cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agonistic encounters in a cricket frog (Acris crepitans) chorus: Behavioral outcomes vary with local competition and within the breeding season

Male cricket frogs (Acris crepitans) gather in breeding choruses and call to attract females. The call also serves to maintain an individual's calling space. When an intruder invades a resident male's space, the resident will display one of three behavior patterns. He will either attack the intruder, abandon calling, or tolerate the intruder's presence and continue calling. We simulated an intruder by broadcasting a stimulus from a speaker and categorized the response of the resident male. We recorded social variables relevant to local competition among males, specifically, local caller density (within 2 m) and the amplitude of the nearest neighbor's calls. In addition we recorded the size of the subject, the amplitude of the stimulus, and the time of night and the season. We used a multivariate approach to assess the relative importance of t hese variables. Local caller density and nearest neighbor call amplitude were the best predictors of a resident's response to the intruder: higher levels of local competition resulted in more males tolerating the intruder. In addition, behavior changed over the season: males were more likely to abandon or ignore the intruder early in the season and more likely to attack later in the season. No other variables were related to the outcome of the agonistic encounter. This study suggests that the most important variables impinging on a male's decision to fight, flee, or ignore an intruder are influences external to the individuals involved in the conflict.
Computer experiments in finite algebra

A medium-scale programming system is written in MAD and FAP on the IBM 7094 to manipulate some of the objects of modern algebra: finite groups, maps and sets of maps, subsets and sets of subsets, constant integers and truth-values. Designed to operate in a time-sharing environment, the system can serve as a teacher's aid to the undergraduate student of modern algebra, as well as for the working scientist or engineer wishing to familiarize himself with the subject.
Specific-cue effects of interpolated movements on distance and location retention in short-term motor memory

A short-term motor retention paradigm was used to examine the effect of interpolated movements on the recall of individual distance- and location-cue information. Subjects were instructed to learn either a distance or a location cue during the execution of simple, discrete original movements. Interpolated movements were then made which varied and repeated distance and location either individually or jointly. Changes in variable, absolute, and algebraic error from immediate to delayed recall were totally determined by interpolation of the individual instructed cue. No added recall changes were produced by interpolation of noninstructed cues. The data were interpreted as supporting the presence of a stimulus-selection process that dissociates kinesthetic information as a function of instructional set. The effects of inter-poated movements, then, are determined partially by this selection process.
Role of Forage in Tomorrow's Dairy Cattle Feeding Programs1: Minimizing Cost of Forage in Tomorrow's Dairy Ration2

Abstract Changing technology and cost-price relationships will have an impact on forage production and feeding in the future. Increasing input costs, accompanied by prospects for moderate to no increases in milk prices in the years ahead, stress the need for minimizing cost of forages and other inputs. Cost-price relationships between areas often vary considerably, resulting in different economic choices of forage crops to grow and in the optimum combination of forage and grain to feed. The economic optimum in forage feeding will range from 40 to 70% of the total dry matter consumed. It is expected that higher prices for feed grain will encourage increased and more economical production of forage crops. The trend will be toward highly mechanized forage systems based on feeding of complete-feed silage. A most promising method of reducing cost is to increase both the yields and nutritive value of forage crops. Forage costs per cow can be reduced by $6 to $20 by increasing yields to more economical levels. On highly productive land in the Midwest, yields of 32,200 to 42,800kg/ha (18 to 24 ton/acre) of 32% DM corn silage and 20,600 to 26,600kg/ha (6.5 to 8.0 ton/acre) of 90% dry matter alfalfa hay are attainable and cost-reducing. Highly mechanized silage and haylage systems tend to improve quality and reduce labor inputs. The break-even point in costs between medium and highly mechanized systems is at 90 cows, with labor at $2 an hour, and 60 cows when labor costs $4 an hour.
Depositional Facies Mosaics and Their Time Lines in Lower Ordovician Carbonates of Central Appalachians: ABSTRACT

A comparative sedimentology and facies stratigraphy study of the Lower Ordovician carbonate of the central Appalachians (Beekmantown Group and equivalents) has been carried out. Our approach used subfacies (rock record of subenvironments) as the basic units of section measurement. We differentiated related sets of subfacies into larger facies units (rock record of environments). Facies were then correlated from section to section using fossils and lithostratigraphy to make a 3-dimensional facies mosaic. Within this mosaic, time lines were constructed using onlap-offlap tongues and cyclic sequences. These time lines cut across facies boundaries. Using this approach, we have established that the lower 600 m of the Lower Ordovician carbonate sequence is made up of 4 main fac es: (1) cyclic laminite facies composed of a package of shoaling-upward shelf lagoon-peritidal cycles, (2) thin-bedded grainstone facies deposited in a shelf lagoon, (3) Renalcis bioherm facies recording a shelf lagoon patch-reef environment, and (4) Epiphyton bioherm facies recording a shelf-edge reef system. The distribution of these facies along time lines across the strike of the central Appalachian is markedly zoned. Epiphyton bioherm facies dominate the eastern margin while cyclic laminite facies dominate the western margin, with thin-bedded grainstone and Renalcis bioherm facies making up the central belt. This zonation of facies is a typical shallow carbonate shelf system with fringing reefs along the eastern, seaward margin and tidal flats along the western, landward margin. Ver ical distribution of these facies across strike records 3 major sea level changes during deposition of the lower 600 m of this extensive Lower Ordovician carbonate shelf. End_of_Article - Last_Page 292------------
Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism in soils: Relationship to soil characteristics and preexposure

