cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Uncertain Congressional Power to Ban State Felon Disenfranchisement Laws

This article, prepared for a voting rights symposium to appear in the Howard Law Journal, considers congressional power to ban state felon disenfranchisement laws. Although courts in other countries have held that the practice of denying the right to vote to felons (or ex-felons) violates constitutional guarantees, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the practice usually does not violate the U.S. Constitution. Current controversy in lower federal courts swirls over whether section 2 of the Voting Rights Act may bar certain state felon disenfranchisement laws. This article looks beyond that controversy to the constitutional question: If Congress passed a clear law barring the state practice of disenfranchising felons (or ex-felons), would the Supreme Court uphold such a law as a permissible exercise of Congressional power to enforce the 14th or 15th amendments? The most promising, but still quite uncertain, basis for congressional power is that a felon disenfranchisement ban enforces equal protection guarantees against race discrimination under the 14th amendment and enforces the right to vote free of race discrimination under the 15th amendment. In particular, the federal government could argue that it is intentional past (and potentially present) race discrimination in this country that leads to cycles of poverty in minority communities, and that such poverty makes it more likely that members of these communities will be arrested. In addition, the government could argue that state discrimination in the administration of the criminal justice system makes it more likely that minorities will be convicted of felonies and therefore disenfranchised. The article concludes that in light of the Supreme Court's new federalism jurisprudence it is uncertain whether the Supreme Court would uphold such a law on this basis as a permissible exercise of congressional power, leaving state legislatures as the prime locus for changes to felon disenfranchisement laws.
Magnetic resonance elastography demonstrates increased brain stiffness in normal pressure hydrocephalus

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a potentially reversible cause of ventriculomegaly characterized by a classic triad of gait disturbance, cognitive impairment and urinary incontinence in older adults. Shunt tube placement is currently the mainstay therapy for NPH. However, unpredictable therapeutic responses as well as associated surgical complications necessitate better characterization of surgical candidates. The purpose of this study was to use MR Elastography (MRE) to determine brain tissue stiffness and outcomes after shunting in NPH patients compared with age and sex matched healthy controls.
Velocity anisotropy analysis of physical modeling: ultrasonic measurement of Lucite plate layered models with artificial fractures

Summary Significant azimuthal velocity variation in seismic data has been observed as suggested in HTI model by Thomsen (1986). We built four artificial samples using thin lucite (Cast Acrylic)plates to simulate different fracture sets with HTI symmetry, and investigate their elastic responses under varying confining pressure. Five velocities, Vp0, Vp45, Vp90, Vsv90 and Vsh90 are measured to understand fracture’s anisotropic characteristics. It seems surprise, only weak anisotropy has been observed on these samples with apparent, significant fracture sets. The measured data also suggest that the weak anisotropy decreases with increasing confining pressure and aperture of fractures.
A mechanistic study of the influence of graphene curvature on the rate of high-temperature oxidation by molecular oxygen

Abstract Kinetic Monte-Carlo (KMC) simulations of the evolution of a graphene sheet in combustion-like environments were performed using a set of newly established elementary reactions of graphene-edge oxidation by O2. The KMC results revealed two principal pathways for an oxyradical site: oxidation and regeneration of an aromatic radical site. The two pathways compete for oxyradicals, but exclusion of the regeneration pathway does not significantly affect the oxidation rate. Examination of the morphology of the evolving graphene edges indicated that the addition of O2 promotes the formation of five-member rings embedded in the graphene. The overall oxidation rate of the graphene was computed to be time dependent, with reactivity decreasing over time as the ratio of reactive edge sites decreases relative to the number of basal-plane carbon atoms. At the same time, the oxidation rate was found to be higher for graphene with a higher initial curvature. Both results are in accord with experimental observations. Analysis showed that distinct aspects of graphene-edge morphology are responsible for curvature either raising or reducing the oxidative reactivity of the graphene edge.
Design of a generic microgrid testbed with novel control and smart technologies

The small scale power networks i.e. microgrids are trending due to their various advantages including seamless integration of renewable energy resources. Microgrids are developed using diverse techniques depending on geological, technological factors. As a result, a complex network of various types of microgrids formed around the globe. And there are no set standards or policies to categorize and/or evaluate these systems. Hence, microgrid testbeds are being developed around the globe to understand these technologies. This paper presents a generic testbed focused on the needs of developing countries. It has various technologies that can be used in three subgrids i.e. DC microgrid, AC microgrid and Solar Home Systems (SHS). Various operational scenarios are considered to evaluate the capabilities of microgrids with applied control and protection schemes. This paper also envisions the future microgrid testbed nature using smart technologies in the developing countries.
Analysis on Factors Sensitive to Capacity Configuration of Battery Energy Storage System Suitable for Centralized Renewable Energy Sources

