cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diet, production and reproduction in dairy cows

Reproductive efficiency has an important influence on gross margin per cow per year. Gross margin per cow is optimal when the combination of heat detection rate times the conception rate equals 0.35, which is the pregnancy rate. Milk production and time post calving should have little influence on fertility in a herd of dairy cows. If conception rate is reduced in the higher producing half of the herd, or if conception rate changes dramatically with time post calving, then nutritional stress may be reducing fertility. Energy management from the late gestation period through the post-calving period may have significant effects on reproductive function. Mismanagement of energy within a herd may be apparent in excessive body condition loss. Protein effects on fertility may be apparent as increased repeat breeding and associated with elevated plasma urea nitrogen. Deficiencies in trace elements and vitamins, particularly selenium and vitamin E, may be associated with increased reproductive disease. Reduction in reproductive performance in a herd should be examined in a systematic fashion to isolate the cause, which may be management, cow, bull, or environmentally related. Nutritional causes are more likely first due to energy management, secondly excessive protein feeding, and lastly trace element and vitamin deficiencies. Appropriate clinical tests may help confirm a diagnosis.
Field Release and Establishment of the Decapitating Fly Pseudacteon curvatus on Red Imported Fire Ants in Florida

Decapitating phorid flies in the genus Pseudacteon are being studied as classical biological control agents of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pseudacteon curvatus Borgmeier (Diptera: Phoridae) is a small decapitating fly that attacks small fire ant workers. We released a biotype of P. curvatus from Formosa, Argentina, at three sites near Gainesville, FL. Field releases were conducted in the spring and summer of 2003 and monitored monthly. Flies were discovered within 5 weeks at the spring site and then monthly thereafter. By late spring 2004, flies released at this site had expanded 1.6 km both north and south and about 0.8 km westward. Initially, we found no flies from the two summer 2003 releases but we were successful at finding them 8 months after release during spring 2004. This paper documents the first successful release(s) of P. curvatus on red imported fire ants in the United States.
Toxicological significance of dihydrodiol metabolites

Dihydrodiols are often found as the major organic-extractable metabolites of various olefinic or aromatic xenobiotics in many biological samples. Studies on the chemistry of dihydrodiol metabolites have provided insight into the pharmacokinetic behavior and the mode of action of the parent compound. The toxicology of dihydrodiol is more complex than what can be deduced solely on the basis of diminished bioavailability of the epoxide precursor, and the increased hydrophilicity associated with the dihydrodiol moiety. Dihydrodiols can be intrinsically toxic and may even represent metabolically activated species. Some of the dihydrodiol metabolites may still retain sufficient lipophilic character to serve again as substrates for microsomal oxygenases. Because of the tremendous chemical and biological diversity that existed among the various dihydrodiols, more mechanistic studies are needed to examine the toxicological properties of these compounds. It may be premature to conclude dihydrodiol formation as purely a detoxification route for xenobioties.
Reviving the American Labour Movement: Institutions and Mobilization:

The current revitalization of the American labour movement is driven primarily by two forces: from above, new strategic leadership in some unions and at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), ready to offer institutional support for local efforts to organize, build coalitions and expand the scope of grass-roots politics; from below, renewed interest in rank-and-file activism and participation. We call these two forces institutional support and network mobilization, and we find indications of their overriding importance in all six union strategies on which our case-study research focuses: organizing, political action, coalition building, labour-management partnership, organizational change and international solidarity.
Chronic Exposure to Staphylococcal Superantigen Elicits a Systemic Inflammatory Disease Mimicking Lupus

Chronic nasal and skin colonization with superantigen (SAg)-producing Staphylococcus aureus is well documented in humans. Given that trans-mucosal and trans-cutaneous absorption of SAgs can occur, we determined whether chronic exposure to small amounts of SAg per se could activate autoreactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and precipitate any autoimmune disease without further external autoantigenic stimulation. Because HLA class II molecules present SAg more efficiently than do mouse MHC class II molecules, HLA-DQ8 transgenic mice were implanted s.c. with mini-osmotic pumps capable of continuously delivering the SAg, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (total of 10 μg/mouse), or PBS over 4 wk. Chronic exposure to staphylococcal enterotoxin B resulted in a multisystem autoimmune inflammatory disease with features similar to systemic lupus erythematosus. The disease was characterized by mononuclear cell infiltration of lungs, liver, and kidneys, accompanied by the production of anti-nuclear Abs and deposition of immune complexes in the renal glomeruli. The inflammatory infiltrates in various organs predominantly consisted of CD4+ T cells bearing TCR Vβ8. The extent of immunopathology was markedly reduced in mice lacking CD4+ T cells and CD28, indicating that the disease is CD4+ T cell mediated and CD28 dependent. The absence of disease in STAT4-deficient, as well as IFN-γ–deficient, HLA-DQ8 mice suggested the pathogenic role of Th1-type cytokines, IL-12 and IFN-γ. In conclusion, our study suggests that chronic exposure to extremely small amounts of bacterial SAg could be an etiological factor for systemic lupus erythematosus.
Consensus abstracts for evidence-based medicine

