cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histochemistry of lobster claw‐closer muscles during development

Based on histochemical detection of the specific activities of myofibrillar ATPase in fast and slow mucle, the fiber composition of the paired claw-closer muscles in the lobster Homarus americanus was examined during development. The cutter muscle of juvenile lobsters, 1 year (13th stage) and older, has a majority of darkly staining, fast fibers and a minority of lightly staining, slow fibers which are restricted to the ventral area. The crusher muscle, on the other hand, stained lightly over its entire area, showing that it is composed only of slow fibers. In the 3rd larval stage the paired muscles are similar, each having a central band of intense-staining, fast fibers sandwiched by light-staining, slow fibers. From the 4th stage onwards, the differentiation to the dimorphic condition occurs with gradual expansion, in the cutter claw of the dark-staining, fast fibers, and in the crusher claw of light-staining, slow fibers. The cutter closer muscle is differentiated completely and consistently by the 9th–10th stage, whereas the crusher differentiated more slowly between the 13th–22nd stages. During this process the transformation of slow muscle to fast in the cutter claw may be via an intermediate type.
Postinjury treatment with rolipram increases hemorrhage after traumatic brain injury.

The pathology caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) is exacerbated by the inflammatory response of the injured brain. Two pro-inflammatory cytokines that contribute to inflammation after TBI are tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). In previous studies using the parasagittal fluid-percussion brain injury model, we reported that the anti-inflammatory drug rolipram, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, reduced TNF-α and IL-1β levels and improved histopathological outcome when administered 30 min prior to injury. We now report that treatment with (±)-rolipram given 30 min after injury significantly reduced TNF-α levels in the cortex and hippocampus. However, post-injury administration of (±)-rolipram significantly increased cortical contusion volume and increased atrophy of the cortex as compared to vehicle-treated animals at 10 days post-injury. Thus, despite the reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, histopathological outcome was worsened with post-TBI (±)-rolipram treatment. Further histological analysis of (±)-rolipram-treated TBI animals revealed significant hemorrhage in the contused brain. Given the well known role of (±)-rolipram to increase vasodilation, it is likely that (±)-rolipram worsened outcome after fluid-percussion brain injury by causing increased bleeding.
Synectin-dependent gene expression in endothelial cells

Synectin (GIPC1), a receptor scaffold protein, has been isolated by our laboratory as a syndecan-4 cytoplasmic domain binding partner that regulates important aspects of cell motility (Gao Y, Li M,...
Translational switch for long-term maintenance of synaptic plasticity

Memory can last a lifetime, yet synaptic contacts that contribute to the storage of memory are composed of proteins that have much shorter lifetimes. A physiological model of memory formation, long-term potentiation (LTP), has a late protein-synthesis-dependent phase (L-LTP) that can last for many hours in slices or even for days in vivo. Could the activity-dependent synthesis of new proteins account for the persistence of L-LTP and memory? Here, we examine the proposal that a self-sustaining regulation of translation can form a bistable switch that can persistently regulate the on-site synthesis of plasticity-related proteins. We show that an αCaMKII–CPEB1 molecular pair can operate as a bistable switch. Our results imply that L-LTP should produce an increase in the total amount of αCaMKII at potentiated synapses. This study also proposes an explanation for why the application of protein synthesis and αCaMKII inhibitors at the induction and maintenance phases of L-LTP result in very different outcomes.
Adverse childhood experiences, psychosocial well-being and cognitive development among orphans and abandoned children in five low income countries

Development policymakers and child-care service providers are committed to improving the educational opportunities of the 153 million orphans worldwide. Nevertheless, the relationship between orphanhood and education outcomes is not well understood. Varying factors associated with differential educational attainment leave policymakers uncertain where to intervene. This study examines the relationship between psychosocial well-being and cognitive development in a cohort of orphans and abandoned children (OAC) relative to non-OAC in five low and middle income countries (LMICs) to understand better what factors are associated with success in learning for these children. Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO) is a longitudinal study, following a cohort of single and double OAC in institutional and community-based settings in five LMICs in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa: Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and Tanzania. Employing two-stage random sampling survey methodology to identify representative samples of OAC in six sites, the POFO study aimed to better understand factors associated with child well-being. Using cross-sectional and child-level fixed effects regression analyses on 1,480 community based OAC and a comparison sample of non-OAC, this manuscript examines associations between emotional difficulties, cognitive development, and a variety of possible co-factors, including potentially traumatic events. The most salient finding is that increases in emotional difficulties are associated with lags in cognitive development for two separate measures of learning within and across multiple study sites. Exposure to potentially traumatic events, male gender, and lower socio-economic status are associated with more reported emotional difficultiesin some sites. Being female and having an illiterate caregiver is associated with lower performance on cognitive development tests in some sites, while greater wealth is associated with higher performance. There is no significant association between orphan status per se and cognitive development, though the negative and significant association between higher emotional difficulties and lags in cognitive development hold across all orphan subgroups. These findings suggest that interventions targeting psychosocial support for vulnerable children, especially vis a vis traumatic experiences, may ease strains inhibiting a child’s learning. Family based interventions to stabilize socioeconomic conditions may help overcome psychosocial challenges that otherwise would present as barriers to the child’s learning.
Women's health and human rights in HIV prevention research.

