cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ad Libitum or Twice Daily Feeding of Acidified Milk Replacer to Calves Housed Individually in Warm and Cold Environments

Abstract Forty-two Holstein calves were assigned randomly to treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of two milk replacer feeding systems (ad libitum vs. twice daily feeding of cold acidified milk replacer) and two housing types (warm vs. cold). The objectives were to compare the cold ad libitum system with a twice daily regimen and to evaluate its use under two housing types. For wk 1 to 5, calves fed ad libitum consumed more dry milk replacer (.86 vs. .65 kg/d), less calf starter (.07 vs. .15 kg/d), and less free choice water (.50 vs. 1.29 kg/d) than calves fed twice daily. Gains for ad libitum vs. twice daily were not different, but were significantly higher for cold than warm housing possibly due to respiratory problems in the barn. Calves did not increase consumption of replacer in response to cold housing. For wk 6 to 8, no differences in intake were observed, but daily gains were higher for calves in warm housing (.74 vs. .49kg). There were no differences in weights or daily gain at 24, 36, or 52 wk of age. Plasma glucose was higher for calves fed ad libitum (127.1 vs. 110.6 mg/dl). All calves showed two distinct plasma glucose peaks during a day, indicating that calves fed ad libitum may consume two meals per day instead of small frequent meals. Ad libitum feeding of acidified replacer did not result in improved growth despite higher replacer intakes. There were no differences in response to ad libitum feeding in warm or cold housing.
2012 Great Plains drought not caused by climate change

From May to July 2012, the Great Plains region of the western United States faced a powerful and unpredicted drought. Following 7 months of normal rainfall, the drought was one of the largest deviations from seasonal precipitation rates seen in the region since observations began in 1895. When such extreme events take place today against the backdrop of ongoing global climate change, they raise questions about the relationship between climate change and natural disasters.
Analysis of low-altitude wind speed and direction shears

Horizontal wind profile measurements recorded at the NASA 150-Meter Ground Winds Tower Facility at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., are analyzed to evaluate wind shears known to be hazardous to the ascent and descent of conventional aircraft and the Space Shuttle. Twenty 5-s intervals of high (between 10 and 18 m/s) and gale force (18 to 33 m/s) surface winds provided instantaneous recordings every 0.1 s per speed, direction, and tower level from 3-150 m. Mathematical (maximum, mean, standard deviation) and graphical (percentage frequency distribution) descriptions of absolute, positive, and negative speed and direction shears with altitude (six vertical layers) and along flight path (one horizontal distance) are presented as functions of the intensity categories and significant values.
Internet peer support for individuals with psychiatric disabilities: A randomized controlled trial

Despite the prevalence of Internet support groups for individuals with mental illnesses little is known about the potential benefits, or harm, of participating in such groups. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial sought to determine the impact of unmoderated, unstructured Internet peer support, similar to what is naturally occurring on the Internet, on the well-being of individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Three hundred individuals resident in the USA diagnosed with a Schizophrenia Spectrum or an Affective Disorder were randomized into one of three conditions: experimental Internet peer support via a listserv, experimental Internet peer support via a bulletin board, or a control condition. Three measurement time points, baseline, 4- and 12 months post-baseline, assessed well-being by examining measures of recovery, quality of life, empowerment, social support, and distress. Time × group interactions in the repeated measures ANOVA showed no differences between conditions on the main outcomes. Post-hoc repeated measures ANOVAs found that those individuals who participated more in Internet peer support reported higher levels of distress than those with less or no participation (p = 0.03). Those who reported more positive experiences with the Internet peer support group also reported higher levels of psychological distress than those reporting less positive experiences (p = 0.01). Study results therefore do not support the hypothesis that participation in an unmoderated, unstructured Internet listserv or bulletin board peer support group for individuals with psychiatric disabilities enhances well-being. Counterintuitive findings demonstrating those who report more positive experiences also experienced higher levels of distress are discussed but we also point to the need for additional research. Future research should explore the various structures, formats, and interventions of Internet support, as well as the content and quality of interactions. Knowledge generated from such research can help to inform policies and guidelines for safely navigating online resources and supports to gain maximum benefit.
A Portable Wireless Particulate Sensor System for Continuous Real-Time Environmental Monitoring

