cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transient viscoelasticity study of tobacco mosaic virus/Ba2+ superlattice

Recently, we reported a new method to synthesize the rod-like tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) superlattice. To explore its potentials in nanolattice templating and tissue scaffolding, this work focused the viscoelasticity of the superlattice with a novel transient method via atomic force microscopy (AFM). For measuring viscoelasticity, in contrast to previous methods that assessed the oscillating response, the method proposed in this work enabled us to determine the transient response (creep or relaxation) of micro/nanobiomaterials. The mathematical model and numerical process were elaborated to extract the viscoelastic properties from the indentation data. The adhesion between the AFM tip and the sample was included in the indentation model. Through the functional equation method, the elastic solution for the indentation model was extended to the viscoelastic solution so that the time dependent force vs. displacement relation could be attained. To simplify the solving of the differential equation, a standard solid model was modified to obtain the elastic and viscoelastic components of the sample. The viscoelastic responses with different mechanical stimuli and the dynamic properties were also investigated.
Active Control of Forward-Swept Wings with Divergence and Flutter Aeroelastic Instabilities

Abstract : Active feedback control is applied to cantilever forward-swept wings (FSW) providing significant increases in the critical airspeeds of aeroelastic flutter and divergence. Feedback compensation improves the critical airspeed for a divergence critical FSW by 25% and improves the critical airspeed for a flutter critical FSW example by 30%. These improvements are limited by the emergence as most critical, instabilities that were only secondary without feedback. The method of analysis is linear control theory in the Laplace domain. A significant improvement is made in the Pade Approximant method for calculating damped unsteady aerodynamic forces in the Laplace domain. Keywords: Aeroelasticity, Swept forward wings, Aerodynamics, Feedback control. (Theses)
Recovery of salivary epidermal growth factor in parotid saliva following parotid sparing radiation therapy: a proof-of-principle study

Background Although radiation therapy (RT) causes permanent xerostomia, parotid-sparing radiation therapy (PSRT) ensures recovery of saliva quantity over time. Salivary epidermal growth factor (EGF) is produced primarily by parotid glands. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether salivary EGF can be detected in parotid saliva after PSRT and whether protein secretion is time dependent. Study design Salivary EGF concentration (pg/mL) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in stimulated parotid saliva before RT and at 3, 6, and 12 months after RT from 22 patients with head and neck cancer treated with PSRT. Results Saliva samples were from 17 men and 5 women (age ranges 23-70 years and 46-71 years, respectively). At 6 months after RT, EGF concentration was 407 pg/mL lower than at baseline ( P = .045). Twelve months after PSRT, parotid glands produce substantial amounts of EGF and other proteins, eventually approximating pre-RT levels, with recovery of salivary function. Conclusions This proof-of-principle study shows that even proteins in picogram quantities, such as EGF, can be detected in saliva after PSRT.
Efficient power allocations in wireless ARQ protocols

In this paper, efficient power allocation strategies for ARQ protocols operating in wireless environments are studied. Power as well as transmission rate is optimally adapted by the sender based on channel state information (CSI) obtained through feedback, while guaranteeing quality-of-service (QoS) constraints such as average throughput or average delay. The power policies adopted for basic ARQ protocols are characterized, and a comparison of their performance is studied. Numerical results are presented for a Rayleigh fading channel.
The three faces of atelectasis

Atelectasis, often known as collapsed lung, is a commonly encountered medical emergency. This case study identifies three different types of atelectasis and how they apply to the law of LaPlace. Different mechanisms include collapse from forces outside the lung parenchyma, a reduction in alveolar size from exudative reactions, and an increase in alveolar surface tension. All three mechanisms result in the condition of atelectasis. All three mechanisms can be illustrated as variables in LaPlace's equation. Physiological causes and treatment considerations are discussed for each type.
On-line arithmetic for detection in digital communication receivers

This paper demonstrates the advantages of using online arithmetic for traditional and advanced detection algorithms for communication systems. Detection is one of the core computationally-intensive physical layer operations in a communication receiver and determines the communication data rates. Detection algorithms typically involve hard decisions (sign based testing) to find the sign of the transmitted information bit. This results in extraneous computations in a conventional number system as the sign is obtained only at the end due to the least significant digit first (LSDF) nature of computations. Online arithmetic, based on a signed digit number representation, provides most significant digit first (MSDF) computation. Hence, the computations can stop after the first non-zero MSD (sign) is computed and additional computations for the successive digits can be avoided. Back-conversion to a conventional number system is not required as the sign of the digit represents the detected bit. A comparison of a radix-4 serial digit on-line multiuser detector with an 8-bit parallel conventional arithmetic multiuser detector shows a decrease in latency by 1.79X, a 3X increase in throughput, and possible savings in area.
Voice problems and risk factors among aerobics instructors

