cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CADCS Analysis Tools for Synchronous Composite Multirate Digital Control Systems

Abstract The scope of this paper is to present some systematic CADCS analysis tools for synchronous, time invariant multirate digital control systems employing composite continuous and discrete time representations. The problems of closed loop simulation, state space representation, closed loop eigenvalue, transfer function and frequency response computations are directly addressed for general multirate systems and sampling structures.
Sustainable tourism and the management of nearshore coastal places: place attachment and disruption to surf-spots

ABSTRACTSurfing, a dominant recreational activity in many coastal areas, is a primary driver of local and international tourism. Surf-spots, nearshore oceanic locations where waves break and surfing occurs, are essential community resources. Yet, many surf-spots are at risk of degradation from climate change and other factors. Knowing whether and why surfers consider surf-spots as meaningful places can inform sustainable management of these resources, benefitting the environment and users alike. This study examines place attachment and disruption in relation to surf-spots through an online survey of 1055 surfers in California, where surfing is an important recreational and touristic industry. Our findings suggest that surfers exhibit high fidelity to specific surf-spots and develop deep attachments to those spots, with the strength of the attachment varying depending on the type of surf-spot. Some respondents consider surf-spots to be “part of their family”; few respondents describe no attachments. We con...
Hypertension: relating drug therapy to pathogenetic mechanisms.

Hypertension is not a single disease. It is a disorder of cardiovascular physiology which may result from a large variety of causes — known and unknown — and may be the consequence of several distinct pathogenetic mechanisms. Since the causes and the pathogenesis of hypertension are not always the same, it is reasonable to believe that optimal therapy should not always be the same and that treatment should be aimed, as far as possible, at correcting the specific etiology or pathogenetic mechanism that is present in each individual. Our gradually developing understanding of the physiological derangements leading to hypertension, coupled with the availability of steadily increasing numbers of new drugs with known mechanisms of action, offers improved opportunities to match the drug used with the defect that is responsible for the hypertension.
Electromyography-Driven Forward Dynamics Simulation to Estimate In Vivo Joint Contact Forces During Normal, Smooth, and Bouncy Gaits

Computational models that predict in vivo joint loading and muscle forces can potentially enhance and augment our knowledge of both typical and pathological gaits. To adopt such models into clinical applications, studies validating modeling predictions are essential. This study created a full-body musculoskeletal model using data from the "Sixth Grand Challenge Competition to Predict in vivo Knee Loads." This model incorporates subject-specific geometries of the right leg in order to concurrently predict knee contact forces, ligament forces, muscle forces, and ground contact forces. The objectives of this paper are twofold: (1) to describe an electromyography (EMG)-driven modeling methodology to predict knee contact forces and (2) to validate model predictions by evaluating the model predictions against known values for a patient with an instrumented total knee replacement (TKR) for three distinctly different gait styles (normal, smooth, and bouncy gaits). The model integrates a subject-specific knee model onto a previously validated generic full-body musculoskeletal model. The combined model included six degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joints, ligament forces, and deformable contact forces with viscous damping. The foot/shoe/floor interactions were modeled by incorporating shoe geometries to the feet. Contact between shoe segments and the floor surface was used to constrain the shoe segments. A novel EMG-driven feedforward with feedback trim motor control strategy was used to concurrently estimate muscle forces and knee contact forces from standard motion capture data collected on the individual subject. The predicted medial, lateral, and total tibiofemoral forces represented the overall measured magnitude and temporal patterns with good root-mean-squared errors (RMSEs) and Pearson's correlation (p2). The model accuracy was high: medial, lateral, and total tibiofemoral contact force RMSEs = 0.15, 0.14, 0.21 body weight (BW), and (0.92 < p2 < 0.96) for normal gait; RMSEs = 0.18 BW, 0.21 BW, 0.29 BW, and (0.81 < p2 < 0.93) for smooth gait; and RMSEs = 0.21 BW, 0.22 BW, 0.33 BW, and (0.86 < p2 < 0.95) for bouncy gait, respectively. Overall, the model captured the general shape, magnitude, and temporal patterns of the contact force profiles accurately. Potential applications of this proposed model include predictive biomechanics simulations, design of TKR components, soft tissue balancing, and surgical simulation.
Vacancy-Related Defects in the Alkaline-Earth Oxides

Cation vacancies profoundly affect the observable electronic properties of alkaline-earth oxides. Their presence serves to compensate the charge of inevitable trivalent ions with which they tend to be associated in a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio. Isolated cation vacancies ordinarily constitute less than 10 percent of the total number. However, neutron irradiation of samples kept at room temperature leads to large numbers of isolated cation vacancies and of anion vacancies. One or two positive holes may be trapped by the former to give the V and the VO centers, respectively. V-centers at room temperature show a single isotropic ESR line which is the result of rapid migration of the hole among the six equivalent oxygen ions. Association of a trivalent ion with a cation vacancy prevents such reorientation. Anion vacancies trap one or two electrons to form F+ or FO centers, respectively.
The Social Life of Yoga: Exploring Transcultural Flows in India

