cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cell-Specific Cholinergic Modulation of Excitability of Layer 5B Principal Neurons in Mouse Auditory Cortex.

The neuromodulator acetylcholine (ACh) is crucial for several cognitive functions, such as perception, attention, and learning and memory. Whereas, in most cases, the cellular circuits or the specific neurons via which ACh exerts its cognitive effects remain unknown, it is known that auditory cortex (AC) neurons projecting from layer 5B (L5B) to the inferior colliculus, corticocollicular neurons, are required for cholinergic-mediated relearning of sound localization after occlusion of one ear. Therefore, elucidation of the effects of ACh on the excitability of corticocollicular neurons will bridge the cell-specific and cognitive properties of ACh. Because AC L5B contains another class of neurons that project to the contralateral cortex, corticocallosal neurons, to identify the cell-specific mechanisms that enable corticocollicular neurons to participate in sound localization relearning, we investigated the effects of ACh release on both L5B corticocallosal and corticocollicular neurons. Using in vitro electrophysiology and optogenetics in mouse brain slices, we found that ACh generated nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR)-mediated depolarizing potentials and muscarinic ACh receptor (mAChR)-mediated hyperpolarizing potentials in AC L5B corticocallosal neurons. In corticocollicular neurons, ACh release also generated nAChR-mediated depolarizing potentials. However, in contrast to the mAChR-mediated hyperpolarizing potentials in corticocallosal neurons, ACh generated prolonged mAChR-mediated depolarizing potentials in corticocollicular neurons. These prolonged depolarizing potentials generated persistent firing in corticocollicular neurons, whereas corticocallosal neurons lacking mAChR-mediated depolarizing potentials did not show persistent firing. We propose that ACh-mediated persistent firing in corticocollicular neurons may represent a critical mechanism required for learning-induced plasticity in AC. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Acetylcholine (ACh) is crucial for cognitive functions. Whereas in most cases the cellular circuits or the specific neurons via which ACh exerts its cognitive effects remain unknown, it is known that auditory cortex (AC) corticocollicular neurons projecting from layer 5B to the inferior colliculus are required for cholinergic-mediated relearning of sound localization after occlusion of one ear. Therefore, elucidation of the effects of ACh on the excitability of corticocollicular neurons will bridge the cell-specific and cognitive properties of ACh. Our results suggest that cell-specific ACh-mediated persistent firing in corticocollicular neurons may represent a critical mechanism required for learning-induced plasticity in AC. Moreover, our results provide synaptic mechanisms via which ACh may mediate its effects on AC receptive fields.
Diversity Intelligence and Leadership Development

For organizations to succeed they expect effective leadership techniques and characteristics to be used and displayed by their leaders at all times. The characteristics and techniques of leaders vary depending upon who the leader is and what the organization expects of them so that they can remain in their leadership roles. There is continuous debates regarding who is and what makes an effective leader. Bruce (2001) provided the following characteristics and techniques of effective leaders: Leaders are authentic; express their humanity; understand key competencies; plan for success; involve everyone in strategic planning; plan for succession; manage human capital; possess integrity, values, and intuition; build strong teams; are competent coaches; manage performance through communications; exercise influence; manage and build hope and trust in others; manage knowledge effectively; have vision; and create better ways to measure performance. There is no mention of diversity within these techniques and characteristics. It is assumed that effective leaders will use these techniques and characteristics to benefit all employees, including protected class group members. If they do not use their effectiveness to benefit all employees, how can they be considered effective leaders?
Ontogeny of Sleep and Its Functions in Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence

We have long understood sleep as an active, not passive, process that serves many functions, some of which vary in importance across the human lifespan. Ontogeny is the study of how a living organism develops from conception to birth and across its lifespan. This chapter reviews the ontogeny of sleep and its functions from infancy through adolescence. Sleep in humans serves many functions including: (1) fostering optimal brain growth and development; (2) enhancing learning, attention, memory, synaptic efficiency, and plasticity; (3) regulation of emotion, appetite, feeding, body weight, risk-taking, and pleasure-seeking behaviors; (4) strengthening immune function; and (5) providing optimal time for clearing the brain of cellular debris and neurotoxins. The chapter provides summaries of growing evidence for each of these. Sleep/wake states are scored in polysomnography using electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and electrooculography (EOG), and the ontogeny of these is also reviewed here.
Modulation of Hallmarks of Brain Aging by Environmental Enrichment