In conclusion there are no easy answers but avoiding the difficult ethics problems surrounding women’s rights and health in HIV prevention trials is not a solution. Rather by avoiding these challenges now we risk stalling critical HIV prevention research in the future. It is surely better to discuss these disturbing issues and produce practical even if imperfect solutions than to idly accept comfortable avoidance and provide no solutions for the female volunteers in HIV prevention trials. (excerpt)
Will consumers pay a premium for ethical information

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that may influence a consumer to pay a premium for a product or service communicating ethical information.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was administered to 77 subjects and a conceptual model of five specific inter‐related constructs was tested using LISREL.Findings – There is a sequence of events that leads consumers to be willing to pay a premium for a product communicating ethical information. This sequence starts with the need for information which, in turn, leads to socially responsible behavior and social sacrifice and, finally, to the intention to pay a premium. Importantly, this sequence is positively moderated by monetary resources available to spend in the category.Research limitations/implications – To increase generalizability, this study should be replicated among other sample compositions and for additional products and/or services.Practical implications – The research details the multi‐step consumer decision‐making proce...
Freezing to the predator odor 2,4,5 dihydro 2,5 trimethylthiazoline (TMT) is disrupted by olfactory bulb removal but not trigeminal deafferentation

2,4,5 dihydro 2,5 trimethylthiazoline (TMT) is a synthesized component of red fox anal secretions that reliably elicits defensive behaviors in rats and mice. TMT differs from other predator odors because it is a single molecule, it can be synthesized in large quantities, and the dose for exposure is highly controllable in an experimental setting. TMT has become a popular tool for studying the brain mechanisms that mediate innate fear behavior to olfactory stimuli. However, this view of TMT as a biologically relevant olfactory stimulus has been challenged by suggestions that the odor elicits fear behavior due to its irritating properties, presumably working through a nociceptive mechanism. To address this criticism our lab measured freezing behavior in rats during exposures to 2 odors (TMT and butyric acid) and H2O (no odor control) following either surgical transection of the trigeminal nerves or ablation of the olfactory bulbs. Our findings (Experiment 1) indicate that freezing behavior to TMT requires an intact olfactory system, as indicated by the loss of freezing following olfactory bulb removal. Experiment 2 revealed that rats with trigeminal nerve transection freeze normally to TMT, suggesting the olfactory system mediates this behavior to TMT. A replication of Experiment 1 that included contextual fear conditioning revealed that the decreased freezing behavior was not due to an inability of olfactory bulb ablated rats to freeze (Experiment 3). Taken together, these findings support TMT's role as an ecologically relevant predator odor useful in experiments of unconditioned fear that is mediated via olfaction and not nociception.
Upgrading a Piped Water Supply from Intermittent to Continuous Delivery and Association with Waterborne Illness: A Matched Cohort Study in Urban India

Background Intermittent delivery of piped water can lead to waterborne illness through contamination in the pipelines or during household storage, use of unsafe water sources during intermittencies, and limited water availability for hygiene. We assessed the association between continuous versus intermittent water supply and waterborne diseases, child mortality, and weight for age in Hubli-Dharwad, India.
Pursuing Just Peace: An Overview and Case Studies for Faith-Based Peacebuilders

This article is a review of the book “Pursuing Just Peace: An Overview and Case Studies for Faith-Based Peacebuilders” edited by Mark Rogers, Tom Bamat, and Julie Ideh.
Impaired Judgments of Sadness But Not Happiness Following Bilateral Amygdala Damage

Although the amygdala's role in processing facial expressions of fear has been well established, its role in the processing of other emotions is unclear. In particular, evidence for the amygdala's involvement in processing expressions of happiness and sadness remains controversial. To clarify this issue, we constructed a series of morphed stimuli whose emotional expression varied gradually from very faint to more pronounced. Five morphs each of sadness and happiness, as well as neutral faces, were shown to 27 subjects with unilateral amygdala damage and 5 with complete bilateral amygdala damage, whose data were compared to those from 12 brain damaged and 26 normal controls. Subjects were asked to rate the intensity and to label the stimuli. Subjects with unilateral amygdala damage performed very comparably to controls. By contrast, subjects with bilateral amygdala damage showed a specific impairment in rating sad faces, but performed normally in rating happy faces. Furthermore, subjects with right unilateral amygdala damage performed somewhat worse than subjects with left unilateral amygdala damage. The findings suggest that the amygdala's role in processing of emotional facial expressions encompasses multiple negatively valenced emotions, including fear and sadness.
USE OF MECHANICAL COUPLERS IN CONCRETE COLUMNS

