cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Normal Mosquito Extracts upon Arbovirus Recoveries from Mosquito Pools

Abstract Titers of Turlock (TUR) and Hart Park (HP) viruses were reduced to undetectable levels when virus was mixed with a triturated suspension of uninfected (normal) 4th instar larvae of Culex tarsalis prior to plaque assay in cell culture. There was a linear relationship between the number of larvae in the pool and the titer of virus recoverable. Virus was undetectable when 1,000–10,000 PFU of either agent was added to pools that contained 25 or more larvae. Suspensions of up to 25 adult male or female Cx. tarsalis had little effect on detectable viral titers while pupal suspensions had an intermediate effect. The inhibitory effect of normal larval extracts on viral infectivity could be counteracted by use of polycations or a high pH buffer. A similar reduction in titer of TUR virus was observed with extracts of larvae of Aedes melanimon or Anopheles franciscanus. Larval extracts of Cx. tarsalis similarly reduced titers of California and St. Louis encephalitis viruses but not western equine encephalomyelitis virus. These findings may have significant bearing on the interpretation of transovarial transmission attempts in which pooled larvae are assayed for virus.
Run-time validation of speculative optimizations using CVC

Abstract Translation validation is an approach for validating the output of optimizing compilers. Rather than verifying the compiler itself, translation validation mandates that every run of the compiler generate a formal proof that the produced target code is a correct implementation of the source code. Speculative loop optimizations are aggressive optimizations which are only correct under certain conditions which cannot be validated at compile time. We propose using an automatic theorem prover together with the translation validation framework to automatically generate run-time tests for such speculative optimizations. This run-time validation approach must not only detect the conditions under which an optimization generates incorrect code, but also provide a way to recover from the optimization without aborting the program or producing an incorrect result. In this paper, we apply the run-time validation technique to a class of speculative reordering transformations and give some initial results of run-time tests generated by the theorem prover CVC.
TH-A-204-02: Part II - Worldwide Radiation Metrology

The ICRU is currently finalizing a report on key data for radiation dosimetry. This multi-year review has resulted in a number of recommendations regarding “fundamental” data that are used in dosimetry related to radiation therapy. This educational session will explain the background for the ICRU committee's work, the content and conclusions of the report and the impact on outputs, including NIST primary standards, ADCL calibration coefficients and clinical reference dosimetry. Parameters and beam modalities potentially affected by this report include: The mean excitation energy, I, for graphite, air, and water, The average energy required to create an ion pair in dry air (commonly referred to as W/e), The uncertainty in the determination of air kerma in kV x-rays The absolute value of Co-60 and Cs-137 primary standards and the dissemination of calibration coefficients, The determination of air kerma strength for Ir-192 HDR brachytherapy sources Ion chamber kQ factors for linac MV beams Ion chamber kQ factors for proton beams. The changes in reference dosimetry that would result from adoption of the ICRU recommendations are of the order of 0.5% to 1%, an effect that will not impact clinical dose delivery but will be detectable in the clinical setting. This session will also outline how worldwide metrology is coordinated through the Convention of the Meter and therefore how the international dosimetry community will proceed with adopting these recommendations so that uniformity from country to country in reference dosimetry is maintained. Timelines and communications methods will also be discussed to ensure that users, such as clinical medical physicists, are not surprised when their chamber's calibration coefficient apparently changes. Learning Objectives: 1.Understand the background for the ICRU committee's work on key dosimetry data. 2.Understand the proposed changes to key data and the impacts on reference dosimetry. 3.Understand the methodology and timeline for adoption of the ICRU recommendations.
HIV-1 Tat-shortened neurite outgrowth through regulation of microRNA-132 and its target gene expression

Synaptodendritic damage is a pathological hallmark of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, and HIV-1 Tat protein is known to cause such injury in the central nervous system. In this study, we aimed to determine the molecular mechanisms of Tat-induced neurite shortening, specifically the roles of miR-132, an important regulator of neurite morphogenesis in this process. The relationship between Tat expression and miR-132 expression was first determined using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) in Tat-transfected astrocytes and neurons, astrocytes from Tat-transgenic mice, and HIV-infected astrocytes. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to determine Tat effects on expression of miR-132 target genes methyl CpG-binding protein 2, Rho GTPase activator p250GAP, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Exosomes were isolated from Tat-expressing astrocytes, and exosomal microRNA (miRNA) uptake into neurons was studied using miRNA labeling and flow cytometry. The lactate dehydrogenase release was used to determine the cytotoxicity, while immunostaining was used to determine neurite lengths and synapse formation. Tat basic domain deletion mutant and miR-132 mimic and inhibitor were used to determine the specificity of the relationship between Tat and miR-132 and its effects on astrocytes and neurons and the underlying mechanisms of Tat-induced miR-132 expression. Tat significantly induced miR-132 expression, ensuing down-regulation of miR-132 target genes in astrocytes and neurons. miR-132 induction was associated with phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein and required the basic domain of Tat. miRNA-132 induction had no effects on astrocyte activation or survival but was involved in the direct neurotoxicity of Tat. miR-132 was present in astrocyte-derived exosomes and was taken up by neurons, causing neurite shortening. Tat-induced miR-132 expression contributes to both direct and astrocyte-mediated Tat neurotoxicity and supports the important roles of miR-132 in controlling neurite outgrowth.
Ground-Water-Simulation Apparatus for Introductory and Advanced Courses in Environmental Geology