The worldwide dissemination of mobile phones, now reaching more than 5 billion connections,1 enables healthcare providers to reach medical information resources on the internet. This is particularly significant because most doctors now believe that the internet is essential to the practice of medicine.2 An abundance of clinical practice resources previously unavailable to clinicians in remote locations – journal citations and abstracts from the MEDLINE/PubMed at the National Library of Medicine among them – are now accessible at the point where care is given. An unintended consequence of MEDLINE abstracts, originally developed only for indexing journals, is that they have become the de facto source of evidence for many.3,–,5 The reasons are obvious – they are easy to read and readily accessible, and they give the reader a quick summary of the article. The IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) format which provided the logical structure to the abstract mirrored the full-text article and made them more informative.6 7 Recent innovations, like BMJ 's pico8 format, offer even more detailed information although they are not critically appraised, unless they are derived from systematic research. For clinicians and academicians who want to practice evidence-based medicine (EBM) in an environment with unfettered access to full-text articles, the classical approach of deriving evidence through critical appraisal of the full-text article is still the ideal. However, it is not for everyone. It is difficult to practice and is disruptive and challenging to integrate into the daily workflow especially in a non-academic environment. It also requires expertise acquired through years of practice. Even the teachers of EBM at McMaster University acknowledge after years of experience with residents in their training programmes that high-level complex appraisal is not suited for everyone.9 However, clinicians who have some appraisal …
Visions, Pictures, and Rules

The Judeo-Christian mystical tradition is replete with accounts of visions. But the perceptual experiences reputedly involved in these visions are often problematic. The prophet Isaiah (of Jerusalem) is reputed to have seen God in a mystic vision; St Francis to have seen Christ and received the stigmata; Julian of Norwich to have seen Christ’s passion; St Teresa of Avila to have seen Christ, the devil, seraphim, and various saints. Yet at least two fundamental questions immediately arise concerning the perceptual awareness involved in such visionary experiences. First, how could Jewish or Christian mystics have any reasonable certitude of correctly identifying such extraordinary entities as God, angels, and deceased saints, as figures in their visions? And second, while Catholics, for example, see the Virgin Mary during their visions, Muslims see Muslim saints and Hindus see Hindu deities: why then do mystics tend during their visions to perceive entities which accord with their expectations, entities which are usually regarded as possessing special religious significance exclusively within each mystic’s own religious tradition?
New tricks for old dogs: countering antibiotic resistance in tuberculosis with host-directed therapeutics

Despite the availability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) drugs for over 50 years, tuberculosis (TB) remains at pandemic levels. New drugs are urgently needed for resistant strains, shortening duration of treatment, and targeting different stages of the disease, especially for treatment during human immunodeficiency virus co-infection. One solution to the conundrum that antibiotics kill the bacillus yet select for resistance is to target the host rather than the pathogen. Here, we discuss recent progress in so-called 'host-directed therapeutics' (HDTs), focusing on two general mechanistic strategies: (i) HDTs that disrupt Mtb pathogenesis in macrophages and (ii) immunomodulatory HDTs that facilitate protective immune responses that kill Mtb or reduce deleterious responses that exacerbate disease. HDTs hold significant promise as adjunctive therapies in that they are less likely to engender resistance, will likely have efficacy against antibiotic-resistant strains, and may have activity against non-replicating Mtb. However, TB is a complex and variegated disease, and human populations exhibit significant diversity in their immune responses to it, which presents a complicated landscape for HDTs to navigate. Nevertheless, we suggest that a detailed mechanistic understanding of drug action, together with careful selection of disease stage targets and dosing strategies may overcome such limitations and allow the development of HDTs as effective adjunctive treatment options for TB.
Practical Bayesian adaptive randomisation in clinical trials

While randomisation is the established method for obtaining scientifically valid treatment comparisons in clinical trials, it sometimes is at odds with what physicians feel is good medical practice. If a physician favours one treatment over another based on personal experience or published data, it may be more appropriate ethically for that physician to use the favoured treatment, rather than enrolling patients on a randomised trial. Still, the randomised trial may later show the physician’s favoured treatment to be inferior. This paper reviews a statistical method, Bayesian adaptive randomisation, that provides a practical compromise between the scientific ideal of conventional randomisation and choosing each patient’s treatment based on a personal preference that may prove to be incorrect. The method will first be illustrated by a simple hypothetical example, then by a recent trial in which patients with unresectable soft tissue sarcoma were adaptively randomised between two chemotherapy regimens.
QFilter: rewriting insecure XML queries to secure ones using non-deterministic finite automata

