cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arthropod Assemblages in a Montane Wetland Complex: Influences of Adjoining Lotic and Lentic Habitat and Temporal Variability

Our objective was to gain an understanding of the influences of habitat context and seasonal and interannual factors on arthropod assemblage structure in a wetland environment. We hypothesized that river and pond riparian habitats in the wetland would have greater diversity and abundance than core wetland habitat, and that these differences would be driven by aquatic subsidy via emerging aquatic insects. We also hypothesized that diversity and abundance of terrestrial fauna would decline through the dry summer. We sampled the study wetland, in Yosemite National Park, California, USA, through the growing seasons of 2013 and 2014; a large wildfire (> 100,000 ha) burned the entire study site during late summer of 2013. Assemblage structure was strongly influenced by habitat context, season, and year. Diversity and abundance were high at the river riparian sites, but these results were driven by a diverse and abundant terrestrial fauna, rather than by large numbers of emerging aquatic insects. Faunal assemblages became increasingly depauperate through the summer, likely due to drying of wetland habitat in this hot Mediterranean-type climate. Fire probably had a strong influence on faunal assemblages and vegetation structure, but we cannot rule out interannual variability independent of the fire.
Planning and profits: British naval armaments manufacture and the militaryindustrial complex, 1918–1941: by Christopher W. Miller, Liverpool University Press, Liverpool, 2018. Xiii+ 246 pp, Hardback, $120.00, ISBN: 978-1-78694-066-7.

In this meticulously researched book, Christopher W. Miller analyzes how the British state’s interactions with private business shaped British naval defence planning during the interwar era. On the...
Physical activity, nutrition, and psychological well-being among youth with visual impairments and their siblings

The primary purpose of this study was to examine physical activity, nutritional intake, and psychological well-being differences between youth with visual impairments and their siblings residing in...
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Opioid use disorder: Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic relapsing condition which is characterized by problematic pattern of opioid use despite of physical, mental and social distress. It is important individual and public health problem worldwide, especially in USA due to increased non-medical use of prescription opioids. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is a gold standard for treatment of OUD which includes pharmacological treatment combined with psychosocial therapies. Though these treatments are effective, there are barriers for successful outcomes. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe, simple and effective technique to modulate neuronal excitability. It has been used to reduce craving in substance use disorder (SUD). tDCS may be used in opioid use disorder to reduce craving and drug use. We are proposing pilot, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial protocol to assess effects of anodal tDCS over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), in OUD. We will randomize 80 subjects in parallel group design to either active or sham group. Five stimulation sessions of 2 mA for 20 minutes, will be provided. Primary outcome is cue induced craving score on VAS of 0 -10. Measures of feasibility, safety and effectiveness will be assessed at baseline and at different time points over 6 weeks. Aim of this trial is to assess feasibility of tDCS to reduce cue induced craving in OUD and to provide data for future fully powered trials, if trend of effectiveness observed.
Weak Galerkin finite element with curved edges

Abstract This paper studies a weak Galerkin finite element method on a domain with curved edges. We consider the two dimensional Poisson’s equation of a fixed curved boundary. Usually, the straight polygon meshes deliver a sub-optimal rate of convergence for the curved domain as approximation order bounded by O ( h 2 ) even for high order numerical schemes. In this paper, we shall develop a high order (optimal rate of convergence) WGFEM based on the curved mesh. The implementation details are studied for efficient numerical integration tools. Numerical experiments are provided to show the proposed curved WGFEM produces an optimal rate for errors measured in L 2 -norm and energy-norm of convergence as O ( h k + 1 ) and O ( h k ) for curved two-dimensional domain.
Sanctions in U.S. - Russia Relations

Given America’s leading position in the global economy, the U.S. government has frequently leveraged that power to punish “rogue states”, discourage nuclear proliferation, promote democratization, and create pressure for regime change. Washington relied on economic incentives in relations with Russia after 1991, but since 2012 the United States has utilized a broad range of economic sanctions against Russian side, leading to a significant deterioration in what was already a troubled relationship. In contrast to earlier comprehensive sanctions like those imposed on Iraq and Haiti, the U.S. is now crafting “smart” or targeted sanctions designed to exert maximum pressure on selected Russian elites and firms. Rather than evaluating the effectiveness of these measures on changing Russian behavior, the author explores the neglected domestic dimension of the U.S. sanctions process to improve understanding of U.S. foreign policy. This article draws on primary sources in the form of Congressional legislation, executive orders, and official statements to analyze U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia, and develops three brief case studies - the Magnitsky Act, post-Ukraine sanctions, and the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act - to explicate the main issues and actors driving U.S. sanctions. The author argues that domestic factors, including Congressional pressures and interest group activity, are critical to understanding U.S. sanctions regimes. While President Donald Trump has frequently resisted congressionally imposed sanctions, expectations for a more conciliatory approach towards Russia under the Trump administration have not materialized.
LLC Resonant Converter using Pre-Charged Capacitor for High Input Voltage – High PAPR Envelope Tracking

