cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-projection bioluminescence tomography guided system for small animal radiation research platform (SARRP)

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is limited in guiding irradiation for soft tissue targets. As a complementary imaging modality, bioluminescence tomography (BLT) provides strong soft tissue contrast. We developed a dual-use BLT system which consists of an optical assembly, a mobile cart and an independent mouse bed. The system is motorized which can easily dock onto an independent mouse bed operating as a standalone system for longitudinal bioluminescence imaging (BLI)/BLT studies and also dock onto the SARRP for on-line radiation guidance. Our initial tests for the system demonstrate that (i) the imaging depth is 28 mm, (ii) the optical background is sufficiently low and uniform, (iii) the non-uniform response of the optical imaging can be corrected by the flat field correction, and (iv) the imaging acquisition speed was improved by an average of 3.7 times faster than our previous systems. We also presented a geometry calibration procedure to map the planar BLIs acquired at multi-projections onto the surface of the CBCT image. The CBCT is required to generate the mesh for BLT reconstruction and used for treatment planning and radiation delivery. Feasibility study of the geometry calibration was performed on a manual-docking prototype. The mean and maximum mapping accuracy is 0.3 and 0.6 mm. The performance of the proposed motorized dual-use system is expected to be superior to that of the manual-docking prototype because of the mechanism stability. We anticipate the dual-use system as a highly efficient and cost-effective platform to facilitate optical imaging for preclinical radiation research.
Case-Based, Model-Based, and Explanation-Based Styles of Reasoning in Foreign Policy

This article uses two types of experiments to examine the kinds of reasoning people use when thinking about foreign policy. Case-based, explanation-based, and model-based reasoning are offered as an appropriate taxonomy of reasoning styles, and laboratory experiments are the vehicle for empirical analysis. The first experiment uses a thought checking methodology. When combining over all subjects and scenarios in that experiment, explanation-based reasoning emerges as dominant, with the other two occurring with roughly equal probability. Case-based reasoning comes in second for general life scenarios and model-based reasoning comes in second for the international politics scenarios. The dominant role of explanation-based reasoning becomes even stronger for more expert respondents (graduate students in political science), and is not significantly diminished for respondents trained in the case method of instruction. The predominance of explanation-based thoughts over case-based and model-based thoughts is replicated, and even accentuated, in a second experiment involving a protocol analysis of unconstrained thoughts. The results of both types of experiments indicate that scholars concentrating on decision making would be remiss to represent reasoning processes as exclusively case or model or even explanation based. Reasoning in the area of foreign policy seems to be slightly more explanation based, but exhibits characteristics of each of the three modes of reasoning.
Educational optical network simulation tool for a broadband networks course

In recent years we have seen explosive development of networks due to the tremendous growth of users, traffic and bandwidth requirements. New technologies and improvements have been introduced at the fast rate to keep up with the ever growing demand on speed, reliability and security. One of the advanced technologies being successfully introduced is optical networks. This technology is rapidly expanding and is becoming available to businesses and private homes. The development and impact of optical networks has reached the stage which requires introduction of broadband communication courses into the Computer Sciences curricula. The goal of this paper is to introduce the optical network simulation tool that would aid teaching and learning of optical networking technology. The software is interactively built and it incorporates all main components needed for a successful communication in networks. The tool can be used in both undergraduate and graduate courses; however, so far it has been introduced only to master level graduate students. Students' feedback has been positive and we feel that it has contributed to the increased success in the class.
Neurologic Complications of Cardiac Transplantation

The neurologic evaluation of an individual cardiac transplant recipient often does not lead to a succinct bedside diagnosis. There are few consistent clinical observations. The onset of seizures in the early postoperative period is associated with embolic cerebral infarction. Seizures occur most commonly, however, as a neurotoxic manifestation of cyclosporine. The onset of an acute delirium or psychosis in the first week after cardiac transplantation usually has multiple causative factors and is reversible. A postoperative brachial plexopathy or mononeuropathy can be identified with a neurologic examination, confirmed by appropriate electrophysiologic testing and is usually reversible. The onset of periorbital inflammation, ophthalmoplegia, and nasal turbinate or sinus invasion and necrosis is consistent with phycomycosis. Most patients, however, present with nonspecific findings of impaired mentation with or without focal neurologic signs. These patients require a fairly systematic search for potentially treatable neurologic complications (see Table 3). In a medically stable patient an aggressive diagnostic approach, at times including stereotaxic brain aspirate or biopsy, is indicated. In the severely ill patient with multiple organ failure, empirical therapy for the most probable treatable disorder is justified.
Comparison between Manual and Computer-Assisted Measurements of Hallux Valgus Parameters:

