cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
STATIC MODELING OF A MULTI-SEGMENT SERPENTINE ROBOTIC TAIL

This paper presents a generalized method of determining the static shape conformation of a cable-driven serpentine robot. Given a set of desired cable displacements as model inputs, the model calculates the joint angles and cable tensions that result from those displacements. The model’s governing equations are derived from ensuring static equilibrium at each of the robot’s revolute joints, along with compatibility equations ensuring the joint angles result in the desired cable displacements. Elastic, actuation and gravitational loading are included in the model, and the results analyze the relative impact of each for various combinations of cable displacement inputs. In addition, the impact of elasticity and mass distribution on the accuracy of purely kinematic constant-curvature segment models is presented. In addition, the model also accommodates limits for the serpentine joint angles. The model is implemented in MATLAB, and results are generated to analyze the impact of the actuation, elastic and gravitational effects. Future work will include inertial effects in the model to make it dynamic. These models will be used as the foundation for a serpentine tail design for use on-board a mobile robot, and for task planning to enable that tail to be effectively used in various scenarios.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Rearing Houseflies for Testing Contact Insecticides

A technique is described for rearing houseflies for testing purposes. It differs from that usually employed only in the media and apparatus used. Improved testing cages which make possible more rapid tests are also described and some representative results given. A method for making tests on individual houseflies is described and it is shown that certain contact poisons are absorbed directly through the body wall and do not need to enter the trachea.
Self-Assembly of Flux-Closure Polygons from Magnetite Nanocubes

Well-defined nanoscale flux-closure polygons (nanogons) have been fabricated on hydrophilic surfaces from the face-to-face self-assembly of magnetite nanocubes. Uniform ferrimagnetic magnetite nanocubes (∼86 nm) were synthesized and characterized with a combination of electron microscopy, diffraction, and magnetization measurements. The nanocubes were subsequently cast onto hydrophilic substrates, wherein the cubes lined up face-to-face and formed a variety of polygons due to magnetostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The generated surfaces consist primarily of three- and four-sided nanogons; polygons ranging from two to six sides were also observed. Further examination of the nanogons showed that the constraints of the face-to-face assembly of nanocubes often led to bowed sides, strained cube geometries, and mismatches at the acute angle vertices. Additionally, extra nanocubes were often present at the vertices, suggesting the presence of external magnetostatic fields at the polygon corners. These nanogons are inimitable nanoscale magnetic structures with potential applications in the areas of magnetic memory storage and high-frequency magnetics.
Reflexives and blocking effects in Iron Range English

In some, but not all, languages with long-distance reflexives, coreference with a higher nominal expression is “blocked” when an intervening expression does not match a lower expression for person. It is suggested that only languages without subject/verb agreement exhibit Blocking Effects. The fact that languages differ in terms of Blocking Effects suggests that binding and Blocking are separate processes (Cole & Sung 1994). I present new data from Iron Range English which challenges the generalization that blocking only occurs in languages without subject/verb agreement, but at the same time provides further evidence that binding and blocking are separate processes.
Low energy anaerobic membrane bioreactor for municipal wastewater treatment

Abstract Achieving low effluent BOD5 concentrations and stable performance while treating municipal wastewater at ambient temperature has been difficult for anaerobic biotechnology without using membranes. Membrane operation has typically required energy inputs greater than traditionally needed for activated sludge aeration, thus defeating one main objective of utilizing anaerobic biotechnology. However, new low-energy membrane operational strategies are being evaluated to make anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR) more energy efficient. In this study, four 3.3 L bench-scale AnMBRs using external crossflow tubular membranes were fed synthetic and real municipal wastewater at 10 and 25 °C and evaluated on the basis of energy demand and organic removal. The membranes were operated at atypically low crossflow velocities of 0.018–0.3 m/s, and with or without fluidized GAC, to reduce AnMBR energy demand. Use of GAC in membranes allowed for significant reduction in crossflow velocity without reducing membrane run-time between cleanings and resulted in energy demands of 0.05–0.13 kWh/m3. The AnMBRs were able to produce permeate BOD5≤10 mg/L at bioreactor HRTs of 4.2–9.8 h, even at 10 °C. When factoring in theoretical energy production, the AnMBR described herein is estimated to require 70–100% less energy compared to activated sludge, indicating net neutral energy demand may be feasible for BOD5 and nutrient removal from municipal wastewater.
Teaching NeuroImages: Galactitol peak and fatal cerebral edema in classic galactosemia Too much sugar in the brain

A newborn girl with genetically confirmed galactosemia (compound heterozygous for p.ARG51Trp [c.151C>T] and p.GLN188ARG [c.563A>G] mutations in galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase [ GALT ] gene) presented with jaundice, hypoglycemia, and liver failure. A galactose-free diet was started but she became comatose. Brain MRI with spectroscopy showed diffuse edema (figure 1, A–D) and galactitol peak (figure 2). Despite cerebral edema therapy, she died at 21 days of cerebral herniation. The authors thank the Association “la Vita e un Dono” Onlus for supporting the fellowship of Dr. Martinelli.
Latino mothers' beliefs about child weight and family health.

