cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Crop Volume on Contraction Rate in Adult House Fly

The functional aspects of the adult house fly crop have not been studied even though various human and domestic animal pathogens have been discovered within the crop lumen. The average volume consumed (midgut and crop) by flies starved for 24 h was 3.88 μl by feeding both sexes on a sucrose phosphate glutamate buffer. In addition, various volumes of a solution (0.125 M sucrose plus Amaranth dye) were fed to 3-d-old adult female house flies to quantify the crop contraction rate as affected by crop volume. As crop volume increased, the contraction rate increased until it reached a peak at 2 μl, after which it declined. It is hypothesized that the high contraction rate of the crop, which in house fly is almost twice the rate of three other fly species, is one of the factors that makes house fly an excellent vector. The mechanism for such a high contraction rate needs to be investigated.
Adaptive calibration of surrogate measurements and its application to the control of moisture content in paper manufacturing

Many industrial processes are in cascade configuration in which the material being processed goes through a sequence of processing units. In many cases, direct in-process measurements of the relevant variable are not available at all but at the last processing unit surrogate or model based soft measurements in which the relevant in-process variables are inferred from other measurements would be useful in these situations. Models necessary for the surrogate measurements however, are often not accurately known. In this paper, we propose a control method in which the surrogate measurement models are adaptively calibrated and the surrogate measurements are used for in-process feedback. The control law is developed in the context of moisture content control for paper manufacturing via successive vacuum dewatering. A Lyapunov based algorithm is derived and proved. Simulation results show that the proposed control strategy can regulate the exiting moisture content of each box at the desired value.
Controls on topographic dependence and temporal instability in catchment-scale soil moisture patterns

[1] At the catchment scale, soil moisture patterns have been observed to exhibit different types of dependence on topography. Some catchments have their wettest locations in the valley bottoms, while others have their wettest locations on hillslopes that are oriented away from the sun. Additionally, some catchments have soil moisture patterns that maintain a similar organization at all times (temporal stability), while other catchments have soil moisture patterns that change through time (temporal instability). Although these tendencies are well known, the reasons for their occurrence at a particular catchment are not well understood. In this paper, we investigate conditions under which different types of topographic dependence and different degrees of temporal instability can occur through the use of a new conceptual model. The type of topographic dependence and the degree of instability are quantified by two metrics that are also introduced in the paper, and the effects of soil, vegetation, and climatic parameters on these metrics are then evaluated. The evaluations indicate that saturated horizontal hydraulic conductivity, pore disconnectedness, and a vegetation evapotranspiration efficiency parameter have strong effects on the organization and instability of the soil moisture patterns. In contrast, annual potential evapotranspiration alone has less impact on the organization or its stability.
““But if It's in the Newspaper, Doesn't That Mean It's True?”” Developing Critical Reading & Analysis Skills by Evaluating Newspaper Science with CREATE

The media will likely be a major source of science information after college for nonscience majors. It is thus essential that all students learn to critically read newspaper/Internet science. I have adapted the CREATE approach, an active-learning method originally designed for close reading of journal articles (Hoskins et al., 2007), for use with a newspaper article written for the general public. The analysis challenges students to read closely, learn to represent data and design experiments, and think creatively about scientific issues and their social implications. The approaches outlined here can be adapted to any scientific reading and analysis.
Left ventricular targeting of reporter gene expression in vivo by human BNP promoter in an adenoviral vector.

To selectively introduce genes into the mouse myocardium, we used a recombinant adenovirus encoding a transgene composed of a cardiac-specific promoter [the proximal human brain natriuretic peptide...
Cigarette smoking among college students with disabilities: National College Health Assessment II, Fall 2008–Spring 2009

Background: People with disabilities are 1.5 times more likely to smoke than their peers without disabilities, intensifying risk of health related disparities and further loss of function. When compared with the general population, college students also have a higher smoking prevalence. This study explores smoking rates among college students with disabilities. Objective/hypothesis: College students with disabilities have an increased likelihood of smoking, as compared with students without disabilities. Type of disability also influences smoking rates. Methods: This study explores the association between smoking and disability using multiple regression analyses and data from the National College Health Assessment II (NCHA II), Fall 2008eSpring 2009 (N 5 79,915). People with disabilities comprised 15.6% of the total sample: 3.4% reported a physical disability, 8.3% reported a mental disability, 2.5% reported a sensory disability, and 3.7% reported a learning disability. Results: Smoking prevalence among those reporting disabilities was 23.1% versus 15% in those without disabilities. Those reporting mental disabilities had the highest rates (29.9%), followed by those with learning disabilities (23.7%), sensory disabilities (19.8%), and physical disabilities (16.4%). Students with disabilities were 1.23 times more likely to report current smoking than those without any disabilities, controlling for other factors (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.16e1.30). Discussion: Results are consistent with previous research regarding the general adult population. Epidemiologic data demonstrating differences in risk behaviors for young adults with disabilities are important in allocation of resources. Findings of this study highlight the need for tailored smoking cessation programs for college students with disabilities. 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Tartaric Acid Leaching of Selected Ore Samples, Grants Mineral Belt, New Mexico: ABSTRACT

