cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oceanic Rainfall Retrievals using passive and active measurements from SeaWinds Remote Sensor

The SeaWinds sensor was launched onboard two satellite missions. The first was the QuikSCAT mission launched in mid 1999 by NASA, and the second was the ADEOS II mission launched by JAXA in late 2002. SeaWinds operates at a ku-band frequency of 13.4 GHz, and was originally designed to measure the speed and direction of the ocean surface wind vector by relating the normalized radar backscatter measurements to the near surface wind vector through a geophysical model function. In addition to the backscatter measurement capability, SeaWinds simultaneously measures the polarized radiometric emission from the surface and atmosphere, utilizing a ground signal processing algorithm known as the QuikSCAT / SeaWinds Radiometer (QRad / SRad). This paper presents an oceanic rainfall retrieval algorithm that combines the simultaneous active radar backscatter and the passive microwave brightness temperatures observed by the SeaWinds sensor. The retrieval algorithm is statistically based, and has been developed using collocated measurements from SeaWinds, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) rain rates, and the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) wind fields. The rain is retrieved on a wind vector cell (WVC) measurement grid that has a spatial resolution of 25 km. Examples of the rain estimates from SeaWinds are presented, and comparisons are made with the standard TRMM 2A12 rain data product. Validation results demonstrate that SeaWinds rain measurements are in good agreement with the independent microwave rain observations obtained from TMI. Further, by applying a threshold on the retrieved rain rates, SeaWinds rain estimates can be utilized as a rain flag. In order to evaluate the performance of the SeaWinds flag, comparisons are made with the Impact based Multidimensional Histogram (IMUDH) rain flag developed by JPL. Results emphasize the powerful rain detection capabilities of the SeaWinds retrieval algorithm. Due to its broad swath coverage, SeaWinds affords additional independent sampling of the oceanic rainfall, which may contribute to the future NASA's Precipitation Measurement Mission (PMM) objectives of improving the global sampling of oceanic rain within 3 hour windows. Also, since SeaWinds is the only sensor onboard QuikSCAT, the SeaWinds rain estimates can be used to improve the flagging of rain-contaminated oceanic wind vector retrievals. The passive-only rainfall retrieval algorithm (QRad /SRad) has been implemented by JPL as part of the level 2B science data product, and can be obtained from the Physical Oceanography Distributed Data Archive (PO.DAAC).
An unusually high divalent cation requirement for attachment of West Nile virus to primary chick embryo cells.

SummaryAn unusually high divalent cation requirement for maximal plaque count and maximal adsorption rate was found in the WNV-CE cell system. An increase in Mg2+ concentration from 1 − 10-3 to 1 − 10-1M resulted in a 200-fold increase in average plaque count. When 1 − 10-1M Mg2+ was incorporated in the virus inoculum, WNV attachment was essentially complete in 50-60 min. If 1 − 10-2M or less Mg2+ was included in the adsorption diluent, maximal attachment was not complete within 300 min and only a fraction of the original virus content could be detected by plaque assay.
Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems

Few studies of environmental justice examine inequities in drinking water contamination. Those studies that have done so usually analyze either disparities in exposure/harm or inequitable implementation of environmental policies. The US EPA’s 2001 Revised Arsenic Rule, which tightened the drinking water standard for arsenic from 50 μg/L to 10 μg/L, offers an opportunity to analyze both aspects of environmental justice. We hypothesized that Community Water Systems (CWSs) serving a higher proportion of minority residents or residents of lower socioeconomic status (SES) have higher drinking water arsenic levels and higher odds of non-compliance with the revised standard. Using water quality sampling data for arsenic and maximum contaminant level (MCL) violation data for 464 CWSs actively operating from 2005–2007 in California’s San Joaquin Valley we ran bivariate tests and linear regression models. Higher home ownership rate was associated with lower arsenic levels (s-coefficient= −0.27 μg As/L, 95% (CI), -0.5, -0.05). This relationship was stronger in smaller systems (s-coefficient= −0.43, CI, -0.84, -0.03). CWSs with higher rates of homeownership had lower odds of receiving an MCL violation (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.67); those serving higher percentages of minorities had higher odds (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2, 5.4) of an MCL violation. We found that higher arsenic levels and higher odds of receiving an MCL violation were most common in CWSs serving predominantly socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Our findings suggest that communities with greater proportions of low SES residents not only face disproportionate arsenic exposures, but unequal MCL compliance challenges.
Optimal Timing of Farm Transferal From Parent to Child

When farm income is first increasing and then decreasing in the operator's age, the timing of farm transferal from parent to child is optimally determined by families who seek to maximize joint income or utility. Using a sample of Israeli farms in which the operation of the farm changed from parent to child between 1971 and 1981, equations of transfer time and child's education are derived. A simultaneous equation, censored regression model is estimated using a two-stage method. Results support the theoretical predictions that transfer time is decreasing with parent's age and with child's schooling, and increasing with parent's experience.
The Role of Mechanical Stresses in Microvascular Remodeling

