cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) after single injection.

The pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and the metabolite ciprofloxacin were studied in horseshoe crabs after a single injection of 5 mg/kg. Twelve Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) of undetermined age were injected with enrofloxacin into the dorsal cardiac sinus. Hemolymph samples were collected by syringe and needle at regular intervals for 120 hr. Samples were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography and compartmental analysis performed on the results. Following injection, the elimination half-life (T½), peak concentration, area under the curve (AUC), and volume of distribution (VD) for enrofloxacin were 27.9 (29.13) hr, 8.98 (18.09) μg/ml, 367.38 (35.41) hr μg/ml, and 0.575 (20.48) L/kg, respectively (mean value, CV%). For ciprofloxacin, the elimination T½, peak concentration, and AUC were 61.36 (34.55) hr, 2.34 (24.11) μg/ml, and 304.46 (24.69) μg hr/ml. In these animals, the ciprofloxacin concentrations comprised an average of 45.8% of the total fluoroquinolone concentrations, which is substantial compared to other marine invertebrates. The total AUC produced (sum of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin) was 682.69 ± 180.61 μg hr/ml. Concentrations that were achieved after a single dose of 5 mg/kg horseshoe crabs were sufficient to treat bacteria susceptible to enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin.
Current U.S. Agency-Level Trends in Supporting Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in Parole

Parole agencies must protect public safety and promote successful offender reentry. To date, little is known at a national level about the extent to which agencies have the infrastructure and suppo...
Where do Peer Providers Fit into Newly Integrated Mental Health and Primary Care Teams? A Mixed Method Study

Little is known about the involvement of peer providers in integrated behavioral health teams. This study asks where peer providers fit within integrated care teams in Los Angeles County. Social network analysis combined with qualitative fieldwork was used to understand the network positions of peer providers in 14 integrated pilot programs. Four programs’ peer providers were highly central, while 3 programs’ were on the network’s periphery. Positional variation appeared to be related to the peers’ mental health status. Targeted efforts are needed to support the implementation of peer providers on integrated teams at the program and system levels.
Chemoattractant-Mediated Preference of Non-Self Eggs in Ciona robusta Sperm

AbstractSelf-fertilization in hermaphroditic species might or might not be advantageous based on the level of inbreeding or outbreeding depression and the opportunity to outcross. This study examin...
Ketamine Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Are Altered by P-Glycoprotein and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein Efflux Transporters in Mice

To understand the systemic impact of breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) and P-glycoprotein (Pgp) deletion, untargeted metabolomics was performed on cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of wild-type (WT) and Pgp and Bcrp double-knockout (dKO) rats anesthetized with ketamine-xylazine. We unexpectedly found elevated ketamine levels in both CSF and plasma of dKO versus WT rats. Therefore, the effect of these transporters was investigated on the 1) oral and intraperitoneal serum pharmacokinetics (PK) of ketamine, using a liquid chromatography method (high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection), and 2) the anesthetic effect of ketamine using a duration of loss-of-righting reflex (dLORR) test in WT, Bcrp knockout (KO), Pgp KO, and Pgp/Bcrp dKO mice. The PK data demonstrated a significantly increased oral bioavailability and serum exposure of ketamine in dKO > Pgp KO > Bcrp KO mice compared with WT mice. Intraperitoneal ketamine-induced dLORR was significantly longer in dKO > Pgp KO > Bcrp KO > WT mice compared with WT mice. Inhibition of Bcrp and Pgp in WT mice using the dual Pgp/Bcrp inhibitor elacridar increased the ketamine-induced dLORR compared with vehicle-treated mice. The ketamine intracellular concentration was significantly decreased in Madin-Darby canine kidney II BCRP/PGP cells compared with the parental cells. In total, these results demonstrate that ketamine appears to be a dual Pgp/Bcrp substrate whose PK and pharmacodynamics are affected by Pgp and Bcrp-mediated efflux.
Soot formation in counterflow non-premixed ethylene flames at elevated pressures

Abstract Quantitative soot volume fraction measurements were conducted in a counterflow non-premixed flame configuration using ethylene/nitrogen as the fuel stream, oxygen/nitrogen as the oxidizer stream, and a pressure range of 1–8 atm. The laser-induced incandescence technique, calibrated using the light extinction method, was used to measure the soot volume fraction distributions. The variations of soot formation along the centerline of the counterflow flame with pressure were compared by keeping the density-weighted strain rate constant. Maintaining a constant density-weighted strain rate allows the overall flame thickness, as well as the reactant mass fluxes entering the flame, to remain unchanged for all pressures. As such, the effect of pressure on soot chemistry can be isolated from the effect of convective-diffusive transport. Based on the measured soot volume profiles, the soot layer thickness variation with pressure was determined. It was found that when keeping the density-weighted strain rate constant, the soot layer thickness remains similar over the pressure range investigated. However, the soot layer thickness was seen to decrease with increasing pressure when holding the strain rate fixed. In addition, the effects of fuel mole fraction and oxygen mole fraction on soot formation were investigated. Furthermore, the pressure scaling factors of soot formation under varying mixture conditions were deduced from experimental measurements. A literature gas-phase reaction mechanism including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) chemistry up to pyrene was also used to simulate the experimental counterflow flames. The pressure effect on PAH formation was presented and discussed.
The CLL cell microenvironment.

