cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Distributed Is Visual Category Information in Human Occipito-Temporal Cortex? An fMRI Study

Summary On this view, the information about shoes would be encoded across much of extrastriate visual cortex, inWe used fMRI to study the distribution of object cate- cluding the FFA and other regions of cortex that respond gory information in the ventral visual pathway. Ex- selectively to things other than shoes. tending the findings of Haxby et al. (2001), we find that The alternative interpretation is that the response to categories of stimuli can be distinguished by the pat- a shoe in the FFA reflects the automatic but epiphenomtern of activation they elicit across this entire pathway, enal engagement of this system by any visual stimulus, even when the stimuli within a category differ in view- with the resulting weak response not forming part of the point, exemplar, or image format. However, regions representation of the shoe. That is, even a specialized within the ventral visual pathway are neither inter- face processor may have no way to “know” that a given changeable nor equipotential. Although the FFA and input is not a face, other than to try processing it as PPA permit excellent discrimination between pre- such. Thus, the mere existence of partial responses to ferred versus nonpreferred stimuli (e.g., faces-bottles nonpreferred stimuli in a category-selective region of and houses-bottles, respectively), we find that neither cortex does not guarantee that these responses encode region alone permits accurate discrimination between any information about the category of those stimuli, or pairs of nonpreferred stimuli (e.g., bottles-shoes). that any such information forms a critical part of the These findings indicate that the ventral visual pathway representation of those stimuli. is not homogeneous, but contains some regions (in- In attempting to determine which of these interpretacluding FFA and PPA) that are primarily involved in the tions is correct, a great deal is at stake. If nonpreferred analysis of a single class of stimulus.
Simulation of Platelets Suspension Flowing Through a Stenosis Model Using a Dissipative Particle Dynamics Approach

Stresses on blood cellular constituents induced by blood flow can be represented by a continuum approach down to the μm level; however, the molecular mechanisms of thrombosis and platelet activation and aggregation are on the order of nm. The coupling of the disparate length and time scales between molecular and macroscopic transport phenomena represents a major computational challenge. In order to bridge the gap between macroscopic flow scales and the cellular scales with the goal of depicting and predicting flow induced thrombogenicity, multi-scale approaches based on particle methods are better suited. We present a top-scale model to describe bulk flow of platelet suspensions: we employ dissipative particle dynamics to model viscous flow dynamics and present a novel and general no-slip boundary condition that allows the description of three-dimensional viscous flows through complex geometries. Dissipative phenomena associated with boundary layers and recirculation zones are observed and favorably compared to benchmark viscous flow solutions (Poiseuille and Couette flows). Platelets in suspension, modeled as coarse-grained finite-sized ensembles of bound particles constituting an enclosed deformable membrane with flat ellipsoid shape, show self-orbiting motions in shear flows consistent with Jeffery’s orbits, and are transported with the flow, flipping and colliding with the walls and interacting with other platelets.
CRISPR/Cas9 in Genome Editing and Beyond

The Cas9 protein (CRISPR-associated protein 9), derived from type II CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) bacterial immune systems, is emerging as a powerful tool for engineering the genome in diverse organisms. As an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease, Cas9 can be easily programmed to target new sites by altering its guide RNA sequence, and its development as a tool has made sequence-specific gene editing several magnitudes easier. The nuclease-deactivated form of Cas9 further provides a versatile RNA-guided DNA-targeting platform for regulating and imaging the genome, as well as for rewriting the epigenetic status, all in a sequence-specific manner. With all of these advances, we have just begun to explore the possible applications of Cas9 in biomedical research and therapeutics. In this review, we describe the current models of Cas9 function and the structural and biochemical studies that support it. We focus on the applications of Cas9 for genome editing, regulation, and imaging, discuss other possible applications and some technical considerations, and highlight the many advantages that CRISPR/Cas9 technology offers.
The 2006 Massachusetts Health Care Reform

The 2006 Massachusetts Health Care Reform was the first of its kind in the United States to require insurance carriage through specific mandates. Although the reform is still relatively new and trends are still being analyzed in terms of impact of the Reform, Massachusetts nevertheless has the highest rate of insured citizens out of any state. This chapter details the history and structure of the main tenants of Mass health-care reform – including the individual mandate, the Health Safety Net Fund, Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice plans, and changes to MassHeath – all overseen by the Massachusetts “Health Connector.” Reform in Massachusetts is a useful lens through which to examine larger changes being made as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). A well-established understanding of the changes that occurred in the 2006 Reform serves as a platform for understanding wide-sweeping health-care reform today and the challenges that such dramatic change presents.
Managing Complex Systems: An Application of Ensemble Methods in System Theory