Author(s): Martinez, Suzanna M; Rhee, Kyung E; Blanco, Estela; Boutelle, Kerri | Abstract: ObjectiveThere is a need to address cultural beliefs and parenting practices regarding childhood obesity to design effective weight-control programmes for overweight/obese US Latino children. The purpose of the current study was to explore cultural beliefs about children's weight, understand parent perceptions on feeding their children, and explore barriers that interfere with a healthy lifestyle.DesignFour focus groups were conducted in Spanish with forty-one Latino mothers of elementary school-age children from San Diego County, California between April and May 2011. Cultural viewpoints about overweight status among children and barriers to leading a healthy lifestyle were explored. Focus group discussions were analysed based on a priori and emergent themes.ResultsThree themes were identified: (i) mothers' cultural beliefs about health that are barriers to family health; (ii) mothers as primary caretakers of their family's health; and (iii) attitudes about targeting children's weight. Mothers acknowledged the idea that 'chubby is better' is a misperception, yet having a 'chubby' child was preferred and even accepted. Mothers described fatalistic beliefs that contradicted existing knowledge of chronic disease and daily demands of Western culture as barriers to practising healthy behaviours in the home as the family caretaker.ConclusionsThese findings may be used to inform more culturally appropriate research to address US Latino health. Increasing awareness of cultural beliefs and daily circumstance could help to address obesity more directly and thereby overcome some of the potential underlying barriers that might exist when involving the Latino immigrant families in obesity treatment and prevention.
Barriers to hepatitis C treatment in the era of direct-acting anti-viral agents.

SummaryBackground Direct-acting anti-virals (DAA) are safe, effective treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Suboptimal linkage to specialists and access to DAAs are the leading barriers to treatment; however, data are limited. Aim To determine predictors of follow-up, receipt of DAAs, and reasons for the lack thereof. Methods We used clinical data from retrospective cohort of HCV-infected patients with previously established HCV care in the US Department of Veterans Affairs to examine predictors of follow-up in HCV clinics and DAA treatment (during 12/1/2013-4/30/2015). We then conducted a structured review of medical charts of HCV patients to determine reasons for lack of follow-up and treatment. Results We identified 84 221 veterans who were previously seen in HCV clinics during the pre-DAA era. Of these, 47 165 (56.0%) followed-up in HCV specialty clinics, 13 532 (28.7%) of whom received DAAs. Older age, prior treatment, presence of cirrhosis or HCC, HIV/HBV co-infection and psychiatric illness were predictors of follow-up. Alcohol/drug abuse and medical co-morbidity were predictors of lack of treatment. Of the 905 prospectively recruited patients, 56.2% patients had a specialist visit and 28% received DAAs. Common reasons for lack of follow-up were relocation (n = 148, 37.4%) and missed/cancelled appointments (n = 63, 15.9%). Reasons for lack of treatment included waiting for newer therapy (n = 99, 38.8%), co-morbidities (n = 66, 25.9%) and alcohol/drug abuse (n = 63, 24.7%). Conclusions Half of patients with established HCV care were followed-up in the DAA era and only 29% received DAAs. Targeted efforts focusing on patient and system-levels may improve the reach of treatment with the new DAAs.
On spectral and numerical properties of random butterfly matrices

Abstract Spectral and numerical properties of classes of random orthogonal butterfly matrices, as introduced by Parker (1995), are discussed, including the uniformity of eigenvalue distributions. These matrices are important because the matrix–vector product with an N -dimensional vector can be performed in O ( N log N ) operations. In the simplest situation, these random matrices coincide with Haar measure on a subgroup of the orthogonal group. We discuss other implications in the context of randomized linear algebra.
Sleep and Speech Outcomes After Superior Adenoidectomy in Children with Cleft Palate.

Objective To describe the sleep and speech outcomes in patients with cleft palate who underwent superior adenoidectomy. Subjectives and methods This is a case series with chart review of patients with diagnoses of cleft palate and sleep disordered breathing (SDB), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or nasal obstruction treated with superior adenoidectomy from 1991-2015 at the Children's Hospital of Minnesota. Postoperative clinic notes documented the changes in symptoms following surgery. All speech outcomes were recorded. Results Fifty patients (23 females, 27 males) aged 11 months to 17 years were included. Forty-six patients (92%) had improvement of sleep symptoms including snoring, nighttime restlessness, and witnessed apnea events, following superior adenoidectomy. Forty-two of the 46 patients (91%) had stable speech postoperatively with either no development or no worsening of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Conclusion Superior adenoidectomy is an effective procedure to alleviate symptoms of sleep disordered breathing in patients with cleft palate without significantly affecting speech.
Estimating the Direct Costs of Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions: A Retrospective Analysis of Data from the Rhode Island Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

