total of 50 that were then scored by 7 different reviewers using both the RUST and mRUST systems. Main outcome measurements The Intraclass correlation coefficients for the cortical and system scores for the RUST and mRUST systems. Results Interobserver reliability was 0.795 for the RUST system and 0.801 for mRUST. Intra-observer reliability of 0.909 for RUST and 0.949 for mRUST. For mRUST, 92% of values were within +/- 1 point from each other. Conclusions The RUST and mRUST systems can be applied to humeral shaft fractures with excellent reliability. They have the potential to assist in the diagnosis of humeral shaft union by providing an objective and standardized method to assess healing of bone over time. Level of evidence III, Diagnostic Study.
Stay-at-Home Orders Were Issued Earlier in Economically Unfree States

Stay-at-Home orders curtailed the individual liberty of those across the United States. Governors of some states move swiftly to impose the lockdowns. Others delayed and a few even refused to implement these policies. I explore common narratives of what determines the speed of implementation, namely partisanship and virus exposure. While correlation exists, I show that the most-consistent explanation for the speed of the implementation of these orders is the state's economic freedom. It was the economically unfree who issued the Stay-at-Home orders earlier.
Ethical Algorithms in Autonomous Vehicles: Reflections on a Workshop

This chapter summarizes and expands on the breakout session at the 2019 Autonomous Vehicles Symposium in Orlando, FL, titled “Ethical Algorithms in Autonomous Vehicles.” First, the content of the workshop presentations is summarized, covering technical and nontechnical detail. Second, the discussion during, and on the margins of the workshop is summarized from the perspective of the authors, consistent with the Chatham House Rule. Conclusions are posed for industry, academia, and government readers.
Improved high cycle fatigue performance of additively manufactured 17-4 PH stainless steel via in-process refining micro-/defect-structure

Abstract The usage of an appropriate shield gas for laser beam powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) of the popular 17−4 precipitation hardened (PH) stainless steel (SS) has long been debated in the additive manufacturing (AM) community. While the inertness of Ar is often desirable as the shield gas from unwanted chemical reactions, its low solubility combined with the violent nature of the melt pool inevitably result in the formation of defects that are detrimental to the fatigue performance of the alloy. On the other hand, although N2 is reactive with some alloys (e.g. titanium), it may have remarkable favorable effects on the mechanical properties and fatigue performance of 17−4 PH SS. In this article, the advantageous effects of N2 as an in-process micro-/defect-structure refiner of LB-PBF 17−4 PH SS, and in turn, an enhancer of its mechanical/fatigue properties are demonstrated. It is shown that, compared to Ar, the use of N2 shield gas induces more retained austenite, refines grains, makes the melt pools deeper, produces fewer and smaller pores, and as a result, slightly improves tensile properties, moderately improves crack growth resistance, and considerably improves axial fatigue properties in the high cycle regime.
Writing to Make Meaning through Collaborative Multimodal Composing among Korean EFL Learners: Writing Processes, Writing Quality and Student Perception

Abstract The value of a multimodal approach (i.e., making meaning by combining multiple semiotic modes such as pictures or sound in addition to language) to conceptualizing and teaching writing has received growing attention ( Belcher, 2017 , Selfe, 2007 ). This study examined the focus of Korean EFL students’ discussions during multimodal composing (MMC), and the relationship between interactive writing processes during collaborative MMC and the outcome of MMC. It further examined students’ perceptions of MMC. Sixty Korean high school students completed MMC in groups of two or three students over three English class sessions. The project topic was the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the students used Adobe Spark to create their MMC after watching the movie, I, Robot ( Proyas, 2004 ). Students’ interactions during planning time and MMC were transcribed and coded for the focus of discussion such as task management and content. The quality of their MMC was scored using a holistic rubric. The findings showed that students spent the majority of time on content development during planning and on content development, language use, slide design and task management during MMC. Additionally, the results showed that there was no significant relationship between students’ collaborative discussion (i.e., MMC episodes) and the quality of MMC. Finally, the participants exhibited positive attitudes towards the helpfulness of MMC in English learning.
Music Education for Surviving and Thriving: Cultivating Children’s Wonder, Senses, Emotional Wellbeing, and Wild Nature as a Means to Discover and Fulfill Their Life’s Purpose

Children who are supported throughout childhood and adolescence to both maintain their sense of wonder in nature, and honor and explore their wild human nature, are well positioned to mature into soulcentric adults capable of living into their purpose in service to both their culture and the whole of life. However, our society’s ecocidal culture and unjust institutions often replicate oppressions and promote egocentric behaviors that preclude thriving. Additionally, many children are alienated from nature and are thought to have nature-deficit disorder, which can include both mental and physical maladies. In this article I explore conceptions of ecojustice education to further illustrate pathways for curriculum development in music education that might encourage children and adolescents to maintain their sense of wonder in nature, fully develop their sensory capacities, support their mental and emotional wellbeing, attune more carefully to their wild nature and soul’s purpose, and contribute to the environmental and social commons—all which might support human flourishing and the continued survival of our species.