In this paper, we ask whether XML access control can be supported when underlying (XML or relational) storage system does not provide adequate security features and propose three alternative solutions --primitive, pre-processing, and post-processing. Toward that scenario, in particular, we advocate a scalable and effective pre-processing approach, called QFilter. QFilter is based on non-deterministic finite automata (NFA) and rewrites user's queries such that parts violating access control rules are pre-pruned. Through analysis and experimental validation, we show that (1) QFilter guarantees that only permissible portion of data is returned to the authorized users, (2) such access controls can be efficiently enforced without relying on security features of underlying storage system, and (3) such independency makes QFilter capable of many emerging applications, such as in-network access control and access control outsourcing.
Evaluation of Sleep Apnea in a Sample of Black Patients

Objectives: Few minority patients with sleep apnea have been evaluated or treated. This study ascertained adherence rate to referrals for sleep apnea evaluation by primary care physicians in a community-based sample of black patients; it also examined baseline characteristics likely to influence adherence rates.
A two-habit model for the microphysical and optical properties of ice clouds

Abstract. To provide a better representation of natural ice clouds, a novel ice cloud model is developed by assuming an ice cloud to consist of an ensemble of hexagonal columns and 20-element aggregates with specific habit fractions at each particle size bin. The microphysical and optical properties of this two-habit model (THM) are compared with both laboratory and in situ measurements, and its performance in downstream satellite remote sensing applications is assessed. The ice water contents and median mass diameters calculated based on the THM closely agree with in situ measurements made during 11 field campaigns. In this study, the scattering, absorption, and polarization properties of ice crystals are calculated with a combination of the invariant imbedding T matrix, pseudo-spectral time domain, and improved geometric-optics methods over an entire practical range of particle sizes. The phase functions, calculated based on the THM, show close agreement with counterparts from laboratory and in situ measurements and from satellite-based retrievals. When the THM is applied to the retrievals of cloud microphysical and optical properties from MODIS (the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) observations, excellent spectral consistency is achieved; specifically, the retrieved cloud optical thicknesses based on the visible/near infrared bands and the thermal infrared bands agree quite well. Furthermore, a comparison between the polarized reflectivities observed by the PARASOL satellite and from theoretical simulations illustrates that the THM can be used to represent ice cloud polarization properties.
Spatial distribution of deposition within a patch of vegetation

[1] This laboratory study describes the spatial pattern of deposition observed in a patch of vegetation located at the wall of a channel. There are two sources of sediment flux to the patch: the advection of particles across the upstream leading edge and the lateral dispersion of particles from the adjacent open channel. The relative contribution of these two supplies determines the spatial pattern of net deposition in the patch. We define the advection length scale within the patch as the longitudinal distance over which advection contributes a significant sediment source. At distances from the leading edge that are within the advection length scale, net deposition in the patch is laterally uniform, reflecting the laterally uniform mean flow delivering the particles. At distances farther than the advection length scale from the leading edge, the net deposition is highest near the flow-parallel edge and decreases into the patch, which is the signature of dispersive transport from the patch edge. Two processes contribute to the lateral dispersion, both of which are associated with the shear-layer vortices formed at the flow-parallel interface between the patch and the channel. The vortices generate turbulence and enhance the turbulent diffusion of sediment across the interface. In addition, the vortices induce a wave oscillation in the flow field within the patch that appears to enhance the lateral transport inside the patch.
SASSY: a design for a scalable agent-based simulation system using a distributed discrete event infrastructure

The PDES literature offers a rich set of techniques for distributed and efficient simulation. However, there is a growing need for simulators that support agent-based applications, and PDES systems are not always well suited for these applications. Example agent-based applications include simulation of biological systems such as ants and bees, multi-robot systems and battlefield simulations. The robotics research community has developed agent-based simulators that provide useful APIs for agent applications. However, such simulators have performance limitations, and they do not scale well. Our approach is to provide middle-ware between an agent-based API and a PDES simulation kernel. The result is a simulation system that offers an agent-based API for the programmer to a high performance PDES system. Here we describe our design and initial implementation of SASSY, the Scalable Agents Simulation System. We describe our initial implementation and compare the design with related approaches.
Top-Down System Level Design Methodology Using SpecC, VCC and SystemC