Composite samples of high-grade ore samples from the Doris and Johnny M mines were leached under controlled laboratory conditions to determine which elements are more mobile in the presence of organic acids. The samples selected consisted of -2-µ composites of kaolinite + mixed layer smectite/illite + U-mineral + accessory organic matter and sulfides; and chlorite + mixed layer smectite/illite + U-minerals + accessory organic matter and sulfides. These samples were leached with 0.01 molar tartaric acids in tightly sealed Erlenmeyer flasks, with constant agitation, for 100 hours and the leachates and insoluble residues were analyzed by neutron activation analysis. Uranium, Th, and the REE (rare earth element) were strongly leached and presumably form chelates with the tartaric acid; Na, K, and Ba were also leached but Rb and Cs were either not leached or else fixed on the outer armor of the insoluble residue. Fe and Hf were also leached but Cr, Co, Sb, and Ta concentrated in the insoluble residues. The distribution patterns for the REE for leached and untreated samples are parallel, but the amount of REE leached is proportional to U leached, thus suggesting that organic transport of the REE with U (and Th?) may account for the high REE contents common in many uranium deposits of the Grants mineral belt. The source for the REE and for at least some of the U may have been the Brushy Basin Member (Morrison Formation) for deposits in the underlying Westwater Canyon Member. End_of_Article - Last_Page 557------------
Glucocorticoids and the development of agonistic behaviour during puberty in male golden hamsters.

During puberty, the agonistic behaviour of male golden hamsters undergoes a transition from play fighting to adult aggression. Repeated exposure to social stress early in puberty accelerates this transition. The present study investigated the possible role of glucocorticoids on the maturation of agonistic behaviour. First, we compared serum cortisol levels following a 20-min restraint stress during early puberty, midpuberty or adulthood. Across puberty, animals exhibited a two-fold increase in post-restraint cortisol levels. We also compared corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) immunoreactive fibres projecting to the median eminence between animals in early puberty and adulthood. The CRH fibre density was two-fold greater in adults compared to juveniles. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of stress hormones on the maturation of agonistic behaviour. Male hamsters were injected daily with dexamethasone, a corticosteroid receptor type II agonist (0, 10 or 40 lg/100 g), early in puberty from postnatal day 31 (P-31) to P-36. When paired with a smaller and younger intruder on P-37, attack frequency did not differ between groups. However, dexamethasone-treated animals showed a dose-dependent decrease in the percentage of playfighting attacks and an increase in the percentage of adult attacks. In summary, puberty can be described as a period of increasing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in male golden hamsters. Moreover, increasing glucocorticoid levels influence the maturation of agonistic behaviour. These data shed new light on the neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate the maturation of social behaviours during puberty.
Root and shoot performance of three creeping bentgrass cultivars as affected by nitrogen fertility

Cultivar selection and nitrogen (N) fertility significantly influence the performance of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) in warmer regions of the United States. This study was conducted to determine the effects of N on root and shoot growth of three creeping bentgrass cultivars. The effect of three N rates (195.3, 390.6, and 586.0 kg N/ha year) on the total root length density (TRLD), deep root length density (DRLD), visual shoot quality, shoot density, and root to shoot ratio (RSR) of ‘Crenshaw’, ‘L93’, and ‘Penncross’ creeping bentgrass were evaluated in the University of Georgia Rhizotron at Athens, GA. Over the 19 month study, cultivar type and N rate significantly affected root and shoot growth with slight interaction. Crenshaw and L93 showed greater TRLD, DRLD, and visual shoot quality than Penncross at the 390.6 kg N rate. RSR was significantly influenced by N rate but not cultivar type. Both L93 and Crenshaw possessed significantly higher RSR at the 195.3 kg N rate than the 586.0 kg ...
Algebraic coset conformal field theories II

All unitary Rational Conformal Field Theories (RCFT) are conjectured to be related to unitary coset Conformal Field Theories, i.e., gauged Wess–Zumino–Witten (WZW) models with compact gauge groups. In this paper we use subfactor theory and ideas of algebraic quantum field theory to approach coset Conformal Field Theories. Two conjectures are formulated and their consequences are discussed. Some results are presented which prove the conjectures in special cases. In particular, one of the results states that a class of representations of coset WN (N≥ 3) algebras with critical parameters are irreducible, and under the natural compositions (Connes' fusion), they generate a finite dimensional fusion ring whose structure constants are completely determined, thus proving a long-standing conjecture about the representations of these algebras.
Sample Preparation for PCR