The increasing complexity of modern life means that science, along with society, must increasingly deal with complex problems. While some sciences and most professions deal with complexity in more than a passing way, the system sciences are decisively, almost by definition, sciences of complexity. This aspect of their nature follows from their emphasis on “systems,” i.e., things seen in their functional wholeness. In attending to completeness, the system sciences must necessarily disavow the tactic common in discipline-centered inquiries, namely that of redefining a problem so as to make it approachable. System science therefore shares with the professions (and other real-world activities) an unavoidable confrontation with complexity.
Privacy in Public Places – Celebrities, Suicides, Outsiders, Naked Men and Muslim Veils on the Street

The doctrine of privacy on the streets and in other public places is a relatively new development in European human rights jurisprudence. People do peculiar things on the streets, which sometimes turn out to be of interest to the media, and sometimes these actions lead to social tensions. In some instances people merely exercise their freedom of speech or other political rights in various ways and at other times individuals simply wish to remain unnoticed. The four cases detailed in this paper all raise questions relating to the protection of privacy on the streets. Although we are far from seeing a distinct and consistent ECtHR practice, some of the most important considerations are already identifiable, and such cases may in the future may resolved along similar lines.
When is Delegation Abdication?: How Citizens Use Institutions to Help Delegation Succeed

Modern democracy requires delegation. One common problem with delegation is that principals and agents often have conflicting interests. A second common problem is that principals lack information about their agents. Many scholars conclude that these problems cause delegation to become abdication. We reject this conclusion and introduce a theory of delegation that supports a different conclusion. The theory clarifies when interest conflicts and information problems do (and do not) turn delegation into abdication. We conclude by arguing that remedies for common delegation problems can be embedded in the design of electoral, legislative, and bureaucratic institutions. The culmination of our efforts is a simple, but general, statement about when citizens and legislators can (and cannot) control their agents.
Transforming Atlantic slaving: trade, warfare and territorial control in Angola, 1650-1800

This dissertation examines slaving in Angola between 1650 and 1800 by focusing on trade, warfare and territorial control. The work begins by analyzing the decline of the exports of slaves from Luanda in the late seventeenth century. It argues that the Luanda trade was crippled by colonial inability to assert itself against Africans polities in the Luanda hinterland and the growth of foreign slaving off the coast of Loango in northern Angola. It explores the business and political environment in Luanda by closely examining the role of Angolan governors in the slave trade. It also seeks to demonstrate that Benguela became a key provider of slaves at the end of the seventeenth century and that the business-unfriendly environment in Luanda was one of the crucial factors behind the development of full-fledged trading networks in Benguela and the interior of southern Angola. The dissertation addresses the role of imports of foreign goods to Angola, particularly Indian textiles, which were widely traded for slaves and used as currency and social artifacts in African societies. It demonstrates that taste and fashion played a pivotal role in imports of textiles. The trade in Indian textiles came to be dominated by merchants based in Brazil due to key transformations in the carreira da lndia commerce between Lisbon and India in the second half of the seventeenth century, which led to an increased role for Salvador, Bahia. The dissertation argues that Brazilians were eventually able to offer credit for textiles on more favorable conditions than metropolitan merchants, thus consolidating their role in the Benguela trade. Finally, the work investigates Angolan warfare and its importance in extending territorial control and trading networks by analyzing recruitment policies and the relationship between technology and military strategy. It seeks
Importance of Postoperative Hydration and Lower Extremity Elevation in Preventing Deep Venous Thrombosis in Full Abdominoplasty: A Report on 450 Consecutive Cases Over a 37-Year Period

Background Abdominoplasty is a common plastic surgery procedure and has a higher rate of postoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT) than any other such surgery. DVT prevention remains an important topic in the plastic surgery community. Many surgeons avoid DVT chemoprophylaxis, because they are concerned about the risk of postoperative bleeding. Objective This study was performed in order to evaluate postoperative hydration and lower extremity elevation as two alternative methods of aiding DVT prevention after abdominoplasty. Methods Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative measures were taken to monitor patient hydration via urine output and to ensure adequate hydration by providing intravenous fluids. In addition, measures were taken throughout these three phases to ensure adequate lower extremity elevation. Results In a group of 450 consecutive full abdominoplasties from 1976 to 2013, the overall rate of patient DVT at 30 days following surgery was 0.22%. Conclusions Hydration and lower extremity elevation are innocuous and risk-free adjuncts that improve venous return from the legs and lessen the chance of postoperative DVT. Level of Evidence 4![Graphic][1] Risk [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Electroconvulsive Therapy: Baby Boomers May Be in for the Shock of Their Lives