Fifty female and four male aerobics instructors completed a questionnaire pertaining to vocal problems and variables that could indicate an increased risk for developing problems. The questions concerned teaching experience, physical data regarding instructional facilities, method of voice projection, music volume, history of illness, allergies, voice loss, hoarseness, smoking habits, and knowledge of vocal hygiene. The results showed that a significant number of instructors experienced partial or complete voice loss (44%) during and after instructing, as well as increased episodes of voice loss, hoarseness, and sore throat unrelated to illness since they began instructing. Significant variables associated with voice problems included sore throat and hoarseness following instruction, and shouting to cue the participants. It was also found that very few instructors in this study had any knowledge of vocal hygiene techniques.
Coordinate systems and the inverse velocity problem of manipulators with spherical wrists

We show that in order to obtain a canonical (simplest) form of the solution to the inverse velocity problem of a six-axis manipulator with a spherical wrist, the simultaneous use of two distinct coordinate systems is required. One coordinate system will yield a canonical solution for the joint rates of the arm subassembly, and the other coordinate system will yield a canonical solution for the joint rates of the wrist subassembly.
América Latina y el nuevo orden letrado: teorías, apuestas y mercados

The following essay takes a close look at the new latin american literary order within the context of neoliberalism and the now permanent “humanities crisis”. It engages some its outcomes: independent publishing networks, transatlantic editorial frameworks, and the broadening scope of cultural studies. More specifically, it analyses two influential and ambitious paradigms in dialogue in search for new horizons: the coloniality of power and deconstruction. Lastly it attempts to show how this new turn within “latin americanism” responds to the growing relationship between markets and the production of critical discourses in the latin american field.
The Spectrum of Epidemiology Underlying Sudden Cardiac Death

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) from cardiac arrest is a major international public health problem accounting for an estimated 15%-20% of all deaths. Although resuscitation rates are generally improving throughout the world, the majority of individuals who experience a sudden cardiac arrest will not survive. SCD most often develops in older adults with acquired structural heart disease, but it also rarely occurs in the young, where it is more commonly because of inherited disorders. Coronary heart disease is known to be the most common pathology underlying SCD, followed by cardiomyopathies, inherited arrhythmia syndromes, and valvular heart disease. During the past 3 decades, declines in SCD rates have not been as steep as for other causes of coronary heart disease deaths, and there is a growing fraction of SCDs not due to coronary heart disease and ventricular arrhythmias, particularly among certain subsets of the population. The growing heterogeneity of the pathologies and mechanisms underlying SCD present major challenges for SCD prevention, which are magnified further by a frequent lack of recognition of the underlying cardiac condition before death. Multifaceted preventative approaches, which address risk factors in seemingly low-risk and known high-risk populations, will be required to decrease the burden of SCD. In this Compendium, we review the wide-ranging spectrum of epidemiology underlying SCD within both the general population and in high-risk subsets with established cardiac disease placing an emphasis on recent global trends, remaining uncertainties, and potential targeted preventive strategies.
Stable Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Carbonate Rocks in Green River Formation, Eastern Utah and Western Colorado: ABSTRACT

Stable oxygen isotope ratios and calcite-dolomite ratios were determined for 40 samples of various lacustrine carbonate rocks from the Green River Formation (Eocene) of the eastern Uinta basin and the central Piceance Creek basin. Petrographic studies indicate there are five main carbonate rock types: (1) micrite and dolomicrite; (2) algal biolithite; (3) oolite and pisolite; (4) structureless microcrystalline carbonate aggregate (pellet); and (5) kerogen-rich dolomitic claystone (oil shale). The respective ^dgr O18PDB isotopic ranges in per mille for these rocks are: -3.27 to -15.85; -2.43 to -7.19; +2.73 to -4.54; +2.60 to -3.43; and +0.67 to -9.51. The percent dolomite in the carbonate fraction is from 0 to 100. These isotopic values, which are similar to values obtained by other workers for lacustrine carbonate of various ages, suggest that the oxygen isotopes in the carbonate material comprising the algal biolithite, oolite, pisolite, and oil shale were biologically fractionated to isotopically heavier values relative to the inorganically precipitated micrite. The similarity in isotopic values between the structureless microcrystalline carbonate (+2.60 to -3.43) and the oolite (+2.73 to -4.54) also suggests that the former may be a dolomitized and recrystalized form of the latter. No correlation between percent dolomite in the carbonate fraction and the oxygen isotopic composition was found for the oolite, pisolite, and algal biolithite rocks, suggesting that the dolomite in these samples f rmed by diagenetic replacement of primarily precipitated calcite. A positive correlation was found for the oil shale and some of the micrite, suggesting that the dolomite in these samples was primary. End_of_Article - Last_Page 956------------
Electrically Small GPS L1 Rectennas

An electrically small, metamaterial-inspired near field resonant parasitic (NFRP) planar protractor antenna is designed for operation, as a proof-of-concept choice, at the GPS L1 frequency (1.5754 GHz). It is based on electric coupling between a capacitively loaded loop (CLL) NFRP element and a driven monopole. Modified versions are then integrated with simplified rectifying circuits to realize two electrically small GPS L1 rectenna systems. The complex impedance matching capabilities of an NFRP antenna allow matching it directly to a rectifying circuit, reducing the overall rectenna size. Simulation results of the | S11 | values, radiation efficiencies and patterns, and Q-ratios are provided. For the low, 0-dBm input power level, the measured rectifying efficiencies of the larger (ka = 0.808) and 25% smaller (ka = 0.604) version are, respectively, 78.0% at 1.5754 GHz and 67.9% at 1.55 GHz.
Common injuries, weekend warriors, and dedicated athletes.