Adding PCR-detection to a laboratory’s repertoire of tools can improve sample turn-around time and accuracy. Yet, PCR is not a universal solution for pathogen detection problems. For pathogens that are rapidly growing and contaminate foods in high numbers, culture onto selective and differential media may actually be more rapid and cost-effective than PCR. However, PCR can greatly improve turn-around time in instances of slow-growing pathogens and can improve detection of pathogens present at low concentrations. Nevertheless, like any other protocol, correct preparation of the samples is key to PCR’s success. Figure 3.1 shows a sample processing strategy for PCR. Specific steps in the processing strategy will vary depending on pathogen and foodstuff. Prior research may have shown whether pathogen amplification steps, such as enrichment culture, are needed prior to PCR, so check the published literature for relevant protocols.
Use of topological charge to determine filament location and dynamics in a numerical model of scroll wave activity

The unique time course of an excitable element in cardiac tissue can be represented as the phase of its trajectory in state space. A phase singularity is defined as a spatial point where the surrounding phase values changes by a total of 2/spl pi/, thereby forming the organizing center for a reentrant excitatory wave, a phenomenon which occurs in cardiac fibrillation. In this paper, we describe a methodology to detect the singular filament in numeric simulations of three-dimensional (3-D) scroll waves by using the concept of topological charge. Here, we use simple two-variable models of cardiac activity to construct the state space, generate the phase field, and calculate the topological charge as a summation of 3-D convolution operations. We illustrate the usage of the algorithm on the basic dynamics of vortex ring filament behavior as well as the more complex spatiotemporal behavior observed in fibrillation. We also compare the motion of filament wavetips as determined by the phase field produced by two-variable state space and single-variable, time-delay embedded state space. Finally, we examine the state spaces produced by a more complex three-variable model. We conclude that the use of state-space analysis, along with the unique properties of topological charge, allows for a novel means of filament localization.
Improved line-of-sight/non-line-of-sight classification methods for pulsed ultrawideband localisation

Classification of line-of-sight (LOS) or non-LOS (NLOS) propagation is critical for most pulsed ultrawideband localisation systems. In this letter, first, the authors propose a two-dimensional (2D) LOS/NLOS classification scheme that uses skewness of the channel impulse/pulse response, which has not been used by existing work. The log-likelihood ratio of the 2D LOS/NLOS classification is used to determine the weights for localisation. Then, the authors derive an iterative Gauss-Newton method to solve the location of the target, which provides a higher accuracy than the Gauss-Newton method used in existing work. Finally, they investigate improved localisation by incorporating the statistics of NLOS bias as a result of LOS/NLOS classification into the cost function, and derive the statistics of the corresponding errors of location estimates. The proposed 2D LOS/NLOS classification scheme is compared with an existing 3D scheme to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Standard Auctions with Financially Constrained Bidders

We develop a methodology for analyzing the revenue and efficiency performance of auctions when buyers have private information about their willingness to pay and ability to pay. We then apply the framework to scenarios involving standard auction mechanisms. In the simplest case, where bidders face absolute spending limits, first-price auctions yield higher expected revenue and social surplus than second-price auctions. The revenue dominance of first-price auctions over secondprice auctions carries over to the case where bidders have access to credit. These rankings are explained by differences in the extent to which financial constraints bind in different auction formats.
Phase Diagrams and Basic Properties of Manganites

La1−x Ca x MnO3 is among the most-studied compounds of the manganite family. Among the reasons for its popularity are its robust magnetoresistance effect, larger than in other much-studied materials such as La1−x Sr x MnO3, and the possibility of analyzing the phase diagram at all values of the Ca concentration (most manganites can only be studied in a more restrictive hole-density range). La1−x Ca x MnO3 is usually labeled as a “low” bandwidth manganite, but it may be better to consider it as a representative of “intermediate” bandwidth compounds. The reason is that this material still has a ferromagnetic metallic phase in a robust density range, unlike truly low-bandwidth compounds such as Pr1−x Ca x MnO3 (discussed later) where the metallic phase is only induced by external magnetic fields.
Classification of Anxiety Disorders

The aim of classification is to organize phenomena in a systematic way into groups where the members of each group have common features. In psychiatric classification, the symptoms, signs, etiology, natural history, family history, and response to treatment should be similar within each disorder and would differ between disorders. A good classification should enhance prediction of other clinical features, complications and response to treatment. This reduction of many phenomena to a few categories has heuristic merit in providing an e- conomy of memory to clinicians and researchers and in enhancing their ability to anticipate, manipulate and treat the disorder effectively.
The United States and the security of Southeast Asia

