cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling of the Hemodynamic Response Function for Event Related Motor and Visual Stimuli as Measured by Near Infrared Spectroscopy

The hemodynamic response function to motor and visual stimuli was measured by near infrared spectroscopy. A comparison with models of neuro-vascular coupling and hemodynamic response is made and implications discussed.
US Commercial LWR Spent Fuel Storage

In the mid-1970s, US utilities were forced to make a major shift in their spent fuel disposition strategies when the US Government canceled the option of reprocessing. At this time, all four of the privately funded reprocessing ventures were terminated and utilities were faced with an uncertain future for their spent fuel.
An adaptive system model of human precision grip

Eight human test subjects attempted to make the position signal from an instrumented manipulandum match a pyramidical desired position signal displayed on a computer monitor. The eight test subjects used the manipulandum with three different levels of stiffness. A transfer function was developed to represent the human-manipulandum system from the data on the first step, when the test subjects initially displaced the manipulandum to learn the stiffness of the system. Another transfer function was formed from the data on the subsequent steps in the pyramidical trajectory, after significant displacement of the manipulandum occurred. Neither of these transfer functions accurately model the system dynamics for the duration of the experiments. For this reason, an adaptive system model is developed to account for the learning process of the human test subjects as they displaced the manipulandum to gain knowledge of the system stiffness. The adaptive system model was subsequently validated by comparison to the human test subject data. An examination of the average absolute error between the position predicted by the adaptive model and the actual experimental data yields an overall average error of 0.26mm for all three levels of stiffness. A statistical analysis shows that the adaptive model predicts a significantly lower amount of error than the other two transfer functions.
Linking Marketing Strategy and Foreign Firm Performance in the United States

The intent of this paper is to investigate the relative influence of strategic marketing decisions and operating practices on the performance level of foreign firms manufacturing industrial products in the U.S. Using multiple discriminant analysis (MDA), firms are placed in one of two categories: “successful” or “underachieving” on the basis of a threshold of five percent U.S. market penetration.
The Effects of a Stress Reduction Workshop on Undergraduate College Level Students Possessing Type a Behavior Pattern

(1982). The Effects of a Stress Reduction Workshop on Undergraduate College Level Students Possessing Type a Behavior Pattern. Health Education: Vol. 13, Controversial Issues, pp. 42-45.
As the self vanishes: Teaching at a slant.

• Medical students can develop insights through art about patients with Alzheimer’s Disease.
A New Species and Subgenus of Australian Dermomurex (Gastropoda: Muricidae)

Summary A new species of muricine gastropod from the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia, is described herein as Dermomurex antonius and made the type of Viator, a new subgenus of Dermomurex. In addition, the preoccupied name Murex inermis Sowerby non Philippi, type species of the subgenus Takia, is renamed Dermomurex (Takia) infrons.
Phase II Study of High Dose Lenalidomide as Initial Treatment for Older Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients: Early Results Show a Significant Reduction of Bone Marrow Blasts after 14 Days of Therapy.

Abstract AML patients over the age of 60 years have a poor prognosis, share disease characteristics with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients, and warrant novel therapeutic approaches. Lenalidomide has immunomodulatory and anti-neoplastic properties which can induce morphologic and cytogenetic responses in MDS patients, including those with excess blasts. We hypothesized that lenalidomide may be active against AML, and have employed a high dose strategy without dose reductions for hematologic toxicities. Here, we report preliminary results from a phase II study of high dose lenalidomide for front-line treatment of AML ≥ 60 without chromosome 5q deletion or favorable cytogenetics. Treatment included 2 cycles of high dose lenalidomide (50mg/day x 14 days, 30 days of rest, 50mg/day x 21 days), followed by maintenance therapy (10 mg/day) in non-progressing patients. Fifteen patients were enrolled in the first stage between 2/27/07 and 8/3/07. Median age was 71 years (range 60–86 years); ECOG performance status was 0 (4/15, 27%), 1 (10/15, 67%), or 2 (1/15, 7%); 11/15 (73%) patients were male; and 5/15 (33%) patients had prior MDS. Cytogenetics were normal (n=9), loss of chromosome 7 (n=2), loss of chromosome 20 (n=1), trisomy 13 (n=1), or complex (n=2). Overall, the treatment regimen was well tolerated. In the first stage of the study, 12/15 patients are evaluable for day 15 bone marrow and peripheral blood blast changes following the initial high dose lenalidomide cycle (50 mg/day x 14 days). Pre-therapy WBC counts (mean ± SEM) were 13,825 ± 4,447/uL (range 1,100–45,300/uL) and day 15 WBC counts were 4,742 ± 2,136/uL (range 300–24,400/uL). Day 15 bone marrow myeloblast percentages were significantly reduced in 9/12 patients (mean ± SEM decrease of 53 ± 10%, P=0.01, range 18–100%). In addition, the bone marrow blast index (% cellularity x fraction of blasts) decreased significantly after 14 days of high dose lenalidomide (mean ± SEM reduction of 66 ± 11%, P=0.02). Moreover, 5/8 patients with circulating blasts at diagnosis showed clearance of their peripheral blasts at day 15. These findings suggest that lenalidomide is an active agent against acute myeloid leukemia. Results on AML blast changes, response by international working group criteria, and toxicities in this patient cohort with ≥4 months of follow-up will be updated and presented.
Inequalities regimes in policing: examining the connection between social exclusion and order maintenance strategies:

The purpose of this article is to evaluate how the intersection of race, class, and gender within law enforcement influences the utilization of public safety strategies grounded in the broken windows policing philosophy. Drawing from Acker’s inequality regime framework, we hypothesize that greater workplace inequalities produce institutionalized systems of social processes that increase the likelihood that organizations will implement aggressive enforcement of order maintenance offenses as a strategy for sustaining public safety. Using data collected from 1,218 U.S. police departments, the results suggest that stronger inequality regimes are associated with higher arrest rates for disorder offenses, marijuana possession, and liquor law violations. Further, the results suggest that stronger inequality regimes are related to higher arrest rates for Black community members. As many law enforcement agencies across the nation face a legitimacy crisis, prompted by concerns about how police interact with people ...
Observation of long-range elliptic anisotropies in s=13 and 2.76 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

Abstract ATLAS has measured two-particle angular correlations in s = 13 and 2.76 TeV pp collisions at the LHC. The well-known “ridge” is observed in high-multiplicity events. Per-trigger-particle yields, Y ( Δ ϕ ) , are found to be consistent with a linear combination of the per-trigger-yield measured with cos ⁡ ( 2 Δ ϕ ) . The fitted Fourier coefficient v 2,2 exhibits factorization, suggesting that the ridge results from per-event cos ⁡ ( 2 ϕ ) modulation of the single-particle distribution with Fourier coefficient v 2 . They are found to be weakly dependent on multiplicity and to have a p T dependence similar to that measured in p +Pb and Pb+Pb collisions. The v 2 values in the 13 and 2.76 TeV are consistent within uncertainties. These results suggest that the ridge in pp collisions arises from the same or similar underlying physics as observed in p +Pb collisions, and that the dynamics responsible for the ridge has no strong s dependence.
Asphalt Mixture Segregation Detection: Digital Image Processing Approach

Segregation determination in the asphalt pavement is an issue causing many disputes between agencies and contractors. The visual inspection method has commonly been used to determine pavement texture and in-place core density test used for verification. Furthermore, laser-based devices, such as the Florida Texture Meter (FTM) and the Circular Track Meter (CTM), have recently been developed to evaluate the asphalt mixture texture. In this study, an innovative digital image processing approach is used to determine pavement segregation. In this procedure, the standard deviation of the grayscale image frequency histogram is used to determine segregated regions. Linear Discriminate Analysis (LDA) is then implemented on the obtained standard deviations from image processing to classify pavements into the segregated and nonsegregated areas. The visual inspection method is utilized to verify this method. The results have demonstrated that this new method is a robust tool to determine segregated areas in newly paved FC9.5 pavement types.
Solubility limits in quaternary SnTe-based alloys

The controlled decomposition of metastable alloys is an attractive route to form nanostructured thermoelectric materials with reduced thermal conductivity. The ternary SnTe–MnTe and SnTe–SnSe heterostructural alloys have been demonstrated as promising materials for thermoelectric applications. In this work, the quaternary Sn1−yMnyTe1−xSex phase space serves as a relevant model system to explore how a combination of computational and combinatorial-growth methods can be used to study equilibrium and non-equilibrium solubility limits. Results from first principle calculations indicate low equilibrium solubility for x,y 0.2. These theoretical and experimental results were used to guide the bulk synthesis of metastable alloys. The ability to reproduce the non-equilibrium solubility levels in bulk materials indicates that such theoretical calculations and combinatorial growth can inform bulk synthetic routes. Further, the large difference between equilibrium and non-equilibrium solubility limits in Sn1−yMnyTe1−xSex indicates these metastable alloys are attractive in terms of nano-precipitate formation for potential thermoelectric applications.
WHITE, FRIEDLÄNDER, “… AND THE REST IS HISTORY”: A PAX HISTORIANA†

Close analysis of the ostensive disagreement between Saul Friedlander and Hayden White on the necessarily literary character of Holocaust historiography shows instead of conflict two compatible and even mutually supportive emphases in that project: the assumption in modernist and disruptive narratives as elsewhere of a “corpus of facts,” together with the role of figurative discourse in conveying relevant features of events that linear chronological or causal narratives alone do not convey.
Do Emotions Cause Actions, and If So How?:

The main purpose of this article is to consider two of the most popular arguments offered in support of the view that emotions do not cause actions. One argument suggests that emotions come after a...
Adding molecular data to prognostic models can improve predictive power in treated patients with myelodysplastic syndromes