This paper draws on fieldwork at the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI) in Mysore, South India and in the surrounding community. The purpose of the paper is twofold. First, I describe the social life of yoga as experienced by different types of global health tourists who arrive in India with an array of expectations, differing agenda, and an imaginary of India. Second, I provide observations about Indian entrepreneurs and cultural brokers who flourish on the edges of the yoga school and interface regularly with the foreign yoga students. Based on participant observation and in-depth interviews, I present a heuristic of Western yoga students in Mysore: (1) the yoga tourist or “yoga lites,” (2) the yoga traveler, (3) the yoga practitioner “going to the source,” and (4) the yoga professional. These categories allow me to draw attention to the heterogeneity of yoga students and to highlight ruptures and frictions in the transnational flows of ideas and concepts. I also briefly discuss the practice of yoga in cosmopolitan India among middle-class women.
Experiences of participation in Senior Games among older adults.

This paper examines how Senior Games participants in one state experience their involvement and how this impact relates to perceived health. A random sample of 444 North Carolina Senior Games parti...
Xanthine oxidase and xanthine dehydrogenase inhibition by the procyanidin-rich French maritime pine bark extract, pycnogenol: a protein binding effect.

Polyphenolic compounds have recently attracted attention due to their ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Therefore, flavonoids alone or as a part of a complex mixture of polyphenols have been used therapeutically in European countries and in the US as dietary supplement (Kottke, 1998). Pycnogenol®, an extract from French maritime pine bark (PBE), is an example of a highly standardized mixture of certain polyphenolic compounds. Procyanidins formed by catechin and epicatechin units with a degree of polymerization of up to heptamer are major constituents of PBE and constitute 75% of its weight. PBE also contains monomer flavonoids such as catechin and taxifolin and phenol-carbonic acids and their glycosides. Recently, various biochemical and pharmacological studies have revealed some interesting properties of PBE, both in vitro and in vivo (Packer et al., 1999).
Inflammatory Cytokines in the Papillary Tips and Urine of Nephrolithiasis Patients.

Abstract Introduction: Intrarenal inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of nephrolithiasis, with prior work showing increased urine levels of IL-6, IL-8, and CCL-2 in stone patients....
The Qing Dynasty and Traditional Chinese Culture

Published by Roman and Littlefield as a “textbook,” Richard J. Smith’s The Qing Dynasty and Traditional Chinese Culture goes far beyond the boundaries of, and expectations for, a conventional textb...
Presentation and Evaluation of New Design Formulations for Concurrent Engineering

Design is an important activity which drives many other disciplines. To insure future competitiveness in a world wide market place, reliable design processes and products must be understood. To develop this understanding, design must be studied so that in the future it can become a reliable science. To begin this study, as with other sciences, design formulations must be developed and laboratories constructed. To begin a Ph.D. research program, a survey of design directed activities was conducted, a new formulation for design conceived, and a design laboratory proposed. This paper summaries the initial phase of this research.
Indivisible Germany: Illusion or Reality

A decade and a half after World War II the prospects for the reunification of Germany appeared slight indeed. Often heard was a comment to the effect that reunification was not a genuine policy of any of the Great Powers, but merely a propaganda theme which was occasionally emplloyed to mollify the sensibilities of their German allies. The implication of this assumption seemed to be that somehow the troublesome question of a divided Germany would be forgotten or, at least, hidden behind a facade of cliches.
The Inadequacy of Anomalous Monism as a Realist Theory of Mind

Donald Davidson’s theory of mind, “anomalous monism”, has been extremely influential in the philosophy of mind during the two and a half decades since Davidson devised it. In particular, it has attracted a number of followers among a group I will call “naturalistic mentalists” — philosophers who are strongly realist about mental phenomena, but who seek to explain the facts about human mental life within a materialist framework and to locate mental phenomena within the natural, causal order. The main reason for such enthusiasm as is found within this camp is that Davidson’s theory has appeared to many of these philosophers to offer relief from one of the most vexing puzzles bedeviling naturalistic theorizing about the mind.
Utility: Anticipated, Experienced, and Remembered

