cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid recharge of fresh water to the halite-hosted brine aquifer of Salar de Atacama, Chile

We document, analyze, and interpret direct and rapid infiltration of precipitation to the southern margin of the Salar de Atacama halite-hosted brine aquifer during 2 intense precipitation events in 2012–2013. We present physical, geochemical, and stable and radioactive isotope data to detail this influx of water. The two events differ distinctly in the mechanisms of recharge. The 2012 event did not produce direct precipitation onto the salar surface while the 2013 event did. Both events are recorded by abrupt changes in head in observation wells along the halite aquifer margin. Spatially distributed water levels rose by over 30 cm during the larger 2013 event consistent with remotely sensed observations of surface water extent. The lithium concentration and stable isotopic composition of water indicate dilution of brine and dissolution of salt with fresh water. Tritium measurements of precipitation, surface water, and groundwater all indicate modern influx of water to the halite aquifer along the southern margin. We extend these observations by examining the response of the halite aquifer as a whole to precipitation events during the period of 2000-2010. This study suggests that local recharge to the aquifer during sporadic precipitation onto the halite nucleus is an important component of the modern water budget in this hyper-arid environment. The rapid dissolution and salinization along the southern margin of the salar halite nucleus is aided by such precipitation events contributing a modern fresh water component to the water budget of the economically valuable lithium-rich brine. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Atomic Pathways Underlying Light-Induced Changes in Organic Solar Cell Materials

We identify atomic pathways, involving local O and H motion, which underlie intrinsic light-induced changes of organic materials, utilizing ab initio simulations. Light exposure generates prolonged intrinsic degradation of organic solar cells, when moisture and oxygen are absent. We consider the polymer PTB7, common for higher efficiency cells. Local motion of O from the C–O–C bridge to a C═O bond in the aromatic backbone, creates a C-dangling bond defect, with an energy of 2.1 eV. The energy barrier of ≤2.65 eV can be surmounted with blue photons. Local H motion from βC to αC within the alkyl, also generates a C-dangling bond, a similar rebonding of bridging-O, and cleaving of PTB7. Bridging O creates instability. Defect energies are lowered by ∼0.5 eV by excited electronic states. Defects can anneal reversibly or irreversibly to distorted configurations. We identify why certain organic materials are more stable, and pathways to design more stable materials.
Abstract W P154: Von Willebrand Factor Elevation Threshold for Poor Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Ischemic Stroke

Background: Elevation in von Willebrand factor (vWF) is an independent risk factor for thromboembolic events and acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Laboratory reference ranges categorize levels >150% act...
On the singular limit in a phase field model of phase transitions

Abstract The limits of families of stable solutions for the equation e2 Δue − f(ue) + T(|x|) = 0 over radially symmetric domains with no-flux boundary conditions are discribed. Particular emphasis is placed on the characterization of points of discontinuity of these limits (interfaces) and on the description of the graph of ue for small e. Sufficient conditions for existence of interfaces in terms of the temperature function, T, are given. The analysis is more complete for families of global minimizers of the associated energy functional.
Assessing Preferences for Animals in Children with Autism: A New Use for Video-Based Preference Assessment.

The inclusion of animals into interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a growing practice known as animal-assisted intervention. The choice of the animal to include in an intervention is often solely up to the interventionist and depends on their experience, subjective judgement, and ease of access to different animals. For individuals with ASD who are nonverbal and unable to indicate preferred stimuli or activities, incorporating preference into interventions has been linked to increases in positive behaviors and enhanced quality of life. We propose that animal choice based on a participant’s preference may enhance the experience of animal-assisted intervention and maximize its outcomes. A common technique used to reliably determine preferred interactions and activities in interventions for children with ASD is a stimulus preference assessment. The video-based multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) procedure, in particular, allows for discrimination of complex stimuli that could not feasibly be presented all at once, which is the case when choosing an animal. Based on the well-documented reliability of this technique in the field of applied behavior analysis, we propose that a future direction in animal-assisted intervention is utilizing video-based MSWO to guide animal selection.
Impediments to Affordable Housing

ABSTRACT A home is a necessity wherever man settles in the world and people everywhere, regardless of race, color, creed or economic status need a house that is functional, sanitary and affordable. The problem of inadequate shelter and affordable housing is a worldwide problem. While the basic function of a house is to provide shelter and protect man from the elements and other living things, it is also believed that the lack of housing reflects basic weakness in social and economic development and ultimately results in deterioration of physical and mental health, self-dependence and cultural advancement. Today, in spite of the potential problems that the lack of affordable housing can bring (increase in crime, increased dependence on welfare,etc.), and all the technological advances in the world, we are unable to build homes that lowincome families can afford without taking on an undue burden. This paper examines some of the major reasons why we are unable to build affordable housing. First, the seriousness of the worldwide housing crisis is discussed. Then the major factors that act as impediments to affordable housing are examined. Even though the data for this paper is based for the most part on facts from the United States, the problems discussed are universal and will interest all nations.
Distributed Big Data Analytics in Service Computing