Adding molecular data to prognostic models can improve predictive power in treated patients with myelodysplastic syndromes
9 – Mutation at the hprt Locus in Human T-lymphocytes: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies

Publisher Summary The mutation of the gene for hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT, hprt gene) occurs in vivo and in vitro in human T-lymphocytes. The recognition of the resultant hprt mutants was first accomplished by an autoradiographic assay that simply scores cells synthesizing DNA in vitro in short-term lectin-stimulated cultures containing 6-thioguanine (TG). For human population monitoring, the autoradiographic assay does not allow mutant cell recovery for characterization; it, therefore, cannot be used to study the mechanisms of somatic gene mutation in vivo. Many laboratories now quantify in vivo-derived hprt mutant T-cells by their direct cloning in vitro. The great advantage of this clonal assay is that it does permit recovery and subsequent growth of TG-resistant cells. The characterizations of these cells have demonstrated that they do, in fact, have a mutational basis. The ability to grow human T-lymphocytes in vitro also permits T cells to be used for in vitro mutagenesis studies. Such in vitro studies make it possible to define individual susceptibilities and mutational spectra at the DNA level associated with specific mutagenic exposures.
Stress and Glucocorticoids in Aging

This article finds support for two ideas that have permeated the gerontology literature. The first is that senescence is a time of decreased capacity of an organism to respond optimally to stress. Evidence is reviewed showing that aged organisms frequently are impaired in their capacity to terminate glucocorticoid secretion at the end of stress. The second idea is that frequent incidences of stress over the life-span can accelerate aspects of aging. Evidence is reviewed showing that excessive exposure to glucocorticoids (as a result of frequent stress) can have numerous deleterious consequences, including accelerated degeneration of hippocampal neurons.
The Friend, the Enemy, the Wife, and the Guest: Conditional and Unconditional Hospitality in The Winter’s Tale

The Winter’s Tale depicts the intersecting power dynamics of sovereignty, patriarchy, and hospitality; the inhospitableness underlying the thin veneer of courtly hospitality in both Sicilia and Bohemia; and the tenuous alternative to that inhospitableness in rural Bohemia. Thus, the two halves of the play resonate with the two main forms of hospitality identified by Derrida: conditional and absolute (or unconditional), respectively. Leontes’ judgments make visible the violent potential of the overlapping forms of abusive power under conditional hospitality, which situates wives, guests, and subjects in parallel conditions of subjection and vulnerability. Hermione, whose foreignness links her to the abject condition of the unwelcome guest, becomes the unprotected target of Leontes’ decisions as sovereign and host. When he declares her an enemy of his person and the state, she rejects his sovereign and patriarchal authority, then sequesters herself from the threat he poses, placing herself beyond his reach. In pastoral Bohemia, unconditional hospitality emerges in the shepherds’ non-proprietary, non-transactional community, made visible through acts of charity, friendship, and open welcome toward strangers, and offers a fragile alternative through which the oppressive conjoined authority of sovereign, patriarch, and host might be resisted or reconfigured.
The Cytoskeleton of the Living Cell as an Out-of-Equilibrium System

In a remarkably broad range of eukaryotic cell types, the cytoskeleton exhibits physical properties and remodelling dynamics strongly reminiscent of soft inert condensed systems, although with important differences as well. This unexpected intersection of condensed matter physics and cytoskeletal biology suggests that trapping, intermittency, and approach to kinetic arrest represent central mesoscale features linking underlying molecular events to integrative cellular functions such as crawling, contraction and remodelling.
Physiological and Cultural Variation of Genetic Origin in Yeasts

In the yeast Saccharomyces, various granules are present. Those in the cytoplasm are assorted in a random manner; those in the nucleus are more regularly assorted. In budding, unequal passage of granules to daughter cells tends to produce variants.
Modeling Spatial Effects in Carcinogenesis: Stochastic and Deterministic Reaction-Diffusion

This paper is a review including some original elements of a family of reaction-diffusion models of carcinogenesis exhibiting diffusion-driven (Turing) instability (DDI), but consisting of a single reaction-diffusion equation coupled with a system of ordinary differential equations (ODE). Such models are very different from the classical Turing-type models in that they exhibit qualitatively new patterns of behavior of solutions, including, in some cases, a strong dependence of the emerging pattern on initial conditions and quasi-stability followed by rapid growth of solutions, which may take the form of isolated spikes, corresponding to discrete foci of proliferation. However, the process of diffusion of growth factor molecules is by its nature a stochastic random walk. An interesting question emerges to what extent the dynamics of the deterministic diffusion model approximates the stochastic process generated by the model. We address this question using simulations with a software tool called sbioPN (spatial biological Petri Nets). The picture emerging suggests that some of the generic features of the deterministic system, such as spike formation, and dependence of the number of spikes on diffusivity, are preserved. However, new elements, such as spike competition and appearance of spikes at isolated random locations, are also present. We also discuss the relevance of the model and particularly the cell cooperativity hypothesis, underlying transition to the DDI.
One-year follow-up of B vitamin and Iron status in patients with phenylketonuria provided tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)

