cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Damage to Crystalline Silicon Following Implantation by Low Energy Silicon Ions

A new approach to investigate low energy defect formation and annealing in a crystal is developed, based on experimental observations of the total number of interstitials. The model is applied to damage in crystalline silicon caused by low energy implantation of Siatoms during 40eV implants at 300°Kand 685°K. The model has two versions, analytical and computational, and includes two kinds of diffusing species, self-interstitials and vacancies, their interaction, surface motion of the growing crystal, and a constant source of defects. The source was calculated using a modified TRIM code (TRIMCSR). The focal point of the analysis is the number of interstitials per ion dose surviving at the end of the deposition time (damage to dose ratio or DDR),which is found to be an informative quantity and can be calculated for more sophisticated models including precipitation.
Endoscopic treatment of nonstricture-related benign biliary diseases using covered self-expandable metal stents.

Background and study aims: Nonstricture benign biliary diseases (BBDs) such as leaks, perforations, and bleeding, have been traditionally managed by placement of one or more plastic stents. Emerging data support the use of covered, self-expandable, metal stents (CSEMSs). The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of endoscopic temporary placement of CSEMS in patients with nonstricture BBD. Patients and methods: This was a retrospective study of CSEMS placement for BBD between May 2005 and August 2013 at two tertiary care centers. The main outcome measures were resolution of perforation, bleeding, leak, and adverse events related to CSEMS treatment. Results: A total of 87 patients were included (median age 62 years [range 18 – 86]). Indications for stent placement were bile leaks (n = 35, 40 %), bleeding (n = 27, 31 %), perforation (n = 18, 21 %), and other conditions (n = 7, 8 %). Fully and partially covered 8 – 10-mm diameter CSEMS were placed and subsequently removed in all 87 patients (100 %). Resolution of the underlying problem was achieved for 33 bile leaks (94 %), 25 bleedings (93 %), 18 perforations (100 %), and for 3 cases with other indications (43 %). The median duration of stenting was 9 weeks in patients with biliary leaks, 3 weeks for bleeding, and 9.5 weeks for perforations. Median follow-up was 82 weeks after stent removal. Seven adverse events occurred, including cholangitis in six patients (7 %), and tissue hyperplasia leading to difficulty in the removal of a partially covered SEMS in one patient. Conclusions : Nonstricture BBD can be effectively and safely treated with the short term placement of CSEMS.
Acid-base catalysis and crystal structures of a least evolved ancestral GFP-like protein undergoing green-to-red photoconversion.

In green-to-red photoconvertible fluorescent proteins, a three-ring chromophore is generated by the light-activated incorporation of a histidine residue into the conjugated π-system. We have determined the pH–rate profile and high- and low-pH X-ray structures of a least evolved ancestor (LEA) protein constructed in the laboratory based on statistical sequence analysis. LEA incorporates the minimal number of substitutions necessary and sufficient for facile color conversion and exhibits a maximal photoconversion quantum yield of 0.0015 at pH 6.1. The rate measurements provide a bell-shaped curve, indicating that the reaction is controlled by the two apparent pKa values, 4.5 ± 0.2 and 7.5 ± 0.2, flanking the chromophore pKa of 6.3 ± 0.1. These data demonstrate that the photoconversion rate of LEA is not proportional to the A-form of the GFP-like chromophore, as previously reported for Kaede-type proteins. We propose that the observed proton dissociation constants arise from the internal quadrupolar charge n...
Statewide habitat assessment for white-tailed deer in Arkansas using satellite imagery

We conducted a statewide assessment of habitat suitability for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Arkansas. We created a habitat suitability index (HSI) model that could be used with satellite imagery for habitat assessment based on life requisites for food and cover. The food and cover life-requisite equations included a vegetation-diversity modifier and distance modifiers to consider the proximity of potentially available resources. We tested model results against indices of relative population abundance and nutritional condition of deer at the county level. The original statewide model accounted for 45% and 23% of variation in abundance and nutritional condition indices, respectively. We adjusted the models to maximize fit with the population indices. The adjusted statewide HSI models accounted for 66% and 52% of variation in population abundance and nutritional condition indices, respectively. Separate models adjusted for each of the 4 physiographic regions of Arkansas were able to account for up to 76% of variation in relative abundance of deer. Landscape models of habitat suitability were most successful in the Gulf region, where large-scale commercial forests dominate, providing relatively equal habitat suitability across the landscape. Models were least successful in the Delta region, where the conversion to agriculture has fragmented habitat and suitability varied widely. Improvements in quality and resolution of population data and greater accuracy of classification of cover types, such as shrub communities, would allow greater understanding of the landscape-level features that are important indicators of habitat quality.
Interdisciplinary Engagement of People and Place Around Extreme Weather