Background:The aim of this study was to determine if there are intraobserver and interobserver differences in reliability when measuring hallux valgus angles (HVA), 1–2 intermetatarsal angles (IMA), and distal metatarsal articular angles (DMAA) manually compared to computerassisted means. Our hypothesis was that the measurements taken by computer-assisted methods of these three forefoot angles would be superior in consistency and accuracy compared to manual measurements.Methods:Four examiners studied 20 weightbearing anteroposterior radiographs of patients with hallux valgus. Manual measurements were taken on photographic prints using a goniometer and a fine point pen. Computer-assisted measurements were taken on digitized images using computer software. Three sets of measurements by both of these methods were taken 1 week apart.Results:There was no statistically significant difference between digital and manual measurements for any of the three angles measured (p.05). However, the reliability of measurem...
Shape and size controlled synthesis of uniform iron oxide nanocrystals through new non-hydrolytic routes

New, non-hydrolytic routes to synthesize highly crystalline iron oxide nanocrystals (8-40 nm, magnetite) are described in this report whereby particle size and morphology were precisely controlled through reactant (precursor, e.g. (FeO(OH)) ratios, co-surfactant and organic additive, and/or reaction time. Particle size, with high monodispersivity (<10%), is demonstrated to be a function of precursor concentrations and through the addition of different cosurfactants and/or additives, cubic, octahedral, potato-like, and flower-like iron oxide nanocrystals can be reproducibly synthesized through simple one-pot thermal decomposition methods. High resolution transmission electron microscope, x-ray diffraction, and superconducting quantum interference device were used to characterize the size, structure and magnetic properties of the resulting nanocrystals. For aqueous applications, materials synthesized/purified in organic solvents are broadly water dispersible through a variety of phase (aqueous) transfer method(s).
Dust devils in thin air: Vortex observations at a high‐elevation Mars analog site in the Argentinian Puna

We report in situ measurements and field observations of dust devils at ~3800–4200 m elevation in the Argentine desert plateau (Puna). These first quantitative data at elevations where the ambient atmospheric pressure is only ~600–700 mbar support the notion that large and strong dust devils may be systematically more common in low-pressure conditions, although regional meteorology and/or surface thermophysical properties may also contribute.
Enantioselective Syntheses of Lignin Models: An Efficient Synthesis of β-O-4 Dimers and Trimers by Using the Evans Chiral Auxiliary.

We describe an efficient five-step, enantioselective synthesis of (R,R)- and (S,S)-lignin dimer models possessing a β-O-4 linkage, by using the Evans chiral aldol reaction as a key step. Mitsunobu inversion of the (R,R)- or (S,S)-isomers generates the corresponding (R,S)- and (S,R)-diastereomers. We further extend this approach to the enantioselective synthesis of a lignin trimer model. These lignin models are synthesized with excellent ee (>99 %) and high overall yields. The lignin dimer models can be scaled up to provide multigram quantities that are not attainable by using previous methodologies. These lignin models will be useful in degradation studies probing the selectivity of enzymatic, microbial, and chemical processes that deconstruct lignin.
Temperature is better than precipitation as a predictor of plant community assembly across a dryland region

Question How closely do plant communities track climate? Research suggests that plant species converge toward similar environmental tolerances relative to the environments that they experience. Whether these patterns apply to severe environments or scale up to plant community-level patterns of relative climatic tolerances is poorly understood. Using estimates of species' climatic tolerances acquired from occurrence records, we determined the contributions of individual species' climatic niche breadths and environmental filtering to the relationships between community-average climatic tolerances and the local climates experienced by those communities. Location Southwestern United States drylands. Methods Interspecific variation in niche breadth was assessed as a function of species' climatic optima (median climatic niche value). The relationships between climatic optima and tolerances were used as null expectations for the relationship between abundance-weighted mean climatic tolerances of communities and the local climate of that community. Deviations from this null expectation indicate that species with greater or lesser climatic tolerances are favoured relative to co-occurring species. The intensity of environmental filtering was estimated by comparing the range of climatic tolerances within each community to a null distribution generated from a random assembly algorithm. Results The temperature niches of species were consistently symmetrical and of similar breadths, regardless of their temperature optima. In contrast, precipitation niches were skewed toward wetter conditions, and niche breadth increased with increasing precipitation optima. At the community level, relationships with climate were much stronger for temperature than for precipitation. Furthermore, cold and heat were stronger assembly filters than drought or precipitation, with the intensity of environmental filtering increasing at both ends of climatic gradients. Community-average climatic tolerances did deviate significantly from null expectations, indicating that species with higher or lower relative climatic tolerances were favoured under certain conditions. Conclusions Despite strong water limitation of plant performance in dryland ecosystems, communities tracked variation in temperature much more closely, intimating strong responses to anticipated temperature increases. Furthermore, abundance distributions were biased toward species with higher or lower relative climatic tolerances under different climatic conditions, but predictably so, indicating the need for assembly models that include processes other than simple environmental filtering.
Fracture toughness, fatigue crack propagation and creep rupture behaviour in thick section weldments of 3Cr-Mo pressurevessel steels developed for high-temperature/high-pressure hydrogen service