Modern conceptions of utility are rooted in the system that Jeremy Bentham proposed to determine which actions and laws most benefit the most people. Bentham believed that the value of every action could be quantified in terms of its utility – the intensity of pleasure or pain that it caused, as well as the duration of its influence, its uncertainty, and its propinquity or remoteness. The value of every action was thus a function of the total pleasure and pain it elicited, weighted by its duration, certainty, and when it would happen (Bentham, 1789). This system, which fell out of favor among economists of the twentieth century, serves as the basis of much of the research examining the pleasure and pain derived from experiences and normative decision making today (Bruni & Sugden, 2007; Read, 2007). In this chapter, I review the history of the concept from Bentham to the present (Historical Background), distinctions between different kinds of utility and judgments (Components and Judgments of Experienced Utility), how utility is measured (Measuring Instant and Total Utility), contextual factors that influence the utility associated with experiences (Context Dependence), how experienced utility is evaluated prospectively and retrospectively (Predicted and Remembered Utility), and why people make decisions that do not maximize utility (Maximization Failures).
Decreased lymphocyte count at diagnosis as a marker for worse outcome in localized sarcoma.

e23537Background: Increasing data has implicated the role of host-related immune factors in the development and progression of cancer. In this study, we investigated whether any routine immunologic...
Ureteroscope-Guided Access Facilitates Percutaneous Resection of Renal Pelvis Tumor

Abstract Introduction: Standard technique in renal pelvis tumor resection involves fluoroscopy-guided access, tract dilatation, tumor resection, and nephrostomy tube placement. A ureteroscope-guide...
What we epistemically owe to each other

This paper is about an overlooked aspect—the cognitive or epistemic aspect—of the moral demand we place on one another to be treated well. We care not only how people act towards us and what they say of us, but also what they believe of us. That we can feel hurt by what others believe of us suggests both that beliefs can wrong and that there is something we epistemically owe to each other. This proposal, however, surprises many theorists who claim it lacks both intuitive and theoretical support. This paper argues that the proposal has intuitive support and is not at odds with much contemporary theorizing about what we owe to each other.
Shade provision in public playgrounds for thermal safety and sun protection: A case study across 100 play spaces in the United States

Abstract Outdoor recreational spaces for children are a highly valued aspect of society to support child well-being. However, there are many important health considerations, such as surface temperatures and ultraviolet radiation exposure that are neglected in traditional initiatives of playground safety, which may impact children’s exposures during play. The present study provides an overview of a safety assessment of playgrounds in the United States, specifically investigating 103 public playgrounds for an applied understanding of the relationship of surface-to-air temperatures for installed surfacing materials, and the prevalence of shade during peak midday hours. Results demonstrate that natural surface materials resulted in moderated temperatures relative to ambient temperature, while artificial surfaces resulted in higher surface temperatures than ambient. Minimal shading was encountered, 67% of playgrounds visited were not shaded between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. This case study provides critical insight, discussion, and novel questions pertaining to the holistic consideration of numerous aspects of playground safety, which can mutually support social and ecological values while providing health co-benefits. Not only are important health risks, such as sunburns and temperature extremes ignored in current playground safety guidelines, but much of the essential information is not available to the end-users making design decisions that may affect the safety and active play experience for the users. Our results strongly motivate future large-scale studies assessing the influence of design on ambient exposures and the provision that bioclimatic principles and greenspace have a central role in playground design.
Deep Space Network in the CubeSat Era

The era of Deep Space CubeSats has arrived. When the EM-1 mission launches, the DSN will have to provide services for at least 9 CubeSats in a very short time period. The current capabilities of the DSN will be able to support this large increase in missions, though there will be limitations on how much service each mission can get. There are options for future CubeSat support that are being considered which could simplify the tracking and expand on the amount of service each CubeSat can receive; these options may require changes both in the ground equipment and in the CubeSat transponder.
Variable parental responses to changes in offspring demand have implications for life history theory

Parental care, a component of reproductive effort, should evolve in response to its impact on both offspring and parent fitness. If so, manipulations in brood value should shift levels of care in predictable ways, provided that appropriate cues about the change in offspring value are altered. Prior brood size manipulations in birds have produced considerable variation in responses that have not been fully investigated. We conducted paired, short-term (2 h) reductions and enlargements in brood size (± 2 nestlings) of house sparrows in each of 4 years. Parents at reduced broods shifted parental care downward in all four seasons. Parents experiencing increased broods responded significantly variably across years; in some, they increased care, but in others, they decreased care compared with control periods. Nestlings in both treatments gained less mass than during control sessions, with year producing variable effects. We found evidence that parents experiencing reduced broods behave as if recurring predation is a risk, but we found no evidence that parents with enlarged broods were responding to inappropriate cues. Instead, parent sparrows may be behaving prudently and avoid costs of reproduction when faced with either broods that are too small or too large. We modified a published model of optimal care, mimicked our empirical manipulation, and found that the model replicated our results provided cost and benefit curves were of a particular shape. Variation in ecology among years might affect the exact nature of the relationship between care and either current or residual reproductive value. Other data from the study population support this conclusion. Parent animals often adjust their levels of care in response to manipulations of offspring value, but considerable variation in these responses exists. This suggests either a mismatch between manipulation and natural cues or undetected subtleties in the fitness consequences of care. Over 4 years, we conducted manipulations of offspring number in the biparental house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We found little evidence that parents misinterpreted cues regarding the change in number, but they behaved differently depending on the year of the manipulation. A model recovered the observed patterns if a parameter influencing the curve relating offspring fitness to levels of care was altered. This parameter should vary with food supply, and our data suggested that this varied in the years of our study. Our results emphasize that predictions about patterns of parental care are risky without attending to the shapes of fitness curves and that some organisms may be particularly sensitive to food supply.
Atrial fibrillation in adults with congenital heart disease following cardiac surgery in a single center: Analysis of incidence and risk factors.