Extreme weather poses many challenges regardless of the specific environment. This chapter explores how extreme weather impacts people within their particular geographies by applying a new community engagement model. It answers the question, why consider space, place and community in the planning process for extreme weather? This chapter examines how people and place interact to influence community responses to extreme weather. An interdisciplinary community engagement strategy is presented as the best practice to establish effective engagement (communication and interaction) with people before extreme weather strikes. This requires meaningful social networks and trust with communities before planning, action and policy can be created. The best way to achieve meaningful community engagement is by employing a place-based interdisciplinary engagement strategy that builds on local culture, strengths and knowledge.
The Making of a Medical Epidemiologist

A decade earlier in 1963, I had entered Harvard Medical School firm in the belief that I would be a practicing physician, probably a surgeon. I had not made those choices through any very deliberate process, but mostly because I was deeply impressed by the kindness and clinical acumen of Dr. William Walsh, the family doctor in Boston who took care of me all through my childhood and adolescence, and by the surgical skill and profound humanity of Dr. Frederick Landrigan, my uncle and an ophthalmologist. Basically, I wanted to follow in the footsteps of those two splendid doctors. Surgery seemed like a good idea because I had always enjoyed making things with my hands, and besides it seemed very glamorous.
Cognitive Offloading Does Not Prevent but Rather Promotes Cognitive Development.

We investigate the relation between the development of reactive and cognitive capabilities. In particular we investigate whether the development of reactive capabilities prevents or promotes the development of cognitive capabilities in a population of evolving robots that have to solve a time-delay navigation task in a double T-Maze environment. Analysis of the experiments reveals that the evolving robots always select reactive strategies that rely on cognitive offloading, i.e., the possibility of acting so as to encode onto the relation between the agent and the environment the states that can be used later to regulate the agent’s behavior. The discovery of these strategies does not prevent, but rather facilitates, the development of cognitive strategies that also rely on the extraction and use of internal states. Detailed analysis of the results obtained in the different experimental conditions provides evidence that helps clarify why, contrary to expectations, reactive and cognitive strategies tend to have synergetic relationships.
The Truman Doctrine in Greece and Turkey: America's Cold War Fusion of Development and Security

Delivered as a speech to a joint session of Congress in March 1947, the Truman Doctrine was the decisive public statement of America's initial posture in an emergent Cold War era. Emphasizing the perceived need of all nationstates to achieve political and economic stability as a prerequisite to living “free from coercion,” Truman's words were interpreted by many supporters and by most critics as America's universal pledge to foster geopolitical security through the application of foreign assistance. Based on a critical reading both of the text itself as it evolved and of archival records from the conception of the program through its preliminary administration, this article examines the Truman Doctrine in terms of the post-World War II contexts of Greece and Turkey—the West's perceived gateways to the Middle East. In so doing, it identifies and evaluates recovery aid in these countries as the genesis of American's inextricable linking of humanitarian and security policy making in the developing world and ...
Assessment of nicotine withdrawal-induced changes in sucrose preference in mice.

Anhedonia, induced by nicotine withdrawal, may serve as an important affective sign that reinforces tobacco use and smoking relapse rates in humans. Animal models provide a way to investigate the underlying neurobiological factors involved in the decrease in responding for positive affective stimuli during nicotine withdrawal and may aid in drug development for nicotine dependence. Thus, we explored the use of the sucrose preference test to measure nicotine withdrawal-induced reduction in response for positive affective stimuli in mice. C57BL/6J and knockout (KO) mice were chronically exposed to different doses of nicotine through surgically implanted subcutaneous osmotic minipumps for 14 days and underwent spontaneous nicotine withdrawal on day 15. A sucrose preference time course was performed and the results were compared to another well-established affective sign of nicotine withdrawal, the reduction in time spent in light side, using the Light Dark Box test. Subsequently, our results demonstrated a time-dependent and dose-related reduction in sucrose preference in nicotine withdrawn male C57BL/6J mice, indicative of a decrease in responding for positive affective stimuli. Furthermore, the sucrose preference reduction during nicotine withdrawal was consistent with decrease in time spent in the light side of the Light Dark Box test. We also found the reduction for positive affective stimuli and time spent in the light side was not present in nicotine withdrawn β2 and α6 KO mice, suggesting that these nicotinic subunits are involved in the affective signs of nicotine withdrawal. Thus, this report highlights the potential utility of the sucrose preference test as a useful measure of the decrease in responding for positive affective stimuli during spontaneous nicotine withdrawal.
EDUCO’s Post-1995 Trajectory and Implications for Global Education Policy

While the focus of this study to this point has been the development of the Education with Community Participation (EDUCO) program during 1988–1995, it is important to emphasize that mechanisms of transnational influence continued to operate in the post-1995 period. Emphasizing the post-1995 period is essential because we can gain additional insights into mechanisms of transnational influence, the way that education policies go global, and the significance of EDUCO from a long-term perspective (i.e., in the post-WWII context). In order to set the stage for these additional insights, I begin the present chapter by detailing the global promotion of EDUCO. The following section then delves into the ways that EDUCO has been featured in literature with a global reach.
Bringing Creative Writing Instruction into Reminiscence Group Treatment