Cross talk between CLL cells and accessory stromal cells in specialized tissue microenvironments, such as the secondary lymphoid organs, favors CLL progression by promoting malignant B cell growth and drug resistance. Disrupting the cross talk between CLL cells and their milieu is an attractive, novel strategy for treating CLL patients. This chapter summarizes current knowledge about cellular and molecular interactions between CLL cells and their supportive tissue microenvironment and the therapeutic targets that are emerging, focusing on the CXCR4–CXCL12 axis and small molecule inhibitors that are targeting the B cell receptor-associated kinases SYK, BTK, and PI3Kδ. Clinically relevant aspects of these new therapeutics will be discussed, along with an outlook into future biologically oriented therapeutic strategies. The rapid progress in dissecting the CLL microenvironment and the promising early results of these new targeted treatments in CLL indicate that CLL has become a role model for microenvironment-dependent cancers.
The Distribution of FGF-2 and TGF-β Within the Lacrimal Gland of Rabbits

Growth factors have diverse functions and are distributed throughout the body. A number have been detected in the lacrimal gland, eg, EGF,1,2 FGF-2,3 TGF-α,4 TGF-β,5 and HGF.6 In many tissues, FGF-2 and TGF-β have an inverse functional relationship. FGF-2, released in response to tissue damage, activates proteases that function in degradation of extracellular matrix molecules. TGF-β, released during later stages of tissue repair, inhibits proteases, thereby stabilizing extracellular matrix molecules. Although both FGF-2 and TGF-β are present within the lacrimal gland, their sites of synthesis and localization have not been documented. FGF-2 and TGF-β also have been shown to exert inverse functional effects on the synthesis and release of PRL, an immunomodulating hormone that we have localized within the lacrimal gland.7 The present study was undertaken to determine the sites of localization of FGF-2 and TGF-β within the lacrimal gland, as a basis for elucidating their functional roles in the lacrimal gland’s response to corneal injury or other initiators of lacrimal gland inflammation.
Evaluation of Power Control Methods for Free-Piston Stirling Engine Driven Heat Pumps

A free-piston Stirling engine (FPSE) driven heat pump will tend either to stall or to overstroke if the FPSE power output is not controlled or matched to the compressor power requirement. Ambient temperature variations can create large changes in the power required to compress the refrigerant. An analysis was performed to investigate power control options for FPSE heat pumps. Six different FPSE power control methods were analyzed to determine their effect on the thermal performance of a heat pump system. The six control options are: (1) a displacer gas spring average volume control; (2) a displacer gas spring damping valve control; (3) a displacer alternator control; (4) an engine average pressure control; (5) an engine compression space average volume control; and (6) a compressor clearance volume control. Predicted engine efficiencies were best for control options 4 and 6, and worst for options 2 and 3. The heat pump heating and cooling capacities were most nearly optimum for option 3, and worst for option 4.
Venous thromboembolic complications (VTE) in children: first analyses of the Canadian Registry of VTE

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) occur in pediatric patients; however, the incidence, associated morbidity, and mortality are unknown. A Canadian registry of DVT and PE in children (ages 1 month to 18 years) was established July 1, 1990 in 15 tertiary- care pediatric centers. One-hundred thirty-seven patients were identified prospectively and are the subject of this report. The incidence of DVT/PE was 5.3/10,000 hospital admissions or 0.07/10,000 children in Canada. Infants under 1 year old and teenagers predominated with equal numbers of both sexes. DVT were located in the upper (n = 50) and lower (n = 79) venous system, or as PE alone (n = 8). Central venous lines (CVLs) were present in approximately 33% of children with DVT (n = 45). Associated conditions were present in 96% of children and 90% of children had two or more associated conditions for DVT. DVT was diagnosed by venography (n = 83), duplex ultrasound (n = 37), and other combinations (n = 17). Twenty-two of the 31 ventilation/perfusion scans performed were interpreted as high-probability scans for PE. Therapy consisted of heparin (n = 115), thrombolysis (n = 15), surgical removal of a CVL or thrombus (n = 22), and oral anticoagulant therapy (n = 103). Significant bleeding complications did not occur. However, three (2.2%) children died as a direct consequence of their thromboembolic disease; DVT reoccurred in 23 children and postphlebitic syndrome (PPS) occurred in 26. In conclusion, DVTs occur in a significant number of hospitalized children with a mortality of 2.2%. Complications are not hemorrhagic, but thrombotic, and characterized by PE, recurrent disease, and PPS. In contrast to adults, the upper venous system is frequently affected because of the use of CVLs. The frequency of DVT/PE justifies controlled trials of primary prophylaxis in high-risk groups, and therapeutic trials to determine optimal treatment.
Case 46: Wound Leak After Open Globe Repair Requiring Corneal Glue and Re-suturing