BACKGROUND: Overuse and misuse of prescription opioids is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and places a significant cost burden on health systems. OBJECTIVE: To estimate annual statewide spending for prescription opioids in Rhode Island. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of opioids dispensed from retail pharmacies using data from the Rhode Island Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) was performed. The study sample consisted of 651,227 opioid prescriptions dispensed to 197,062 patients between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015. The mean, median, and total cost of opioid use was estimated using prescription dispensings and patients as units of analysis. A generalized linear model with gamma distribution with an identity link function, and separately with a log link function, was used to estimate the absolute and relative differences in per-patient annual adjusted average opioid prescription cost, respectively, by potential predictors. RESULTS: The estimated 2015 annual expenditur...
The mouse formin (Fmn) gene: abundant circular RNA transcripts and gene-targeted deletion analysis.

Mutations in the mouse formin (Fmn) gene result in limb deformities and incompletely penetrant renal aplasia. A molecular genetic approach was taken to characterize novel circular RNAs from the Fmn gene and to understand the developmental effects of gene-targeted mutations. RT-PCR and ribonuclease protection analyses were done to characterize the circular RNA transcripts arising from the Fmn gene. Two lines of mice with gene-targeted deletions of specific Fmn exons, namely exon 4 or exon 5, were generated and analyzed. In our analysis of formin cDNAs, we discovered a class of transcripts in which the exon order is reversed such that downstream exons are joined to the acceptor end of a specific exon that lies 5′ to them in the genome. RT-PCR and ribonuclease protection analyses indicate that these transcripts are circular and are the major transcripts arising from this locus in adult brain and kidney. To gain insight into the biological function of these transcripts, we have systematically deleted the relevant exons using gene-targeted homologous recombination. The resulting mice fail to produce circular transcripts, but appear to produce normal amounts of the linear RNA isoforms from this locus. While these deficient mice have normal limbs, they display variably penetrant renal aplasia characteristic of other mutant formin alleles. Our results demonstrate novel circular transcripts arising from the Fmn gene. Moreover, their high levels of expression suggest that they are not products of aberrant splicing events, but instead, may play important biological roles. Mice with gene-targeted deletions of Fmn exons 4 or 5 lack these circular transcripts and have an incompletely penetrant renal agenesis phenotype. While the biologic function of circular Fmn RNA transcripts is not entirely known, our work suggests their possible involvement in kidney development.
Microcapsules in Veterinary Medicine: A Regulatory View

Microencapsulation techniques and processes have been increasingly reported in the literature in a variety of applications.1-7 Some of these processes have applications in the enhancement of therapeutic medical claims for man and a variety of species of animals. We also see application for use with drugs to promote greater weight gains by the animal consumption of a microencapsulated feed to the economic benefit of the grower.
Processing of high-titer prions for mass spectrometry inactivates prion infectivity

Prions represent a class of universally fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and other mammals. The prion agent contains a pathologically aggregated form of the host prion protein that can transmit infectivity without any bacterial or viral component and is thus difficult to inactivate using disinfection protocols designed for infectious microorganisms. Methods for prion inactivation include treatment with acids, bases, detergents, bleach, prolonged autoclaving and incineration. During these procedures, the sample is often either destroyed or damaged such that further analysis for research purposes is compromised. In this study we show that a straightforward denaturation and in-gel protease digestion protocol used to prepare prion-infected samples for mass spectroscopy leads to the loss of at least 7 logs of prion infectivity, yielding a final product that fails to transmit prion disease in vivo. We further show that the resultant sample remains suitable for mass spectrometry-based protein identifications. Thus, the procedure described can be used to prepare prion-infected samples for mass spectrometry analysis with greatly reduced biosafety concerns.
Extracellular Electron Transfer Transcends Microbe-Mineral Interactions

Extracellular electron transfer (EET) allows microbes to drive their metabolism through interactions with minerals or electrodes. In recent work, Light et al. (2018) discover a specialized EET pathway in Listeria monocytogenes with homologs in pathogens and gut commensals, suggesting that EET plays important roles in diverse environments.
Real polynomial gram matrices without real spectral factors

It is well known that a non-negative definite polynomial matrix (a polynomial Gramian) $G(t)$ can be written as a product of its polynomial spectral factors, $G(t) = X(t)^H X(t)$. In this paper, we give a new algebraic characterization of spectral factors when $G(t)$ is real-valued. The key idea is to construct a representation set that is in bijection with the set of real polynomial Gramians. We use the derived characterization to identify the set of all complex polynomial matrices that generate real-valued Gramians, and we formulate a conjecture that typical rank-deficient real polynomial Gramians have real spectral factors.
4-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Administration via Intraosseous Access for Urgent Reversal of Warfarin