ABSTRACTObjectives: This article describes the program evaluation of a group intervention combining reminiscence with literary creative writing instruction.Method: This 10-week, 1-hour group was completed seven times in an outpatient geriatric mental health clinic. Each session introduced a different reminiscence theme and creative writing practice. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed through group monitoring and qualitative feedback. Effectiveness was assessed with pre- and post-test depression screening (PHQ-9) and qualitative feedback.Results: A total of 34 veterans participated in the groups, with a mean group size of 4.86 (SD = .69). Participants were 85% male (n = 29) and 15% female (n = 5) with a mean age of 70.89 (SD = 8.30). To increase accessibility, several adaptations were made. There were statistically significant reductions in PHQ-9 depression scores (p = .005). Veterans reported qualitative improvements including increased motivation and self-expression.Conclusions: This interventio...
The Challenges of Figure Overuse in STEM Education: Lessons Learned From the Recent History of Science Education

In technology and engineering education the design loop has become ubiquitous. For example, the authors challenge you to go into any technology and engineering classroom, and not find some form or fashion of the design loop, process, or method displayed prominently on the wall. Similarly, if you were to survey pre-service teacher candidates about their definition of “engineering”, they would likely refer to the design loop, process, or method. The science education community faced a similar situation in the past regarding “the scientific method”. In fact, the scientific method has even become pervasive within the public’s view of doing science. Perhaps it is time to rethink how we present the design process to students.
Scheduling Semiconductor Test Operations: Optimization and Approximation

We propose a methodology for scheduling semiconductor test operations. While current practice in industry is based on dispatching rules, our methodology takes a more global approach. The facility or job shop is decomposed into a number of workcenters. The methodology proceeds by sequencing one workcenter at a time. A disjunctive graph representation of the facility is used to model the interactions of the workcenters. We present algorithms to minimize maximum lateness and number of tardy jobs on testers and batch processing machines. The overall methodology has been implemented on a set of problems based on a real industry setting.
Microbial Inhibitors Combined with Modified Atmosphere Packaging for Improved Control of Salmonella Typhimurium on Pork Products

Lactate and diacetate in combination with modified atmosphere packaging composed of 99.5% carbon dioxide and 0.5% carbon monoxide were investigated for effects on initial Salmonella Typhimurium populations and suppression of growth of survivors. Results showed that lactate and diacetate in pork chops combined with modified atmosphere packaging improved shelf life compared to vacuum packaged pork chops without lactate and diacetate. Sensory analysis indicated that pork chops in modified atmosphere packages with lactate and diacetate had a greater pink color, but also a vinegar-like flavor and odor. This means that the combination of modified atmosphere packaging with lactate and diacetate has microbial benefits, but may not be accepted by consumers because of the vinegar-like aroma and flavor of the pork chops.
Evolution of Radical Pelvic Surgery

The development of exenterative pelvic surgery for carcinoma of the colon, rectum, and cervix began in the 1940s and 1950s. Several methods of substituting for the urinary bladder were investigated before the intestinal conduit technique achieved wide acceptance. The considerable mortality associated with early pelvic exenterations has been reduced to less than 5%. Because the number of patients requiring the procedure is decreasing, opportunities for training surgeons to perform pelvic exenteration are also declining. Therefore, the operation is best done at specialty centers by highly experienced surgical teams.
Revisión del panorama actual del manejo de agua de producción en la industria petrolera colombiana

Este articulo presenta una revision de las tecnologias usadas en Colombia y otros paises para el tratamiento de aguas de la industria petrolera. El estudio parte desde la caracterizacion de la produccion de crudo y la relacion agua–crudo; luego se describen los efectos contaminantes del agua residual; asimismo, se cuantifican los destinos que se le dan a estas aguas en nuestro pais. Tambien se detallan algunos tratamientos superficiales convencionales y no convencionales. Es claro que, aunque se han hecho progresos significativos, hay que seguir investigando tecnicas mucho mas eficientes y economicas para eliminar ciertos contaminantes mas recalcitrantes.
Remediating Campus Climate: Implicit Bias Training is Not Enough