Airborne particulate matter has been shown to be associated with morbidity and mortality, and may interfere with certain sensitive experiments. Understanding the levels and movements of particulate matter in an enclosed space can lead to a reduction in the impact of this material on health and experimental results. A system of environmental sensors including particulate matter, selected gases, humidity, temperature, and pressure can be used to assist in tracking air movement, providing real-time mapping of potential contaminants as they move through a space. In this paper we present a system that is capable of sensing these environmental factors, collecting data from multiple dispersed nodes and presenting the aggregated information in real-time. The highly modular system is based on a flexible and scalable framework developed for use in aircraft cabin environments. Use of this framework enables the deployment of a custom suite of sensors with minimal development effort. Individual nodes communicate using a self-organizing mesh network and can be powered from a variety of sources, bringing a high level of flexibility in the arrangement and distribution of the sensor array. Sensor data is transmitted to a coordinator node, which then passes the time-correlated information to a server-hosted database through a choice of wired or wireless networks. Presentation software is used to either monitor the real-time data stream, or to extract records of interest from the database. A reference implementation has been created for the National Institutes of Health consisting of a custom optical particle counter and off-the-shelf sensors for CO2, CO, temperature, humidity, pressure, and acoustic noise. The total environmental sensing system provides continuous, real-time data in a readable format that can be used to analyze ambient air for events of interest.
Educational expert systems for computer-aided design of control systems

The issues underlying the development of an educational computer-aided design (CAD) expert system for controller design and digital circuit design are discussed. The research is based on an analysis of the specific system design process. Background and historical information concerning CAD is given. An overview of the generic issues, problem decomposition, design characteristics, and specific artificial intelligence techniques in the implementation of an expert system is presented, with emphasis on the development of TOTAL-EASE, an expert system for control engineering, and on a digital integrated circuit design associate. An evaluation of the system using a series of test problems and a questionnaire process indicates positive user satisfaction. >
The role of phonological alternation in speech production: evidence from Mandarin tone sandhi

We investigate the role of phonological alternation during speech production in Mandarin using implicit priming, a paradigm in which participants respond faster to words in sets that are phonologically homogeneous than in sets that are phonologically heterogeneous. We test whether priming is obtained when words in a set share the same tones at the underlying level but have different tones at the surface level-i.e., when the set includes a word that undergoes a phonological alternation which changes the tone. Sets that are heterogeneous at the surface level (in which the heterogeneity is due to a phonological operation) failed to elicit priming, as did sets that are heterogeneous at the underlying and surface levels (in which the heterogeneity is due to the lexical representations). This finding suggests that the phonological alternation was computed before the initiation of articulation, offering evidence that the progression from underlying phonological representations to articulatory execution may be mediated online by phonological input-to-output mapping. Furthermore, sets of words that are heterogeneous only at the surface level showed a different trend than sets of words that are heterogeneous at both levels, suggesting that both the surface and underlying levels of representation play a role during speech production.
A critique of social capital.

This article critiques the concepts of communitarianism and social capital as used in the United States and in Europe. For the United States, the author focuses on Robert Putnam's understanding of both concepts, showing that the apolitical analysis of the Progressive Era, of the progressive developments in Northern Italy, and of the situation of labor unions in the United States is not only insufficient but wrong. The critique also includes the difference between U.S. communitarianism and its European versions, Christian democracy and New Labour, and the limitations of both approaches. The uses and misuses of these concepts in the political debate are discussed.
A high-average-power all-solid-state, single-frequency Ti:sapphire laser

Summary form only given. We report on the development of an all-solid-state, single-frequency, gain switched Ti:sapphire laser. The system was pumped by a diode-laser-pumped, frequency-doubled high-repetition-rate Nd:LiYF/sub 4/ laser. For 20 W of diode pump power, this laser delivered up to 2.5 W of 523-nm output at minimum repetition rates of 6 kHz.
Tethered Molecular Sorbents: Enabling Metal‐Sulfur Battery Cathodes

A rechargeable battery that uses sulfur at the cathode and a metal (e.g., Li, Na, Mg, or Al) at the anode provides perhaps the most promising path to a solid-state, rechargeable electrochemical storage device capable of high charge storage capacity. It is understood that solubilization in the electrolyte and loss of sulfur in the form of long-chain lithium polysulfides (Li2Sx, 2 < x < 8) has hindered development of the most studied of these devices, the rechargeable Li-S battery. Beginning with density-functional calculations of the structure and interactions of a generic lithium polysulfide species with nitrile containing molecules, it is shown that it is possible to design nitrile-rich molecular sorbents that anchor to other components in a sulfur cathode and which exert high-enough binding affinity to Li2Sx to limit its loss to the electrolyte. It is found that sorbents based on amines and imidazolium chloride present barriers to dissolution of long-chain Li2Sx and that introduction of as little as 2 wt% of these molecules to a physical sulfur-carbon blend leads to Li-S battery cathodes that exhibit stable long-term cycling behaviors at high and low charge/discharge rates.
Neurologic Presentations of Hepatic Disease