This paper investigates the seismic performance of a two-column bridge bent with a primary focus on the mechanical couplers used to connect the reinforcement bars at the base of the columns. Previous research has focused on the need to properly account for at-yield and post-yield tensile behavior of these connections, but little has been done in the area of research into the use and detailing of these couplers subjected to the compressive forces in the region of plastic hinges. To study the behavior of the mechanical couplers in compression, a two-column bridge bent was tested at the University of California, San Diego. In the test, mechanical couplers were used to attach the longitudinal reinforcement bars at staggered heights in the plastic hinge zone at the base of the columns in a manner that was similar to a prototype. The results of the test indicated that current design practices are inadequate to properly develop the necessary compressive forces in the reinforcement bars in these types of connections. Moreover, while the couplers in the test performed adequately, the compression region of the column became unstable due to the buckling of the steel reinforcement around the location of the couplers. This paper describes a shortcoming of the current methodology, along with solutions to provide a plastic hinge capable of delivering additional ductility during seismic events.
Pairing Symmetry in Single-Layer Tetragonal Tl2Ba2CuOβ+δ Superconductors

A high-resolution scanning superconducting quantum interference device microscopy study of tetragonal single-layer Tl 2 Ba 2 CuO β+δ films, deposited on tricrystal SrTiO 3 substrates, demonstrates the effect of spontaneously generated half flux quanta. This observation shows that in addition to YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 , the order parameter symmetry in Tl 2 Ba 2 CuO β+δ is consistent with that of a d x 2 - y 2 pair state. This result also rules out any bilayer or twinning effects and any pairing that is incompatible with the fourfold rotational symmetry as in the Tl 2 Ba 2 CuO β+δ superconducting system.
Augmenting Instruction in Business Communication Courses with the Internet

Faced with shrinking budgets and changing standards at their colleges and universities, instructors of business communication are looking for new ways to prepare stu dents for careers in business. Using computer-mediated technologies, instructors can develop activities outside the classroom to motivate and inform students. Augmenting business communication courses with e-mail and Internet protocols, instructors can reach larger segments of their classes, stimulate discussions, create simulations, and strengthen their relationships with students. Using imagi native techniques, students and instructors can work together to develop a new kind of educational community whose communications are mediated by computers.
On the effective thermal conductivity of saturated porous media

Carefully quantified effective thermal conductivity measurements of saturated porous systems are reported. Solid-fluid systems considered include glass-water, glass-air, steel-water, and steel-air. These systems yield solid-fluid conductivity ratios of 1.08, 25.7, 102, and 2400, respectively. The solid phases consist of 3.96 mm glass spheres and 14 mm steel ball bearings, which give mean porosities of 0.365 and 0.403. The experimental method is based on the transient heating of a semi-infinite cylinder by a constant heat flux at the boundary. The data reduction technique is unique because it avoids determining the effective thermal diffusivity and quantifying the boundary heat flux. In addition, particular attention is paid to assessing experimental uncertainty. Consequently, this study provides data with a degree of precision not typically found the literature. A complete accounting of energy storage and transport in the transient system is conducted to complement the uncertainty analysis. A thorough literature review is also presented to facilitate a critique of the experimental results.© 2005 ASME
Model building, model testing, and the spread of agriculture to the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract Recent archeological evidence has revealed that a major transition in subsistence regimes took place around the second millennium BC. This paper argues that in order for archeologists to understand transitions in subsistence regimes in the past, it is necessary to develop models capable of outlining our frames of reference. It summarizes how ecological niche models (ENM) have contributed to our understanding of the spread of agriculture to the Plateau and situates ENM within the two current paradigms used for understanding subsistence change in archeological research (Optimal Foraging Theory and Niche Construction Theory) and argues that recent advances in computing and in spatial modeling should be employed by researchers seeking to make testable hypothesis about subsistence change on the Tibetan Plateau.
A label-free optical biosensor for serotyping "unknown" influenza viruses

The ability to accurately classify influenza viruses is critical to understanding patterns of infection, vaccine efficacy, and to the process of developing new vaccines. Unfortunately, this task is hampered both by the virus’ ability to undergo antigenic drift and shift (rendering it a “previously unknown” strain), and by technological limitations. In an effort to overcome these challenges, we have developed a label-free human monoclonal antibody array for flu serology, using a pattern recognition approach to assign virus serotype. The array is built on the Arrayed Imaging Reflectometry (AIR) platform. AIR relies on the creation of a near-perfect antireflective condition on the surface of a silicon chip. When this antireflective condition is perturbed because of binding to an antibody spot (or other immobilized probe molecule), binding may be sensitively and quantitatively detected as an increase in reflected light. We describe fabrication and characterization of the array, and preliminary testing with isolated influenza hemagglutinin. We anticipate that this approach may be extended to other viruses by expansion of the array.
Initial study of brittle source identification of electric power system