The microvasculature is an extremely adaptable structure that is capable of architectural and functional adjustments in response to multiple biochemical and mechanical stimuli. Inadequate or inappropriate adjustments often result in pathophysiology. Recent work has brought increasing recognition of the importance of microvascular remodeling in widespread disease states such as hypertension, tumor growth, diabetes, and progressive coronary artery occlusion. Much work has been done to characterize the cells and molecules with putative roles in microvascular remodeling, but little is known regarding the mechanotransduction processes that might link hemodynamic stresses such as wall shear stress and circumferential wall stress to structural and functional changes in vivo. Two primary approaches have been employed: in vitro studies that use cultured cells and allow molecular biologic analysis of signaling pathways and gene expression; and in vivo experiments aimed at understanding vessel adaptations in the intact tissue. This article reviews the structural adaptations exhibited by microvessels and the information available from in vitro and in vivo approaches. The formation of new arterioles in intact tissues is examined in detail as an example of integrative work, and the prospects for new technologies are discussed. This is a time of great opportunity for bidirectional exchange between basic in vitro advances and in vivo experimentation. This exchange will be essential in generating new understanding of the role of mechanical stresses in microvascular remodeling.
Mobile sink using multiple channels to defend against wormhole attacks in wireless sensor networks

Security is a necessity for many sensor-network applications. A particularly harmful attack against sensor networks is known as the wormhole attack, where an adversary tunnels the messages received in one part of the network over a low-latency link and replays them in a different part of the same network. This article presents the threat posed by wormhole attacks to wireless sensor networks with mobile sinks. A novel technique that involves leveraging channel diversity for defense against the wormhole attack has been proposed. Through quantitative analyses, it is shown that even when 50% of a sensor node's neighbors are malicious devices, the provision of one extra available channel for communication with the mobile sink reduces the probability of a wormhole attack to almost zero.
An Analytic Approach Describing Structural Effects on the Properties of Molecular Fluids

An analytic approach is used to evaluate how the angular structure of a molecular fluid contributes to its thermodynamic properties. The average interactions (energy, forces, etc.) between molecules are first expressed as integrals over a spherical-harmonic expansion of the pair distribution function of the fluid. Angularly averaged interactions for systems described by site-site representations of the intermolecular potentials are then developed. Specifically, homonuclear diatomic molecules described by two-site potential are considered in this paper. These results are used to examine the role that fluid structure plays in determining the average energy, pressure, and forces on a molecule, using as comparison simulation data on dense, fluid nitrogen. I. Introduction How the thermodynamic properties of a molecular fluid depend on the structure of that fluid has long been of interest. 1 Much work has been done to develop descriptions of the fluid based on a variety of order parameters describing the local correlations between molecular orientations and positions. Most applications of those descriptions have yielded information about the structure of the fluid. Here, we wish to take those descriptions a step further and use them to show how the details of the structure contribute to the bulk properties of the fluid. We shall express the average interactions (energy, forces, etc.) between molecules in the fluid as integrals over the pair distribution function. 1 By writing the pair distribution function as an expansion in the spherical harmonics, the average interactions can then be expressed as sums of integrals of the expansion coefficients of the distribution function ( gl1l2m) times quantities that are integrals of the interaction functions times the spherical harmonics. Since the gl1l2m contain all the information about the structure of the fluid, while the other terms depend only on the form on the interatomic potential, we can examine how the structure contributes to the average interactions. For comparison, we shall refer to computer simulations, with essentially the same intermolecular potential, in which the various expansion parameters were calculated. Specifically, we shall use the results from a Monte Carlo simulation of fluid nitrogen published some years ago by Belak et al. 2
Effects of Tip Gap Size on the Flow Structure in the Tip Region of an Axial Turbomachine

This experimental study examines the effect of tip gap size on the flow structure and turbulence in the tip region of an axial turbomachine. The experiments have been performed in the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) optically index-matched facility using an axial compressor settings designed based on the geometry of the inlet guide vanes (IGV) and the first stage of the Low Speed Axial Compressor (LSAC) facility at NASA Glenn. Two sets of rotor blades with similar cross sections, but with tip gap sizes of 0.49% and 2.3% of the blade chord (or 1.1% and 5.4% of the blade span) have been installed and tested. The measurements include performance tests, visualization of the tip leakage vortex (TLV) using cavitation, and stereo PIV (SPIV) measurements in several meridional planes. Increasing the tip gap size causes a substantial reduction in pressure rise across the machine for the same flow rate. The cavitation images, whose trends agree with the velocity and vorticity distributions obtained by the SPIV measurements, show that TLV rollup in the less loaded blade occurs at later chordwise location, and that the vortex remains located closer to the suction side (SS) corner of the originating blade. The delayed detachment from the blade with increasing gap is attributed to the increase of distance of the ‘image vortex’ (wall interaction) from the TLV. The wider gap also reduces the entrainment by the TLV of the endwall boundary layer after it separates at the point where the backward leakage flow meets the main passage flow. The previously observed TLV breakup, which is evident for the narrow gap in the aft part of the rotor passage, is delayed significantly for the wider gap. Consistent changes also appear in the distributions of turbulent kinetic energy, which peaks in the vicinity of the TLV core, the endwall boundary layer separation, and in the shear layer connecting the TLV center to the SS corner of the blade tip.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
BRAF mutation predicts MEK-dependence in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