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome that develops in the context of portosystemic venous shunting, in the presence or absence of intrinsic hepatic disease. HE is clinically characterized by altered sensorium and a spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of altered brain function associated with advanced hepatic disease and portosystemic shunting. HE may lead to profound coma and death; however, in many cases it is reversible. This article discusses the most recent developments in understanding the pathophysiology of HE and its diagnosis and management.
THERMOPHORESIS OF PARTICLES IN A HEATED BOUNDARY LAYER

A laser-Doppler velocimeter (LDV) study of velocity profiles in the laminar boundary layer adjacent to a heated flat plate revealed that the seed particles used for the LDV measurements were driven away from the plate surface by thermophoretic forces, causing a particle-free region within the boundary layer of approximately one half the boundary-layer thickness. Measurements of the thickness of this region were compared with particle trajectories calculated according to several theories for the thermophoretic force. It was found that the theory of Brock, with an improved value for the thermal slip coefficient, gave the best agreement with experiment for low Knudsen numbers, λ/R = O(10−1), where λ is the mean free path and R the particle radius.Data obtained by other experimenters over a wider range of Knudsen numbers are compared, and a fitting formula for the thermophoretic force useful over the entire range 0 [les ] λ/R [les ] ∞ is proposed which agrees within 20% or less with the majority of the available data.
Dynamics of lateral interaction networks

It is pointed out that recurrent lateral connectivity in a layer of processing units gives rise to a rich variety of nonlinear response properties, such as overall gain control, emergent periodic response on a preferred spatial scale (collective excitations), and distributed winner-take-all response. This diversity of response properties is observed in several different classes of simple network architectures, including the additive linear network, the additive sigmoidal network, and the nonlinear shunting network. When Hebbian learning is coupled with network dynamics, these models have been shown to support the development of modular connectivity structures analogous to cortical columns
Effect of naturally occurring coagulase-negative staphylococci infections on new infections by mastitis pathogens in the bovine

Microbiological data from 1123 uninfected quarters and 216 quarters with preexisting coagulase-negative staphylococci infections were analyzed to determine the influence of infection status on subsequent new infection rate. Overall, prevalence of new infections in uninfected quarters was approximately two times that in quarters already harboring a coagulase-negative Staphylococcus infection. New infections by coagulase-negative staphylococci were greater in uninfected quarters than in quarters with preexisting coagulase-negative staphylococci infections. However, no differences were observed between uninfected and infected quarters in number of new infections by major pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci, and coliforms). No differences were observed in uninfected or coagulase-negative Staphylococcus-infected quarters in infections with minor pathogens compared with major pathogens. The influence of individual coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species on new infections was also analyzed. However, numbers of existing infections by Staphylococcus species other than Staphylococcus chromogenes were limited. Therefore, the protective capacity of each coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species was difficult to assess. Overall, a significant restriction of bacterial invasion was observed in quarters with a preexisting infection. These results suggest that quarters harboring a coagulase-negative Staphylococcus infection suppress colonization of the mammary gland by mastitis-causing pathogens.
Research and Development Priorities for Energy Islanding of Military and Industrial Installations

AbstractResearch and development for energy systems (e.g., smart and secure microgrids for industrial and military installations and solar cogeneration technologies) must account for deep uncertainties and emergent conditions including economic, regulatory, technological, mission, demographic, and environmental or ecological, among others. Deep uncertainties involve structural and qualitative perspectives or trends that change the game. Recent literature has identified emergent conditions and deep uncertainties that are most influential to decision criteria priorities among existing energy assets and systems. This paper introduces a practical method to help prioritize strategic energy research and development investments and minimize opportunity loss or program risk for investments with a long time horizon. There are a number of interesting observations that can be perceived from this method including robustness, scenario influence, risk, and opportunity. The method is recommended to help achieve consensu...
Kinematics and Electromyography of Landing Preparation in Vertical Stop-Jump Risks for Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Background: Biomechanical analysis of stop-jump tasks has demonstrated gender differences during landing and a potential increase in risk of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury for female athletes. Analysis of landing preparation could advance our understanding of neuromuscular control in movement patterns and be applied to the development of prevention strategies for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury.Hypothesis: There are differences in the lower extremity joint angles and electromyography of male and female recreational athletes during the landing preparation of a stop-jump task.Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.Methods: Three-dimensional videographic and electromyographic data were collected for 36 recreational athletes (17 men and 19 women) performing vertical stop-jump tasks. Knee and hip angular motion patterns were determined during the flight phase before landing.Results: Knee and hip motion patterns and quadriceps and hamstring activation patterns exhibited significant...
Principles of Biliary Secretion