This paper presents a single stage LLC resonant converter including a pre-charged capacitor (LLC-PC) for high input voltage, high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) envelope tracking (ET) application. It can achieve high efficiency and fast response speed simultaneously. Compared with conventional buck converter for ET, this converter adopts isolated LLC resonant topology to enable the use of high input DC voltage. While the main converter itself can regulate the output voltage to track average state voltage envelope, the pre-charged capacitor is used to respond to high dv/dt and peak state voltage envelope. GS66516B, 650 V Gallium Nitride enhancement mode high electron mobility transistors (GaN E-HEMT) are used as switching devices to decrease switching loss. A 400 V to 24 V (average)/48V (peak) 1 kW 500 kHz LLC-PC converter is designed and simulated using PSIM. Finally, preliminary experimental results from a scaled down laboratory prototype are presented for proof of concept.
Prevalence and genetic diversity of noroviruses in adults with acute gastroenteritis in Huzhou, China, 2013–2014

Norovirus (NoV) infection is the most common cause of nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis, which affects both adults and children. However, the molecular epidemiology of NoV in adults with acute gastroenteritis in China has not been investigated extensively. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of NoV infections and analyzed the genetic diversity of NoV in adults with acute gastroenteritis in Huzhou, China. A total of 796 fecal samples were collected from outpatients (≥16 years of age) between March 2013 and February 2014. Real-time RT-PCR was performed to detect NoV genogroups I (GI) and II (GII). For genotyping, the capsid and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) genes were partially amplified and sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. NoVs were detected in 26.51 % (211/796) of the specimens, with GII being predominant, representing 96.20 % of the NoV infections. At least nine genotypes were identified among GI and GII specimens, including GI.P2/GI.2, GI.P3/GI.3, GI.P4/GI.4, GII.Pe/GII.4 Sydney_2012, GII.P12/GII.3, GII.P7/GII.6, GII.P16/GII.13, GII.Pe, and GII.Pg (RdRp only). This is the first report of a GII.P16/GII.13 recombinant virus in adults in China. GII.Pe/GII.4 Sydney_2012 was the most prevalent genotype and the only GII.4 variant identified during the study period. Our findings suggested that NoV was a common causative agent of acute gastroenteritis in adults in Huzhou, China. During the study period, the NoVs circulating in adults in Huzhou were predominantly GII.4 Sydney_2012 variants and GII NoV recombinants.
Improving Outcomes for Hospitalized Patients Pre- and Post-COVID-19

Purpose Barriers to effective patient–provider communication increase the risk that a patient will experience a hospital-acquired condition (HAC) that will negatively impact the patient's health ou...
Cytoreductive nephrectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, the ultimate urologic ‘Choosing Wisely’ campaign: a narrative review

In the early 2000s, cytoreductive nephrectomy in addition to systemic cytokines became standard of care for treating metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Since that time, the development of novel systemic targeted therapies and immuno-oncologic agents have challenged the utility of cytoreductive nephrectomy in clinical practice. In 2019, the controversial CARMENA study was published, providing the first level one evidence suggesting that cytoreductive nephrectomy combined with targeted therapy yielded no survival advantage over targeted therapy alone in intermediate and poor risk metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients. Later that year, the SURTIME trial demonstrated that patients undergoing targeted therapy with delayed nephrectomy maintained a survival advantage over those that underwent upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy followed by targeted therapy. Both of these studies underscored the importance of patient selection and timing of cytoreductive nephrectomy and systemic therapy. As new immuno-oncologic agents are trialed, particularly in combination, the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy will continue to be questioned. In this narrative review, we discuss the evolution of the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy in treating metastatic renal cell carcinoma through the context of the ever-changing landscape of targeted therapies and immuno-oncologic agents. We assess the evidence for cytoreductive nephrectomy with respect to patient factors, timing of surgery, and combination with other therapies.
Analysis of Interacting Factors Contributing to the Onset of Diabetes Type 2 in the Female Pima Population: A Step towards Understanding the Links