Musculoskeletal injuries continue to rank as some of the most commonly encountered presenting complaints in primary care practices. Educational training in allopathic medical schools, nursing schools, and physician assistant programs often falls short of providing the necessary tools for appropriate cost-effective diagnosis and management of these conditions, while postgraduate residency training attempts to fill these gaps in knowledge. Moreover, we often provide ineffective counseling on prevention of injury and optimization of nutrition. Osteopathic medicine, founded by Andrew Taylor Still in the nineteenth century as an alternative to standard medical practices, has at its core the concept of manipulation of bones and joints to treat a wide spectrum of diseases, not solely limited to orthopedic conditions. While students of osteopathic medicine are trained in osteopathic manipulative medicine, unfortunately most osteopathic physicians do not integrate this provision into daily practice. Sports medicine fellowships are popular and provide additional comprehensive training for clinicians who wish to dedicate a portion of their future practices to caring for athletes. As decades pass, the field of “sports medicine” continues to evolve in both scope of training as well as across the backgrounds of the people who treat our patients and athletes. Most sports teams, ranging from those comprising young athletes to professional and Olympic level athletes, have multidisciplinary support systems comprising primary care clinicians, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and sports psychologists, who provide expertise and guidance across a wide spectrum of care. It is highly important that primary care clinicians understand the roles that each specialist plays, so as to foster appropriate referrals within the health care system, as well as to provide the maximum standard of comprehensive primary care.
Reply to Lundberg, Larsen, and Weitzberg.

to the editor: Drs. Lundberg, Larsen, and Weitzberg's (9a) comments provide useful information on the potential dangers of uncontrolled uses of nitrates and nitrites. It is important to remember that with most substances that are taken with the express purpose of affecting the structure or function
Optimal routing in multihop packet radio networks

An optimal routing algorithm for slotted Aloha PRNs (packet radio networks) which minimizes the average packet delay is developed. The network topology and traffic are arbitrary but fixed. The packet radio nodes serve as sources (and sinks) of traffic as well as repeaters which forward packets to other nodes. The optimal routing algorithm captures the important PRN features discussed and avoids routes that result in high levels of interference and delay. Numerical results which show that optimal routing can result in dramatic performance improvements are presented. >
A Physical Layer Abstraction for Maximum Likelihood Demodulation of MIMO Signals

We develop a physical layer abstraction to model the performance of MIMO with maximum likelihood demodulation (MLD) in a system simulation. MLD is inherently a non-linear process, and thus it is difficult to find a linear abstraction to its performance. The abstraction is based on bounds on performance obtained from the QR & QL decompositions of the channel. The accuracy of the abstraction is demonstrated using link simulations. In addition, the abstraction has low complexity. The model is used in a system simulation to evaluate the gains obtained with MLD.
The long-term response of stream flow to climatic warming in headwater streams of interior AlaskaThis article is one of a selection of papers from The Dynamics of Change in Alaska’s Boreal Forests: Resilience and Vulnerability in Response to Climate Warming.

Warming in the boreal forest of interior Alaska will have fundamental impacts on stream ecosystems through changes in stream hydrology resulting from upslope loss of permafrost, alteration of avail...
The Teaching-Family Model: A Program Description and Its Effects on the Aggressive Behaviors and Quality of Life of Two Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.

This article is a description of a program that may be effective for reducing the aggressive behaviors of adults with intellectual disabilities. Data are presented in the form of a naturally occurring multiple baseline across two participants. Results suggest that an intervention anchored in teaching-family model (TFM) procedures was effective to reduce the mean value of (a) physical aggression toward people or property and (b) verbal aggression. Quality-of-life data taken before and after participation in TFM indicated that quality of life improved for both participants. Social validity data indicated that parents, teachers, and employers were all highly satisfied with the program procedures and outcomes.
Behaviour of flying oriental fruit moth males during approach to sex pheromone sources