10523 Background: Constitutive ERK signaling is common in human cancer and is often the result of activating mutations in BRAF, RAS and upstream receptors. Missense BRAF kinase domain mutations are...
Guidelines for Research

“Is this Dr. Stickman? This is Mrs. Osgood. I’m chairperson of the school committee. We have something we’d like to ask your advice about.”
Functional Polymer Nanocomposites Enhanced by Nanorods

Because of their shape anisotropy, nanorods are attractive components for creating functional polymer nanocomposites. In many cases, this anisotropy is the basis of physical properties that are distinct from those obtained from isotropic particles, such as nanospheres. For instance, the shape of gold nanorods makes them ideal candidates for applications involving the manipulation of incident light and sensitive molecular spectroscopy due to enhanced polarizability of the particle. On the other hand, semiconducting nanorods, such as those composed of CdSe, have shown promise in polymer-based photovoltaic devices as sites for electron transport and charge transfer. In this Perspective, we motivate the fabrication of functional polymer nanocomposites based specifically upon the inclusion of nanorods over other nanoparticle shapes and discuss ways in which the anisotropy of the individual nanoparticles enhances assembly in and the properties of polymer nanocomposites in comparison to spherical nanoparticles. ...
Changes in Pituitary Prolactin and Mammary Nucleic Acid Content during Pseudopregnancy in the Rat

SummaryAcute and long-term changes in pituitary prolactin and mammary nucleic acids of rats following induction of pseudopregnancy by cervical vibration were investigated. After maintaining a constant level (0.045-0.047 IU/mg) between 0 and 16 hr of stimulation, prolactin concentration declined progressively to the lowest level (0.012 IU/mg) on day 10 of pseudopregnancy. This decrease was followed by substantial increases in DNA and RNA contents of the mammary gland. Pituitary prolactin and mammary nucleic acid content were highly but negatively correlated. The data suggest that prolactin in rats may be involved in mammogenesis and luteal function during pseudopregnancy.
Surface Chemical Studies of Oxides and Nitrides

The application of surface analysis techniques for the study of fundamental surface and thin film phenomena is described. The topics covered relate to the processing and fabrication of electronic packages and include: evaporation/condensation during the thermal processing of glasses, hydration of glass surfaces and thin films, nitridation of silica films, diffusion behavior in oxides at low temperature, and impurity segregation in thin films. A wide variety of surface analytical methods are exemplified including Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), ion-scattering spectroscopy (ISS), nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
The Transverse Carpal Ligament: Anatomy and Clinical Implications

The anatomical characteristics of the transverse carpal ligament (TCL) have recently been further clarified. Its bony insertion sites proximally to the scaphoid and pisiform are more round, whereas the distal insertion sites to the trapezium and hamate are more oblong, with reproducible areas of insertion. The thickness of the TCL varies along the path of the median nerve, with the thickest portions distal ulnarly and proximal radially. The predominant fiber orientation is transverse. This more detailed understanding of the anatomy of the TCL may enable more novel treatments of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Trends in Early Childhood Obesity in a Large Urban School District in the Southwestern United States, 2007-2014.

Introduction Although recent studies indicate that rates of childhood obesity and severe obesity may be declining, few studies have reported prevalence trends in early childhood or differences in trends across sociodemographic groups. The primary aim of this study was to report trends in prevalence of early childhood obesity and severe obesity 2007 through 2014 in a diverse, metropolitan school district in the southwestern United States and determine whether these trends vary by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and disability status.
Reliability Analysis Under Stochastic Loads

A second-moment approximate procedure for reliability analysis of linear structures under combinations of stationary and independent stochastic loads is developed. Loads are modeled as Poisson square wave and filtered Poisson processes. Close bounds on the probability of failure are obtained in terms of the first and second moments of the structure resistance and loads and sets of parameters describing temporal fluctuations of loads. The application of the method to reliability-based design is discussed. An example demonstrates the applicability, as well as validity, of the procedure. The main advantages of the proposed method are its computational simplicity and its ability to analyze structures under any number of sustained and transient loads. The proposed method is particularly suitable for formulation of probabilistic design codes.
Salience Games: Keeping Environmental Issues in (and Out) of the Public Eye