In this paper we suggest a top-down methodology from C to silicon. In our methodology, we focus on methods to make the design flow smooth, efficient, and easy. The proposed methodology is a pure top-down methodology. We developed our design methodology by using SpecC, VCC, and SystemC. We choose SpecC, VCC and SystemC because they are all C-related and each have strong support in at least one field of design. Our proposal for a methodology is based on our experiences of attempting to model the JPEG encoder with SpecC, SystemC and VCC, and one internal project, attempting to implement architecture exploration for MPEG encoding and decoding using VCC.
Isolation of hamster intestinal epithelial cells using hypoosmotic media and PVP

Vibration of hamster small intestinal segments in hypotonic media containing PVP is a rapid method for obtaining quantitative yields of viable intestinal epithelial cells. This preparation of epithelial cells offers a unique system for the study of epithelial cell function in vitro. The method for cell separation combines hypoosmotic swelling of cells, which separates them at the desmosomes, with mechanical agitation which releases the cells from the lamina propria. No chemical agents known to affect cell proteins and cell surfaces are employed in this procedure. Only a short time is elapsed between in vivo and in vitro conditions, i.e., a preparation time of approximately 75 minutes. Although the technique yields a pure population of epithelial cells, the cells are of different morphologies, are removed from different areas of the crypts and villi, and therefore presumably have different functions. Examination of the intestinal tissue remaining after several vibration intervals by light and scanning electron microscopy indicates that the sequences of release of cells is removal of: (1) cells from the villus based, (2) cells from the lower one-half to two-thirds of the villi, (3) cells from the villus tips (and some crypts), and (4) cells from the crypts. When pools of a + b cells are compared to pools of c + d cells, it is found that villus cells can be characterized by: (1) processes, such as monosaccharide absorption, associated with the brush border, and (2) synthesis of components (e. g., glycoproteins) of the brush border. Surprisingly, disaccharide hydrolytic activity is found in cells which transport monosaccharides poorly. The subpopulations of cells synthesize proteins equally.
Carotid artery stenting: identification of risk factors for poor outcomes.

Objectives Age greater than 80 has been identified as a risk factor for complications, including stroke and death, in patients undergoing carotid artery angioplasty and stenting (CAS). This study evaluates other potential predictors of perioperative complications in patients undergoing CAS. Methods All cerebrovascular endovascular procedures performed by the vascular surgery division at our university hospital between July 2003 and December 2005 were retrospectively examined. During the course of 212 admissions, 198 patients underwent 215 procedures. Patient age, comorbidities, and admission status were analyzed as independent (predictor) variables. Complication rate, discharge disposition, and length of hospital stay were considered dependent (outcome) variables. Logistic regression and Fisher exact test or Student t test were performed, as appropriate. Results Complications included major and minor stroke, myocardial infarction, femoral artery pseudoaneurysm, and death. The rates of perioperative major and minor stroke were 0.5% and 2.8%, respectively. Chronic renal insufficiency was a predictor of perioperative complications, including stroke: patients with serum creatinine greater than 1.3 mg/dL had a 37% complication rate and a 11.1% stroke rate, while those with normal renal function had a 13% complication rate (P = .003) and a 0.6% stroke rate (P =.001). Similar association was seen between creatinine clearance and both stroke and complications. Obesity was a risk factor for complications, but not stroke: obese patients had a complication rate of 28%, while others had a 16% complication rate (P = .024). Emergency admission predicted both extended hospital stay (P Conclusion This experience demonstrates that chronic renal insufficiency, obesity, and emergent clinical setting are risk factors for patients undergoing CAS.
The synthesis and stereospecific solid-state photodecarbonylation of hexasubstituted meso- and d,l-ketones

Tertiary carbanions were trapped with half an equivalent of diphosgene to give meso- and d,l-hexasubstituted ketones in moderate yields and modest diastereoselectivities. The ketones were also synthesized by a step-wise synthesis in which the carbonyl group was first installed as an acid before activation and the second nucleophilic attack. This second method gave lower yields but similar diastereoselectivites. Steric limits of both methods were also determined. The photolysis of the resulting crystalline ketones gave a mixture of products in solution, but took place chemoselectively and diastereospecifically in the solid-state.
Unstructured Grid Simulations of Plasma Actuator Models

The use of actuators has been seen as an effective means for controlling flow over plates, airfoils, and turbine blades. The use of plasma actuators is attractive since they lack moving parts and can be easily integrated onto different geometries. The potential capabilities of plasma actuators for boundary layer control have been demonstrated in numerous experiments. This boundary layer control is driven by a body force vector nearly tangent to the surface above the embedded electrode of the actuator. To study the effects of these actuators numerically, the computational model must solve both the electromagnetic and Navier–Stokes equations. Such a model has been inserted into an unstructured computational fluid dynamics code and initial tests conduced on linear plasma actuators.
Cold acclimation of Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