A 28-year-old man presented with a Zone I open globe injury and an intraocular metal foreign body in the left eye. The metal foreign body was removed and the open globe was repaired. At the end of the case a slow wound leak was noticed and a bandage contact lens was placed. On post-operative day 1 the anterior chamber was shallow and the wound leak was sealed with corneal glue. Two weeks later the glue came loose and the wound leak persisted necessitating repeat corneal glue. Eight weeks post-operatively, the glue loosened and was removed along with the underlying sutures, and a wound leak was still present. The patient was taken to the operating room where the wound edges and overlying epithelium were debrided and the wound was re-sutured. After re-suturing, the wound remained watertight. Ten weeks after re-suturing, the corneal sutures were removed without complications, with a final visual acuity of 20/15.
How Do Age and Hearing Loss Impact Spectral Envelope Perception

Purpose The goal was to evaluate the potential effects of increasing hearing loss and advancing age on spectral envelope perception. Method Spectral modulation detection was measured as a function ...
Transgene-associated human growth hormone expression in pancreatic β-cells impairs identification of sex-based gene expression differences.

Fluorescent protein reporter genes are widely used to identify and sort murine pancreatic β-cells. In this study, we compared use of the MIP-GFP transgene, which exhibits aberrant expression of hum...
Evaluation of net protein contribution, methane production, and net returns from beef production as duration of confinement increases in the cow-calf sector1

Intensification of cow-calf production may provide a sustainable solution for meeting increasing beef demand in the face of diminishing resources. However, intensification with its greater reliance on cereal grains potentially decreases the upcycling of human-inedible protein into beef. A previously described model was used to evaluate cow-calf intensification on beef's ability to meet human protein requirements. Four scenarios were compared, based on a 1,000 cow herd: 1) Conventional cow-calf production system (0CON), 2) cows limit-fed in confinement for 4 mo after weaning (4CON), 3) cows limit-fed in confinement for 8 mo after breeding (8CON), or 4) cows limit-fed in confinement year-round (12CON). Changes were not made to either the stocker or feedlot segments of the beef value chain. Net protein contribution (NPC) was calculated by multiplying the ratio of human-edible protein (HeP) in beef produced to HeP in feed by the protein quality ratio. A NPC >1 indicates that the production system is positively contributing to meeting human requirements, whereas a NPC <1 indicates the sector or value chain is competing with humans for HeP. Methane was estimated based on proportion of forage in diet and total methane production was reported per kg HeP. In the cow-calf sector, HeP conversion efficiency (HePCE) decreased from 2,640.83 to 0.37 while methane production decreased from 4.53 to 1.82 kg/kg HeP produced as the length of intensification increased from 0CON to 12CON. Decreased HePCE resulted in NPC values for cow-calf sector of 8,036.80, 4.93, 2.19, and 1.28 for 0CON, 4CON, 8CON, and 12CON, respectively. Protein quality ratio of the entire beef value chain increased from 3.15 to 3.33, while HePCE decreased from 0.99 to 0.39 as length of intensification increased from 0CON to 12CON. For the beef value chain, NPC was 3.11, 2.30, 1.73, and 1.31 for 0CON, 4CON, 8CON, and 12CON, respectively. Across the value chain, confinement of cows for 12 mo decreased enteric methane from 3.05 to 1.53 kg/kg HeP (0CON and 12CON, respectfully). Additionally, profitability of the cow-calf operation decreased from $249.34 to $102.16 per cow as intensification increased. Of confinement scenarios, probability of loss to an operation was least (4%) for 4CON. Feed costs increased by $260.79 per cow for 0CON when drought conditions existed (0COND). Total methane production was reduced by intensification and none of the scenarios evaluated competed with humans for HeP.
Modernist Empathy: Geography, Elegy, and the Uncanny

This book shows how reading modernist literature gives us a fresh and necessary insight into both the tensions within the empathetic imagination and the idea of empathy itself. Writers such as Thomas Hardy, Ford Madox Ford, Mary Borden, T. S. Eliot, and Virginia Woolf encourage us to enter other perspectives even as they question the boundaries between self and other and, hence, the very possibility of empathy. Eve Sorum maintains that we must think through this complex literary heritage, focusing on the geographic and elegiac modes of the empathetic imagination, and revealing empathy as more fraught, threatening, and even uncanny than it first appears. Modernist Empathy thereby forges a theory of literary empathy as an act not of orientation, but of disorientation, thereby enriching our contemporary understanding of both modernist literature and the concept of literary empathy.
Role of Defects in Ion Transport in Block Copolymer Electrolytes.