At present,based on historical operation data of renewable energy sources there are many methods to configure the capacity of battery energy storage system(BESS) and most of them do not consider the factors,to which the capacity configuration process is sensitive,however considering sensitive factors is one of the key contents for optimizing capacity of BESS and improving utilization efficiency of energy storage.Firstly,a configuration algorithm of BESS,which suits to the field of large-scale centralized energy storage of renewable energy source,is proposed to mitigate output fluctuation and trace the scheduled output,and such sensitive factors impacting the configuration results as data sample,types of energy storage and working modes of energy storage system are gathered together.Then,taking the mitigation of output fluctuation of a certain typical wind farm with capacity in megawatt level for example,the impacts of sensitive factors on configuration result of BESS are analyzed.Finally,taking the demand on BESS capacity and equivalent life loss of BESS as evaluation indices,the recommended values of time interval of data sampling,the time scale of statistics and the state of initial residual energy of BESS are obtained.
Informatics Infrastructure for the Materials Genome Initiative

A materials data infrastructure that enables the sharing and transformation of a wide range of materials data is an essential part of achieving the goals of the Materials Genome Initiative. We describe two high-level requirements of such an infrastructure as well as an emerging open-source implementation consisting of the Materials Data Curation System and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Materials Resource Registry.
Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted MRI during chemoradiation therapy to characterize and monitor treatment response in human papillomavirus head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose Characterize and monitor treatment response in human papillomavirus (HPV) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using intra-treatment (intra-TX) imaging metrics derived from intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI). Materials and Methods Thirty-four (30 HPV positive [+] and 4 HPV negative [-]) HNSCC patients underwent a total of 136 MRI including multi-b value DW-MRI (pretreatment [pre-TX] and intra-TX weeks 1, 2, and 3) at 3.0 Tesla. All patients were treated with chemo-radiation therapy. Monoexponential (yielding apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]) and bi-exponential (yielding perfusion fraction [f], diffusion [D], and pseudo-diffusion [D*] coefficients) fits were performed on a region of interest and voxel-by-voxel basis, on metastatic neck nodes. Response was assessed using RECISTv1.1. The relative percentage change in D, f, and D* between the pre- and intra-TX weeks were used for hierarchical clustering. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was performed to assess the difference in metrics within and between the complete response (CR) and non-CR groups. Results The delta (Δ) change in volume (V)1wk-0wk for the CR group differed significantly (P = 0.016) from the non-CR group, while not for V2wk-0wk and V3wk-0wk (P > 0.05). The mean increase in ΔD3wk-0wk for the CR group was significantly higher (P = 0.017) than the non-CR group. ADC and D showed an increasing trend at each intra-TX week when compared with pre-TX in CR group (P < 0.003). Hierarchical clustering demonstrated the existence of clusters in HPV + patients. Conclusion After appropriate validation in a larger population, these IVIM imaging metrics may be useful for individualized treatment in HNSCC patients. Level of Evidence: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:1013–1023
Critical Teacher Talk: Successful English for Academic Purposes Classroom Practices in a Global Campus

Drawn on the sociocultural paradigm, I examined teacher-student communication with emphasis on teacher’s talk and its role on international students’ learning English as a Second Language in an English for Academic Purposes classroom in a global campus in the U.S. Developmental data analyses of class observations, teacher and student interviews, and documents led to finding multidimensional characteristics of Critical Teacher Talk (CTT). I also found evidence of the role of CTT on production-process-affective aspects of learning English as an International Language. The findings further shed insights on the need to train and practice Critical International Language Pedagogy with the triadic principles—transnational culture building, critical caring, and authentic learning—among international higher education educators and teachereducators.
Effects of acorn size and mass on seedling quality of northern red oak (Quercus rubra)

Oaks are not sustainable in many upland temperate forests because of poor recruitment resulting from natural regeneration. Artificial regeneration is an alternative to natural regeneration, but is difficult, in part, due to large variation in seedling quality. In this study, we examined the effects of acorn size and mass on nursery seedling morphological parameters commonly used to quantify seedling quality, and we determined if genetic factors affected these relationships. Acorns were collected from six open-pollinated orchard trees (i.e., six half-sib families), and were separated into six size classes based on acorn diameter (ranging from 1.3 to 2.5 cm). Samples from each size class were weighed for total fresh mass. Acorns were sown in a commercial bareroot nursery in Polk County, Tennessee, USA, and seedlings were grown for 1 year using nursery protocols to maximize growth. Seedling survival was generally not affected by acorn size class or mass, except one family had higher survival in the larger acorn size classes. Five of the six families had no discernable relationship between acorn size class and seedling size. Acorn mass was positively related to seedling morphology, but relationships were weak (R2 ≤ 0.11) and biologically insignificant. Neither acorn size nor mass could be used reliably to predict seedling survival or morphological indicators of seedling quality. We hypothesized that results were affected by an unusually long growing season and advanced fertilization regimes at the nursery, which may have negated acorn size/mass effects on seedling growth. Family affected relationships between acorn size/mass and seedling morphology, indicating that family selections could improve overall seedling quality.
Coincidence, Coefficient of