Service computing has become very popular nowadays in providing big data analytics. The proposed system deals with how to implement software as a service product for a healthcare domain. Healthcare data has its sources mainly from Electronic health records (EHR), Mobile health applications, wireless medical devices and also wearable devices that can track patient activity. This huge volume of data needs to be processed and manipulated in a more useful manner. There are many challenges in implementing a cloud-based product for healthcare, first and foremost, the problem is security on the critical and confidential data stored in a cloud. This paper will focus on the technologies and concepts that support the implementation of cloud-based software application to store, analyze and visualize healthcare data on the cloud.
Factors that Influence Intake to One Municipal Animal Control Facility in Florida: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study identified a study area by visualizing one year of animal intake from a municipal animal shelter on geographic information systems (GIS) maps to select an area of high stray-dog intake to investigate. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with residents of the selected study area to elucidate why there were high numbers of stray dogs coming from this location. Using grounded theory, three themes emerged from the interviews: concerns, attitudes, and disparities. The residents expressed concerns about animal welfare, personal safety, money, and health. They held various attitudes toward domestic animals in the community, including viewing them as pets, pests, or useful commodities (products). Residents expressed acceptance as well as some anger and fear about the situation in their community. Interviewees revealed they faced multiple socioeconomic disparities related to poverty. Pet abandonment can result when pet owners must prioritize human needs over animal needs, leading to increased shelter intake of stray dogs. Community-specific strategies for reducing local animal shelter intake should address the issue of pet abandonment by simultaneously targeting veterinary needs of animals, socioeconomic needs of residents, and respecting attitude differences between residents and shelter professionals.
When Seeing Isn't Believing: On Feasibility and Detectability of Scapegoating in Network Tomography

Network tomography is a vital tool to estimate link qualities from end-to-end network measurements. An implicit assumption in network tomography is that observed measurements indeed reflect the aggregate of link performance (i.e., seeing is believing). However, it is not guaranteed today that there exists no anomaly (e.g., malicious autonomous systems and insider threats) in large-scale networks. Malicious nodes can intentionally manipulate link metrics via delaying or dropping packets to affect measurements. Will such an assumption render a vulnerability when facing attackers? The problem is of essential importance in that network tomography is developed towards effective network diagnostics and failure recovery. In this paper, we demonstrate that the vulnerability is real and propose a new attack strategy, called scapegoating, in which malicious nodes can substantially damage a network (e.g., delaying packets) and at the same time maliciously manipulate end-to-end measurement results such that a legitimate node is misleadingly identified as the root cause of the damage (thereby becoming a scapegoat) under network tomography. We formulate three basic scapegoating approaches and show under what conditions attacks can be successful. We also reveal conditions to detect such attacks. Our theoretical and experimental results show that simply trusting measurements leads to scapegoating vulnerabilities. Thus, existing methods should be revisited accordingly for security in various applications.
Coinfection with Hepatitis C and HIV Is a Risk Factor for Poor Outcomes After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Background:As medical management continues to improve, orthopaedic surgeons are likely to encounter a greater proportion of patients who have coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis-C virus (HCV).Methods:The New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARC
Office of Naval Research Initiative on Wear Resistant Nanostructured Materials

Every year, the U. S. Navy spends many billions of dollars in the repair and maintenance of ships, aircraft and land-based vehicles. A significant portion of this money goes to the repair or replacement of worn or eroded components such as shafts, seals, hydraulic cylinders and bearings. Because of continuing budget cuts over the last several years, it has become imperative for the Navy to find ways to reduce this maintenance burden. This need is complicated by the fact that many of the wear surfaces in question are chrome plated, which, due to increasingly stringent environmental regulations, must now be replaced by some other coating technology. As a result, the Office of Naval Research has instituted an initiative to develop and implement new coating technology that takes advantage of the outstanding properties of newly emerging nanostructured materials. Moreover, the coatings are fabricated by thermal spray processing, a mature and widely available technique, and one that is already used for refurbishing worn or otherwise damaged ship and aircraft components. The objective of the program is to establish a coatings capability which can reduce life cycle cost of navy assets either by extending the service life of components or making possible the repair, rather than replacement, of the component. The extraordinary properties of these materials make both strategies possible.
Sulforaphane restores acetyl-histone H3 binding to Bcl-2 promoter and prevents apoptosis in ethanol-exposed neural crest cells and mouse embryos.