Bile is a transparent, colored, single-phase solution containing substantial quantities of organic as well as inorganic solutes, and produced continuously by the liver with great variations in rate of flow and composition. Although technically an “external” secretion, the great bulk of its constituents is destined for intestinal reabsorption and is returned to the liver via the so-called enterohepatic circulation. Although bile is primarily a digestive fluid the biliary tract also serves as a route of excretion for a variety of substances, and for a few (e.g. bilirubin) it is practically the sole excretory pathway. Heretofore, the study of bile formation has necessitated at least temporary diversion of bile to the exterior by various unphysiological maneuvres, and hence interruption of the enterohepatic circulation. Newer techniques such as those devised by Dowling and his associates (1) for study of the rhesus monkey have permitted the examination of the flow and composition of bile in conscious animals with either mininal or controlled interruption of the enterohepatic circulation. The following remarks will summarize some of our present knowledge of the flow, pressure, composition, regulation and mechanisms of bile formation. For more detailed information particular attention is called to the excellent recent review by Erlinger and Dhumeaux (2).
Political Ecology of Bioprospecting in Amazonian Ecuador: History, Political Economy and Knowledge

This chapter examines a tale of three pharmaceutical actors' bioprospecting in Ecuador. One individual actor, Loren Miller, exercised his claims to Western intellectual property rights over a sacred species - ayahuasca or yage (Banisteriopsis caapi). In 1999, more than a decade and a half after Miller obtained his patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) an international coalition began procedures to revoke the patent. Miller's bioprospecting efforts underscore how Western (in this case US) patent laws are especially biased against indigenous communities who might dare contest them and benefit predominantly the bioprospector. Secondly, I look briefly at the case and promises of the US-based, Shaman Pharmaceuticals and their exploits in the Ecuadorian Oriente. The firm was arguably one of the most socially progressive bioprospectors in the Oriente. They maintained a policy of both and pre- and post-profit revenue sharing with local communities. In areas where they operated they actively allocated upwards of 15% of expedition costs to fund projects or programs that are based on the expressed needs of the communities with whom the work. In spite of these noteworthy efforts, community members in myriad communities, deep in the Ecuadorian Oriente, express ambivalent and even antagonistic reactions to Shaman. These reactions don't underscore how bad Shaman is but help us understand the insurmountable political-economic realities the firm faces in its operations, and how anomalous its singular efforts are with respect to the broader pharmaceutical industry engaged in bioprospecting. Lastly, we will examine a case in progress so to speak. The rather mysterious efforts and controversial publication track record of a group of scholar-venture capitalists operating in southern Ecuador. This last case underscores the ends to which some scientists will go to gain access to potentially valuable genetic materials, some times by any means necessary. The point of this final case is not to blow the whistle on seemingly dubious activities but to more poignantly highlight how the lack of any real regulatory agency, infrastructure or initiative enables such activities, potentially to the detriment of all involved.
Probability Distributions of Common Repeated Events Are Misestimated.

Accurately estimating the probability distribution arising from repeated events with known probabilities, such as the number of heads in ten coin flips, represents a simple aptitude necessary for Bayesian updating and optimal decisions in the face of future uncertainty. Across elicitation methods and decision scenarios, people express beliefs that are systematically biased relative to the actual distribution. Participant beliefs reflect a “wizard-hat” shaped distribution, over-estimating the tails and under-estimating the shoulders of the distribution, relative to the actual bell-curve shape. While experts are relatively more accurate than novices, both show significant bias. The findings challenge an emerging view that the human brain is adept at optimal statistical processing.
3-D Time-Accurate Inviscid and Viscous CFD Simulations of Wind Turbine Rotor Flow Fields

This paper presents the results of three-dimensional and time-accurate, parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of the flow field around a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) rotor. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methodology with an instantaneous loglaw wall model is used for the viscous computations. The 3-D, unsteady, parallel, finite volume flow solver, PUMA2, is used for the simulations. The solutions are obtained using unstructured moving grids rotating with the turbine blades. Three different flow cases with different wind speeds and wind yaw angles are investigated. Results for these three cases and comparisons with the experimental data are presented.
Deep brain stimulation: a paradigm shifting approach to treat Parkinson's disease

Parkinson disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder classically characterized by slowed voluntary movements, resting tremor, muscle rigidity, and impaired gait and balance. Medical treatment is highly successful early on, though the majority of people experience significant complications in later stages. In advanced PD, when medications no longer adequately control motor symptoms, deep brain stimulation (DBS) offers a powerful therapeutic alternative. DBS involves the surgical implantation of one or more electrodes into specific areas of the brain, which modulate or disrupt abnormal patterns of neural signaling within the targeted region. Outcomes are often dramatic following DBS, with improvements in motor function and reductions motor complications having been repeatedly demonstrated. Given such robust responses, emerging indications for DBS are being investigated. In parallel with expansions of therapeutic scope, advancements within the areas of neurosurgical technique and the precision of stimulation delivery have recently broadened as well. This review focuses on the revolutionary addition of DBS to the therapeutic armamentarium for PD, and summarizes the technological advancements in the areas of neuroimaging and biomedical engineering intended to improve targeting, programming, and overall management.
A Study on the Stress Sensibility of Permeability of Reservoir Rocks