Abstract Background Vitamin K antagonist (VKA) reversal in patients with acute major bleeding and coagulopathy is an example of an urgent intervention in the emergency department. Intravenous (IV) prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) may reverse VKA-induced coagulopathy in Case Report A 74-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) after a head injury, with sudden onset of left-sided facial droop, weakness, hypertension, and dizziness. Initial vital signs include blood pressure of 221/102 mm Hg, a heart rate of 75 beats/min, and oxygen saturation of 96% on room air. Warfarin 3 mg once daily was among his medications. His international normalized ratio (INR) was 3.9 with a computed tomography scan showing intraparenchymal hemorrhage in the right temporal lobe. Multiple attempts for IV access at various sites were unsuccessful. Therefore, IO access was established. Because of his prolonged prothrombin time, elevated INR, and intraparenchymal hemorrhage, the decision was made to use 4-factor PCC to reverse the supratherapeutic INR. The INR normalized as an emergent right parietal hematoma evacuation was performed. After an inpatient course, the patient was eventually discharged. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? VKAs, like warfarin, are commonly prescribed medications. When life-threatening hemorrhage is present, rapid reversal of a VKA-induced coagulopathy may be a life-saving therapy. In the event that IV access has not been established, we have demonstrated that IO access is a viable alternative route for PCC administration.
A Phase 1 Study of Afatinib in Combination with Postoperative Radiation Therapy with and Without Weekly Docetaxel in Intermediate- and High-Risk Patients with Resected Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

Purpose To determine the maximum tolerated dose and tolerability of (1) afatinib in combination with postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) for patients with intermediate-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) and (2) afatinib in combination with PORT and weekly docetaxel for high-risk SCCHN. Methods and Materials An open-label, multicenter, 2-cohort, phase 1 dose-escalation trial was conducted using a 3 + 3 design. Eligible patients had definitive surgery for SCCHN, including the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx and had intermediate- or high-risk pathologic features. Afatinib was given for a 1-week lead in before PORT and daily during 6 to 6.5 weeks of PORT with or without weekly docetaxel. The starting dose was 30 mg and could be escalated to 40 mg or de-escalated to 20 mg. The primary objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of afatinib with PORT or PORT + docetaxel. Results Between April 2013 and November 2017, 27 patients were enrolled and started study treatment, including 16 intermediate-risk patients and 11 high-risk patients, all with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1. Most patients (n = 25) had oral cavity cancer and were treated to a median total dose of 60 Gy in the intermediate-risk arm and 65 Gy in the high-risk arm. There was 1 grade 4 event, but no deaths. The maximum tolerated dose was not established owing to dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) in both arms. In the high-risk arm, DLTs were grade 3 mucositis (n = 3) and grade 3 diarrhea/hypokalemia (n = 1). In the intermediate-risk arm, DLTs were grade 3 mucositis (n = 4) and grade 3 diarrhea (n = 2). Conclusions Afatinib in combination with PORT for mucosal SCCHN was difficult to tolerate because of grade 3 toxicity, mostly mucositis, in a cohort of patients requiring high-dose PORT to the oral cavity. This regimen may be better tolerated for a non-oral cavity site or if given in a different schedule.
Rapid whole-brain quantitative magnetization transfer imaging using 3D selective inversion recovery sequences

Abstract Selective inversion recovery (SIR) is a quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) method that provides estimates of parameters related to myelin content in white matter, namely the macromolecular pool-size-ratio (PSR) and the spin-lattice relaxation rate of the free pool (R1f), without the need for independent estimates of ∆B0, B1+, and T1. Although the feasibility of performing SIR in the human brain has been demonstrated, the scan times reported previously were too long for whole-brain applications. In this work, we combined optimized, short-TR acquisitions, SENSE/partial-Fourier accelerations, and efficient 3D readouts (turbo spin-echo, SIR-TSE; echo-planar imaging, SIR-EPI; and turbo field echo, SIR-TFE) to obtain whole-brain data in 18, 10, and 7 min for SIR-TSE, SIR-EPI, SIR-TFE, respectively. Based on numerical simulations, all schemes provided accurate parameter estimates in large, homogenous regions; however, the shorter SIR-TFE scans underestimated focal changes in smaller lesions due to blurring. Experimental studies in healthy subjects (n = 8) yielded parameters that were consistent with literature values and repeatable across scans (coefficient of variation: PSR = 2.2–6.4%, R1f = 0.6–1.4%) for all readouts. Overall, SIR-TFE parameters exhibited the lowest variability, while SIR-EPI parameters were adversely affected by susceptibility-related image distortions. In patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (n = 2), focal changes in SIR parameters were observed in lesions using all three readouts; however, contrast was reduced in smaller lesions for SIR-TFE, which was consistent with the numerical simulations. Together, these findings demonstrate that efficient, accurate, and repeatable whole-brain SIR can be performed using 3D TFE, EPI, or TSE readouts; however, the appropriate readout should be tailored to the application.
Innovation in national governing bodies of sport: investigating dynamic capabilities that drive growth

Research question: To what extent are dynamic capabilities present in, and drive the performance of, U.S. Olympic National Governing Bodies (NGBs)? Research methods: Guided by a critical realist pe...
Lifestyle behaviors, psychological distress, and well-being: A daily diary study.