The fate of radiolabeled ([{sup 14}C]) phenanthrene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, and benzo[a]pyrene was examined in five soils, four of which had previous exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The soils and [{sup 14}]PAHs studied represent a range of characteristics (fraction of soil organic carbon [f{sub oc}] and PAH solubility) that can potentially impact contaminant fate. Fates of [{sup 14}C]PAHs examined in slurry microcosms included mineralization, production of water-soluble metabolites and their polarity, cellular incorporation, and the association of [{sup 14}C]PAHs with soils, all compared to an abiotic control. The soils all contained active heterotrophic communities and the contaminated soils had sizable populations of PAH-degrading microorganisms, measured by the [{sup 14}C]-most probable number assay. All [{sup 14}C]PAHs, except [{sup 14}C]benzo[a]pyrene, were readily mineralized in most of the preexposed soils, whereas in the uncontaminated soil, less than 5% of each [{sup 14}C]PAH was mineralized. In the adapted soils, mineralization, after 8 weeks of incubation, accounted for 30 to 60% of [{sup 14}C]phenanthrene, 10 to 55% of [{sup 14}C]pyrene, 5 to 40% of [{sup 14}C]benz[a]anthracene, 10 to 50% of [{sup 14}C]chrysene, and 2 to 9% of [{sup 14}C]benzo[a]pyrene added to the microcosms. Metabolite production and cellular incorporation usually accounted for less than 10%more » of the added [{sup 14}C]PAH. The fate of PAHs was usually not related to measurements of microbial community size, characteristics of the PAH (water solubility and K{sub ow}), and many characteristics of soils (soil f{sub oc} and PAH concentration). The fraction of silt and clay in the soils for each soil-PAH combination, however, was negatively related to the extent of added [{sup 14}C]PAH mineralized and the amount solvent extractable from the soil, and positively related to the amount of [{sup 14}C]PAH remaining in soils after extraction.« less
High-voltage pulse production using transformer-coupled LC vector inversion generators

The analysis, design, and operation of high-voltage, transformer-coupled LC vector inversion generators are presented and discussed. The transformer-coupled LC inversion generator is easy to construct and, compared with Marx-type generators and conventional LC vector inversion generators, requires only one inversion switch, independent of the number of voltage multiplication stages. The transformer-coupled LC generator, therefore, satisfies a niche area need for some high-voltage pulse applications. The primary factor that limits the performance of the transformer-coupled LC generator is magnetic saturation in the transformer core. This investigation develops theoretical scaling relationships for magnetic saturation in the transformer core and other performance-limiting factors. The results of transformer-coupled LC vector inversion generator numerical simulations are also compared with theoretical results.
Shear-wave polarization anisotropy in the Pacific Basin

Summary. Inversion of 295. Love- and Rayleigh-wave phase travel times across the Pacific Basin has yielded a structure which has a channel that is anisotropic with respect to the polarization of shear waves. The velocity of SHwaves is approximately 4.24 h/s, and the velocity of SY waves is approximately 4.10 km/s in the low-velocity channel. The lid to the channel is isotropic with respect to the polarization of S waves and the velocity is approximately 4.60 km/s. The lid to the low-velocity channel increases in thickness with lithospheric age at the expense of the channel, and its thickness is apparently still increasing at a sea-floor age of 150 Myr. These results can be explained in terms of a model with both randomlyand preferentially-oriented, liquid-filled cracks in the channel. In the model, it is assumed that the liquid-filled cracks are due to partial melting in the channel, and that any preferred orientation is caused by a shear-flow gradient resulting from differential motion between the lid and the deeper parts of the mantle.
Local Supersymmetry and Gravitation

We discuss a recently1,2,3 discovered Lagrangian field theory for gravitation, which is locally supersymmetric (“super-gravity”) and which uses normal four dimensional spacetime instead of superspace. The action contains the Einstein action and the minimally coupled spin 3/2 action together with a non-derivative four-fermion interaction of gravitational strength. When recast in a first order formalism with torsion, the action contains no four-fermion term but the spin 3/2 field is coupled in a non-minimal way.
Nonseptal right atrial aneurysm: case report and review of literature