. The pheromone-modulated upwind flight tracks of Grapholita molesta (Busck) males were video recorded as they approached a point-source of pheromone in a wind tunnel. The field of view of the video recording was divided longitudinally into 33 cm sections and the flight behaviour of the males in these sections was measured and compared as they approached from 233 cm to 50 cm downwind of the pheromone source. As the males approached the source, their mean ground speeds decreased. The mean values of their track angles increased with respect to due upwind (0d), indicating movement more across the wind. These changes resulted mainly from the males decreasing their air speeds as they progressed up the plume toward the source. They did not change the average direction of their steering (course angle). Thus, the increase in track angles resulted from the males allowing themselves to drift more in the wind as they approached the odour source. The males also increased their average rate of counterturning as they approached the source. The net result of all these behavioural changes was a track that slowed and grew narrower, giving the impression that the males were ‘homing-in’ on the pheromone source as they approached. Causes of these systematic changes in behaviour are considered with respect to the known systematic changes in pheromone plume structure as the distance to the source decreases.
A role for milk phospholipids in protection against gastric acid: Studies in adult and suckling rats

Animal milk was tested directly for antiulcer activity in a rat model system. The severe mucosal necrosis and intragastric bleeding induced by the luminal administration of supraphysiologic 0.6 N HCl was significantly reduced (50%-70%) if both suckling rats and adults were pretreated per os with raw rat or bovine milk. Pasteurized/homogenized bovine milk also gave protection, although to a lesser extent (30%-50% reduction in bleeding). Treatment of milk with cholestyramine removed 50%-80% of the surface-active phospholipids from milk and also eliminated milk's protective property, an effect that was reversed upon addition of phospholipids to the extracted milk. The antiulcer action of milk in rats could be related to its concentration of dipalmitoyl lecithin. These findings suggest that milk has a potent antiulcer activity that may be attributable to its phospholipid constituents.
MicroRNA Mechanisms of Action: What have We Learned from Mice?

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously encoded single-stranded RNAs of about 22 nucleotides (nts) in length that play essential roles in a large variety of physiological processes in animals and plants (Ambros, 2004; Bushati and Cohen, 2007). Mature miRNAs are integrated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), whose core component is one of the Argonaute family proteins. MiRNAs then direct RISCs to target mRNAs, which are recognized through partial sequence complementarity. Bioinformatic prediction and experimental target gene identification have shown that a miRNA binds mRNAs of hundreds of protein coding genes, which often span a broad spectrum of functional categories (Bartel, 2009; Chi et al., 2009; Hafner et al., 2010). The functional consequence of miRNA-target mRNA interaction and the mechanism of miRNA action have been under intensive investigation and remain a matter of hot debate. It was initially thought that miRNAs repress the protein output of a small number of target genes without significantly affecting their mRNA levels in animals (Lee et al., 1993; Wightman et al., 1993). Subsequent genetic studies in C. elegans and zebrafish showed that miRNAs promote the degradation of their target mRNAs (Bagga et al., 2005; Giraldez et al., 2006). Later, a series of genome-wide studies of in vitro cultured mammalian cell lines transiently transfected with chemically synthesized miRNA mimics led to the conclusion that the predominant functional consequence of miRNA action is target mRNA degradation (Guo et al., 2010). A follow-up study employing temporal dissection of zebrafish development seems to reconcile these two opposite observations by revealing that translational repression precedes target mRNA decay, and suggesting that the immediate outcome of miRNA-target mRNA interaction is translation inhibition but mRNA degradation can follow (Bazzini et al., 2012). Similarly, re-analysis of the previous datasets from cultured cell lines transiently transfected with synthetic miRNA mimics also found that translation repression precedes mRNA degradation (Larsson and Nadon, 2013).
Thermodynamics and Energy Conversion in Heusler Alloys

Heusler alloys, particularly in the family Ni\(_2\)MnZ (Z \(=\) Ga, In, Sn and Sb) and nearby compositions, often exhibit martensitic phase transformation from a high-temperature cubic (L2\(_1\)) structure to a low-temperature, low-symmetry martensitic phase. These transformations are commonly accompanied by a change in magnetic ordering, due to the sensitivity of spin interactions to the change in interatomic distances and local symmetry. Various forms of energy can be made to interconvert during this multiferroic phase transformation. A particularly interesting family of alloys for this purpose is Ni\(_{50 - x}\)Co\(_x\)Mn\(_{25-y}\)Z\(_{y}\) (Z \(=\) Ga, In, Sn and Sb). Over a small compositional range, the phase transformation in these alloys is accompanied by a large change in magnetization—up to 1.2 MA/m (1200 emu/cm\(^3\)) in Ni\(_{45}\)Co\(_5\)Mn\(_{40}\)Sn\(_{10}\). In such materials it is possible to design an energy conversion device that directly converts heat to electricity using Faraday’s law of induction and cyclic phase transformation. Both the efficiency and work output per volume of such an energy conversion device are significantly affected by the size of the hysteresis , which is however tunable in these systems. A thermodynamic theory for such a energy conversion method is presented based on a free energy function that includes contributions from phase transformation and magnetism. Material constants in the free energy functions are determined by magnetic and calorimetric measurements. We give the estimates of efficiency and power output in terms of material constants, design parameters and working conditions for this energy conversion method. The first-order nature of the phase transformation, leading to an effect of magnetic field on transformation temperature and a mixed-phase region, play a critical role for the effectiveness of these methods.
Expressiveness, simplicity, and users