OBJECTIVE The primary aim of our work is to determine the incidence of atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery in adults with congenital heart disease. Secondary aims include identifying risk factors predictive of developing early postoperative atrial fibrillation and morbidities associated with early postoperative atrial fibrillation. DESIGN Retrospective analysis. SETTING Single center, quaternary care children's hospital. PATIENTS This review included patients at least 18 years of age with known congenital heart disease who underwent cardiac surgery requiring a median sternotomy at our congenital heart center from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016. INTERVENTIONS None. OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was early postoperative atrial fibrillation. Secondary outcomes included preoperative comorbidities, preoperative echocardiographic findings, operative details, and postoperative morbidities, such length of stay, reintubation, stroke, and death. RESULTS The incidence of early postoperative atrial fibrillation was 21%. Those who developed early postoperative atrial fibrillation were older (50 years vs 38 years, P =< .001), had a history of atrial fibrillation prior to surgery, had preoperative pulmonary hypertension, and had longer cardiopulmonary bypass times (103 minutes vs 84 minutes, P = .025) when compared to those who did not develop postoperative atrial fibrillation. Multivariate analysis identified age greater than 60, preoperative pulmonary hypertension, mitral valve intervention, and the need for postoperative inotropic support as being independent predictors of postoperative atrial fibrillation. Those who developed postoperative atrial fibrillation remained in the hospital longer (9 days vs 7 days, P =< .001). CONCLUSIONS Atrial fibrillation is a common complication following cardiac surgery in adults with congenital heart disease. Age, preoperative comorbidities, type of surgical intervention, and the need for perioperative inotropic infusions may predict the risk of atrial fibrillation in this unique patient population.
A Systems Approach Helps Explain Significant Improvements in Local Wellness Policies Among SNAP-Ed-Supported School Districts.

Abstract Objective To assess changes in written local wellness policies (LWPs) across time within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)–participating districts. Design Sequential, explanatory mixed methods. Setting From October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016, SNAP-Ed agencies submitted LWPs from partner school districts in Arizona. They received back scores and customized recommendations. To assess changes, LWPs were rescored between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018. Participants Sixteen local SNAP-Ed agencies worked with 57 districts. Interventions Districts’ LWP revisions supported by SNAP-Ed agencies during the 2-year pre-post period. Main Outcome Measures Policy comprehensiveness and strength from 0 (worst) to 100 (best), measured by the Wellness School Assessment Tool. Analysis Paired t test to compare pre-post scores. Content analysis of State Educational Agency administrative reviews and thematic analysis of SNAP-Ed narrative reports to explore causation. Results Total scores increased (comprehensiveness: +12.4, P Conclusions and Implications Local wellness policies in SNAP-Ed–supported districts improved over time. State and federal LWP guidelines can work synergistically with SNAP-Ed interventions to influence improvements.
Buprenorphine waiver uptake among nurse practitioners and physician assistants: The role of existing waivered prescriber supply.

Abstract Background Buprenorphine is an effective pharmacotherapy for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), but recent increases in the rate of OUD in the U.S. have outpaced the supply of clinicians waivered to prescribe buprenorphine. To increase the supply of buprenorphine prescribers, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act expanded buprenorphine prescribing waiver eligibility beyond physicians to nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA) in 2017. Little is known about patterns of waiver uptake among NPs and PAs. This study examined associations between the existing supply of waivered prescribers and waiver uptake among NPs and PAs in U.S. states. Methods NP and PA waiver uptake was evaluated as the number of NPs or PAs obtaining an initial buprenorphine prescribing waiver per 10,000 state residents from January 2017 to December 2018 using data from the Buprenorphine Waiver Notification System. NP and PA waiver uptake was estimated as a function of existing waivered prescriber supply, OUD treatment capacity, and other state characteristics using generalized least squares (GLS) regression. Results 28,010 NPs and PAs have become waivered to prescribe buprenorphine since January 2017. GLS regressions indicated that waivered prescriber supply was significantly, positively associated with both NP (b = 0.101 p Conclusions NP and PA waiver uptake is strongly associated with the existing supply of waivered prescribers in a state, suggesting NPs and PAs may be more likely to acquire waivers in states with a high existing supply of buprenorphine prescribers. Additional policy solutions are needed to scale up the supply of buprenorphine prescribers in underserved states.
End-of-life (EOL) trajectories among older adults dying with lung cancer (LC).