Ion conducting block copolymers can overcome traditional limitations of homopolymer electrolytes by phase separating into nanoarchitectures that can be simultaneously optimized for two or more orthogonal material properties such as high ionic conductivity and mechanical stability. A key challenge in understanding the ion transport properties of these materials is the difficulty of extracting structure–function relationships without having complete knowledge of all nanoscale transport pathways in bulk samples. Here we demonstrate a method for deriving structure-transport relationships for ion conducting block copolymers using thin films and interdigitated electrodes. Well-defined and directly imaged structure in films of poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) is controlled using techniques of directed self-assembly then the poly(2-vinylpyridine) is selectively converted into an ion conductor. The ion conductivity is found to be directly proportional to the total number of connected paths between electro...
An Ensemble Method for Data Imputation

Healthcare analytics is transforming the healthcare industry, finding novel and useful patterns in patient data such as electronic health records (EHRs), to provide patients with improved care and service. Researchers train machine learning (ML) algorithms to discover new knowledge by mining patients’ clinical data to provide better care such as accurate diagnoses and personalized therapy. However, the quality of clinical patient data may inhibit the discovery process. The type and frequency of collected data varies based on a patient’ s clinical condition and administrative requirements. Patients can have different diagnostic tests and treatments at different times, even with the same symptoms. Therefore in EHRs, many aspects of a patient’ s clinical condition could be unmeasured at different timestamps. Missing measurements may be clinically important, but cannot be used by ML algorithms. To utilize all clinical data and achieve optimal performance of ML algorithms, we address the missing data issue by imputing missing time series values. We will describe our imputation methods and apply them to 13 common clinical laboratory test results obtained from a set of 8267 inpatients to evaluate their performance using normalized root-mean-squared deviation (nRMSD) [1].
Aqueous humor induces lymphatic regression on the ocular surface

Abstract Purpose This study is to investigate the potential effect of aqueous humor on already formed lymphatic vessels of the ocular surface including the conjunctiva and the cornea. Methods Aqueous humor harvested from fresh bovine or murine eyeballs were used in the study. It was injected into the subconjunctival space of Prox-1-GFP (green fluorescent protein) transgenic mice. Pre-existing conjunctival lymphatics were observed in vivo using our advanced live imaging system. Additionally, ex vivo tissue cultures were performed in aqueous humor with normal conjunctival tissues or inflamed corneas with newly formed lymphatic vessels. Time lapse images were taken by an advanced live cell imaging system with an incubator. Moreover, human primary microdermal lymphatic endothelial cell culture system was employed to evaluate the effect of aqueous humor on lymphatic tube regression in vitro. Results Aqueous humor induced lymphatic regression in both normal conjunctiva and inflamed corneas. It also led to the regression of formed lymphatic tubes by the lymphatic endothelial cells in vitro. Conclusions This study provides the first direct and real time live imaging evidence showing that aqueous humor induces lymphatic regression. Further investigation promises for divulging new mechanisms and therapeutic strategies to treat lymphatic diseases that occur both inside and outside the eye.
Epigenetic mechanisms underlying pathobiology of alcohol use disorder.

Chronic alcohol use is a worldwide problem with multifaceted consequences including multiplying medical costs and sequelae, societal effects like drunk driving and assault, and lost economic productivity. These large-scale outcomes are driven by the consumption of ethanol, a small permeable molecule that has myriad effects in the human body, particularly in the liver and brain. In this review, we have summarized the effects of acute and chronic alcohol consumption on epigenetic mechanisms that may drive pathobiology of alcohol use disorder (AUD) while identifying areas of need for future research. Epigenetics has emerged as an interesting field of biology at the intersection of genetics and the environment, and ethanol, in particular, has been identified as a potent modulator of the epigenome with various effects on DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. These changes alter chromatin dynamics and regulate gene expression that contribute to behavioral and physiological changes leading to the development of AUD psychopathology and cancer pathology. Evidence and discussion presented here from preclinical results and available translational studies have increased our knowledge of the epigenetic effects of alcohol consumption. These studies have identified targets that can be used to develop better therapies to reduce chronic alcohol abuse and mitigate its societal burden and pathophysiology.
User Intent Identification in a Lower-Extremity Exoskeleton via the Mahalanobis Distance

