cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partial clustering: maintaining connectivity in a low duty-cycled dense wireless sensor network

We consider a dense wireless sensor network where the radio transceivers of the sensor nodes are heavily duty-cycled in order to conserve energy. The chief purpose of the sensor network is surveillance and monitoring, where upon observation of certain event of interest, a sensor node generates a message and forwards it to a gateway located somewhere in or near the network. This forwarding relies on routes constructed using sensors whose radios are on/active. In order for such messages to reach the gateway with minimal delay, any sensor in the network should ideally have a route to the gateway consisting of active sensors at all times. Prior approaches to similar problems include clustering, virtual backbone, and connected dominating sets. Low energy consumption and good connectivity are potentially conflicting objectives. Our principal goal is to find an approach that results in the lowest possible duty cycle, and that provides better trade-off between the two objectives. In this paper we introduce the concept of partial clustering, which may be viewed as a generalized method of clustering. We compare the theoretical performance of different instances of partial clustering to that of standard clustering, and show that partial clustering can achieve lower duty cycle and provide greater flexibility in the trade-off between energy efficiency and connectivity. We then present a distributed algorithm based on the partial clustering method. Simulation results are provided to evaluate their effectiveness and energy efficiency.
Anonymous Communication Protocol in Overlay Networks

Communication anonymity is becoming an increasingly important, or even indispensable security requirement for many applications. The existing research in anonymous communications can largely be divided into two categories: mix- based systems and secure multi-party computation-based systems, originating from mixnet and DC-net respectively. However, they either cannot provide provable anonymity, or suffer from transmission collision problem. In this paper, we first propose a novel unconditionally secure source anonymous message authentication code (SA-MAC) that can be applied to any messages without relying on any trusted third parties. While ensuring message sender anonymity, SM-MAC can also provide message content authenticity. We then propose a novel communication protocol that can hide the senders and the receivers from each other, and thus can be used for secure file sharing. The security analysis demonstrates that the proposed protocol is secure against various attacks. Our analysis also shows it is efficient and practical.
Analysis of epidemiological studies: facts and artifacts

Abstract Cohort studies have provided the foundation for much of our knowledge of childhood asthma. Four important lessons have been learned from these longitudinal studies: that asthma is a complex disease, encompassing many phenotypes; that it is linked to the development of the immune system and respiratory tract in the first years of life; that early life events strongly affect the development of asthma risk and that relationships between certain exposures and asthma risk are age dependent. The Tucson Children's Respiratory Study is used to exemplify these lessons and to illustrate the advantages of cohort studies in investigating a complex disease.
The role of amplitude and phase shaping in the dispersive-pulse regime of a passively mode-locked dye laser

The relative contributions of nonlinear amplitude and phase modulation in determining the shape and duration of a sub-100-fs pulse generated by a colliding-pulse mode-locked dye laser are examined. A phenomenological numerical model is developed that accounts consistently for the finite bandwidth of the saturable gain and absorbing media. The results for the model are compared with the experimentally measured amplitude and phase of 60-fs pulses from a laser operated in the dispersive (i.e., nonsoliton) regime. Good agreement is found with the measured pulse amplitude temporal asymmetry and with the measured chirp. >
A study of sudden disturbances of the ionosphere

Research is proceeding on a wide front in the cosmic sciences on a phenomenon which was unknown two years ago. The phenomenon is a sudden and short-lived increase of ionization of a part of the ionosphere, manifesting itself by perturbations in radio transmission, terrestrial magnetism, and earth-currents. Whenever the phenomenon occurs, it is most intense in that region of the Earth where the Sun's radiation is perpendicular and diminishes to zero at the outer edge of the illuminated hemisphere. Its onset usually occurs within a minute, and is simultaneous throughout the hemisphere affected. Its various effects begin simultaneously, and last from about ten minutes to several hours, the occurrences of greater intensity in general producing effects of longer duration. The effects include the sudden blotting out of high-frequency radio sky-wave transmission, sudden changes in low-frequency atmospherics, sudden changes in terrestrial-magnetic intensities, and sudden changes in earth-currents. The effects are markedly different from other types of changes in these quantities. They are more intense where it is noon than other times of day, and are more.intense in equatorial regions than in higher latitudes. The radio effects are very large, indicating that the ionospheric changes producing them are intense ones.
Mutation-based testing of concurrent programs

Mutation-based software testing is a powerful technique for testing software systems. It requires executing many slightly different versions of the same program to evaluate the quality of the test cases used to test the program. Mutation-based testing has been applied to sequential software; however, problems are encountered when it is applied to concurrent programs. These problems are a product of the nondeterminism inherent in the executions of concurrent programs. In this paper, we describe a general approach to testing and debugging concurrent programs, called deterministic execution testing and debugging. We then describe a combination of deterministic execution testing and mutation-based testing, called deterministic execution mutation testing (DEMT), and illustrate the DEMT approach with an example. >
The community Noah land surface model with multiparameterization options (Noah-MP): 2. Evaluation over global river basins