Depression in the elderly is an increasingly acute public health concern. Americans who are sixty-five years of age or older and suffering from depression may be convinced by medical professionals that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective way to treat their depression or other mental illness. Every year, thousands of individuals undergo treatment after signing consent forms that suggest they have been fully apprised of the risks and benefits of ECT. Many find out too late that the risks of ECT often outweigh its benefits. For many, the damage caused by ECT is permanent. The author begins by examining the use of ECT on the elderly and concludes that most elderly patients who undergo the procedure are not fully informed of its consequences. Section II provides a brief discussion of the development and utilization of ECT, with an emphasis on elderly patients. Section III discusses the scientific chasm that exists in the literature regarding the efficacy of ECT and also discusses the elevated risk elderly patients face when subjected to ECT. Section IV evaluates the requirement of informed consent and the problems inherent in the administration of ECT to the elderly. Section V examines an American Psychiatric Association-approved informed consent form utilized by psychiatrists and provides commentary on the limitations of the forms for use with elderly patients. Section VI offers recommendations for change.
Immunological Studies on Intestinal Theiler's Virus, and Its Relation to Poliomyelitic Virus.∗

Discussion and SummaryAttempts at transmission of Theiler's virus to rhesus monkeys by means of intracerebral inoculation and, further, by consecutive passage in monkeys, failed; the virus, moreover, was not demonstrable in the CNS of monkeys 24 hours after inoculation. Thus, Theiler's virus has its own traits in monkeys, which fact conforms with Theiler's original conclusion3 that the mouse virus is not identical with that of human poliomyelitis. Further proof of this finding can be deduced from results of immuno-logical studies. In the foregoing experiments two standard strains of poliomyelitic virus were used, the MV and Philadelphia, both monkey-passaged for several years; what would have been the outcome had strains freshly isolated from human cases of poliomyelitis been studied is, of course, unknown. It is apparent, however, that by the methods here used, such monkey-passaged strains are not only non-pathogenic in the type of mouse which is susceptible to Theiler's virus and which carries the latte...
Network Analysis as a Technique to Guide the Task Analysis of ATIS/CVO:

Applications of Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) and Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) include technology ranging from simple sensors and alarms to complex combinations of databases and displays. This range of technology will impose a variety of task demands on drivers, and these demands need to be cataloged. Without a means of focusing the task analysis describing these systems, a complete description of all possible interactions among the potential functions of ATIS/CVO systems would be intractable. To address this problem, we have adopted network analysis techniques from sociological and anthropological studies of social groups as a tool to examine complex systems and to guide a task analysis. Network analysis provides a quantitative analysis of information flows that link system functions that can focus a task analysis on important functions and critical interactions between these functions. This paper describes measures of centrality and clusters and how these measures can guide any com...
Photosynthetic Energy Conversion: Recent Advances and Future Perspective

Photosynthesis is the most important natural process on earth, which transformed the once lifeless planet into a living world. While primitive photosynthetic bacteria such as purple sulfur bacteria and green sulfur bacteria carry out anoxygenic photosynthesis, producing elemental sulfur from hydrogen sulfide with the help of sunlight, cyanobacteria, algae and plants carry out oxygenic photosynthesis to convert water and carbon dioxide to sugars with the help of sunlight and release oxygen as a byproduct. The conversion of solar energy to chemical energy via photosynthesis with the release of oxygen has an evolutionary significance on life as we know it today. In fact, photosynthesis is the only natural process known on earth to form oxygen from water. Further, fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are formed from the remains of the dead plants by exposure to heat and pressure in the earth’s crust over millions of years. With increasing
G263 MRCPCH Clinical Success Initiative (CSI)

Background The Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH) clinical examination, represents the final hurdle for paediatric trainees in achieving full membership of the college and is necessary for training progression. In our locality, the MRCPCH clinical examination pass rate had raised concerns. Repeated examination attempts are stressful, financially demanding, and can affect career progression. Examination failure can impact significantly on workforce planning. Aim To introduce a revision initiative for paediatric trainees to improve the MRCPCH clinical pass rate. Method Locally, prior to October 2012, revision sessions were organised by trainees themselves, with more senior trainees and consultants supporting candidates with ad-hoc teaching sessions prior to the examination. Commencing prior to the 3rd 2012 clinical examination sitting, the local Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) department initiated a structured revision timetable for trainees in the six weeks prior to the clinical examinations. Results MRCPCH Clinical examination pass rates were reviewed prior to, and after the introduction of the programme. Comparisons have been drawn within the deanery and nationally. Trainees have given anonymised feedback on the programme. All trainees undertaking the MRCPCH Clinical examination since the initiative was launched have engaged with the programme and trainee feedback has been unanimously positive. Table 1 illustrates the improvement in the local examination pass rate following the introduction of the CSI, from 43.3% in the preceding year to 78.5%. The local pass rate is now surpassing both the deanery-wide and the national pass rates (see Graph 1). Discussion PGME organisation has facilitated targeted training, improved teaching attendance, and allowed consultant flexibility to organise opportunistic teaching in a co-ordinated manner with selected cases. Significantly, since the introduction of this initiative, no outcome 4 has been given to any trainee. Conclusion The success of this initiative highlights the benefits for trainees of a supportive revision programme at local level in improving examination success.
Foraging modality and plasticity in foraging traits determine the strength of competitive interactions among carnivorous plants, spiders and toads