An aneurysm of the portion of the right atrium classically referred to as the subeustachian sinus is reported in a 75-year-old man with cardiac amyloidosis, AL phenotype, related to underlying multiple myeloma. A review of literature confirms the rarity of nonseptal right atrial aneurysms and their propensity to involve the subeustachian area of the right atrium which may be an intrinsic area of weakness in the atrial wall. The coincident amyloidosis in our current case suggests that hemodynamic factors may have played a role in the development of the aneurysm.
Mass Spectrometry-based Expression Profiling of Clinical Prostate Cancer

The maturation of MS technologies has provided a rich opportunity to interrogate protein expression patterns in normal and disease states by applying expression protein profiling methods. Major goals of this research strategy include the identification of protein biomarkers that demarcate normal and disease populations, and the identification of therapeutic biomarkers for the treatment of diseases such as cancer (Celis, J. E., and Gromov, P. (2003) Proteomics in translational cancer research: Toward an integrated approach. Cancer Cell 3, 9-151). Prostate cancer is one disease that would greatly benefit from implementing MS-based expression profiling methods because of the need to stratify the disease based on molecular markers. In this review, we will summarize the current MS-based methods to identify and validate biomarkers in human prostate cancer. Lastly, we propose a reverse proteomic approach implementing a quantitative MS research strategy to identify and quantify biomarkers implicated in prostate cancer development. With this approach, the absolute levels of prostate cancer biomarkers will be identified and quantified in normal and diseased samples by measuring the levels of native peptide biomarkers in relation to a chemically identical but isotopically labeled reference peptide. Ultimately, a centralized prostate cancer peptide biomarker expression database could function as a repository for the identification, quantification, and validation of protein biomarker(s) during prostate cancer progression in men.
Efficient estimation of semiparametric multivariate copula models

We propose a sieve maximum likelihood estimation procedure for a broad class of semiparametric multivariate distributions. A joint distribution in this class is characterized by a parametric copula function evaluated at nonparametric marginal distributions. This class of distributions has gained popularity in diverse fields due to its flexibility in separately modeling the dependence structure and the marginal behaviors of a multivariate random variable, and its circumvention of the “curse of dimensionality” associated with purely nonparametric multivariate distributions. We show that the plug-in sieve maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) of all smooth functionals, including the finite-dimensional copula parameters and the unknown marginal distributions, are semiparametrically efficient, and that their asymptotic variances can be estimated consistently. Moreover, prior restrictions on the marginal distributions can be easily incorporated into the sieve maximum likelihood estimation procedure to achieve fu...
The Republican People’s Party and the 2007 General Elections: Politics of Perpetual Decline?

Abstract The founding party of modern Turkey continues to find it difficult to build electoral alliances and to appeal to an increasingly diversifying Turkish electorate. Although the party has maintained its electoral position in comparison to the 2002 general elections, the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AKP) has considerably increased its own vote share. While short term factors such as leadership can be cited for the electoral weakness of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), this essay speculatively concludes that it is perhaps unrealistic to expect the party to revise its ultra‐secularist and ultra‐nationalist outlook based upon a combination of a weak track record of consolidating ideological change and the existence of political capital that remains to be gained from maintaining a rigid stance towards issues of public debate.
Impaired K(+) homeostasis and altered electrophysiological properties of post-traumatic hippocampal glia

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be associated with memory impairment, cognitive deficits, or seizures, all of which can reflect altered hippocampal function. Whereas previous studies have focused on the involvement of neuronal loss in post-traumatic hippocampus, there has been relatively little understanding of changes in ionic homeostasis, failure of which can result in neuronal hyperexcitability and abnormal synchronization. Because glia play a crucial role in the homeostasis of the brain microenvironment, we investigated the effects of TBI on rat hippocampal glia. Using a fluid percussion injury (FPI) model and patch-clamp recordings from hippocampal slices, we have found impaired glial physiology 2 d after FPI. Electrophysiologically, we observed reduction in transient outward and inward K(+) currents. To assess the functional consequences of these glial changes, field potentials and extracellular K(+) activity were recorded in area CA3 during antidromic stimulation. An abnormal extracellular K(+) accumulation was observed in the post-traumatic hippocampal slices, accompanied by the appearance of CA3 afterdischarges. After pharmacological blockade of excitatory synapses and of K(+) inward currents, uninjured slices showed the same altered K(+) accumulation in the absence of abnormal neuronal activity. We suggest that TBI causes loss of K(+) conductance in hippocampal glia that results in the failure of glial K(+) homeostasis, which in turn promotes abnormal neuronal function. These findings provide a new potential mechanistic link between traumatic brain injury and subsequent development of disorders such as memory loss, cognitive decline, seizures, and epilepsy.
Optimal force distribution for the legs of a walking machine with friction cone constraints

The authors examine different methods of solving the force distribution problem for the limbs of a legged vehicle with friction cone constraints. A key concept in the proposed formulations is the use of pseudoinverses to provide a decomposition of the original problem in a form that is more amenable to optimization. The new formulations can be described as being either interior- or exterior-based methods. Geometrically, interior methods start a search in force space with a force that is inside the friction cone constraints but does not necessarily meet the required body forces and torques. Exterior methods start with forces that meet the required body forces and torques but may be outside the friction cone constraints. It is shown that exterior methods have the potential for providing better force command continuity when the solution from the previous control cycle is considered or, alternatively, these methods can be used to minimize the maximum friction cone angle over all the legs. >
Appraisal, coping, hardiness, and self-perceived health in community-dwelling spouse caregivers of persons with dementia.