A common remedial response to a culture of racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression on college campuses has been to institute mandatory implicit bias training for faculty, staff and students. A critical component of such training is the identification of unconscious prejudices in the minds of individuals that impact behavior. In this paper, I critically examine the rush to rely on implicit bias training as a panacea for institutional culture change. Implicit bias training and the notion of implicit bias it is grounded in is examined and the advantages and limitations of this approach is elaborated. An exclusive focus on implicit bias, it is argued, can protect ignorance rather than correct it. Similar to implicit bias, microaggressions is a concept that has played a role in campus diversity interventions. An examination of microaggression education demonstrates how it corrects for some of the pitfalls of relying on the concept of implicit bias to improve campus climate. The ambiguity that is characteristic of microaggressions, however, hints at the need to explore the type of “unknowing” that both implicit bias education and microaggression education attempt to remedy. Building on the recent scholarship around the idea of epistemic injustice, crucial insights can be gleaned about the significance of shifting the focus from lack of knowledge to a willful resistance to know. In the final section, some implications for improving campus climate are drawn out.
Electromagnetic Response from a Two- Dimensional Array of Conducting Strips Inter-Connected with Columns of Silver-Coated Micron-Sized Particles

Controlling the propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves through a dielectric medium has applications in antenna miniaturization and beam-forming. One method of controlling EM propagation is to use a two-dimensional array of conducting strips printed on one side of a dielectric layer. The work presented in this paper demonstrates a new way to implement these conducting strips. More specifically, conducting micron-sized particles are embedded into the design of the conducting strips and are used to control the EM response of the overall host dielectric. This control occurs through the response of the particles to a magneto-static field. When a field is applied, the particles within a dielectric cavity form columns in the direction of the field lines. Since the particles are conducting, this results in conducting columns that connect various conducting strips. The advantage of using these particles is that a directly connected biasing circuit is not required and allows for the placement of these particles in very complex geometries. Finally, theory and simulations are shown to agree and validate the overall results.
Rates of Change

Prospects for matrimony notwithstanding, it is axiomatic that time is of the essence, even more in biology than in law and real estate. When journalists refer to the ticking of the biological clock, they usually mean that the choice between career and family is difficult for young women, because fertility declines after the age of thirty more rapidly in women than in men. However, one of the most amazing features of human biology is that important, even crucial, processes occur within vastly different time frames. Our senses must enable us to respond within milliseconds to changes that may threaten us, the secretion of insulin may change within minutes of taking a meal, and the expression of our genes may be reprogrammed over a few hours or less. Other cycles involved in response to sunlight and darkness take place over a day, while reproductive cycles tend to require several days to a month, and reproduction itself may require a significant part of a year. One of the most important aspects of cellular physiology, the cell cycle, requires about a day to complete in mammals, but only 20 minutes or so in microbes. If a Salmonella typhimurium ever challenges you to a race to complete cell division, decline the invitation, for mammals can’t win!
Historical survey of kinematic and dynamic spacecraft simulators for laboratory experimentation of on-orbit proximity maneuvers

Abstract Hardware-in-the-loop simulation and test has been an essential part in the development of spacecraft formation flight, rendezvous, capture/docking, and spacecraft robotics systems since the Gemini project. The need to recreate the kinematics and/or dynamics of spacecraft motion on the ground has led to numerous simulators and testbeds at academic institutions, government facilities, and industry laboratories. The simulation facilities range from small air-bearing tables at universities to building-sized simulators for full-sized systems tests at NASA centers. For the first time to the best knowledge of the authors, the paper presents a systematic classification of spacecraft maneuver simulators into kinematic, dynamic, hybrid, and kino-dynamic systems and discusses the design alternatives, trade-offs and limitations to be considered for each type of simulator. The paper also lists current and past systems reported in literature, along with their primary characteristics. It is thus complementary to existing literature focused on air-bearing spacecraft attitude simulators and air-bearing maneuver simulators. The goal of the paper is to inform designers of new facilities of the current state of the art and the existing experience in the field, and to inform spacecraft developers of existing testbeds in order for them to be able to plan test and experiment campaigns.
How to Use Quantum Computing to Check Which Inputs Are Relevant: A Proof That Deutsch-Jozsa Algorithm Is, In Effect, the Only Possibility

One of the main reasons why computations - in particular, engineering computations - take long is that, to be on the safe side, models take into account all possible affecting features, most of which turn out to be not really relevant for the corresponding physical problem. From this viewpoint, it is desirable to find out which inputs are relevant. In general, the problem of checking the input’s relevancy is itself NP-hard, which means, crudely speaking, that no feasible algorithm can always solve it. Thus, it is desirable to speed up this checking as much as possible. One possible way to speed up such a checking is to use quantum computing, namely, to use the Deutsch-Josza algorithm. However, it is not clear whether a more efficient quantum algorithm is possible for solving this problem. In this paper, we show that the Deutsch-Josza algorithm is, in effect, the only possible way to use quantum computing for checking which inputs are relevant - so no alternative quantum algorithms are possible.
Flexible Imputation of Missing Data, 2nd ed.