[1] The augmented Noah land surface model described in the first part of the two-part series was evaluated here over global river basins. Across various climate zones, global-scale tests can reveal a model's weaknesses and strengths that a local-scale testing cannot. In addition, global-scale tests are more challenging than local- and catchment-scale tests. Given constant model parameters (e. g., runoff parameters) across global river basins, global-scale tests are more stringent. We assessed model performance against various satellite and ground-based observations over global river basins through six experiments that mimic a transition from the original Noah LSM to the fully augmented version. The model shows transitional improvements in modeling runoff, soil moisture, snow, and skin temperature, despite considerable increase in computational time by the fully augmented Noah-MP version compared to the original Noah LSM. The dynamic vegetation model favorably captures seasonal and spatial variability of leaf area index and green vegetation fraction. We also conducted 36 ensemble experiments with 36 combinations of optional schemes for runoff, leaf dynamics, stomatal resistance, and the β factor. Runoff schemes play a dominant and different role in controlling soil moisture and its relationship with evapotranspiration compared to ecological processes such as the β factor, vegetation dynamics, and stomatal resistance. The 36-member ensemble mean of runoff performs better than any single member over the world's 50 largest river basins, suggesting a great potential of land-based ensemble simulations for climate prediction.
Statistical properties of decaying geostrophic turbulence

High-resolution, high-Reynolds-number numerical solutions of fully three-dimensional, decaying, geostrophic turbulence are examined. The results include the demonstration of a substantial degree of similarity between geostrophic and two-dimensional turbulence: transfer of energy to larger scales; transfer of potential enstrophy to smaller scales; vanishing energy dissipation as the Reynolds number increases; the emergence and growth to dominance of isolated, coherent vortices; and a competition between the vortices and Rossby waves, with an associated horizontal anisotropy when the latter are dominant. Properties that are distinct to geostrophic turbulence include the following: approximate three-dimensional wavenumber isotropy, with significant departures on large scales due to boundedness of the domain and on smaller scales due to anisotropic spectrum transfer rates; insensitivity of solution properties to anisotropy or vertical inhomogeneity in the dissipation; persistence of vertical inhomogeneity; development of inhomogeneity due to solid vertical boundaries; and the processes of alignment, attachment, and vertical straining associated with the finite vertical extent of the coherent vortices.
Effect of lignocellulose degradation products on microbial biomass and lipid production by the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus

Abstract This work investigated effects of lignocellulose degradation products on cell biomass and lipid production by Cryptococcus curvatus . Furfural was found to have the strongest inhibitory effect. For the three phenolic compounds tested, vanillin was the most toxic, while PHB and syringaldehyde showed comparable inhibitions in the concentration range of 0–1.0 g/L. Generally little significant differences on the relative cell biomass and lipid contents at the same concentrations of tested compounds were observed between glucose and xylose as a sole carbon source. At 1.0 g/L of furfural, the cell biomass and lipid content decreased by 78.4% and 61.0% for glucose as well as 72.0% and 59.3% for xylose, respectively. C. curvatus ceased to grow at concentrations of PHB over 1.0 g/L or vanillin over 1.5 g/L. The strain could survive in the presence of syringaldehyde up to 2.0 g/L for glucose or 1.5 g/L for xylose. The compounds’ negative impact was reduced by an increase in inoculum size and a 10% (v/v) seed was detected to be optimal for cell biomass and lipid production. The results demonstrated C . curvatus could effectively utilize most of the dominant monosaccharides and cellobiose existing in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysate in the presence of toxic compounds.
Myelin under construction—teamwork required

Myelinating glial cells synthesize specialized myelin proteins and deposit them in the growing myelin sheath that enwraps axons multiple times. How do axons and myelinating glial cells coordinate this spectacular cell–cell interaction? In this issue, Trajkovic et al. (p. 937) show that neuronal signaling regulates cell surface expression of the myelin proteolipid protein in cultured oligodendrocytes in unexpected ways that may also contribute to myelination in situ.
Oblivious Routing for Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless mesh networks have attracted increasing attention and deployment as a high-performance and low-cost solution to last-mile broadband Internet access. Traffic routing plays a critical role in determining the performance of a wireless mesh network. To investigate the best routing solution, existing work assumes traffic demand is static and known a priori. However, recent studies of wireless network traces show that traffic demand, is highly dynamic and hard to estimate. This paper studies an oblivious routing algorithm that is able to provide the optimal worst-case performance on all possible traffic demands users may impose on the wireless mesh network. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first attempt that investigates oblivious routing in the context of wireless mesh networks. A trace-driven simulation study demonstrates that our oblivious routing solution performs competitively.
Detecting EEG evoked responses for target image search with mixed effect models