Foraging modalities (e.g. passive, sit-and-wait, active) and traits are plastic in some species, but the extent to which this plasticity affects interspecific competition remains unclear. Using a long-term laboratory mesocosm experiment, we quantified competition strength and the plasticity of foraging traits in a guild of generalist predators of arthropods with a range of foraging modalities. Each mesocosm contained eight passively foraging pink sundews, and we employed an experimental design where treatments were the presence or absence of a sit-and-wait foraging spider and actively foraging toad crossed with five levels of prey abundance. We hypothesized that actively foraging toads would outcompete the other species at low prey abundance, but that spiders and sundews would exhibit plasticity in foraging traits to compensate for strong competition when prey were limited. Results generally supported our hypotheses. Toads had a greater effect on sundews at low prey abundances, and toad presence caused spiders to locate webs higher above the ground. Additionally, the closer large spider webs were to the ground, the greater the trichome densities produced by sundews. Also, spider webs were larger with than without toads and as sundew numbers increased, and these effects were more prominent as resources became limited. Finally, spiders negatively affected toad growth only at low prey abundance. These findings highlight the long-term importance of foraging modality and plasticity of foraging traits in determining the strength of competition within and across taxonomic kingdoms. Future research should assess whether plasticity in foraging traits helps to maintain coexistence within this guild and whether foraging modality can be used as a trait to reliably predict the strength of competitive interactions.
Synthesis of diastereomerically pure nucleotide phosphoramidates.

Prodrugs of therapeutic nucleoside monophosphates masked as phosphoramidate derivatives have become an increasingly important class of antiviral drugs in pharmaceutical research for delivering nucleotides in vitro and in vivo. Conventionally, phosphoramidate derivatives are prepared as a mixture of two diastereomers. We report a class of stable phosphoramidating reagents containing an amino acid ester and two phenolic groups, one unsubstituted and the other with electron-withdrawing substituents. The reagents can be isolated as single diastereomers and reacted with the 5′-hydroxyl group of nucleosides through selective nucleophilic displacement of the substituted phenol to prepare single diastereomer phosphoramidate products. This method has been used to prepare the HCV clinical candidate PSI-7977 in high yield and high diastereomeric purity.
Evaluation of a recent product to remove lipids and other matrix co-extractives in the analysis of pesticide residues and environmental contaminants in foods.

Abstract This study demonstrates the application of a novel lipid removal product to the residue analysis of 65 pesticides and 52 environmental contaminants in kale, pork, salmon, and avocado by fast, low pressure gas chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LPGC–MS/MS). Sample preparation involves QuEChERS extraction followed by use of EMR-Lipid (“enhanced matrix removal of lipids”) and an additional salting out step for cleanup. The optimal amount of EMR-Lipid was determined to be 500 mg for 2.5 mL extracts for most of the analytes. The co-extractive removal efficiency by the EMR-Lipid cleanup step was 83–98% for fatty samples and 79% for kale, including 76% removal of chlorophyll. Matrix effects were typically less than ±20%, in part because analyte protectants were used in the LPGC–MS/MS analysis. The recoveries of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and diverse pesticides were mostly 70–120%, whereas recoveries of nonpolar polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls were mostly lower than 70% through the cleanup procedure. With the use of internal standards, method validation results showed that 76–85 of the 117 analytes achieved satisfactory results (recoveries of 70–120% and RSD ≤ 20%) in pork, avocado, and kale, while 53 analytes had satisfactory results in salmon. Detection limits were 5–10 ng/g for all but a few analytes. EMR-Lipid is a new sample preparation tool that serves as another useful option for cleanup in multiresidue analysis, particularly of fatty foods.
Influence of Dopamine on NMDA Receptor Channel of Pyramidal Neurons in Prefrontal Cortex in Rat