Permeability of reservoir rocks changes with stress applying on the rocks.The change of permeability is due to the change of primary effective stress of rocks,not the Terzaghi's effective stress.Study on the permeability sensitivity should adopt the primary effective stress instead of the conventional Terzaghi's effective stress.Adoption of Terzaghi's effective stress usually overestimates the loss of reservoir permeability due to the drawdown of reservoir pressure.
Bufadienolides-19. 3β-acetoxy-15-oxo-5β,14β-bufa-8,20,22-trienolide

Abstract Reaction of 3β - hydroxy - 14α,15α - epoxy - 5β - bufa - 20,22 - dienolide ( 1a ) with 72% perchloric acid was found to yield 14β - artebufogenin ( 2a ), 14α - artebufogenin ( 2b ), 15α - hydroxy-bufalin ( 3a ), and a new substance 3β,15ξ - dihydroxy - 5β,14ξ - bufa - 8,20,22 - trienolide ( 4a ). Similar results were realized by antimony (III) chloride and an iron(III) chloride catalyzed ring opening of epoxide 1a . Selective acetylation of the new bufadienolide ( 4a ) followed by oxidation completed a route to the title substance.
Elevated Modified Shock Index Within 24 Hours of ICU Admission Is an Early Indicator of Mortality in the Critically Ill

Purpose:To assess whether exposure to modified shock index (MSI) in the first 24 hours of intensive care unit (ICU) admission is associated with increased in-hospital mortality.Methods:Adult critic...
Prasugrel Versus Ticagrelor: Uncertainty Remains.

Article, see p 1603 Head-to-head comparison of currently available therapies remains a significant challenge. As newer generation agents are developed, they are each compared against the prior standard of care to prove either superiority or noninferiority; however, they are rarely compared against each other. Cross-trial comparisons of efficacy and safety are fraught with hazard and should be interpreted with caution even when using the same control. Differences in trial design and conduct, management of control therapy, sample size and statistical power, and a host of other factors unrelated to the experimental therapy may influence each trial’s observed efficacy and safety. Although the availability of multiple therapeutic options for a given condition has advantages over a single agent, understanding whether 1 agent has superior efficacy and/or safety may be useful particularly when there are differences in cost, availability, or tolerability. Within this context, the PRAGUE-18 trial (Prasugrel versus Ticagrelor in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Treated with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) investigators should be congratulated for their effort to compare the efficacy of the 2 currently available potent P2Y12 antagonists that are favored for use in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes.1 Both prasugrel and ticagrelor have been shown to be superior to clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndromes for reducing ischemic risk, but with increased bleeding, and have class I guideline recommendations in the United States and Europe.2,3 From the pivotal trials, including TRITON–TIMI 38 (Trial to Assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by Optimizing Platelet Inhibition with Prasugrel–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 38) for prasugrel and PLATO (Study of Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) for ticagrelor, many have pointed to apparent differences in their observed efficacy and safety relative to clopidogrel, including the magnitude of efficacy, specific component end points reduced, safety, and tolerability. These …
Draft Genome Sequences of Four Alteromonas macleodii Strains Isolated from Copper Coupons and Grown Long-Term at Elevated Copper Levels

ABSTRACT Alteromonas macleodii is a marine bacterium involved in the early stages of biofouling on ship hulls treated with copper as an antifouling agent. We report here the draft genome sequences of an A. macleodii strain isolated from copper coupons and three laboratory mutants grown long-term at elevated copper levels.
Overview of Radiologic Quality Assurance and the Imaging Evaluation of Breast Lesions

Breast imaging is a clinically oriented subspecialty that, in addition to following professional society and group-specific practice parameters, is overseen by government agencies to ensure the quality and safety of imaging and patient care. These measures contribute to the efficacy of breast cancer screening, which in turn allows for significant decreases in mortality and increased treatment options through early detection. Nonethless, there are controversies regarding the use of mammography. Other modalities routinely utilized in the work up of breast diseases include ultrasound and MRI. Through discussion of both standardized and patient - centered care practices, the breast imaging evaluation of benign and malignant processes is introduced in this chapter.
Red Sox Versus Yankees, Sports Team Rivalry, Sports Symbols, and Distance Performance: An Abstract