Abstract Sulforaphane (SFN) is an isothiocyanate derived from cruciferous vegetables. SFN's cytoprotective properties have been demonstrated in several models associated with a variety of disorders. Our recent studies have shown that SFN protects against ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in neural crest cells (NCCs), an ethanol-sensitive cell population implicated in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This study is designed to test the hypothesis that SFN can prevent ethanol-induced apoptosis in NCCs by inhibiting HDAC and increasing histone acetylation at the Bcl-2 promoter. We found that exposure to 50 mM ethanol resulted in a significant increase in HDAC activities in NCCs. Treatment with SFN decreased the activities of HDAC in ethanol-exposed NCCs. We also found that SFN treatment significantly increased the expression of acetyl-histone H3 in NCCs treated with ethanol. ChIP-qPCR assay revealed that ethanol exposure significantly decreased acetyl-histone H3 binding to the Bcl-2 promoter while supplementing with SFN reversed the ethanol-induced reduction in acetyl-histone H3 binding to the Bcl-2 promoter. In addition, SFN treatment restored the expression of Bcl-2 in ethanol-exposed NCCs and diminished ethanol-induced apoptosis in NCCs. Treatment with SFN also significantly diminished apoptosis in mouse embryos exposed to ethanol in vivo. These results demonstrate that SFN can epigenetically restore the expression of Bcl-2 and attenuate ethanol-induced apoptosis by increasing histone acetylation at the Bcl-2 promoter and suggest that SFN may prevent FASD through epigenetic regulation of the expression of anti-apoptotic genes.
A Gatekeeper Embraced: Expert Opinion Testimony and the Long Road from Daubert to Sargon

This article discusses the history and implications of how California courts have addressed the source, nature, and scope of a trial court’s power to admit or exclude expert opinion testimony. It first discusses the standard for analyzing these issues announced by the United States Supreme Court in 1993, in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — and the California Supreme Court’s initial rejection of that standard in 1994, in People v. Leahy. It then describes a subsequent, contentious split of authority among California’s intermediate appellate courts, reflecting the struggle that litigants and courts experienced in determining the appropriate standard for evaluating the admissibility of expert opinion testimony. This article then describes how, nearly 20 years after rejecting Daubert, the California Supreme Court resolved this split largely in favor of an analysis consistent with Daubert. Indeed, in 2012, in Sargon Enterprises, Inc. v. University of Southern California, the California Court expressly adopted a metaphor drawn from case law interpreting and applying Daubert, explaining that “[u]nder California law, trial courts have a substantial ‘gatekeeping’ responsibility” with regard to expert evidence. This article concludes that this was a significant moment in California jurisprudence, the full scope and implications of which have yet to be determined.
Defining Neverland: P. J. Hogan, J. M. Barrie and Peter Pan in Post-Mabo Australia

When Universal Studios released Australian filmmaker P.J. Hogan’s $100 million adaptation of Peter Pan in 2003, it met with lukewarm reviews and middling box office. Yet, Hogan’s version of J.M. Barrie’s most famous narratives merits discussion as a work that positions colonialism’s lingering influence in dialogue with the nation’s anxieties over globalized forces such as Hollywood. Chapter 12 argues that, by reframing Barrie’s Neverland within the context of a post-Mabo Australian cinema concerned with revising the landscapes of the road movie genre, Hogan interrogates the links between late-Victorian colonial discourse and Australia’s contemporary role in the globalized economy. Cultivating a vibrant, hybrid Neverland, Hogan’s film also demonstrates a concern with Australia’s colonial legacy while negotiating the Hollywood blockbuster’s relationship to Australian national cinema.
Concussion history is negatively associated with visual-motor force complexity: evidence for persistent effects on visual-motor integration.

Objectives: Long-term monitoring of concussion recovery requires time- and cost-effective methods. Physiologic complexity may be useful in evaluating visual-motor integration following concussion. ...
The Promise and Challenges of Quantum Computing for Energy Storage

Jarrod McClean is a research scientist in Google's Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab working on the development of practical quantum algorithms for quantum simulation and other problems. He received his PhD in Chemical Physics from Harvard University specializing in quantum chemistry and quantum computation supported by the US Department of Energy as a Computational Science Graduate Fellow. His research interests broadly include quantum computation, quantum chemistry, numerical methods, and information sparsity. Alan Ho is a product manager in Google's Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab working on identifying applications of quantum computing. He has spent his career in a number of engineering and entrepreneurial roles. His engineering interests broadly include quantum computation, quantum chemistry, and productization of new technologies. Shyue Ping Ong is an Associate Professor in the Department of NanoEngineering at the University of California, San Diego. He received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011. His research interests are in the inter-disciplinary application of ab initio calculations and informatics to the discovery and study of novel materials for energy and other applications.
Fulfilling the Promise of Unique Device Identifiers.