Abstract Rationale Many lifestyle behaviors such as diet, exercise, social interaction, and substance use are related to physical and mental health. Less understood are the day-to-day associations of these behaviors with both psychological distress, well-being, and with each other. Objective This study investigated how a number of common lifestyle behaviors were associated with psychological distress and well-being using a daily diary study with multilevel modeling. Associations among behaviors were analyzed with multilevel mediation and network models. Methods An online participant pool consisting of seventy-six adults (age range: 19–64; mean age: 40.29; 58% female) completed daily diary surveys over 14 days and reported their engagement in lifestyle behaviors, psychological distress, hedonic well-being, and eudaimonic well-being. Results Time spent in social interaction was the most consistent within-person correlate of psychological distress and well-being. The association between daily time in nature and well-being was mediated by social interaction and exercise. Network models found within-person associations among the lifestyle behaviors. Conclusion The results indicate that social interaction may be an especially important lifestyle behavior to consider when promoting well-being. Future research should recognize that daily fluctuations in many lifestyle behaviors cluster together.
Predicting Learning: Comparing Study Techniques, Perseverance, and Metacognitive Skill:

Background:Instructors and students are on a continuing quest to identify predictors of learning.Objective:This study examines the associations between self-reported exam score and study techniques...
Servant Leadership in a Globally Diverse and Inclusive Organizational Culture

Diversity alone has not established an inclusive productive global organizational culture. Under the umbrella of diversity, individual biases such as embedded ethnic bias, gender bias, lack of equity equality, alienation, microaggressions, social inequities, and work alienation between high- and low-status workers abound. Additionally, under the umbrella of diversity, organizational, systemic structural levels such as hierarchy, policies, procedures, practices, and lack of ethical accountability have not changed. For corporate sustainability and profitability, having an acceptable company culture is no longer an option. Company culture is scrutinized by today’s workers as much as salary and benefits, and workers expect excellent inclusive company culture along with other traditional benefits. Recent research establishes that organizational culture impacts employee performance, performance impacts corporate equity, and ultimately both create the organization’s brand, culture and attraction for high-performing dedicated employees. This chapter begins with a review of the evolution of leadership, continues with discussions of globalization, diversity and inclusion, data on the state of global organizational culture, and the paradigm shift to servant leadership. The author concludes with the introduction, theory, and implementation steps of Servant Leadership to an inclusive, diverse global organizational culture.
Submitted for your approval: a cross-cultural study of attachment anxiety, contingencies of self-worth and selfie-related behaviour

In this study, we examine the social and psychological motives for a set of strategic selfie-related behaviour including the manipulation and sharing digital images of oneself, captured by oneself....
Unmanned Aircraft Guidance for Penetration of Pre-Tornadic Storms

This paper investigates unmanned aircraft guidance for a severe storm penetrator to assess the feasibility of such a mission and to optimize ingress in terms of flight time and exposure to precipitation. Understanding guidance-layer behavior and deriving control strategies will provide tools for developing mission-level concepts of operation and making vehicle design tradeoffs. A backward propagating wave front algorithm based on ordered upwind methods is developed for guidance-layer planning of severe storm penetration. Target areas for investigation by the aircraft are identified within simulated storm wind, hail, and precipitation data. The simulated data are used to determine the feasibility of storm penetration to the points of interest, along with calculating airframe exposure to precipitation. Ingress planning is also considered for a dynamic wind field using a receding horizon control approach to adapt the flight path in response to environmental changes.
Mechanical behavior of additively manufactured and wrought 316L stainless steels before and after neutron irradiation

Abstract Fabrication of nuclear reactor components using additive manufacturing (AM) methods is now a practical option since the AM technologies have advanced to allow for building of complex parts with high quality materials. To assess the mechanical performance of printed components in reactor-relevant conditions and to build a property database for the AM 316L stainless steel (SS), mechanical testing and characterization were performed before and after neutron irradiation. Miniature tensile specimens were irradiated at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to 0.2 and 2 displacements per atom (dpa) at 300 and 600°C. The AM 316L SS was tested in the as-built, stress-relieved, and solution-annealed conditions, and the wrought (WT) 316L SS in solution-annealed condition as a reference alloy. The baseline test result showed that the AM 316L SS, regardless of the post-build heat treatment, had higher strength than the WT 316L SS, but similar ductility. Post-irradiation tensile testing was conducted at RT, 300°C, and 500°C for selected irradiation conditions. Neutron irradiation induced significant changes in the mechanical behavior of the AM stainless steels, including both hardening and softening. Although the as-built 316L steel after 300°C irradiation showed necking just after yielding, the overall property changes of the as-printed alloy became less significant after 600°C irradiation. Irradiation-induced ductilization was also observed after the higher temperature irradiation. In general, the strength change was smaller in the relatively stronger as-built and stress-relieved AM SSs than in the solution-annealed AM and WT SSs. These relatively lower strength 316L SSs overall retained higher ductility in the irradiation conditions tested, but the stronger 316L SSs demonstrated a similar level of ductility after the higher temperature (600°C) irradiation. It is a positive assessment for the AM 316L materials that no embrittlement was observed within the test and irradiation conditions of the experiment.
A Contrastive Learning Approach to Auroral Identification and Classification.