What is the most convincing way to demonstrate that America is not retreating from Southeast Asia?
A rapid recursive experimental approach for re-designing electromechanical systems

This paper presents a technique for improving the dynamic performance of electromechanical systems by recursively modifying the system's mechanical structure through prototyping and experimentation. By incorporating experiments in the recursive feedback design process, the proposed technique can drive the system to a desired performance level despite unmodeled or mis-modeled system parameters. Two algorithms, one based on the gradient descent method and the other on the pseudoinverse, are developed to determine the optimal structure changes. Since both methods rely on linear approximations of the real system, two updating techniques are presented to improve the algorithms' convergence rate to an acceptable system performance. After the incremental structure changes are determined, they are immediately implemented using steel reinforced epoxy. The entire process consisting of task execution, data analysis, and structure reinforcement is repeated until the task performance is improved to the desired level. An experimental positioning system was constructed and re-designed using the proposed method. The system structure was recursively modified using steel reinforced epoxy. After six iterations, the system's overall settling time was successfully reduced from 10134ms for the nonreinforced system to 2370ms for the final reinforced system for a given step in displacement and a maximum bound on the steady state error.
Research on Environmental Regulation Models Based on Multiple Principal-Agent

The game relations are the important factors which affect pollution abatement among the enterprise, government and environmental regulatioin agency in pollution abatement. By game theory,this paper analyzes the possibility of collusion between the enterprise and environmental regulatioin agency,and the necessity of government supervision under the circumstance of asymmetric information. The paper also establishes multiple principalagent model which includes the stage of contract design and supervision and the stage of collusion. Based on it, we get the key variables which affect the stakeholders' behaviros. Finally,the paper provides corresponding policies.
What We Know and Need to Know About Outreach and Intake by Legal Services Providers

This essay discusses the importance of outreach and intake in the role that legal services providers fill in the current U.S. legal system, as well as how little is known about either subject.
A Statistical Model to Analyze Clinician Expert Consensus on Glaucoma Progression using Spatially Correlated Visual Field Data.

PURPOSE We developed a statistical model to improve the detection of glaucomatous visual field (VF) progression as defined by the consensus of expert clinicians. METHODS We developed new methodology in the Bayesian setting to properly model the progression status of a patient (as determined by a group of expert clinicians) as a function of changes in spatially correlated sensitivities at each VF location jointly. We used a spatial probit regression model that jointly incorporates all highly correlated VF changes in a single framework while accounting for structural similarities between neighboring VF regions. RESULTS Our method had improved model fit and predictive ability compared to competing models as indicated by the deviance information criterion (198.15 vs. 201.29-213.38), a posterior predictive model selection metric (130.08 vs. 142.08-155.59), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.80 vs. 0.59-0.72; all P values < 0.018), and optimal sensitivity (0.92 vs. 0.28-0.82). Simulation study results suggest that estimation (reduction of mean squared errors) and inference (correct coverage of 95% credible intervals) for the model parameters are improved when spatial modeling is incorporated. CONCLUSIONS We developed a statistical model for the detection of VF progression defined by clinician expert consensus that accounts for spatially correlated changes in visual sensitivity over time, and showed that it outperformed competing models in a number of areas. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE This model may easily be incorporated into routine clinical practice and be useful for detecting glaucomatous VF progression defined by clinician expert consensus.
Faculty development efforts to promote screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in an internal medicine faculty-resident practice.

ABSTRACTBackground: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a practical means to address substance misuse in primary care. Important barriers to implementing SBIRT include adequacy of training and provider confidence as well as logistical hurdles and time constraints. A faculty development initiative aimed at increasing SBIRT knowledge and treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) should lead to increased use of SBIRT by faculty and the residents they teach. This study examined how a faculty development program to promote SBIRT influenced faculty practice and resident teaching. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of faculty exposed to multiple SBIRT educational interventions over a 5-year period in an academic faculty-resident general medicine practice. Participants completed a brief online survey followed by a semistructured interview. Quantitative responses were examined descriptively. Qualitative questions were reviewed to identify key themes. Results: Fifteen of 29 ...
Abundance and Distribution of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) During the Breeding Season in North Carolina, USA