AbstractFracture toughness, fatigue crack propagation and creep rupture properties have been examined in parent plate, weld metal and heat affected zone regions of thick section, commercial size weldments of a 3Cr-11/2Mo-1/2Ni pressure vessel steel, newly developed for improved performance in hydrogen and coal conversion environments. Mechanical tests were performed on the steel, both before and after prolonged (WOO h) exposure to hightemperature/ high-pressure gaseous hydrogen, and results compared to similar data obtained on another 3Cr-lMo 1/4V-Ti-B steel developed by the Japan Steel Works for coal conversion applications. Both plane-strain fracture toughness and creep rupture lives were found to be relatively unchanged in the weldment microstructures compared with parent plate, and they were affected little by environmental damage (hydrogen attack) induced by the prior hydrogen exposure. Creep properties, however, were found to be sensitive to post-weld heat treatment. Similarly, fatigue crack growth ...
Molecular Mechanisms That Underlie the Dynamic Adaptation of Innate Monocyte Memory to Varying Stimulant Strength of TLR Ligands.

In adaptation to rising stimulant strength, innate monocytes can be dynamically programmed to preferentially express either pro- or anti-inflammatory mediators. Such dynamic innate adaptation or programming may bear profound relevance in host health and disease. However, molecular mechanisms that govern innate adaptation to varying strength of stimulants are not well understood. Using lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the model stimulant of Toll-Like-Receptor 4 (TLR4), we reported that the expressions of pro-inflammatory mediators are preferentially sustained in monocytes adapted by lower doses of LPS, and suppressed/tolerized in monocytes adapted by higher doses of LPS. Mechanistically, monocytes adapted by super-low dose LPS exhibited higher levels of transcription factor IRF5 and reduced levels of transcriptional modulator BLIMP-1. Intriguingly, the inflammatory monocyte adaptation by super-low dose LPS is dependent upon TRAM/TRIF but not MyD88. Similar to LPS, we also observed biphasic inflammatory adaptation and tolerance in monocytes challenged with varying dosages of TLR7 agonist. In sharp contrast, rising doses of TLR3 agonist preferentially caused inflammatory adaptation without inducing tolerance. At the molecular level, the differential regulation of IRF5 and Blimp-1 coincides with unique monocyte adaptation dynamics by TLR4/7 and TLR3 agonists. Our study provides novel clue toward the understanding of monocyte adaptation and memory toward distinct TLR ligands.
Laryngeal Afferent Activity and its Role in the Control of Breathing

The afferent activity emerging from the larynx travels through the superior laryngeal nerve and the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Recording whole nerve activity from the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve, the pathway which carries most of the laryngeal afferent information, reveals a clear respiratory-related activity. This respiratory modulation is related to changes in transmural pressure, activity of laryngeal muscles, pulling on the larynx due to the respiratory movements of the trachea and changes in temperature.
Strengthening of Reinforced-Concrete Beams in Shear with a Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix

AbstractThe development and advancement of cement-based composites has shown promise in recent years. It is important to examine new materials and technologies so that they can satisfy the ever-cha...
Non-Equilibrium Green's Function Based Circuit Models for Coherent Spin Devices

With recent developments in spintronics, it is now possible to envision “spin-driven” devices with magnets and interconnects that require a new class of transport models using generalized Fermi functions and currents, each with four components: one for charge and three for spin. The corresponding impedance elements are not pure numbers but $\text{4}\times \text{4}$ matrices. Starting from the Non-Equilibrium Green's Function formalism in the elastic, phase-coherent transport regime, we develop spin generalized Landauer-Buttiker formulas involving such $\text{4}\times \text{4}$ conductances, for multi-terminal devices in the presence of normal-metal leads. In addition to usual “terminal” conductances describing currents at the contacts, we provide “spin-transfer torque” conductances describing the spin currents absorbed by ferromagnetic regions inside the conductor, specifying both of these currents in terms of Fermi functions at the terminals. We derive universal sum rules and reciprocity relations that would be obeyed by such matrix conductances. Finally, we apply our formulation to two example Hamiltonians describing the Rashba and the Hanle effect in two-dimensional. Our results allow the use of pure quantum transport models as building blocks in constructing circuit models for complex spintronic and nano-magnetic structures and devices for simulation in SPICE-like simulators.
Can Macula and Optic Nerve Head Parameters Detect Glaucoma Progression in Eyes with Advanced Circumpapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Damage