One of the biggest challenges in building predictive models relates to proper feature selection. As it is well known, good feature selection will result in accurate prediction independently of the classifier. We propose a novel processing pipeline consisting of unsupervised clustering to balance the class prevalence in the training set, which enables the development of stable models with less overfitting. In this paper, we use the proposed pipeline to predict the onset of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in the female Pima American Indian population. The Pima population, living near Phoenix, Arizona in the United States, has been known to have the highest T2D prevalence. While it generally remains unclear how various physiological variables and interacting risk factors contribute to the onset of T2D, here for the first time, we quantify the contribution of each of the physiological variables and their interactions to the predicted probability of developing T2D. Our findings in the adult Pima female T2D cohort point to the existence of two distinct population sub-groups, separated primarily by age and the number of pregnancies. For the first time in this dataset, we show several factor interactions: a) subjects with lower BMI (26.0 ± 2.2 vs. 41.5 ± 4.9) experienced a 57-78% reduction in T2D conversion rate at the high plasma glucose (>133.7 mg/dL) and high serum insulin (>168.0 pmol/L) levels respectively, and b) low serum insulin (70.1 ± 16.7 vs. 294.7 ± 136.6 pmol/L) was associated with a 90% lower risk of T2D conversion rate in individuals with high triceps skin thickness (>34 mm), and interestingly c) non-hypotensive (85.6 ± 7.2 vs. 54.3 ± 7.7 mm Hg) women with ≤ 1 pregnancy had 81% lower risk of T2D conversion. With an increasing number of pregnancies, the trend reversed, and non-hypotensive women experienced a 41% higher rate of T2D conversion. Through the evaluation of multiple feature selection methods and classifiers, we show the potential value of the proposed methodology for feature selection and analysis of interacting factors contributing to the onset of T2D in the female Pima Population.
The Capacity to Vote of Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease

The right to vote can be abrogated when persons become incompetent to cast a ballot. This is a particular issue for people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who at some point will lose capacity. A recent federal court decision offered the first clear criteria (the “Doe voting capacity standard”) for determining competence to vote, focused on understanding the nature and effect of voting, and the ability to choose. This paper explores the impact of these criteria on persons with AD.
The Infield Fly Rule and the Internal Revenue Code: An Even Further Aside

Baseball’s infield fly rule and certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code are similar. The purpose of the infield fly rule is to prevent the defense from making a double play by subterfuge, at a time when the offense is helpless to prevent it. In baseball, as in life, fairness is an elusive concept that defies precise definition. Considering the infield fly rule, the “unfairness” derives from the infielder’s ability to manipulate a situation without incurring any risk. Federal tax law, like the rules of baseball, recognizes and responds to the “manipulation without risk” phenomenon. Section 267 of the Internal Revenue Code requires a determination either that the sale between related parties is an unfair bargain or that the seller has retained an indirect interest in the property. There are differences between the rules of baseball and certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. The concept of judicial review, allowing time for fact-finding, is a difference between the the two. In baseball, the umpire is the ultimate fact-finder. By analogy, Section 267 allows for a Commissioner to review the transaction, with due time, to make a determination of fairness. Life and baseball are not identical, but simply imitate each other. The existence of functionally similar manipulation-without-risk rules in baseball and federal taxation indicates that similarities do exist.
Measuring 3D In-vivo Shoulder Kinematics using Biplanar Videoradiography

The shoulder is one of the human body's most complex joint systems, with motion occurring through the coordinated actions of four individual joints, multiple ligaments, and approximately 20 muscles. Unfortunately, shoulder pathologies (e.g., rotator cuff tears, joint dislocations, arthritis) are common, resulting in substantial pain, disability, and decreased quality of life. The specific etiology for many of these pathologic conditions is not fully understood, but it is generally accepted that shoulder pathology is often associated with altered joint motion. Unfortunately, measuring shoulder motion with the necessary level of accuracy to investigate motion-based hypotheses is not trivial. However, radiographic-based motion measurement techniques have provided the advancement necessary to investigate motion-based hypotheses and provide a mechanistic understanding of shoulder function. Thus, the purpose of this article is to describe the approaches for measuring shoulder motion using a custom biplanar videoradiography system. The specific objectives of this article are to describe the protocols to acquire biplanar videoradiographic images of the shoulder complex, acquire CT scans, develop 3D bone models, locate anatomical landmarks, track the position and orientation of the humerus, scapula, and torso from the biplanar radiographic images, and calculate the kinematic outcome measures. In addition, the article will describe special considerations unique to the shoulder when measuring joint kinematics using this approach.
Analysis of Computational Thinking in Children’s Literature for K-6 Students: Literature as a Non-Programming Unplugged Resource:

As schools and districts across the United States adopt computer science standards and curriculum for K-12 computer science education, they look to integrate the foundational concepts of computatio...
Behavioral Economics in North Kivu: Understanding the Complexity of Economic Rationality in Eastern Congo