Meiotic crossing over in each of two linked intervals may be correlated. The coefficient of coincidence is a measure of that correlation. Letting R 1 be the recombinant frequency for interval 1 determined without regard to interval 2, R 2 be that for interval 2 determined without regard to interval 1, and R 12 be the frequency of the haploid meiotic products that are recombinant simultaneously in the two intervals, the expectation for no correlation is R 12 = R 1 R 2 . When the expectation is not realized, introduction of a factor, C (the coefficient of coincidence), allows the equation R 12 = CR 1 R 2 . A C value of unity implies no correlation, values of zero to unity imply negative correlation, and values greater than unity imply positive correlation.
Dormancy of Seeds and Buds

In previous chapters, we discussed plant growth and development as a continuous process that proceeds without interruption from the germination of seed to the formation of the adult plant bearing flowers, fruits, and seeds. In most species, growth is not necessarily a continuous process as it may be suspended for varying periods of time in the life cycle. The mature seed is the most common stage in the life cycle of the plant when developmental arrest occurs. As is well known, seeds can remain viable for long periods of time, and yet they can be prevented from germination if kept in dry storage. Interpolation of a temporary period of developmental arrest and the ability for long-term survival under adverse environmental conditions have also evolved in other plant organs such as buds of woody and herbaceous plants and shrubs as well as in tubers, bulbs, and rhizomes. A common feature displayed by these organs is reduced growth; in seeds, growth of the embryo is blocked, whereas in buds and other organs, growth of the shoot apical meristem is inhibited.
Depression, Thyroid Function and

Depression is a mood disorder manifested by dysphoria and a sense of worthlessness, among other symptoms. Its course can be, to a certain degree, affected by physiological or pathological alterations of the hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid axis that lead to a “brain hypothyroidism,” as some authors have suggested. Thus, thyroid hormone has been proposed as an adjuvant to antidepressant medications.
Chronisch kritisch kranke Patienten aus gastroenterologischer Perspektive

Aus gastroenterologischer Sicht ist bei chronisch kritisch kranken Patienten zu unterscheiden zwischen generellen gastroenterologischen Fragen, die bei der Mehrzahl oder allen chronisch kritisch kranken Patienten auftreten, und Patienten mit gastroenterologischer Grundkrankheit als Ursache der chronisch kritisch kranken Situation. Zu Ersteren gehort die Ernahrung des chronisch-kritisch Kranken, aber auch Uberlegungen zur Ulkusprophylaxe oder zu gastroenterologischen Komplikationen, wie einer antibiotikaassoziierten Kolitis. Gastroenterologische Grundkrankheiten sind als Ursache einer chronisch kritischen Krankheitssituation eher in der Minderzahl. In Betracht kommen in erster Linie Patienten mit fortgeschrittener Leberzirrhose oder mit Kurzdarmsyndrom. Im Beitrag werden gastroenterologische Probleme bei chronisch kritisch kranken Patienten referiert sowie Losungs- und Behandlungsmoglichkeiten aufgezeigt.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak and Symptomatic Pseudomeningocele After Intradural Spine Surgery.

Objective To describe the incidence of and characterize risk factors for cerebrospinal fluid leak and symptomatic pseudomeningocele (CSFL/SP) after intradural spine surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected and consecutive series of patients undergoing intradural spine surgery by the senior author (A.D.L.) was conducted over a period of 20 years. Results Data on 460 surgeries performed on 430 consecutive patients were gathered. The incidence of CSFL/SP formation was 2.8% (n = 13). Of the 13 cases complicated by CSFL/SP, 4 were successfully managed nonoperatively (4/13, 31%); 9 postoperative CSFL/SP required surgical repair (9/13, 69%), making for an overall postoperative surgical repair rate of 1.9% (9/460). Factors significantly related to development of postoperative CSFL/SP on the Fisher exact test were surgery located at the craniocervical junction (risk ratio [RR] 2.7, P = 0.03) and use of any external cerebrospinal fluid drain (any drain: RR 2.5, P = 0.02; lumbar drain specifically: RR 2.6, P = 0.02), the latter finding most likely being attributable to selection bias. No significant difference was observed between primary dural closure and closure incorporating the use of one or more dural repair adjuncts. In addition, the total number of dural repair adjuncts used did not significantly influence the development of postoperative CSFL/SP. Conclusions We present the largest series of intradural spine surgeries focusing specifically on the risk factors for and management of CSFL/SP. Although craniocervical junction surgery and use of external cerebrospinal fluid drain were associated with CSFL/SP, type of closure and type/number of dural substitutes were not.
Automated Generation of All-Digital 1/0 Library Cells for System-In-Package Integration of Multiple Dies

This paper presents an automated cell library generation flow for all-digital I/O circuits for SiP integration. Given parameterized models of SiP wire traces, our method automatically designs, optimizes, and generates layouts of I/O cells for delay/energy minimization. We demonstrate that automated I/O library cell generation can reduce maximum die-to-die communication delay or energy for a given multi-die SiP design and associated interposer wire traces. The proposed flow is demonstrated considering 28nm CMOS technology and interposer based SiP integration.
Simulation-Based Communication Training for General Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents.