Purpose To evaluate the ability of OCT optic nerve head (ONH) and macular parameters to detect disease progression in eyes with advanced structural glaucomatous damage of the circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cRNFL). Design Longitudinal study. Participants Forty-four eyes from 37 patients with advanced average cRNFL damage (≤60 μm) followed up for an average of 4.0 years. Methods All patients were examined with spectral-domain OCT and visual field (VF) assessment during at least 4 visits. Main Outcome Measurements Visual field mean deviation (MD) and VF index. OCT cRNFL (average, superior, and inferior quadrants), ganglion cell–inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) (average, superior, and inferior), rim area, cup volume, average cup-to-disc (C:D) ratio, and vertical C:D ratio. Results At baseline, patients had a median VF MD of –10.18 dB and mean cRNFL of 54.55±3.42 μm. The rate of change for MD and VF index were significant. No significant rate of change was noted for cRNFL, whereas significant (P Conclusions Macula GCIPL and ONH parameters may be useful in tracking progression in patients with advanced glaucoma.
The Free Origin of Political Form: From the Principle of Law to the Discord of Principles

The single most important factor that blocks Machiavelli’s thesis of the historical construction of political form from view is the misunderstanding of his concept of political freedom. Machiavelli expounds a conception of political freedom that is anti-foundational and anti-authoritarian. The historicity of the political form is but a consequence of such a conception of freedom. For Machiavelli, political freedom is defined by its power or capacity to transcend the domain of political form: freedom cannot be realized, without thereby losing itself, by the sovereign rule of laws, by the integral state, or by the well-founded order. As a consequence, the transcendence of political freedom expresses itself in the de-realization of political form, or in the withdrawal of its foundations. But the de-realization of form can only belong to the domain of the event. The transcendence of political freedom with respect to political form expresses the priority of the event over the form. By positing the origin of political form in the transcendence of political freedom, Machiavelli establishes at the same time the radical historicity of political form.
Privacy-Preserving Power Usage Control in the Smart Grid

In the smart grid, the power usage of households are recorded and analyzed in (near) real time by utility companies. The usage data enables a utility to manage its electric power supply to neighborhoods more efficiently and effectively. For instance, to prevent a power outage during a peak demand period, the utility can determine the power supply threshold for a neighborhood. When the total power usage of the neighborhood exceeds the threshold, certain households in the neighborhood are required to reduce their energy consumption. This type of power usage control benefits electric utilities and their consumers. However, the energy usage data collected by a utility can also be used to profile an individual’s daily activities – a potentially serious breach of personal privacy. To address the problem, this paper specifies distributed, privacy-preserving energy usage control protocols that enable utilities to efficiently manage power distribution while ensuring that individual power usage data is not revealed.
Modeling and Analyzing Cyber Physical Systems Using High Level Petri Nets

Cyber physical systems (CPSs) are pervasive in our daily life from mobile phones to auto driving cars. This paper presents an approach for modeling and analyzing cyber physical systems using high level Petri nets. We provide several patterns for modeling various behavioral features including discrete, continuous, synchronous, and real-time. Our modeling approach starts with modeling individual system components as agent nets using the patterns, and then weaving the agent nets incrementally using the aspect-oriented idea to obtain an overall system net. The approach is introduced and discussed through an airplane fuel tank system and is applied to an airplane landing detection controlling system in the case study section. Three complementary analysis techniques including simulation, reachability analysis, and model checking are used for analyzing high level Petri net models. Our approach is supported with a tool chain for model construction and analysis.
Abstract WP326: Fever Promotes Worse Outcomes in Reperfused Patients Irrespective of Febrile Duration

Introduction: Fever following acute ischemic stroke (AIS) promotes greater consumption of ischemic penumbra despite reperfusion; however, the influence of timing of onset and duration of fever remains unexplored. We assessed the impact of such temporal features on infarct growth and clinical outcome in AIS, hypothesizing a dose-dependent negative response to sustained fever. Methods: Retrospective study of AIS patients presenting with proximal large vessel occlusion within 12h of onset, and achieving reperfusion (mTICI 2b/3). Pretreatment CTP was obtained in all subjects in a fully automated environment (RAPID) for segmentation of ischemic core and penumbral mismatch volumes. Final infarct volumes (FIV) were measured by DWI, and relative infarct growth (RIG) computed as (FIV-CTPcore/CTPmismatch). Systemic temperatures were obtained up to q15 minutes from presentation to DWI. Fever (>37.5) onset and duration were documented. Pearson’s correlation and linear and logistic regressions tested the association o...
Abstract TP176: Risk Perception in a Multi-ethnic Cohort of Stroke Survivors