Businesses and green activists seek to influence public attention to the social impacts of a sector — they play salience games. An activist allocates funds between campaigning against a polluting industry and other environmental projects. When public attention is scarce, a greater campaign orientation induces industry to invest more heavily in symbolic action that cloaks damage and reduces the risk of salience. This makes fundraising more challenging for the activist, diminishing funds available for both campaign and non-campaign activities. The activist strategically biases its mission away from campaigns — and in favor of broad versus narrow campaigns — but not by as much as a welfare-motivated planner would wish. When salience is avoided by a mixture of symbolic and substantive action, a greater weight on the latter induces the NGO to become more campaign-oriented, with environmental damage lower and welfare higher. Concentrated industries prefer symbolic action, and un-concentrated industries prefer substantive action.
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF STARCH

Publisher Summary Starch is a homoglycan composed of a single type of sugar unit, regardless of the source of the starch. Starch was established as a polymer by the small freezing point depression observed for its aqueous solution. The hydrolytic investigations of starch were taken as proof of its poly(D-glucosyl), or D-glucan, nature. However, obtaining a quantitative yield of D-glucose from a pure glucan is difficult. The identity and structure of isomaltose is of considerable importance in ascertaining the structure of amylopectin. A procedure for separating starch fractions involves the complete dispersion of starch granules in a hot aqueous medium and treatment with 1-butanol to allow, on cooling, the formation of large crystalline rosettes of amylose-1-butanol complex. These could be separated by centrifugation or filtration. Pure amylose is obtained on re-disolution and re-precipitation as the 1-butanol complex with the final removal of 1-butanol by distillation from a hot suspension.
Extraskeletal Bone Formation

Publisher Summary During embryonic development, induction of bone formation is spatially and temporally regulated to form the skeletal elements. After birth, new bone formation is normally limited to bone regeneration during fracture repair, a process that is also precisely regulated. Induction of extraskeletal bone formation, also known as heterotopic ossification (HO), is a pathological condition in which bone forms in tissues outside of the normal skeleton. Heterotopic ossification forms through endochondral or intramembranous processes and produces qualitatively normal bone tissue. Extensive heterotopic ossification that begins during childhood occurs in two clinically distinct genetic diseases: fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) and progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH). Extraskeletal bone formation also can occur in cases other than these rare genetic diseases; such conditions are referred to as nonhereditary heterotopic ossification (NHHO). In adults, heterotopic ossification is a frequent complication of a number of common conditions associated with severe tissue trauma, such as spinal cord and head injuries, hip replacement surgery, severe burns, and high impact war wounds, as well as in age-associated conditions such as atherosclerosis and pressure ulcers.
Individual differences in orthographic priming relate to phonological decoding skill in adults

We examined relationships between individual differences in orthographic priming and a battery of measures assessing orthographic processing ability, reading history, current reading ability, and verbal intelligence in university students. Pronounceable and unpronounceable nonword primes preceded word and nonword targets. Individual differences in nonword reading skill and other measures of reading and spelling ability were associated with the degree of orthographic priming. Individuals with less phonological decoding skill benefited more from anagram primes for word targets preceded by unpronounceable primes and nonword targets preceded by pronounceable primes. Analyses of extreme groups revealed that the group with the lowest phonemic decoding efficiency scores showed a general benefit of orthographic relatedness, while the group with the highest phonemic decoding efficiency scores showed a benefit only under certain conditions. Thus, individuals with worse nonword reading skills may have less precise orthographic representations and therefore benefit more from overlapping coarse-grained orthographic information, regardless of the pronounceability of the prime or the lexical status of the target. These findings demonstrate that university students vary in their orthographic processing skill and the degree to which orthographic information is used during word recognition.
Toxicity of Synthetic Sucrose Esters Against the Tobacco Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Four synthetic sucrose esters were evaluated in the laboratory and field to determine their insecticidal activity on the tobacco aphid, Myzus nicotianae Blackman. Synthetic sucrose esters provided ...
Alcohol Prohibition in the United States, 1920–1933, and Its Legacies

This chapter charts the American experiment with national alcohol Prohibition from 1920 to 1933. It looks at how such an ambitious and absolutist law was adopted in the first place. It then charts the many unintended consequences of the crusade. While Prohibition has largely been understood as a massive public policy failure, I argue that such a perspective has caused us to lose sight of its many lasting consequences. The alcohol prohibition years pressed the American state into distinctive and permanent molds and built the edifice of the twentieth century federal penal state. The chapter ends with a discussion of the lessons one can draw from this public policy effort and its significant and lasting legacies—not least among them the federal government’s crossbreeding penal approach to other illicit narcotics.
Unified Theory of Vapor–Wall Mass Transport in Teflon-Walled Environmental Chambers