Building on the literature on psychological distance and visual illusion, the authors examine whether visual exposure to sports team symbols affects distance performance, depending on whether the symbols represent favored or rival teams. Boston Red Sox fans are used to test the hypothesis in the context of the famous Red Sox–Yankees rivalry. Individuals who are primed with the symbol of their favored (rival) sports team are predicted to hit/throw a ball short (long) of the target. In Study 1, Red Sox fans putt a golf ball imprinted with a Red Sox (Yankees) logo and are found to putt short (long) of the goal. In Study 2, Red Sox fans photograph a bobble head wearing a Red Sox (Yankee) jersey and then are found to throw a basketball nearer to (farther from) themselves.
The Behavior of Squall Lines in Horizontally Heterogeneous Coastal Environments

AbstractInland squall lines respond to the stable marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) as they move toward a coastline and offshore. As a storm’s cold pool collides with the marine layer, characteristics of both determine the resulting convective forcing mechanism over the stable layer and storm characteristics. Idealized numerical experiments exploring a parameter space of MABL characteristics show that the postcollision forcing mechanism is determined by the buoyancy of the cold pool relative to the MABL. When the outflow is less buoyant, storms are forced by a cold pool within the marine environment. When the buoyancies are equivalent, a hybrid cold pool–internal gravity wave develops after the collision. The collision between a cold pool and less buoyant MABL initiates internal waves along the stable layer, regardless of MABL depth. These waves are inefficient at lifting air into the storm, and ascent from the trailing cold pool is needed to support deep convection. Storm intensity decreases with ...
Pristimantis antisuyu sp. n. and Pristimantis erythroinguinis sp. n., two new species of terrestrial-breeding frogs (Anura, Strabomantidae) from the eastern slopes of the Andes in Manu National Park, Peru.

We describe two new species of Pristimantis from the Kosnipata valley in the eastern slopes of the Andes near Manu National Park, Peru. The two new species are closely related but do not overlap elevationally: P. antisuyu sp. n. occurs from 1485–1823 m a.s.l., whereas P. erythroinguinis sp. n. occurs from 930–1255 m a.s.l. Both species are readily distinguished from all other species of Pristimantis but P. cruciocularis and P. flavobracatus by possessing an iris with a cruciform pattern, no tympanum, and red bright or yellow coloration on groin. We used a Maximum Likelihood approach to infer a molecular phylogeny on a dataset composed of 27 terminals and 903 bp of the concatenated 16S rRNA and COI mitochondrial fragments. Our phylogenetic analyses indicate that, despite differing in groin coloration from red to yellow, individuals of P. cruciocularis and P. flavobracatus form a single clade, and some specimens have identical 16S sequences. Therefore, we synonymize P. flavobracatus with P. cruciocularis . The two unnamed species are closely related to P. cruciocularis . Pristimantis antisuyu sp. n. differs from P. cruciocularis and P. erythroinguinis sp. n. by having smaller yellow spots, instead of extensive red coloration, on groin and hind limbs, by being larger with proportionally longer tibias, and by having an inner metatarsal tubercle three times the size of outer metatarsal tubercle (twice as long in the other two species). Pristimantis erythroinguinis sp. n., despite having coloration very similar to P. cruciocularis , is the sister taxon to both P. antisuyu sp. n. and P. cruciocularis , and can be distinguished from the latter by having much darker ventral coloration, and no cream or yellow spots on flanks and surrounding the red inguinal marks.
A role for phylloquinone biosynthesis in the plasma membrane as revealed in a non-photosynthetic parasitic plant

Phylloquinone (PhQ) is found predominantly in thylakoid membranes of photosynthetic tissues where it functions in photosystem I electron transport. PhQ has also been detected in plasma membranes, but neither the molecular basis nor the significance of this non-canonical pathway has been elucidated. Here we provide evidence of plasma membrane PhQ biosynthesis in a non-photosynthetic holoparasite Phelipanche aegyptiaca. A non-photosynthetic role is supported by transcription of the entire suite of PhQ biosynthetic genes, plasma membrane-localization of the terminal enzymes, and detection of PhQ in Phelipanche seeds. Analysis of PhQ-coexpressed genes in the holoparasite revealed increased cellular commitment to oxidation-reduction and defense relative to photosynthetic parasites. Coexpression network inference identified oxidoreductases involved in plasma membrane electron transport, implicating PhQ in a transmembrane redox relay associated with parasitism. Plasma membrane PhQ biosynthesis is also predicted to occur in photoautotrophic taxa via alternative splicing, suggesting non-plastidial PhQ is evolutionarily conserved.
Toward a Research Agenda for the Study of Situation Perceptions: A Variance Componential Framework.