Brittle source of electric power system is the element of inducing brittleness.Based on the combination of direct current ride and distributing factor method,a method to locate the brittle sources was put forward.Then analysis of a three generatrixs system proved the effectiveness of this method.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: Operative and Rehabilitative Options

Injury to the ACL carries significant morbidity and it is an injury that afflicts and disables those enjoying a demanding active lifestyle. A decision on the most appropriate treatment is a difficult one and should be taken seriously because all treatment options require dedication and hard work for a successful outcome.
Naturally Occurring Autoantibodies to Apoptotic Cells

Subsets of IgM naturally occurring autoantibodies (NAbs) bind to the cell surface membranes of dying cells. The antibodies predominantly have specificities against lipid antigens or oxidized lipids. Chief among these lipid antigens are phosphorylcholine (PC) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Antibodies to negatively charged phospholipids such as phosphatidylserine (PS) have been described and there is controversy as to whether these antibodies are related to anticardiolipin antibodies observed in disease states. IgM NAbs that bind to apoptotic cells recruit classical complement pathway components and facilitate phagocytosis by both macrophages and dendritic cells, and may block inflammatory pathways. Under these circumstances, pathologic immune responses to self (autoimmunity) are avoided, whereas mice lacking serum IgM develop a lupus-like disease with associated IgG autoantibody responses. Based on these observations, IgM anti-PC NAbs were found to attenuate inflammation in mouse models of arthritis. IgMNAbs antibodies therefore appear to play pivotal roles in the dampening inflammation and maintenance of tolerance.
Gender-reveal parties: performing community identity in pink and blue

AbstractThe gender-reveal party has become the latest trend to publicize and commoditize what was once a private, intimate moment in parenthood. As this trend has grown in popularity, it has sparked a divisive discourse and reasserted normative ideals of gender. This article explores the representations and conversations surrounding this trend across newspapers, magazines and Internet sites. Approaching this phenomenon through performance and performativity illustrates how these parties highlight issues of liminality, gender, communitas and visibility. The gender-reveal party offers a performative space at the threshold of life, a liminal moment drawing on the power of communitas while creating a sense of permanence and security in the categorization of sexual and gendered difference. Uniting a community permits a collective reshaping of the now-sexed/now-gendered baby through rituals linked to binaried perceptions of identity. It allows adults to recuperate what they have learned from their own gendered ...
Toward the Tailoring of Sexual Health Education Messages for Young Women: A Focus on Tourist Experiences.

Perceived anonymity and decreased influence of sexual double standards in tourism provide female travelers with opportunities for sexual experimentation and risk taking. The purpose of this study was (a) to identify the clusters of risk takers among young women based on their perceptions of and motivations for sexual risk taking in tourism and (b) to profile the clusters with respect to the psychological, sexual, demographic, and tourist characteristics. The data were collected through an online survey of 853 women (age in years: M = 23.5, SD = 6.67). Five clusters of sexual risk takers emerged based on their factor-analyzed risk perceptions and motivations. These clusters were interpreted as (a) diversely motivated broad risk perceivers; (b) fun-seeking broad risk perceivers; (c) diversely motivated physical risk perceivers; (d) anonymity- and empowerment-seeking risk disregarders; and (e) unmotivated broad risk perceivers. Women in these clusters differed in their intentions to engage in sexual risk tak...
John Upton from Political Liberty to Critical Liberty: The Moral and Political Implications of Ancient and Renaissance Studies in the Enlightenment

John Upton (1707–1760) was a humanist scholar in the tradition of Shaftesburian moral philosophy who began as a robust supporter of political liberty but ended up withdrawn to the position of a promoter of critical liberty. His earlier work on ancient moral philosophy went hand in hand with criticism of the political establishment, but his later Renaissance studies were associated with a withdrawal from political commitments. He exemplified a pattern according to which literary criticism which begins in the service of a moral and political ideal ends up narrowing its purposes to goals and ideals internal to literary criticism.
Scaling struggles over land and law: Autonomy, investment, and interlegality in Myanmar’s borderlands

Abstract This article explores the relevance of spatial global legal pluralism—an emerging field at the interstices of geography, anthropology, and socio-legal studies—for research on the global land rush, and the study of land law and investment in particular. I argue that a focus on the spatial dimensions of law—coupled with attention to the interlegality, scalar politics, and spatio-temporalities of semi-autonomous law—offers important insights into the dynamic forces, actors, and stakes in the global land rush. In Myanmar, the prospects for peace—however tenuous—have led to an acceleration of land law development including the creation of ‘semi-autonomous land law’ by ethnic armed groups and activists in its borderlands. I discuss the ways in which such policies not only anticipate peace but seek to shape its political-economy over multiple spatio-temporalities. By recognizing both international human rights law and customary law, such ‘non-state’ laws bring these two scales into an intermediary legal jurisdiction, contributing to the sedimentation of Kawthoolei and Kachinland as political scales in their own right.
The role of nonhuman primate models in the development of cell-based therapies for Parkinson’s disease