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation is studied in laboratory chambers, in which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are oxidized to produce low-volatility compounds that condense into the aerosol phase. It has been established that such oxidized low-volatility compounds can partition into the chamber walls, which traditionally consist of Teflon film. Several studies exist in which the rates of uptake of individual vapor compounds to the chamber walls have been measured, but a unified theory capable of describing the range of experimental measurements has been lacking. Here, a two-layer model of observed short and long vapor–wall interaction time scales in Teflon-walled environmental chambers is presented and shown to be consistent with experimental data on the rate of wall deposition of more than 90 compounds. Semiempirical relationships between key parameters in the model and vapor molecular properties are derived, which can be used to predict the fate of gas-phase vapor in the chamber under dry cond...
An Internal Disulfide Locks a Misfolded Aggregation-Prone Intermediate in Cataract-Linked Mutants of Human Gamma-D Crystallin

A large class of non-amyloid protein aggregates are considered amorphous; in most cases little is known about detailed mechanisms, if any, that underlie these aggregation phenomena. Amorphous aggregation of the γ-crystallins in the eye lens causes a widespread disease of aging, cataract. We combined simulations and experiments to study the mechanism of aggregation of two γD-crystallin mutants, the congenital cataract mutation W42R and the mimic of age-related oxidative damage W42Q. The two mutants had highly similar properties.
Terahertz spectroscopy and demonstration of visible-transparent/terahertz-functional electromagnetic structures in La-doped BaSnO3 films (Conference Presentation)

BaSnO_3 (BSO) is a transparent conductive oxide. This category of materials is interesting for applications such as optically transparent electrodes in solar cells and displays. This perovskite-material possesses many interesting properties including a wide bandgap, 3 eV, and a high electrical conductivity (exceeding 10^4 S/cm at room-temperature), which make it very interesting for visible-transparent applications. The DC conductivity in BSO can be superior to that in ITO, which is a commonly used transparent conductive oxide. Thin films used in our study were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on LSAT substrates. The epitaxial structure of the samples consist of 45 nm of La-doped BSO on top of a 45 nm thick undoped BSO film grown on LSAT. The BSO films were characterized by means of terahertz spectroscopy. The terahertz-extracted optical conductivity was ~0.8x10^3 S/cm in the 0.1 to 2 THz frequency range. Using these films, upon patterning into stripes, we demonstrate a terahertz polarizer. The polarizer is transparent at visible wavelengths, and functional at terahertz wavelengths; it achieves 96% transmission for terahertz polarization parallel to the stripes and 16% transmission for the perpendicular polarization. Furthermore, we also show that resonant structures, such as cross resonators, are also realizable in this material. The large optical conductivity in BSO films at terahertz frequencies, together with being transparent at visible wavelengths, makes it a very good candidate for developing visible-transparent electromagnetic structures responding in the terahertz frequency range.
Holocene faulting in the western Grand Canyon, Arizona: Discussion and reply

No Abstract Available. The article discussed was published in the Bulletin , v. 88, p. 1619–1622.
A method to value nature-related webcam viewing: The value of virtual use with application to brown bear webcam viewing

There are an estimated 16,000 nature related remote web cameras that provide users around the world with an opportunity to view wildlife. Because there is no monetary price to view the webcams, we ...
Understanding Falling Municipal Water Demand in a Small City Dependent on the Declining Ogallala Aquifer: Case Study of Clovis, New Mexico

Municipal water demand has declined over the past several decades in many large cities in the western United States. The same is true in Clovis, New Mexico, which is a small town in arid eastern Ne...
Comparing Third Sector Policy: A Postscript and Six Theses

The present volume explores processes of policy-making and policy change towards the third sector in the last two to three decades, which had been characterized by rapid expansion in scale and scope, and a generally greater policy prominence. The two overarching questions addressed in this book are, first, how did policy changes occur and under what conditions? Second, what, if any, windows of opportunity opened up and what kind of policy entrepreneur used them for what purpose and to what effect? Using a conceptual framework informed by Kingdon’s multiple streams approach (1995) and Sabatier’s policy coalition analysis (1999), various contributions reveal many differences and communalities in governments’ stance towards the third sector. Surprisingly, despite expansion and greater prominence, the authors report for all countries covered in this volume but for the United Kingdom, and, to some extent, Canada, that dedicated third sector policies did not develop, nor did underlying rationales emerge that are capable of providing a platform for driving a third sector policy through the complexities of the political process. This is not to say that no policies and no rationales existed at all; rather, the case studies highlight the extent to which third sector policies remained a function of other policies, such as health care or economic development. By implication, the case studies also stress the extent to which governments regarded other issues as either more pressing, more important or both, even if they intersected significantly with third sector concerns. In the context of a comparative policy analysis, the first and second thesis that follow from the main thrust of the book could be stated as follows:
The Influence of Thermocline Topography on the Oceanic Response to Fluctuating Winds: A Case Study in the Tropical North Pacific