Medical devices are required to have unique identifiers, which have the potential to provide data to improve patient safety. The authors discuss why this potential is not being realized and suggest...
Book review: Theoretical Aspects of Reasoning about Knowledge

This volume is a collection of 25 papers and four abstracts presented at an interdisciplinary conference held at Monterery, California in March, 1986. To their credit, the conference organizers selected high quality papers that cover a range of topics affected by knowledge reasoning. The fields represented at the conference included philosophy, linguistics, artificial intelligence (Al), economics, and theoretical computer science.
Development of a virtual benign hematology consultation service: results of a pilot project involving 5 medical centers

TO THE EDITOR: Benign hematology consultations constitute a sizable proportion of the evaluation requests in traditional hematology/oncology practices. There is a need for physicians with adequate training, experience, interest, and expertise in assessing and treating patients with these disorders
Approximate Algorithms for 3-D Placement of IBFD Enabled Drone-Mounted Base Stations

The future 5G network is expected to provide throughput 1000 times and spectrum efficiency 10 times those of the current 4G network. In-band full-duplex (IBFD) is a promising technique for 5G that can conceivably improve spectrum efficiency. Drone-mounted base stations (DBSs) provide high mobility and high flexibility, and leveraging DBSs to provision services to UEs can facilitate the quality of service of the wireless network and enlarge the coverage area. Therefore, the throughput and the spectrum efficiency can be improved by leveraging IBFD-enabled DBSs. We formulate the drone-mounted base station placement with IBFD communications ( DBSP-IBFD ) problem, which consists of two sub-problems: the joint bandwidth, power allocation and UE association ( joint-BPU ) problem and the DBS placement problem. We first propose an approximate algorithm to solve the joint-BPU problem that provides guaranteed performance. Then, an exhaustive search method is employed to obtain the optimal locations for DBSs. After that, we propose a $\frac{1}{2}(1-\frac{1}{2^{l}})$ -approximation algorithm to solve the DBSP-IBFD problem, where $l$ is the number of simulation runs. Simulation results have demonstrated that the throughput of the proposed approximate algorithm is superior to benchmark algorithms in solving the DBSP-IBFD problem.
Outdoor adventure therapy to increase physical activity in young adult cancer survivors

ABSTRACTPurpose: Despite the health benefits of physical activity (PA), limited research has examined PA interventions in young adult cancer survivors (YACS). This study used a two-group parallel design to examine the effects of a 7-day outdoor adventure camp vs. waitlist control on PA levels among YACS. Secondary aims examined effects on sedentary behavior and PA correlates. Methods: 50 camp and 66 control participants were assessed at baseline, end of camp, and 3 months. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that, relative to baseline, camp participants had significantly (p = 0.0001) greater increases in PA than controls during camp (+577 vs. +9 minutes/week) and 3 months post-camp (+133 vs. –75 minutes/week, p = 0.001). Camp participants also reported significantly greater improvements in TV viewing (p = 0.001), hours sitting (p = 0.001), PA variety (p = 0.0001), barriers to PA (p = 0.007), and enjoyment of structured activities (p = 0.04) during camp but not 3 months post-camp. Conclusion: A wee...
Clinical evaluation of fitness to drive in patients with brain metastases.

Background Guidelines to provide recommendations about driving restrictions for patients with brain metastases are lacking. We aim to determine whether clinical neurologic examination is sufficient to predict suitability to drive in these patients by comparison with an occupational therapy driving assessment (OTDA). Methods We prospectively evaluated the concordance between neurology assessment of suitability to drive (pass/fail) and OTDA in 41 individuals with brain metastases. Neuro-oncology evaluation included an interview and neurological examination. Participants subsequently underwent OTDA during which a battery of objective measures of visual, cognitive, and motor skills related to driving was administered. Results The mean age of patients who failed OTDA was age 68.9 years vs 59.3 years in the group members who passed (P = .0046). The sensitivity of the neurology assessment to predict driving fitness compared with OTDA was 16.1% and the specificity 90%. The 31 patients who failed OTDA were more likely to fail Vision Coach, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail Making B tests. Conclusions There was poor association between the assessment of suitability to drive by neurologists and the outcome of the OTDA in patients with brain metastases. Subtle deficits that may impair the ability to drive safely may not be evident on neurologic examination. The positive predictive value was high to predict OTDA failure. Age could be a factor affecting OTDA performance. The results raise questions about the choice of assessments in making recommendations about driving fitness in people with brain metastases. OTDA should be strongly considered in patients with brain metastases who wish to continue driving.
Low-Cost, Ambient-Dried, Superhydrophobic, High Strength, Thermally Insulating, and Thermally Resilient Polybenzoxazine Aerogels