【Objective】To investigate the modulatory effects of dopamine (DA) on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)receptor channels of the pyramidal neurons in prefrontal cortex in rat. 【Methods】 Cell-attached configuration of patch clamp was used to record single-channel currents of NMDA receptors. The effect of DA in different concentration on the electricity of NMDA receptor channel was observed【.Results】 When the concentrations of DA increased gradually from 0 to 60 !mol/L, the amplitude of NMDA receptor channel currents was increased from(2.78+0.68) pA to (5.42+1.26) pA; the short open-time-constant did not change significantly, the long open-time-constant increased from (13.59+1.26) ms to (36.19+1.17) ms, and open probability of inward currents of NMDAreceptor channels increased from 0.25+0.09 to 0.56+0.25; and the long closing-time-constant decreased from (9.73+1.46) ms to (2.67+0.75) ms. However, when the concentrations of DA increased from 60 μmol/L to 100 !mol/L, theamplitude of NMDA receptor channel currents was decreased to (3.56+0.79) pA, long open-time-constant decreasedto (14.40+1.37) ms, long closing-time-constant restored to (17.74+1.79) ms, and the open probability of NMDAreceptor-channel decreased to 0.17+0.08.【Conclusion】DA could affect the activities of NMDA receptor channels,but there was relationship of reverted U shape and the increases in concentrations of dopamine. At low concentra-tions, DA enhanced the activation of NMDA receptor channels, but inhibited the activation of NMDA receptor chan-nels at high concentrations.
Practical Calculation and Simulation Analysis on the Unbalance Neutral Current in Y-Y Connected Capacitor Bank

For solving the problem in calculating and setting for the unbalance neutral current protection of Y-Y connected capacitor bank.Through analyzing the capacitor's internal structure,the practical calculation formula is proposed,and the simulation and the calculation are carried out by using PSCAD.The correctness of the theoretical analysis conclusion and the formula are verified,and the reliable evidence is provided for setting calculation of Y-Y connection capacitor bank.
MEASUREMENT OF EFFECTIVE MAGNETIC ANISOTROPY IN NANOCRYSTALLINE Fe-Cu-Nb-Si-B SOFT MAGNETIC MATERIALS

M agnetic anisotropy of a nanocrystalline Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 soft magnetic alloy was investigated. Theoretical analysis and measurement results show that the effective magnetic anisotropy constant K in the nanocrystalline alloys can be measured by means of the process of approaching saturation and the measured value is about one orders of magnitude smaller than the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant K1 of the α-Fe(Si) grains.
Objective Outcomes of Supraglottoplasty for Children With Laryngomalacia and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Meta-analysis

Importance Surgical intervention is the main treatment alternative for patients with severe laryngomalacia. Supraglottoplasty offers effective treatment results not only for laryngomalacia but also for concurrent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Objective To quantify the objective outcomes of supraglottoplasty for laryngomalacia with OSA via polysomnography data in the pediatric population. Data Sources A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed database was performed on May 20, 2015, using the search terms supraglottoplasty, epiglottoplasty, aryepiglottoplasty, laryngomalacia, obstructive sleep apnea, Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), children, and polysomnography. There were no date restrictions. Study Selection The literature search identified English-language studies that used polysomnography to evaluate patients with laryngomalacia and OSA after supraglottoplasty. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts of the studies. The full texts of the studies were examined to assess their relevance to the meta-analysis. Data Extraction Numerical polysomnography data were extracted and compared among studies where appropriate. A fixed- or random-effects model was used, when appropriate, to analyze the data and calculate effect sizes. Results Four studies were included in various subsets of the meta-analysis. After supraglottoplasty, the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) improved by a mean of 12.5 points in 4 studies (95% CI, −21.14 to −3.78; P = .005), oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry nadir by 9.49 in 4 studies (95% CI, 4.87–14.12; P P = .16). Twenty-nine of 33 children (88%) had residual disease. Patients 7 months and older had significant improvement in the AHI ( P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance Supraglottoplasty is an effective treatment modality for patients with laryngomalacia and OSA with objectively measurable benefits; however, patients will frequently have residual disease. Additional polysomnography after treatment is advised to ensure adequate resolution of the disorder.
Latest development in mass spectrometry for clinical application

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has seen enormous growth in special clinical chemistry laboratories. It significantly increases the analytic potential in clinical chemistry, especially in the field of low molecular weight biomarker analysis. This review summarizes the state of the art in mass spectrometry and related techniques for clinical application with a main focus on recent developments in LC-MS. Current trends in ionization techniques, automated online sample preparation techniques coupled with LC-MS, and ion mobility spectrometry are discussed. Emerging mass spectrometric approaches complementary to LC-MS are discussed as well.
Dry Eye Disease Incidence Associated with Chronic Graft-Host Disease: Nonconcurrent Cohort Study (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis).