e24008Background: Medicare decedents often receive intensive care during the last month (mth) of life. There is little information on longer (6-mth) EOL trajectories of care intensity. Area hospice...
Explaining anaesthetic hysteresis with effect-site equilibration

Abstract Background Anaesthetic induction occurs at higher plasma drug concentrations than emergence in animal studies. Some studies find evidence for such anaesthetic hysteresis in humans, whereas others do not. Traditional thinking attributes hysteresis to drug equilibration between plasma and the effect site. Indeed, a key difference between human studies showing anaesthetic hysteresis and those that do not is in how effect-site equilibration was modelled. However, the effect-site is a theoretical compartment in which drug concentration cannot be measured experimentally. Thus, it is not clear whether drug equilibration models with experimentally intractable compartments are sufficiently constrained to unequivocally establish evidence for the presence or absence of anaesthetic hysteresis. Methods We constructed several models. One lacked hysteresis beyond effect-site equilibration. In another, neuronal dynamics contributed to hysteresis. We attempted to distinguish between these two systems using drug equilibration models. Results Our modelling studies showed that one can always construct an effect-site equilibration model such that hysteresis collapses. So long as the concentration in the effect-site cannot be measured directly, the correct effect-site equilibration model and the one that erroneously collapses hysteresis are experimentally indistinguishable. We also found that hysteresis can naturally arise even in a simple network of neurones independently of drug equilibration. Conclusions Effect-site equilibration models can readily collapse hysteresis. However, this does not imply that hysteresis is solely attributable to the kinetics of drug equilibration.
What to do about deepfakes

Seeking to reap the positive uses of synthetic media while minimizing or preventing negative societal impact.
A 5-year retrospective analysis of biologic and prosthetic complications associated with single-tooth endosseous dental implants: Practical applications.

FOCUSED CLINICAL QUESTION What are the key considerations of the incidence and timing for single-tooth implant complications, including early failure, biological complications, and prosthetic complications? SUMMARY Single-tooth dental implants have been shown to have a high overall survival rate, but implant complications affect patient satisfaction and may lead to costly and/or time-consuming repair and revision. Assessing the incidence and types of biologic and prosthetic complications and the timing of such complications is helpful so that the underlying causes can be addressed during the treatment planning process. Furthermore, identification of patient demographics, patient-, implant-, and site-specific factors associated with such complications may allow for more comprehensive risk assessment during treatment planning. CONCLUSIONS Overall, dental implants have a high survival rate. Identification of the incidence of both biologic and prosthetic complications and minimizing their impact in patients with dental implants is critical to overall implant success. Utilization of careful treatment planning and dental implant fixtures, surgical protocols, and prosthetic designs that reduce complication rates can improve patient acceptance and outcomes. Further research is necessary to fully assess complication rates and risk factors.
Complete Genome Sequences of Microbacterium Bacteriophages Danno, Otwor, and Scumberland, Isolated in Clarksville, Tennessee.

ABSTRACT This paper reports the genome sequences of bacteriophages isolated from soil samples using Microbacterium foliorum. Phages Danno and Otwor (cluster EE) have genomes of 17,452 bp and 17,454 bp, respectively, and 25 predicted genes. The phage Scumberland (cluster EC) has a genome of 53,276 bp with 92 predicted genes.
Examining sport marketing through a rainbow lens

As sport has gradually become more accepting of LGBTQ individuals, sport organizations have attempted to connect with this lucrative market. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of t...
National trends of ophthalmic-related procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose : The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disturbances as stay-at-home restrictions have prevented adequate healthcare delivery. This investigation aimed to assess the pandemic's impact on the incidence of ophthalmic-related procedures compared to the pre-pandemic period. Methods : TriNetX (Cambridge, MA, USA) is a real-time, federated healthcare database that was used in this retrospective review. At the time of the study, the database included 60 million unique electronic medical records (EMR) of patients from 41 healthcare organizations (HCOs) across the US. The goal of this study was to analyze the incidence of new ophthalmic procedures that were performed during a period of the COVID-19 pandemic from April 1, 2020 - September 30, 2020. April 2020 was used as the start date as this was the first full month when national lockdown measures were implemented in the USA. Similar incidence data was also extracted from the corresponding time frame of April to July in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 data was then compared to a pooled 2018-2019 data of the same time period through descriptive analyses and an independent samples ttest. Results : The incidence between fourteen types of ophthalmic procedures experienced a statistically significant reduction between April 1 to September 30, 2020 when compared to overlapping months in 2018 and 2019. Thirteen of the fourteen procedures saw at least a 32.0% decrease in incidence. These procedures included: Keratorefractive surgery (-60.3% change, p<0.001), keratoplasty (-58.4% change, p<0.001), cataract surgery (-50.5% change, p<0.001), pterygium (-49.0% change, p<0.001), oculoplastic (-47.7% change, p<0.001), YAG capsulotomy (-44.3% change, p<0.001), strabismus (-43.2% change, p=0.004), laser trabeculoplasty (-40.1% change, p<0.001), retina surgery (-38.5% change, p<0.001), glaucoma (-36.1% change, p<0.001), panretinal laser photocoagulation (-33.9% change, p<0.001), and intravitreal injection (-32.0% change, p<0.001). The incidence of global trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to identical months in 2018- 2019. Conclusions : The significant reduction in ophthalmic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that patients are delaying ophthalmic care in the US. Further research is necessary to determine the future implications of this disruption in the care of ophthalmic patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Growing grasses in unprofitable areas of US Midwest croplands could increase species richness