Through the course of over three decades, nonhuman primate (NHP) studies on cell-based therapies (CBTs) for Parkinson’s disease (PD) have provided insight into the feasibility, safety and efficacy of the approach, methods of cell collection and preparation, cell viability, as well as potential brain targets. Today, NHP research continues to be a vital source of information for improving cell grafts and analyzing how the host affects graft survival, integration and function. Overall, this article aims to discuss the role that NHP models of PD have played in CBT development and highlights specific issues that need to be considered to maximize the value of NHP studies for the successful clinical translation of CBTs.
WiFi-Assisted 60 GHz Wireless Networks

Despite years of innovative research and development, gigabit-speed 60 GHz wireless networks are still not mainstream. The main concern for network operators and vendors is the unfavorable propagation characteristics due to short wavelength and high directionality, which renders the 60 GHz links highly vulnerable to blockage and mobility. However, the advent of multi-band chipsets opens the possibility of leveraging the more robust WiFi technology to assist 60 GHz in order to provide seamless, Gbps connectivity. In this paper, we design and implement MUST, an IEEE 802.11-compliant system that provides seamless, high-speed connectivity over multi-band 60 GHz and WiFi devices. MUST has two key design components: (1) a WiFi-assisted 60 GHz link adaptation algorithm, which can instantaneously predict the best beam and PHY rate setting, with zero probing overhead; and (2) a proactive blockage detection and switching algorithm which can re-direct ongoing user traffic to the robust interface within sub-10 ms latency. Our experiments with off-the-shelf 802.11 hardware show that MUST can achieve 25-60% throughput gain over state-of-the-art solutions, while bringing almost 2 orders of magnitude cross-band switching latency improvement.
Displacement Propagation in Fibrous Networks Due to Local Contraction

The extracellular matrix provides macroscale structure to tissues and microscale guidance for cell contraction, adhesion, and migration. The matrix is composed of a network of fibers, which each deform by stretching, bending, and buckling. Whereas the mechanics has been well characterized in uniform shear and extension, the response to more general loading conditions remains less clear, because the associated displacement fields cannot be predicted a priori. Studies simulating contraction, such as due to a cell, have observed displacements that propagate over a long range, suggesting mechanisms such as reorientation of fibers toward directions of tensile force and nonlinearity due to buckling of fibers under compression. It remains unclear which of these two mechanisms produces the long-range displacements and how properties like fiber bending stiffness and fiber length affect the displacement field. Here, we simulate contraction of an inclusion within a fibrous network and fit the resulting radial displacements to ur ∼ r-n where the power n quantifies the decay of displacements over distance, and a value of n less than that predicted by classical linear elasticity indicates displacements that propagate over a long range. We observed displacements to propagate over a longer range for greater contraction of the inclusion, for networks having longer fibers, and for networks with lower fiber bending stiffness. Contraction of the inclusion also caused fibers to reorient into the radial direction, but, surprisingly, the reorientation was minimally affected by bending stiffness. We conclude that both reorientation and nonlinearity are responsible for the long-range displacements.
Concerning the Development of the Evershed Motion in Sunspots

The non-linear, partial differential equations of magnetohydrodynamics are iterated simultaneously by computer to determine the time development of a single sunspot. Axisymmetry and incompressibility are assumed. The initial conditions are (1) zero velocity everywhere, and (2) the magnetic field distribution of a ring current embedded in the photosphere. The initial magnetic field is then allowed to relax by magnetic diffusion and by the creation of a velocity field. It is shown that (1) Evershed motion outward from the sunspot will develop from reasonable initial parameters, and (2) the growth rate of the magnetic configuration depends on the strength of the initial magnetic field.
Utilization of Mental Health Services by Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

Objective:This study examined changes in utilization of mental health services after Hurricane Katrina among children with preexisting conditions who were displaced from their homes in Louisiana di...
Elusive Nonsolvated Cocrystals of Aspirin: Two Polymorphs with Bipyridine Discovered with the Assistance of Mechanochemistry