We have developed a new advanced hydrogeology pollutant-transport simulation apparatus that is widely adaptable and can be used for quantitative experiments. It allows students to readily observe processes that are otherwise unobservable because of temporal and spatial constraints and because they take place in the subsurface. The simulator is a gently inclined, 61 cm × 122 cm terrarium with input and outflow ports on either side. The terrarium is filled with layers of sand and clay to simulate stratigraphy. “Wells” are simulated by clear plastic tubes with screened ports that are spaced at regular intervals and depths. In one experiment, water-based dye is injected as a plume in the top center of the terrarium, creating a slug that moves down the gradient towards the wells. Groups of students pipette samples from the wells at regular intervals and qualitatively estimate dye concentrations using a color-tone calibration set. Flow models and time-integrated displays of plume concentrations can be construct...
Emergency Department Management of Hereditary Angioedema Attacks: Patient Perspectives

Background Emergency department (ED) management of hereditary angioedema (HAE) has been hindered by misdiagnosis and limited treatment options. Food and Drug Administration approval of 4 on-demand HAE therapies starting in 2009 and the publication of ED guidelines for angioedema management in 2014 should facilitate improvement of HAE management in the ED. Objective The objective of this study was to identify patient-reported areas for improvement in ED management of HAE attacks. Methods Patients with self-reported HAE with C1 inhibitor deficiency who attended the 2015 HAE Association Patient Summit were asked to complete an anonymous 30-question survey. Questions addressed patient characteristics and HAE management in the ED. Results Patients indicated that understanding of HAE in the ED needed improvement (99%, 104 of 105 patients). Recognition of HAE as a diagnosis (48%, 50 of 105 patients), appreciation of HAE as a serious disease (45%, 47 of 105 patients), and medication management (59%, 62 of 105 patients) were identified as areas needing improvement. Among 39 patients who required ED care within the last year, 6 did not receive any HAE-targeted therapy, and treatment with corticosteroids (n = 3), epinephrine (n = 2), and antihistamines (n = 7) was reported. Among 68 patients whose treatment plan was to receive home on-demand therapy, 26 required ED care because of an inability to receive on-demand therapy at home as outlined in their treatment plan. Having a treatment plan was associated with a greater likelihood of receiving HAE therapy in the ED (99% vs 74%, P = .002). Conclusion HAE management in the ED can be improved with a focus on recognition of HAE attacks and administration of effective HAE therapies.
Establishing Computer-Assisted Instruction to Teach Academics to Students with Autism as an Evidence-Based Practice

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is growing in popularity and has demonstrated positive effects for students with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this review, criteria for group experimental and single case studies were used to determine quality (Horner et al., Exceptional Children 71:165-179, 2005; Gersten et al., Exceptional Children 71:149-164, 2005; National Technical Assistance Center on Transition Center 2015). Included studies of high and adequate quality were further analyzed in terms of content, context, and specific instructional practices. Based on the NTACT criteria, this systematic review has established CAI as an evidence-based practice for teaching academics to students with ASD with support from 10 single-case and two group design studies of high or adequate quality. Suggestions for future research and implications for practice are discussed.
Use of Clinical Decision Support to Increase Premedication Regimen Homogeneity

Abstract Purpose Patients with prior allergic reactions to iodinated contrast require premedication. This study aimed to increase the homogeneity of premedication orders in such patients. Methods A point-of-care (POC) clinical decision support (CDS) alert accompanied by an order set was implemented in the electronic health record (EHR) to notify providers of a prior allergic reaction upon ordering an examination involving iodinated contrast. Premedication regimens were retrospectively compared 11 months pre– and 11 months post–alert implementation, with the different regimens being classified as follows: (1) "preferred" (per ACR recommendations), (2) "nonpreferred" (corticosteroid administered Results Over 22 months, 22,023 iodinated contrast examinations were performed, 200 (186 intravascular, 12 gastrointestinal/genitourinary, 1 intraarticular, 1 intrathecal) being in patients with a documented iodinated contrast allergy (106 pre–, 94 post–alert deployment). Prealert, 41 of 106 patients (38.7%) received a preferred regimen, 47 (44.3%) received nonpreferred regimens, and 18 (17.0%) received no premedication. Postalert, 58 of 94 patients (61.7%) received a preferred regimen, 21 (22.3%) nonpreferred regimens, and 15 (16.0%) no premedication. After alert initiation, the patients prescribed a preferred regimen significantly increased (Z-score = 3.25, P = .001), but there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with no premedication (Z-score = -0.02, P = .85). In 2 of 200 patients (1.0%), an allergic reaction occurred, both after POC-CDS alert implementation with a preferred regimen administered. Conclusions The homogeneity of premedication regimens significantly increased after the alert's launch. However, the proportion of patients with no premedication did not significantly change.
Example Problems Related to Soil Identification and Classification