The process of aging is manifested by reduced cognitive function and greater susceptibility to neurodegenerative disease and other brain disorders. This functional decline is thought to be the result of a combination of factors, such as reduced production of neurotrophic factors and increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. However, increasing evidence suggests that the brain maintains plasticity during adulthood and aging, i.e., the capacity to induce synaptic plasticity, enhance neurogenesis, and other processes that support cognitive function. Research in animal models suggests that brain plasticity can be enhanced by experience in a complex (enriched) environment. In support of that, evidence from human studies suggests that certain lifestyle elements, such as exercise and engaging in cognitively stimulating activities, may attenuate cognitive decline. This chapter will summarize the evidence concerning the role of environmental factors in brain plasticity in aging.
Maintaining Momentum Toward Graduation: OER and the Course Throughput Rate

Open Educational Resources (OER) have the potential to replace traditional textbooks in higher education. Previous studies indicate that use of OER results in high student and faculty satisfaction, lower costs, and similar or better educational outcomes. In this case study, we compared students using traditional textbooks with those using OER at Tidewater Community College to compare their performance on what we call course throughput rates, which is an aggregate of three variables – drop rates, withdrawal rates, and C or better rates. Two self-selecting cohorts were compared over four semesters, with statistically significant results. The study found that, subject to the limitations discussed, students who use OER perform significantly better on the course throughput rate than their peers who use traditional textbooks, in both face-to-face and online courses that use OER. This suggests that OER are a promising avenue for reducing the costs of higher education while increasing academic success.
Modeling energy costs and emissions for anycast RWA in optical data center networks

Energy consumption of network and data-center operators causes economic and environmental concerns. Geographical distribution of resources implies agreements with multiple utility companies; these are increasingly offering pricing and update the fuel diversity real-timely, in addition to standard flat-rate prices. We propose two algorithms to reduce operational expenditures and pollutions by choosing the route with the least cost and emissions for the consumed energy. Today data replicas are typically accessible from several optical data centers. Replicas lead to more flexible network routing. We propose an analytical modeling to calculate the electricity cost and emissions in the network with the number of replicas. The greatest benefit of our approach is that the network can dynamically adapt to renewable resources generation sudden rises or drops; high emissions are avoided1.
An approximation scheme for impulse control with random reaction periods

Abstract We propose an approximation scheme for impulse control models with random reaction periods (ICRRP) and show that the optimal solutions can be found by solving a sequence of optimal stopping problems. Our work enhances viability of the existing ICRRP framework for applications as well as the general literature on stochastic control theory. The efficacy of our approximation scheme is validated by applying it to compute a market-reaction-adjusted optimal central bank intervention policy for a country.
Neutrophils drive alveolar macrophage IL-1β release during respiratory viral infection.

Background Alveolar macrophages are sentinels of the airways that must exhibit immune restraint to innocuous antigens but elicit a robust inflammatory response to pathogenic threats. How distinction between these dichotomous functions is controlled is poorly defined. Neutrophils are the first responders to infection, and we hypothesised that they may free alveolar macrophages from their hyporesponsive state, promoting their activation. Activation of the inflammasome and interleukin (IL)-1β release is a key early inflammatory event that must be tightly regulated. Thus, the role of neutrophils in defining inflammasome activation in the alveolar macrophage was assessed. Methods Mice were infected with the X31 strain of influenza virus and the role of neutrophils in alveolar macrophage activation established through administration of a neutrophil-depleting (1A8) antibody. Results Influenza elicited a robust IL-1β release that correlated (r=0.6849; p Conclusions Neutrophils are critical for the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in alveolar macrophages during respiratory viral infection. Accordingly, we rationalise that neutrophils are recruited to the lung to confront a viable pathogenic threat and subsequently commit alveolar macrophages to a pro-inflammatory phenotype to combat infection.
Performativity, politics, and the production of social space

Initially, critical human geographers struggled with performativity, exploring an assortment of ways for incorporating elements of it, along with performance theory more generally, into their work ...
Design offered up: control and open outcomes in a digitally enabled design process

This paper presents the design of a digitally fabricated, customizable line of furniture and casework objects that leverage parametric technology and social networking to produce a highly collaborative distributed digital fabrication workflow. It describes how a furniture system, serving as an apprehensible model for architecture, was designed concurrently with the networked, multi-agent workflow that manufactures it and the layered user input that defines it. The furniture object designs are inextricably linked to their fabrication by a distributed network of small fabricators that supplant the single large manufacturer, and to their open outcomes that balance professional design expertise with user input. The paper concludes with describing how this model challenges the architectural profession's prevailing focus on the transactional and object oriented capabilities of recent digital innovations. By using such tools to design the objects within their systemic and networked relationships, architects might successfully create outcomes that better respond to society's increasingly complex demands.
The Impact of Culture on Engineering and Engineering Education