North Kivu, located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is notorious for its conflict, insecurity, and extreme poverty, drawing a multitude of non-governmental and international organizations into the region. These organizations operate on models of development that have been adopted for generations to mitigate the impacts of the ongoing Great Lakes crisis. However, many of their strategies struggle to address the livelihoods of individual households. Since DRC’s independence in 1960, numerous policies and interventions have been applied to alleviate poverty in eastern DRC, but few have had widespread and lasting effects. One reason for this is the policies themselves are predicated on macroeconomic models and theories that are not suitable to addressing the specific issues facing individuals.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Wait List Outcomes Are Only Partly Explained by Socioeconomic Deprivation Among Children Awaiting Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Racial/ethnic minority children have worse liver transplant outcomes. We evaluated whether neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation affected associations between race/ethnicity and waitlist mortality. APPROACH AND RESULTS We included children (age<18 years) listed 2005-2015 in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. We categorized patients as non-Hispanic White, Black, Hispanic, and other. We matched patient ZIP codes to a neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation index ([range, 0-1]; higher values indicate worse deprivation). Primary outcomes were waitlist mortality, defined as death/delisting for too sick, and receipt of living donor liver transplant (LDLT). Competing risk analyses modeled the association between race/ethnicity and waitlist mortality, with deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) and LDLT as competing risks; and race/ethnicity and LDLT, with waitlist mortality and DDLT as competing risks. Of 7,716 children, 17% and 24% identified as Black and Hispanic, respectively. Compared to White children, Black and Hispanic children had increased unadjusted hazard of waitlist mortality (subhazard ratio [sHR], 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18, 1.75 and sHR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.25, 1.76, respectively). After adjusting for neighborhood deprivation, insurance, and listing lab Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD)/Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD), Black and Hispanic children did not have increased hazard of waitlist mortality (sHR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.91, 1.39 and sHR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.00, 1.47, respectively). Similarly, Black and Hispanic children had decreased likelihood of LDLT (sHR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.45, 0.75 and sHR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.49, 0.75, respectively). Adjustment attenuated the effect of Black and Hispanic race/ethnicity on likelihood of LDLT (sHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.60, 1.02 and sHR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.70, 1.11, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Household and neighborhood socioeconomic factors and disease severity at waitlist entry help explain racial/ethnic disparities for children awaiting transplant. A nuanced understanding of how social adversity contributes to waitlist outcomes may inform strategies to improve outcomes.
A Fracture Mechanics and Non-Destructive Evaluation Investigation of the Subcritical-Fracture Process in Rock

Results of subcritical-fracture experiments performed in air on five different rock types are presented. A non-unique relationship between calculated stress-intensity factor and crack velocity suggests violations of the assumptions made when using conventional fracture testing techniques. To obtain a better understanding of fracture propagation in rock without regard to single-parameter characterizations of the fracture process several nondestructive testing techniques were employed in conjunction with subcritical crack-growth experiments on Westerly granite. The size and shape of the fracture process zone is estimated from (1) 2-dimensional surface-deformation maps obtained using holographic interferometry, (2) the location of acoustic-emission events, and (3) the spatial distribution of ultrasonic-wave attenuation. By focusing attention in the areas shown to be of importance in the NDT experiments, in-situ microscope observations are used to identify several micromechanisms of fracture.
Deoxyadenosine diphosphate as a substrate and inhibitor of polynucleotide phosphorylase of Micrococcus luteus. I. Deoxyadenosine diphosphate as a substrate for polymerization and the exchange reaction with inorganic 32 P.

Abstract Polynucleotide phosphorylase of Micrococcus luteus catalyzes the addition of a single dAMP moiety from dADP onto an oligoribonucleotide. Further addition of either dAMP or AMP residues to the resulting (Ap)ndA is very difficult. The chain elongation reaction proceeds faster in the presence of Mn2+ than in the presence of Mg2+. The enzyme also catalyzes an exchange between the β-phosphate of dADP and 32Pi, but only in the presence of either an oligoribonucleotide bearing an unesterified C-3'-hydroxyl group or of ADP. Similar results are obtained with Form I (primer-independent) and Form T (primer-dependent) enzyme. It appears that 32Pi-dADP exchange occurs by the addition of a dAMP residue to the end of a polyribonucleotide (or oligoribonucleotide) chain and the subsequent phosphorolysis of the internucleotide bond. Furthermore, no evidence for the formation of a dAMP-enzyme complex could be obtained. Incubation of the enzyme with dADP as the sole substrate results, rather, in the formation of a limited amount of (dA)n. This reaction also proceeds more readily in the presence of Mn2+ than in Mg2+.
Making Explicit the Moodle Instructional Design Language

Teachers confront many difficulties in the use, the design and the operationalization of their instructional scenarios on Learning Management Systems (LMSs). They don't often have a competence in IT, so they don't succeed to overcome technical and administrative features in order to concentrate on the instructional design language. In previous publications, we propose necessary analysis and steps for the identification and formalization of an LMS instructional design language. The objective of this paper is to validate our process on two versions of Moodle. The learning design model resulting from this process is exploited by pedagogical/IT engineers to build dedicated tools that fill the gap between Moodle technical services and teachers needs in term of instructional design.
1 Defining the equine genome: The nuclear genome and the mitochondrial genome