Abstract. The Western Atlantic population of the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) is of conservation concern, and much effort has been exerted to determine impacts of conservation efforts and identify important sites that need increased protection within the breeding range. Monitoring numbers of nesting pairs and distribution and habitat selection of nesting pairs provides data for conservation programs. The breeding population of American Oystercatchers in North Carolina has been estimated four times since 2004. Locations of territories and nests were recorded and mapped, and sites were categorized according to habitat type (barrier, dredged-material, or natural sand-shell or marsh island) and management responsibility (Federal, State, Audubon North Carolina, private landowner). Estimates indicate the number of nesting pairs changed slightly: 324 in 2004, 346 in 2007, 373 in 2010, and 351 in 2013. Total numbers of individual American Oystercatchers during the breeding season changed from 703...
A Photochemical, Room-Temperature, and Aqueous Route to the Synthesis of Pd Nanocubes Enriched with Atomic Steps and Terraces on the Side Faces

Palladium nanocubes enriched with atomic steps and terraces on the side faces were synthesized at room temperature in an aqueous solution containing a salt precursor, ascorbic acid, KBr, and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) under UV–vis irradiation. The key to the success of this synthesis was the use of PdBr42– as a precursor with strong absorption in the region of 300–600 nm. Single-crystal seeds were formed in the reaction system upon exposure to a medium pressure Hg arc lamp, and the seeds then grew into cubic nanocrystals under extended irradiation. Because the adatoms inherently diffuse slowly across the surface at room temperature, the nanocrystals favored an asymmetric growth mode, generating side faces covered by a series of atomic steps and terraces rather than smooth {100} facets. The steps and terraces would disappear to generate smooth side faces if the sample was subjected to postsynthesis annealing at 130 °C. When applied as catalysts toward the electrochemical oxidation of formic acid, the low-coord...
Atomically manufactured nickel–silicon quantum dots displaying robust resonant tunneling and negative differential resistance

Providing a spin-free host material in the development of quantum information technology has made silicon a very interesting and desirable material for qubit design. Much of the work and experimental progress has focused on isolated phosphorous atoms. In this article, we report on the exploration of Ni–Si clusters that are atomically manufactured via self-assembly from the bottom-up and behave as isolated quantum dots. These small quantum dot structures are probed at the atomic-scale with scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, revealing robust resonance through discrete quantized energy levels within the Ni–Si clusters. The resonance energy is reproducible and the peak spacing of the quantum dot structures increases as the number of atoms in the cluster decrease. Probing these quantum dot structures on degenerately doped silicon results in the observation of negative differential resistance in both I–V and dI/dV spectra. At higher surface coverage of nickel, a well-known √19 surface modification is observed and is essentially a tightly packed array of the clusters. Spatial conductance maps reveal variations in the local density of states that suggest the clusters are influencing the electronic properties of their neighbors. All of these results are extremely encouraging towards the utilization of metal modified silicon surfaces to advance or complement existing quantum information technology. Silicon-based quantum dots are artificial two-level systems, whose long coherence times make them ideal candidates as qubits for quantum information technology. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory present an approach to fabricate via self-assembly randomly distributed clusters, by manipulating the density of nickel on a silicon substrate. Deposition of nickel below a critical density leads to the formation of two types of clusters, both of which behave as isolated quantum dots: confinement gives rise to well-spaced quantized levels similar to the structure of atoms, while measurements under positive and negative bias reveal two symmetric resonances, signatures of tunneling through the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied energy levels, respectively. Such a scalable fabrication method, based on self-assembly, may be further exploited for the design of silicon-based qubits
Interaction of Slip Bands in High-Cycle Fatigue Crack Initiation

A number of fatigue bands spaced 3 microns apart are assumed to exist in a most favorably oriented crystal at a free surface of a polycrystal. Each fatigue band is taken to consist of three thin slices P, Q, and R with R sandwiched in P and Q. P and Q in each band are assumed to have equal and opposite initial resolved shear stresses. Plastic strain distributions in the fatigue bands under cyclic loading were calculated.
Property's Role in the Fundamental Political Structure of Nations: The Southern African Experience

In order to explore the relationship between property and the structure of the State, this essay will first address the connection between land tenure, sovereignty, and legitimacy. This will be followed by a brief outline of the general history of land reform before focusing more directly on the relationship between land and the State in southern Africa. Finally, the essay will look at tenure diversity as a basis for restructuring the relationship between democratic legitimacy and the post-colonial State in southern Africa.
Abstract 20088: Ubiquitin-Specific Protease 20 Attenuates Atherosclerosis through Activity in Smooth Muscle Cells

Integral to atherosclerosis (athero) is smooth muscle cell (SMC) NFκB-activating signaling, which involves reversible ubiquitination that enhances protein activity downstream of pro-atherogenic tum...
Survey of Afterschool Programs Suggests Most Offer Fruit and Vegetables Daily.