Although researchers have suggested that hardiness is associated with improved outcomes in stressful situations, findings regarding its moderating effects have been mixed. Relationships among hardiness, appraisal, coping, self-perceived health, and other antecedent variables were examined in a convenience sample of 72 community-dwelling spouse caregivers for persons with dementia. In this descriptive correlational design, participants completed a mailed survey. Regression analyses were used to detect main and moderating effects. Antecedent variables predicted 27% of the variance in caregiver appraisal, 23% of the variance in emotion-focused coping, and 22% of the variance in self-perceived health. In addition to its significant main effects, hardiness functioned as a significant moderator between the set of antecedent variables and caregiver appraisal. More research is needed to support the presence of main and moderating effects of hardiness in dementia caregivers.
Conformational selection of translation initiation factor 3 signals proper substrate selection

Translation initiation factor 3 (IF3) regulates the fidelity with which the initiator tRNA and mRNA start codon substrates are selected into the 30S ribosomal subunit initiator complex (30S IC). Single-molecule FRET analyses now suggest the existence of a conformational selection mechanism by which a single conformation of IF3 is stabilized through proper substrate selection.
Law and Order: Street Crime, Civil Unrest, and the Crisis of Liberalism in the 1960s – Michael W. Flamm

The 1960s! Since they ended, numerous journalists and scholars have offered their interpretations of how conflict shaped the decade and affected Americans’ lives. In this recent work, the author ad...
Halogenation Strategies In Natural Product Biosynthesis

Halogenation is a frequent modification of secondary metabolites and can play a significant role in establishing the bioactivity of a compound. Enzymatic halogenation through oxidative mechanisms is the most common route to these metabolites, though direct halogenation via halide anion incorporation is also known to proceed through both enzymatic and nonenzymatic pathways. In this article, we review the current state of knowledge regarding the mechanisms of these transformations, highlight applications of this knowledge, and propose future opportunities and challenges for the field.
How can prognostic and predictive factors in breast cancer be used in a practical way today

How prognostic and predictive factors might be used in breast cancer is intimately connected to the discussion of the treatment options available to patients today. Adjuvant therapy is only worthwhile if the improvement in outlook is great enough to more than balance the cost and toxicity of therapy. The questions to be addressed are not only whether adjuvant therapy should be given at all, but also which therapy. For example, would the incremental advantages of a given additional therapy justify its use. Basic adjuvant choices for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and -negative patients are illustrated in Fig. 1.
The Process and Partnerships Behind Insight Policing

Between 2012 and 2014, civilian conflict analysis and resolution researchers partnered with two American police departments to develop and pilot Insight Policing, a community-based, problem-solving...
Searching for diamonds in the apomictic rough: a case study involving Boechera lignifera (Brassicaceae)

Abstract The genus Boechera is one of the most difficult species complexes in North America, with about 70 sexual diploids and hundreds of apomictic taxa representing diverse combinations of nearly every known sexual genome. In this study, we set out to clarify the taxonomy of Boechera lignifera, which currently includes a small number of sexual diploid populations in addition to the widespread apomictic diploid upon which the name is based. Using data from cytological studies, microsatellite DNA analyses, geography, and morphology, we demonstrate that the apomictic populations are genetically quite divergent from the sexual diploids. We propose the name Boechera kelseyana to accommodate the sexual diploid taxon, which occurs entirely south of the geographic range of B. lignifera. Boechera kelseyana is consistently separable from B. lignifera based on pollen and seed morphology, the length and proximal orientation of fruiting pedicels, differences in the branching and orientation of trichomes on the lower...
Microcrystalline diamond cylindrical resonators with quality-factor up to 0.5 million

We demonstrate high quality-factor 1.5 mm diameter batch-fabricated microcrystalline diamond cylindrical resonators (CR) with quality-factors limited by thermoelastic damping (TED) and surface loss. Resonators were fabricated 2.6 and 5.3 μm thick in-situ boron-doped microcrystalline diamond films deposited using hot filament chemical vapor deposition. The quality-factor (Q) of as-fabricated CR's was found to increase with the resonator diameter and diamond thickness. Annealing the CRs at 700 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere led to a three-fold increase in Q, a result we attribute to thinning of the diamond layer via reaction with residual O2 in the annealing furnace. Post-anneal Q exceeding 0.5 million (528 000) was measured at the 19 kHz elliptical wineglass modes, producing a ring-down time of 8.9 s. A model for Q versus diamond thickness and resonance frequency is developed including the effects of TED and surface loss. Measured quality factors are shown to agree with the predictions of this model.
Lagoon Itineraries: Lagos in the 19th Century Bight of Benin