I have worked on several different language design and optimizing compiler projects, and I am often surprised by which ideas turn out to be the most successful. Oftentimes it is the simplest ideas that seem to get the most traction in the larger research or user community and therefore have the greatest impact. Ideas I might consider the most sophisticated and advanced can be challenging to communicate, leading to less influence and adoption. This effect is particularly pronounced when seeking to gain adoption among actual users, as opposed to other researchers. In this talk I will discuss examples of the tradeoffs among sophistication, simplicity, and impact in my previous research work in academia and in my current work at Google.
The Ordinary is Extraordinary; The Wonder of the Mundane Physical World

Philip Kitcher and other secular naturalists assert that we have a problem-free concept of the "mundane physical world" and use the idea of our familiar material world to critique those who recognize a transcendent reality as in theism. It is argued that the naturalist's concept of the world faces problems involving the primacy of the mental, normativity, sensations and consciousness, and contemporary science. A closing section suggests, contra secular naturalism, that our experience of the mundane world can be suffused with a sense of the transcendent, as we find in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. This conclusion is supported by reference to other work.
Blueberry necrotic ring blotch virus in Southern Highbush Blueberry: Insights into In Planta and In-Field Movement

Blueberry necrotic ring blotch virus (BNRBV) causes an emerging disease of southern highbush blueberry (SHB) in the southeastern United States. Disease incidence and severity vary considerably from year to year within the same planting. Experiments were conducted to determine how the virus spreads in the field. Leaf tissue from symptomatic field plants tested positive for BNRBV in 2011, whereas the same plants were asymptomatic in 2012 and tested negative for the virus. Symptomatic and asymptomatic leaves from individual shoots were tested for the presence of the virus, and symptomatic leaves tested positive (100%), whereas 65.4% of the asymptomatic leaves from the same shoots tested negative. Leaves were selected in which half the leaf blade was symptomatic and the other half was not; symptomatic leaf halves tested positive (100%), whereas 76.0% of the asymptomatic halves from the same leaf tested negative for the virus. When virus-free, potted trap plants were interspersed in the field among established...
Glyptal--a useful slide ringing compound.

Aqueous media such as Berlese's, Hoyer's, glycerine jelly, and polyvinyl alcohol have been used for years as mountants for slide preparations of biological specimens. Although these media are easy to use and have good refractive indices, they are not durable. Most such media exchange water readily—they pick up moisture when the humidity is high and loose it when the humidity is low. This exchange of moisture may be so great that during periods of high humidity the coverslips will “float” on the mounting medium. Thus, when the slide is tilted, the coverslip may slip out of position damaging the specimen. Moisture loss during periods of low humidity may shrink the medium under the coverslip. The damage to the preparation by the exchanges of moisture may be sufficient that the specimen must eventually be remounted. Remounting is a critical problem, especially with type specimens.
OXIDATIVE RATES AND PHOSPHORYLATION IN SARCOSOMES FROM EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED FAILING RAT HEART.

SummaryAbdominal aortic constriction was used to induce cardiac hypertrophy in the rat. Sarcosomes isolated from these hearts had significantly lower respiratory rates. The % decrease in Qo2 was 34%, 26%, 32% and 25% with α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, succinate and malate respectively. With these substrates in the same order the efficiency of phosphorylation was also significantly decreased by 15%, 12%, 26% and 12%.
Clinical Pharmacy Nephrology Practice in the Outpatient Dialysis Center

Outpatient dialysis centers are a prime environment for clinical pharmacy intervention. Opportunity abounds for patient outcome-focused intervention such as intensive compliance counseling, drug-interaction screening, evaluation and interpretation of drug level assays, teaching (staff, physicians, patients), and enhanced overall medication management. Nephrology pharmacy is a relatively underdeveloped specialty practice, with clinical pharmacy practice in outpatient dialysis centers comprising a very small segment of that practice. There are many topics of concern that show a need for further evolution of this practice: polypharmacy, patient compliance, expensive medications (ie, recombinant human erythropoietin [rHuE-PO]), and Medicare End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program reimbursement constraints. In this report the origin and current status of the pharmacy nephrology service at St. Joseph Hospital and Health Care Center in Tacoma, WA is described.
An agent-based test bed for building controls

This paper presents the design, deployment, and initial testing of an agent-based test bed to support a wide range of experiments and demonstrations of advanced control of building systems for energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and reliable interaction with the electric power grid. The test bed possesses the following major characteristics: 1) it supports interactions among heterogeneous components and systems; 2) it can be easily reconfigured to test, validate, and demonstrate different control methodologies ranging from fully centralized to completely distributed control architectures; 3) it provides an option to choose the communication protocols/mediums and the location of agents for managing the distribution of computation resources; and 4) it is an integrated part of a larger test bed that includes distributed renewable generation, energy storage, power systems, and peer buildings. Some of these features are demonstrated using two experiments on a real building HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) system, which is a part of the test bed. Both experiments focus on control for buildings-grid integration applications. In the first experiment, several distributed control agents coordinate with one another to limit the fan power consumption of an air-handling unit (AHU). In the second experiment, a centralized controller tracks the total AHU fan power to a predefined profile.
The Divine Handiwork: Evolution and the Wonder of Life