A study was made of cold acclimation in the life stages of the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), and the role of acclimation and nondiapause dormancy in the overwintering strategy of the species. The cutworm was shown to be freeze-susceptible and capable of only very limited acclimation. Eggs and older larvae (fourth to sixth instars) could survive short periods of subfreezing temperatures, but young larvae, pupae, and adults showed no significant cold hardiness. Supercooling occurred to a minor degree but did not appear to play a role in survival under subfreezing temperatures. The possible roles of egg and larval cold hardiness and of the nondiapause dormancy of mature larvae in the overwintering capabilities of the black cutworm are discussed.
The Demonstration of Antibodies in Lymphocytes.

SummaryAgglutinin and hemolysin titers have been obtained from extracts of washed cells secured from selected lymph nodes and thymi of mice immunized to sheep erythro-cytes. The titers of similar extracts of salivary glands and muscle of the same immunized animals were negative in all dilutions although these extracts were higher in nitrogen content. Per unit of extractable nitrogen, lymphoid tissue had significantly higher agglutinin and hemolysin titers than did the sera of the same animals. It is concluded that antibodies are concentrated in lymphocytes.
Thermal Decomposing Kinetics of Nitro Guanidine Based Gas Generator

The thermal stability,decomposing kinetics and storage life of nitro guanidine based gas generator under thermal condition were studied by TG-DSC technique.Two thermal analysis kinetic methods(Kissinger and Ozawa) were used to calculate the apparent activation energy(Ea),pre-exponential factor(A) and kinetic parameters(k) of the thermal decomposing reaction.The results showed that kinetic parameters calculated by Kissinger method and Ozawa method were almost the same.The usage life was estimated by isothermal method.
Fretting fatigue fractographies of aluminum conductor steel reinforced overhead conductor

Fretting fatigue experiment of the aluminum conductor steel reinforced(ACSR) conductor was carried out using a conductor fretting fatigue testing equipment.The fractographies of the external and internal Al strands of the ACSR conductor were analyzed using scanning electron microscope(SEM),and the fracture mechanisms of the Al strands after fretting fatigue were also discussed.The results show that the Al strands mostly rupture at the last contact points of the conductor on the suspension clamp.Under the condition of the fretting amplitude equal to 1.0 mm,only the plane fracture of the Al strands takes place at low fretting cycles of 1.6×107.As the fretting cycles increasing from 1.6×107 to 2.6×107,the number of the broken Al strands increases,and new facture modes,i.e.the 45° and "V"-type fractures,are detected.All fatigue fracture surfaces of the Al strands consist of three regions,e.g.the fatigue source region,the fatigue crack extension region and the instant fracture region,respectively.Two fatigue fracture mechanisms of the Al strands,such as the bending fatigue and the torsional fatigue,are also revealed.
Introduction to the special issue - Turkey husbandry and domestication: Recent scientific advances

Abstract The turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ) is unique in being the only major vertebrate animal domesticated in ancient North/Central America. Despite its unique status, its history of use, management, and domestication has received relatively little attention in comparison to other domesticated animals. The history of turkey management and domestication is thus a large gap in our knowledge of animal husbandry, and how and why animal domestication developed in ancient North/Central America. This introductory article presents background on the history of turkey husbandry and domestication research to contextualize the collected papers presented in this special issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports . The contribution of each paper is discussed in regards to past and current research trends, and how they articulate with likely directions for future research.
Studies towards a precision timing calorimeter for high energy physics collider experiments

Current and future high energy physics particle colliders are capable to provide instantaneous luminosities of 1034cm−2s−1 and above. The high center of mass energy, the large number of simultaneous collision of beam particles in the experiments and the very high repetition rates of the collision events pose huge challenges. They result in extremely high particle fluxes, causing very high occupancies in the particle physics detectors operating at these machines. To reconstruct the physics events, the detectors have to make as much information as possible available on the final state particles. We briefly discuss how timing information with a precision of around 10 ps and below can aid the reconstruction of the physics events under such challenging conditions. We discuss different detector concepts which can provide time measurements for charged particles and photons with a precision in the range of a few 10 ps. We present in detail updated measurements utilizing a Lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) based calorimeter prototype. With an improved understanding of the signal creation, light propagation and detection characteristics we achieve a precision of down to 30 ps for electrons with energies of 30 GeV. Further we present beam test measurements with a multichannel plate based detectors and studies using silicon detectors. We discuss possible implementations based on these different technologies in a large scale particle physics detector.
Interface roughness scattering rate equation model of long-wavelength quantum cascade lasers