Stretching along four hundred miles of coastline in West Africa, the Bight of Benin consists of a series of interlocking lagoons, rivers, and land routes that link cities including Lagos, Ouidah, and Badagry. Lagos, settled on an island located at a major junction of these routes, was the only natural harbor in the Bight. This paper explores the linked histories of these cities, examining regional activities centered on and channeled through Lagos between the 1820s and 1870s, by analyzing how the routes that women and men living, trading, visiting, fighting and proselytizing on the Bight were both shaped and challenged by their environment. By questioning the points of intersection of power and place, this paper will examine the ways that regional actors redefined the Bight in new political, economic and cultural terms, using Lagos as a focal point for their activities. Drawing upon missionary journals, newspapers, colonial surveys, maps and government correspondence, my research examines the critical role of spatial configuration in the development of urban centers in the Bight, arguing that the interconnections of lagoon and land routes created and constrained opportunities, crossing boundaries ordinarily assumed to hinge on the distributions of ethnicities, kingdoms and colonies.
Self-biased Dual-phase Energy Harvesting System

In this study, we report the design and fabrication of a dual-phase energy harvester which can synchronously harvest both mechanical and magnetic energy in the absence of DC magnetic field. The harvester consists of a magnetostrictive cantilever beam and a magnetostrictive/ piezoelectric (M/P) self-biased laminate composite structure. This structure allows us to utilize piezoelectric and self-biased magnetoelectric effect simultaneously. By combining these mechanisms together, a sum effect for harvesting both magnetic and vibration energy was realized under DC magnetic field free condition. The bilayer structure provides a simplified geometry that can be easily incorporated into MEMS devices. We demonstrate a hybrid synthesis method for fabrication of complex three-dimensional thin films using a cost-effective and mask-less aerosol jet deposition process. The combination of the hybrid aerosol jet process with dual phase harvester design provides the opportunity to fabricate small scale power sources required for structural health monitoring applications.
Modernity, Pluralism, and Catholicism

Over the past century and a quarter, the Catholic Church has passed through four phases in its response to modernity: rejection; the search for a modus vivendi; accommodation; and a critique of modernity from within. The net result of this development has been the recovery of the Church’s understanding of itself as an evangelical or missionary enterprise.
Genotyping Study on 294 Strains of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Jilin Province with VNTR

Objective To make a preliminary study on the distribution characteristics of the genotyping in 294 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Jilin Province by using variable number tandem repeat(VNTR). Methods Initially 13 better-performed VNTR gene sites were selected,using polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis,and BioNumerics(Version3.0) software was used to process the data.The Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA polymorphism fingerprinting methods were established and the resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA polymorphism was analyzed. Results Thirteen out of total 294 Mycobacterium tuberculosis VNTR sites were detected.Based on these strains' polymorphism of the fingerprints,they were divided into 13 main types,most of which belonged to Type I,accounting for 81.6%(240/294),and the other strains were interspersed,including Type II(2.1%,6/294) and Type III(1.7%,5/294). Conclusions The analysis shows that the type I genotype is the main epidemic strain in Jilin Province and the monitoring and research of the epidemic strain should be strengthened.
Building a Civil Engineering Structural Experimental Teaching Pattern of Local College

In order to deepen teaching reform,this article studied the local college professional teaching pattern of civil engineering experiment,pointed out that we should build a professional,application and open type experimental teaching system to promote comprehensive quality education.
Regulation of PXR and CAR by protein-protein interaction and signaling crosstalk

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Protein-protein interaction and signaling crosstalk contribute to the regulation of pregnane X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and broaden their cellular function.Area covered: This review covers key historic discoveries and recent advances in our understanding of the broad function of PXR and CAR and their regulation by protein-protein interaction and signaling crosstalk.Expert opinion: PXR and CAR were first discovered as xenobiotic receptors; however, it is clear that PXR and CAR perform a much broader range of cellular functions through protein-protein interaction and signaling crosstalk, which typically mutually affect the function of all the partners involved. Future research on PXR and CAR should, therefore, look beyond their xenobiotic function.
Psychomotor Testing for Orthopedic Residency Applicants: A Pilot Study.