Thermocline processes likely play an important role in climate variability at decadal timescales. Surface anomalies subducting at midlatitudes propagate in the main thermocline toward the tropics with a timescale close to decadal. Thermocline variability is also associated with baroclinic Rossby waves, a fundamental agent in the adjustment of the ocean circulation, whose propagation time can introduce a delay of several years in the oceanic feedback to atmospheric forcing.
Thermally Induced Cracks and Heat Extraction from Hot Dry Rocks

Some recent theoretical and experimental results on thermally induced cracks in brittle solids are reviewed and discussed in relation to heat extraction from hot dry rocks. The stability of growth patterns of these cracks, as well as those of hydraulically produced connected penny-shaped cracks, are investigated. For the thermally induced cracks, universal stability charts are presented, and the important destabilizing effects of geometric imperfections and material inhomogeneities are examined.
GRAMS: A general framework describing adsorption, reaction and sorption-enhanced reaction processes

Abstract We present a generalized reaction-adsorption modeling and simulation (GRAMS) framework that captures both reaction and adsorption dynamics in columns with solid catalysts, porous adsorbents or both. It is based on a 1-dimensional, pseudo-homogeneous, non-isothermal, non-adiabatic and non-isobaric model that is extensively validated using experimental data from literature for different adsorption-reaction systems. For demonstrating the capabilities of the high-fidelity framework, simulations are performed for several configurations of a packed-column system containing (i) pure catalyst as in a fixed bed reactor, (ii) pure adsorbent as in a multi-step pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process, (iii) homogeneously-distributed uniform mixture of adsorbent and catalyst as in a cyclic sorption enhanced reaction process (SERP), and (iv) heterogeneously-compartmentalized adsorbent and catalyst as in a layered SERP. The model predictions show good agreement with experimental observations for sorption-enhanced steam methane reforming (SE-SMR), sorption-enhanced water gas shift reaction (SE-WGSR), PSA processes and conventional SMR. The framework is also used for evaluating the performance of a novel process with integrated SE-SMR and reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGSR) for direct natural-gas-to-syngas conversion. GRAMS is implemented such that it can be used for optimal design and intensification of novel, modular and multi-functional processes by combining multiple phenomena within a single unit.
Christian Religiosity and Attitudes Toward the Human Value of Transgender Individuals

Previous research has shown that evangelical Christians rate the human value of transgender individuals lower than their nonreligious counterparts do; however, it is unknown what specific factors of religiosity relate to these lower scores. Given that many Christians, across the conservative to libe
Alterations of sex determination pathways in the genital ridges of males with limited Y chromosome genes

We previously demonstrated that in the mouse only two Y chromosome genes are required for a male to produce an offspring with the help of assisted reproduction technologies (ART): testis determinant Sry and spermatogonial proliferation factor Eif2s3y. Subsequently, we have shown that the function of these genes can be replaced by transgenic overexpression of their homologs, autosomally encoded Sox9 and X-chromosome encoded Eif2s3x. Males with Y chromosome contribution limited to two (XEif2s3yOSry), one (XEif2s3yOSox9 and XOSry,Eif2s3x), and no genes (XOSox9,Eif2s3x) produced haploid germ cells and sired offspring after ART. However, despite successful assisted reproductive outcome, they had smaller testes and displayed abnormal development of the seminiferous epithelium and testicular interstitium. Here we explored whether these testicular defects originated from altered pro-testis and pro-ovary factor signaling in genital ridges at the time of sex determination. Timed pregnancies were generated to obtain transgenic XEif2s3yOSry, XEif2s3yOSox9, XOSry,Eif2s3x, XOSox9,Eif2s3x, and wild-type XX and XY fetuses at 12.5 days post coitum. Dissected genital ridges were assessed for their morphology and anatomy, and expression of pro-testis and pro-ovary transcripts. All transgenic males displayed incomplete masculinization of gonadal shape, impaired development of testicular cords and gonadal vasculature, and decreased expression of factors promoting male pathway. Fetal gonad masculinization was more effective when sex determination was driven by the Sry transgene, in the presence of Y chromosome genes, and to a lesser extent a double dosage of X genes. The study adds to the understanding of the role of Y chromosome genes and their homologs during sex determination.
Patient-reported experience after outpatient breast surgery.

Abstract Background Given the growing emphasis on patient-centered care, we determined contributory factors to a positive experience among patients undergoing outpatient breast procedures. Methods We retrospectively identified patients ≥18 years-old who underwent a breast operation 7/2015-12/2016 and completed a survey within two weeks. Univariate analyses evaluated associations of factors with top survey composite measures. Key driver analysis identified top-priority survey factors for improving the overall assessment measure. Results Of 270 patients, patients who gave a top surgeon score were older (mean 62.5 vs 58.6 years, p = 0.048), more likely to report a pain score of 0 before discharge (87% vs 68%, p Conclusion To achieve top outpatient ratings, providers should focus on personal issues, including pain control, especially in younger patients. Surgeons should consider focusing on involving the patient in treatment decisions and emphasizing pain control and overall needs to improve the patient experience.
Friendships with Blacks Relate to Lessened Implicit Preferences for Whites Over Blacks