Background There is a critical relationship between team communication and patient safety in the operating room (OR), but limited opportunities are available to help OR trainees develop the communication skills needed to be good team players. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a simulation-based communication-training program developed for general surgery and obstetrics and gynecology residents. Methods Following a group lecture on diagnostic laparoscopy, 34 residents independently completed a laparoscopy case on a patient simulator followed by a structured debrief that targeted team-based communication skills. Integrated into the case were 2 events (bradycardia and OR fire) that provided additional opportunities for the resident to communicate with his/her team. The mean Likert scale score for 11 post-training survey questions were calculated to determine residents' reaction to the training. Additionally, mean scores of observer ratings of communication performance after the simulation were calculated and analyzed using separate Wilcoxon Sign-Rank tests and kappa statistics. Results Of the 41 GS and ObGyn residents, 34 (83%) participated in the training. 18 (53%) residents completed the simulation once and 16 (47%) completed it twice. Overall, residents had a positive reaction to the training program (average survey score = 4.56 of 5) and participation in the program improved their ability to use effective communication techniques during the bradycardia and OR fire events (p Conclusions Residents had a positive reaction to the training program and participation in the program improved their ability to use effective communication techniques throughout the procedure.
Selective protein enrichment in calcium oxalate stone matrix: a window to pathogenesis?

Urine proteins are thought to control calcium oxalate stone formation, but over 1000 proteins have been reported in stone matrix obscuring their relative importance. Proteins critical to stone formation should be present at increased relative abundance in stone matrix compared to urine, so quantitative protein distribution data were obtained for stone matrix compared to prior urine proteome data. Matrix proteins were isolated from eight stones (> 90% calcium oxalate content) by crystal dissolution and further purified by ultradiafiltration (> 10 kDa membrane). Proteomic analyses were performed using label-free spectral counting tandem mass spectrometry, followed by stringent filtering. The average matrix proteome was compared to the average urine proteome observed in random urine samples from 25 calcium oxalate stone formers reported previously. Five proteins were prominently enriched in matrix, accounting for a mass fraction of > 30% of matrix protein, but only 3% of urine protein. Many highly abundant urinary proteins, like albumin and uromodulin, were present in matrix at reduced relative abundance compared to urine, likely indicating non-selective inclusion in matrix. Furthermore, grouping proteins by isoelectric point demonstrated that the stone matrix proteome was highly enriched in both strongly anionic (i.e., osteopontin) and strongly cationic (i.e., histone) proteins, most of which are normally found in intracellular or nuclear compartments. The fact that highly anionic and highly cationic proteins aggregate at low concentrations and these aggregates can induce crystal aggregation suggests that protein aggregation may facilitate calcium oxalate stone formation, while cell injury processes are implicated by the presence of many intracellular proteins.
Cervical gonorrhea in a transgender man post hysterectomy.

A 40-year-old transgender man presented to the Hawaii Department of Health with a one-day history of vaginal discharge. Testing of all exposed sites revealed vaginal and rectal gonorrhea. While he ...
CDD/SPARCLE: the conserved domain database in 2020

As NLM's Conserved Domain Database (CDD) enters its 20th year of operations as a publicly available resource, CDD curation staff continues to develop hierarchical classifications of widely distributed protein domain families, and to record conserved sites associated with molecular function, so that they can be mapped onto user queries in support of hypothesis-driven biomolecular research. CDD offers both an archive of pre-computed domain annotations as well as live search services for both single protein or nucleotide queries and larger sets of protein query sequences. CDD staff has continued to characterize protein families via conserved domain architectures and has built up a significant corpus of curated domain architectures in support of naming bacterial proteins in RefSeq. These architecture definitions are available via SPARCLE, the Subfamily Protein Architecture Labeling Engine. CDD can be accessed at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Structure/cdd/cdd.shtml.
Robust Recognition of Planar Mirrored Walls

Buildings consume around 40% of the overall energy in the world. A planar mirror detection problem (PMDP) arises when surveying reflective building surfaces for building energy retrofits. PMDP is also important for collision avoidance when robots navigate close to highly reflective glassy walls. Our approach uses two views from an onboard camera. First, we derive geometric constraints for corresponding real–virtual features across two views. The constraints include (1) the mirror normal as a function of vanishing points of lines connecting the real–virtual feature point pairs and (2) the mirror depth in a closed-form format derived from a mirror plane-induced homography. Based on the geometric constraints, we employ a random sample consensus framework and an affine scale-invariant feature transformed to develop a robust mirror detection algorithm. We have implemented the algorithm and have tested it in both in-lab and field settings. The algorithm achieved an overall detection accuracy rate of 91.0%.
Base case simulation of a semi-batch emulsion copolymerization process: application to styrene/ butadiene system