Abstract The US has large potential to grow perennial energy crops, but because these crops are rarely grown in current agricultural landscapes, it is unclear how biodiversity may be affected. Over time, as agriculture has increased, many grassland species have declined. In addition, not all agricultural land is profitable for growing annual crops. Unprofitable areas were responsible for a loss of approximately $110 million USD per year from 2013 to 2016. Based on this, we want to know how converting less-profitable portions of agricultural fields to switchgrass, a native prairie grass, would influence species occurrence. To address this question, we developed an alternative landscape in which clustered corn/soy acres with a low return on investment (ROI) were replaced with grassland. We also developed and validated species distribution models to predict changes in species occurrence for 28 avian species in Iowa in response to landscape management. We compared results for three different models: Random forest (RF), Stochastic gradient boosting (GBM), and Neural network (Nnet) and found that all models performed well and predicted similar species distribution. Predicted species richness increased by 3.66% (RF), 2.79% (GBM), and 7.51% (Nnet) when we simulated a change in management for ~3% of Iowa's low ROI corn/soybean areas to grassland. If harvested, these areas could generate approximately 7.6 million dry tons/year of switchgrass for bioenergy, thereby increasing farmers earnings. Unprofitable areas tended to occur along streams, which suggest that incorporating partially harvested riparian buffers can benefit avian biodiversity, while improving water quality and reducing unnecessary costs for farmers.
A Multi-Fidelity Surrogate Optimization Method Based on Analytical Models

In this work, an analytical method is proposed to derive the coarse model for a multi-fidelity surrogate optimization. Specifically, utilizing a set of eigenfunction expansions, that characterizes the solution domain of a desired geometry, the proposed surrogate model is trained along with the high-fidelity full-wave simulations. To demonstrate and validate the proposed framework, a loop antenna and a loop array are studied. Notably, the proposed multi-fidelity model is applied to optimize a multi-variable design and achieve two desired objectives. Utilization of eigenfunction expansions accelerates the multi-fidelity surrogate optimization method 200 to 300 times compared to conventional multi-fidelity surrogate models. As shown from our results, the proposed algorithm efficiently optimizes a loop antenna and loop array, obtaining a desired Pareto set of non-dominated designs.
Conventional management of inappropriate sinus tachycardia

Inappropriate sinus tachycardia is a challenging problem to manage. There are limited data on the best method to evaluate and treat the problem. Here, we consider a conventional approach to inappropriate sinus tachycardia.
GABA shunt mediates thermotolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by reducing reactive oxygen production

The GABA shunt pathway involves three enzymes, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), GABA aminotransferase (GAT) and succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH). These enzymes act in concert to convert glutamate (α-ketoglutarate) to succinate. Deletion mutations in each of these genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in growth defects at 45°C. Double and triple mutation constructs were compared for thermotolerance with the wild-type and single mutant strains. Although wild-type and all mutant strains were highly susceptible to brief heat stress at 50°C, a non-lethal 30 min at 40°C temperature pretreatment induced tolerance of the wild-type and all of the mutants to 50°C. The mutant strains collectively exhibited similar susceptibility at 45°C to the induced 50°C treatments. Intracellular reactive oxygen intermediate (ROI) accumulation was measured in wild-type and each of the mutant strains. ROI accumulation in each of the mutants and in various stress conditions was correlated to heat susceptibility of the mutant strains. The addition of ROI scavenger N-tert-butyl-α-phenylnitrone (PBN) enhanced survival of the mutants and strongly inhibited the accumulation of ROI, but did not have significant effect on the wild-type. Measurement of intracellular GABA, glutamate and α-ketoglutarate during lethal heat exposure at 45°C showed higher levels of accumulation of GABA and α-ketoglutarate in the uga1 and uga2 mutants, while glutamate accumulated at higher level in the gad1 mutant. These results suggest that the GABA shunt pathway plays a crucial role in protecting yeast cells from heat damage by restricting ROI production involving the flux of carbon from α-ketoglutarate to succinate during heat stress.
Morphology of Bacteriophage-Like Particles from Desulfovibrio vulgaris