A family of ambient-dried polybenzoxazine aerogels is prepared with a facile and scalable process as a high-performance polymeric aerogel with strong and robust thermomechanical properties at eleva...
De-securitization, sexual violence, and the politics of silence:

Drawing on the author’s archival research in Germany and the US, empirical data about US-allied troop sexual violence during post-World War II occupied Germany suggests a complex interplay between ...
Skill in Social Situations: The Essence of Savoir-Faire

This chapter introduces a measure of savoir-faire that represents the abilities required to engage others in interaction and to behave tactfully and successfully in social situations. Drawing on research in nonverbal and social skills, savoir-faire (which translates as “to know (what) to do”) is a combination of abilities in expressing oneself verbally, engaging others in interactions, and sophisticated social role-playing. We assert that savoir-faire represents a core element of social intelligence and that it is associated with social effectiveness, broadly defined. Using data from a self-report measure of social skills, we extracted the measure of savoir-faire. We demonstrate how savoir-faire, so measured, predicts interpersonal behavior in laboratory-based social situations as well as important social outcomes (e.g., likability, breadth of social networks, attainment of leadership positions).
Relationships within and between lower and upper extremity dysfunction in people with diabetes.

Abstract Introduction Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with systemic musculoskeletal system impairments suggesting concurrent development of lower and upper extremity musculoskeletal problems. This study aims to examine relationships between lower and upper extremity function in people with DM. Methods Sixty people with type 2 DM and peripheral neuropathy [mean (standard deviation); 67(6) years old, DM duration 14(10) yrs] completed the following measures: 1) Self-reports of function: Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM; higher = better function) and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI; lower = better function), 2) Range of motion (goniometry): ankle dorsiflexion and shoulder flexion, and 3) Strength: unilateral heel rise power (UHR, 3D kinetics) and hand grip dynamometry. Pearson correlations examined associations between lower and upper extremity measures, p Results Forty of 60 (67%) reported pain/disability in both the foot/ankle and shoulder and 95% of study participants had some limitation in foot or shoulder function. Significant between extremity correlations: FAAM and SPADI (r = −0.39), ankle dorsiflexion and shoulder flexion range of motion (r = 0.35), and UHR and hand grip strength (r = 0.40). Significant within extremity correlations: FAAM and UHR (r = .47) and SPADI with shoulder flexion (r = −0.44). Conclusion Upper and lower extremity inter- and intra-relationships indicate systemic musculoskeletal impairments in people with DM. Healthcare practitioners should consider the potential for concurrent and disabling musculoskeletal problems in people with DM.
X-ray characterization of the Icarus ultrafast x-ray imager

Ultrafast x-ray imagers developed at Sandia National Laboratories are a transformative diagnostic tool in inertial confinement fusion and high energy density physics experiments. The nanosecond time scales on which these devices operate are a regime with little precedent, and applicable characterization procedures are still developing. This paper presents pulsed x-ray characterization of the Icarus imager under a variety of illumination levels and timing modes. Results are presented for linearity of response, absolute sensitivity, variation of response with gate width, and image quality.
African Women in the Atlantic World: Property, Vulnerability and Mobility, 1660–1880: edited by Mariana P. Candido and Adam Jones, Suffolk, James Currey, 2019, xiv + 290 pp.

The formation of the Atlantic world was a process of bodies in motion, as sailors, settlers and slaves moved across oceans, through countless ports and into foreign lands. Most of the bodies making...
Cole-impedance parameters representing biceps tissue bioimpedance in healthy adults and their alterations following eccentric exercise.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to identify if participation in an eccentric exercise protocol altered the Cole-impedance model parameters that represent localized bicep tissue bioimpedance. This supports continued efforts to identify which features of tissue bioimpedance may be effective markers to non-invasively identify skeletal muscle damage. Here, the Cole-impedance model parameters that best fit the localized electrical impedance of exercised (using an eccentric stimulus) and unexercised biceps of 6 participants (collected before, immediately after and at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h) are determined using a numerical optimization technique. Statistical tests comparing the pre-exercise and post-exercise model parameters report significant decreases in R ∞ and R 1 with significant increases in C at 72 h and 96 h post-exercise for exercised biceps (aligning with noted periods of peak swelling). These changes in R ∞ , R 1 , and C were not observed in the unexercised biceps. These results support that the C parameter of the Cole-impedance model fit to bioimpedance data may be a suitable marker for identifying skeletal muscle damage.
A Series-elastic Robot for Back-pain Rehabilitation