The environment influences the activities undertaken by engineering educators, students, and practitioners within a given institution or company. Established environments evoke a culture and a set of norms that provide situated experiences. These culturally influenced experiences shape our understanding, identity, interest, and solutions to engineering problems. The environments and associated cultures that make up our society – home, community, school, and workplace – contribute to the perceptions we hold as members of that society. Western society has adopted a culturally influenced notion that engineering drives innovation and technology and fosters entrepreneurship through ABET-accredited programs that educate students in applied sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. Consequently, this has led to the natural identity of engineering being a masculine field for those interested in technology, mathematics, and the hard sciences. Such an image of engineering neglects the idea of engineering supporting society and improving the lives of people all over the world. The following chapter selects some important cultural considerations to be discussed in detail to highlight the impact societal culture, engineering culture, and engineering education culture have on how engineering is perceived by society, taught by engineering educators, and practiced by engineers. This survey of cultural considerations on engineering and engineering education spotlights the importance of culture and the implications it has on learning, teaching, engineering practice, identity, and enculturation as an engineer. The chapter uses a variety of research studies utilizing numerous research methods to enlighten and inform various engineering stakeholders to prioritize cultural considerations when preparing engineering students for real-world activities and engineers for global problems.
Effect of the Ratio lK/p on Glassy-Polymeric Shear Deformation Mechanisms

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we study how chain stiffness affects how glassy polymers deform under applied shear. Loosely entangled systems composed of flexible chains exhibit strong shear banding and subsequent strain softening whereas tightly entangled systems composed of semiflexible chains exhibit neither of these. For all systems, inflection points in stress–strain curves correspond to the onset of chain scission, but nonlinear strain hardening continues up to much larger strains. Tightly entangled systems build up considerable elastic energy before fracturing via chain scission. This causes their plastic flow to be far more heterogeneous, and they ultimately fail along significantly sharper fracture planes than their loosely entangled counterparts, which fail via chain pullout. We quantify these differences using modern plasticity metrics and relate them to chain-stiffness-dependent differences in segmental packing efficiency and interchain interpenetration. It appears that the additional s...
Proceedings of the eleventh international conference on 3D web technology

This volume contains the papers accepted for the Web3D 2006 Symposium on 3D Web Technologies, which was held for the first time on the East Coast, in Columbia, Maryland. The papers cover a wide range of 3D web related topics, from behavior and semantics to applications in architecture and medicine, as well as evolving technologies such as 3D graphics on mobile devices. This year, 26 paper submissions were received and 17 papers were accepted (a 35% rejection rate). In addition to 14 regular papers, this year we have included 3 short papers describing new and interesting research in progress.The Web3D Consortium and the Web3D community, among other activities, promote the use of international standards for 3D graphics on the WWW and in other 3D environments. In particular, the year since the last Web3D Symposium was marked by refinements to the eXtensible 3D (X3D) standard Amendment 1 specification. Amendment 1 was submitted to the International Organization for Standards (ISO) while work continues on the Amendment 2 specification. Moreover, the Web3D Consortium was very active in broadening the participation of industry, academia, and other players. An Interchange Profile Conformance Testing Suite was created to, among other things, allow browsers that pass the conformance tests to claim X3D Interchange compliance and use the X3D trademark.
Studies of Raptor Populations: Contributions to Theory and Conservation

The world’s 287 species of raptorial birds- -members of the families Accipitridae, Falconidae, Pandionidae, Cathartidae, Tytonidae, and Strigidae-share many basic morphologic and trophic similarities, yet they also show interesting individual differences that importantly affect the dynamics of their populations. Although the predatory life style constrains their basic life-history strategies, differences in body size, prey, and habitats impose important sources of variation. Study of the population ecology of raptors has been pursued because these birds are particularly appropriate for elucidating certain basic population phenomena and because raptor populations have frequently been managed for conservation purposes.
Recent developments in PSD plastics: optimization, attenuation, and additives (Conference Presentation)

Pulse shape discrimination in plastic scintillators has been of much interest in recent years. As with many innovative technologies, initial formulations for PSD plastics provided new capabilities that required much in-depth research to fully develop and refine. Herein we describe results from extensive optimization studies which have led to the development of PSD plastics with markedly improved scintillation performance and physical properties. Results of exploring different plastic matrices as well as a variety of secondary dyes are reported and optimum components are described. Due to the large concentration of additives required to manifest optimal PSD properties in plastic scintillators, the physical stability can be limited and the mechanical properties of PSD plastics are inferior to standard engineering plastics. Practical and theoretical solutions have been developed to address the physical stability and mechanical deformation problems in PSD plastics, and this work has resulted in physically stable scintillators with robust mechanical properties. Performance deterioration on increasing the size of PSD plastics is also addressed. At large sizes, physical and performance characteristics are much more sensitive to preparation conditions and compositional alterations as compared with small scintillators, and efforts to improve these properties are described. Finally, efforts to incorporate aromatic lithium compounds into PSD plastics are summarized and the effects of the lithium compounds on scintillation, stability, and attenuation are discussed.
Towards energy-efficient high-throughput photonic NoCs for 2.5D integrated systems: a case for AWGRs