Purpose: To determine if chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with stable or progressive dry eye disease and to determine the true incidence in patients with no prior history of dry eye disease.
Lincoln as the Great Educator: Opinion and Educative Liberalism in the Civil War Era

In Edinburgh, Scotland in 1893, a monument honoring Scotsmen who fought for the Union Army was unveiled in the Old Calton Cemetery. At the center of this transatlantic celebration were two bronze figures situated atop a plinth of red granite: on one level, a former slave extends a hand upward toward a large and imposing Abraham Lincoln, who stands looming far above. The familiar pairing of a kneeling slave and a standing president resembled Thomas Ball’s Freedman Memorial in Washington, DC, which had earlier given iconographic representation to the understanding of Lincoln as the “Great Emancipator.” Much else about this monument and its unveiling had the ring of the familiarity, from the young American woman depicting Columbia dressed in a flowing white gown to the toasts to “Saxon freedom” during this decade of Anglo-American rapprochement.1
Decoding Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer with Potential–pKa Diagrams

Aqueous potential–pH diagrams, commonly called Pourbaix diagrams, were originally developed to study metal corrosion in the 1930s and 1940s. Pourbaix diagrams have since been widely adopted for use across chemistry disciplines, particularly for the study of aqueous proton-coupled electron transfer reactions. Despite this enormous versatility, a clear extension of analogous diagrams to nonaqueous solvents is lacking. The problem hinges on the difficulty of defining the nonaqueous solution pH. Here, we address this issue by reporting the development of diagrams based on nonaqueous pKa scales. We experimentally construct diagrams for two transition-metal complexes that undergo proton-coupled electron transfer reactivity by recording their reduction potentials in the presence of acids with varying pKa values. These experimental diagrams validate the potential–pKa theory and provide valuable thermochemical information for proton-coupled electron transfer reactions, including for fleetingly stable species.
An investigation of ultrasound effect on digestate solubilization and methane yield.

Abstract In this study, different ultrasound power intensities of 0.05–0.21 kW/L (4.13–16.52 kW h/kg TS) were applied at a frequency of 20 kHz and for durations of 5–20 min to digestate obtained from a domestic wastewater treatment plant. The ultrasonic effect on digestate solubilization was revealed by increased levels of soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand (sCOD), soluble Total Organic Carbon (sTOC), and soluble Total Nitrogen (sTN) released into the solution. The highest material release was achieved at an ultrasonic energy intensity of 0.21 kW h/L. Furthermore, the ultrasonic effect on CH4 production was studied using the anaerobic digestion process. The application of ultrasound at 0.05–0.21 kW h/L provided 1.6–2.3-fold increase in net CH4 production. Analysis of the energetics of the system showed that only about 4 and 11% of the energy input was recovered in terms of additional CH4 production at 0.21 and 0.05 kW h/L, respectively. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the system is required for making a conclusion on the feasibility of the system, and such analysis should include environmental, economic, and societal benefits of the system, among others.
Development and testing of a customized low-cost unmanned aircraft system based on multispectral and thermal sensing for precision agriculture applications

The ability to conduct useful science under the framework of precision agriculture is not only dependent upon the collection of high quality usable data of plants, soil, and water, but also dependent upon the type of vehicle the sensors are flown on, properly tuned sensors, and the way in which the vehicle is flown. To achieve this capability requires the proper matching and integration of air vehicle, sensors, mission design, and image processing techniques. Although commercial Unmanned Air Systems are starting to be equipped with autopilots, sensors, and simple data processing software, they are often limited to only one sensor, and often lack cross platform integration expandability. This paper develops methodologies and procedures for a highly integrated fixed-wing Unmanned Air System that is customized for precision agriculture science. It addresses sensor selection, vehicle platform selection, flight planning, and data processing procedures. The approach is validated by assessment of collected imagery and data from flights conducted on actual plots. Results presented in the paper show that by comparison to data collected during earlier flights with a non-integrated system, the approach presented here which matches vehicle characteristics to sensor characteristics and employs proper flight planning, mission design, and auto-triggering of the sensor produces better data quality, and improved mosaicking. The approach is judged to be a promising candidate for improved data collection for precision agriculture.
Definitional and Conceptual Muddling: Identifying the Positionality of Employee Engagement and Defining the Construct:

Numerous entangled definitions, words, measurements, and frameworks have been proposed when referring to employee engagement, as well as other engagement typologies. Consequently, researchers have ...
Opportunities and challenges for 3D printing of solid-state lighting systems