INTRODUCTION Most children underconsume fruit and vegetables. This study estimated the frequency and quality of fruit and vegetables offered during snack in US afterschool programs and examined program-level factors associated with offering them, including awareness and use of the National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards. METHODS We conducted descriptive analyses and regression modeling by using data collected from 684 National AfterSchool Association members and their colleagues via a 2015 online survey. RESULTS At the previous snack, 63% of respondents offered fruit, a vegetable, or both, with 42% offering only fruit, 18% offering fruit and vegetables, and 3% offering only vegetables. The quality of the items offered showed that most respondents selected the healthiest options, such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Controlling for other factors, we found that factors independently associated with offering fruit, vegetables, or both were membership in the National AfterSchool Association, using the standards for menu planning, and training staff members in healthy eating more than once a year. Programs run by school districts were less likely to offer fruit than programs run by other organizations. CONCLUSION Membership in the National AfterSchool Association and use of its Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards are associated with offering fruit and vegetables during snack at afterschool programs staffed by National AfterSchool Association members and their colleagues across the United States. With over a third of sites surveyed offering neither a fruit nor a vegetable at the previous snack, additional implementation of the standards is still needed.
Correlation between superconductivity and normal-state properties in the La 1.85 Sr 0.15 ( Cu 1 − x Zn x ) O 4 system

Superconducting and normal-state properties have been studied in the ${\mathrm{La}}_{1.85}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.15}({\mathrm{Cu}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Zn}}_{x}){\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ system with $0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.06$. The value of ${T}_{c}$ decreases rapidly with the Zn content and vanishes as 2.1 at.% of Zn is doped into the Cu sublattice. Metallic resistivity is observed when superconductivity disappears at $x=0.02$. The suppression of ${T}_{c}$ is not caused by the reduction of carrier concentration which should remain constant in the Zn-doped samples, but rather due to the filling of the local Cu ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$ state. The residual resistivity scales linearly with the Zn content as expected from the impurity scattering due to disorder. Quantitative analysis of the residual resistivity indicates that the mean free path due to disorder is about twice as large as the coherence length when ${T}_{c}$ is suppressed to zero. The implication of this finding on the disorder pair-breaking effect will be discussed. The value of ${T}_{c}$ is found to strongly correlate with the slope of the resistivity in relation to temperature. Qualitative analysis is carried out in both inelastic and elastic scattering process between carriers and other excitations.
Overall Survival Trends and Clinical Characteristics of Plasmacytoma in the United States: A National Cancer Database Analysis

Abstract Background Given the rarity of plasmacytoma, large-scale database analysis can provide useful information regarding the clinical presentation and patient-related factors impacting overall survival (OS). Materials and Methods The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients with plasmacytoma between 2004 and 2013, excluding patients with systemic disease. Plasmacytomas were classified as originating in bone (P-bone), in extramedullary tissue (P-EM), or unspecified. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test method. We used Cox regression to determine specific outcomes adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, geographic, facility type, year of diagnosis, and comorbid factors. Results In total, 6225 patients were identified, of which 61.5% were men. The median age at diagnosis was 64 years (range, 18-90 years), and the median follow-up was 58 months. The primary site of disease was P-bone in 4056 (65.1%) patients and P-EM in 1468 (23.6%), and the remaining 701 patients were P-unspecified. The unadjusted median survival for solitary P-bone was 89 months (95% confidence interval, 82.9-95.0 months), and for solitary P-EM was 117.3 months (95% confidence interval, 108.8 months to not reached). Factors associated with improved OS include younger age, private insurance, higher income, solitary lesion, and lower comorbidity score. Patients with P-bone disease treated at academic facilities had improved OS. Only 65% of patients with solitary plasmacytoma lesions received radiation treatment. Age greater than 75 years and increased distance to treatment facility was associated with a decreased likelihood of receiving radiation. Conclusions This is the largest study examining outcomes of patients with plasmacytoma using a large database analysis, revealing unique aspects of P-EM versus P-bone and underutilization of radiation treatment.
Implications of Field Loading Patterns on Different Tie Support Conditions using Discrete Element Modeling: Dynamic Responses:

With increasing demands for rail passenger and freight operations, sharing a line or track is an economical solution if operational efficiency and track reliability challenges can be accommodated p...
Universality of pattern formation

We study a $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric scalar Euclidean field theory with a complex action, using both theoretical analysis and lattice simulations. This model has a rich phase structure that exhibits pattern formation in the critical region. Analytical results and simulations associate pattern formation with tachyonic instabilities in the homogeneous phase. Monte Carlo simulation shows that pattern morphologies vary smoothly, without distinct microphases. We suggest that pattern formation in this model may be regarded as a form of arrested spinodal decomposition. We extend our theoretical analysis to multicomponent $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric Euclidean scalar field theories and show that they give rise to new universality classes of local field theories that exhibit patterned behavior in the critical region. QCD at finite temperature and density is a member of the $Z(2)$ universality class when the Polyakov loop is used to distinguish confined and deconfined phases. This suggests the possibility of the formation of patterns of confined and deconfined matter in QCD in the critical region in the $\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{-}T$ plane.
America’s First West: The Trans-Appalachian West, 1754–1815