Unsupervised learning algorithms are beginning to achieve accuracies comparable to their supervised counterparts on benchmark computer vision tasks, but their utility for practical applications has not yet been demonstrated. In this work, we present a novel application of unsupervised learning to the task of auroral image classification. Specifically, we modify and adapt the Simple framework for Contrastive Learning of Representations (SimCLR) algorithm to learn representations of auroral images in a recently released auroral image dataset constructed using image data from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) all-sky imagers. We demonstrate that (a) simple linear classifiers fit to the learned representations of the images achieve state-of-the-art classification performance, improving the classification accuracy by almost 10 percentage points over the current benchmark; and (b) the learned representations naturally cluster into more clusters than exist manually assigned categories, suggesting that existing categorizations are overly coarse and may obscure important connections between auroral types, near-earth solar wind conditions, and geomagnetic disturbances at the earth's surface. Moreover, our model is much lighter than the previous benchmark on this dataset, requiring in the area of fewer than 25\% of the number of parameters. Our approach exceeds an established threshold for operational purposes, demonstrating readiness for deployment and utilization.
Current levels of coverage of iron and folic acid fortification are insufficient to meet the recommended intake for women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries.

Background Food fortification can be an effective intervention to improve maternal and child health. Folic acid fortification can reduce neural tube defects due to folate deficiency. Iron fortification is effective to reduce maternal anemia due to iron deficiency. The paper describes the methods for estimating current coverage levels for iron fortification and folic acid fortification and estimates current impact of fortification in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) using the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). Methods The database was obtained from Global Fortification Data Exchange. We used the following indicators from the database: food intake, fortification standard, percent of food produced in industrial mills, and percent of industrially milled food that is fortified. Together with the recommended dietary allowances for women of reproductive age (WRA), we calculated percentage of WRA getting recommended intake through fortification and used the percentage as an estimate for fortification coverage. We then used LiST to estimate the health impact of fortification on maternal and child health. Results Folic acid was fortified in 72 countries, with a median coverage of 43%. Iron was fortified in 87 countries, with a median coverage of 23%. Forty-six LMICs fortified either folic acid, iron, or both. And the weighted coverage of folic acid fortification and iron fortification were 34% and 19%, respectively. A greater percentage of WRA got appropriate levels of folic acid and iron via fortification in higher income countries. Based on LiST projection, it is estimated that in 2021, over 4 million anemia cases among WRA will be averted due to consumption of iron fortified food. About 1900 stillbirths and 3000 neonatal deaths due to neural tube defects will be averted due to consumption of folic acid fortified food. Conclusions We estimated the coverage of folic acid fortification and iron fortification in LMICs and included them in the most recent version of LiST. Trends in coverage will be included in LiST as data become available. Our analysis shows that while most LMICs have fortification programs, currently the effects of these programs are limited either through low levels of fortification in industrialized food, low consumption of fortified food or both.
A Multicast Tree Construction Algorithm for Large Multiparty Conferences

This paper introduces the Multiple Distribution Point (MDP) approach to the construction of multicast trees in computer networks. The MDP approach focuses on the creation of multicast trees for large multiparty conference situations where a high percentage (possibly all) of the participants wish to source multicast data. For certain evaluation criteria, the MDP algorithm is shown to perform better than existing multicast tree construction methods.
Using Technology to Retain Baby Boomers in the Workforce

Many Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are reaching retirement age at the rate of 8000 a day [AARP 2014]. Yet, they still have a desire to remain in the workforce and remain active in their professional environment. Over the years they have developed the strong skills and expertise that industry needs. However, some of these cohorts have several age-related limitations that may be of concern to employers. This paper examines some of the technology solutions available to permit this group to remain productive and active in the workforce.
Epstein-Barr Virus Polypeptides: Identification of Early Proteins and Their Synthesis and Glycosylation

Abstract We have identified at least six early polypeptides induced by Epstein-Barr virus in cells or under conditions which are nonpermissive for Epstein-Barr virus DNA replication ranging in molecular weight from 140,000 to 26,000.
Cooperative Federalism and Climate Change: New Meaning to 'Think Globally - Act Locally'

This Article briefly discusses examples of the limited involvement and recognition states have carved out for local governments in state-level climate action plans. The main focus of the Article follows with an examination of the high level of largely uncoordinated activity taking place at the local government level, including innovative strategies worthy of replication throughout the country. The Article concludes with recommendations for cooperative approaches to be introduced at the federal and state levels to harness the power and opportunities of acting locally to address significant global challenges.
A remarkably small species of Uroplectes Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), endemic to the Succulent Karoo of South Africa