Objective The purpose of this study was to develop an objective motor skills testing system to aid in the evaluation of potential orthopedic residents. Design Participants attempted a battery of 5 motor skills tests (4 novel tests and the Grooved Pegboard [GPT] Test) in one 10-minute session. A percentile-based scoring system was created for each test based on raw scores. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare testing scores among 3 cohorts. Each novel test and overall scores were compared with GPT scores as a relative measure of validity. Setting The 2015 orthopedic surgery residency interview season at an academic institution. Participants Thirty orthopedic residents and 72 nonresidents (15 community volunteers and 57 orthopedic surgery residency applicants). Results Overall, residents performed better than nonresidents (p r = 0.63), screw and nut test ( r = 0.40), and mimic a structure test ( r = 0.26). The fracture reduction test and drilling test scores did not correlate to performance on the GPT. Conclusions Psychomotor testing for surgical applicants is an area in need of study. This investigation successfully piloted a novel battery of tests, which is easily reproducible and thus may be feasible for use in the orthopedic surgery residency interview setting. Longitudinal evaluation is required to explore correlation with future operative skill.
Autotuning Batch Cholesky Factorization in CUDA with Interleaved Layout of Matrices

Batch matrix operations address the case of solving the same linear algebra problem for a very large number of very small matrices. In this paper, we focus on implementing the batch Cholesky factorization in CUDA, in single precision arithmetic, for NVIDIA GPUs. Specifically, we look into the benefits of using noncanonical data layouts, where consecutive memory locations store elements with the same row and column index in a set of consecutive matrices. We discuss a number of different implementation options and tuning parameters. We demonstrate superior performance to traditional implementations for the case of very small matrices.
Preliminary investigation of bioadvantaged polymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-derived polymers for asphalt modification

Due to recent volatility in the petroleum market, the possibility of using sustainable alternative materials as substitutes has gained great interest and viability. The purpose of this research is fourfold: to demonstrate how bioadvantaged polymers are produced using non-food soybean oil and showcase their economic and environmental value; to evaluate how they perform rheologically in asphalt against commonly used petroleum-derived polymers; to optimize the formulation of the bioadvantaged polymer for warm climate regions pavement applications based on the grading results, and to verify the modification effects of optimized bioadvantaged polymer by running performance grade tests. The study on economic and environmental implications demonstrated that poly(styrene-acrylated epoxidized soybean oil) (PS-PAESO) is more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and safer to produce than styrene-butadiene (SB) polymer. The commercially produced petroleum-derived SB diblock polymer was used for comparison, while the laboratory produced bioadvantaged polymers were targeted at 1.25 MDa molecular weight of PS-PAESO diblock copolymers that consist of PAESO with various polystyrene (PS) molecular weights and contents. The effectiveness and rheological performance of the polymer modified asphalt binders were evaluated through binder investigations. Rheology test results indicated that the bioadvantaged polymers improved the stiffness, elasticity, and rutting resistance of the neat asphalt binder. Best-fit prediction models were developed through response surface modeling to optimize the PS-PAESO formulation in terms of PS content and molecular weight and the models were verified to be highly accurate based on the grading results. It was found that lower polystyrene content in PS-PAESO polymer could be beneficial in the improvement of critical high temperatures.
Remote-Control Caching: Proxy-based URL Rewriting to Decrease Mobile Browsing Bandwidth

Mobile browsers suffer from unnecessary cache misses. The same binary object is often named by multiple URLs which correspond to different cache keys. Furthermore, servers frequently mark objects as uncacheable, even though the objects' content is stable over time. In this paper, we quantify the excess network traffic that mobile devices generate due to inefficient caching logic. We demonstrate that mobile page loads suffer from more redundant transfers than reported by prior studies which focused on desktop page loads. We then propose a new scheme, called Remote-Control Caching (RC2), in which web proxies (owned by mobile carriers or device manufacturers) track the aliasing relationships between the objects that a client has fetched, and the URLs that were used to fetch those objects. Leveraging knowledge of those aliases, a proxy dynamically rewrites the URLs inside of pages, allowing the client's local browser cache to satisfy a larger fraction of requests. Using a concrete implementation of RC2, we show that, for two loads of a page separated by 8 hours, RC2 reduces bandwidth consumption by a median of 52%. As a result, mobile browsers can save a median of 469 KB per warm-cache page load.
Modeling and control of sigma converter for 48V voltage regulator application

For the new-generation of server voltage regulators modules (VRMs), companies are employing the use of 48V bus to improve system efficiency and to reduce the cost of datacenters. For 48V to 1V VRM, a quasi-parallel topology, the sigma converter, is shown to have 93.4% maximum efficiency and 420W/in3 power-density. In order to design the sigma converter to meet the VRM requirements, the large-signal performance as well as the small-signal behavior of the converter must be studied. In this paper, the small-signal model is examined, a voltage-mode control design is provided, and hardware measurements are presented.
Advances in the Theory of Gas-Cell Atomic Frequency Standards