This chapter discusses ways in which soils are identified through suitable quantitative means such as particle size distribution, degree of plasticity, etc. The resulting values are then used to classify the soil.
On-Top Pair Density as a Measure of Left–Right Correlation in Bond Breaking

To better understand left–right electron correlation and the effect of bond breaking on the on-top pair density, analytic expressions for the total density, the on-top pair density, and the ratio of the on-top pair density to the square of the total density were derived for H2 for both a restricted Hartree–Fock wave function and a complete active space self-consistent-field wave function with two electrons in two active orbitals. These quantities are compared for the two wave functions for various points in space around the molecule as functions of internuclear distance. At some points in space, in the CASSCF(2,2) wave function, electron correlation, perhaps counterintuitively, increases the probability that two electrons are at the same point in space. At the Coulson–Fischer point, the on-top pair density for the complete active space wave function starts to rapidly approach zero, and this can be taken as an indicator of bond breaking.
Ophthalmologic manifestations of systemic vasculitis.

Purpose of reviewTo review the systemic vasculitides and associated ocular manifestations with emphasis on publications within the last 12 months.Recent findingsThere are multiple case reports demonstrating atypical ocular manifestations of systemic vasculitis. Often the eye findings are the initial
A Case Study Demonstrating the Utility of Duplex Ultrasonography as the Sole Imaging Modality in the Surveillance and Repair of Lower Extremity Arterial Bypass Grafts

IntroductionTraditionally, duplex ultrasonography has played a secondary role in the pre-operative assessment of lower extremity arterial bypass graft revision, being used more as a follow-up tool,...
Sleep structure and quantity are determined by behavioral transition probability in Drosophila melanogaster

In humans and flies, sleep is a highly organized behavior, occurring in discrete episodes that are consolidated at night but have a more fragmented structure during the day. Longer episodes correlate with transitions to deeper sleep states for both species, and sleep fragmentation has been shown to have deleterious outcomes for a large number of physiological processes. In mammals and birds, EEG provides an excellent measure of sleep structure and state. In invertebrates, assessment of sleep structure has relied on measures of episode duration, which can fail to capture important aspects of sleep architecture. Here we model Drosophila sleep as a probabilistic behavior and develop analytical tools to measure transition probabilities and the organization of sleep episodes within a defined analysis window. We show that these tools provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of normal sleep and into how they are altered in pathological conditions. The probability of transition to the wake state, P(Wake), is a major driver of normal sleep quantity and is responsive to dopaminergic tone, suggesting it is a measure of arousal. The probability of transition to the sleep state, P(Doze), is regulated by sleep deprivation and contributes significantly to regulating sleep fragmentation, suggesting it is a measure of sleep drive. Our method for assessing sleep fragmentation adds important information about the organization of sleep bouts that is missing in measures of episode duration alone. Importantly, the ability to measure behavioral drives provides a way to compare the effects of neural circuits and perturbations that play a role in more than one sleep-relevant process.
Plasticity of thermal tolerance and its relationship with growth rate in juvenile mussels (Mytilus californianus)

Complex life cycles characterized by uncertainty at transitions between larval/juvenile and adult environments could favour irreversible physiological plasticity at such transitions. To assess whet...
Evaluation of the Nova Vet Meter for sheep-side monitoring of β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) and description of ewe BHBA during late gestation in three flocks from the Northeastern U.S.

Prevention of metabolic diseases in small ruminants may improve production efficiency and profitability, yet ewes carrying multiples or who are in poor body condition are at increased susceptibility to develop ketosis. This study evaluated the hand-held Nova Vet Meter to accurately detect β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) concentrations in ewes and determined the percentage of ewes at moderate (0.8 to 1.5 mmol/L BHBA) and greatest (≥1.6 mmol/L BHBA) risk to develop ketosis during late gestation. To validate the Nova Vet Meter, BHBA concentrations of 104 paired blood samples were measured using the Nova Vet Meter and gold-standard laboratory analysis. Receiver operating characteristics were calculated. The accuracy and sensitivity of detecting BHBA concentrations at 0.8 to 1.5 mmol/L were 94.2% and 97.3%, respectively. The accuracy and sensitivity of detecting BHBA concentrations ≥ 1.6 mmol/L were 98.0% and 50.0%, respectively. Ewe body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), and BHBA of 117 ewes from three flocks were determined weekly during the four weeks before parturition. During the last three weeks of gestation >20% of ewes were identified with moderate risk to develop ketosis. During the last four weeks of gestation, ewes carrying triplets had reduced BCS (P = 0.0002) and increased BHBA concentrations (P < 0.0001) compared with singleton and twin pregnancies. Ewe BHBA did not correlate with lamb birth weight (R2 = 0.003; P = 0.41). In conclusion, the Nova Vet Meter is suitable for sheep-side BHBA monitoring between 0.8 and 1.5 mmol/L, but further testing is necessary to evaluate BHBA readings ≥1.6 mmol/L.
City Planning with a Multiobjective Genetic Algorithm and a Pareto Set Scanner