There is evidence that brain signals associated with perceptual processes can be used for target image search. We describe the application of mixed effect models (MEMs) to brain signature detection. We develop an MEM detector for detecting brain evoked responses generated by perceptual processes in the human brain associated with detecting novel target stimuli. We construct the model using principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) bases. We adopt the LDA for dimension reduction. For parameter regularization we use 10-fold cross validation and report experimental results from six subjects. Four out of six subjects achieve very good detection performance with more than 0.9 areas under receiver operating characteristic curves. The results demonstrate that the MEM can provide reliable inference on single-trial ERP detection on the task of target image search.
Efficient Noise-Tolerant Message Authentication Codes Using Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Technique

We present a new scheme to reduce the communications requirements for sending Noise-Tolerant Message Authentication Codes (NTMAC?s), by sending the NTMAC?s over direct sequence spread spectrum wireless channels. We greatly reduce the number of chips required by replacing each sub-MAC with a chip sequence (sub-tag) considered as a whole, while all advantages of the original NTMAC are retained.
Philosophical and Theoretic Underpinnings of Simulation Visualization Rhetoric and Their Practical Implications

The considerations of the philosophical underpinnings of visualization have been left on the sidelines while researchers chase the latest technological applications, as with modeling and simulation (M&S). Visual rhetoric in M&S is also an effect of the latest technology that deserves closer observation into its uses. Our focus in this chapter is to develop the view, both now and in the future, of rhetoric’s importance to simulation visualization. Visualization creates and uses images, diagrams, and/or animations to explain models, display simulations and their real-time results, and even, in some cases, for validation.
Advances in the Understanding of the Genetic Causes of Hearing Loss in Children Inform a Rational Approach to Evaluation

Hearing loss represents the most common sensory disability of children. Remarkable advances in the identification of genes underlying nonsyndromic and syndromic hearing loss in just the last 2 decades have led to the ability to determine the specific genetic cause of hearing loss in many children. Surprisingly one gene, GJB2, encoding the protein connexin-26, accounts for about 20 % of sensorineural hearing loss (including in India) and is considered the first tier test in evaluating an infant with unexplained congenital hearing loss. Using the knowledge of the etiology of hearing loss, the authors propose a diagnostic reasoning process for the assessment of a child in the pediatric setting. Second tier testing consists of the multiple gene panels using whole exome sequencing strategies, and is becoming available in some regions of the world including the US. Referral to medical genetics is always a consideration in a child with no explanation for the hearing loss and in families with questions about recurrence risk.
Hands-on, web service based, software architecture lab component for software engineering course

This paper describes a lab series component for learning multi-layer, web service based software architecture in an online, hybrid, or traditional format software engineering course. The labs complement the software engineering process and theory course topics with practical experience using current industry standard tools and technologies. No central infrastructure is required; students build the development/test environment from the ground up using free and widely used software, such as Apache Tomcat, Java, Jersey, and MySQL on a virtual machine. Survey results show that students see the labs as a valuable learning experience.
Cultural Brokers and Intercultural Politics: New York—Iroquois Relations, 1664–1701

American colonial history seems almost hopelessly fragmented. Competing analytical perspectives on diverse ethnic groups, regions, colonies, counties, and towns have produced shelves of imaginative studies, but a coherent whole remains elusive. Two of the most fruitful of the various interpretive strategies are the community study, which stresses the minutiae of everyday social interaction, and the "North American perspective," which sees the continent as a grand stage for the interaction of Indian, European, and African cultures. For all their apparent differences, the community study approach and the North American perspective are intrinsically complementary. The strengths and weaknesses of each -rich detail and narrow vision in the first approach, broad canvas and sweeping generalization in the second-balance those of the other. The operational problem is how to achieve a synthesis, how exactly to connect the local community to wider developments.' Anthropological theorists have been struggling with much the same dilemma in their efforts to integrate traditional ethnological analysis of small communities with a "world-systems" approach. One promising avenue of inquiry examines links between local political structures and regional and international sources of power, for in local hands frequently lay the fate of both the imperial powers of the modern
Proximal Scaphoid Pole Reconstruction Utilizing Ipsilateral Proximal Hamate Autograft

Background: Fractures of the proximal pole of the scaphoid can be difficult to heal because of its limited vascular supply. Furthermore, nonunion with avascular necrosis and secondary fragmentation makes surgical reconstruction a challenging procedure. Method: We describe a technique and report the outcome of a proximal hamate autograft to treat a proximal pole scaphoid nonunion with avascular necrosis. Results: At 3.5 years post reconstruction, the patient remains asymptomatic with union of his scaphoid reconstruction without any evidence of scapholunate instability. Conclusion: Proximal hamate autograft is a useful technique for addressing proximal pole scaphoid nonunions with avascular necrosis.
Design of Error-Resilient Logic Gates with Reinforcement Using Implications