In general terms the operating principle of the optically pumped gas-cell atomic clock can be described quite simply: an optical field polarizes an atomic ensemble by optical pumping, and additionally monitors the degree of polarization that is attained; simultaneously, the atomic ensemble interacts with a microwave field, which reduces the degree of polarization in the atomic ensemble when the microwave field’s frequency matches an appropriate atomic transition frequency. Specifically, the polarization corresponds to hyperfine polarization in the ground state of an alkali metal vapor (monitored by the level of optical transmission through the vapor, which is confined inside a microwave cavity), and the microwave field is resonant with the alkali’s 0–0 hyperfine transition frequency. Since the measured atomic line Q in this case is quite high (~ 107), the optically detected change in polarization can be used to discriminate against very small microwave field frequency changes, and recent results have shown that stabilities of one part in 1014 can be realized with this device [1]. However, behind this general simplicity is a high degree of complexity, so much so that until recently not even the shot noise limited performance of the device could be theoretically determined with accuracy.
Measuring the Aesthetics of Reading

Aesthetic considerations are as important as usability for human-computer interactions, but techniques for measuring aesthetics have been elusive. In this paper, we use the domain of reading to develop new measures of aesthetics. These measures could be applied to any domain. Reading is arguably the most ubiquitous task that people perform on computers. To date, reading research has focused on reader performance, which is typically measured by reading speed and comprehension. But many typographic improvements that make a more beautiful document show little to no measurable difference on traditional performance tasks. We conducted six studies that found two measures that successfully detect aesthetic differences: improved performance on creative cognitive tasks after text is optimized, and reduced activation in the corrugator muscle that is associated with frowning.
Sleepiness as Measured by Modified Multiple Sleep Latency Testing Varies as a Function of Preceding Activity

Many studies have examined the impact of varying levels of sleep loss or sleep disturbance upon the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). Virtually no studies have examined the impact of level of physiologic arousal upon measured sleep tendency. In the current study, 12 normal-sleeping young adults took modified multiple sleep latency tests after either watching television for 15 minutes or after a 5-minute walk. This entire protocol was repeated on another week after subjects had been partially sleep deprived by reducing their time in bed by 50%. It was hypothesized that sleep latencies would be significantly shorter after watching television as compared to walking and after partial sleep loss as compared to normal sleep and that these effects would be independent. The results of the study supported all of these hypotheses. ANOVAs showed no significant interaction effects, but sleep latencies were 11.6 and 5.8 minutes following the walk and watching television respectively. Sleep latencies were 9.8 and 7.6 minutes following baseline and partial sleep-deprivation conditions. Heart rate, used as a measure of physiological arousal, was significantly elevated throughout naps following the walk as compared to naps following television viewing. On a theoretical level, these data imply that measured sleepiness is a combination of sleep drive and physiological arousal, and these effects appear to be independent. On a practical level, these data indicate that more care may be necessary in monitoring the activity levels of patients and subjects prior to MSLT evaluations, since physiological arousal may mask the measurement of sleep tendency. Knowledge of the role of arousal in modulating sleepiness can be important in many settings.
Health‐related quality of life and long‐term outcomes after endoscopic therapy for walled‐off pancreatic necrosis

BACKGROUND AND AIM Walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON) frequently develops after necrotizing pancreatitis. Endoscopic drainage has become the preferred modality for symptomatic or infected WON. The aim of the present study was to assess health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing endoscopic drainage for WON. METHODS Patients undergoing endoscopic drainage of WON from January 2006 to May 2016 were identified. Data recorded included demographic information, and the incidence of long-term sequelae including pancreatic endocrine and exocrine insufficiency. Attempts were made to contact all patients. HR-QOL was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. RESULTS Eighty patients were analyzed, 41 (51.3%) of whom completed the SF-36. One-year all-cause mortality was 6.2%, and disease-related mortality was 3.7%. A notable proportion of patients developed exocrine insufficiency (32.5%), endocrine insufficiency (27.7%), and long-term opiate use (42.5%). Development of exocrine insufficiency was predictive of lower total SF-36 scores (P = 0.016). Patients with WON had better HR-QOL compared with cohorts of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In patients developing exocrine insufficiency versus healthy controls, poorer scores in the physical role (P < 0.001), general health (P < 0.001), vitality (P = 0.001), and emotional role (P = 0.029) domains were observed. Exocrine insufficiency patients had better HR-QOL than the IBS and IBD cohorts, although these differences were less pronounced. CONCLUSION After undergoing endoscopic drainage for WON, patients have relatively preserved HR-QOL. The subset of patients that develop exocrine insufficiency have significantly poorer HR-QOL compared to healthy controls, although not to the degree of chronic gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS and IBD.
Five-Fold Variation Among Surgeons and Hospitals in the Use of Secondary Palate Surgery.