A genome represents the genetic material or the core regulatory and functional machinery of any organism. In the horse, as is typically the case in most mammals, the genetic material largely resides in the nucleus of the cell, while a fractional yet functionally vital component is present in the cytoplasm. The former is packaged in the form of chromosomes and the latter in the form of mitochondria. It is difficult to assign greater significance to one over the other, hence a debate in that realm has to be left at accepting that the genes contained in each of the components have an important role to play, individually as well as in conjunction with other genes in a network or pathway, bringing wholeness to the functioning of the horse. This chapter first provides an overview of the nuclear genome in terms of chromosome number, standard karyotype, and chromosome nomenclature, and highlights basic facts regarding equine chromosomes. The description includes a brief introduction to structural and chromosomal aberrations and their impact on overall viability of horses. Finally, a summarized overview of the current knowledge of the equine mitochondrial genome is presented. The information serves as a foundation and a reference point to all aspects of the equine genome presented and discussed in relation to mapping, genetic variation, phenotypic variations, diseases, and other such information in subsequent chapters.
Regulation of antibody production by hybridoma cultures: I. Anti-idiotype antibody-mediated down-regulation of anti-DNA antibody production by hybridoma cells

Abstract A series of anti-DNA antibody-producing hybridomas were obtained by fusing spleen cells from 6-month-old MRL/ lpr , autoimmune prone, mice with P3X63-Ag8 myeloma cells. Rabbit anti-idiotype (id) antibodies specific for several of the hybridoma proteins were prepared. It was shown that the anti-id antibody inhibited immunoglobulinin secretion by the hybridoma cells in an id-specific manner. Inhibition of antibody production was not due to a cytotoxic effect, since the anti-id, in fact, stimulated proliferation of the hybridoma cells.
A Formal Proof Of The Riesz Representation Theorem

This paper presents a formal proof of the Riesz representation theorem in the PVS theorem prover. The Riemann Stieltjes integral was defined in PVS, and the theorem relies on this integral. In order to prove the Riesz representation theorem, it was necessary to prove that continuous functions on a closed interval are Riemann Stieltjes integrable with respect to any function of bounded variation. This result follows from the equivalence of the Riemann Stieltjes and Darboux Stieltjes integrals, which would have been a lengthy result to prove in PVS, so a simpler lemma was proved that captures the underlying concept of this integral equivalence. In order to prove the Riesz theorem, the Hahn Banach theorem was proved in the case where the normed linear spaces are the continuous and bounded functions on a closed interval. The proof of the Riesz theorem follows the proof in Haaser and Sullivan's book Real Analysis. The formal proof of this result in PVS revealed an error in textbook's proof. Indeed, the proof of the Riesz representation theorem is constructive, and the function contstructed in the textbook does not satsify a key property. This error illustrates the ability of formal verification to find logical errors. A specific counterexample is given to the proof in the textbook. Finally, a corrected proof of the Riesz representation theorem is presented.
In vivo detection of nitric oxide distribution in mice

This paper discussesin vivodetection of nitric oxide (NO) distribution in endotoxin-treated mice using L-band (1.1 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) in combination with the hydrophilic NO trapping complex: N-methyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate and iron (MGD-Fe). MGD-Fe-NO complex is found in the upper abdomen (liver region), lower abdomen (kidney and urinary bladder) and head region of ICR mice. Experiments with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition and15N-labeled Larginine as NOS substrate verify the origin of trapped NO from L-arginine. However, contribution from a –nonenzymatic’ NO generation pathway can not be ruled out. This paper further examines potential artifacts, which may arise in experiments using dithiocarbamate-iron complexes as NO trapping agents. (Mol Cell Biochem 234/235: 387 392, 2002)
Heterologous expression of higher plant transport proteins and repression of endogenous ion currents in Xenopus oocytes.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the heterologous expression of higher plant transport proteins and the repression of endogenous ion currents in Xenopus oocytes. Recent research has led to considerable progress toward an understanding of the molecular, structural, and biophysical mechanisms of transport and membrane signal transduction in higher plant cells. The cloning of cDNAs has been reported, which encode plasma membrane transport proteins from higher plants, including ion pumps, proton-coupled carriers, and ion channels. Several types of these plant membrane transporters can be functionally expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The chapter focuses on methods for the use of Xenopus oocytes as a heterologous expression system for plant transporters and describes methods for the repression of endogenous inward-rectifying ion currents in oocytes. The ability of higher plants to take up and shuttle nutrients throughout the plant, as well as the ability to respond to various environmental signals via receptors, plays a central role in the growth and development of plants.
Creating patient-centered health care systems to improve outcomes and reduce disparities