Existing strategies for controlling lower-limb robotic exoskeletons place different emphasis on the user’s intentions considered at various resolutions, from high-level goals (increase speed) to mid-level actions (increase stride length) to low-level joint behaviors (increase hip flexion). While sensors onboard the exoskeleton sense the human only indirectly, via the human-robot interface, they offer advantages over more direct methods in terms of the time required to don the device. In this study, exoskeleton users, both able-bodied and having spinal cord injury, were asked to perform changes in their intended gait speed. Onboard sensor measurements were used offline to test an intent identification algorithm based on the Mahalanobis distance. The algorithm’s goal is to identify an intent change and correctly classify its type, but not to realize that change via the exoskeleton. The algorithm correctly identified instances in which the user desired to walk faster or slower than the nominal speed in the device. For able-bodied subjects, the average delay between the known intent change and correct identification by the algorithm was 0.63 s. This delay for non-able-bodied subjects was 0.93 s on average. These proof-of-concept results show that intent identification based on the Mahalanobis distance is possible, while analysis of the approach suggests areas for further improvement.
Structural basis of cytoplasmic NaV1.5 and NaV1.4 regulation

Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) are membrane proteins responsible for the rapid upstroke of the action potential in excitable cells. There are nine human voltage-sensitive NaV1 isoforms that, in addition to their sequence differences, differ in tissue distribution and specific function. This review focuses on isoforms NaV1.4 and NaV1.5, which are primarily expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscle cells, respectively. The determination of the structures of several eukaryotic NaVs by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has brought new perspective to the study of the channels. Alignment of the cryo-EM structure of the transmembrane channel pore with x-ray crystallographic structures of the cytoplasmic domains illustrates the complementary nature of the techniques and highlights the intricate cellular mechanisms that modulate these channels. Here, we review structural insights into the cytoplasmic C-terminal regulation of NaV1.4 and NaV1.5 with special attention to Ca2+ sensing by calmodulin, implications for disease, and putative channel dimerization.
Fixed final time satellite attitude control with thrusters based on dynamic programming and neural networks

This paper studies the attitude control of a satellite in three-axis using only four thrusters. The mathematical model of the attitude is represented as a switched system with 16 subsystems. Each subsystem is defined based on the thruster's on/off status. The dynamic programming is utilised to find the optimal switching between subsystems such that a cost function is optimised. Furthermore, to generalise the solution for a specific domain of interest, neural network is employed for offline training and approximating the cost function. An offline training algorithm is suggested to find the optimal weights of the neurons and determine optimal switching. It is shown that the proposed method can execute a manoeuvre within fixed final time. Moreover, the control is robust against uncertainties in the system modelling. Finally, the system modelling and control approach is suggested as a framework to design low-cost attitude control system unit, suitable for microsatellite-class.
Have Astronomers Found a Star Older Than the Universe

The theory of the Big Bang is accepted nearly universally among the scientific community. However, there is a small cadre of individuals who dispute this consensus and they point to a handful of datums that don’t fit into the picture. One such datum is the existence of a star with an age reported to be older than the cosmos itself. This star is called the Methuselah star, named after the biblical patriarch. Obviously, if the age of this star is truly older than the universe, it would be a discovery of considerable concern to those who accept Big Bang cosmology. In the following text, I describe the debate, beginning with a brief historical treatment of the early discoveries. I have made this choice because the early papers are easy to understand and are accessible suggested reading for introductory students interested in the origins of some of the key evidence supporting the Big Bang.
Increasing Age Alters the Development of Gait Compensations Following Meniscal Injury in Rats

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by pathological joint changes that progress to pain and disability. Increasing age and joint injury are risk factors for OA. Cartilage becomes less resilient to OA pathogenesis as age increases; however, pain, not cartilage damage, drives patients to seek treatment. Preclinical OA models can help further understanding of the relationship between OA pathogenesis and pain. Joint pain and dysfunction are often associated with motion, making gait a quantitative measure to detect OA-related behavioral changes. Rodents alter gait patterns to correct mechanical instabilities and protect injured limbs, but it is unknown how age affects these changes. We hypothesized gait compensations following meniscal injury in 3-, 6-, and 9-month rats would be affected by age of injury onset. Rats at 3, 6, and 9 months of age received medial collateral ligament transection plus medial meniscus transection (MCLT+MMT) surgery (n = 8/age group) or a skin incision (n = 8/age group). Gait data was collected at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks post-surgery using our lab's novel gait technology. After euthanasia, joints were processed for histology. Our results showed both 6- and 9-month MCLT+MMT rats walked with reduced peak vertical forces in their injured limbs immediately after injury (2 weeks post-surgery), and this decreased loading continued as OA progressed (8 weeks post-surgery). At early time points, stance time tended to be increased in MCLT+MMT animals; however, there were no clear trends in spatiotemporal walking patterns across the different age groups. Finally, histology showed significantly worse cartilage damage in the 6- and 9-month MCLT+MMT animals compared to 3-month MCLT+MMT animals. This data demonstrates age of injury affects joint avoidance behaviors and joint dysfunction in a rodent OA model, with older animals selecting to reduce dynamic limb loading while minimizing changes to the timing of steps and position of paws. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health under grants R01AR068424 and R01AR071335.
Space-weighted information fusion using deep reinforcement learning: The context of tactical control of lane-changing autonomous vehicles and connectivity range assessment