The present study examines the relationship between self-reported friendships with Blacks and implicit preferences for Whites relative to Blacks. There is considerable evidence that friendships relate to more favorable attitudes toward outgroups, however, the bulk of this evidence comes from explicit self-report measures. Using a sample of 123,445 participants that completed a Black-White IAT on the Project Implicit website, results indicate that participants reporting either childhood or post-childhood friendships with Blacks demonstrated weaker implicit preferences for Whites over Blacks. The size of this relationship was substantially smaller than found for explicit evaluations of Blacks.
A general peridynamics model for multiphase transport of non-Newtonian compressible fluids in porous media

Abstract A general state-based peridynamics model is developed to simulate transport of fluids in an arbitrary heterogeneous porous medium. The generality encompasses modeling of multiphase, multi-component flow of non-Newtonian and compressible fluids, which is often encountered in but not limited to subsurface reservoirs. Peridynamic model is especially useful for solving non-local problems, such as crack propagation, since it does not assume spatial continuity of field variables. Thus, the formulation presented here, combined with peridynamics-based damage model, can be used to simulate hydraulic fracturing with complex fluids. To demonstrate its capability to simulate multi-phase flow in porous media, the derived model is verified against the analytical Buckley-Leverett solution for immiscible Newtonian two-phase flow. Further, the non-Newtonian two-phase fluid flow in porous media is verified by simulating the polymer flood process involving immiscible displacement of a Newtonian fluid by a non-Newtonian fluid against a generalized solution obtained by Wu et al. [22] . The non-local solutions are shown to be consistent with the corresponding local solutions in limiting cases. Moreover, mass conservation of all the phases is satisfied, irrespective of discretization and extent of non-locality.
A Feasibility Study on Time-aware Monitoring with Commodity Switches

Network monitoring and measurement are important tasks for operating large-scale cloud networks. Recently, the confluence of programmable networking hardware and streaming algorithms has given rise to a class of memory-efficient algorithms that can run entirely in the switch data plane. However, existing systems cannot support the notion of time, and therefore are oblivious to data recency. Generally, capturing recent events is essential for reasoning about the most relevant trends, and the same holds for network monitoring. Recent data, whether for SLA monitoring or attack detection, is more useful and actionable. The key question we consider in this paper is how to perform time-aware monitoring on commodity switches with programmable data planes. Our contribution is a feasibility study that: a) identifies a class of hardware-friendly algorithms for time-aware monitoring, b) customizes their key operations to the P4 model, c) develops a Tofino hardware prototype as concrete evidence, and d) obtains promising early results on real-world datasets.
Controlled experiments to explore the use of a multi-tissue approach to characterizing stress in wild-caught Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis).

The integration of multiple tissues in physiological and ecological analyses can enhance methodological approaches, increase applications for data and extend interpretation of results. Previous investigations of the stress response in fish have focused primarily on cortisol levels in a single matrix-blood plasma-which confines interpretations of cortisol levels to a short temporal frame. Epidermal mucus has been proposed as an alternative or complement to plasma that may provide a view to cortisol levels over a different temporal window allowing comparative assessment. Here, we explore the potential for multi-tissue cortisol analysis using both plasma and epidermal mucus in Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis). The relative timing at which cortisol increased and decreased in the two matrices as well as cortisol concentrations at estimated peak levels were compared in two trials after (i) inducing cortisol synthesis by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH1-24) administration and (ii) inducing cortisol elimination using cortisol (hydrocortisone, 98%) injection. The ACTH treatment elicited a peak plasma cortisol response approximately 12 hours post-injection, while mucus cortisol concentrations peaked later at approximately 62 hours post-injection. Exogenous cortisol treatments suggested relatively little transfer of cortisol from plasma to mucus, potentially reflecting differential effects of endogenous and exogenous cortisol. Our results suggest the potential utility of mucus as a sampling matrix that provides an extended window for detection of the stress response as compared to plasma. Results also suggest the utility of a multi-tissue approach to cortisol analysis with potential applications to applied fisheries research. Increased understanding of the relative scale of the cortisol response to stress (e.g. capture) will allow researchers and managers to better interpret the physiological condition and survival outcome of fish subjected to regulatory discard.
The role of short-term, low dose intravenous ketamine infusion in Calciphylaxis.