The title derives from the 16th-century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who at the end of his wonderful cosmological chapter exclaimed, “So vast, without any question, is the divine handiwork of the almighty Creator.” But Copernicus scarcely had a clue about the true vastness of the heavens, something that has become understood only in the 20th century. And this change from the closed world of the middle ages to the near infinite universe of today has forced a change in the way we look at our sacred scriptures, and in particular the book of Genesis with its vivid story of Adam and Eve. The story the tree of good and evil is a powerful metaphor about the origin of conscience and becoming human. With the understanding of right and wrong comes responsibility, and the ability to make wrong choices. What is important is to see the Bible taking as its starting point the emergence of our humanness, the origin of humanity. If we keep this as a central issue in our understanding of why we are special in the cosmos, then we should have no trouble in accepting evolution as a major explanatory scheme in comprehending the natural world.
Multitaper estimation over multiresolution subspaces

We apply the multitaper spectral estimation method over multiresolution subspaces to analyze nonstationary data. We define a measure of stationarity continuous between 0 and 1 and use it to show that multiresolution subspace projections of a process rank closer to being stationary than the original process. Our measure is based on the ratio of the energy of the power spectral density S(f, upsi) in the neighborhood of the f = - upsiline to the total energy as a measure to "stationarize" a process. We show that the increase in stationarity is a function of the wavelet transformation, or restriction of the process to a multiresolution subspace, rather than the process itself. We show results of the application to acoustic signals generated by an airplane in the landing process
Value of intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity and quantitative [18F]-FDG PET parameters in predicting outcome for patients with primary oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

578 Objectives To evaluate the value of using intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity and quantitative FDG-PET imaging parameters in predicting outcome for patients with primary oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC). Methods This is an IRB-approved, HIPPA-compliant retrospective study investigating 101 patients (mean age 59±9 yo) with HPV (+) OPSCC. Maximum and peak standardized uptake value (SUVmax, SUVpeak), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured for each primary head and neck tumor and for metastatic lymph node sites. Intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity was calculated as the area under a Cumulative SUV-volume Histograms curve (AUC-CSH), using gradient segmentation method, with lower AUC corresponding to higher degrees of heterogeneity. The median follow-up time was 40.4 months (range 2-143 months). Outcome endpoint was event-free survival (EFS), including recurrence-free and overall survival. Kaplan-Meier survival plots and Cox regression analyses were performed. Results Of the 101 patients included in the study, 18 patients relapsed, and 10 deceased during the study period. Univariate analysis demonstrated that optimum SUVmax (p=0.001), total MTV (p=0.003) and total TLG (p=0.034) were associated with EFS, and remained significant in multivariate analysis; HR=5.1, 95%CI: 2.0-12.9 for SUVmax, and HR= 2.8, 95%CI: 1.4-5.9 for MTV. There was no association between AUC-CSH index and EFS (p=0.08). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using optimum cut point of 16.7 SUVmax and 12.7 ml for MTV were significant predictors of EFS. However, by stratifying MTV and AUC-CSH index in four subgroups, patients with higher degree of intratumoral heterogeneity and higher MTV values were associated with worse outcome (log-rank p=0.026). Conclusions Quantitative FDG-PET parameters, such as SUVmax, and MTV, and integrated subgroup stratification of MTV with intratumoral heterogeneity index (AUC-CHS) appear to provide prognostic information for patients with primary OPSCC patients.
Distinct unfolded protein responses mitigate or mediate effects of nonlethal deprivation of C. elegans sleep in different tissues

Disrupting sleep during development leads to lasting deficits in chordates and arthropods. To address lasting impacts of sleep deprivation in Caenorhabditis elegans, we established a nonlethal deprivation protocol. Deprivation triggered protective insulin-like signaling and two unfolded protein responses (UPRs): the mitochondrial (UPRmt) and the endoplasmic reticulum (UPRER) responses. While the latter is known to be triggered by sleep deprivation in rodent and insect brains, the former was not strongly associated with sleep deprivation previously. We show that deprivation results in a feeding defect when the UPRmt is deficient and in UPRER-dependent germ cell apoptosis. In addition, when the UPRER is deficient, deprivation causes excess twitching in vulval muscles, mirroring a trend caused by loss of egg-laying command neurons. These data show that nonlethal deprivation of C. elegans sleep causes proteotoxic stress. Unless mitigated, distinct types of deprivation-induced proteotoxicity can lead to anatomically and genetically separable lasting defects. The relative importance of different UPRs post-deprivation likely reflects functional, developmental, and genetic differences between the respective tissues and circuits.
Spiritualism and Scholarship

“Spiritualism and Scholarship” provides background on the nineteenth-century New Religious Movement of Spiritualism and argues that the Seybert Report is a significant historical artifact because—in the United States—it documented the first of a series of institutionally sanctioned academic investigations into psi, which have raised questions about how we define and perform science in the academy, as well as how we determine the legitimacy of various branches of academic research.
Divided We Fall: How Ratios Undermine Strategy Research

Using ratios complicates the interpretation of statistical results. Despite scholars’ previous admonitions regarding this practice, the use of ratios in strategy research persists. In this study, w...
Small GTPase RIT1 in Mouse Retina; Cellular and Functional Analysis.