We report the discovery two nonsolvated polymorphic cocrystals of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and 4,4′-bipyridine (4,4′-bipy) in the form of 2(ASA)·(4,4′-bipy). Form I was discovered through mechanical dry grinding, and Form II was discovered through rapid cooling in ethanol. Both polymorphs consist of three-component hydrogen-bonded assemblies sustained by O–H···N hydrogen bonds. The components of the assemblies adopt an anti-conformation. The polymorphs differ in terms of relative twists of carboxylic acid groups and pyridyl rings. In Form I the ASA molecules are linked by discrete catemeric methyl C–H···O forces of the acetyl substituents, while in Form II the ASA molecules are linked by both infinite methyl C–H···O catemers and centrosymmetric dimers of the acetyl groups. Our results demonstrate the importance of neat mechanical grinding in the discovery and design of pharmaceutical cocrystals and polymorphs.
Products of Tobacco Combustion

A growing body of research expands our knowledge of asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and how these common albeit heterogeneous conditions are impacted by active and passive tobacco smoke exposure. The syndromes of asthma and rhinitis have diverse endo-phenotypes, some including atopy. Chronic rhinosinusitis is defined through consensus endoscopic and CT criteria.
Computation tree measurement language (CTML)

In this work, we present a formal language, CTML, to reason over probabilistic systems. CTML extends stochastic temporal logics in a way that it takes a real value as input and output a real value in the range of $${[0, \infty)}$$ , as opposed to 0/1 values as input and output, and it can nest real values. This allows CTML to express a rich set of queries towards the unification of model checking and performance evaluation. In fact, CTML covers PCTL. It can express a nontrivial subset of PLTL formulas that cannot be expressed by PCTL. The significance of this result is that the overall complexity of CTML is linear, as opposed to exponential as it is with PLTL, in the size of the operators for a given formula, and polynomial in the size of a given model. Moreover, CTML can express real-valued performance queries such as: “if a system encounters a failure, what is the expected time to reach a recovery state?” that cannot be expressed by a probabilistic model checking logic, because they are “probabilistic” at most. Along with the specification language, we present a set of algorithms for the evaluation of the language and show proofs for their correctness. Additionally, we include an application example and show experimental results.
Resonance Fluorescence of Many Interacting Adatoms at a Metal Surface.

Recently there has been considerable theoretical and experimental interest in the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with surfaces. The perfection of the fatty-acid monolayer assembly technique has led to a series of experiments in which the fluorescence of an excited atom or molecule at a fixed distance from a metal surface (gold, silver and cooper) was measured.1 Experiments have also demonstrated enhanced luminescence and resonance fluorescence for adspecies on metals (and also on dielectric fibers) as compared to the surface-free molecules.2,3 In order to understand the excitation-relaxation behavior and resonance fluorescence spectrum of a laser-driven atom near a metal surface, we choose in this paper a simple two-level model for the adatom, combined with the techniques of quantum optics. We shall first review the model for a single adatom and then extend it to many interacting adatoms.
Outcome and Complications following Vertical Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous Flap Surgery to Reconstruct Sacrectomy Defects.

BACKGROUND The vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap has been used to reliably reconstruct posterior soft-tissue defects following resection of high sacral tumors, providing skin and soft-tissue bulk. Current literature examining the use of these flaps for high sacral reconstruction is limited. The purpose of this study was to report the authors' institution's outcome on the use of the vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap to reconstruct a high sacral defect following an oncologic resection. METHODS Eighty-seven patients (29 female and 58 male) underwent vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap surgery to reconstruct a posterior wound following high sacral tumor resection from 1994 to 2016. The mean age and body mass index were 52 years and 27.8 kg/m(2), respectively. The mean follow-up was 6 years. RESULTS Sixty-eight patients (79 percent) sustained a complication, most commonly a wound complication [n = 41 (47 percent)]. Twenty patients (23 percent) sustained a donor-site wound complication, most commonly a wound dehiscence (n = 10). Complications resulted in a reoperation in 44 patients (51 percent), with total flap failure occurring in one (1 percent). Preoperative radiotherapy and obesity were found to increase the risk of wound complications (p = 0.004 and p = 0.02, respectively) and deep infection (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Complications were common following vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap surgery; however, total flap loss was not. Patients with obesity and preoperative radiotherapy should be cautioned on their increased risk of complications. Currently, the vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap is the authors' preferred means of soft-tissue reconstruction following high sacral tumor resection. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, IV.
HEMODIALYSIS AS A PREDICTOR OF OUTCOMES AFTER ISOLATED CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING

The need for hemodialysis is a known risk factor for mortality after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This study evaluated outcomes after isolated CABG in hemodialysis-dependent (HDD) and non-HDD patients. A retrospective cohort study of 778 patients undergoing isolated CABG between
2H NMR Reveals Liquid State-Like Dynamics of Arene Guests Inside Hexameric Pyrogallol[4]arene Capsules in the Solid State.