Situation perception represents the fulcrum of a “psychology of situations” because situation ratings are ubiquitous. However, no systematic research program exists so far, particularly because two...
Bio-inspired Nonlinear Control of Artificial Hair Cells

The human auditory mechanism can detect sound frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, over a broad pressure range of 0–120 dB SPL due to its nonlinear amplification performed by the cochlea. Sound waves travel through the ear canal, eardrum and the three bones of the middle ear. The last bone of the middle ear (stapes) pushes on the oval window and creates propagating waves in the cochlea. Each of the sound frequency components excites a specific location along the basilar membrane when it travels through the cochlea. These are then coupled to the hair cells, which apply their nonlinear compressibility and amplification behavior to improve sound detection. These functions of the cochlea are the inspiration to design more sensitive and capable sensors.
Epilogue on Ethics: Complexity, Responsibility, and Freedom

The principles of complex systems suggest that the physical, social, and mental world is nonlinear and complex. This essential result of epistemology has important consequences for our behavior. Thus this book finishes with an outlook on ethics in a complex and nonlinear world. During recent years, ethics has become a major topic of increasing interest which is even discussed by engineers, physicians, scientists, managers, and politicians. The reasons for this interest are the increasing problems with the environment, the economy, and modern technologies, questions of responsibility, increasing alarms, and decreasing acceptance of critical consequences in a highly industrialized world. But we must be aware that our standards of ethical behavior have not fallen to Earth from Heaven and have not been revealed by some mysterious authorities. They have changed and they will continue to change, because they have been involved in the evolution of our sociocultural world.
Loss Distributions: Estimation, Large Sample Theory, and Applications

Given a sample of insurance losses, it is desired to fit a parametric probability distribution. A number of heavy (right) tailed models are presented, followed by five methods of parameter estimation. Numerical procedures are given with emphasis on the method of scoring for maximum likelihood estimation from grouped data. The latter also provides estimates of the asymptotic variance of the estimators. Several illustrations are presented using a lognormal model for automobile losses. The final example concerns multiple liability limits. An analysis of variance procedure is used to test for differences among the severities and then a James-Stein type credibility formula is presented to improve the estimator under a specific limit.
Optimization for Deep Convolutional Neural Networks: How Slim Can It Go?

The deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) have a vast amount of parameters, especially in the fully connected (FC) layers, which have become a bottleneck for real-time applications where processing latency is high due to computational cost. In this paper, we propose to optimize the FC layers in CNN via making it much slimmer. We make analysis of the statistical distribution of the weights in FC layer, and observe each column follows Gaussian distribution. Regression model analysis of the weights of FC layer based on Akaike information criteria and Bayesian information criterion demonstrates that they have Granger causality, which means the columns are correlated and they follow colored Gaussian distribution. Based on this distribution, we derive a CNN design and optimization theorem for FC layers from information theory point of view. The theorem provides two design criteria, rank and singular values. Further, we show that FC layer with weights of colored Gaussian is more efficient than that of white Gaussian. The optimization criteria is singular-values-based, so we apply singular value decomposition to find the maximal singular values and QR to identify the corresponding columns in FC layer. We evaluate our optimization approach to AlexNet and apply the slimmer CNN to ImageNet classification. Simulation results show our approach performs much better than random dropout. Specifically, with only around $\text{28}{\%}$ of weights, the AlexNet could perform as well as the original AlexNet in terms of top one error and top five error.
Dimensions of elongated mineral particles: a study of more than 570 fibers from more than 90 cases with implications for pathogenicity and classification as asbestiform vs. cleavage fragments

ABSTRACTAsbestos is well-recognized as the cause of a variety of disorders of the respiratory tract, including neoplastic as well as non-neoplastic conditions. Fiber dimensions and biopersistence a...
The FutureOpen image in new window

Since the early 1970s computer models of varying complexity have been used to make projections of different aspects of the future of both societies and climate.
Life Stage Sensitivity of a Freshwater Snail to Herbicides Used in Invasive Aquatic Weed Control