Abstract The connectivity aspect of connected autonomous vehicles (CAV) is beneficial because it facilitates dissemination of traffic-related information to vehicles through Vehicle-to-External (V2X) communication. Onboard sensing equipment including LiDAR and camera can reasonably characterize the traffic environment in the immediate locality of the CAV. However, their performance is limited by their sensor range (SR). On the other hand, longer-range information is helpful for characterizing imminent conditions downstream. By contemporaneously coalescing the short- and long-range information, the CAV can construct comprehensively its surrounding environment and thereby facilitate informed, safe, and effective movement planning in the short-term (local decisions including lane change) and long-term (route choice). Current literature provides useful information on CAV control approaches that use only local information sensed from the proximate traffic environment but relatively little guidance on how to fuse this information with that obtained from downstream sources and from different time stamps, and how to use the fused information to enhance CAV movements. In this paper, we describe a Deep Reinforcement Learning based approach that integrates the data collected through sensing and connectivity capabilities from other vehicles located in the proximity of the CAV and from those located further downstream, and we use the fused data to guide lane changing, a specific context of CAV operations. In addition, recognizing the importance of the connectivity range (CR) to the performance of not only the algorithm but also of the vehicle in the actual driving environment, the study carried out a case study. The case study demonstrates the application of the proposed algorithm and duly identifies the appropriate CR for each level of prevailing traffic density. It is expected that implementation of the algorithm in CAVs can enhance the safety and mobility associated with CAV driving operations. From a general perspective, its implementation can provide guidance to connectivity equipment manufacturers and CAV operators, regarding the default CR settings for CAVs or the recommended CR setting in a given traffic environment.
Effective-Medium Modeling of a Meanderline Metamaterial-Enhanced Resistive Wall Amplifier Circuit for Particle-in-Cell Simulations

Theory and simulations predict the metamaterial-enhanced resistive wall amplifier (MERWA) may offer improvements to megawatt-level high-power microwave (HPM) amplifiers in terms of combined bandwidth and gain rates. A low-power proof-of-concept test prototype has been designed using a metamaterial (MTM) consisting of a linear array of periodically spaced thin lossy meandered wires. Direct simulations of these arrays of thin meandering wires using typical 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC) solvers are inaccurate, creating significant challenges for obtaining trustworthy hot test simulations of the prototype device. This work enables predictive PIC simulations of the experimental MERWA prototype by replacing the thin lossy wire structure with an equivalent effective-medium model. We find that a finite-width rod having an anisotropic Drude–Lorentz permittivity is a suitable model to replace the lossy wire MTM structure. We detail our modeling process and assumptions, fitting procedures, and model fitting results. The model is validated by comparing PIC simulations to experimental results.
Design of the Eklutna Project, Alaska

This paper describes the design of the Eklutna Project, a hydroelectric power development of the Bureau of Reclamation near Anchorage, Alaska. Included in the paper are a description of the overall purpose and function of the project and a detailed summary of the design of the principal power facilities.
Abstract 1874: Circumferential and Radial Left Ventricular Mechanics in Elderly Canines with Hypertensive Heart Disease

Introduction: Cross-sectional studies in patient with hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFnlEF) suggested impairment of longitudinal myocardial mechanics as assessed by tissue Doppler imaging. It has been suggested that enhanced circumferential, and/or radial LV mechanics or LV remodeling compensates for depression in longitudinal function and thus, preserves EF in HHD or HFnlEF. Hypothesis : We hypothesized that if longitudinal performance is depressed, whether due to increased afterload or to intrinsic myocardial dysfunction, circumferential and radial LV mechanics would also be effected. To test this hypothesis, we used an aged canine model of hypertension. Methods: Elderly dogs (n=22) underwent bilateral renal wrapping to induce hypertension. 2D echocardiography (mid-short axis views) was performed before and 8 weeks after renal wrapping; peak radial (PR) and peak circumferential (PC) regional strains were measured by speckle tracking averaging data from 6 segments. Ejection fraction (EF), LV mass index (LVMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and circumferential wall stress (CWS) were assessed as well. Results : See table. PR correlated with PC (r=0.65), EF (r=0.67), LWMI (r=0.71) and CWS (r=0.58) (p 2 =0.64, p 2 =0.74, p for PC =0.005) or PR strain(r 2 =0.69, p for PR =0.04). Conclusions : These data show that development of hypertension with LV hypertrophy does not enhance but impairs circumferential and radial LV mechanics as assessed with strain imaging, and that like EF, circumferential and radial strain are related to afterload (wall stress). However, both confer additional information regarding contractility. Conclusions regarding myocardial function based on strain imaging must account for its load dependence.
Experimental Investigation of Thin-Steel Hyperbolic Paraboloid Structures