Introduction: Accurate risk perception is critical for secondary prevention of stroke. Few studies have focused on perceived risk of a recurrent stroke among stroke survivors in a diverse populatio...
Fine-tuning the ubiquitin-proteasome system to treat pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an extremely aggressive lung disease that develops almost exclusively in older individuals, carries a very poor prognosis, and lacks any truly effective therapies. The current conceptual model is that IPF develops because of an age-related decline in the ability of the lung epithelium to regenerate after injury, largely due to death or senescence of epithelial progenitor cells in the distal airways. This loss of regenerative capacity is thought to initiate a chronic and ineffective wound-healing response, characterized by persistent, low-grade lung inflammation and sustained production of collagen and other extracellular matrix materials. Despite recent advances in our understanding of IPF pathobiology, there remains a pressing need to further delineate underlying mechanisms to develop more effective therapies for this disease. In this review, we build the case that many of the manifestations of IPF result from a failure of cells to effectively manage their proteome. We propose that epithelial progenitor cells, as well as immune cells and fibroblasts, become functionally impaired, at least in part, because of an accumulation or a loss in the expression of various crucial proteins. Further, we propose that central to this defect is the dysregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which is the major protein-degradation system in eukaryotic cells. Lastly, borrowing concepts from other fields, we discuss how targeting the UPS system could be employed as a novel treatment for IPF and perhaps for other fibrotic lung diseases as well.
The Impact of Brand Differentiating Messages on the Effectiveness of Korean Advertising

Many U.S. advertisers have long stressed the need to use the advertising message to differentiate a brand from its major competitors. This conventional wisdom has been supported empirically by Stew...
Reduction in oral mucositis severity using a topical vasoconstrictor: A case report of three bone marrow transplant patients.

Background Grade 3 oral mucositis (OM) is historically observed in >90% of bone marrow transplant patients who received the cyclophosphamide + total body irradiation (CY+TBI) conditioning regimen. It was previously shown that orotopically applied adrenergic vasoconstrictor prevented up to 100% of radiation-induced oral mucositis in two preclinical animal models. Methods Adrenergic vasoconstrictor (i.e., phenylephrine in an aqueous-alcohol NG11-1 formulation) was orotopically applied to three patients (ages 24-29) who received the CY+TBI conditioning regimen; they were compared to five matched controls who received no orotopical vasoconstrictor. All patients received the CY+TBI conditioning regimen for acute lymphoblastic leukemia within the University of Wisconsin Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Program. Over the seven-day Cy+TBI conditioning regimen, 20 min before each treatment, either radiation or chemotherapy, vasoconstrictor was applied topically to the oral cavity, and patients then received either 1.5 Gy whole-body radiation or IV cyclophosphamide. Results OM severity was scored over a three-week period using: i) physican assessments, ii) daily photos of the oral cavity, iii) oral pain and oral function score sheets, and iv) recorded narcotic consumption. Both "Grade 3 OM" duration and "any OM" duration in vasoconstrictor-treated patients were substantially lower than for the five control patients. Though nasogastric tube or total parenteral nutrition were used in 3 out of 5 control patients, there was no use of these supportive care measures in the three vasoconstrictor-treated patients. Conclusion Orotopically applied NG11-1 vasoconstrictor formulation substantially reduced the incidence and severity of "Grade 3" and "any" oral mucositis when compared to matched control patients, all of whom received the same CY+TBI conditioning regimen. The liquid orotopical formulation was easily tolerated by patients both in its ease of use and lack of side effects.
Development of a novel wrinkle-structure based SERS substrate for drug detection applications

Abstract A novel wrinkle-structure based surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate was successfully developed for the detection of drugs such as cocaine. The SERS substrate was fabricated by depositing silver nano-particle (Ag-NP) ink, with 150 nm particle size, using gravure printing process on a flexible and stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate. The wrinkle patterned structures, or rough metallic layers, were created by applying varying strains (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) to the TPU substrate before printing Ag-NP. The wrinkle structures increase the number and depth of hotspots on the SERS substrate thus generating larger electromagnetic fields resulting in an enhanced Raman signal intensity. The capability of the printed wrinkled SERS substrate to enhance the Raman spectra of cocaine was investigated. An enhancement factor (EF) of 4 and 6 in the intensity of the Raman signal of cocaine on the wrinkle-structured SERS substrate was observed, when compared to the Raman signal of cocaine on a non-wrinkled SERS substrate and bare TPU substrate, respectively, for analytes with similar concentrations. The results of the wrinkle-structured SERS substrate demonstrated the feasibility of the gravure printed SERS substrate to be used in drug detection applications.
Ethics of minimally invasive spine surgery in an ambulatory surgery center setting

Within the last few decades, there has been a shift in routine spine procedures from the inpatient to outpatient setting. In response to the transition, a surge in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) has closely followed (1). The reason for the movement is considered to be two-fold: (I) the advent of minimally invasive techniques and (II) financial incentives for surgeons to operate and own ASCs.
Cars and Contemporary Communication| When Automobiles are Avacars: A Self-Other-Utility Approach to Cars and Avatars

This article argues that automobiles can be understood as avatars, or avacars, given the inclusive definition of avatars as mediated (not necessarily digital) representations of human users that facilitate interaction with other users, entities, or environments. Building on an understanding of user-avatar relationships, the article argues that automobiles (and avatars in general) serve as self-representations, social others, and/or utilitarian tools in different degrees. Examples of automotive and digital avatars are classified within this Self-Other-Utility (SOU) framework. The article argues that this framework provides a new and valuable approach to understanding the antecedents and consequences of using avatars. Regarding consequences, in the automotive context, the SOU framework could be used to explain how psychological and social factors influence driving habits (i.e., safety), adoption (e.g., of autonomous vehicles), and brand loyalty. A measurement scale to facilitate such research is offered. After presenting some potential limitations to this approach, the article concludes with counterarguments that reaffirm the value and relevance of this new perspective to communication scholarship.
Does autism affect gesturing during parent-child interactions in the early school years?