Missing data are frequently encountered in practice. A broader class of missing data is called incomplete data, which includes data with measurement error, multilevel data with latent variables, an...
Dietary Habits Related to Food Packaging and Population Exposure to PFASs.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are common industrial and consumer product chemicals with widespread human exposures that have been linked to adverse health effects. PFASs a...
Intrinsic neural activity differences in psychosis biotypes: Findings from the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) consortium

Abstract Intro The Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) proposed “Biotypes,” subgroups of psychosis cases with neuro-cognitive homology. Neural activity unbound to stimulus processing (nonspecific or intrinsic activity) was important for differentiating Biotypes, with Biotype-2 characterized by high nonspecific neural activity. A precise estimate of intrinsic activity (IA) was not included in the initial Biotypes characterization. This report hypothesizes intrinsic activity is a critical differentiating feature for psychosis Biotypes. Method Participants were recruited at B-SNIP sites and included probands with psychosis (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar I disorder), their first-degree biological relatives, and healthy persons (N = 1338). Probands were also sub-grouped by psychosis Biotype. 10-sec inter-stimulus intervals during an auditory paired-stimuli task were used to quantify intrinsic activity from 64 EEG sensors. Single-trial power and connectivity measures at empirically derived frequency bands were quantified. Multivariate discriminant and correlational analyses were used to summarize variables that efficiently and maximally differentiated groups by conventional diagnoses and Biotypes and to determine their relationship to clinical and social functioning. Results Biotype-1 consistently exhibited low IA, and Biotype 2 exhibited high IA relative to healthy persons across power frequency bands (delta/theta, alpha, beta, gamma) and alpha band connectivity estimates. DSM groups did not differ from healthy persons on any IA measure. Discussion Psychosis Biotypes, but not DSM syndromes, were differentiated by intrinsic activity; Biotype-2 was uniquely characterized by an accentuation of this measure. Neurobiologically defined psychosis subgroups may facilitate the use of intrinsic activity in translation models aimed at developing effective treatments for psychosis-relevant deviations in neural modulation.
Switch Optimization for Smart Grid Distribution Automation

It is a daunting task to find optimum number and placement of sectionalizing switches in Distribution Automation (DA) feeders. Switch optimization is the most essential component of evaluating economic feasibility of a DA project and one has to consider the trade-off between reliability and economics to arrive at the answer. This chapter presents a novel iterative algorithm for the optimal switch number and placement problem. The proposed iterative algorithm can determine the solution faster compared to traditional switch optimization techniques by minimizing the total interruption costs at each step of the analysis. The proposed algorithm does not rely on varying switch capital investment and customer interruption cost data that are usually based on outdated utility surveys. The proposed method has been successfully implemented on Mon Power’s, a FirstEnergy company, distribution system as part of the US Department of Energy (DOE) funded project, West Virginia Super Circuit (WVSC). The proposed method is also validated using IEEE 34-bus and 123-bus test feeders to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The mathematical model is developed in Matlab and the results show that the proposed iterative algorithm can drastically reduce the search space, and can find optimal number and placement of the switches with minimum computational effort.
Inhalants other than personal cigarette smoking and risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Purpose of review The current review summarizes the current evidence on inhalants other than personal cigarette smoking and risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent findings Personal cigarette smoking has been implicated as an environmental risk factor for seropositive RA, perhaps by inducing autoimmunity at pulmonary mucosa. Since many patients with RA are nonsmokers, other inhalants are being investigated as potential RA risk factors. Recent case-control and cohort studies have investigated passive cigarette smoking, air pollution, inhalant-related occupations, silica, pesticides, household environment, and allergic inhalants as inhalant exposures for RA risk. Inhalant-related occupations and silica inhalants have the most consistent evidence for associations with increased RA risk. However, most studies relied on retrospective designs and had limited ability to adjust for personal cigarette smoking or investigate associations among nonsmokers. Summary Several inhalants other than personal cigarette smoking may be associated with increased risk for developing RA. These results support the hypothesis that inhalants, pulmonary mucosal inflammation, and RA pathogenesis may be linked. Future studies are needed to firmly establish the independence of these findings from personal cigarette smoking and to determine the specific inhalants and biologic mechanisms related to RA pathogenesis.
The chloroalkaloid (-)-acutumine is biosynthesized via a Fe(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent halogenase in Menispermaceae plants.