Extensive tests on inverted umbrella and saddle-shaped models indicate that the design of thin-steel hypar roofs is usually governed by stiffness, rather than by stress limitations. The rise-span ratio and the shear rigidity of cold-formed decks are the most important factors determining the stiffness of the structure. Deck buckling is causd by the uniform shear stresses in the shear-diaphragm type of action of the shell which dominates the response of hypar shells. This experimental investigation yielded empirical design information in thin-steel hypars and also provided checks on other analytical studies.
Bilateral inter‐organizational learning in corporate venture capital activity: Governance characteristics, knowledge transfer, and performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate impacts of governance characteristics and bilateral inter‐organizational learning on performance in the context of corporate venture capital (CVC) activity.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a dataset of 232 CVC investments, the author examined how characteristics such as autonomy, incentive scheme, and broad representation of a CVC program and the knowledge inflows and outflows of the corporate investors impacted the corporate investor's innovativeness and the portfolio company's performance.Findings – The results show that knowledge outflows from corporate investors can help enhance their portfolio companies' performance. In addition, incentive scheme and autonomy may facilitate knowledge inflows from portfolio companies to corporate investors, and influence the performance of both corporate investors and portfolio companies.Originality/value – The paper's findings contribute to the inter‐organizational learning literature by empirically analysin...
A sparse nonnegative demixing algorithm with intrinsic regularization for multiplexed fluorescence tomography

Fluorescence molecular tomography is becoming an important tool in preclinical biomedical imaging of small animals. However, the inability to perform high-throughput imaging of multiple fluorescent targets in bulk tissue remains a limitation. Recent work in our group suggests that joint measurement of spectral and temporal fluorophore data can enable robust identification (“demixing”) and localization of at least four concurrent fluorophores. Here we present a novel demixing strategy for this data, which incorporates ideas from sparse subspace clustering and compressed sensing. It uses a suitable “library” of fluorophore signatures to compute a nonnegative least-squares estimate of each fluorophore signal in the sample. The algorithm does not require a regularization parameter, even when the library is rank-deficient. In simulations, we simultaneously demixed four fluorophores with closely overlapping spectral and temporal profiles in a 25 mm diameter cross-sectional area with an RMS error of less than 3% per fluorophore.
Efficient margin-based rank learning algorithms for information retrieval

Learning a good ranking function plays a key role for many applications including the task of (multimedia) information retrieval. While there are a few rank learning methods available, most of them need to explicitly model the relations between every pair of relevant and irrelevant documents, and thus result in an expensive training process for large collections. The goal of this paper is to propose a general rank learning framework based on the margin-based risk minimization principle and develop a set of efficient rank learning approaches that can model the ranking relations with much less training time. Its flexibility allows a number of margin-based classifiers to be extended to their rank learning counterparts such as the ranking logistic regression developed in this paper. Experimental results show that this efficient learning algorithm can successfully learn a highly effective retrieval function for multimedia retrieval on the TRECVID'03-'05 collections.
Scheduling Dependent Distributable Real-Time Threads in Dynamic Networked Embedded Systems

We consider scheduling distributable real-time threads with dependencies (e.g, due to synchronization) in partially synchronous systems in the presence of node failure. We present a distributed real-time scheduling algorithm called DQBUA. The algorithm uses quorum systems to coordinate nodes’ activities when constructing a global schedule. DBQUA detects and resolves distributed deadlock in a timely manner and allows threads to access resources in order of their potential utility to the system. Our main contribution is handling resource dependencies using a distributed scheduling algorithm.
High dimensional non-linear modeling with Bayesian mixture of CCA

In the high dimensional regression and classification, we often need the feature selection and the dimensionality reduction to cope with the huge computational cost and the over-fitting of the parameters. Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) and their hierarchical extension (includes Bayesian method) was proposed for this purpose. However, the real data set often violates the assumption of the linearity of CCA. Thus, we need the non-linear extension of them. To solve this problem, we propose the Bayesian mixture of CCA and give the efficient inference algorithm by Gibbs sampling. We show that the proposed method is the scalable natural extension of CCA and RBF type neural networks for the high dimensional non-linear problems.
Structure and Evolution of Wind-Driven Circumstellar Shells