It has been long recognized that emulsion polymerization is a complex heterogeneous process involving transport of monomers, free radicals, and other species between aqueous phase and organic phase. Though there are a number of models available in the literature, most of them deal only with specific aspects in emulsion polymerization and are far from being general. To simulate this complicated process and to achieve an adequate level of understanding, a Polymers Plus software from Aspen Technology. Inc. was used. The objective of this work is to illustrate the principle of use of Polymers Plus, simulate, and analyze the free-radical seeded emulsion copolymerization of styrene­butadiene process model in a semi-batch reactor. The base case simulation can be used to gain process understanding by analyzing how process variables and operating conditions during the course of a semi-batch reactor affect the product quality. Keywords: Polymers Plus, Emulsion Copolymerization, Simulation, Semi Batch Reactor, Styrene/ butadiene Abstrak Telah diketahui sejak lama bahwa polimerisasi emulsi merupakan sebuah proses heterogen yang kompleks, yang meliputi perpindahan monomer, radikal bebas, dan senyawa lainnya dalam fasa air dan fasa organik. Walaupun dalam literatur terdapat berbagai model, sebagian besar hanya membahas tentang aspek-aspek khusus dalam polimerisasi emulsi yang belurn berlaku umum. Untuk melakukan simulasi serta meningkatkan pemahaman tentang proses yang kompleks ini, digunakan perangkat lunak Polymers Plus dari Aspen Technology, Inc. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memberikan ilustrasi tentang prinsip penggunaan Polymers Plus serta melakukan simulasi dan analisis tentang model untuk proses kopolimerisasi emulsi styrene-butadiene dengan free radical seeded dalam reaktor semi batch. Simulasi ini dapat digunakan untuk memperoleh pemahaman proses dengan menganalisis pengaruh variabel-variabel proses dan kondisi operasi dalam reaktor semi batch terhadap kualitas produk. Kata Kunci: Polymers Plus, Kopolimerisasi Emulsi, Simulasi, Reaktor Semi Batch, Stiren/ butadien
Safety Profile, Surgical Technique, and Early Clinical Results for Simultaneous Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion and Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion in a Lateral Position.

Study design Description of surgical technique and retrospective review. Objective To describe a novel surgical technique for multilevel lumbar fusion and describe early clinical results. Summary of background data Patients with multilevel lumbar spinal stenosis and adult degenerative scoliosis often require multilevel interbody placement to achieve indirect decompression and lordosis. We describe a case series of patients treated with simultaneous lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) and anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) at L5-S1. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of patients treated for multilevel lumbar spinal stenosis with simultaneous ALIF and LLIF with at least 3-month follow-up. All patients received supplemental percutaneous bilateral pedicle screw placement as well. We measured on preoperative radiographs their lumbar lordosis, pelvic incidence, and L5-S1 lordosis. Intraoperative factors such as operative time, estimated blood loss, fluids provided, number of levels fused, and whether a trainee was present during the procedure were all recorded. Results There were 15 patients included within our case series (69.5, 4 F). There were no reported intraoperative vascular or neurological complications in 15 cases. The operative time for the cases ranged from 2.7 to 8.4 hours (average=5.2±1.9 h). The average lordosis gained at L5-S1 was 8.6±3.0 degrees and the average lumbar lordosis gained was 14.7±6.4 degrees. The average PI-LL mismatch went from 22.4±13.3 degrees preoperative to 7.8±10.2 degrees postoperative. One patient had a postoperative complication of a sacral fracture requiring placement of a pelvic screw for a L2-pelvis fusion. There were 8 patients with 4+ levels of fusion. For this cohort of patients, the average lumbar lordosis gained was 16.0±7.5 degrees and the average PI-LL mismatch went from 24.7±16.3 degrees preoperative to 8.8±12.9 degrees postoperative. For the patients with 4+ levels of fusion, the average operative time was 5.9±1.8 hours. Conclusions We have described our early positive results with simultaneous LLIF/ALIF surgery for treatment of lumbar degenerative conditions.
Nonjudicial Influence on Family Violence Court Cases

Family courts have rarely considered how their decisions are perpetuating domestic violence and child abuse in the many cases where custody disputes are before them. Rather than judges playing King...
A REDCap-based model for online interventional research: Parent sleep education in autism