Health care delivery systems that are designed to understand and meet patient preferences for care have the potential to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities. Studies that rigorously assess patient care preferences in minority and underserved populations, stakeholder engagement, and policies that promote a diverse health care workforce that can address patient preferences are important levers for improving care for vulnerable populations.
Postinfantile giant cell hepatitis associated with anti-M2 mitochondrial antibodies

Whereas giant cell hepatitis (GCH) is a common diagnosis made in neonates, it is rare in the adult population. The diagnosis of GCH is based on the presence of giant cell transformation of hepatocytes. It is commonly associated with either viral hepatitis or autoimmune disorders. A patient with GCH who had anti-M2 mitochondrial antibodies is described. This combination, which has not been previously reported, underscores the association of GCH with autoimmune disorders and stresses the importance of corticosteroids as an empirical initial therapy.
Spring migration of red knots along the Virginia barrier islands

We conducted low-altitude, aerial surveys from the last week of April through the first week of June (1995, 1996, 2005–2013) to assess patterns in bird abundance, migration phenology, and habitat use of red knots (Calidris canutus rufa) staging along the Virginia barrier islands. During most years, knots arrived in early May, reached peak abundance during the third week of May, and were gone by mid-June. The peak period (10 May–3 June) accounted for >90% of detections for all years. The mean high count during the study was 7,373 ± 407 (SE). Decadal comparisons of high counts, accumulated numbers for the period of peak abundance and the season totals provided mixed results. Knots within the study area used peat banks and sandy beaches for foraging. Intertidal peat banks were patchily distributed and represented only 6% of the shoreline. Mean knot densities were comparable between the 2 habitats in the early period of migration but diverged rapidly such that by the third week of May, knot densities were 10-fold higher on peat compared to sand. Knots exhibited wide annual variation in habitat use; the number of knots observed on peat varied from 13% to 91% of the total birds for a given year, presumably reflecting the underlying population dynamics of respective bivalve populations. Potential prey dynamics coupled with the patchy distribution of peat appear to cause year-to-year variation in space use along the island chain. The Virginia barrier islands appear to be part of a terminal staging area for red knots that stretches from New Jersey south through the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Documenting red knot use within portions of this region beyond the well-studied Delaware Bay may lead to a more complete understanding of the sampling process used by red knots to make staging decisions. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
PID control performance assessment: The single‐loop case

An iterative solution is developed for the calculation of the best achievable (minimum variance) PID control performance and the corresponding optimal PID setting in an existing control loop. An analytic expression is derived for the closed-loop output as an explicit function of PID setting. The resulting benchmark allows for realistic performance assessment of an existing PID control loop, especially when the control loop fails to meet the minimum variance performance. A PID performance index is then defined based on the PID performance bound, and its confidence interval is estimated. A series of simulated examples are used to demonstrate the utility of the proposed method. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 1211–1218, 2004
De novo asymmetric synthesis of all-D-, all-L-, and D-/L-oligosaccharides using atom-less protecting groups.

Oligosaccharide synthesis is hindered by the need for multiple steps as well as numerous selective protections and deprotections. Herein we report a highly efficient de novo route to various oligosaccharide motifs, of use for biological and medicinal structure activity studies. The key to the overall efficiency is the judicious use of asymmetric catalysis and synthetic design. These green principles include the bidirectional use of highly stereoselective catalysis (Pd(0)-catalyzed glycosylation/post-glycosylation). In addition, the chemoselective use of C–C and C–O π-bond functionality, as atom-less protecting groups as well as an anomeric directing group (via a Pd-π-allyl), highlights the atom-economical aspects of the route to a divergent set of natural and unnatural oligosaccharides (i.e., various d-/l-diastereomers of oligosaccharides as well as deoxysugars which lack C-2 anomeric directing groups). For example, in only 12 steps, the construction of a highly branched heptasaccharide with 35 stereocent...
Ossabest: a comprehensive itest project for middle and high school teachers and students

OssaBEST is a three-year NSF-funded project to prepare middle and high school teachers and students to use advanced information technologies and integrate them into daily classroom activities. The project comprises two information technology tracks, namely, a sensors track and a multimedia track. The activities and deliverables of both tracks are centered on Ossabaw Island, Georgia's third largest barrier island and the state's first heritage preserve. The ultimate goal of the project is to motivate and enable a larger number of students to pursue computing careers such as information technology, computer science or related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
An Orthokinetic Response to Rates of Salinity Change in Two Estuarine Fishes

The average swimming speed of two estuarine fishes, spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) and croaker (Micropogon undulatus), was determined in the laboratory under a constant and a changing salinity regime. It was found that croaker moved faster under 5 and 10% salinity change hr—1 as compared to the fixed salinity regime. Spot increased its speed of movement only under the 10% change hr—1 condition. These results suggest that (1) those portions of the estuary possessing similar salinity changes may be avoided by spot and croaker and that (2) possibly the rate of change in salinity rather than the actual salt concentration limits the distribution of these species.
Explaining Legislative Leadership Influence: Simple Collective Action or Conditional Explanations?