The ultraviolet spectrometer on the Copernicus spacecraft has given us many gifts. In addition to the observations of interstellar O VI absorption described here by Jenkins, the spectrometer has shown that almost all early-type stars with bolometric magnitude MV ≲ −6 have broad stellar resonance lines of N V λ1240 and O VI λ1035 that indicate stellar wind with mass loss rates ṀW ≳ 10−6 M⊙ yr−1 and terminal velocities VW ≈ 1000 to 3000 km s−1 (Snow and Morton 1976). It was these stellar lines rather than the interstellar lines that led us to our theory (Castor, McCray and Weaver 1975, hereafter Paper I) of “bubbles” of hot gas surrounding the early type stars.
Indium as Internal Standard in Square Wave Anodic Stripping Analysis of Lead in Blood with Microelectrode Arrays

The toxic effects of lead on humans, especially children have been well documented. ASV has been an important technique in the analysis of lead in blood of humans. This research has demonstrated that indium(III) can be used as an internal standard in the analysis of lead in blood samples with mercury film microelectrode arrays. Indium is a good choice because of a low endogenous blood concentration and because baseline separation of anodic stripping peaks among Cd, In, and Pb can be achieved under appropriate conditions. The concentration of sodium bromide strongly influences the resolution of these metals and the sensitivity of ASV to In(III) in solution. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry together with screen-printed microelectrode arrays showed that the ratio of the anodic stripping peak currents of Pb and In varies linearly with the concentration of Pb in blood samples ranging from 1.2 to 30.0 micrograms/dL. The average intraassay precision (rsd) was 6.7%.
The Concept of Randomness

Though there be no such thing as chance in the world, our ignorance of the real causes of any event begets a like species of belief or opinion.
Performance of a polarised neutron cryo-flipper using a high TcYBCO film

Abstract It is well-known that the Meissner effect in superconducting materials can be used to provide a well-defined, non-adiabatic, magnetic-field transition. This can be utilised to produce a highly efficient neutron spin flipper that is suitable for use with neutrons of multiple wavelengths. Devices of this type using superconducting niobium have been deployed on neutron diffractometers for several decades but have required liquid helium to maintain the correct temperature. The use of high T c materials, which removes the need for cryogens and simplifies the device, was first explored by Fitzsimmons et al. in [1] . In this communication, we describe a π flipper which uses commercially available films consisting of a 350-nm-thick YBCO film capped with 100 nm of gold on a 78×100×0.5 mm sapphire substrate. We discuss the design and performance of this device. The apparatus is compact ( ≈ 200 mm in length along the neutron beam), consisting of an oxygen-free high-conductivity copper frame, which holds the YBCO film and is mounted to the cold finger of a closed-cycle He refrigerator. The part of the vacuum chamber, where the YBCO film is located, is 5 cm wide, which allows us to minimise the distance from the film to the magnetic guide fields. Negligible small angle neutron scattering is observed from the flipper and its transmission is measured to be greater than 98.5% over a wide band of neutron wavelengths. In this design, the maximum neutron beam size that can be used is 42×42 mm 2 and we can easily switch from a vertical to a horizontal guide field (both perpendicular to the neutron beam) on either side of the YBCO film. Data are reported for neutron wavelengths between 4 and 8.5 A and flipping efficiencies under a variety of conditions are discussed. Under optimum conditions an efficiency of 99.5±0.3% was achieved for 4–8 A neutrons on a pulsed source and 99.4±0.5% was achieved at a monochromatic source using a neutron wavelength of 4.2 A.
Thickness Effects on the Plasticity of Gold Films

An indentation size effect is a common occurrence during nanoindentation. Thin and thick gold films, deposited using sputter deposition and evaporation, illustrate this at depths less than 100 nm. The indentation size effect, however, has been observed to be independent of film thickness. It has been modeled using a combination of an indentation size effect model and a parabolic hardening model. At the near surface regime, the indentation size effect model is dominant, and at larger depths, the parabolic hardening model is dominant, taking into effect the film thickness. The described model, which is a combination of these two, fits the experimental data for the sputter-deposited films and the evaporated films.
Impact Milling Quality of Grain Legumes

Physical and chemical characteristics of seeds from eight legumes were evaluated for factors that determine the impact milling quality of grain legumes. The index of milling efficiency adopted was protein separation efficiency, defined as the proportion of the total flour protein shifted into the fine fraction during air classification of impact-milled flours. The legumes contained similar levels of chloroplast-derived, adherent protein. Consequently, the maximum protein separation efficiency attainable was similar for the different legumes. Significant correlations were detected between milling efficiency and (1) the crude fiber content of the seed, (2) the water-insoluble cell wall content of the seed, and (3) seed hardness (flour particle size index).
The enumeration of distinct fuzzy-valued switching functions

A fuzzy-valued switching function of N variables is a mapping from V^N to V, where V=[0, 1] and the mapping is a logic formula constructed by applying the logic operations max, min, and not to the variables x"1,...,x"N and the constants 0 and 1. This paper entails the development of lower and upper bounds on the number of distinct fuzzy-valued switching functions of N variables. These bounds are computed with the help of a transitivity matrix and the simplification procedures of such functions.