Plant halogenated natural products are rare and harbor various interesting bioactivities, yet the biochemical basis for the involved halogenation chemistry is unknown. While a handful of Fe(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent halogenases (2ODHs) have been found to catalyze regioselective halogenation of unactivated C–H bonds in bacteria, they remain uncharacterized in the plant kingdom. Here, we report the discovery of dechloroacutumine halogenase (DAH) from Menispermaceae plants known to produce the tetracyclic chloroalkaloid (−)-acutumine. DAH is a 2ODH of plant origin and catalyzes the terminal chlorination step in the biosynthesis of (−)-acutumine. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that DAH evolved independently in Menispermaceae plants and in bacteria, illustrating an exemplary case of parallel evolution in specialized metabolism across domains of life. We show that at the presence of azide anion, DAH also exhibits promiscuous azidation activity against dechloroacutumine. This study opens avenues for expanding plant chemodiversity through halogenation and azidation biochemistry. Halogenated plant natural products are rare and plant halogenation enzymes are thus far unknown. Here Kim et al. identify a dechloroacutumine halogenase from Common Moonseed that catalyzes the final chlorination step in the biosynthesis of acutumine, a chloroalkaloid with selective cytotoxicity to cultured T cells.
Analysis on the pollution characteristics and influence factors of PM_(2. 5) in Shenzhen City in 2016

OBJECTIVE To explore the pollution characteristics and possible influence factors of PM_(2. 5)in Shenzhen in 2016. METHODS The dynamic characters of PM_(2. 5)mass concentration were analyzed using air quality monitoring and meteorology observation data. The correlations between PM_(2. 5)and other affecting factors, e. g. gas pollutions and meteorology factors, were discussed. A multiple linear regression model was built to reveal the impacts of those factors on PM_(2. 5)concentrations in Shenzhen City using the air quality monitoring and meteorology observation data. RESULTS The mass concentration of PM_(2. 5)was(27. 02±13. 88)μg/m~3, and the ratios of PM_(2. 5)/PM_(10)was(0. 62±0. 08)in Shenzhen City. Significant positive correlations existed between PM_(2. 5)concentration and main airpollutants(NO_2, SO_2, CO and O_3)(P<0. 05). A significant negative correlation existed between PM_(2. 5) concentration and temperature, relative humidity(P<0. 05), and also a significant positive correlation between atmospheric pressure and PM_(2. 5)concentration. The multiple linear regression showed that air pollutants(NO_2, SO_2, CO, and O_3)and atmospheric pressure could explain 86. 7% of the variations of PM_(2. 5)concentration. The standard regression coefficient of CO in the model was the highest(0. 439). CONCLUSION PM_(2. 5)pollution was relatively light in Shenzhen City, and PM_(2. 5)was the main component of inhalable particulate matter. Atmospheric pressure and other pollutants in the atmosphere were the main influencing factors of PM_(2. 5)concentration, and CO was the major contributor to PM_(2. 5)concentration rising in Shenzhen City.
A Multi-factorial Analysis of Elementary Students’ Interest in Physical Education Considering Students’ Ethnicity and Gender

Background: Student’s harboring positive interest in physical education is of great concerning in academia. More importantly, the rational as to why one would maintain a positive interest in physical education is of concern. These topics have been widely researched. However, the comparison of gender and ethnicity as it relates to students’ interest in physical education is a novel investigation. Objective: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the relationship between elementary student’s interest in physical education considering gender, ethnicity, curricular and teacher influences, and student’s perceived competency. Method: Participants included 99 fifth-grade elementary school students (62 males, 37 females). Participant selection was conducted by utilizing 6 intact physical education classes from a single culturally diverse elementary school. The Physical Education Interest Questionnaire was the instrument used for this study as well as open-ended questions for the purpose of qualitative analysis (Van Wersch, Trew, & Turner, 1992). Results: Findings, indicated that students, regardless of ethnicity and gender, maintained positive interest in physical education. However, male students maintained greater interest in physical education than female students, irrespective of ethnicity. Caucasian students maintained significantly higher interest than other ethnicities. Perceived competence had the most effect on students’ overall interest. Answers to open-ended questions supported these results. Conclusion: Although this study identified that a positive interest in physical education regardless of the subjects’ gender and ethnicity existed, it is imperative that future instructors consider teaching non-mainstream individual fitness activities to students. This would lead to increased individual perceived competency and continued positive interest in physical education.
On the Steiner Minimizing Point and the Corresponding Algebraic System

We summarize the most important facts about the Steiner point of a triangle and find formulas for its distance to each vertex in terms of the side-lengths of the triangle.
Fundamental physics with the diffuse supernova background neutrinos

The Universe is awash with tens-of-MeV neutrinos of all species coming from all past core-collapse supernovae. These have never been observed, but this state of affairs will change in the near future. In the less than ten years, the Super-Kamiokande experiment, loaded with gadolinium, is expected to collect dozens of events induced by the scattering of neutrinos from the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB). Next-generation projects, including Hyper-Kamiokande and Theia, are expected to collect data samples with hundreds of DSNB events after a decade of running. Here, we study quantitatively how well the DSNB, including its energy spectrum, will be measured by different current or upcoming large neutrino detectors. We analyze the simulated data in order to estimate how well measurements of the DSNB can be used to inform research topics in cosmology -- including measurements of the Hubble parameter -- astrophysics -- including the star-formation-rate -- and particle physics -- including the neutrino lifetime and the possibility that neutrinos are pseudo-Dirac fermions.
Evaluate Performance Risk Score in Patients Suffering from Lung Cancer Using Survival Analysis of Statistics