The consideration of interface roughness scattering in the model of quantum cascade lasers enables the optimization of long-wavelength designs and predicts a twofold reduction in threshold current of our design compared to the current designs.
Comment on: Conceptualizing and evaluating the replication of research results

Abstract Fabrigar and Wegener (2016) raised several important points about the role of replication in verifying, interpreting, analyzing, and understanding scientific results. Unfortunately, they made several mistakes when applying the Test for Excess Significance to detect reporting biases. As a result of these mistakes, their examples do not demonstrate how to identify a robust meta-analytic effect in a seemingly biased set of experiments. This commentary corrects their mistakes and discusses ways that seemingly biased experiment sets can be interpreted.
A pilot study of temsirolimus and body composition.

e13534 Background: Body weight and composition play a role in cancer etiology, prognosis and treatment response. Temsirolimus is an mTor inhibitor that can cause weight loss. Therefore, we analyzed weight, body composition changes and outcome in patients treated with temsirolimus. Methods: Sixteen patients with advanced solid tumors who participated in a trial with temsirolimus were studied; body composition was evaluated utilizing computerized tomography (CT) images. Sarcopenia was defined (CT-based criteria) as skeletal muscle index lower than 38.5cm2/m2 for women and 52.4cm2/m2 for men. Results: Five of 16 patients (31%) were men; median age, 60 years. There were no overall significant changes in weight, body mass index and body composition parameters after two months. Baseline sarcopenia was present in 44% (7/16) of patients. Fatigue, anemia, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia were common. Baseline sarcopenia and body composition did not correlate with worse toxicity or treatment outcome. However, there...
MIDI Motion: Interactive Music Composition Gloves

Midi Motion Gloves is an interactive wearable that is used to manipulate, organize, and construct audio patterns for the purpose of composing music. Acting as an interface between the user and a Digital Audio Workspace, or DAW, the gloves give a user complete control over customization of sounds, effects, tempo, recording, looping, and other musical elements. MIDI Motion gloves utilize organic human movement like finger bending, hand rotation, and finger tapping to trigger audio clips or add effects and filters, ultimately allowing the user to efficiently compose and visualize complex musical patterns in a three-dimensional space.
Legal Issues: A Glass Rectangle with Rounded Corners and Beveled Edges: Patenting a Design

Smartphones all look more or less the same. They all have a high resolution screen that takes up most of the front, square icons representing various applications that are arranged in rows and columns. How much of the tendency of smartphones to all look-a-like is a direct result of the necessary functions of smartphones, and how much is attributable to ornamental design choices made by the various smartphone manufactures? That question is central to the long-running, billion dollar litigation between Apple and Samsung over the assertion that Samsung’s Galaxy and other smartphones are infringing on designs that Apple patented for its iPhones. The question is now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Crystal plasticity modeling of irradiation growth in Zircaloy-2

AbstractA physically based reaction-diffusion model is implemented in the visco-plastic self-consistent (VPSC) crystal plasticity framework to simulate irradiation growth in hcp Zr and its alloys. The reaction-diffusion model accounts for the defects produced by the cascade of displaced atoms, their diffusion to lattice sinks and the contribution to crystallographic strain at the level of single crystals. The VPSC framework accounts for intergranular interactions and irradiation creep, and calculates the strain in the polycrystalline ensemble. A novel scheme is proposed to model the simultaneous evolution of both, number density and radius, of irradiation-induced dislocation loops directly from experimental data of dislocation density evolution during irradiation. This framework is used to predict the irradiation growth behaviour of cold-worked Zircaloy-2 and trends compared to available experimental data. The role of internal stresses in inducing irradiation creep is discussed. Effects of grain size, tex...
Simulation Design for Policy Audiences: Informing Decision in the Face of Uncertainty

Often a researcher or policy maker confronts a situation in which all possible decisions, including the decision to postpone choosing, carry risk. In such situations, one must attempt to reconcile a choice with information available today. Using two examples, this chapter highlights the generic benefits of simulation for projecting impacts of policies. Emphasis is placed on the basics of simulation design. In particular, the construction of alternate states of nature to accommodate contingencies, the vetting of designs, the determination of more and less important assumptions, the identification of stopping points for simulation and concerns regarding false precision are addressed.
Solving election manipulation using integer partitioning problems