Silicon Photonics (SiPs) can overcome the energy and bandwidth limitations of electrical interconnects in networks-on-chip (NoCs) and enable efficient global all-to-all connectivity–the ideal from a performance perspective. Unfortunately, state-of-the-art SiP switching fabrics impose power overheads for thermo-optical control of microring resonators (MRs), excessive crosstalk, or challenging physical layout. The Arrayed Waveguide Grating Router (AWGR) is a SiP device that provides layout-efficient and scalable all-to-all connectivity through wavelength-routing on a passive and compact platform. Recent technological advances now enable AWGR integration with significantly reduced footprint (<1mm2), crosstalk (<−38dB), and loss (<2dB), making AWGRs emerge as a major enabler for energy-efficient all-to-all connectivity in NoCs. This paper, for the first time, populates the design space of AWGR-based NoC topologies and compares AWGRs to state-of-the-art SiP fabrics and aggressive electrical baselines. Our results make a compelling case for AWGRs in interposer-based systems with processor disintegration, which have high bandwidth demands, large on-chip distances, and less stringent area constraints. AWGR-based NoCs can offer an average of 1.67× power savings, 1.23× speed-up, and 1.5× lower energy-delay-product (EDP) on PARSEC3.0/SPLASH-2× workloads compared to electrical baselines, and fewer waveguides, wavelengths, or MRs than alternative SiP crossbar fabrics.
Fatigue evaluation of API 12D tanks with a semicircular-topped rectangular cleanout and stepped shell design

Abstract Ten tank designs with nominal capacities ranging from 500 bbl (79.5 m3) to 10,000 bbl (1590 m3) are provided by the American Petroleum Institute Specification 12D (API 12D) to accommodate the needed temporary storage of extracted product in the upstream segment of the oil and gas industry. These tanks are designed to withstand the operational conditions of the storage process and the operating pressure ranges, and are field-welded and mass-produced to accommodate the storage needs of the upstream segment of the facility. The fatigue evaluation, based on ASME BPVC Section VIII, Division 2 is performed in this study for these ten tank designs with a new cleanout detail that is an extended-neck rectangular cleanout with a semicircular top and is surrounded by a reinforcement pad. The stresses found in the junctions connecting the cleanout neck to the bottom plate, the shell to the bottom plate, and the roof to the top angle that is attached to the shell are investigated under the influence of internal pressure, vacuum pressure, and hydrostatic pressure. The tanks were idealized as axisymmetric models using a finite element analysis approach to study the stresses in the roof-to-shell and shell-to-bottom junctions, while a three-dimensional, solid-element, sub-model driven by a three-dimensional shell model of the entire tank was used to idealize the cleanout junction. The stress classification in the junctions of interest were obtained to evaluate the fatigue life by simulating the modeled tanks and loading pattern using elastic stress analyses. The number of permissible design cycles for each of the ten API 12D tanks is presented and discussed in this work.
Aerobic Fitness Markers Associated with Post-Paddling Breath-hold Capacity in Competitive Surfers.

Competitive surfing is a growing sport with evolving performance and safety demands. One particular challenge surfers face is the need to endure long breath-holds following bouts of surf paddling. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between aerobic fitness markers, such as VO2peak and ventilatory thresholds, and post-paddling breath-hold capacity in competitive surfers. Eleven male collegiate level competitive surfers completed both a maximal graded exercise test and a simulated post-paddling breath-hold challenge on a modified paddling ergometer. Associations between markers of aerobic fitness and post-paddling breath-hold capacity were tested using linear regression modeling. The overall regression model indicated a positive linear association between the assessed markers of aerobic fitness and post-paddling breath-hold capacity (r = .828, r2 = 0.686, p = 0.035). This association was explained by differences in VO2peak (β = 0.975, p = .034). These findings suggest that VO2peak may be an important training target for programs aimed at improving breath-hold capacity in surfers.
Interpretation of Domain Scores on the EPIC-How Does the Domain Score Translate into Functional Outcomes?