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Evidence-based medical, well-defined risk scoring systems is essential to identify patients with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to test the performance scores rate of patients who suffer from advanced lung cancer based on daily activities. Data from 228 patients were analyzed to create a scoring system. Survival analysis was performed using Cox's proportional hazards regression and the Kaplan-Meier method. Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS) and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status Scale (ECOG PS) is used for measuring the performance of usual daily activities by physicians. The results of the study found that there are increased risks of death for patients with scores higher than zero. It also shows that the amount of calories consumed during meals is not a good indicator of survival for patients with advanced lung cancer. The KPS score is not a decent indicator of survival for advanced lung cancer patients since there are no significant increased risks of death for patients. However, since the ECOG score was a decent indicator of survival, it is refreshing that doctors can use that as a tool that helps them make more informed decisions about treatment plans when discussing prognosis with their patients. It will also help patients to develop more educated decisions about different treatment options.
Blood type and postpartum hemorrhage by mode of delivery: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract Objective To assess the relationship between postpartum hemorrhage and ABO blood type for vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery. Study design This is a retrospective cohort study of data abstracted from the PeriBank database regarding demographics and delivery outcomes. All live singleton deliveries from January 2011 until March 2018 were included in this study. Exclusion criteria were sickle cell disease and multiple gestations. Analyses were conducted separately for cesarean delivery and vaginal delivery. Quantitative variables were analyzed with analysis of variance testing and categorical variables with chi square testing. Significant demographic differences between groups were controlled for using multivariate logistical regression. The primary outcome was the rate of postpartum hemorrhage by blood type (A, B, AB, and O), defined as blood loss >500 mL in vaginal delivery and >1000 mL in cesarean delivery. 43,437 patients were screened and 32,023 women met inclusion criteria (22,484 vaginal deliveries (70.2%) and 9539 cesarean deliveries (29.8%)). Results In the vaginal delivery group there were differences in age, parity, race, use of regional anesthesia, rate of induction of labor, and thrombocytopenia between blood types. In the cesarean delivery group, age, parity, and race were significantly different between blood types. There was no observed difference in the rate of postpartum hemorrhage by blood type for those who delivered via vaginal delivery when controlling for demographic differences (p = 0.2). In the cesarean delivery group, there was a significantly higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage in women with type O blood (5.2% type O vs 3.8% type A vs 4.4% type B vs 4.2% type AB, p = 0.035), including when controlling for demographic differences (p = 0.02). In both vaginal and cesarean delivery groups, there was no difference in rates of any of the secondary outcomes, including blood transfusion, hysterectomy, intrapartum dilation and curettage, and intensive care unit admission. Conclusion Although this study found no statistically significant difference in clinical outcomes between blood types, type O blood may be an additional risk factor to consider for postpartum hemorrhage at the time of cesarean delivery.
Self-welding of Inconel 617 under high-pressure-high-temperature conditions for nuclear reactors

Abstract In response to continuously declining availability of fossil fuels, nuclear power has become an important alternative source of power generation. Growing application of nuclear power has relieved the shortage of electricity. However, it is also accompanied with new drawbacks, such as radioactive waste, and potential catastrophic consequences in case of major accidents. For nuclear power plants, severe accidents mostly originate from the reactor, making the reliability of the reactor of paramount importance to the overall safety of a nuclear power plant. Massive heat generation through nuclear fission/fusion and heat exchange render the whole reactor operating at extremely high temperatures (i.e., 900–1000 °C), which, in conjunction with large load from subsystems/ components made of special heavy alloys, renders the reactor under the risk of self-welding, a phenomenon that could lead to strong bonding between components and paralyze the operability of the nuclear reactor. This paper investigates the self-welding behavior of Inconel 617, a primary candidate nickel alloy for key components of the next generation gas cooled nuclear plant, inside a controlled atmospheric furnace with preset static load, simulating the high-pressure high-temperature conditions inside nuclear reactors. Test results show that Inconel 617 experiences self-welding through common oxide zone at the interface, and it has remarkable bonding strength, requiring 4114 N (57.15 MPa) and 4338 N (60.25 MPa) to break apart a mated sample pair, under an apparent contact pressure of 0.341 MPa after 50-h aging, in helium and air atmospheres, respectively. The higher oxygen presence in air results in slightly stronger oxide bond at the interface, compared to helium, and the bond strength increases with dwell time.
Neuromorphic Computing is Turing-Complete