Abstract Background Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to differ from typically developing (TD) children in their production of gesture, as well as the relationship between gesture and the content of their speech. In this study, we asked whether older children with ASD continue to differ from TD children in the types of gestures and gesture-speech combinations that they produce, and whether these differences reflect differences in parental gesture input. Method Our study examined the gestures and speech produced by 39 early school-age children (17 with ASD, 14 boys; Mage = 7;2, and 22 with TD, 13 boys; Mage = 5;4), comparable in expressive vocabulary, and their parents, during a 10-minute play interaction. Gestures were coded for total amount, gesture type (deictic, conventional, or iconic), and gesture-speech relationship (complementary, disambiguating, or supplementary). Results Children with ASD were similar to TD children in the amount and types of gestures that they produced, but differed in their gesture-speech combinations, using gesture primarily to complement their speech. Parents did not show any group differences in their production of different types of gestures and gesture-speech combinations. There were no correlations between parent and child gesture patterns. Conclusions These findings suggest that differences in children’s gesture use may reflect the child’s own communicative intentions rather than parental input. These finding have important implications in understanding how older children with ASD use gesture in everyday interactive contexts, which can inform intervention or school-based practices to support learning.
LIGO and Science Diplomacy

The discovery of gravitational waves in LIGO captured the imagination of the public, worldwide. Why? The answer is one that is fundamental to the human race. A universal feature that sets humans apart from other living species is our curiosity about nature and the world we live in. Some of this knowledge is self-serving, like how to cope with diseases or how to improve our way of life. However, our curiosity goes well beyond just satisfying needs, as it includes our fascination with the stars, the origin of the universe, or just simply our understanding how things work.
METAGOGY: Towards a Contemporary Adult Education Praxis

Blended Shore Education (BSE), emerged from an international action research project (Strohschen, 2009). BSE originally provided principles for blending practices that interdependently guide teacher and student to implement contextually appropriate education programs within a ‘culturally reflexive consciousness’ (Gergen in Strohschen, 2009, p. x). This chapter presents the Metagogy Theorem in which the research that had resulted in the BSE concept was expanded with a further action research project. We suggest that the emerging Metagogy Theorem offers an essential framework for developing and implementing education programs across cultures, ideologies, nations, content and time.
Aplicación de un programa de educación para la salud en mujeres con dolor crónico de espalda: estudio cuasi-experimental

Antecedentes y objetivo: Existe ya una tradicion, en el ambito clinico, de programas de educacion para la salud dirigidos a pacientes con dolor cronico de espalda. Asi mismo hay evidencia acerca de su impacto en sobre la disminucion del dolor, mejora en la percepcion de autoeficacia y aumento de habilidades de afrontamiento para el manejo del dolor. Este estudio pretende profundizar sobre estos aspectos. Por ello, tiene como proposito analizar la influencia de un programa educativo, dirigido a mujeres mayores de 50 anos con dolor lumbar, dorsal y/o cervical cronico, sobre la percepcion del dolor, percepcion de autoeficacia, mejora de habitos de higiene postural y aumento en el repertorio de habilidades de afrontamiento. Material y metodos: El tipo de diseno utilizado fue Cuasi-experimental antes-despues. La muestra esta compuesta por ocho pacientes del Centro de Atencion Primaria Integral de Salud de Especialidades Colmenar Viejo Sur. Las variables primarias evaluadas fueron el Dolor (EVN), percepcion de la Autoeficacia (Escala de Autoeficacia del dolor cronico), habilidades de Afrontamiento al dolor (Cuestionario de Afrontamiento al dolor -CAD-R) y habitos de Higiene postural (Cuestionario de la Guia para el Cuidado de la Espalda – FREMAP). El programa educativo consto de seis sesiones de hora y cuarto, a razon de 2 sesiones semanales. Los contenidos del mismo incluyeron los apartados de: (1) Conocimiento y Educacion del dolor, (2) Higiene postural, (3) Autoeficacia y (4) Estrategias de Afrontamiento. Resultados: Se obtuvieron cambios significativos en la variable de “Higiene postural”, en la sub-escala “Autoeficacia en el control de sintomas” y en las sub-escalas de “Habilidades de Afrontamiento”, “Autocontrol mental” y “Distraccion”. En cuanto al dolor, no se obtuvieron resultados significativos en ninguno de los parametros evaluados de intensidad, frecuencia y duracion del dolor. Conclusiones: El programa de educacion para la salud aplicado no ha mostrado cambios significativos en la intensidad, frecuencia y duracion del dolor. Sin embargo, si ha mostrado un impacto en el aumento de habilidades de afrontamiento utilizadas, en la percepcion de autoeficacia y en el seguimiento de medidas de higiene postural.
Scaffolding and Support through Information Literacy: Reimagining a Geography of Sport Class Project.