Operating circuits in the sub-threshold region can save power, but at the cost of higher susceptibility to noise. This paper analyzes various gate-level error-mitigation designs appropriate for sub-threshold circuits. Previous works have proposed a modified version of the Schmitt trigger gate that uses logic implications to reinforce correct functional behavior. However, the increased error resilience requires increased area, delay, and power overhead. To address these shortcomings, we introduce two alternative and less costly approaches to reinforcing correct logic behavior via implications. In addition, to provide more flexibility in implication selection, we consider not just simple implications that reinforce relationships between two signals, but also more complex 3-signal implications within the circuit. Our simulation results demonstrate that these alternative gate structures can outperform the Schmitt trigger version as long as the noise on the reinforcement signals themselves is sufficiently low.
Application of asymptotic waveform evaluation for EMC analysis of electrical interconnects

Asymptotic waveform evaluation (AWE) is a technique developed for time-domain analysis of electrical interconnects. AWE is an approximate method whose accuracy depends on the order of the approximation. Asymptotic waveform evaluation is used to analyze various transmission line-type interconnects. The principal problem addressed is the evaluation of crosstalk. AWE is applied to a variety of circuits including a lumped-pi model, a transmission line model and a partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC) model. The issues associated with the order of the AWE approximation and calculation of the system response for these types of circuits are addressed. AWE calculations are compared to SPICE calculations and published data where available.
Histocompatibility Antigens: Characterization

Publisher Summary This chapter explains characterization of histocompatibility antigens. It discusses two research approaches for the selection of the method that can be applied for the extraction of histocompatibility (H) antigens from a variety of cells and tissues. The approaches were: (a) the mapping of the cell membrane structure per se; and (b) the elucidation of the chemical structure of the gene product of the H loci and of the molecular expression of the two major series of segregating alleles. The first approach involves the isolation of large membrane fragments by detergent extraction or autolysis, often as micelles within a colloidal suspension. The second approach traditionally involves proteolytic enzymes, to cleave covalent bonds and to obtain water-soluble antigens of smaller molecular weight. The tests utilized detergent (NP-40) extraction to map possible viral receptor sites on human cell membranes. The findings suggest that it may be exceedingly difficult to induce low-zone tolerance with H-2 antigens and that enhancing antibodies may function to produce a state of immunological unresponsiveness to histocompatibility antigens.
Intergenerational Communication Practices

Publisher Summary This chapter explores important parameters of intergenerational communication, with a focus on older people being targets of overaccommodation, also known variously across studies as patronizing talk, elder speak, or infantilizing talk. The latter are considered as (interchangeable) forms in that they can be subsumed under or treated as exemplars of the more superordinate category of over accommodative moves. Overaccommodation is a construct derived from communication accommodation theory that has been operationalized in terms of a speaker perceiving to exceed or overshoot the level of implementation of communicative behaviors necessary for a smooth and successful interaction. The chapter begins with considering the different forms overaccommodation can take. Following this, it sheds light on its social effects and describes the variable ways it can be managed by recipients. It also presents the theoretical mechanisms proposed to underlie this process. Furthermore, it considers other forms problematic intergenerational communication may, including elderly-to-young overaccommodation, painful self disclosures, and off-target verbosity. Finally and consequentially, this chapter concludes with a discussion of how communicative practices are endemic in the social construction of successful and unsuccessful aging.
Marxism, indigenism, and the anthropology of Native North America: divergence and a possible future

The purpose of this article is to discuss the relationship between Marxist theory and the anthropology of Native North America. This includes a brief history of the origins, development, and application of Marxist theory in the anthropology and ethnohistory of Native North America, as well as a discussion of the theoretical and ideological tensions between Marxism, postmodernism, and indigenism in this regional context. That builds to a discussion of Rata’s (2000) concept of neotribal capitalism as an application of and innovation on Marxist theory to settler-colonial situations, and its superiority over postmodern/indigenist-derived theory and analysis in actually understanding and explaining the processes (re)shaping Native North America. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for Marxist theory and analysis for properly understanding contemporary situations within Native North American societies.
Thromboembolic Complications of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) in Hypogammaglobulinemic Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL).