ABSTRACT The scorpion fauna of southern Africa is very diverse, especially in the arid western half of the subcontinent. New species continue to be discovered as the region is surveyed with ultraviolet light detection methods. The present contribution describes Uroplectes ansiedippenaarae sp. n., which is endemic to the Succulent Karoo Biome in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. The new species appears to be most closely related to U. variegatus (C.L. Koch, 1844), which is endemic to the Fynbos Biome in the Western Cape Province. Uroplectes ansiedippenaarae sp. n. is the smallest species of Uroplectes Peters, 1861, and among the smallest scorpion species in southern Africa, with adults ranging from 16–20 mm in total length. The addition of this new species raises the number of Uroplectes species and subspecies in South Africa to 19, and the number of endemics to 10.
Two different cis-active elements transfer the transcriptional effects of both EGF and phorbol esters

Short cis-active sequences of the rat prolactin or Moloney murine leukemia virus genes transfer transcriptional regulation by both epidermal growth factor and phorbol esters to fusion genes. These sequences act in a position- and orientation-independent manner. Competitive binding analyses with nuclear extracts from stimulated and unstimulated cells suggest that different trans-acting factors associate with the regulatory sequence of each gene. A model is proposed suggesting that both epidermal growth factor and phorbol esters stimulate the transcription of responsive genes via discrete classes of hormone-dependent, enhancer-like elements that bind different trans-acting factors, even in the absence of hormone stimulation.
Prostate specific antigen doubling time and disease relapse after radiotherapy for prostate cancer

Background. Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) correlates with prostate tumor volume. Therefore, PSA-doubling time (PSA-DT) in patients with a rising PSA profile after radiotherapy should be predictive of the time to clinical disease relapse. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between PSA-DT and the time to disease relapse after the onset of a rising PSA (PSA-TTR) in 427 men treated in the PSA-era with high dose radiotherapy for Stages T1–4 adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Methods. There were 119 patients with a rising PSA profile after radiotherapy, and of these, there was sufficient information to calculate PSA-DT using nonlinear least squares regression in 100. There were 44 patients in this cohort who had documented disease relapse. The median patient follow-up was 38 months. Results. The average PSA-DT was 13.5 plus or minus 11.6 mo (± standard deviation). PSA-DT values correlated with tumor grade, pretreatment PSA, and stage. PSA-DT was also strongly related to the outcome measures of local relapse, distant metastases, and any disease relapse. The shorter the PSA-DT, the greater the risk of disease relapse. The average PSA-TTR was 10.1 plus or minus 8.2. The only prognostic factor that correlated with PSA-TTR was tumor grade. A linear regression analysis of normalized PSA-DT and PSA-TTR revealed a significant correlation in which a PSA-DT of 11 months predicted for disease relapse 24 months later. Because several factors including physician and patient preferences could alter this relationship, a comparison was made between the actuarial PSA rise time for patients treated in the PSA-era and actuarial clinical disease relapse using a cohort of similarly treated men from the pre-PSA-era (n = 798). The results showed the lead time to be over 40 months in the majority of patients and that this lead time was much shorter in those with high grade tumors. Conclusions. PSA-DT is a strong prognostic factor for patients with biochemical evidence of failure after radiotherapy. A short PSA-DT predicts for more rapid progression to symptoms. The timing of the progression from a rising PSA to clinical disease relapse is probably longer than expected and is estimated to be 40 months on average. Cancer 1994; 74: 670-8
EPR of Mn2+-doped single crystal of ZnSiF6 6H2O

Abstract X-band EPR measurements are reported on single crystals of ZnSiF 6 6H 2 O doped by Mn 2+ ions at various temperatures. The absolute signs of the spin Hamiltonian parameters are determined from liquid-helium temperature data. The spin Hamiltonian parameters are evaluated rigorously from a simultaneous fitting of the data obtained for several orientations of the static magnetic field, using the method of least-squares fitting and numerical diagonalization of the spin Hamiltonian matrix appropriate to electron-nuclear spin coupled systems.
Power efficiency for variation-tolerant multicore processors

Challenges in multicore processor design include meeting demands for performance, power, and reliability. The progression towards deep submicron process technologies entails increasing challenges of process variability resulting in timing instabilities and leakage power variation. This work introduces an analytical approach for ensuring timing reliability while meeting the appropriate performance and power demands in spite of process variation. We validate our analytical model using Turandot to simulate an 8-core PowerPCtrade processor. We first examine a simplified case of our model on a platform running independent multiprogrammed workloads consisting of all 26 of the SPEC 2000 benchmarks. Our simple model accurately predicts the cutoff point with a mean error less than 0.5 W. Next, we extend our analysis to parallel programming by incorporating Amdahl's law in our equations. We use this relation to establish limit properties of power-performance for scaling parallel applications, and validate our findings using 8 applications from the SPLASH-2 benchmark suite
Environmental enrichment restores neurogenesis and rapid acquisition in aged rats