This paper addresses the robot-assisted rehabilitation of back pain, an epidemic health problem affecting a large portion of the population. The design is composed of two springs in series connected to an end-effector via a pair of antagonistic cables. The spring and cable arrangement forms an elastic coupling from the actuator to the output shaft. An input-output torque model of the series-elastic mechanism is established and studied numerically. The study also illustrates the variation of the mechanism’s effective stiffness by changing the springs’ position. In addition, we built a prototype of the robotic mechanism and design experiments with a robotic manipulator to experimentally investigate its dynamic characteristics. The experimental results confirm the predicted elasticity between the input motion and the output torque at the end-effector. We also observe an agreement between the data generated by the torque model and data collected from the experiments. An experiment with a full-scale robot and a human subject is carried out to investigate the human-robot interaction and the mechanism behavior.
In vitro models of the human endometrium: evolution and application for women’s health

The endometrium is the inner lining of the uterus that undergoes complex regeneration and differentiation during the human menstrual cycle. The process of endometrial shedding, regeneration, and differentiation is driven by ovarian steroid hormones and prepares the endometrium and intrauterine environment for embryo implantation and pregnancy establishment. Endometrial glands and their secretions are essential for pregnancy establishment, and cross talk between the glandular epithelium and stromal cells appears vital for decidualization and placental development. Despite being crucial, the biology of the human endometrium during pregnancy establishment and most of pregnancy is incomplete, given the ethical and practical limitations of obtaining and studying endometrium from pregnant women. As such, in vitro models of the human endometrium are required to fill significant gaps in understanding endometrial biology. This review is focused on the evolution and development of in vitro three-dimensional models of the human endometrium and provides insight into the challenges and promises of those models to improve women's reproductive health.
Advancing the Rebirth of Environmental Common Law

Federal law often fails to mitigate environmental harm. An alternative litigation response when federal avenues prove ineffective is reliance on state common law doctrines, especially public and private nuisance. A rebirth of the common law is occurring. This Article provides examples of the rebirth of environmental common law and suggests how common law claims and remedies in the environmental context can mitigate environmental harm.
Bipartite graph-based approach for clustering of cell lines by gene expression-drug response associations.

Motivation In pharmacogenomic studies, the biological context of cell lines influences the predictive ability of drug-response models and the discovery of biomarkers. Thus, similar cell lines are often studied together based on prior knowledge of biological annotations. However, this selection approach is not scalable with the number of annotations, and the relationship between gene-drug association patterns and biological context may not be obvious. Results We present a procedure to compare cell lines based on their gene-drug association patterns. Starting with a grouping of cell lines from biological annotation, we model gene-drug association patterns for each group as a bipartite graph between genes and drugs. This is accomplished by applying sparse canonical correlation analysis (SCCA) to extract the gene-drug associations, and using the canonical vectors to construct the edge weights. Then, we introduce a nuclear norm-based dissimilarity measure to compare the bipartite graphs. Accompanying our procedure is a permutation test to evaluate the significance of similarity of cell line groups in terms of gene-drug associations. In the pharmacogenomics datasets CTRP2, GDSC2, and CCLE, hierarchical clustering of carcinoma groups based on this dissimilarity measure uniquely reveals clustering patterns driven by carcinoma subtype rather than primary site. Next, we show that the top associated drugs or genes from SCCA can be used to characterize the clustering patterns of haematopoietic and lymphoid malignancies. Finally, we confirm by simulation that when drug responses are linearly-dependent on expression, our approach is the only one that can effectively infer the true hierarchy compared to existing approaches. Availability Bipartite graph-based hierarchical clustering is implemented in R and can be obtained from CRAN: https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=hierBipartite. The source code is available at https://github.com/CalvinTChi/hierBipartite. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Using ultra-thin interlaminar carbon nanotube sheets to enhance the mechanical and electrical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites

Abstract A major shortcoming of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRP) is their interlaminar performance. This study provides an inexpensive and readily scalable solution to this problem by incorporating ultra-thin sheets of carbon nanotubes (CNT) between the plies (laminates) of CFRPs. To this end, dry carbon fiber fabrics are first sandwiched between CNT sheets. The fabrics are then stacked and infused with epoxy to form a CFRP with interlaminar CNT sheets. Contrary to the typical approach where microns-long CNTs are distributed randomly within a CFRP for reinforcement, this study uses ~100 nm thick CNT sheets consisting of aligned and ultra-long (0.3 mm) nanotubes. Despite their negligible weight fraction of only 0.016%, the interlaminar CNT sheets enhanced the CFRP's flexural strength by 49%, interlaminar shear strength by 30%, and mode I fracture toughness by 30%. X-ray micro-tomography revealed that samples with interlaminar CNTs are significantly resistant to delamination and crack propagation. Moreover, the in-plane electrical conductivity of these composites increased commensurate with the weight fraction of CNTs, providing a maximum enhancement of 278% over the reference sample for 0.048 wt% of CNT sheets. This study reveals that for almost no change in weight and thickness, interlaminar CNT sheets can enhance the electrical conductivity and interlaminar performance of CFRPs.
Conflict-Free Evacuation Route Planning