Phagelike particles obtained from a mitomycin C-induced lysate of Desulfovibrio vulgaris are described. Whether they can be classified as temperate bacteriophages or as bacteriocins has not been determined.
African Americans as Photographers and Photographic Subjects

By the end of the 19th century, African Americans in the United States had considerable experience with and access to the medium of photography allowing them, as image-makers and as subjects, a degree of control over their representations. The body of images that have come down to us by, and of, African American photographers over the course of the 20th century reveals that they were not singularly obsessed with racism. This photographic imagery can generally be said to reflect the interior lives, communities, and aspirations of African Americans, a testament to the very humanity that racism in American society denied.
Traffic light: a pedagogical exploration through a design space

We present the representation of a traffic light as an example of an object that exhibits a rich behavior set and serves as a case study for a number of interesting design issues. We focus on the implementation of the internal state and corresponding control information of the traffic light, and discuss how various important kinds of behavior can be added to this extensible design. We present a number of design and programming exercises to enrich CS1 and CS2 courses.
The corrected bromide space (extracellular volume) in the newborn.

The extracellular volume of a group of normal infants, in the first day of life, was measured by means of the corrected bromide space, and was found to be 358 ± 6.5 ml/kg of body weight. There was no consistent variation due to the sex or age of the infants. No decrease was found in extracellular volume during the period 5 to 15 hours after birth. In the fasting and thirsting newborn one injection of hydrocortisone or desoxy-corticosterone acetate produced no detectable change in the measured bromide space after a mean of 6 and 7½ hours following injection.
A new dual-bus metropolitan area communication network

Describes and analyzes a new architecture for metropolitan area networks (MANs). The architecture is based on a slotted unidirectional dual bus structure and is called dual bus R-net. A master station for each bus generates transmission frames that consist of a reservation slot and various information slots. The information slots are reserved by stations using the reservation slot before they can be used for transmission of information. Evaluation of dual bus R-net, using simulation, indicates that its performance is better than that of other similar MANs, in terms of channel utilization, bounded delay, and fair access etc.
FOREIGN AID AND DECENTRALIZATION: LIMITATIONS ON IMPACT IN AUTONOMY AND RESPONSIVENESS

SUMMARY Donor support for decentralization comes in two main categories: policy support to increase the autonomy of subnational governments (SNGs) and project/program activities to improve the responsiveness and accountability of those SNGs. In the former, donors advocate for reforms that increase the extent or ‘quantity’ of decentralization, whereas in the latter, they aim at the ‘quality’ of decentralized governance. Drawing upon this distinction, this paper's argument is twofold. The principal argument is that donors have had modest causal impacts on the quantity of decentralization because the preexisting political incentives of central governments are sufficient to explain decisions for major reforms. Decentralization advances farthest when there are regime-level incentives to decentralize, a moderate amount when there are government-level incentives, and minimally when donors (or other actors outside the central state) are leading champions of decentralization. The second argument of the paper is that donor efficacy is further complicated by partially conflicting emphases that sometimes tradeoff local autonomy with accountability. Implications include support for those programming efforts that pair autonomy with responsiveness at the local level. © 2014 The Authors. Public Administration and Development published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is the Pivot Doomed? The Resilience of America's Strategic ‘Rebalance’

U.S. foreign policy is beset by numerous simultaneous crises. In Syria, the Assad regime continues to commit massive human rights abuses, while Islamic State jihadis are seizing territory in Syria ...
Development of radiographic and microscopic techniques for the characterization of bacterial transport in intact sediment cores from Oyster, Virginia.