Introduction The use of online platforms for pediatric healthcare research is timely, given the current pandemic. These platforms facilitate trial efficiency integration including electronic consent, randomization, collection of patient/family survey data, delivery of an intervention, and basic data analysis. Methods We created an online digital platform for a multicenter study that delivered an intervention for sleep disorders to parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An advisory parent group provided input. Participants were randomized to receive either a sleep education pamphlet only or the sleep education pamphlet plus three quick-tips sheets and two videos that reinforced the material in the pamphlet (multimedia materials). Three measures - Family Inventory of Sleep Habits (FISH), Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire modified for ASD (CSHQ-ASD), and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC) - were completed before and after 12 weeks of sleep education. Results Enrollment exceeded recruitment goals. Trial efficiency was improved, especially in data entry and automatic notification of participants related to survey completion. Most families commented favorably on the study. While study measures did not improve with treatment in either group (pamphlet or multimedia materials), parents reporting an improvement of ≥3 points in the FISH score showed a significantly improved change in the total CSHQ (P = 0.038). Conclusion Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using online research delivery platforms to support studies in ASD, and more broadly, pediatric clinical and translational research. Online platforms may increase participant inclusion in enrollment and increase convenience and safety for participants and study personnel.
On the Nature of God’s Existence, Wisdom and Power: The Interplay Between Organic and Mechanistic Imagery in Anglican Natural Theology — 1640–1740

According to one of the most widely read and admired accounts of the relationship between early modern scientific and religious developments, Richard Westfall’s Science and Religion in Seventeenth Century England, the chief spur to the Seventeenth Century Anglican reinvigoration of natural theology came from the mechanical philosophers, “who tried to construct a theory picturing nature as a machine running by itself without external aids.”1 One feature of this “mechanical” nature was that it was “indifferent to the existence of thinking beings”2 and another was that it “contradicted the assertion of miracles and questioned the reality of divine providence.”3 Finally, because of the obvious antagonisms between the new mechanistic science and the old Christian beliefs, the key problem of seventeenth century Christian scientists was to reconcile the two; and “reconciliation came more and more to mean the adjustment of Christian beliefs to the conclusions of science.”4
The Molecular Constitution of Cellulose

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the molecular constitution of cellulose, which is the basis of the interpretation of the chemical and much of the physical behavior of this principal plant cell-wall constituent. The considerable evidence accumulated indicates the inadequacy of certain ideas that have become accepted as conventional with respect to the structure of purified cellulosic materials. The changing concept of the structure of the cellulose molecule reviews the foundations on which the conventional ideas are based and determines if more recent approaches to the problem may be incorporated in, and becomes a part of, a broadened concept. The heterogeneity of naturally occurring plant cell-wall membranes in physical and chemical composition is repeatedly demonstrated and in many cases, is quite apparent upon a casual visual inspection.
Necrotizing Arteritis and Small Vessel Vasculitis

Publisher Summary There are three major categories of systemic vasculitis—namely, large vessel vasculitis or chronic granulomatous arteritis, medium-sized vessel vasculitis or necrotizing arteritis, and small vessel vasculitis or necrotizing polyangiitis. This chapter focuses on medium-sized vessel vasculitis and small vessel vasculitis. The evaluation of patients with cutaneous palpablepurpura revealed vasculitis involving predominantly small vessels. The pathologic findings in SVV of extensive acute inflammation with numerous neutrophils and conspicuous leukocytoclasia that resembled the Arthus reaction suggested a possible “hypersensitivity” pathogenesis. The chapter further discusses polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). The hallmark of PAN is necrotizing inflammation of medium-sized or small arteries. Because different organs can be affected in different patients, the clinical manifestations of even relatively specific types of vasculitis are extremely variable among patients. Therefore, the diagnosis of systemic vasculitis, including autoimmune vasculitis, is difficult, and requires skillful integration of clinical, pathologic, and laboratory data. Although difficult, precise diagnosis is essential for proper management, because the prognosis and appropriate treatment vary substantially among different categories of vasculitis.
Resolution of Bacterial Proteins by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis on Slabs MEMBRANE, SOLUBLE, AND PERIPLASMIC FRACTIONS

The application of a method of electrophoretic protein analysis to the investigation of the total protein composition of Salmonella typhimurium is described. It involves electrophoresis of many samples simultaneously on a thin slab of acrylamide gel, in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, with the discontinuous buffer system of Laemmli ((1970) Nature 227, 680–685). Up to about 25 samples can be run simultaneously, thus improving both efficiency and ability to compare patterns. The sensitivity of the method for detection of changes both in soluble proteins and the insoluble membrane proteins of the cell is shown. Membrane preparations from the wild type strain and many different mutant strains have been analyzed. The major membrane proteins observed and their relationship to proteins described in the literature are discussed. The marked changes detected in a variety of mutant strains and under a variety of growth conditions are also discussed, either as to their specific meaning or as evidence of the effectiveness of the method. Solubilization artifacts concerning the proteins of the outer cell membrane are presented. The membrane fractions from two Escherichia coli strains have also been analyzed.
Two Late Roman Wrecks from Southern Cyprus