A genetic algorithm was used to search for optimal future land use and transportation plans for a pair of high-growth cities. Hundreds of thousands of plans were considered. Constraints were imposed to insure adequate housing for future residents. Objectives included the minimization of traffic congestion, the minimization of costs, and the minimization of change from the status quo. The genetic algorithm provided planners and decision-makers with a rich set of optimal plans known as the Pareto set. An interactive computer tool was developed to assist decision-makers in scanning the information in the Pareto set as they “shop” for a plan.
Studies on the Relation of the Midbrain Periaqueductal Gray, the Larynx and Vocalization in Awake Monkeys

Mammalian vocalization is a complex behavior involving muscles of the respiratory and laryngeal systems and usually muscles of the pharynx, tongue, palate, jaw and lips. Moreover, it is not uncommon to observe animals moving their ears or altering their stance when vocalizing. Thus, vocalization may involve the coordination of a large number of muscle systems of the body. In this context, vocalization should be considered a part of a larger behavioral repertoire that is often seen as a response to an external motivating stimulus, e.g., aggression, or an internal drive state, e.g., sexual arousal. However, vocalization can occur without the involvement of many of the other muscular systems. In fact, the only essential muscular processes necessary for vocalization, or sound production are respiratory and laryngeal. Respiratory muscles contract to assist passive recoil forces in the generation of subglottal pressure, and laryngeal adductors and tensors contract to place the vocal folds in the appropriate biomechanical state for responding to exhaled air and thus producing periodic bursts of air above the glottis. When such bursts occur with sufficient intensity and periodicity, a tonal quality is perceived, which we term vocalization.
Electronic and Vibrational Relaxation Dynamics of Heme Proteins

The spontaneous Raman scattering intensity observed under resonance conditions is reduced at high photon fluxes, due to light-driven depopulation of the electronic ground state. Resonance Raman saturation spectroscopy1,2 uses this effect to probe the time scale for the recovery of ground state population as the excited states relax. In addition, the possibility exists to monitor Raman scattering from excited electronic or vibrational states that are populated during the laser pulse. A correct assignment of such states is essential in sorting out the dynamics of energy dissipation3 subsequent to the absorption of photons by the heme chromophore.
Navigating livelihood uncertainty: prevailing wisdoms guiding fertility preferences in rural Malawi

Context/Background: Malawi has experienced social and demographic change although economic livelihoods remain characterized by uncertainty. Economic models of fertility posit shifts in the value of children but the role of uncertainty in shaping prevailing wisdoms about good childbearing is often overlooked. Data Source and Methods: Thematic content analysis with 48 in-depth interviews collected with 29 women in Central Malawi at two time points during 2016. Findings: Three dominant schema, or prevailing wisdoms, about good childbearing emerged as guiding individuals through uncertain futures. When implemented, they can both encourage and discourage further childbearing. Economic considerations are dominant in discussions of fertility goals but these don’t always reflect individualistic calculations of available resources. Furthermore, normative uncertainty can encourage less contingent fertility preferences. Conclusion: How individuals navigate fertility goals matters for reducing unintended pregnancy, and for economic and health policy. Investment in stable livelihoods, not just poverty alleviation, and expanded family planning services represent long-term investments.
Wearable Tremor Reduction Device (TRD) for Human Hands and Arms

Parkinson’s disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) are two common but unrelated diseases that cause movement disorders often involving with severe tremor. The two diseases affects tens of millions of people worldwide, but there is no known cure for them. The tremor not only pose difficulty in completing daily tasks but also impair patients’ social confidence. The objective of this project is to develop a wearable tremor reduction device for the upper limb. The device is obviously different from any previous devices because it is compact, lightweight, comfortable to wear and effective. It is expected to help patients manage the tremor symptoms and regain their normal life.Copyright © 2018 by ASME
How Did We End Up in a World Where Browsewraps are Enforced Even When They Waive All Consumer Rights

Lochner V. New York turned “freedom of contract” from the gift of the king requiring lords to allow serfs to decide the terms of their own service back to freedom of the powerful to impose terms on the weak without any governmental oversight. Despite the vilification of Lochner for over a century, courts are returning to Lochnerian philosophy as a revival of “classicism” or “formalism.” Notwithstanding the decades of anti-Lochner rhetoric, courts are again enforcing overreaching contracts in the name of freedom of contract, Smithian-market myths, and the efficiency of the powerful. Rather than face hard issues about market power and the meaning of the rights waived, courts take the easy route of blaming the victims for assenting—or rather, not for assenting, but for failing to search for a link to legal terms, take a half hour to read them, seek legal counsel to interpret them, and shop for another online service or goods provider with less onerous terms, even though one is unlikely to be found. At least the bakers in Lochner signed a written document. But even that form of assent is no longer required.
A Survey of Natural Language Generation Techniques with a Focus on Dialogue Systems - Past, Present and Future Directions.