Purpose:The EPIC-26 (Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-Short Form) is a validated questionnaire for measuring health related quality of life. However, the relationship between domain scores ...
Analysis of mechanical joints in wood

Stresses and strains associated with single-fastener mechanical joints in wood are determined numerically and experimentally. Effects of friction, and variations in joint geometry and ratio of pin-to-hole diameter are evaluated. The results obtained provide design information for single- and multiple-bolt connectors, indicating that superior designs would use close-fitting pins and suggesting that optimum end distance should be eight times the hole radius.
Palliative Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers

Patients with advanced head and neck cancers who are not eligible for curative treatment represent a challenging cohort of patients to manage given the complexity and severity of their presenting symptoms. Palliative radiation therapy, along with other systemic and surgical measures, has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of such patients. There is little high-level evidence and a lack of consensus to direct the selection of an optimal palliative radiation regimen. An ideal palliative radiation regimen should alleviate symptoms secondary to the cancer with minimal treatment toxicity and side effects while improving a patient's quality of life. This review presents the treatment approaches, outcomes, and toxicities associated with different radiation regimens and proposes a multidisciplinary framework for the selection of an individualized treatment regimen for patients that centers around patient prognosis, goals of care, logistics of treatment, and the availability of other surgical and systemic therapies.
Reliability analyses and values of isometric shoulder flexion and trunk extension strengths stratified by body mass index.

The main goal of this study was to investigate the reliability of muscle strength across different levels of obesity. A sample of 142 healthy subjects performed maximum voluntary isometric contractions for shoulder flexion and trunk extension on each of four days. Subjects were recruited into one of three groups, non-obese, overweight, or obese, based on body mass index (BMI). Reliability of the strength measurements within each session and across the four sessions was determined from the intraclass correlation coefficient, coefficient of repeatability, coefficient of variation, and standard error of measurement. For the shoulder flexion measures, the coefficient of variation was 0.75. The absolute reliability of trunk extension strength measurement was rejected due to a high variability across sessions. For both tasks, comparable strengths across the BMI groups were found.
Quantifying the three-dimensional joint position sense of the shoulder.

Abstract Joint position sense is important for performing activities of daily living and recreational activities. The objective of this study was to develop new insights into the proprioceptive capabilities of the shoulder using a novel virtual reality paradigm where participants actively recreated shoulder positions in all three dimensions. This allows for better identification of changes in joint position sense across different shoulder postures. Ten males and ten female healthy adults matched a cursor controlled by shoulder rotations calculated from motion capture tracking, to a target shoulder position presented in a virtual environment with the use of a virtual reality headset. Four elevation angles, three plane of elevation angles, and three rotation angles were investigated, totaling thirty-six angles that encompassed the range of motion of the shoulder. Joint position sense was enhanced as the elevation angle was increased, and further enhanced when the arm was more externally rotated and elevated. As elevation angle increased to 90°, joint position sense significantly increased. There was also a significant interaction of external rotation on elevation angle. As elevation angle increased, participants were more accurate when the arm was externally, but exhibited greater variability. These improvements in joint position sense are likely produced by increased tension in muscles and capsuloligamentous mechanoreceptors within the shoulder. As many sports and activities of daily living require joint position sense to complete a task, the ability to elevate and externally rotate is important for adequate shoulder proprioception and control.
Research of microgrid technology control strategy in distributed generation

This paper analyzes the traditional droop control strategy applied in microgrid systems which contains some defects, meanwhile, a distributed optimal drop control scheme is proposed to improve the stability of the microgrid, which has good advantages on the maximum limit of overflow situation. Also, it can help to achieve the goal of microgrid’ seamless switching between network structure and the state transition, which can the energy storage devices of different response time choose the appropriate control strategy. Finally, the model of droop parallel control and the integrated control are established. By using the bode diagram, this paper studies the influence of various control parameters on the system stability, providing relevant basis for the optimal design of the system. At the same time, through the simulation model, the results are verified and analyzed.
Teaching social media and public administration: Applying four approaches to an emerging issue:

This article presents an approach to teaching how social media impacts the public-sector workplace. Social media creates new challenges for both public administration practitioners and teachers. Ye...
OPTIMIZATION OF INTERVAL COMPUTATION

Publisher Summary Real or complex analysis is concerned with the study of transformations of a real or complex number into a number of the same type. Similarly, interval analysis deals with transformations of one interval into another. This chapter discusses the transformations of single real or interval variables. Values of a real transformation or an interval transformation are not obtained exactly, and these transformation errors are because of several sources such as inexact knowledge of the data, truncation error from replacement of the given transformation by a computable one, and roundoff error in the actual arithmetic calculations. Interval analysis provides a means of dealing with transformation errors by use of interval extensions of real and interval transformations. The chapter also discusses the optimization of the calculation of interval integrals of real and interval functions. Optimization of interval computations with respect to accuracy is taken to be equivalent to the minimization of the distance between the theoretical result and the result actually obtained. Optimization of interval calculation with respect to speed is synonymous with the reduction of computational time by as much as possible. It is important to optimize interval computations as much as possible with respect to speed and accuracy just as in the case of the computation of real and complex transformations.
Evoked potentials reveal neural circuits engaged by human deep brain stimulation.