Purpose: Ras-like without CAAX 1 (RIT1/Rit) is a member of the Ras subfamily of small GTP-binding proteins with documented roles in regulating neuronal function, including contributions to neurotrophin signaling, neuronal survival, and neurogenesis. The aim of the study was to (1) examine the expression of RIT1 protein in mouse retina and retinal cell types and (2) determine whether RIT1 contributes to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival and synaptic stability following excitotoxic stress. Materials and methods: Gene expression and immunohistochemical analysis were used to examine RIT1 expression in the mouse retina. Primary RGC and Muller glia cultures were used to validate novel RIT1 lentiviral RNAi silencing reagents, and to demonstrate that RIT1 loss does not alter RGC morphology. Finally, in vitro glutamate exposure identified a role for RIT1 in the adaptation of RGCs to excitotoxic stress. Results: Gene expression analysis and immunohistochemical studies in whole eyes and primary cell culture demonstrate RIT1 expression throughout the retina, including Muller glia and RGCs. While genetic RIT1 knockout (RIT1-KO) does not affect gross retinal anatomy, including the thickness of constituent retinal layers or RGC cell numbers, RNAi-mediated RIT1 silencing results in increased RGC death and synaptic loss following exposure to excitotoxic stress. Conclusions: RIT1 is widely expressed in the murine retina, including both Muller glia and RGCs. While genetic deletion of RIT1 does not result in gross retinal abnormalities, these studies identify a novel role for RIT1 in the adaptation of RGC to excitotoxic stress, with RIT1 promoting both neuronal survival and the retention of PSD-95+ synapses.
Intact connecting filaments change length in 2.3-nm quanta

In isolated titin molecules, length changes may occur in discrete steps (Tskhovrebova et al., 1997; Rief et al., 1997). The extent to which such steps are preserved in the intact muscle-filament lattice has remained unclear. We carried out experiments on single isolated insect-flight-muscle myofibrils in which thin filaments had been functionally removed either by stretch beyond overlap or by a “rigor-stretch” protocol, leaving the connecting (titin) filaments as the sole length-absorbing agent. The myofibril was released or stretched by a motor in ramp-like fashion. The time course of length change in the single sarcomere was stepwise. The same was true for half-sarcomere lengths. The presence of steps at the sarcomere level implies that parallel filaments step synchronously, with high cooperativity. Step sizes showed a consistent distribution: The smallest size was ~2.3 nm, and others were integer multiples of that value. Similar results were found for stretch and release. To our knowledge, the ~2.3-nm step quantum is the smallest consistent biomechanical event ever demonstrated. This quantum is an order of magnitude smaller than anticipated from the folding/unfolding of a complete Ig- or fibronectin-like domain, and may imply that folding occurs in sub-domain increments. The 2.3-nm incremental length change corresponds to a single turn of the domains’ beta sheet.
Cognition: Cerebellum Role

Evidence that the cerebellum is not purely devoted to motor control comes from neuroimaging studies of healthy individuals and from neuropsychological testing of patients with disorders that affect the cerebellum. Data suggest that the cerebellum contributes to cognitive processes, including executive function. Specific cerebellar contributions to cognition are not well understood. However, operations of closed cerebro-cerebellar loops likely provide the means by which the cerebellum supports a range of essential functions, from the coordination of basic motor execution to the synchronization of higher order planning and executive control.
Saline-saturated Balsa Wood as a Testing Medium for Rotational Electrical Impedance Myography

Rotational electrical impedance myography (EIM) is an impedance method for assessing the anisotropic character of muscle. Work to date suggests that muscle anisotropy changes in neuromuscular disease states, and rotational EIM may be a useful approach to evaluating such alterations. We are currently in the process of developing an impedance measuring system for this purpose and require a durable testing medium that provides consistent anisotropy and that would be easy to use in a non-medical facility where human subjects are not available for testing. Wood is well known to have anisotropic characteristics, and thus, we have chosen saline saturated balsa wood for study. A 12.7 X 12.7 X 0.6 cm piece of solid balsa wood was soaked in saline for 18 days, during and after which multifrequency impedance measurements were made at 0° and 90° relative to the grain direction. The wood demonstrated dramatic reductions in resistance and reactance for both orientations over the period, with values stabilizing after about 1 week. In particular, anisotropy persisted even with prolonged soaking, reactance and resistance values being lower for currents parallel to the grain than orthogonal to it.
Anomaly detection of masquerders based upon typing biometrics and probabilistic neural network