Objective:To identify child-, surgeon- and hospital-specific factors at the time of primary cleft palate repair that are associated with the use of secondary palate surgery.Design:Retrospective coh...
Nitrogen Gas Fixation and Conversion to Ammonium Using Microbial Electrolysis Cells

Ammonia (NH3) is an important industrial chemical that is produced using the energy- and carbon-intensive Haber-Bosch process. Recovering NH3 from microorganisms that fix nitrogen gas (N2) may prov...
Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis: A comprehensive review

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are monoclonal antibodies that target down-regulators of the anti-cancer immune response: Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4, programmed cell death protein-1, and its ligand programmed death-ligand 1. ICIs have revolutionized the treatment of a variety of malignancies. However, many immune-related adverse events have also been described which mainly occurs as the immune system becomes less suppressed, affecting various organs including the gastrointestinal tract and causing diarrhea and colitis. The incidence of immune-mediated colitis (IMC) ranges from 1%-25% depending on the type of ICI and if used in combination. Endoscopically and histologically there is a significant overlap between IMC and inflammatory bowel disease, however more neutrophilic inflammation without chronic inflammation is usually present in IMC. Corticosteroids are recommended for grade 2 or more severe colitis while holding the immunotherapy. About one third to two thirds of patients are steroid refractory and benefit from infliximab. Recently vedolizumab has been found to be efficacious in steroid and infliximab refractory cases. While in grade 4 colitis, the immunotherapy is permanently discontinued, the decision is controversial in grade 3 colitis.
The Effect of Treated Beef Liver on Blowfly Colonization

Commonly known as the predominant insects responsible for the decomposition of human remains, blowfly larvae are of medical importance to forensic and medical entomologists. In order to perform an entomological survey about the effects on blowfly colonization time and delay composition, the use of treated and untreated beef liver were expended to attract blowflies. On April 14th, 2017 at 11:30am, six mason jars with sand, 3 containing beef liver soaked in vinegar and 3 containing untreated beef liver, were set up 1 meter away from each other in a secluded area of the woods. Protected from stray animals or scavengers, the jars were left undisturbed for five days for specimen collection and then, were extracted, killed, and ready to be identified. Out of the six mason jars, two of the three treated beef liver had higher amounts of blowfly specimens collected compared to treated jars. Based on the obtained results, the hypothesis was proven wrong and the beef liver treated with vinegar actually sped up the colonization of blowflies. However, it was suspected that several variables could have skewed the results such as the weather or placement of the mason jars. We see this through the lack of larvae in one of the treated jars, the variation of beef liver texture, and the location of maggots found within the mason jars. Although some specimens were unidentifiable due to the size of instar maggots, the most prevalent larvae collected was Lucilia coeruleiviridis. Overall, the results of this entomological survey displayed the different species of blowflies in the Bryan/College Station area specifically during the spring semester as well as showcased the effect of treated or untreated meat source on the collection of blowflies.
Simplified Optimal Trajectory Control for 1 MHz LLC Converter with Wide Input Voltage Range

48 V bus converter is widely used in telecom and networks power architecture. This paper presents LLC converter as single stage solution for isolated and regulated bus converter, and addresses the control challenges for this converter. In this paper, Simplified Optimal Trajectory Control (SOTC) is used to control 1 MHz LLC converter with input voltage range 40 V:60 V and frequency range 0.8 MHz: 1.8 MHz. Digital implementation of 2-step SOTC is proposed for the high frequency LLC using a low-speed microcontroller. SOTC can achieve optimum transient response for an LLC operating at resonant frequency but has limited impact at wide gain range. A feedforward compensation is proposed in conjunction with SOTC to achieve optimum transient response at wide input voltage range. Moreover, soft-start-up with adaptive switching frequency is proposed to achieve start-up under limited current stress over the whole input voltage range. Experimental results are demonstrated on a 1 MHz LLC 48 V bus converter using 90MHz TMS320F28069 piccolo MCU.
Abstract 415: Electrical Stimulation of Pediatric Cardiac-derived c-kit+ Progenitor Cells Improves Retention and Cardiac Function in Right Ventricular Heart Failure

Nearly 1% of babies born in the US will be diagnosed with a congenital heart defect (CHD). While surgical therapy has improved survival, many of these children go on to develop right ventricular he...
Proinflammatory Mediators, IL (Interleukin)-1β, TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) α, and Thrombin Directly Induce Capillary Tube Regression.

Objective: In this work, we examine the molecular basis for capillary tube regression and identify key proregressive factors, signaling pathways, and pharmacological antagonists of this process. Ap...
Chapter 5 – Notch Fatigue

Publisher Summary A notch in a component can be considered to be a defect, since it produces a local stress concentration or stress raiser that can ultimately be the location of a high-cycle fatigue (HCF) failure. In notch fatigue, the primary aim is to be able to predict the fatigue behavior of a material or component with a stress concentration from smooth bar data. Thus, it is important to understand the effect of a notch on the endurance limits (FLS) and to be able to predict the strength without having to conduct extensive experiments for each notch geometry. An alternate reason for understanding and modeling notch behavior is that it represents a condition where there are stress gradients in going from maximum stress at the notch root to lower stress at locations beneath the notch. Stress gradients also arise in fretting fatigue. To be able to predict the effect of the discontinuity or damage to stresses induced by vibratory HCF loading, requires an understanding of notch effects in fatigue. This chapter presents an overview of notch fatigue as related, primarily, to the fatigue limit or threshold for crack propagation.