Abstract Abstract 4416 Infectious complications represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The etiology is postulated to be secondary to aberrations in cell-mediated immunity, as well as to therapy-related immunosuppression. Hypogammaglobulinemia, which occurs in virtually all patients with CLL, may beprofound and correlates with disease duration and stage. In 1981 during treatment of two children with hypogammaglobulinemia and coincidental idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), physicians in Switzerland observed a reproducible increase in the platelet count following IVIG treatment. This clinical observation and follow up systemic investigations further intensified the widespread clinical use of IVIG as a potential immune modulatory agent. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy has been used successfully to prevent and treat infections in this cohort of patients. Today, Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is used in a broad spectrum of autoimmune, inflammatory, and primary and secondary immunodeficiencies. The efficacy has been demonstrated in several control studies. IVIG is a blood product prepared from the serum of between 1,000 and 15,000 donors per batch. The mechanism of action validated by in-vitro models is exerted by a combined effect on autoantibodies, complement activation, cytokines, and saturation of Fc receptors on tissue macrophages. However IVIG administration and treatment is not benign and should be used with caution given the potential manifestations of thromboembolic complications. High concentration and rapid infusion rate of the IVIG, as well as increased dose and osmolarity of the solution are thought to predispose to thrombotic events. Serum viscosity is the implicated mechanism for compromised blood flow and predisposition of high-risk patients to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular infarction. In this retrospective review, we detail IVIG related thromboembolic manifestations in CLL patients, to highlight the importance of risk stratifying patients prior to treatment administration. The current consensus surrounding IVIG is that of a relatively safe treatment, with minor adverse effects such as hypertension, fever and chills, nausea, myalgias, or headache. However our report highlights the importance of proceeding with caution in the application of this therapy, as it's proclivity for thrombotic complications has not been fully elucidated in patients with underlying malignancies. Pre-existing thrombogenic risk factors should be carefully evaluated in patients undergoing treatment with IVIG. Clinical evaluation, with careful attention to vascular history and underlying co-morbidities can potentially unmask the high-risk patient where IVIG could be lethal. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Effects of Dietary Patterns on Quality of Life: A Substudy of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Trial

Few studies have examined the effects of dietary changes, particularly modifications of whole dietary patterns, on quality of life. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial compared the effects of 3 dietary patterns on blood pressure. In this substudy, we examined the effect of these diets on health-related quality of life. All DASH participants ate a control diet for 3 weeks and then were randomly assigned to continue the control diet, to a fruits and vegetables diet or to a combination diet for 8 weeks. The combination diet emphasized fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. It included whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts, and was reduced in fats, red meat, sweets, and sugar-containing beverages. The control diet was similar to typical American intake; the fruits and vegetables diet was rich in fruits and vegetables but was otherwise similar to the control diet. Both the fruits and vegetables diet (P < .001) and the combination diet (P < .001) significantly lowered blood pressure. At the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, site, participants completed the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 questionnaire to assess their health-related quality of life at baseline and at the end of the dietary intervention. Eighty-three participants completed the questionnaires at both time points. In general, health-related quality of life improved in all treatment groups except for the control group in perceptions of change in health, which diminished. In the combination diet group all the subscales were improved or unchanged compared with baseline values. However, only the change in health score improved significantly (P < .05) as compared with that of the control diet group. When all the subscales were summed into a total score, the control diet was associated with mean improvement of 4.0%, the fruits and vegetables diet with 5.0%, and the combination diet with 5.9% from baseline. These data suggest that the fruits and vegetables diet and particularly the combination diet cannot only lower blood pressure, but may also improve the perception of health-related quality of life.
The effect of beam interruption during FFF-VMAT plans for SBRT

To investigate the dosimetric effect of intended beam interruption during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with flattening filter free (FFF) beam for exploring the possibility of deep inspiration breath hold stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). A total of ten SBRT plans with 6 and 10 MV FFF beams were retrospectively selected. All plans consisted of four partial arcs, except one plan with six partial arcs. We delivered the plans using a Varian Truebeam™ with three different scenarios; without interruption (0int), with one intentional interruption (1int), or with two intentional interruptions (2int), per each partial arc. The treatment log files were exported from the treatment console, and the variations in delivered MU were evaluated at the beam interruption angles. The dose distributions were also measured using a 3D cylindrical diode array detector, ArcCHECK™. The 2D global gamma evaluations were performed, compared to the planned dose distribution, with 3%/3 and 4%/2 mm passing criterion. The dose difference (DD) was also determined between uninterrupted and interrupted data with 3, 2, 1, and 0.5% of global maximum dose. The interruption caused a total increase of 0.14 ± 0.05% and 0.25 ± 0.08% of the total planned MU, ranging from 1746 to 3261 MU, at the interrupted angles in 1int and 2int, respectively. All global gamma passing rates satisfied our clinical threshold of 90%, and the differences of passing rates were less than 0.3% on average with both criterions. All measured 1int and 2int data were within 3% DD from 0int measured data. For 6 MV FFF beams, the average passing rate with 2, 1, and 0.5% DD were 99.9 ± 0.2%, 92.3 ± 12.0%, and 81.9 ± 24.9%, respectively, between 0int and 1int, and 99.8 ± 0.4%, 92.1%12.4%, and 80.7 ± 26.5%, respectively, between 0int and 2int. For 10 MV FFF beams, the average passing rate with 2, 1, and 0.5% DD were 100.0 ± 0.2%, 95.4 ± 9.4% and 87.0 ± 19.8%, respectively, between 0int and 1int, and 99.9 ± 0.3%, 95.4 ± 9.7%, and 87.2 ± 21.3% between 0int and 2int. The dosimetric impact of beam interruption was investigated with small field and high dose rate FFF-VMAT SBRT plans. The delivered dose distributions with up to 12 interruptions per plan were still clinically acceptable. Only minimal changes were observed in Gamma, DD, and log file analysis.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING PRECIPITATION DATASETS