People with Phenylketonuria (PKU) who respond to tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) often decrease dependence on medical food (MF) following increased phenylalanine (phe) tolerance. Responders to BH4 may experience a reduction in certain nutrients if not compensated through intact foods or supplements. This study investigated B6, B12, folate, and iron status based on blood levels and dietary intake in patients with PKU responsive to BH4 over 1 year. Fifty-eight patients with PKU, ages 4–50 years were recruited and initiated on BH4 therapy. Patients were monitored for BH4 response, and nutritional status was recorded at regular intervals over 12 months. The analysis included 33 patients with known BH4 response status and complete nutritional data. Nutrient intake was determined by National Data System for Research (NDSR) analysis of self reported 3 day diet records and compared to Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). Blood biomarkers were analyzed by Quest Diagnostics and compared to laboratory reference ranges. Patient laboratory values were compared to controls from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES). Differences in nutrient intakes across time points were examined, stratified by age, using nonparametric methods. Statistical analyses were completed with SAS 9.4, with significance set at α = 0.05. Medical food intake declined among pediatric (p < 0.01) and adult (p = 0.06) BH4 responders over 1 year. Among those < 18 years of age, mean percent of calories obtained from MF declined from 21.3 to 4.7%. In adults, percent calories from MF dropped from 19.5 to 4.0%. Though maintaining laboratory and dietary values within reference ranges, responders < 18 years experienced a significant decline in serum B12 (p = 0.01), dietary folate (p = 0.006), and dietary iron (p = 0.004) over the study. Although mean dietary and laboratory values for B12, B6, folate, and iron in BH4 responders and non-responders were adequate at baseline and 12-month follow-up, responders experienced a significant decline in serum B12 over 1 year, which may be explained by decreased intake of fortified MF. Both response groups had lower serum B12 than NHANES controls at baseline and 12 months. Results indicate a need to monitor B12 concentrations and consider micronutrient supplementation, with special attention to pediatric patients with PKU.
Lung US Surface Wave Elastography in Interstitial Lung Disease Staging

Background Lung US surface wave elastography (SWE) can noninvasively quantify lung surface stiffness or fibrosis by evaluating the rate of surface wave propagation. Purpose To assess the utility of lung US SWE for evaluation of interstitial lung disease. Materials and Methods In this prospective study, lung US SWE was used to assess 91 participants (women, 51; men, 40; mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 62.4 years ± 12.9) with interstitial lung disease and 30 healthy subjects (women, 16; men, 14; mean age, 45.4 years ± 14.6) from February 2016 through May 2017. Severity of interstitial lung disease was graded as none (healthy lung [F0]), mild (F1), moderate (F2), or severe (F3) based on pulmonary function tests, high-resolution CT, and clinical assessments. We propagated surface waves on the lung through gentle mechanical excitation of the external chest wall and measured the lung surface wave speed with a US probe. Lung US SWE performance was assessed, and the optimal cutoff wave speed values for fibrosis grades F0 through F3 were determined with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results Lung US SWE had a sensitivity of 92% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 84%, 96%; P < .001) and a specificity of 89% (95% CI: 81%, 94%; P < .001) for differentiating between healthy subjects (F0) and participants with any grade of interstitial lung disease (F1-F3). It had a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 81% for differentiating interstitial lung disease grades F0-F2 from F3. The sensitivity was 88% and the specificity was 97% for differentiating between F0 and F1. The highest area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were obtained at 200 Hz and ranged from 0.83 to 0.94 to distinguish between healthy subjects and study participants with any interstitial lung disease. Conclusion Lung US surface wave elastography may be adjunct to high-resolution CT for noninvasive evaluation of interstitial lung disease. © RSNA, 2019 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Verschakelen in this issue.
Analysis of blood lead levels of young children in Flint, Michigan before and during the 18-month switch to Flint River water.

Background: The toxicity of lead, like any xenobiotic, is directly linked to the duration of exposure and toxin concentration in the body. The elevation in blood lead levels (BLLs) in young Flint, ...
Effects of pitch contour and speaking rate on perception of foreign-accented speech