Abstract Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective therapy for reducing the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but the mechanisms of action of DBS and neural correlates of symptoms remain unknown. Objective To use the neural response to DBS to reveal connectivity of neural circuits and interactions between groups of neurons as potential mechanisms for DBS. Methods We recorded activity evoked by DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in humans with Parkinson’s disease. In follow up experiments we also simultaneously recorded activity in the contralateral STN or the ipsilateral globus pallidus from both internal (GPi) and external (GPe) segments. Results DBS local evoked potentials (DLEPs) were stereotyped across subjects, and a biophysical model of reciprocal connections between the STN and the GPe recreated DLEPs. Simultaneous STN and GP recordings during STN DBS demonstrate that DBS evoked potentials were present throughout the basal ganglia and confirmed that DLEPs arose from the reciprocal connections between the STN and GPe. The shape and amplitude of the DLEPs were dependent on the frequency and duration of DBS and were correlated with resting beta band oscillations. In the frequency domain, DLEPs appeared as a 350 Hz high frequency oscillation (HFO) independent of the frequency of DBS. Conclusions DBS evoked potentials suggest that the intrinsic dynamics of the STN and GP are highly interlinked and may provide a promising new biomarker for adaptive DBS.
Detection and diversity of fluorinated oil- and water-repellent coatings on apparel fibers

Fluorinated coatings, often used for oil and water repellency and stain resistance in fabrics, are potentially persistent forensic fiber markers. However, they have received limited attention because of challenges in their detection caused by the small size of a single fiber and thin nature of stain-resistant coatings. Here, we utilize a sensitive fluorine-selective analytical technique to detect and evaluate diversity of fluorinated coatings in apparel. Twelve clothing items marketed as stain-resistant were tested with nine showing oil- and water-repellent properties. Fluorinated pyrolysis products of single fibers from all of the nine items were detected by gas chromatography coupled to plasma-assisted reaction chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-PARCI-MS), indicating the prevalence of fluoropolymer coatings in stain-resistant clothing articles. Furthermore, three major classes of fluorinated coatings were identified via principal component analysis of pyrogram patterns. The classes were coating-specific and did not correlate with fiber core and color, highlighting a robust detection methodology. To evaluate the effect of fiber lifting in crime scenes, fibers from the 9 clothing items were used to develop a multinomial logistic regression model based on pyrogram principal components. The model was then tested using fibers subjected to contact with Post-it® notes. The test set fibers were sampled from the clothing items of the training set and from three additional garments of differing color but the same brands as the training set. The coating classes were predicted with 98.4% accuracy, confirming robust classification of fiber coatings using py-GC-PARCI-MS regardless of fiber color, core, and fiber lifting.
The Use of Subclinical Atherosclerosis Imaging to Guide Preventive Cardiology Management

Clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) requires years to manifest, providing a window of opportunity for preventive cardiovascular management. Subclinical atherosclerosis imaging leverages this long latency period to estimate and improve future ASCVD risk. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring has the most robust data in the detection of subclinical atherosclerosis. CAC scan significantly enhances cardiovascular risk stratification in addition to traditional risk models. Coronary computed tomography angiography data show similar strengths in subclinical atherosclerosis detection in addition to plaque morphology characterization with inherent limitations. Carotid intima-media thickness and ankle-brachial index are other modalities whose predictive value becomes incremental when added to the aforementioned modalities. When added to traditional risk models, subclinical atherosclerosis imaging modalities personalize future ASCVD risk stratification and assist in the initiation and rate of intensification of preventive therapies. Emerging imaging techniques exist but further research is required for primetime clinical use.
Financial investment of United States pharmacy schools on international activities.