One of the hardest problems in the area of Natural Language Processing and Artificial Intelligence is automatically generating language that is coherent and understandable to humans. Teaching machines how to converse as humans do falls under the broad umbrella of Natural Language Generation. Recent years have seen unprecedented growth in the number of research articles published on this subject in conferences and journals both by academic and industry researchers. There have also been several workshops organized alongside top-tier NLP conferences dedicated specifically to this problem. All this activity makes it hard to clearly define the state of the field and reason about its future directions. In this work, we provide an overview of this important and thriving area, covering traditional approaches, statistical approaches and also approaches that use deep neural networks. We provide a comprehensive review towards building open domain dialogue systems, an important application of natural language generation. We find that, predominantly, the approaches for building dialogue systems use seq2seq or language models architecture. Notably, we identify three important areas of further research towards building more effective dialogue systems: 1) incorporating larger context, including conversation context and world knowledge; 2) adding personae or personality in the NLG system; and 3) overcoming dull and generic responses that affect the quality of system-produced responses. We provide pointers on how to tackle these open problems through the use of cognitive architectures that mimic human language understanding and generation capabilities.
Minimum Wage Policy and Community College Enrollment Patterns

In this article, the author studies the effect of the minimum wage on community college enrollment using cross-border variation in state minimum wages. To address spatial correlation in local labor...
The demonstration of dehydrogenases and monoamine oxidase by the formation of osmium blacks at the sites of Hatchett's brown

Methods are described for the direct cytochemical demonstration by light or electron microscopy of several mitochondrial dehydrogenase enzymes and monoamine oxidase using ferricyanide as an artificial electron acceptor. Hatchett's brown, cupric ferrocyanide, is the primary reaction product produced at the sites of mitochondrial oxidative enzymes in briefly fixed tissues by the histochemical incubation. After post-fixation, the cupric ferrocyanide is utilized as a catalyst to effect the oxidative polymerization of 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB), resulting in an amplification of the original deposits. Upon osmication an osmium black end-product, which is ideal for light or electron microscopy, is produced at the tissue sites of the flavoprotein enzyme.
What Justice Demands

Drawing upon the neurosciences and other empirical observations, I argue that the moral demands of justice are expressed in our natural inhibitions and proclivities, namely inhibitions of avoiding harming one another and in our proclivities to spawn offspring, nurturing and sustaining them, and protecting and rescuing their lives. These key moral demands undergird the two main conclusions of chapter one: healthcare ought to be universal; and that this goal is possible if the money to provide it comes from the profits generated by all individuals and entities that provide healthcare, and by avoiding unethically generated harmful medical practices.
Project Vulture: A Prototype for Using Drones in Search and Rescue Operations

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS/Drones) are great resources for search and rescue (SAR) operations as they allow for remote examination of vast areas. This paper presents a smart human subject localization system called Project Vulture. Our system utilizes a trained deep learning model to speed up the analysis of obtained drone aerial images for scalable and distributed operations. Given that SAR deals with human lives, our localization model focuses on obtaining higher sensitivity than existing peer models. In this situation, we accept the possibility of a higher false positive rate. Our obtained results are promising and encourage continued research in this field.
Deoxydehydration of polyols catalyzed by a molybdenum dioxo-complex supported by a dianionic ONO pincer ligand.

Deoxydehydration (DODH) is the net reduction of diols and polyols to alkenes or dienes and water. Molybdenum cis-dioxo bis-phenolate ONO complexes were synthesized and have been shown to be active for DODH. Catalysts were screened for activity at 150–190 °C, and appreciable yields of up to 59% were obtained. PPh3, Na2SO3, Zn, C, 3-octanol and 2-propanol were screened as reductants. Additionally, the reactivities of a variety of diols were screened. With (R,R)-(+)-hydrobenzoin as substrate, DODH occurs via a mechanism where reduction of the Mo catalyst is a result of diol oxidation to form two equivalents of aldehyde. These reactions result in complete conversion and near quantitative yields of trans-stilbene and benzaldehyde.
Preliminary Estimations of Insect Mediated Transfers of Mercury and Physiologically Important Fatty Acids from Water to Land.