Perception of foreign accent is typically studied using an accentedness rating task. For example, native English listeners rate the degree of accentedness in sentences produced by non-native English speakers. However, in the past studies, it has been unclear that on what criteria participants used to judge accentedness. Here, native English speakers rated the accentedness of Korean-accented English sentences on a scale from 1 (strong accent) to 9 (little to no accent). Participants rated sentences that were unmodified or had one acoustic property removed. In one block, pitch contours of sentences were flattened and set to their mean values. In another block, speaking rates were set to the grand mean of all speaking rates (3.8 syllables/second). This way, changes in accentedness ratings across unmodified and modified sentences were attributable to the acoustic property that was removed. Accentedness ratings were not systematically influenced by manipulations of pitch contours but were influenced by speaking rate manipulations. Increasing the speaking rate (to 3.8 syllables/second) made sentences sound less accented than their unmodified versions; decreasing the speaking rate made sentences sound more accented than their unmodified versions. Results suggest that the speaking rate directly contributes to ratings of foreign accentedness.
The shifting limits of drought adaptation in rural Colombia

Abstract This chapter explores an El Nino drought in the subsistence farming region of El Carmen de Bolivar, Colombia. Specifically, families with greater resources migrate temporarily as an adaptation in the early stages of drought while the most vulnerable families adapt in situ, migrating permanently as drought drags on if in situ adaptations fail. These findings nuance our understanding of migration during drought by exploring how families weigh their own adaptive capacities. In El Carmen de Bolivar, households' perceptions of their risks and resources are critical to the adaptation strategies they deploy. For the most vulnerable households, adapting in situ during drought depletes families' capital, thus entrenching existing inequalities. As climate change increases drought frequency and severity, each drought intensifies households' social vulnerability to future environmental stressors. In similar droughts in developing areas, basic humanitarian aid, including potable water and food for consumption, could be key to allaying drastic capital depletion and, in some cases, even preventing desperate migrations of last resort.
Impediments to Discovery of New Antimicrobials with New Modes of Action

During the golden age of antibiotic discovery (1945–1970), little thought was given to the possibility that someday we would run out of them. It is shocking to admit that the last class of antibiotics was discovered over 30 years ago. What happened? The easy answer is that discovering new antibiotics is really hard, developing them is even harder, and once you get them to the clinic, there is little economic value for your efforts. This chapter seeks to explain some of the impediments to discovery of new antibiotics that include (1) the number of potential broad-spectrum “common” drug targets is small; (2) new pharmacophores are prone to early failure due to cytotoxicity, drug metabolism, or poor pharmacokinetics; (3) the general reticence to embrace and apply new technologies; (4) societal issues associated with their use and costs; and (5) the general lack of grant funding to support early discovery efforts. Despite these strong head winds, several concepts and approaches are discussed along with examples of what is working.
Behavior - Landscape Interactions May Create Super-Spreader Environments: Vigilance-Olfactory Interactions Across Land Type and Disease Transmission Potential in the Banded Mongoose

A complex suite of drivers can influence infectious disease transmission with behavior and landscape spatial dynamics contributing importantly to epidemic patterns across host-pathogen-environmental systems. However, our understanding of the interaction between landscape and host behavior and its influence on spatial variability in pathogen transmission is limited. In the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), a novel tuberculosis pathogen, Mycobacterium mungi, has emerged in Northern Botswana, which is transmitted through olfactory communication behaviors. We evaluated how associations between landscape type and mongoose behaviors affect the frequency of olfactory communication behaviors and pathogen transmission potential. We used remote sensing camera traps at den sites to eliminate observer influence across human-modified and natural landscapes (n=18 troops, 18,229 detections of banded mongooses from 7,497 photographs). Using generalized linear mixed models, we identified a significant effect of vigilance and the interactions between vigilance and landscape and vigilance and troop count on the frequency of olfactory behaviors. Interactions between troop count-vigilance interactions had a negative influence on olfactory communication. Vigilance, however, appeared to have a bidirectional association with olfactory communication depending on land type. In lodge areas, vigilance was associated with increased olfactory behaviors, but in landscapes with expected increases in predation risk (i.e., national park and urban land-use areas), vigilance had a negative association with olfactory behaviors. The interaction between behavior and landscape type may have the potential to create “super-spreading” environments, or transmission hotspots, where behavior-landscape interactions increase pathogen shedding and transmission potential.
Online social capital: recent trends in research

Research examining online social capital has grown since the introduction of information communication technologies (ICTs) into our everyday lives. This paper discusses recent trends in the research that examines how people are using ICTs to accumulate, increase, and utilize their offline and online social capital resources. These trends include the blurring gap between offline and online social capital, examining the use of new platforms to obtain online social capital, increased specificity concerning the types of online social capital that can be sought, how taking advantage of online social capital resources affects personal well-being, and how researchers are moving beyond the college-aged population in their online social capital studies.
Reinventing the wheel: Pedro de Guevara’s Nueva y sutil invencion as pedagogical technology

This article shows that the Spanish court was an experimental pedagogical space oriented toward cultivating women as political subjects. In order to do so, I will examine Pedro de Guevara’s Nueva y...
Associations between dietary inflammatory index and sleep problems among adults in the United States, NHANES 2005-2016.