Neuromorphic computing is a non-von Neumann computing paradigm that performs computation by emulating the human brain. Neuromorphic systems are extremely energy-efficient and known to consume thousands of times less power than CPUs and GPUs. They have the potential to drive critical use cases such as autonomous vehicles, edge computing and internet of things in the future. For this reason, they are sought to be an indispensable part of the future computing landscape. Neuromorphic systems are mainly used for spike-based machine learning applications, although there are some non-machine learning applications in graph theory, differential equations, and spike-based simulations. These applications suggest that neuromorphic computing might be capable of general-purpose computing. However, general-purpose computability of neuromorphic computing has not been established yet. In this work, we prove that neuromorphic computing is Turing-complete and therefore capable of general-purpose computing. Specifically, we present a model of neuromorphic computing, with just two neuron parameters (threshold and leak), and two synaptic parameters (weight and delay). We devise neuromorphic circuits for computing all the {\mu}-recursive functions (i.e., constant, successor and projection functions) and all the {\mu}-recursive operators (i.e., composition, primitive recursion and minimization operators). Given that the {\mu}-recursive functions and operators are precisely the ones that can be computed using a Turing machine, this work establishes the Turing-completeness of neuromorphic computing.
Divine eternity

I argue that Open Theism leads to a retreat from ascribing to God ‘complete omniscience’. Having surrendered this ground, the Open Theist cannot but retreat from ascribing to God complete omnipotence; the Open Theist must admit that God might perform actions which He reasonably expected would meet certain descriptions but which nevertheless do not do so. This then makes whatever goodness (in the sense of beneficence, not just benevolence) God has a matter of luck. Open Theism is committed to a partially ignorant God, one who is subject to the vagaries of luck for the efficacy of at least some of His actions and for His goodness.
FLARE: federated active learning assisted by naming for responding to emergencies

During disasters, it is critical to deliver emergency information to appropriate first responders. Name-based information delivery provides efficient, timely dissemination of relevant content to first responder teams assigned to different incident response roles. People increasingly depend on social media for communicating vital information, using free-form text. Thus, a method that delivers these social media posts to the right first responders can significantly improve outcomes. In this paper, we propose FLARE, a framework using 'Social Media Engines' (SMEs) to map social media posts (SMPs), such as tweets, to the right names. SMEs perform natural language processing-based classification and exploit several machine learning capabilities, in an online real-time manner. To reduce the manual labeling effort required for learning during the disaster, we leverage active learning, complemented by dispatchers with specific domain-knowledge performing limited labeling. We also leverage federated learning across various public-safety departments with specialized knowledge to handle notifications related to their roles in a cooperative manner. We implement three different classifiers: for incident relevance, organization, and fine-grained role prediction. Each class is associated with a specific subset of the namespace graph. The novelty of our system is the integration of the namespace with federated active learning and inference procedures to identify and deliver vital SMPs to the right first responders in a distributed multi-organization environment, in real-time. Our experiments using real-world data, including tweets generated by citizens during the wildfires in California in 2018, show our approach outperforming both a simple keyword-based classification and several existing NLP-based classification techniques.
Air Pollution: Atmospheric Wastes

Publisher Summary Air pollution is the presence of contaminants or substances in the air that interfere with human health or welfare, or produce other harmful environmental effects. This chapter focuses on the waste streams that affect the atmosphere. The predominant concern with atmospheric waste is chemical contamination, which presents a hazard to human health. Thus, public health is usually the principal driver for assessing and controlling air contaminants. However, air pollution abatement laws and programs have also recognized that effects beyond health are also important, especially welfare protection. One of the main welfare considerations is that ecosystems are important receptors of contamination. Another welfare concern is that contaminants impact structures and other engineered systems by corrosion. Thus, from an air pollution perspective, there is a cascade of hazards from human health to ecosystems to abiotic (i.e., nonliving) systems. As far as pollution control is concerned, air pollution control must be strategic and tactical. The former is the long-term reduction of pollution levels at all scales of the problem from local to global. Goals can be set for air quality improvement 5, 10, or 15 years ahead and plans can be made to achieve these improvements.
Clinical Experience With Addison's Disease

Excerpt It is now eighty years since Thomas Addison presented his memorable work on disease of the suprarenal capsules before the South London Medical Society, and described the Syndrome which bear...
Fluorescence of testicle: An indication of viability of spermatic cord after torsion

We present an objective measure of testicular viability intended to aid the surgeon in salvaging the testicle at the time of operation for torsion of the spermatic cord. Following the intravenous administration of 5 to 10 cc. of sodium fluorescein, the viability of the untwisted testicle can be determined by its fluorescence when exposed to a portable long wavelength Wood ultraviolet light source.
Testing the inverted-U hypothesis for US hazardous waste

Abstract Using cross-sectional US county data, we demonstrate the inverted-U relationship between hazardous waste and per capita income. We use the generalized gamma model and two separate dependent variables: (1) tons of hazardous waste scaled by waste generators; and (2) total hazardous waste sites scaled by manufacturing establishments.