Abstract Strategies combatting cognitive decline among the growing aging population are vital. We tested whether environmental enrichment could reverse age-impaired rapid spatial search strategy acquisition concomitantly with hippocampal neurogenesis in rats. Young (5–8 months) and aged (20–22 months) male Fischer 344 rats were pair-housed and exposed to environmental enrichment ( n = 7 young, 9 aged) or housed individually ( n = 7 young, 7 aged) for 10 weeks. After 5 weeks, hidden platform trials (5 blocks of 3 trials; 15 m inter-block interval), a probe trial, and then visible platform trials (5 blocks of 3 trials; 15 m inter-block interval) commenced in the water maze. One week after testing, rats were given 5 daily intraperitoneal bromodeoxyuridine (50 mg/kg) injections and perfused 4 weeks later to quantify neurogenesis. Although young rats outperformed aged rats, aged enriched rats outperformed aged individually housed rats on all behavioral measures. Neurogenesis decreased with age but enrichment enhanced new cell survival, regardless of age. The novel correlation between new neuron number and behavioral measures obtained in a rapid water maze task among aged rats, suggests that environmental enrichment increases their ability to rapidly acquire and flexibly use spatial information along with neurogenesis.
Leukocytosis at Termination of Antibiotic Therapy: Its Importance for Intra-abdominal Sepsis

• Postoperative outcomes of 31 afebrile patients who had responded to treatment for intra-abdominal sepsis were compared based on the presence or absence of leukocytosis (WBC count > 10,000/cu mm) at the conclusion of antibiotic therapy. In 68% of the patients who had leukocytosis, postoperative septic complications developed within two months of their operation. In patients without leukocytosis, complications developed in only 8.3%. Afebrile patients who exhibit leukocytosis but have responded clinically to treatment are at risk for postoperative infection and multisystem failure. (Arch Surg115:918-921, 1980)
Researching a Spelling Method with Third and Fourth Graders

This study compared a new method for acquisition of spelling with a traditional method over 9 wk. for 181 third and 188 fourth graders. The covariates were pre-spelling, post-mathematics, and post-...
In-vitro disappearance of carbohydrates, phenolic acids, and lignin from parenchyma and sclerenchyma cell walls isolated from cocksfoot

Insight into the structure and digestion of the cell-wall matrix may be gained by studying the in-vitro disappearance (IVD) of constituents from cell types which are contained in forage fibre. The objective of this study was to determine the IVD of neutral sugars, uronic acids, esterified phenolic acids, and lignin from parenchyma and sclerenchyma walls isolated from the plant parts of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L). Cell walls were incubated in a rumen fluid-buffer medium for 0, 12 or 96 h. The chemical composition, apparent digestion and IVD of constituents varied considerably within and between cell types. Parenchyma had higher arabinose to xylose and ferulic acid to p-coumaric acid ratios and lower lignin concentrations than sclerenchyma. The apparent digestion of parenchyma was 240% greater at 12 h and 20% greater at 96 h than that of sclerenchyma. The IVD of cell-wall constituents from parenchyma ranged from 12 to 80% at 12 h and 46 to 99% at 96 h. The IVD of constituents from sclerenchyma was lower than that from parenchyma, ranging from 5 to 50% at 12 h and 47 to 89% at 96 h. Across all cell types, IVD was usually greatest for ferulic acid and lowest for lignin. These findings indicate that the differential loss of constituents from fibre is due in part to differential loss of constituents from both fast and slowly digested cell types. Ferulic acid was the most uniformly removed constituent across cell types. This suggests that ferulic acid is associated with regions of the cell-wall matrix which change little between cell types relative to structural carbohydrates and other lignins.
Combustion of drops and sprays of No. 2 diesel oil and its emulsions with water

Experimental results on the combustion of unsupported single drops and pressure-atomized sprays of No. 2D oil and its emulsions with water are presented. The experiments covered the following range of variables: volume fraction of water=0–0.3; surfactant concentration =0–0.05; injection temperature=298–380 K; chamber temperature=400–950 K; chamber pressure=0.44 to 3.92 MPa; chamber inlet oxygen concentration=0.16–0.75; and spray injector nozzles=multihole and pintle. High speed motion photography was used to observe the flames of drops and sprays through quartz-windows. The films were analyzed to study the fragmentation behavior and flame geometry of single drops and the ignition delay and flame length of sprays. The exhaust gases of the test chamber were analyzed to determine the concentrations of CO2, O2, N2, NO, and NOx. The steady temperatures attained in the flames during spray burning were measured also. The results show that unsupported droplets of No. 2D diesel oil-water emulsions undergo disruption during combustion, and the fragmentation increases with water content, surfactant content, injection temperature, chamber oxygen concentration, and chamber temperature, but is not significantly dependent on chamber pressure. Also, the ignition delay increases considerably for volume fractions of water above 0.12. The flame temperature, exhaust emissions of NO and NOx, and oxygen utilization in the combustion chamber are complexly dependent upon the variables examined. These effects can be explained in terms of a physical model where the dominant combustion mode shifts from overall envelope flame to individual drop burning.