Precipitation data are important for hydrometeorological analyses, yet there are many ways to measure precipitation. The impact of station density analyzed by the current study by comparing measurements from the Missouri Mesonet available via the Missouri Climate Center and Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) measurements archived at the program website. The CoCoRaHS data utilize citizen scientists to report precipitation data providing for much denser data resolution than available through the Mesonet. Although previous research has shown the reliability of CoCoRaHS data, the results here demonstrate important differences in details of the spatial and temporal distribution of annual precipitation across the state of Missouri using the two data sets. Furthermore, differences in the warm and cold season distributions are presented, some of which may be related to interannual variability such as that associated with the El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The contradictory results from two widely-used datasets displays the importance in properly choosing precipitation data that have vastly differing temporal and spatial resolutions. With significantly different yearly aggregated precipitation values, the authors stress caution in selecting one particular rainfall dataset as conclusions drawn could be unrepresentative of the actual values. This issue may be remediated by increased spatiotemporal coverage of precipitation data.
Frequency of Acute and Subacute Infarcts in a Population-Based Study.

Abstract Objective To determine the frequency of incidental acute or subacute cerebral infarction (CI) in a population-based study. Patients and Methods We identified 2095 participants aged 50 to 98 years in the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging from October 23, 2009, to October 5, 2016, with a usable diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequence (total scans=3230). Acute and subacute infarcts were identified by neuroradiologists. For each participant, vascular risk factors, medications, clinical symptoms, and neurological examination near the time of the CI were abstracted from the medical record. The probable etiologic mechanism for the CI was determined. Results Nine CIs were identified with a frequency of 0.28% among individual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and 0.43% among unique individuals. Infarctions were detected in 0.097% of scans from participants younger than 70 years and in 0.36% of scans of those 70 years or older. Six CIs were acute, and 3 were subacute. Most participants with infarcts were men (78%), with a mean age of 76.9±6.74 years. All were asymptomatic at the time of CI detection. The probable mechanisms of CI were small vessel (n=6), cardioembolic (n=2), and cryptogenic (n=1). Conclusion Acute and subacute cerebral infarcts occur as incidental findings in approximately 1 in 230 people aged 50 to 98 years, particularly in elderly men and those with vascular risk factors. As brain MRI becomes more widely used, incidentally detected acute or subacute infarcts will provide an opportunity to improve stroke prevention.
Examining the role of cross-generational attrition in the development of Spanish as a heritage language: Evidence from gustar-like verbs

Abstract The goal of this article is to contribute to the literature on heritage speaker bilingualism by weighing in on the current debate regarding the source(s) of heritage speaker linguistic differences. Focusing on Spanish dative experiencers -gustar-like verbs-, I report on production and comprehension data from heritage speaker children and adults, from monolingual children and adults, as well as from adult bilingual immigrants. The results show (i) comprehension differences from expected outcomes for all heritage groups but not for the adult monolingual and bilingual control groups, and (ii) significant variation in the adult bilingual immigrant group’s production of the dative marker ‘a’ in obligatory contexts. I posit that this variation is at least in part responsible for the heritage speaker outcomes observed.
Dusky Dolphins: Flexibility in Foraging and Social Strategies

Dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) exhibit fission–fusion dynamics as individuals join and split from groups of two to several thousand individuals. During the past three decades, our studies of dusky dolphins in three distinct marine systems have revealed how habitat type, predation risk, and prey availability influence foraging and social strategies. In the large Argentine bay of Golfo San Jose, fission–fusion dynamics are driven by large group formation during the day to coordinate prey-herding behaviors on southern anchovy (Engraulis anchoita) and nighttime resting in small groups near shore for predator avoidance. In the small New Zealand bay of Admiralty Bay, fission–fusion dynamics are also driven by daytime coordinated prey-herding strategies on small schooling fishes, but changes in group size are relatively muted and there is little predation risk. In the open, deep-water environment off Kaikoura, New Zealand, dusky dolphins rest and socialize near shore during the day, moving offshore at night to feed on the deep scattering layer (DSL). Changes in group size are also relatively muted off Kaikoura, and large groups serve to reduce predation risk. Comparisons between the three sites reveal a pattern of increasing group size with increasing openness of habitat. Response to predation pressure includes formation of large groups or formation of small, inconspicuous groups near shore. In the bay systems, fission–fusion dynamics are driven by coordinated foraging strategies on patchily distributed schooling fishes. In the open ocean system, DSL prey resources are more reliable, and fission–fusion dynamics are instead driven by strategies to obtain mates and avoid predators. Despite these differences, dusky dolphins exhibit polygynandry in all three systems. The presence of a single social-sexual system in spite of variability in fission–fusion dynamics has also been documented in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). In both societies, flexibility in social and foraging strategies enables individuals to respond to changing socioecological conditions. However, traits of the marine environment such as few physical refuges, low cost of transport, the need to herd mobile food resources into tight prey balls, and separation of oxygen and prey may be factors contributing toward differences in fission–fusion dynamics between dolphins and primates.
Development of a smart timber bridge--sensor evaluation and data processing techniques

vii Chapter 1 General Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Objective and Scope 1 1.3 Thesis Organization 1 1.4 Literature Review 2 1.4.1 Traditional Methods for Determining Moisture Content in Timber Structures ......... 2 1.4.2 Monitoring the Moisture Content of Timber Bridges (Dyken and Kepp, 2010) ....... 4 1.4.3 Monitoring the Performance of Timber Bridges over the Long Term (Wacker et al. 2007) 6 1.4.4 Demonstration of a Fibre-Optic Sensing Technique for the Measurement of Moisture Absorption in Concrete (Yeo et al. 2005) 7 1.4.5 Long-term Monitoring of Timber Moisture Content below the Fiber Saturation Point using Wood Resistance Sensors (Dai and Ahmet 2001) 8 1.5 References 9 Chapter 2 : Development of a smart timber bridge—sensor evaluation 10 Abstract 10 10 2.
Multijunction Approaches to Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

The key to successful deployment of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting for commercial renewable hydrogen production will be in the identification and development of innovative semiconductor materials systems and devices, likely involving multijunction configurations. Multijunction approaches offer some of the best hope for achieving practical PEC hydrogen production in the near term, but complex materials and interface issues still need to be addressed by the scientific community. This chapter explores the challenges and benefits of large-scale solar water splitting for renewable hydrogen production, with specific focus on the multijunction PEC production pathways. The technical motivation and approach in the R&D of multijunction PEC devices and systems are considered, and examples of progress in laboratory scale prototypes are presented.
Molecular Biology of High-Conductance, Ca2+-Activated Potassium Channels

The pore-forming α-subunit of the large-conductance, voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ channel (BK, BKCa, or Slo1) was first cloned by utilizing the Drosophila Slowpoke (Slo) mutant (Atkinson et al., 1991), which carries homozygous mutant Slowpoke alleles. Flight muscles from this mutant fly lacked a Ca2+-activated K+ current (Elkins et al, 1986), whereas functional exprcssion of the Stowpoke wild-type cDNA (dSlol) yielded voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ currents in Xenopus oocytes (Adelman et al, 1992). A large variety of dSlol isoforms are generated by alternative splicing, and some of them show large functional differences, including changcs in kinctics, singlc-channel conduc-tance, and Ca2+ and voltage sensitivities (Lagrutta et al, 1994). A series of vertebrate BKCa Channel ±-subunit clones including human hSlol (Butler et al, 1993; Dworetzky et al, 1994; Pallanck and Ganetzky, 1994; Tseng-Crank et al, 1994; McCobb et al, 1995; Wallner et al, 1995; Vogalis et al, 1996; Jiang et al, 1997; Morita et al, 1997; Jones et al, 1998) were isolated by homology Screening, and an ortholog in Caenorhab-ditis. elegans, nSlol (Wei et al, 1996), has been identified (Fig. 1A). The deduced protein of these cDNA clones shows similarities to other Kv Channels in the voltage sensor and in the “pore” region, which determines ionic conductance and selectivity (Figs. 1B, 1C, and 2A).
Mechanisms of negative regulation of protein prenylation: investigation of murine guanylate- binding protein 1