Why are the leaders in some U.S.-style legislatures more influential than others? This study uses individual-level data on lawmakers’ perceptions of their leaders’ influence to test three general t...
The nature, origin and effects of internal stresses in reinforced plastic laminates

There is a tension set up between the resin and the glass upon curing. A simple experiment has been devised to measure this tension and to note how it changes with time and temperature. It is found that it does not diminish with time and that it is linearly dependent on the highest temperature to which the resin has been brought during or after cure. NOL-type rings were made with the same resin systems and subjected to different cure temperature so that the effect of the different shrinkage tensions on the physical properties be examined.
New product development at Yuquiyu Motors: design and development of Y11 engine

Yuquiyu Motors (YM) sold the Y08 engine, a popular premium, 11 hp cool-bore engine, successfully for over 25 years; however, the company planned to retire this model in 2002 to ensure compliance to the emission standards set by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resource Board (CARB) and to manage the changing market requirements. In 1993, YM planned to introduce a new engine, the Y11, a 13 hp cool-bore (aluminium) engine to be released by 1998, so that the Y08 engine could be phased out by 2002. The Y11 engine was designed and developed between 1993 and 1998. However, the Y11 engine failed the emission tests in 1998. Keisha Lewis was hired as a new product manager to resolve this problem. There are two specific educational objectives of using this case study in a classroom. First, students get an opportunity to analyse managerial decisions that consider both engineering and business aspects associated with product development. Second, the case provides an example of the use of the 'house of quality' framework. This framework enhances the understanding of tradeoffs and synergies that exist among various technical and market requirements while developing a new product.
Control primitives for robot systems

A set of primitive operations that forms the core of a robot system description and control language is presented. The actions of the individual primitives are derived from the mathematical structure of the equations of motion for constrained mechanical systems. The recursive nature of the primitives allows composite robots to be constructed from more elementary daughter robots. A few pertinent results of classical mechanics are reviewed, the functionality of the primitive operation is described, and several different hierarchical strategies for the description and control of a two-fingered hand holding a box are presented. >
Absence of hyaluronidase in cultured human skin fibroblasts.

Abstract The in vitro degradation of [35S]chondroitin sulfate was investigated in human fibroblasts and rat liver. In rat liver, preparations of chondroitin sulfate were shown to be degraded by the concerted action of endoglycosidase and exoglycosidases. However, with human skin fibroblast preparations, hyaluronidase activity was not detected and chondroitin sulfate was degraded by exoglycosidase action.
Statistical Learning with Time Series Dependence: An Application to Scoring Sleep in Mice.

We develop methodology that combines statistical learning methods with generalized Markov models, thereby enhancing the former to account for time series dependence. Our methodology can accommodate very general and very long-term time dependence structures in an easily estimable and computationally tractable fashion. We apply our methodology to the scoring of sleep behavior in mice. As methods currently used to score sleep in mice are expensive, invasive, and labor intensive, there is considerable interest in developing high-throughput automated systems which would allow many mice to be scored cheaply and quickly. Previous efforts at automation have been able to differentiate sleep from wakefulness, but they are unable to differentiate the rare and important state of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep from non-REM sleep. Key difficulties in detecting REM are that (i) REM is much rarer than non-REM and wakefulness, (ii) REM looks similar to non-REM in terms of the observed covariates, (iii) the data are noisy,...
Evaluation of low cost water purification systems for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR)

Following a natural disaster, access to safe drinking water by the affected population is a high priority. Low cost water purification systems, which can be used for both short-term (immediate) and long-term (sustainable) response to serve the needs of the affected communities, are ideal for these scenarios. The University of Hawaii has developed three low cost water purification technologies for use during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) missions. A UH team participated in joint USA and partner nation training exercises, such as Crimson Viper 2010 and 2011, organized by the Marine Corps Forces Pacific Experimentation Center (MEC) in Sattahip, Thailand, to demonstrate the effectiveness of these technologies to purify water from local sources. Three technologies were selected for Crimson Viper 2010: (1) a backpack filter unit, (2) a bicycle pump powered reverse osmosis (RO) unit, and (3) a model slow sand filtration unit. For Crimson Viper 2011, improved versions of the backpack and RO units were deployed. This article discusses and evaluates the results obtained during the demonstration of the three technologies at these exercises.
Statins Modify Lipid Bilayer Properties