Two scattered Late Roman shipwrecks were discovered in the course of underwater survey at Cape Zevgari and Avdimou Bay off the southern coast of Cyprus. Each was transporting a primary cargo contained in amphoras, in one case either local or from nearby Syria or Cilicia, and the other certainly from the southern Levantine coast. The two wrecks offer insight into regional maritime exchange networks within the socio-economic context of late antique commerce around the island. Both sites also contribute to a greater understanding of the utility of systematic shallow-water survey to shipwreck archaeology. © 2007 The Author
The Solar Wind Interaction with Unmagnetized Planets: A Tutorial

The interaction of the solar wind with the Venus ionosphere induces currents which can substantially exclude the solar wind and IMF from the dayside ionosphere beneath the 'ionopause', where ionosphere thermal pressure equals incident solar wind dynamic pressure. The field then diffuses through the ionopause with increasing speed at decreasing altitudes, and is weakest in the subpolar region. Once within the ionopause, the magnetic field is redistributed by ionospheric convection, and then decays at low altitudes via collisional dissipation of the associated currents. The maximum ionospheric field magnitudes observed, of about 150 nT, furnish magnetic pressures exceeding the ionospheric thermal pressure by a factor of about 3.
Ultrasonic scattering in composites using spatial Fourier transform techniques

The heterogeneous nature of composite materials often makes their inspection using ultrasonics difficult unless the flaws are sufficiently large so that common B- or C- scans can be employed. Thus, flaw scattering models are essential in order to interpret the measured ultrasonic responses. However, even at low frequencies where the composite may be able to be replaced by an equivalent homogeneous, anisotropic material, conventional direct scattering methods such as the T-Matrix and Boundary Element techniques are not effective. This is because both methods rely on the superposition of exact solutions to the governing equations of elastodynamics and, except for very special anisotropics, such exact solutions are not available in closed form. One way around this difficulty is to pose the scattering problem in a spatial Fourier frequency domain where exact fundamental solutions for elastodynamics are available, even for general anisotropic materials (1). Employing these solutions in a conventional volume or surface integral equation for the scattering wavefields then yields a spatial frequency domain formulation to the direct scattering problem. Because the boundary conditions are given in the real spatial domain, it is necessary to iteratively satisfy these conditions via fast Fourier transforms (2). This approach is called the Spectral-Iteration Technique and has been applied successfully for a variety of electromagnetic scattering problems (3), (4). Here, we will obtain the equivalent elastic wave scattering formulations for cracks and volumetric flaws in a general anisotropic medium. Modifications of the standard Spectral-Iteration technique needed to ensure its convergence at low frequencies will also be discussed.
A potential pathophysiologic role for alpha 2 beta 1 integrin in human eye diseases involving vitreoretinal traction.

Cell-mediated contraction of tissues containing fibrillar collagens can lead to organ compromise and loss of function. The same process that is biologically advantageous during the contraction phase of wound healing can be subverted in diseases such as hepatic cirrhosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and scleroderma, although the cellular and molecular mechanism of matrix tissue contraction is difficult to study in such chronic diseases. However, certain human eye diseases that result in tractional detachment of the retina and loss of vision are characterized by acute cell-mediated contraction of collagenous tissue in the vitreous cavity. In this study, we demonstrate that human cells can contract vitreous, a complex biological gel containing type II collagen, in vitro. This cell-mediated contraction can be blocked by antibodies and peptides that antagonize the function of alpha 2 beta 1 integrin, and the potential for contraction can be conferred upon noncontracting cells by stable transfection of cells with alpha...
Experimental and computational investigation of microcrack behavior under combined environments in monocrystalline Si

An investigation of microindenter-induced crack evolution with independent variation of both temperature and relative humidity has been pursued in PV-grade Si wafers. Under static tensile strain conditions, an increase in subcritical crack elongation with increasing atmospheric water content was observed. To provide further insight into the potential physical and chemical conditions at the microcrack tip, micro-Raman measurements were performed. Preliminary results confirm a spatial variation in the frequency of the primary Si vibrational resonance within the cracktip region, associated with local stress state, whose magnitude is influenced by environmental conditions during the period of applied static strain. The experimental effort was paired with molecular dynamics (MD) investigations of microcrack evolution in single-crystal Si to furnish additional insight into mechanical contributions to crack elongation. The MD results demonstrate that crack-tip energetics and associated crack elongation velocity and morphology are intimately related to the crack and applied strain orientations with respect to the principal crystallographic axes. The resulting elastic strain energy release rate and the stress-strain response of the Si under these conditions form the basis for preliminary micro-scale peridynamics (PD) simulations of microcrack development under constant applied strain. These efforts will be integrated with the experimental results to further inform the mechanisms contributing to this important degradation mode in Si-based photovoltaics.
IMPACTS OF DROUGHT AND CRAYFISH INVASION ON STREAM ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