Abstract Introduction The primary objective of this study was to determine the financial resources that United States (US) pharmacy schools spend and receive for international activities, as well as the future direction of expenditures and revenue. Methods An online survey was sent in April 2019 to the chief financial or administrative officer at each accredited pharmacy school (N = 141) to ask about average annual budget for international activities and areas of expenditure (student travel, partnership development, faculty salary, staff salary, training programs) and revenue (dean's office, university, student tuition and fees, alumni, grants and contracts, other) associated with their budget. Participants were asked whether they anticipated spending or receiving more, the same, or less on the aforementioned expenditure and revenue areas. Results Sixty-three programs (45%) responded, with 61 (43%) complete responses used for data analysis. Thirty-eight schools (62%) had an annual budget for international activities with an average of $77,327, a median of $18,750, and a range from $2000 to $615,000. Public schools averaged $102,129 compared to $43,225 for private schools. The largest expenditure source was split evenly between student travel and faculty salaries while the largest revenue source was student tuition and fees. The most common response for future trends was to spend or receive the same amount of support. Conclusions There is wide variance regarding the amount each US pharmacy school spends on international activities, with most programs anticipating spending or receiving the same amount in the future.
Zusammenhang zwischen Credit Ratings von Banken und ihrer Börsenbewertung

Seit Beginn der Finanzkrise in 2007 stehen die Credit Ratings der Banken unter besonderer Beobachtung. Scheinbar wird nichts mehr befurchtet als wenn eine Bank ihr Investment Grade-Rating verliert. Der Hintergrund ist die Furcht vor gleichgerichteten Verhalten von Gegenparteien im Handel und anderen institutionellen Glaubigern, die besonders sensitiv auf diese Schwelle reagieren. Skyrm (2013), der die Insolvenz von MF Global beschrieb, nennt dies die „Money Noose“, d. h. die Schlinge um den Hals von stark vernetzten Finanzinstitutionen. Seiner Analyse zufolge war die Furcht vor dem Verlust des Investment Grade-Rating fur den CEO von MF Global der Anlass, riskantere aber ertragreichere Geschafte einzugehen. Diese wiederum fuhrten zu erhohten Liquiditatsbedarf und – nachdem sie bekannt wurden – zu Vertrauensverlusten bei den Gegenparteien, Glaubigern und Anlegern. Letztendlich war dann eine Insolvenz unausweichlich. Aber nicht nur in diesen Fallen von befurchteten Bank Runs darf ein Zusammenhang zwischen Credit Rating und Unternehmenswert vermutet werden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag soll dieser Zusammenhang zwischen Credit Ratings von Finanzinstitutionen und ihrer Borsenbewertung diskutiert werden.
ON-LINE DIESEL ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION MEASUREMENT

Oil consumption has been identified as a contributor to diesel particulate exhaust emissions. The strict requirements for reduced diesel exhaust particulates in 1991 and in 1994 call for a much greater understanding of the level of oil consumption during transient as well as steady-state operations. A system has been assembled to continuously measure diesel engine oil consumption through on-line detection using sulfur as a tracer. The system requires a sulfur-free fuel, a high- sulfur diesel engine oil, an exhaust sampling system, and a sensitive detector. A series of engine tests were conducted using the sulfur-trace oil consumption measurement system. Variations in oil consumption at steady state and during transient operations have been measured. Quantitative measurement of oil consumption rates were confirmed by two separate calibration checks. By monitoring oil consumption rates on- line, the effect of engine modifications to reduce oil consumption and its contribution to particulate formation in the exhaust can be quickly assessed. The relationship between transient operation and oil consumption levels may also be observed with the on-line measurement system. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD 851463.
Connecting cluster ions and bulk aqueous solvation: A new determination of bulk single ion solvation enthalpies

Abstract A new least-squares method based on cluster ion data and well-known bulk constraints has been used to determine the singleion bulk solvation enthalpies of a set of monovalent ions. A value of − 1153 (6) kJ mol has been determined for the standard solvation enthalpy of the proton. A value of 683 (9) kJ mol at 298 K has also been determined for the proton affinity of water. A simple framework has been presented for estimating the solvation enthalpy of any size cluster ion which provides further evidence for the view that large halide ions are not solvated internally by small water clusters.
Borges: De los meros simulacros a los coincidentes puntuales

De las diversas concepciones sobre el lenguaje que figuran en la obra de Jorge Luis Borges, tres son las mas persistentes: la primera surge como una preocupacion y un cuestionamiento, y tiene que ver con la capacidad mimetica de la palabra; la segunda presenta una conclusibn, en cuanto acepta que los nombres son arquetipos de las cosas; y la tercera, que a veces se origina en la segunda, afirma que la raiz y los poderes del lenguaje son magicos. El proposito de este trabajo es parcial: intenta mostrar y describir aquellos aspectos de la concepcion mimetica que redundan en la invention de esos artefactos borgianos que denomino "coincidentes puntuales"1. En su libro El espejo y la Idmpara, M.H. Abrams sostiene que en las teorias dominantes sobre la obra de arte, uno de estos cuatro elementos es privilegiado sistematicamente: el universo, la obra, el publico o el artista. Cuando el critico se concentra en el artista, se generan las teorias expresivas; si el foco de atencion es el publico, nacen las teorias pragmaticas; si el centro es la obra misma, se producen las teorias llamadas objetivas; y, finalmente, cuando el objeto de estudio es el mundo representado en la obra, estamos en el campo de las teorias mimeticas .
SQLrand: Preventing SQL Injection Attacks