The dynamics of guests in molecular encapsulation complexes have been studied extensively in solution, but the corresponding behavior of those guests when the capsules are present in the solid state is not as well understood. Here we report on comparative solution 1H and solid-state 2H NMR measurements of encapsulation complexes of fluorene(-d2), fluoranthene(-d10), and pyrene(-d10) in pyrogallol[4]arene hexamers assembled in the solid state by ball milling. In solution, the 1H spectra show that these rigid guests tumble and exchange positions quickly within the capsules’ interiors, with the exception of pyrene, which has slower tumbling and positional exchange. Static solid-state 2H NMR using the deuterated guests shows that, when the capsules are in the solid state, their guests retain the liquid state-like dynamics observed for the capsules in solution. When the pyrogallol[4]arene hexamers’ pendant decyl groups were substituted with propyl groups, guest dynamics in the solid state were slowed. We propose that these pendant alkyl groups form an interdigitated and dynamic waxy domain surrounding the capsules in the solid state, and that the greater mobility of the decyl groups is translated across the walls of the host, resulting in more rapid guest dynamics in the capsules’ interiors.
Microstructure of TiO2 rutile thin films deposited on (110) α−Al2O3

TiO{sub 2} rutile thin films grown on (11{bar 2}0) sapphire ({alpha}--Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) by the MOCVD technique have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM). The TiO{sub 2} rutile thin films grew on the sapphire with two epitaxial orientations. The epitaxial orientation relationships between the rutile films (R) and the sapphire substrate (S) were found to be (1) (101)(010){sub R}{parallel}(11{bar 2}0)(0001){sub S} and (2) (200)(010){sub R}{parallel}(11{bar 2}0)(0001){sub S}. Detailed atomic structures of near-interface regions have been investigated by HREM, providing a clear picture of the initial stage of film growth. HREM images show that about 70% of the nuclei at the interface are the (101) rutile, but most of them are very small, about 5 nm (or 2% of the film thickness) in the growth direction. The film growth was dominated by the (200) orientation. Nucleation and growth of the films will be discussed in terms of the lattice mismatch at the interface and growth rates along the two orientations. Planar defects such as twin boundaries and special grain boundaries are commonly observed in the films, especially in regions close to the substrate. The twin plane and twinning direction are {l brace}101{r brace} andmore » {l angle}101{r angle}, respectively. Special grain boundaries are found to be correlated with nucleation and twinning.« less
Secure Navigation of Robots in Adversarial Environments

We study the problem of navigating a robot in an adversarial environment, where the objective is to perform localization and trajectory planning despite the malicious and unknown action of an attacker. We consider robots with single integrator dynamics, equipped with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor and a Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) sensor that provides relative positioning information with respect to a group of radio stations, each with limited communication range. The attacker can simultaneously spoof the sensor readings and send falsified control inputs to the robot, so as to deviate its trajectory from the nominal path. We demonstrate the existence of attacks that escape detectability, and illustrate a method for their systematic design. Conversely, we show that appropriate control design and waypoints selection allow the trajectory planner to ensure attack detectability or secure navigation. More generally, our results show that trajectory planning in nominal and adversarial settings are substantially different, and that careful trajectory design is required to ensure resilience to attacks.
Disposal of Water for Hydraulic Fracturing: Case Study on the U.S.

In 2012, the U.S. oil and gas industry produced approximately 3.4 × 109 cubic meters (m3) of water, equivalent to 9.1 × 106 m3 per day and greater than six times the amount of water treated by the City of Houston, Texas. This “produced water” consists of drilling or completion fluids that exit a well shortly after it is brought into production, along with water occurring naturally in the rock formation that exits with the oil and/or gas. Produced water can be contaminated by hydrocarbons, metals, radioactive material, and salts, which can make recycling and disposal difficult. In this chapter, we will discuss two aspects of produced water handling—regulation and technology—specifically focusing on five U.S. regions—the Permian, Eagle Ford, Bakken, Marcellus, and Niobrara. We will explore various disposal practices used in each region and consider how the regulatory framework influences those practices. The focus will be on regulations in six states – Texas, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, and Wyoming – with jurisdiction over the above regions. Just as the regions have remarkably different geology, and therefore different quality of produced water, these six states also have different regulatory frameworks. To illustrate these differences, we undertake a detailed exploration of the regulations in Texas and Pennsylvania and compare other states’ regulations where appropriate. The analysis highlights the complexity of produced water regulation, treatment, and disposal within the United States.
Algorithms for Intersection Graphs of Multiple Intervals and Pseudo Disks