This article presents a technique for interweaving information literacy (IL) into a pre-existing assignment of an introductory general education human geography course. The course, titled Geography...
Ralstonia solanacearum effectors localize to diverse organelles in Solanum hosts.

Phytopathogenic bacteria secrete Type III effector (T3E) proteins directly into host plant cells. T3Es can interact with plant proteins and frequently manipulate plant host physiological or developmental processes. The proper subcellular localization of T3Es is critical for their ability to interact with plant targets, and knowledge of T3E localization can be informative for studies of effector function. Here we investigated the subcellular localization of 19 T3Es from the phytopathogenic bacteria Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum and Ralstonia solanacearum. Approximately 45% of effectors in our library localize to both the plant cell periphery and the nucleus, 15% exclusively to the cell periphery, 15% exclusively to the nucleus, and 25% to other organelles including the tonoplast and peroxisomes. Using tomato hairy roots, we show that T3E localization is similar in both leaves and roots, and is not impacted by Solanum species. We find that in silico prediction programs are frequently inaccurate, highlighting the value of in planta localization experiments. Our data suggest that Ralstonia targets a wide diversity of cellular organelles and provide a foundation for developing testable hypotheses about Ralstonia effector function.
Introductory lectures on rings and modules

Preface 1. Rings 2. Modules 3. Structure of noncommutative rings 4. Representations of finite groups Appendix Bibliography List of symbols Index.
Management of Chyle Leaks Following Pancreatic Resection

Chyle leak is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication associated with pancreatectomy. An important distinction should be made between chylous ascites and a contained chyle leak since the mortality from the former is significantly higher. Most chyle leaks will resolve within a few weeks of diagnosis with conservative management that includes initiation of a low-fat diet or NPO status plus TPN and proper drain management. Refractory chyle leaks are most often chylous ascites and may require interventions such as lymphoscintigraphy with placement of glue/coils or surgery. Surgical options for refractory chyle leaks include exploration with an attempt at ligating the disrupted lymphatic or placement of a peritoneovenous shunt.
Adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control for robotic manipulators

This paper proposes an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode controller (AFSMC) for robotic manipulators. An adaptive single-input single-output (SISO) fuzzy system is applied to calculate each element of the gain vector in a sliding mode controller. The adaptive law is designed based on the Lyapunov method. Mathematical proof for the stability and the convergence of the system is presented. The simulation of the AFSMC is given for a two-link robotic manipulator. The simulation results demonstrate that the chattering and the steady state errors in the sliding surface, which usually occur in the classical sliding mode control, are eliminated and satisfactory trajectory tracking is achieved.
Longitudinal investigation of the relationship between family history of psychosis and affective disorders and Child Behavior Checklist ratings in clinical high-risk adolescents.

Abstract This is the first study to investigate whether positive family history (FH) of psychosis and affective disorders moderates the relationship between child diagnostic status and parent-reported social and behavioral problems on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in clinical high-risk adolescents. This longitudinal investigation assessed 122 participants (mean age = 14.25 ± 1.8 years) from three groups (at-risk, other personality disorders, non-psychiatric controls) at baseline and one year follow-up. As predicted, there was a main effect of FH for a number of CBCL scales indicating higher scores for adolescents with positive FH. The findings also demonstrate a significant Diagnostic Status × Family History interaction for several behavioral scales providing support for FH as a concurrent and longitudinal moderator of the relationship between diagnostic status and CBCL scales. The moderating effect is present for areas of functioning associated with depression, anxiety, social adjustment, thought problems, attention problems, and aggressive behavior. The findings also indicate that both positive and negative symptoms are related to the genetic vulnerability for developing psychosis in clinical high-risk individuals, particularly those symptoms reflective of emotional, attentional, and interpersonal functioning. The present findings are novel and have significant clinical and research implications. This investigation provides a platform for future studies to clarify further the role of FH in clinical high-risk individuals and contributes to integration of this knowledge in the development of early intervention and prevention approaches in at-risk populations for the emergence of severe mental illness.
Bidding strategy in energy and spinning reserve markets for aluminum smelters' demand response