Aquatic insects provide an energy subsidy to riparian food webs. However, most empirical studies have considered the role of subsidies only in terms of magnitude (using biomass measurements) and quality (using physiologically important fatty acids), negating an aspect of subsidies that may affect their impact on recipient food webs: the potential of insects to transport contaminants (e.g., mercury) to terrestrial ecosystems. To this end, I used empirical data to estimate the magnitude of nutrients (using physiologically important fatty acids as a proxy) and contaminants (total mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg)) exported by insects from rivers and lacustrine systems in each continent. The results reveal that North American rivers may export more physiologically important fatty acids per unit area (93.0 ± 32.6 Kg Km−2 year−1) than other continents. Owing to the amount of variation in Hg and MeHg, there were no significant differences in MeHg and Hg among continents in lakes (Hg: 1.5 × 10−4 to 1.0 × 10−3 Kg Km−2 year−1; MeHg: 7.7 × 10−5 to 1.0 × 10−4 Kg Km−2 year−1) and rivers (Hg: 3.2 × 10−4 to 1.1 × 10−3 Kg Km−2 year−1; MeHg: 3.3 × 10−4 to 8.9 × 10−4 Kg Km−2 year−1), with rivers exporting significantly larger quantities of mercury across all continents than lakes. Globally, insect export of physiologically important fatty acids by insect was estimated to be ~43.9 × 106 Kg year−1 while MeHg was ~649.6 Kg year−1. The calculated estimates add to the growing body of literature, which suggests that emerging aquatic insects are important in supplying essential nutrients to terrestrial consumers; however, with the increase of pollutants in freshwater systems, emergent aquatic insect may also be sentinels of organic contaminants to terrestrial consumers.
Improving running economy through altered shoe bending stiffness across speeds

Increasing the longitudinal bending stiffness of running shoes decreases energy cost until a low point is reached, suggesting an optimal shoe stiffness. Previous research found optimal stiffness va...
Exotic Electrophiles in Chlorinated and Chloraminated Water: When Conventional Kinetic Models and Reaction Pathways Fall Short

Halogenation and oxidation of organic matter in chlorinated and chloraminated water are typically attributed to the most abundant electrophiles present. This interpretation sometimes fails to expla...
Pneumococcal Meningitis Complicated by Spinal Cord Dysfunction and Acute Polyradiculopathy.

Background: Meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is associated with devastating clinical outcomes. A considerable number of patients will develop long-term neurologic complications. Hearing loss, diffuse brain edema, and hydrocephalus are frequently encountered. Acute spinal cord dysfunction and polyradiculopathy can develop in some patients. Case Report: A 63-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with sudden-onset bilateral lower extremity weakness. On admission, the patient had evidence of spinal cord dysfunction given the abnormal motor and sensory physical examination findings and the absent sensation with a sensory level at dermatome T4 on neurologic examination. Computed tomography myelography did not show evidence of spinal cord compression or transverse myelitis. Cerebrospinal fluid examination was positive for pneumococcal meningitis. The patient was treated with antibiotics and steroids. Nerve conduction studies demonstrated the absence of response, suggesting damage to the peripheral nerves and polyradiculopathy. The patient was treated with plasmapheresis for possible Guillain-Barre syndrome; however, she did not improve despite appropriate antibiotics, steroids, and plasmapheresis. She developed persistent quadriparesis, sensory impairments in upper and lower extremities, and bowel and bladder sphincter dysfunction. Conclusion: Our case demonstrates the development of spinal cord dysfunction (supported by the sudden onset of paraplegia and the presence of a sensory level) and polyradiculopathy (flaccid paralysis, ascending weakness, and absence of response in neurophysiologic studies suggesting severe damage to the peripheral nerves). The appearance of either complication is unusual, and the simultaneous occurrence of both complications is even more uncommon.
Preliminary Design and Modeling of a Robot for Pipe Navigation with a Novel Wheel-Leg Architecture

Robots for pipe inspection have become more prevalent in recent years, and expanding the capabilities of these robots is of interest. Specific needs include accommodating a larger range of pipe sizes without needing customized robots, and navigating sharp bends in pipe networks. This paper presents a new pipe robot architecture with emphasis on a novel multi-link wheel-leg design. Favorable properties of the kinematics and kinetostatics of the robot are illustrated through analysis and simulation, and bounds for feasible component dimensions based on task descriptions are presented.
Positive energy of topologically massive gravity

I review how 'classical SUGRA' embeddability establishes positive energy for D = 3 topologically massive gravity, with or without a cosmological term, by a procedure familiar from D = 4 Einstein gravity (GR). This method also provides explicit energy expressions. In contrast to GR, it is not manifestly positive here, due to this theory's peculiar two-term nature.
An exploration of the relationship between argumentative prompts and depth to elicit alternative positions in ill-structured problem solving

Little is known about the role of prompts to help learners solve ill-structured learning problems. Instructors do not devote adequate time to formulate pedagogically useful prompts, and the usefulness of different types of prompt is unclear. This mixed-methods study examined the role of argumentative prompts in the writing of essays based on business case studies. A significant (p < .001) relationship with a large effect size was found between the type of argumentative prompt (rhetorical and dialectical) and argumentative depth. Alternative argumentative positions were found to significantly (p < .001) mediate the relationship between argumentative prompt type argumentative depth with a large effect size. Verification and elaboration strategies were utilized in a similar way across both rhetorical and dialectical prompts. Dialectical prompts did not appear to be more effective than rhetorical prompts when using evidence strategies. Rebuttal appeared to be utilized more in response to dialectical prompts. The implications are that instructors should ensure that both rhetorical and dialectal prompts are provided in assignments involving ill-structured learning problems.
Social-Cognitive and Affective Antecedents of Code Switching and the Consequences of Linguistic Racism for Black People and People of Color