An interesting problem of multi-agent systems is that of voting, in which the preferences of autonomous agents are to be combined. Applications of voting include modeling social structures, search engine ranking, and choosing a leader among computational agents. In the setting of voting, it is very important that each agent presents truthful information about his or her preferences, and not manipulate. The choice of election system may encourage or discourage voters from manipulating. Because manipulation often results in undesirable consequences, making the determination of such intractable is an important goal.An interesting metric on the robustness of an election system concerns the frequency in which opportunities of manipulations occur in a given election system. Previous work by Walsh has evaluated the frequency of manipulation in the context of very specific election systems, particularly veto, when the number of candidates is limited to at most three, by showing that manipulation problems in these systems can be directly viewed as problems of (Two-Way) Partition, and then using the best known heuristics of Partition. Walsh also claimed similar results hold for k-candidate veto election by way of problems involving multi-way partitions.We show that the results for k-candidate veto elections do not follow directly from common versions of partition problems and require non-trivial modifications to Multi-Way Partition. With these modifications, we confirm Walsh's claim that these elections are also vulnerable to manipulation. Our new computational problems also allow one to evaluate manipulation in the general case of k-candidate scoring protocols. We investigate the complexity of manipulating scoring protocols using new algorithms we derive by extending the known algorithms of Multi-Way Partition.It is our conclusion that the problems of manipulation in more general scoring protocols of four or more candidates are not vulnerable to manipulation using extensions of the current known algorithms of Multi-Way Partition. This may be due to weaknesses in these algorithms or complexity in manipulating general scoring protocols.
Seat Integration of RF Vital-Sign Monitoring

Monitoring of the vital signs including heartbeat, respiration and blood pressure for long duration is critical for driver alertness, smart home, E-health and Internet of Things (IoT), especially when the user takes a seat as in the cases of seniors, patients, and car drivers. The sensing system should be integrated into the seat cushion and “invisible” to the users to provide continuous, comfortable and convenient monitoring. However, current vital-sign sensing technologies often require skin-touch electrodes or external readers with clear line-of-sight, and are hence difficult to be deployed into the chair setup. Piezoelectric, accelerometer and ultrasound sensors can suffer from mechanical damping in soft cushion and limited sensitivity. The radar-based system provides non-contact measurements based on signal reflection from body surfaces, but high areal resolution to accommodate multiple observation points on one user often incurs significant system cost. In this work, an active near-field coherent sensing (NCS) system is integrated into generic seat structures to assess the heartbeat, respiration and blood pressure of the occupant. With the improved balancing bridge design, the weak cardiopulmonary signals from the back and the femoral pulse from the thigh area can be accurately detected for the pulse transit time and the derived blood pressure. Variation of sensing positions due to different postures and body sizes is investigate for robust placement considerations.
Understanding Alumni Relations Programs in Community Colleges

The purpose for conducting the study was to explore and describe the use of alumni societies and associations in community colleges, particularly focusing on the intended outcome of their implementation. To collect data for the study, a research-team developed survey instrument was distributed electronically to 250 community college advancement senior leaders. A total of 106 (42%) usable surveys were returned for use in the study. The results of the data collection and analysis described community college expectations for alumni societies, and that this expectation was primarily focused on fundraising. The societies were also critical, however, in career placement for students, developing career-oriented programs, and reviewing curricula. Survey results also indicated that many community college leaders use alumni societies in creative ways, including assisting in faculty searches, hosting recruitment events, and teaching community education (lifelong learning) courses. Study findings are critical for college leaders who are often faced with difficulties in funding existing or new programing. The respondents to the study illustrated how alumni societies can serve as critical catalysts for improving existing programs and expanding the reach and value of the institution. Findings also suggest that alumni societies are perceived to be strong gateways to developing philanthropic support for institutions.
Ways of Being and Ways of Knowing: Heidegger's The Question Concerning Technology and Knowledge Organization

This paper examines some of the problems within the field of knowledge organization that arise from its roots within the Western philosophical tradition, specifically in relation to the technological view of the world as expressed by Martin Heidegger's The Question Concerning Technology. It attempts not only to outline the weaknesses of this worldview, but also to provide a path towards expansion and inclusion of a larger variety of worldviews. Given the importance of ontology within Heidegger's philosophy, this paper considers epistemology as rooted in ontology, and attempts to center knowledge organization within ontology. The goal is the development of a human-centered approach to knowledge organization which encompasses the creator and the world of the creator as well as the user and the world of the user, and builds upon community and connections between them. The goal of this approach is to arrive at a philosophy of knowledge organization that can successfully interact with knowledge expressed in a wide variety of forms (tools and works of art in addition to verbal treatises) and from a variety of cultures and socio-economic groups.
Reproducing the Privilege of White Femininity: An Intersectional Analysis of Home Care:

Research elucidates the gendered and racialized assumptions and practices embedded within occupational organizations but has considered less how race and gender mutually constitute the structure of...
Performance of a Pediatric Stroke Alert Team Within a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Background:Childhood stroke is rare, and diagnosis is frequently delayed. The use of pediatric stroke teams has the potential to decrease time to neurology evaluation and imaging, hastening appropr...
Control of regulatory T cell homeostasis

CD4+ Foxp3+ T Regulatory (Treg) cells play a critical role in the homeostasis and maintenance of the immune system. The understanding of different aspects of Treg cells biology remains an intensively investigated subject as altering their generation, stability, or function by drugs or biologics may have therapeutic value in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as well as cancers. This review will focus on recent studies on the role of cytokines, T Cell Receptor (TCR) and co-stimulatory/co-inhibitory molecules signaling, location and metabolism on the homeostasis and stability of Treg cells. The potential for therapeutic manipulation of each of these factors will be discussed.
Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: Where is the Evidence?

: With the growing public interest in the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), some states have now either added or proposed to add OUD as an indication for their state's medical marijuana program. However, these initiatives are based on weak evidence which at present do not support the listing of cannabis or cannabinoids as a treatment for OUD. Nevertheless, studying the potential therapeutic applications of carefully chosen components of cannabis or cannabinoids to treat specific aspects of OUD is not without scientific merit. Given the high rates of treatment discontinuation among those taking medications for OUD, interventions that further improve clinical outcomes are especially needed. The potential therapeutic applications of cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of OUD are worthy of further study, but it should be conducted with the same rigor that we expect of all pharmaceutical products. Until we have more research to show their efficacy, policy makers and clinicians should refrain from portraying cannabis and cannabinoids as evidence-based treatments for OUD.
Design of super-strong and thermally stable nanotwinned Al alloys via solute synergy

Al alloys have widespread industrial applications. However, their mechanical strength is often much lower than steels. Here, we investigate the influence of solutes on achieving ultrahigh strength and thermal stability of nanotwinned Al alloys. In situ micropillar compression tests show the addition of a small amount of Ti can significantly increase the mechanical strength of Al-Ni alloys to 2 GPa. Deformation induced detwinning, Ni segregation and grain coarsening as discovered in binary Al-Ni alloys are mostly absent in the ternary Al-Ni-Ti alloys. Moreover, the ternary Al-Ni-Ti alloys have outstanding thermal stability. Density function theory calculations reveal the synergetic pinning effect of Ni-Ti solute pairs on incoherent twin boundaries. This study demonstrates that the proper selection of synergistic solute pairs is critical to improve the thermal stability and mechanical properties of nanotwinned Al alloys.
Harvesting the saphenous vein

Abstract The saphenous vein remains in 2020 the most commonly used supplementary conduit to the left internal thoracic artery. Endoscopic vein harvest, when performed by as experienced provider, is the preferred approach. Maintaining high standard for quality for vein harvest is critical, especially at programs with declining coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) volume due to competition form percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Calculations of anisotropic magnetic properties using spin-orbit energy variations

We analyze several methods of obtaining the accurate relativistic total energy (TE) variations using traditional perturbation theories (PTs) and proposed coupling constant integration (CCI) methods. For this purpose, we perform benchmark calculations within the density functional theory taking the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and its derivative as a perturbation. The TE change due to SOC addition obtained from both PTs and CCI is shown to reach the accuracy of fully self-consistent TE calculations. Similar accuracy is also obtained even for the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE). The real advantage of the proposed methods is to use PTs and CCI methods in those electronic structure methods where accurate total energies currently cannot be obtained with required accuracy. Correspondingly, we demonstrate the applicability of suggested methods for calculations of MAE in different magnetic materials using a dynamic mean-field method. All suggested PTs and CCI methods also provide convenient site, orbital, and spin decompositions of the TE variation, creating a powerful way to analyze microscopic physics in strongly correlated materials.
A Seat at the Table or a Power Seat: The Impact of Simple Representation Versus Power Representation of Women in Government on Funding for Primary Education

Scholars have repeatedly shown that female politicians focus more on common good issues such as health care and education than their male counterparts. When men hold the majority of positions of political power these issues may not be raised for debate within government even if women are present. Using a cross-country dataset, this research examines the impact of women in government on public spending on primary education. Specifically, it explores whether it is enough for women to be represented in government, or if they must have a position of power to effect policy outcomes. The analysis results indicate that both women’s simple representation and power representation are significantly positively correlated with increases in federal spending on primary education; however, when women hold positions of political power there is a greater impact on funding than when they simply hold a seat in the legislature.