Low energy use and reduced maintenance have made the LED, a solid-state light (SSL) source, the preferred technology for many lighting applications. With the explosion of products in the marketplace and subsequent price erosion, manufacturers are looking for lower cost materials and manufacturing methods. 3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, could be a potential solution. Recently, manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, and medical industries have embraced 3-D printing for manufacturing parts and systems. This could pave the way for the lighting industry to produce lower cost, custom lighting systems that are 3-D printed on-site to achieve on-time and on-demand manufacturing. One unique aspect of LED fixture manufacturing is that it requires thermo-mechanical, electrical, and optical components. The goal of our investigation was to understand if current 3-D printing technologies and materials can be used to manufacture functional thermo-mechanical, electrical, and optical components for SSL fixtures. We printed heat sink components and electrical traces using an FFF-type 3-D printer with different filaments. The results showed that the printed heat sinks achieved higher thermal conductivity values compared to components made with plastic materials. For electrical traces, graphene-infused PLA showed low resistivity but it is much higher than bulk copper resistivity. For optics, SLA-printed optical components showed that print resolution, print orientation, and postprocessing affect light transmission and light scatter properties. Overall, 3-D printing offers an opportunity for mass customization of SSL fixtures and changing architectural lighting practice, but several challenges in terms of process and materials still have to be overcome.
Abstract TP118: Recanalization After Extracranial Dissection Stratified by Medical Treatment: Antiplatelets versus Anticoagulation

Objective: Dissection is a leading cause of stroke in young adults, though optimal antithrombotic management with either anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy remains controversial. Existing data have focused on recurrent stroke but these studies have been underpowered. We aimed to assess recanalization rates for patients treated with anticoagulants compared to those treated with antiplatelet agents and to identify factors associated with vessel recanalization. Methods: We performed a retrospective, single center, cohort study, identifying patients with extracranial carotid or vertebral dissection, with acute and follow up imaging, over a 15 year period. Vessel stenosis was measured using NASCET methodology. Anticoagulation was defined as treatment with therapeutic Heparin or warfarin for greater than 50% of the first month. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to determine clinical, demographic, and radiographic factors associated with ≥ 50% relative recanalization at follow up. Results: We identified 75 patients with 84 dissections, mean age 47± SD 15, 43% female, 39% non-white. The rate of recurrent strokes was 2.7% in the entire cohort, which was not significantly different between treatment arms (p=0.35). Median time from symptom onset to first vessel imaging was 1 day (interquartile range [IQR] 0-6) and median time to follow up imaging was 4 months (IQR 3-7) after symptoms. Patients with higher percent stenosis at baseline were more likely to be treated with anticoagulation (median 99% vs. 50%, p=0.02). Comparing anticoagulation to antiplatelet therapy, there was no difference in the rates of ≥50% relative recanalization (50% vs 48%, p=0.84), nor in the absolute change (median 16% vs 7%, p=0.34) nor relative change (median 48% vs 43%, p=0.92) from baseline. In a multivariable model, antithrombotic therapy was not significantly associated with ≥ 50% recanalization. Hypertension was the only significant variable and was negatively associated with the outcome (OR 0.26, 95% confidence interval 0.09 - 0.72, p=0.009). Conclusions: Use of anticoagulation did not result in higher rates of recanalization, suggesting antiplatelet therapy is sufficient for the majority of patients with acute extracranial dissection.
Inter-versus Intramolecular Oligomerization of Nitrile Groups in Polyacrylonitrile

Experimental evidence is presented indicating that intermolecular oligomerization of CN groups (leading to crosslinked structures) takes place, and possibly has an even greater importance than the intramolecular reaction (leading to “ladder polymer”), at higher temperatures. The easy, quasi “built-in” crosslinking upon heat treatment is considered the most significant single feature with regard to making polyacrylonitrile and its copolymers unique among synthetic polymers as a carbon fiber precursor.
Shifts in Assemblage of Foraging Bats at Mammoth Cave National Park following Arrival of White-nose Syndrome

The arrival of white-nose syndrome (WNS) to North America in 2006, and the subsequent decline in populations of cave-hibernating bats have potential long-term implications for communities of forest-dwelling bats in affected regions. Severe declines in wintering populations of bats should lead to concomitant shifts in the composition and relative abundance of species during the staging, maternity, and swarming seasons in nearby forested habitats. We examined capture rates of bats collected in mist nets from 2009 to 2016 to evaluate summer patterns in abundance of species pre- and post-arrival of WNS to Mammoth Cave National Park, KY. The data demonstrated a significant change in overall relative abundances. Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Myotis) was the most commonly captured species pre-WNS but declined to 18.5% of its original abundance. Nycticeius humeralis (Evening Bat), uncommonly caught in mist nets pre-WNS, demonstrated the largest increase in capture success following arrival of WNS to the Park, followed by Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown Bat) and Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bat). These data suggest that losses of cave-hibernating bats to WNS may be leading to a restructuring of foraging bat assemblages in nearby forested habitats, with species less affected by WNS potentially exploiting niche space vacated by bats succumbing to infection with WNS.
SAR of the novel neuropeptides orexin-A and B

Detailed functional evaluation and structure analysis of these Ox-A and Ox-B analogs are currently underway. Future analog design aims to identify peptides with greater selectivity ratios at the Ox-1R and Ox-2R receptors. We are also interested in identifying antagonists molecules to aid in understanding the novel pharmacologyassociated with these new receptors.
The Mixed State