This chapter looks at the period 1754 to 1815—from the eve of the French and Indian War to the end of the War of 1812—during the second phase of the War for North America. It traces and interprets events during this period, within the book’s main themes: conquest (invasion and occupation); dispossession (theft of Indigenous lands and resources); depopulation (the logic of elimination and the genocidal imperative); and repopulation (supplanting the Indigenous inhabitants). It also summarizes the demographic and geopolitical outcome of the second phase of the Anglo-American settler-colonial supplanting project.
Mendelian Randomization with Instrumental Variable Synthesis (IVY)

SUMMARY Mendelian Randomization (MR) is an important causal inference method primarily used in biomedical research. This work applies contemporary techniques in machine learning to improve the robustness and power of traditional MR tools. By denoising and combining candidate genetic variants through techniques from unsupervised probabilistic graphical models, an influential latent instrumental variable is constructed for causal effect estimation. We present results on identifying relationships between biomarkers and the occurrence of coronary artery disease using individual-level real-world data from UK-BioBank via the proposed method. The approach, termed Instrumental Variable sYnthesis (IVY) is proposed as a complement to current methods, and is able to improve results based on allele scoring, particularly at moderate sample sizes.
Computerized social-emotional assessment measures for early childhood settings

Abstract Social-emotional competence (SEC) is increasingly acknowledged by parents, educators, and lawmakers as central to school success. Given the tremendous SEC gains made by preschoolers, early childhood educators need access to sensitive assessment tools that enable them to monitor and tailor instruction to individual children’s needs. Computerized direct assessment tools have several advantages to meet these needs, including inherent interest to children and ease of use for teachers. Thus, we evaluated the psychometric adequacy of computerized assessment tools measuring two key aspects of preschoolers’ SEC: emotion knowledge and social problem solving. Participants included 450 preschoolers from three regions. We used two versions each of two measures widely used in research: The Affect Knowledge Test, Shortened (AKT-S) and Challenging Situations Task (CST). Both were administered via in-person and computerized modes, in counterbalanced orders. For each computerized administration, observers rated children’s computer competence and interest in the assessment process. Analyses examined internal consistency reliability of the computerized measures. Interrelations and mean differences between computerized and in-person modes for each measure were used to demonstrate concurrent validity of the computerized measures. Because of the importance of SEC for early school success, associations of the computerized measures with aggregate teacher ratings of social-emotional behavior and learning behaviors/attitudes were used as indicators of predictive validity. Findings showed that the computerized AKT-S and CST appear reliable. Further, for concurrent validity, both are related to, and do not differ from, the in-person mode. Predictive validity relations were stronger for the AKT-S than the CST, therefore validity of the CST should be probed further. Discussion centers on advantages of using these computerized measures, and how teachers could be supported to use them.
The Put It Out Project (POP) Facebook Intervention for Young Sexual and Gender Minority Smokers: Outcomes of a Pilot, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION This trial investigated whether a Facebook smoking cessation intervention culturally tailored to young sexual and gender minority (SGM) smokers (versus non-tailored) would increase smoking abstinence. METHODS Participants were 165 SGM young adult US smokers (age 18-25) recruited from Facebook in April 2018 and randomized to an SGM-tailored (POP; N = 84) or non-tailored (TSP-SGM; N = 81) intervention. Interventions delivered weekly live counseling sessions and 90 daily Facebook posts to participants in Facebook groups. Primary analyses compared POP and TSP-SGM on biochemically verified smoking abstinence (yes/no; primary outcome), self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence (yes/no), reduction in cigarettes per week by 50+% from baseline (yes/no), making a quit attempt during treatment (yes/no), and stage of change (precontemplation/contemplation vs. preparation/action). Supplemental analyses compared POP to two historical control groups. RESULTS POP participants were more likely than TSP-SGM participants to report smoking abstinence at 3 (23.8% vs. 12.3%; OR = 2.50; p = .03) and 6 months (34.5% vs. 12.3%; OR = 4.06; p < .001) and reduction in smoking at 3 months (52.4% vs. 39.5%; OR = 2.11; p = .03). Biochemically verified smoking abstinence did not significantly differ between POP and TSP-SGM at 3 (OR = 2.00; p = .33) or 6 months (OR = 3.12; p = .08), potentially due to challenges with remote biochemical verification. In supplemental analyses, POP participants were more likely to report abstinence at 3 (OR = 6.82, p = .01) and 6 (OR = 2.75, p = .03) months and reduced smoking at 3 months (OR = 2.72, p = .01) than participants who received a referral to Smokefree.gov. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study provides preliminary support for the effectiveness of a Facebook smoking cessation intervention tailored to SGM young adults. IMPLICATIONS SGM individuals have disproportionately high smoking prevalence. It is unclear whether smoking cessation interventions culturally tailored to the SGM community are more effective than non-tailored interventions. This pilot trial found preliminary evidence that an SGM-tailored Facebook smoking cessation intervention increased reported abstinence from smoking, compared to a non-tailored intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT03259360.
Pattern Recognition to Identify Stroke in the Cognitive Profile: Secondary Analyses of a Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Stroke can produce subtle changes in the brain that may produce symptoms that are too small to lead to a diagnosis. Noting that a lack of diagnosis may bias research estimates, the current study sought to examine the utility of pattern recognition relying on serial assessments of cognition to objectively identify stroke-like patterns of cognitive decline (pattern-detected stroke, p-stroke). Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using participants with no reported history of stroke in the Health and Retirement Study, a large (n = 16,113) epidemiological study of cognitive aging among respondents aged 50 years and older that measured episodic memory consistently biennially between 1996 and 2014. Analyses were limited to participants with at least 4 serial measures of episodic memory. Occurrence and date of p-stroke events were identified utilizing pattern recognition to identify stepwise declines in cognition consistent with stroke. Descriptive statistics included the percentage of the population with p-stroke, the mean change in episodic memory resulting in stroke-positive testing, and the mean time between p-stroke and first major diagnosed stroke. Statistical analyses comparing cases of p-stroke with reported major stroke relied on the area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC). Longitudinal modeling was utilized to examine rates of change in those with/without major stroke after adjusting for demographics. Results: The pattern recognition protocol identified 7,499 p-strokes that went unreported. On average, individuals with p-stroke declined in episodic memory by 1.986 (SD = 0.023) words at the inferred time of stroke. The resulting pattern recognition protocol was able to identify self-­reported major stroke (AUC = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.57–0.59, p < 0.001). In those with a reported major stroke, p-stroke events were detectable on average 4.963 (4.650–5.275) years (p < 0.001) before diagnosis was first reported. The incidence of p-stroke was 40.23/1,000 (95% CI = 39.40–41.08) person-years. After adjusting for sex, age was associated with the incidence of p-stroke and major stroke at similar rates. Conclusions: This is the first study to propose utilizing pattern recognition to identify the incidence and timing of p-stroke. Further work is warranted examining the clinical utility of pattern recognition in identifying p-stroke in longitudinal cognitive profiles.
Cerebrospinal fluid pressures during halothane anaesthesia.