Invasive aquatic plants like hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) threaten native species in many ways, ultimately degrading overall habitat quality and quantity. Aquatic herbicides are often chosen as a control and management strategy, but few peer-reviewed studies address their effects on non-target organisms, especially native freshwater mussels and snails. The aim of this study was to assess the life stage sensitivity of a rare snail, Somatogyrus virginicus (Lithoglyphidae), to two aquatic herbicides (dipotassium salt of endothall and fluridone). We collected adult snails, cultured their eggs on a vinyl card substrate, exposed adults and eggs in 96-h static-renewal experiments, and monitored eggs through hatching. Because fluridone is typically applied for ≥ 60 d, an additional treatment was exposed in staticrenewal through hatching (30 d total) to improve environmental relevance. Eggs present on the shells of adult snails were also monitored. Endpoints were adult survival and egg hatching success. Fluridone did not affect adult snail survival at concentrations up to 1500 µg/L, and in the test with eggs on vinyl cards, fluridone did not significantly delay (p = 0.12) or influence overall hatching success (p = 0.22), including in the 30-d exposure (Dunnett's p = 0.09). However, fluridone significantly delayed hatching of eggs on adult shells (p < 0.01) and reduced their overall hatching success (p < 0.01). The 96-h median effect concentration (EC50) for fluridone on hatching success of eggs on adults was 1334 µg/L (95% CI, 1215 – 1466 µg/L). For endothall, the adult 96-h median lethal concentration (LC50) was 223 mg/L (157 – 318 mg/L). Endothall negatively affected hatching success in both egg tests by delaying hatching (p < 0.01 in both tests) and by reducing overall hatching success (p = 0.04 for eggs on cards, and p < 0.01 for eggs on adults). The endothall 96-h EC50s for egg hatching success were 54.1 mg/L (95% CI, 35.6 – 82.2 mg/L; eggs on adults) and 83.4 mg/L (95% CI, 60.4 – 115.2 mg/L; eggs on cards). Neither herbicide had toxic effects to either life stage at concentrations typically prescribed for control of hydrilla (5 – 15 µg/L fluridone and 1 – 5 mg/L endothall). However, applying the minimum amount of herbicide needed for effective weed control is recommended for ensuring safety of non-target organisms.
Age-related loss of mitochondrial glutathione exacerbates menadione-induced inhibition of Complex I.

Abstract The role of mitochondrial GSH (mGSH) in the enhanced age-related susceptibility to xenobiotic toxicity is not well defined. We determined mGSH status and indices of mitochondrial bioenergetics in hepatocytes from young and old F344 rats treated with 300 μM menadione, a concentration that causes 50% cell death in old. At this concentration, mGSH was significantly lost only in hepatocytes from old rats, and with near total depletion due to lower basal mGSH in aged cells. In old hepatocytes, menadione caused mitochondrial membrane potential to collapse, as well as significant deficits in maximal O2 consumption and respiratory reserve capacity, indicators of cellular bioenergetic resiliency. Further examination revealed that the menadione-mediated loss of respiratory reserve capacity in aged hepatocytes was from significant inhibition of Complex I activity and increased proton leak, for which an increase in Complex II activity was not able to compensate. These data demonstrate an age-related increase in mitochondrial susceptibility to a redox-cycling challenge, particularly in regards to Complex I activity, and provide a plausible mechanism to link this vulnerability to mGSH perturbations.
C4 Compatible Ultra-Thick Cu On-chip Magnetic Inductor Architecture Integrated with Advanced Polymer/Cu Planarization Process

Inductor is an essential component in Integrated Voltage Regulator(IVR) which is strongly corresponding to the efficiency of power management. In 2018 ECTC, an on-chip solenoid inductor package integrated with high-permeability magnetic(MAG) film and two ultra-thick Cu trace was successfully demonstrated, which exhibits the benefits of higher inductance, lower resistance, and competitive packaging dimension [1]. Two ultra-thick Cu trace for coils of inductor device inevitably accompanies with higher topography that will induce some concerns on processes, one of them is like bubble defect from spin coating process of photo resist. On the other hand, uneven plan resulted from high topography will also cause poor co-planarity(COP) post bump formation, result in concerns like cold joint in assembly process. In order to resolve this hindrance, a polish process on polymer and Cu by chemical & mechanistic planarization (CMP) is introduced to improve the topography of the inductor package. In the paper, a key process issue, interface delamination, relating to CMP will be disclosed. And the key approach that is how to optimize Cu surface treatment and parameter of CMP process for delamination improvement will be focused. In short, we face a critical issue poor COP post bump formation that induced from high topography in ultra-thick Cu scheme. How to realize CMP process for planarization is a key and must be relied on optimization of key approaches for delamination. At last, compared to the air-core thick copper inductor package reported last year, the results show that CMP can improved COP around 3~5-fold, and have comparable performance of electric resistance before/post wafer level torture.
Video Complexity: Describing Videos Used for Teacher Learning.

Video is a common tool to support teacher learning, as it provides opportunity for reflection on teaching practices. Video clubs are one professional learning experience that integrates video, providing teachers an opportunity to collaboratively discuss videos from their teaching. However, few research studies have focused on the characteristics of videos used for teacher learning. We engaged teachers in a video club over the course of an academic year and analyzed the relationships between the videos teachers discussed and the complexity of the videos. Findings indicate teachers were less likely to select videos with higher complexity for discussion; however, they commonly discussed videos that included multiple participation structures for students. Teachers also discussed videos that included teacher questioning and scaffolding, student misconceptions, and those in which student thinking initially seemed inflexible. We provide the Video Complexity Framework for teacher educators and researchers to use to describe the complexity of the videos in teacher education.