Given a transportation network, a population, and a set of destinations, the goal of Conflict-Free Evacuation Route Planning (CF-ERP) is to produce routes that minimize the evacuation time for the population with no spatiotemporal movement-conflicts. The CF-ERP problem is an essential component of civic emergency preparedness in the wake of man-made or natural disasters (e.g., terrorist acts, hurricanes, or nuclear accidents). This problem is challenging because of the large size of network data, the large number of evacuees, and the need to account for capacity constraints and the conflict-free constraint. Previous work has focused on minimizing the evacuation time on spatiotemporal networks. However, these approaches cannot minimize potential movement-conflicts that cause traffic accidents, congestion, and delays. We propose novel approaches for CF-ERP to meet the conflict-free constraint while minimizing the evacuation time for the population. Experiments using real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithms produce evacuation routes with no movement-conflicts and have comparable solution quality to related work.
Longitudinal Impact of Preference Biases on Recommender Systems' Performance

Research studies have shown that recommender systems' predictions that are observed by users can cause biases in users' post-consumption preference ratings. Because users' preference ratings are typically fed back to the system as training data for future predictions, this process is likely to influence the performance of the system in the long run. We use a simulation approach to study the longitudinal impact of preference biases (and their magnitude) on the dynamics of recommender systems' performance. We look at the influence of preference biases in two conditions: (i) during the normal system use, where biases are typically caused by the system's inherent prediction errors, and (ii) in the presence of external (deliberate) recommendation perturbations. Our simulation results show that preference biases significantly impair the system's prediction performance (i.e., prediction accuracy) as well as users' consumption outcomes (i.e., consumption relevance and diversity) over time. The impact is non-linear to the size of the bias, i.e., large bias causes disproportionately large negative effects. Also, items that are less popular and less distinctive (in terms of their content) are affected more by preference biases. Additionally, intentional recommendation perturbations, even on a small number of items for a short time, substantially amplify the negative impact of preference bias on a system's longitudinal dynamics and causes long-lasting effects on users' consumption. Our findings provide important implications for the design of recommender systems.
Apraxia

In this review, we present a summary of some of the most pertinent new research on aspects of apraxia. Rather than attempt a review of all neurologic syndromes that have been identified as forms of apraxia, such as buccofacial, truncal, apraxia of eye opening, and apraxia of speech, we focus on current literature and trends in the study of limb apraxia. Although the classic empirical approach to the study of apraxia has been through systematic neuropsychologic assessment of various aspects of the syndrome, questions remain regarding the exact neural substrate that forms the foundation of the praxis system. More recent work using sophisticated neuroimaging methods has yielded a wealth of new data that contributes significantly to our understanding of the neuroanatomic correlates of this complex disorder. In addition, the results of recent sophisticated neuropsychologic studies have suggested modifications to classic cognitive models of apraxia. A discussion of current work and directions for future research are also provided.
The Struggle for Europe

In the decade after 1945, repressive Communist systems dominated most of Eastern Europe, despite several attempts at resistance, most dramatically with the revolution in Hungary in 1956. The West used multiple strategies to safeguard Western Europe, including the enormous investment of the Marshall Plan. The two halves of Europe consolidated into well-defined military and economic blocs. Despite several attempts at dismantling these arrangements, German conditions proved uniquely difficult, and the anomalous position of Berlin often sparked crises. Both sides planned for future warfare in Europe, on a devastating scale. The West supported anti-Communist guerrilla forces in several Eastern nations.
Using a micromechanical viscoelastic creep model to capture multi-phase deterioration in bio-based wood polymer composites exposed to moisture

Abstract To accurately depict in-service behavior of multi-phase, fully bio-based composites, models must be able to capture material deterioration. In this work, a viscoelastic micromechanical creep model, validated by experimental work, was proposed for bio-based wood polymer composites subject to moisture and prolonged loading. To capture the highly weakened or “deteriorated” interface incurred from fiber swelling, characterizations of the interface, fiber, and matrix were used. Experimental mechanics findings and morphological data were used to inform composite deterioration and to select modeling parameters. The model was verified using extended experimental results, and also extended to drive design of more environmentally sustainable composites.
FREEZING AND CYCLIC TRIAXIAL BEHAVIOR OF SANDS

In order to determine whether the freezing done to facilitate the shipment of undisturbed samples effects the cyclic triaxial behavior of sands, several sand samples, frozen and unfrozen, were subjected to laboratory cyclic triaxial testing. No significant effect from freezing on either specimen density or liquefaction behavior could be established for the sands tested. It is the writer's opinion, however, that those wishing to use freezing as an alternative sample handling must take precautions to assure themselves that freezing a particular sand will not effect its liquefaction behavior. Such precautions might include comparative testing of samples, but in any event should only be attempted with those sands that are relatively free draining. Samples that are not well drained will expand upon freezing with possible severe disturbance. For this reason it is advisable to monitor simple drainage and if samples are frozen, lengths should be carefully monitored, and observations made to detect any volume changes upon thawing.
Resistance training and vascular function: Training and obesity-related effects