The GLAG theory in its original form was restricted in its range of validity to temperatures near T c . Further developments of the theory were therefore directed towards extending its temperature range and, in particular, to providing descriptions of the temperature dependences of the critical fields. At first the effects of the mixed-state and normal-state paramagnetisms were neglected, and later they were fully taken into account.
Canonical Structure of Vector ARMA Models

In this chapter, the canonical structure of vector ARMA model representations is briefly discussed through the introduction of the concepts of Kronecker indices and McMillan degree of a vector process {Yt}, and the echelon canonical form of the vector ARMA model is presented in particular. Canonical correlation structure for stationary vector ARMA processes is examined, and the relation between canonical correlation structure and the associated notion of scalar component models, introduced by Tiao and Tsay (1989) to specify simplifying structure for the vector ARMA model parameterization, is discussed. The partial correlation matrices and partial canonical correlations of a stationary vector process, and their special features for pure AR models, are also considered.
Nanolithography, The Integrated System

Generations of micron and sub-micron devices have been built based on the availability and extendibility of “conventional” technologies as they are used today in 4 Mbit DRAM and 16 Mbit DRAM. This holds true for the device technology, for lithography, and many other device related building blocks as well. With the recent demonstration of fully scaled 0.1 μm FET’s (1, 2), the assertion of “extendibility” may be applied into the 1 to 4 Gbit DRAM. There however, the semiconductor industry, as indicated in its most advanced research work, seems to be at a juncture where new ground needs to be broken, different approaches will be taken, new terms will be introduced.
The rise and fall of dialects in northern elephant seals

Vocal dialects are fundamental to our understanding of the transmission of social behaviours between individuals and populations, however few accounts trace this phenomenon among mammals over time. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) provide a rare opportunity to examine the trajectory of dialects in a long-lived mammalian species. Dialects were first documented in the temporal patterns of the stereotyped vocal displays produced by breeding males at four sites in the North Pacific in 1968 and 1969, as the population recovered from extreme exploitation. We evaluated the longevity of these geographical differences by comparing these early recordings to calls recently recorded at these same locations. While the presence of vocal dialects in the original recordings was re-confirmed, geographical differences in vocal behaviour were not found at these breeding rookeries nearly 50 years later. Moreover, the calls of contemporary males displayed more structural complexity after approximately four generations, with substantial between-individual variation and call features not present in the historical data. In the absence of measurable genetic variation in this species-owing to an extreme population bottleneck-a combination of migration patterns and cultural mutation are proposed as factors influencing the fall of dialects and the dramatic increase in call diversity.
Electrical properties of Ba[(M1/20Ta1/20)Ti9/10]O3 with M = Sc3+, Cr3+, Mn3+, or Fe3+ & Ba[(M1/30Ta2/30)Ti9/10]O3 with M = Mn2+, Ni2+, or Cu2+

A grand challenge with regard to multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) technology is to simultaneously increase permittivity, material break-down strength and resistivity, while reducing material dis...
Emergency department utilization and monetary charges in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and a population comparison group.

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disability (ID) may utilize the emergency department (ED) more frequently than individuals in the general population. This study compared ED utilization and charges during adolescence among four groups of individuals: ASD-only, ASD + ID, ID-only, and a population comparison (PC) group. ED visits occurring during age 12-17 years were examined to identify non, low, and high utilizers. Logistic regression was used to compare groups on the odds of having at least one ED visit during adolescence. Generalized linear models were used to compare groups on number of ED visits and total charges, stratified by low and high ED utilization. Descriptive examination of presenting diagnoses was performed. Individuals with ID, with or without co-occurring ASD, were significantly more likely to have at least one ED visit during adolescence. Among high ED utilizers, the ID-only group had the most frequent ED visits but had significantly lower charges than the ASD-only group. Individuals with ASD-only and ASD + ID differed from the ID-only and PC groups in presenting diagnoses. No differences between groups in number of ED visits or charges were observed among low utilizers. ID, with or without ASD, increased the odds of visiting the ED during adolescence. Adolescents with ID-only had the most frequent ED visits, but individuals with ASD-only had the highest ED charges and tended to be seen for psychiatric concerns. Further research is warranted to better characterize and meet the healthcare needs of individuals with ASD and/or ID during adolescence. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1129-1138. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Frequent emergency department (ED) visits strain medical resources and are costlier than primary and urgent care. Our findings show that adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) may use the ED frequently for nonurgent conditions. Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, without ID, use the ED less frequently but incur higher charges. Further research is needed to understand how to meet the unique needs of these populations in primary care to prevent overuse of the ED.