Aluminum smelting is an energy-intensive electrolytic process that is widely used to produce aluminum. The electricity cost thereby constitutes a significant portion of the total operation cost. At the same time, the smelting process is able to change its power consumption both accurately and quickly by controlling the pots' DC voltage, without affecting the production quality. Hence, an aluminum smelter has both the motivation and the ability to participate in demand-side management. By bidding into the electricity market, the smelter provides flexibility to the power system operator and gets compensation which reduces the overall electricity cost. In this paper, we focus on determining the optimal bidding strategy in the day-ahead energy and spinning reserve markets for an aluminum smelter. The approach is based on stochastic programming in which the market prices are the stochastic variables. Case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach and provide insights into the demand-side management for industrial plants.
Impact of bacterial biomass on contaminant sorption and transport in a subsurface soil.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of bacterial biomass on the sorption and transport of three solutes (quinoline, naphthalene, and 45Ca) in a subsurface soil. Miscible displacement techniques were employed to measure sorption and transport of the above compounds during steady, saturated water flow in sterile and/or bacterium-inoculated soil columns. The soil was inoculated with either a quinoline-degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. 3N3A isolate, or its mutant isolate, B53, which does not degrade quinoline. In soil columns inoculated with the B53 and 3N3A isolates, quinoline sorption was reduced by about 60 and 20%, respectively. In contrast, 45Ca sorption was minimally reduced, which indicated that biomass did not significantly alter the cation-exchange capacity of the soil. Biomass impacts on sorption were solute specific, even when the sorption mechanism for both quinoline and 45Ca was similar. Thus, the differential response is attributed to biomass-induced changes in quinoline speciation; an increase in pH at the sorbent-water interface would result in a larger proportion of the neutral species and a decrease in sorption. Sorption of naphthalene was reduced by about 30%, which was attributed to accessibility of hydrophobic regions. Minimal biosorption of all solutes indicated negligible biofacilitated transport. Alteration of the soil surfaces upon addition of bacterial biomass reduced sorption of quinoline and naphthalene, thereby enhancing transport.
Glucocorticoids Increase Osteopontin Expression in Cardiac Myocytes and Microvascular Endothelial Cells ROLE IN REGULATION OF INDUCIBLE NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE

In heart muscle, the cytokine-inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) is expressed in both cardiac myocytes and microvascular endothelial cells (CMEC). mRNA levels for both NOS2 and for osteopontin, a multifunctional extracellular matrix phosphoprotein containing and RGD integrin binding domain, are increased in cardiac muscle following intraperitoneal injection of adult rats with lipopolysaccharide. In vitro, interleukin-1 beta and interferon-gamma increased osteopontin mRNA levels in CMEC as well as NOS2 expression in both CMEC and cardiac myocytes. However, osteopontin mRNA levels in heart muscle in vivo, and in cardiac myocytes and CMEC in vitro, also are increased 10-30-fold by the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone, an agent that suppresses cytokine induction of NOS2 in both cell types. The hexapeptide GRGDSP, which interrupts binding of RGD-containing proteins to cell surface integrins, increased NOS2 mRNA, while a synthetic osteopontin peptide analogue decreased NOS2 mRNA and protein levels in both cytokine-pretreated cardiac myocytes and CMEC cultures. Also, transfection with a full-length antisense-osteopontin cDNA in cytokine-pretreated CMEC decreased endogenous osteopontin mRNA and increased NOS2 mRNA levels. These results suggest that osteopontin could regulate the location and extent of NOS2 induction in the heart. Increased expression of osteopontin also may be one mechanism by which glucocorticoids suppress NOS2 activity in cardiac myocytes and microvascular endothelial cells.
Wetting Front Evolution in Randomly Heterogeneous Soils

Philip [1975] was the first to investigate the stability of a wetting front in a stratified soil using rigorous hydrodynamic arguments. He based his analysis on the Green and Ampt [1911] model and treated permeability as a known function of depth. We adopt the same model to develop integro-differential equations for leading statistical moments of wetting front propagation in a three-dimensional, randomly heterogeneous soil. We solve these equations analytically for mean front position and mean pressure head gradient in one spatial dimension, to second order in the standard deviation of log conductivity. We do the same for second moments of front positions and pressure head gradient, which serve as measures of predictive uncertainty. To verify the accuracy of our solution, we compare it with the results of numerical Monte Carlo simulations.
Emissions from and within a Film-Cooled Combustor

Abstract Internal measurements of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and nitric oxide are reported for different axial and radial positions within an Allison T-56 film-cooled liner and used to construct a flow and combustion model for the T-56 liner. In addition, pollutant concentrations were measured at the combustor exit plane for both liquid and vapor propane fuel at various levels of combustor loading. All the results are examined with respect to a model of spray combustion developed for a penetration jet type combustor (Mellor, 1973) and found to be consistent with it.
Production of disease-free Heliothis spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by biological selection: a hypothesis.

Data are presented to support the hypothesis that diseased Heliothis larvae do not enter diapause and therefore, pupae in diapause could be used to start healthy cultures of these insects.