Resistance Training Effects on Brachial Artery Flow Mediated Dilation: A metaAnalysis. Introduction: A meta-analysis of the effects of resistance training (RT) on brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD) was performed. Methods: A search of online data-bases was conducted in the first quarter of 2008. Studies which examined FMD and utilized whole body RT were included. Studies were excluded if the RT protocol used less than half of all major muscle groups or if insufficient information was available to generate effect sizes (ES). Articles which assessed two RT treatment groups were divided into separate ES. Ninety-six studies were evaluated. Studies were also coded for training variables. Results: Twelve studies formed 14 preto post-treatment ES and 9 treatment versus control ES. RT created an overall positive pre-test to post-test mean ES (standard difference in the mean = 0.458, SE = 0.144, 95% CI (0.176, 0.741), z = 3.177, p = 0.001). Meta-regression was used to determine correlations between RT moderator variables. Although several training variables did significantly correlate to FMD (age, percent of 1 repetition max, number of repetitions per set, number of sets per exercise, and length of interest rest: p < 0.05), point estimates were small indicating little effect. Conclusions: These results indicate that RT appears to have a small positive effect on FMD.
The Action Française Militant 1906–1914

“[Late in 1906] no one in France entertained the possibility of substituting another regime for the parliamentary system, outside of the doctrinaires of the Action Francaise, some syndicalists, and a few remaining anarchists.” 1 All aspects of contemporary French life attested to the validity of Jacques Chastenet’s contention. In Parliament itself, the Center parties were firmly in control, and the royalist opposition was reduced to such isolated and anachronistic figures as the Marquis de Baudry d’Asson, whose resounding “Vive le Roi!” invariably punctuated the close of ministerial speeches.2 To the country at large, the Dreyfus Case was closed at last; the Algeciras Conference had demonstrated the strength of the Entente Cordiale; business was good and the franc stable. The lower rungs of the proletariat excepted, few Frenchmen were without the security afforded by carefully hoarded savings. If the portents of a new era could be discerned here and there, la belle epoque appeared on the whole to have carried over into the twentieth century. Even the stout stature, dignity, and bonhomie of the newly elected president, M. Armand Fallieres, were symbolic of the rock bottom foundation of the Republic.
Structure and mechanism of the iron-sulfur flavoprotein phthalate dioxygenase reductase.

Transfer of electrons between pyridine nucleotides (obligatory two-electron carriers) and hemes or [2Fe-2S] centers (obligatory one-electron carriers) is an essential step mediated by flavins in respiration, photosynthesis, and many oxygenase systems. Phthalate dioxygenase reductase (PDR), a soluble iron-sulfur flavoprotein from Pseudomonas cepacia, is a convenient model for the study of this type of electron transfer. PDR is folded into three domains; the NH2-terminal FMN binding and central NAD(H) binding domains are closely related to ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR). The COOH-terminal [2Fe-2S] domain is similar to plant ferredoxins, and can be removed by proteolysis without significantly altering the reactivity of the FNR-like domains. Kinetic studies have identified sequential steps in the reaction of PDR with NADH that involve pyridine nucleotide binding, hydride transfer to FMN, and intramolecular electron transfer from the reduced flavin to the [2Fe-2S] cluster. Crystal structures of reduced and l...
A Forest of Time: American Indian Ways of History

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Peter Nabokov Year: 2002 Pages: x + 246 Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Multi-variant execution to protect unpatched software

For a variety of economic and practical reasons, security patches often cannot be deployed immediately after a patch’s release. To mitigate attacks against unpatched software, we present the design and evaluation of a Moving Target tech- nique that uses a form of software diversity called multi-variant execution. Our technique decomposes the software’s behavior into its low-level system calls and compares unpatched and patched execution traces to identify malicious behavior in the unpatched software. We evaluate our approach on benign and malicious document samples and our results indicate that multi-variant execution can detect real exploits with low false positives.
Comment on: Microscopic modeling of multi-lane highway traffic flow, Nathan O. Hodas and Arnand Jagota, Am. J. Phys. 71 (12) 2003, pp. 1247

In heavy traffic with congested roadway the maximum traffic flow also depends on length of cars. This is deduced in a simple derivation suited for classroom demonstration as well as homework. The resulting equation demonstrates a new relation to an apparently unrelated area of physics, the maximum ship velocity (hull speed) and explains why traffic is sometimes faster on the slow lane on a congested multi-lane road.