Intersection graphs of planar geometric objects such as intervals, disks, rectangles and pseudo-disks are well studied. Motivated by various applications, Butman et al. in SODA 2007 considered algorithmic questions in intersection graphs of $t$-intervals. A $t$-interval is a union of at most $t$ distinct intervals (here $t$ is a parameter) -- these graphs are referred to as Multiple-Interval Graphs. Subsequent work by Kammer et al. in Approx 2010 also considered $t$-disks and other geometric shapes. In this paper we revisit some of these algorithmic questions via more recent developments in computational geometry. For the minimum weight dominating set problem, we give a simple $O(t \log t)$ approximation for Multiple-Interval Graphs, improving on the previously known bound of $t^2$ . We also show that it is NP-hard to obtain an $o(t)$-approximation in this case. In fact, our results hold for the intersection graph of a set of t-pseudo-disks which is a much larger class. We obtain an ${\Omega}(1/t)$-approximation for the maximum weight independent set in the intersection graph of $t$-pseudo-disks. Our results are based on simple reductions to existing algorithms by appropriately bounding the union complexity of the objects under consideration.
Assessing the distribution of labile organic carbon from diverse depositional environments on the West Antarctic Peninsula shelf

Abstract The seabed distributions of labile organic carbon (LOC), i.e., recently produced organic matter from marine plankton, were studied in a variety of depositional environments on the West Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf using the naturally occurring radioisotopes, 14C, 210Pb and 234Th. The effects of bioturbation on the LOC pool were assessed on short-term (seasonal, using 234Thxs within the upper, 2–5 cm) and long-term (decadal, using 210Pbxs from 3-22 cm) timescales to generate LOC degradation coefficients (k) and mean residence times (MRT or τ-LOC) as a function of depth within the sediment column. Based on 234Th distributions, mixing coefficients (Db) ranged from 2 cm2/y to 36 cm2/y, which resulted in LOC MRT values that varied from 0.8y to 9.8y. Based on 210Pb distributions, Db values at depth ranged from 0.2 cm2/y to 1.8 cm2/y, resulting in MRT values that varied from 32y to 4900y. Along the West Antarctic Peninsula, seabed inventories of LOC varied between 17-70 mg/cm2. Bulk LOC becomes less reactive and ages with time during resuspension and transport across the shelf and as LOC is transported deeper within the sediment column by infaunal feeding activities.
Supporting Treatment Adherence Regimens in young children with epilepsy and their families: Trial design and baseline characteristics.

Abstract This article describes the methodology, recruitment, design, and baseline participant characteristics of the Supporting Treatment Adherence Regimens (STAR) trial. STAR is a randomized controlled clinical trial of an education and problem-solving adherence intervention for young children (2–12 years old) with newly diagnosed epilepsy and their families. Using an enrichment design, only participants who demonstrated non-adherence to anti-epileptic drugs within the baseline period were randomized to treatment or control arms. Randomized participants received 8 intervention sessions over a 4-month period and completed three follow-up visits (3, 6, and 12 months following intervention). Two-hundred participants were recruited for the study. The primary outcome was electronically monitored adherence, while secondary and exploratory outcomes included seizure freedom and health-related quality of life. Novel aspects of the trial design (e.g., enrichment, sequential randomization, daily adherence data use), as well as recruitment and retention challenges are discussed.
Inference from Biased Polls

Poll respondents often attempt to present a positive image by overstating virtuous behaviors. We examine whether people account for this “socially desirable responding” (SDR) when drawing inferences from poll data. In an experiment, we incentivize “predictors” to guess others' choice behaviors across eight actions with varying social desirability. To aid guessing, predictors observe random subsamples of (i) incentivized choices or (ii) hypothetical claims from polls. Predictors show reasonable skepticism towards hypothetical claims, which exhibit predictable SDR. However, their skepticism is not tailored to the direction or magnitude of SDR. This under-correction occurs even though subjects' explicit responses can predict SDR.
Multimodal Lung Disease Classification using Deep Convolutional Neural Network

Lung disease is the most common cause of severe illness and death in the World. The early diagnosis and treatment of the disease are of great importance in the medical field. The computer-assisted systems for lung disease recognition are effective methods to help physicians diagnose the diseases effectively. Therefore, this paper studies the multimodal recognition of lung sound using spectrograms. Based on the classification of lung diseases by deep convolutional neural networks, an integrated network Multimodal Lung Disease Classification (MLDC) model was used with advanced pre-processing techniques to assess the classification accuracy acceptable in the medical field. The research has three main contributions. First, we have performed data pre-processing using two techniques Data Normalization and Data Augmentation. The data were normalized by removing the unwanted noise and adjusting the peak values in a sound signal. For training purposes, the publicly available data was insufficient. Hence we applied advanced data augmentation techniques to generate some additional data without affecting the categories. Secondly, we have extracted the spectrograms from lung sound and used them as features and images for signal and image processing. Finally, we created an integrated model for the high-performance classification of lung diseases. We have compared the audio and spectrogram image-based results where we found the image-based approach is cost-effective, efficient, and reliable.
Preoperative Cognitive Impairment as a Perioperative Risk Factor in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background:The study assessed whether pre-existing cognitive impairment (CI) prior to elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with worse postoperative outcomes such as delirium, in-hos...