Calciphylaxis is a small vessel vasculopathy causing subcutaneous ischemic necrosis. This condition is a recognized complication of end stage renal disease and is associated with severe pain. The mechanism of the pain generated by calciphylaxis is thought to be partly related to tissue ischemia, with a significant neuropathic component associated with neuronal hypoxic injury. The pain can be further exacerbated by the inflammatory process ensuing as a result of calciphylactic lesion infections which are commonly associated with this condition. Obtaining adequate pain relief is a challenging aspect of symptom control in calciphylaxis, and historically, patients suffering from calciphylaxis required high dose opioid medications to achieve satisfactory analgesia. This case report presents a multimodal pain management approach utilizing low dose ketamine infusion in an opioid-tolerant patient suffering from severe calciphylaxis-related pain. Ketamine is an anesthetic agent well established for its efficacy in the management of neuropathic pain in opioid-tolerant patients, and has been shown to prevent opioid-induced hyperalgesia and decrease opioid requirements. Prior published data studying pain control in calciphylaxis have mainly focused on subcutaneous ketamine administration which as noted in the literature, can be associated with infusion site complications. To the best of our knowledge, this report is first of its kind to describe successful use of ketamine infusion in treatment of acute calciphylaxis-related pain. Dose modification of ketamine is not required for patients with impaired renal function, and low dose intravenous ketamine infusion was associated with no reported adverse effects in our patient.
The Notch Pathway: A Link Between COVID-19 Pathophysiology and Its Cardiovascular Complications

COVID-19 is associated with a large number of cardiovascular sequelae, including dysrhythmias, myocardial injury, myocarditis and thrombosis. The Notch pathway is one likely culprit leading to these complications due to its direct role in viral entry, inflammation and coagulation processes, all shown to be key parts of COVID-19 pathogenesis. This review highlights links between the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV2 and the Notch signaling pathway that serve as primary drivers of the cardiovascular complications seen in COVID-19 patients.
DIFFERENCES IN QUALITY OF LIFE, SLEEP, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN ADOLESCENT ATHLETES BEFORE AND DURING COVID-19:

Background:The benefits of sport participation and physical activity within adolescent populations has been well established, including improved physical and psychological health, social functionin...
Development of the smooth newt, Lissotriton vulgaris, as observed in a garden pond during lockdown.

BACKGROUND Lissotriton vulgaris ("smooth newt") was an important organism for experimental embryology, especially in the early 20th century. The stages of development of L. vulgaris from the appearance of the first cleavage to metamorphosis have previously been described, but only through drawings. RESULTS Referring to Glaesner's staging and utilizing a makeshift lockdown laboratory, this study documents the development of L. vulgaris embryos in a small garden pond in Surrey, UK. This study describes varying developmental rates between individuals, identifies pigmented cells in close proximity/contributing to the heart, describes early gill development and reports a case of spontaneous, non-conjoined newt twins. CONCLUSIONS While pigmentation in the heart has been reported in some amphibians, no pigmentation within urodele hearts has been documented to date. Furthermore, although the literature on conjoined twinning in amphibia is extensive, separate, non-conjoined twinning is largely unexplored in the literature. This study invites further research into understanding of these topics.
Density and distribution of hippocampal neurotransmitter receptors in autism: an autoradiographic study.

Neuropathological studies in autistic brains have shown small neuronal size and increased cell packing density in a variety of limbic system structures including the hippocampus, a change consistent with curtailment of normal development. Based on these observations in the hippocampus, a series of quantitative receptor autoradiographic studies were undertaken to determine the density and distribution of eight types of neurotransmitter receptors from four neurotransmitter systems (GABAergic, serotoninergic [5-HT], cholinergic, and glutamatergic). Data from these single concentration ligand binding studies indicate that the GABAergic receptor system (3[H]-flunitrazepam labeled benzodiazepine binding sites and 3[H]-muscimol labeled GABAA receptors) is significantly reduced in high binding regions, marking for the first time an abnormality in the GABA system in autism. In contrast, the density and distribution of the other six receptors studied (3[H]-8OH-DPAT labeled 5-HT1A receptors, 3[H]-ketanserin labeled 5-HT2 receptors, 3[H]-pirenzepine labled M1 receptors, 3[H]-hemicholinium labeled high affinity choline uptake sites, 3[H]-MK801 labeled NMDA receptors, and 3[H]-kainate labeled kainate receptors) in the hippocampus did not demonstrate any statistically significant differences in binding.
Differences between Intelligent Tutor Lessons, and the Choice to Go Off-Task.

Recent research has suggested that differences between intelligent tu tor lessons predict a large amount of the variance in the prevalence of gaming the system (4). Within this paper, we investigate whether such differences also predict how much students choose to go off-task, and if so, which differences predict how much off-task behavior will occur. We utilize an enumeration of the differences between intelligent tutor lessons, the Cognitive Tutor Lesson Variation Space 1.1 (CTLVS1.1), to identify 79 differences between tutor lessons, within 20 lessons from an intelligent tutoring system for Algebra. We utilize a machine-learned detector of off-task behavior to predict 58 students' off-task behavior within that tutor, in each lesson. Surprisingly, the best model predicting off-task behavior from lesson features contains only one feature: lessons that involve equation-solving. We discuss possible explanations for this finding, and further studies that could shed light on this relationship.