Statins are drugs that are widely prescribed to manage hypercholesterolemia. Statins exert their primary mechanism of action by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase, thus preventing cholesterol synthesis. In addition to this canonical action they also alter the function of diverse membrane proteins. Because statins are amphiphiles that modulate the function of different, structurally unrelated membrane proteins, we investigated whether statins could alter lipid bilayer properties at concentrations where they alter membrane protein function. To this end, we used the gramicidin-based fluorescence assay (GBFA) as well as single-channel electrophysiology. We found that atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, mevastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin all increased the rate of fluorescence quenching, meaning that they shifted the gramicidin (gA) monomer dimer equilibrium toward the formation of conducting dimers. Statins thus alter lipid bilayer properties, with fluvastatin being the most active and rosuvastatin the least active. When examined using single-channel electrophysiology, simvastatin, pravastatin, and fluvastatin increased the lifetime and appearance rate of gA channels with fluvastatin being the most active and pravastain being the least active. We observe larger effects on the shorter channels; the hydrophobic mismatch dependant effects indicate a change in bilayer elasticity. We conclude that statins alter lipid bilayer properties by a common mechanism, through an increase in bilayer elasticity, and that specific channel-statin interactions are not the sole mechanism of action for statins.
An empirical study of a behavioral decision model with moderated effects for long-range security initiatives

Organizations are squeezing their overhead budgets (where security initiatives fall) and are focusing more on revenue generation given current economic climates. Thus in both governmental sectors and in commercial settings, there are reasons to believe that strategic security initiatives are being sacrificed, and those that survive must be compelling to decision makers who may be biased toward one choice or another. To assist decision makers with difficult choices, it is critical to understand how biases affect long-range security initiative decisions. Although biases and behavioral decision theory (BDT) have been extensively researched in various contexts, we contribute to the body of security literature by filling a gap in relation to how biases defined in BDT influence security initiatives over the long-run. We conducted a longitudinal empirical investigation using a BDT model into how biases may affect long-range security initiative decision making, examining an important moderated interaction among the factors. Risk tolerance was shown to interact with overconfidence, anchoring adjustment, and utility such that these biases were amplified. This article represents a phase-3 in a four-phased study.
Innovation and Miniaturization in Applications of Explosives

Explosives represent a readily transported, single-use energy source that can drive materials at a very high local power density. Effects of generated forces may be contained or may act upon a target at a distance. Specific energy release from detonating explosives is, to first order, independent of the size or the confinement of a charge. This enables engineering analysis for design or effects estimation over orders of magnitude in scale. Thus miniaturization of devices or applications is possible down to a scale that corresponds to the minimum charge size that is capable of supporting detonation, and this scale can be smaller than 1 mm. This talk is directed toward those without prior training in or exposure to explosives, to open communication between developers of smart systems and practitioners of explosives. The explosives field is highly interdisciplinary, as is the field of smart systems. The talk describes basic processes of detonation operation and coupling to surroundings, and addresses limitations to the use of explosives for applications. Perhaps the major engineering challenges in miniaturized applications of explosives are emplacement of the explosive in the desired form at the desired location in an assembly, and provision for introduction of external power to bring about initiation of detonation at the desired location or locus within an explosive charge. Initiation sources may be electrical, mechanical or laser-based. Explosive component families that are commercially available and that are innovative and still under development are described.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Addiction: Beyond dopamine reward circuitry

Dopamine (DA) is considered crucial for the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse, but its role in addiction is much less clear. This review focuses on studies that used PET to characterize the brain DA system in addicted subjects. These studies have corroborated in humans the relevance of drug-induced fast DA increases in striatum [including nucleus accumbens (NAc)] in their rewarding effects but have unexpectedly shown that in addicted subjects, drug-induced DA increases (as well as their subjective reinforcing effects) are markedly blunted compared with controls. In contrast, addicted subjects show significant DA increases in striatum in response to drug-conditioned cues that are associated with self-reports of drug craving and appear to be of a greater magnitude than the DA responses to the drug. We postulate that the discrepancy between the expectation for the drug effects (conditioned responses) and the blunted pharmacological effects maintains drug taking in an attempt to achieve the expected reward. Also, whether tested during early or protracted withdrawal, addicted subjects show lower levels of D2 receptors in striatum (including NAc), which are associated with decreases in baseline activity in frontal brain regions implicated in salience attribution (orbitofrontal cortex) and inhibitory control (anterior cingulate gyrus), whose disruption results in compulsivity and impulsivity. These results point to an imbalance between dopaminergic circuits that underlie reward and conditioning and those that underlie executive function (emotional control and decision making), which we postulate contributes to the compulsive drug use and loss of control in addiction.