Linguistic racism shapes the psychological antecedents of code switching and its consequences for Black people and other people of color. We highlight mentalizing as an antecedent of code switching. We posit that stereotype threat arises in contexts where racism is salient, prompting scrutiny of others’ mental states (i.e., mentalizing) when making choices about linguistic self-presentation. Additionally, we posit that sustained appraisals of stereotype threat add cognitive load and reinforce self-protective code switching. We highlight potential consequences of linguistic racism for Black people and other people of color, including reduced opportunities for authentic self-presentation, increased emotional effort, and stress. Finally, we outline paths forward for research and practice: (1) recognizing the heterogeneity of language and thereby reducing linguistic racism, (2) implementing changes that promote racially affirming environments that reduce demands for self-protective code switching, and (3) adapting and creating scalable psychometric tools to measure linguistic choices and linguistic racism.
Role of Scale Factor During Tensile Testing of Small Specimens

The influence of scale factor (tensile specimen geometry and dimensions) on mechanical test results was investigated for different widely used types of small specimens (SS-1, SS-2, SS-3, and SS-J3) and a set of materials. It was found that the effect of scale factor on the accurate determination of yield stress, ultimate tensile stress, and uniform elongation values was weak; however, clear systematic differences were observed and should be accounted for during interpretation of results. In contrast, total elongation values were strongly sensitive to variations in specimen geometry. Modern experimental methods like digital image correlation allow the impact of scale factor to be reduced. Using these techniques, it was shown that true stress true strain curves describing strain-hardening behavior were very close for different specimen types. The limits of miniaturization are discussed, and an ultra-miniature specimen concept was suggested and evaluated. This type of specimen, as expected, may be suitable for SEM and TEM in situ testing.
Performance modelling and optimization of memory access on cellular computer architecture cyclops64

This paper focuses on the Cyclops64 computer architecture and presents an analytical model and performance simulation results for the preloading and loop unrolling approaches to optimize the performance of SVD (Singular Value Decomposition) benchmark. A performance model for dissecting the total execution cycles is presented. The data preloading using “memcpy” or hand optimized “inline” assembly code, and the loop unrolling approach are implemented and compared with each other in terms of the total number of memory access cycles. The key idea is to preload data from offchip to onchip memory and store the data back after the computation. These approaches can reduce the total memory access cycles and can thus improve the benchmark performance significantly.
Incorporation of Lysozyme into Liposomes A MODEL FOR STRUCTURE-LINKED LATENCY

Abstract To define a model for enzyme latency in vitro, the capture was studied of egg white lysozyme by liposomes (phospholipid spherules in the smectic mesophase). Gel filtration resolved liposomes formed in the absence of enzyme from free enzyme when both were chromatographed immediately after mixing. In contrast, if liposomes were swollen in the presence of lysozyme, subsequent chromatography disclosed two peaks of enzyme activity: one associated with liposomes, the other emerging as free lysozyme. The activity of lysozyme associated with liposomes was "latent"; i.e. there was little or no activity on substrate (Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell walls) unless the spherules were disrupted by Triton X-100, amphotericin B, or nystatin. Lysozyme unassociated with lipid was as available to substrate in the absence of detergent or polyenes as in their presence. Charge-induced associations were not crucial for enzyme capture since both positively (lecithin-stearylamine-cholesterol) and negatively charged liposomes (lecithin-dicetylphosphate-cholesterol) captured lysozyme in latent form. As a measure of their integrity, liposomes could also be shown to capture a marker molecule (glucose), the bulk of which was released together with lysozyme from liposomes by detergent or polyenes. As the aqueous interspaces of positively charged liposomes were increased by incremental incorporation of stearylamine, capture of both glucose and lysozyme was increased proportionally. For these and other reasons it was considered likely that the liposomes had captured lysozyme in the interspaces between lipid lamellae.
Genetic diversity and relationship of Indian cattle inferred from microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers

Indian agriculture is an economic symbiosis of crop and livestock production with cattle as the foundation. Sadly, the population of indigenous cattle (Bos indicus) is declining (8.94 % in last decade) and needs immediate scientific management. Genetic characterization is the first step in the development of proper management strategies for preserving genetic diversity and preventing undesirable loss of alleles. Thus, in this study we investigated genetic diversity and relationship among eleven Indian cattle breeds using 21 microsatellite markers and mitochondrial D loop sequence. The analysis of autosomal DNA was performed on 508 cattle which exhibited sufficient genetic diversity across all the breeds. Estimates of mean allele number and observed heterozygosity across all loci and population were 8.784 ± 0.25 and 0.653 ± 0.014, respectively. Differences among breeds accounted for 13.3 % of total genetic variability. Despite high genetic diversity, significant inbreeding was also observed within eight populations. Genetic distances and cluster analysis showed a close relationship between breeds according to proximity in geographic distribution. The genetic distance, STRUCTURE and Principal Coordinate Analysis concluded that the Southern Indian Ongole cattle are the most distinct among the investigated cattle populations. Sequencing of hypervariable mitochondrial DNA region on a subset of 170 cattle revealed sixty haplotypes with haplotypic diversity of 0.90240, nucleotide diversity of 0.02688 and average number of nucleotide differences as 6.07407. Two major star clusters for haplotypes indicated population expansion for Indian cattle. Nuclear and mitochondrial genomes show a similar pattern of genetic variability and genetic differentiation. Various analyses concluded that the Southern breed ‘Ongole’ was distinct from breeds of Northern/ Central India. Overall these results provide basic information about genetic diversity and structure of Indian cattle which should have implications for management and conservation of indicine cattle diversity.
Particle confinement time scaling of field-reversed configurations due to collisional velocity-space particle loss

The loss-cone-like scattering in velocity space, namely, the collisional velocity-space particle loss (VSPL), has been identified as an important loss mechanism in field-reversed configurations (FRCs). A finite-loss-time model, including the effect of the electric field profile, has been used to calculate an improved particle-confinement-time scaling of FRCs. The results also include the effect of the electric field. For a set of known operating parameters such as temperature, magnetic field, separatix radius, etc., the electric field is calculated from quasineutrality of the plasma. The scaling of particle confinement time as a function of temperature, tau varies as T/sup x/, shows that x can range from -0.3 to -2, depending on the operating parameters of the FRCs. x is -0.7 and -0.5 in the LHD and the Bohm scalings, respectively, and previous results with the fast-loss assumption shows the same scaling dependence on the temperature as the classical prediction, i.e., x=1.5. >
Rational Trend Followers and Contrarians in Excessively Volatile, Correlated Markets

This paper studies an overlapping generations model with multiple securities and heterogeeously informed agents. There are two types of multiplicity of equilibria, one due to noisy rational expectations and the other resulting from self-fulfilling prophecies. Under general conditions, there exists an equilibrium in which stock returns are highly volatile and strongly correlated, even if all underlying shocks are small and independent. Other equilibria include a highly volatile, weakly correlated one. When prices are partially revealing, less informed agents rationally behave like trend-followers, while better informed agents follow contrarian strategies. Trade volume has an inverted-U relation with information precision, and is positively correlated with absolute price changes. Accurate information generally weakens agents' trend-following and contrarian behavior, while it strengthens the properties of a highly volatile, strongly correlated equilibrium. Unlike existing noisy rational expectations equilibrium models, a fully revealing equilibrium is well defined and provides a useful link to the traditional literature.
Preliminary Results for Capture of Negative Muons and Antiprotons by Noble-Gas Atoms

Cross sections for capture of negative muons (μ−) and antiprotons ( $${\bar p}$$ ) by helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon atoms (incomplete for the two heaviest noble-gas atoms) are calculated using the fermion molecular dynamics (FMD) method. These cross sections are used to estimate the capture ratios in mixtures, but these ratios are not precise since the total energy-loss cross sections have not yet been determined.
Spatial restriction of light adaptation and mutation-induced inactivation in fly photoreceptors

The spatial spread within fly photoreceptors of 2 forms of desensitization by bright light have been investigated: the natural process of light adaptation in normal Musca photoreceptors and a receptor-potential inactivation in the no-steady-state (nss) mutant of the sheep blowfly Lucilia. The suction-electrode method used for recording from vertebrate rods was applied to fly ommatidia. A single ommatidium in vitro was partially sucked into a recording pipette. Illumination of the portion of the ommatidium within the pipette resulted in a flow of current having a wave form similar to that of the receptor potential and polarity consistent with current flow into the illuminated region of the photoreceptors. Two 5-microns slits of light, positioned at right angles to the ommatidial axis, were employed to determine the spread of light adaptation or inactivation along the ommatidium. The intensity of a flash of light delivered to one (adapting) slit was adjusted until it produced a criterion fractional reduction in the response to the other (test) slit. The reciprocal of this intensity of the adapting slit was taken as a measure of the effectiveness of the slit in causing light adaptation or inactivation. The effectiveness of the slit in causing light adaptation in normal Musca ommatidia fell as the adapting and test slits were moved farther apart along the ommatidial axis, declining to half its maximal value at a distance of 13 +/- 2 microns. Similar measurements of the effectiveness of a slit in causing light-induced inactivation in the nss mutant of Lucilia also demonstrated localization, declining to half its maximal value at a distance between the slits of 9 +/- 1 microns. Neither light adaptation nor inactivation by the nss mutation, therefore, appear to be mediated by voltage or by a highly diffusible agent. The results are consistent with the idea that inactivation by the nss mutation replaces adaptation in the mutant photoreceptors.