Abstract Objectives To examine the associations between Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores and sleep measures of sleep duration and self-reported sleep disturbance. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting The United States. Participants Participants from the 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) who were 20 years old or older (n = 30,121). Measurements Sleep duration, classified as short (≤6 hours), long (≥9 hours) and recommended (6-9 hours) duration, and the presence of self-reported sleep disturbance were the outcome variables. The energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) was computed based on the dietary intake data using a single-day 24-hour dietary recall. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the associations. Results After adjusting for confounders, participants in the highest quintile (most proinflammatory E-DII) had a 40% increase in the odds of short sleep duration compared to the lowest quintile (most anti-inflammatory E-DII)(ORquintile5vs1 = 1.40 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.21, 1.61]). The odds of short sleep duration was increased by 26% in quintile 4 compared to quintile 1 (OR quintile4vs1 = 1.26 [95% CI, 1.10, 1.43]). Similarly, the odds of long sleep duration was increased in higher E-DII quintiles (ORquintile5vs1 = 1.23 [95% CI, 1.03, 1.46] and ORquintile4vs1 = 1.24 [95% CI, 1.03, 1.49]). Participants in the highest E-DII quintile also were more likely to report sleep disturbances (ORquintile5vs1 = 1.14 [95% CI, 1.02, 1.27]). Conclusions Adults consuming proinflammatory diets were more likely to have short sleep duration, long sleep duration, and/or self-reported sleep disturbances. Future, especially longitudinal, studies need to examine the impact of anti-inflammatory diets in mitigating extreme sleep durations and sleep disturbances.
Self-sustaining 3-Dimensional Thin Liquid Films in Ambient Environments

Thin liquid films (TLF) have fundamental and technological importance ranging from the thermodynamics of cell membranes to the safety of light-water cooled nuclear reactors. The creation of stable water TLFs, however, is very difficult. In this paper, the realization of thin liquid films of water with custom 3D geometries that persist indefinitely in ambient environments is reported. The wetting films are generated using microscale “mounts” fed by microfluidic channels with small feature sizes and large aspect ratios. These devices are fabricated with a custom 3D printer and resin, which were developed to print high resolution microfluidic geometries as detailed in Reference 26. By modifying the 3D-printed polymer to be hydrophilic and taking advantage of well-known wetting principles and capillary effects, self-sustaining microscale “water fountains” are constructed that continuously replenish water lost to evaporation while relying on surface tension to stabilize their shape. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first demonstration of stable sub-micron thin liquid films (TLFs) of pure water on curved 3D geometries.
SolarTrader: Enabling Distributed Solar Energy Trading in Residential Virtual Power Plants

Distributed solar energy resources (DSERs) in smart grid systems are rapidly increasing due to the steep decline in solar module prices. This DSER penetration has prompted utilities to balance the real-time supply and demand of electricity proactively. A direct consequence of this is virtual power plants (VPPs) that enable solar generated energy trading to mitigate the impact of the intermittent DSERs while also benefiting from distributed generation for more reliable and profitable grid management. However, existing energy trading approaches in residential VPPs do not actually allow DSER users to trade their surplus solar energy independently and concurrently to maximize benefit potential; they typically require a trusted third-party to play the role of an online middleman. Furthermore, due to a lack of fair trading algorithms, these approaches do not necessarily result in "fair" solar energy saving among all the VPP users in the long term. We propose Sola/Trader, a new solar energy trading system that enables unsupervised, distributed, and long term fair solar energy trading in residential VPPs. In essence, SolarTrader leverages a new multi-agent deep reinforcement learning approach that enables peer-to-peer solar energy trading among different DSERs to ensure that both the DSER users and the VPPs maximize benefit. We implement SolarTrader and evaluate it using both synthetic and real smart meter data from 4 U.S. residential VPP communities that are comprised of ~229 residential DSERs in total. Our results show that SolarTrader can reduce the aggregated VPP energy consumption by 83.8% when compared against a non-trading approach. Furthermore, SolarTrader achieves a ~105% average saving in VPP residents' monthly electricity cost. We also find that SolarTrader-enabled VPPs can achieve a fairness of 0.05, as measured by the Gini Coefficient, a level equivalent to that achieved by the fairness-maximizing Round-Robin approach.
Is intervention fadeout a scaling artefact

Abstract To determine whether scaling decisions might account for fadeout of impacts in early education interventions, we reanalyze data from a well-known early mathematics RCT intervention that showed substantial fadeout in the two years after the intervention ended. We examine how various order-preserving transformations of the scale affect the relative mathematics achievement of the control and experimental groups by age. Although fadeout was robust to most transformations, we were able to eliminate or even reverse fadeout by emphasizing differences in scores near typical levels of first-graders while treating differences elsewhere as unimportant. Such a transformation lowers treatment effects at preschool age and raises them in first grade, relative to the original scale. The findings suggest substantial implications for interpreting the effects of educational interventions.
Modeling of guided waves for aerospace applications