We present a practical protection mechanism against SQL injection attacks. Such attacks target databases that are accessible through a web front-end, and take advantage of flaws in the input validation logic of Web components such as CGI scripts. We apply the concept of instruction-set randomization to SQL, creating instances of the language that are unpredictable to the attacker. Queries injected by the attacker will be caught and terminated by the database parser. We show how to use this technique with the MySQL database using an intermediary proxy that translates the random SQL to its standard language. Our mechanism imposes negligible performance overhead to query processing and can be easily retrofitted to existing systems.
Notes on a theorem of Naji

Abstract We present a new proof of an algebraic characterization of circle graphs due to W. Naji.For bipartite graphs, Naji’s theorem is equivalent to an algebraic characterization of planar matroids due to J. Geelen and B. Gerards. Naji’s theorem also yields an algebraic characterization of permutation graphs.
Positive unknown input observer design for positive linear systems

Positive systems are important class of dynamic systems with impressive properties. The response of such systems to positive initial conditions and positive inputs remain in the nonnegative orthant of the state space. Although positive observers have been designed for positive systems, they are unable to estimate the states when unknown inputs or disturbances are present in the systems. This paper is a first attempt to design positive unknown input observers (PUIO) for positive linear systems. The structural constraints on observer parameters make the design task cumbersome. However, with the aid of a positive stabilization scheme via LMI and by imposing conditions on positivity of the generalized inverse associated with a certain design matrix, we provide a reliable procedure for the design of PUIOs.
Synthesis of Some Dialkyl Aminoalcohols and Some of Their Disubstituted Carbamates as Potential Anticholinesterases

1,3- and 1,4-Dialkylaminocyclohexanols were made by the reduction of the corresponding phenols. The quaternary salts of the dialkylcarbamates of the above alcohols were prepared for pharmacological screening as anticholinesterases. Dialkylcarbamates of 2-pyridylcarbinol have been synthesized and subsequently quaternized. Also the synthesis of the methiodide of 3-dimethylamino-1-acetoxycyclohexene-1 has been described. These saturated analogs of some of the anticholinesterases were prepared to further delineate structure-activity relationships in this field.
Diagnosis, Costs, and Utilization for Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures in a US Health Care Setting

Background Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) pose a substantial burden to patients and the health care system, due to long diagnostic and treatment delays. Methods This study used medical chart notes from 103 patients to shed light on the diagnostic process. Electronic medical records and cost data from a US health system were also used to investigate costs and utilization for the 12-months before and after PNES diagnosis. Results The results show that accurate diagnosis was typically achieved via the use of multiple medical tests, including vEEG, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scans, as well as historical diagnostic and clinical information. In the year following PNES diagnosis, a decline in average visits (−1.45) and costs (−$1784) were observed. The largest cost savings were seen in neurology care and inpatient stays. Conclusions This study has implications for timely and accurate diagnosis of PNES, which may decrease the overall health care burden for individuals and the health care system.
Derivation and application of relative potency estimates based on in vitro bioassay results

Relative potency (REP) estimates are widely used to characterize and compare the potency of a wide variety of samples analyzed using in vitro bioassays. Relative potency estimates are generally calculated as a simple ratio: the EC50 of a well-characterized standard divided by the EC50 of a sample. Such estimates are valid only when the dose-response curves for the sample and standard are parallel and exhibit the same maximum achievable response (efficacy). These conditions are often either violated or cannot be demonstrated. As a result, there is a need to calculate and present REPs in a manner that addresses the potential uncertainties caused by violation of the assumptions of parallelism and equal efficacy. Multiple point estimates, over the range of responses from EC20 to EC80, can be used to derive relative potency ranges (REP 20 80 range). The width of a REP 20-80 range is directly proportional to the degree of deviation from parallelism between sample and standard dose-response curves. Thus, REP 20 80 ranges both test the assumption of parallelism and characterize the amount of uncertainty in an REP estimate resulting from deviation from parallelism. Although uncertainties due to unequal efficacy cannot be easily characterized mathematically, a systematic method for evaluating sample efficacy has been developed into a framework to guide the derivation and application of REP estimates based on in vitro bioassay results. Use of the systematic framework and REP 20 80 o ranges was illustrated using three sample data sets. It is hoped that the framework and discussion presented will facilitate the use of bioassay-derived REP estimates to characterize samples of both known and unknown composition without ignoring the assumptions underlying REP estimation.