Famesylation of Ras proteins is necessary for U'ansforming activity. Although faroesyl transferase inhibitors show promise as anti-cancer agents, prenylation of the most commonly mutated Ras isoform, K-Ras4B, is difficult to prevent because K-Ras4B can be alternatively modified with geranylgeranyl (C20). Little is known of the mechanisms that produce incomplete or inappropriate prenylation. Among non-Ras proteins with CaaX motifs, murine guanylate binding protein (mGBPI) was conspicuous for its unusually low incorporation of [^H]mevalonate. Possible problems in cellular isoprenoid metabolism or prenyl transferase activity were investigated, but none that caused this defect were identified, implying that the poor labeling actually represented incomplete prenylation of mGBPI itself. Mutagenesis indicated that the last 18 residues of mGBPI severely limited C20 incorporation, but surprisingly were compatible with famesyl (C15) modification. Features leading to expression of mutant GBPs with partial isoprenoid modification were identified. The results demonstrate that it is possible to alter a protein's prenylation state in a living cell so that graded effects of isoprenoid on function can be studied. The C20-selective impairment in prenylation also identifies mGBPI as an important model for study of substrate:GGTase I interactions.
The Law Is a Good Thing (Psychology Is, Too) Human Rights in Psychological Jurisprudence*

Psycholegal studies have been hampered by the lack of a theory to guide the choice of topics for research. Both judicial decision making and psychological research would be enhanced by emphasis on subjective experience in determining the scope of fundamental rights and fostering a legal system consonant with human dignity and responsive to social reality. International human rights law is presented as an example of the feasibility and utility of psychological jurisprudence.
Risk Alleles for Drug Targets: Genomic Markers of Drug Response

The armamentarium for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is growing with the introduction of new targeted therapies. Developing precision medicine approaches using our knowledge of IBD genetics is of great interest and importance. To date, research on genomic markers of drug response has largely focused on anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) agents. Currently, no genetic markers have been validated for use in clinical practice to guide treatment selection. However, several studies have highlighted promising blood- and tissue-based markers of drug response. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the current evidence for genomic markers of response to biologics and discuss potential future directions for predictive biomarker discovery.
Coastal City Flooding

Flooding is a natural hazard that can be a not-too-threatening event or a deadly one. In more violent events, floodwaters may move in great volumes, driven by gravity, and rage through highly and densely populated regions or rural areas killing and injuring people, destroying homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, and crops as the waters follow a pathway out of the flood zone. Flooding can also be an anthropogenic caused hazard.
Observations on Habitat Use of Age-0 Rio Grande Blue Sucker (Cycleptus sp. cf. elongatus)

During April 2018, we collected 23 age-0 (33–55 mm total length) Rio Grande Blue Sucker (Cycleptus sp. cf. elongatus) from 3 locations in the Rio Grande near the confluence with the Rio Conchos where the species is rarely reported. Age-0 Rio Grande Blue Suckers occurred in habitats ranging from 6 to 81 cm deep, with current velocities ranging from 0 to 1.03 m/s over silt, sand, gravel, cobble, and bedrock substrates. There was limited evidence for greater detection in slower-velocity habitats with bedrock, silt, and sand substrates, but the habitats we sampled were not unique from habitats sampled in a previous year-round study reporting only a single individual. We conclude that our sampling occurred shortly after successful recruitment, and that age-0 Rio Grande Blue Suckers use a wide variety of habitats.
Oncologic validity of minimally invasive lobectomy for early stage lung cancer

Minimally invasive pulmonary lobectomy was first performed decades ago and was adopted quite slowly compared to other common major laparoscopic or thoracoscopic procedures. The reasons behind slow adoption were complex, multifactorial and beyond the scope of this article, but concerns about oncologic validity have been cited as concerns by traditional open surgeons. A recent article by Yang and colleagues adds to a growing body of works serving to dispel these concerns (1). In this commentary, we will discuss this paper as well as supplement our previously published arguments regarding the oncologic validity of minimally invasive lobectomy (MIL) with more recent research (2).
Expert Commentary on Complicated Diverticulitis

Complicated diverticulitis encompasses a variety of clinical scenariors as outlined in the well-written and succinct review by Drs Mendez and Garcia-Henriquez. These range from acute presentations, such as abscesses and free perforations with peritonitis, to more chronic, insidious sequelae such as fistulas and strictures.The contemporary surgical management of diverticular disease has evolved considerably with better appreciation of the pathophysiology and natural history. Just as in uncomplicated diverticulitis, there has been a significant shift toward a less aggressive surgical strategy in complicated diverticulitis, aided further with improved diagnostic and interventional radiology.I would like to add a few salient points for each listed complication.
Response to Intervention in Kindergarten: supporting foundational and comprehension skills with supplemental instruction

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning needs. Although there is not a single definition or agreed-upon way of implementing RtI, the key features of this approach involve gathering information on students’ skills to help teachers plan and organize instruction, providing evidence-based interventions and supports, and monitoring student progress in learning (Gersten et al., 2008). The Institute of Education Service (IES) published practice guides to offer educators specific evidence-based recommendations for supporting reading skills to students in kindergarten through 3rd grade. These guides were used as a framework to plan and implement instructional activities that were intended to support the literacy development of students in a kindergarten class.