Advancements in computer hardware has led to new possibilities for rapid modeling and simulation capabilities across many scientific fields. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) can benefit from increased use of simulation tools to guide optimization of inspection and health monitoring methods, enhance understanding of data, aid in development of defect characterization methods, and generate data sets for use with machine learning and model-assisted probability of detection. Recent work at NASA has entailed development and benchmarking of both custom simulation codes and commercial simulation tools for ultrasonic wave propagation. This paper describes recent work at NASA in modeling of guided waves in composites and other aerospace materials. Results and computational speeds for a composite benchmark case are reported for a custom finite difference Rotated Staggered Grid code and for the commercial finite element software package, Pogo. Recent progress in linking NDE models to parametric analysis tools is also discussed.
Atomic Structure of the Trichomonas vaginalis Double-Stranded RNA Virus 2.

Author(s): Stevens, Alexander; Muratore, Katherine; Cui, Yanxiang; Johnson, Patricia J; Zhou, Z Hong | Abstract: Trichomonas vaginalis, the causative pathogen for the most common nonviral sexually transmitted infection worldwide, is itself frequently infected with one or more of the four types of small double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) Trichomonas vaginalis viruses (TVV1 to 4, genus Trichomonasvirus, family Totiviridae). Each TVV encloses a nonsegmented genome within a single-layered capsid and replicates entirely intracellularly, like many dsRNA viruses, and unlike those in the Reoviridae family. Here, we have determined the structure of TVV2 by cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) at 3.6 A resolution and derived an atomic model of its capsid. TVV2 has an icosahedral, T = 2*, capsid comprised of 60 copies of the icosahedral asymmetric unit (a dimer of the two capsid shell protein [CSP] conformers, CSP-A and CSP-B), typical of icosahedral dsRNA virus capsids. However, unlike the robust CSP-interlocking interactions such as the use of auxiliary "clamping" proteins among Reoviridae, only lateral CSP interactions are observed in TVV2, consistent with an assembly strategy optimized for TVVs' intracellular-only replication cycles within their protozoan host. The atomic model reveals both a mostly negatively charged capsid interior, which is conducive to movement of the loosely packed genome, and channels at the 5-fold vertices, which we suggest as routes of mRNA release during transcription. Structural comparison of TVV2 to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae L-A virus reveals a conserved helix-rich fold within the CSP and putative guanylyltransferase domain along the capsid exterior, suggesting conserved mRNA maintenance strategies among Totiviridae This first atomic structure of a TVV provides a framework to guide future biochemical investigations into the interplay between Trichomonas vaginalis and its viruses.IMPORTANCE Trichomonas vaginalis viruses (TVVs) are double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses that cohabitate in Trichomonas vaginalis, the causative pathogen of trichomoniasis, the most common nonviral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Featuring an unsegmented dsRNA genome encoding a single capsid shell protein (CSP), TVVs contrast with multisegmented dsRNA viruses, such as the diarrhea-causing rotavirus, whose larger genome is split into 10 dsRNA segments encoding 5 unique capsid proteins. To determine how TVVs incorporate the requisite functionalities for viral replication into their limited proteome, we derived the atomic model of TVV2, a first for TVVs. Our results reveal the intersubunit interactions driving CSP association for capsid assembly and the properties that govern organization and maintenance of the viral genome. Structural comparison between TVV2 capsids and those of distantly related dsRNA viruses indicates conserved strategies of nascent RNA release and a putative viral guanylyltransferase domain implicated in the cytoplasmic maintenance of viral messenger and genomic RNA.
Heterogeneity and other problems in a pooled analysis of snus use and mortality

A recent analysis of Swedish snus use and mortality combined eight Swedish datasets and found that exclusive Swedish male snus users have statistically significant increased mortality from all causes, cardiovascular diseases and other causes. These findings, from the Swedish Collaboration on Health Effects of Snus Use, are in sharp contrast with previous pooled results from the same group. The discrepant results may be indicative of unresolved statistical problems that haven’t been addressed by the collaboration authors in any of their studies. The most important problem is unresolved heterogeneity among the eight cohorts, which we describe in detail, and we show how the use of the random effects method by the authors was not sufficient. We explain why the tables in the article are uninformative, and we demonstrate why the exclusion of smokers in the analysis was not validated and eliminated important information. Finally, we strongly recommend some straightforward and easily implemented corrective measures.
Reliable and comprehensive assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder is required to provide population-based prevention and treatment of PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commentary on: Salehi M, Amanat M, Mohammadi M, et al . The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder related symptoms in coronavirus outbreaks: a systematic-review and meta- analysis. J Affect Disord 2021; 527–538; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.188 The COVID-19 health crisis has increased psychological distress due to the required modifications in individual’s daily routines1 2, and it appears to trigger fear, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).3 While previous reviews speculate high prevalence of mental disorders among healthcare workers,2 …
Elasticity of the sacculus of Escherichia coli.