Drought and seasonal drying can be important disturbance events in many small streams, leading to intermittent or isolated habitats. Many small streams contain crayfish populations that are often keystone or dominant species in these systems. I conducted an experiment in stream mesocosms to examine the effects of drought and potential ecological redundancy of a native and invasive crayfish species. I examined the effects of drought (drought or control) and crayfish presence (none, native crayfish Orconectes eupunctus or invasive crayfish Orconectes neglectus) on stream mesocosm structure and function (leaf breakdown, community metabolism, periphyton, sediment and chironomid densities) in a fully factorial design. Each mesocosm contained a deep and shallow section, and drought treatments had surface water present (5-cm depth) in deep sections where tiles and leaf packs were placed. Drought and crayfish presence did not interact for any response variable. Drought significantly reduced leaf breakdown, and crayfish presence significantly increased leaf breakdown. However, the native and invasive crayfish species did not differ significantly in their effects on leaf breakdown. Drought significantly reduced primary production and community respiration overall, whereas crayfish presence did not significantly affect primary production and community respiration. Neither drought nor crayfish presence significantly affected periphyton overall. However, drought significantly reduced autotrophic index (AI), and crayfish presence increased AI. Inorganic sediment and chironomid density were not affected by drought, but both were significantly reduced by crayfish presence. O. eupunctus reduced AI and sediment more than O. neglectus did. Neither drought nor crayfish species significantly affected crayfish growth or survival. Drought can have strong effects on ecosystem function, but weaker effects on benthic structure. Crayfish can have strong effects on ecosystem structure and function regardless of drought. In stream mesocosms, native and invasive crayfish species appeared largely ecologically redundant, although subtle differences in crayfish effects could cascade throughout the food web, and further research is needed to address this question. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Separation of bovine Factor VIII-related antigen (platelet aggregating factor) from bovine antihemophilic factor.

SummaryIt was shown that in bovine plasma, factor VHI-related antigen can be separated from factor VIII coagulant activity by chromatography on QAE Sephadex. The suggestion is made that the factor in bovine plasma which aggregates human platelets and which aggregates washed bovine platelets in the presence of ristocetin is identical to the factor VIII-like antigen.
The ins and outs of fibronectin matrix assembly

Cell phenotype is specified by environmental cues embedded in the architecture and composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Much has been learned about matrix organization and assembly through analyses of the ECM protein fibronectin (FN). FN matrix assembly is a cell-mediated process in which soluble dimeric FN is converted into a fibrillar network. Binding of cell surface integrin receptors to FN converts it to an active form, which promotes fibril formation through interactions with other cell-associated FN dimers. As FN fibrils form on the outside of the cell, cytoplasmic domains of integrin receptors organize cytoplasmic proteins into functional complexes inside. Intracellular connections to the actin cytoskeletal network and stimulation of certain key intracellular signaling pathways are essential for FN-integrin interactions and propagation of FN fibril formation. Thus, assembly of native functional ECM depends on exquisite coordination between extracellular events and intracellular pathways.
Activator-dependent recruitment of SWI/SNF and INO80 during INO1 activation

Transcriptional activation of yeast INO1 requires SWI/SNF and INO80 for nucleosome disruption at the promoter. However, the cooperative interplay among remodelers and their recruitment dynamics in activation have thus far been vague. Here, we showed, using chromatin immunoprecipitation, that both SWI/SNF and INO80 are present at the promoter and are restricted to the promoter, indicating that they directly participate in localized INO1 chromatin remodeling. Furthermore, both SWI/SNF and INO80 are absent at the INO1 promoter in ino2Delta cells, suggesting that these are activator-dependent remodelers. We have also found that the presence of INO80 is required for SWI/SNF recruitment, indicating that INO80 arrives first at the promoter followed by SWI/SNF. In light of these findings, we proposed a model which describes the order of events in INO1 activation.
A Bayesian approach for quantification of model uncertainty

Abstract In most engineering problems, more than one model can be created to represent an engineering system's behavior. Uncertainty is inevitably involved in selecting the best model from among the models that are possible. Uncertainty in model selection cannot be ignored, especially when the differences between the predictions of competing models are significant. In this research, a methodology is proposed to quantify model uncertainty using measured differences between experimental data and model outcomes under a Bayesian statistical framework. The adjustment factor approach is used to propagate model uncertainty into prediction of a system response. A nonlinear vibration system is used to demonstrate the processes for implementing the adjustment factor approach. Finally, the methodology is applied on the engineering benefits of a laser peening process, and a confidence band for residual stresses is established to indicate the reliability of model prediction.
Hydrodynamic Flow Patterns as a Simple Aid to Effective Inductively Coupled Plasma Torch Design

In the past 5 years interest has soared in the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) as an excitation source for optical emission spectrochemical analysis. As a result, the ICP has rapidly made the transition from research laboratory to industrial application facility and the number of ICP users has grown correspondingly. This report describes a simple yet effective technique to aid users in constructing, modifying, and repairing the most important component in their ICP system—the plasma torch.