Changes in cerebrospinal fluid pressure, venous pressure, and arterial pressure induced by different concentrations of halothane were measured in ten elderly patients prior to the beginning of surgery. Cerebrospinal fluid and venous pressures were recorded by a water manometer and arterial pressure with a sphygmomanometer. Tidal volume, pH, and pCO2 were determined intermittently in order to prevent changes in respiratory physiology. The patients were intubated with a cuffed endotracheal tube and given 1/2 to 2 vol. per cent halothane, for periods of 15 minutes or longer, using a non-rebreathing system and a Fluotec vaporizer.
Multivariate Analysis: Tests to Evaluate Relationships

Sometimes a researcher wishes to determine if variables are associated with each other. If one variable increases, what is the effect on a second variable? This chapter explores inferential statistical tests that evaluate the relationship between two or more variables. The tests will determine the strength of the relationship and if the relationship is strong enough to show statistical significance. Selection of the test will depend on whether the variables are continuous or discrete. For continuous variables, tests covered in this chapter include the correlation, linear regression, multiple regression, and logistic regression. For discrete variables, chi square and related tests are discussed including tests for goodness-of-fit and independence. Additional tests related to chi square are introduced in the chapter. Minitab applications for evaluating the strength of these relationships are presented.
Left ventricular dysfunction in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy is associated with progressive cardiorespiratory failure, including left ventricular dysfunction. Methods and results Males with probable or definite diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, diagnosed between 1 January, 1982 and 31 December, 2011, were identified from the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance Tracking and Research Network database. Two non-mutually exclusive groups were created: patients with ≥2 echocardiograms and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation-compliant patients with ≥1 recorded ejection fraction. Quantitative left ventricular dysfunction was defined as an ejection fraction Conclusions In our cohort, we observed that left ventricle function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy declined over time, independent of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation use. Future studies are needed to examine the impact of respiratory support on cardiac function.