Abstract The objective of this study was to ascertain the physical and mineralogical properties responsible for the retention of bacteria in subsurface sediments. The sediment core chosen for this study was a fine-grained, quartz-rich sand with minor amounts of Fe and Al hydroxides. A bacterial transport experiment was performed using an intact core collected from a recent excavation of the Butler’s Bluff member of the Nassawadox formation in the borrow pit at Oyster, VA. and a 14 C-labeled bacterial strain OYS2-A was selected for its relatively low adhesion. After the bacterial breakthrough was observed in the effluent, the intact core was dissected to determine the internal distribution of the injected bacteria retained in the sediment. The sediment was dried, epoxy fixed, and thin sectioned. The distribution of 14 C activity in the thin sections was mapped using a phosphor screen and X-ray film. The remainder of the core was subsampled and the 14 C activity of the subsamples was determined by liquid scintillation counting. The phosphor imaging technique was capable of directly imaging the distribution of radiolabeled bacteria in thin sections, because of its high sensitivity and linear response over a large activity range. The phosphor imaging signal intensity was utilized as a measure of bacterial concentration. The distribution of bacteria at the millimeter scale in the thin sections was compared to the grain size, porosity, and mineralogy as measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) analyses. No apparent correlation was observed between the retention or collision efficiency of bacteria in the sediment and the amount of Fe and Al hydroxides. This apparent lack of correlation can be qualitatively explained by combination of several factors including a nearly neutral surface charge of the bacterial strain, and texture of the Fe and Al hydroxides in the sediment. The combination of phosphor imaging with SEM-EDS proved to be a robust method for relating the physical and mineralogical microscopic properties of poorly indurated sediment to the distribution of adsorbed bacteria, allowing bacterial retention mechanisms to be unambiguously unraveled.
Measuring patients’ perceptions of communication with healthcare providers: Do differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics matter?

Background National governments across the globe have set goals to improve healthcare delivery. Understanding patient–provider communication is essential for the development of policies that measure how well a healthcare system delivers care. Objectives This study was designed to determine which, if any, demographic factors were independently associated with how US patients perceive various aspects of communication with their healthcare providers. Design and methods The study was a secondary, cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative data from the 2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Among US adults with a healthcare visit in the past year (n = approximately 16 700), we assessed the association between several covariate demographic and socioeconomic factors and four dependent measures of patient perceptions of communication with their healthcare providers. Results Across all four measures of communication, older patients were more likely to report positively. Having health insurance and a usual source of care were consistent predictors of positive perceptions of communication. Hispanic patients also reported better perceptions of communication across all four measures. The most economically disadvantaged patients were less likely to report that providers always explained things so that they understood. Male patients were more likely to report that providers always spent enough time with them. Conclusions This study suggests that patient perceptions of communication in healthcare settings vary widely by demographics and other individual patient characteristics. In this paper, we discuss the relevance of these communication disparities to design policies to improve healthcare systems, both at the individual practice level and the national level.
Highly Stable Poly(Lipid) Bilayers for Long-Term Ion Channel Recordings

Long-term ion channel (IC) screening using cell-based assays is currently limited by throughput and cell to cell variability. ICs isolated and reconstituted into suspended lipid membranes offer an isolated view into IC structure and function, but IC recordings are limited by the short lifetime of the bilayer. Polymerizable lipids (poly(lipids)) offers one potential strategy for long-term investigation and screening of ICs and has been investigated with several model ion channels.The electrical properties and stability of lipid bilayers suspended across glass micropipettes compared natural and polymerized lipids. Breakdown voltage, capacitance, and conductance of the several pure and mixed polymerizable/non-polymerizable lipid bilayers were determined using a patch clamp apparatus.Using, polymerizable phospholipids, we have synthesized membranes with markedly enhanced lifetimes from ca. 3 hours to upwards of 3 weeks. These poly(lipid) bilayers have been used to monitor IC activity of alpha-hemolysin for ca. 1week before loss of alpha-hemolysin. However, poly(lipid) bilayers are rigid and do not support the function of ICs that require membrane fluidity, To address this limitation, binary bilayers composed of poly(lipids) and non-polymerizable lipids were investigated. The resulting mixed bilayers demonstrate markedly enhanced long term stability compared to non-polymerized bilayers and facility IC studies. Alamethicin, a model for voltage-gated ion channels, was shown to be non-functional when reconstituted into homogeneous poly(lipid) bilayers, whereas reconstitution in to mixed bilayers revealed alamethicin activity that and enhanced membrane stability.A functional, truncated form of the KATP channel complex, 6xHis-EGFP-Kir6.2d26, was chosen as a model ligand-gated IC, expressed and purified from yeast. Long-term goals are to reconstitute the truncated version of KATP channels into polymerizable and non-polymerizable bilayers using varying strategies into biomimetric sensing platforms screening ligands and drug candidates for activity.
Ethanol‐Induced Suppression of Hippocampal Long‐Term Potentiation Is Blocked by Lesions of the Septohippocampal Nucleus

Systemic ethanol increases synaptic inhibition and suppresses long term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus of the rat hippocampus. Local application of ethanol directly into the dentate gyrus of anesthetized rats increased the perforant path to dentate feed-forward inhibition, but had no effect on LTP. Local application of ethanol to the medial septum, a subcortical structure with major input to the dentate, increased recurrent inhibition. Selective disruption of septodentate input produced by lesions of the septohippocampal nucleus blocked the effects of systemic ethanol on LTP. These findings are the first to demonstrate that septodentate input is necessary for ethanol to increase recurrent inhibition and suppress LTP in the dentate gyrus and suggest an important role for extrahippocampal modulation of both short- and long-term plasticity in the hippocampus.