This paper investigates a new method to more effectively detect anomaly intrusions from masqueraders. Typing biometrics of keystroke patterns from users are collected and used as the normal behavior profiles. The supervised learning probabilistic neural network (PNN) is used for the classification of data as from a normal user or from a masquerader. Experimental show the good results with a high rate of successful detection of masqueraders and a low false alarm rate.
PREGNANCY OUTCOMES IN WOMEN WITH D-TRANSPOSITION OF THE GREAT ARTERIES AFTER ATRIAL SWITCH

Pregnancy with d-Transposition of the Great Arteries (d-TGA) after a Mustard or Senning procedure present unique challenges secondary to a systemic right ventricle. Single-center, retrospective analysis of 23 women with 56 pregnancies from 1981-2018, with d-TGA after atrial switch. Of 56
Managing Software Development Projects for Success: Aligning Plan- and Agility-Based Approaches to Project Complexity and Project Dynamism:

In general, project complexity and project dynamism are recognized as potent characteristics that influence, usually in a negative way, the outcome of software development projects. However, with r...
[HS1331] Biology and Management of Pusley (Richardia L.) in Tomato, Pepper, Cucurbit, and Strawberry Production

Four species of pusley (Richardia L.) are widespread and common weeds in Florida vegetable and strawberry production. We refer to the native plant Richardia scabra L. as Florida pusley. This discrimination is necessary because these species are often referred to collectively as Florida pusley due to overlapping distributions, similar growth habits and leaf morphologies, and difficulty identifying without the presence of fruit. This new 6-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department describes the different pusley species and provides management options for strawberry, pepper, cucurbits, and tomato. Written by Shaun M. Sharpe, Nathan S. Boyd, Chris Marble, and Shawn Steed. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1331
LPA and APOE are associated with statin selection in the UK Biobank

Abstract Genetics plays a key role in drug response, affecting efficacy and toxicity. Pharmacogenomics aims to understand how genetic variation influences drug response and develop clinical guidelines to aid clinicians in personalized treatment decisions informed by genetics. Although pharmacogenomics has not been broadly adopted into clinical practice, genetics influences treatment decisions regardless. Physicians adjust patient care based on observed response to medication, which may occur as a result of genetic variants harbored by the patient. Here we seek to understand the genetics of drug selection in statin therapy, a class of drugs widely used for high cholesterol treatment. Genetics are known to play an important role in statin efficacy and toxicity, leading to significant changes in patient outcome. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on statin selection among 59,198 participants in the UK Biobank and found that variants known to influence statin efficacy are significantly associated with statin selection. Specifically, we find that carriers of variants in APOE and LPA that are known to decrease efficacy of treatment are more likely to be on atorvastatin, a stronger statin. Additionally, carriers of the APOE and LPA variants are more likely to be on a higher intensity dose (a dose that reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by greater than 40%) of atorvastatin than non-carriers (APOE: p(high intensity) = 0.16, OR = 1.7, P = 1.64 × 10−4, LPA: p(high intensity) = 0.17, OR = 1.4, P = 1.14 × 10−2). These findings represent the largest genetic association study of statin selection and statin dose association to date and provide evidence for the role of LPA and APOE in statin response, furthering the possibility of personalized statin therapy.
Universal Impacts of Local Electric Fields on the Projected Dielectric Lifetime

Time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) of various device architectures was found to depend on bias polarity that modulates local electric fields enhanced by interface roughness. If the electrode with interface roughness is biased into accumulation, it consistently results in a higher acceleration parameter $(\gamma)$ and in most cases a smaller Weibull slope $(\beta)$ of the E-model. This introduces error to the projected dielectric lifetime. Two-dimensional (2D) simulations were conducted to evaluate the peak electric field under various degrees of interface roughness and several applied voltages. The results show that the distribution of the peak electric field widens as the field strength increases. This offers a qualitative insight into the observed trend of $\gamma$ and $\beta$ according to the biasing conditions.
Reflections on the IEA Civic Education Study in the United States: Policies, People, and Research

In this chapter, the national research coordinator for the United States (US) in IEA’s 1999 Civic Education Study (CIVED) reflects on US participation in that study and its legacy, especially in light of the fact that the US did not participate in the later ICCS studies. She describes decisions related to the qualitative research methods used in Phase I of CIVED, as well as findings from it. The main findings from the quantitative Phase II of the study, which revealed US students’ civic knowledge, attitudes, and experiences in 1999, are described. Policy documents, publications, and subsequent research in the US informed by findings from CIVED are discussed. There were extensive contributions to civic education research both nationally and internationally from scholars who participated in CIVED and by other scholars who have expanded research on themes identified in that study during the ensuing two decades.