Preparations of purified peptidoglycan of Escherichia coli (i.e., sacculi) were studied by low-angle laser light scattering. Control experiments and theoretical calculations based on the Rayleigh-Gans theory showed that the mean sacculus surface area could be accurately inferred from measurements with our apparatus by using computer routines developed previously. Large changes in the mean saccular surface area resulted from alterations in the stress caused by varying the net charge on the sacculi. The net charge was affected by altering the suspending medium pH, causing carboxyl and amino groups in the peptidoglycan to gain or lose protons, or by acetylation or succinylation of the amino groups. A preponderance of either plus or minus charges caused an expansion of the mean sacculus surface area. The largest increase in area probably represents the elastic limit of the peptidoglycan and was 300% above the area of isoionic sacculi. This degree of expansion is consistent with possible conformations of the intact peptidoglycan structure without necessitating rupture of the wall fabric. Our findings concerning saccular elasticity provide support for the surface stress theory. It provides a mechanism so that bacteria can grow and divide while maintaining turgor pressure, without the necessity of having and using proteins to do the mechanical work.
How to be a Terrorist Without Really Trying: A Common Law Test for Determining Who is "Part Of" a Terrorist Group

This Comment critiques the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’s practice of utilizing a case-by-case approach to determining whether an individual detained at the military facilities of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is considered “part of” the Taliban or al-Qaeda. The 2010 case of Bensayah v. Obama was among the first to grant a writ of habeas corpus to a Guantanamo detainee and therefore acts as an outer boundary in determining a more concrete standard for determining who is “part of” the Taliban or al-Qaeda. In articulating such a standard, this Comment proceeds first by analyzing previous case law and examining the four indicia commonly used to determine a detainee’s status. In light of this case law, including the recent Bensayah decision, this Comment then proposes a balancing test to replace the current case-by-case method as a more reliable and predictable means of determining whether a detainee is “part of” the Ta-
Chapter 19 Intellectual Property Law

Abstract This chapter provides a comprehensive survey of the burgeoning literature on the law and economics of intellectual property. It is organized around the two principal objectives of intellectual property law: promoting innovation and aesthetic creativity (focusing on patent, trade secret, and copyright protection) and protecting integrity of the commercial marketplace (trademark protection and unfair competition law). Each section sets forth the economic problem, the principal models and analytical frameworks, application of economic analysis to particular structural and doctrinal issues, interactions with other legal regimes (such as competition policy), international dimensions, and comparative analysis of intellectual property protection and other means of addressing the economic problem (such as public funding and prizes in the case of patent and copyright law and direct consumer protection statutes and public enforcement in the case of trademarks).
STAGE-TWO SECULARITY AND THE FUTURE OF THEOLOGY-AND-SCIENCE

. Charles Taylor has recently provided an in-depth exploration of secularity, with a central characteristic being the understanding that religious commitment is optional. This essay extends this analysis, considering the possibility that American society may be entering a second stage of secularity, one in which the possibility of religious commitment ceases to be an option at all for many. The possible implications of such a development are considered for the theology-and-science dialogue.
A Two-Dimensional Frame Buffer Processor

The two-dimensional Frame Buffer Processor (FBP) is part of a proposed raster graphics computer architecture. It is a hardware-oriented organisation of a variation of a bitblt engine with a much richer repertoire. In addition, the FBP gives support to window management, transformations, and assists in some image operations ordinarily performed in software. The introduction of the FBP as a co-processor to geometry and video processors would increase efficiency and speed of graphics systems and bitmap workstations. A special skewed frame-buffer organisation, which allows parallel memory access, further improves system performance.
An Empirical Approach to a Theory of Coordination. Part I: Design Principles and First Results

Coordination is understood to consist of a set of mechanisms necessary for the effective operation of Intelligent Agent Societies (IASs). In building such societies, it is important to design and implement coordination in accordance with the known requirements and anticipated working conditions of the IAS in question. Currently, there is little theoretical support that could help in this process. We outline the approach and design principles of our work on automatically generating an empirically-based theory of coordination. We also describe the first set of results obtained, which prove the feasibility of the approach. We are concerned with Distributed Problem Solving (DPS) systems in which all agents share an identical goal structure and fully collaborate, as opposed to Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) in which agents may also compete with one another. Our investigation is based on an easily modifiable and parametrizable generic IAS, the P-system, a metaphorical and abstract version of our earlier work, the Distributed Control of Nationwide Manufacturing Operations. The P-system shares characteristic properties with most, if not all, IASs. It was used for a sequence of rigorously designed experiments in which control variables operated under well-defined conditions and performance measures were observed. We infer, from the statistical analysis of these data, characteristic and important descriptors of the organization and functioning of IASs in general. The resulting relations should produce insight into the fundamental issues of coordination, provide design tools and guidelines for the construction of new IASs, and lend support in trouble-shooting existing ones.