cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical Path Analysis With Fuzzy Activity Times

Fuzzy logic has been proposed as an alternate approach for quantifying uncertainty relating to project activity duration. The fuzzy logic approach may be suitable in the situations where past data are either unavailable or not relevant, the definition of the activity itself is somewhat unclear, or the notion of the activity's completion is vague. The purpose of this paper is to present a new methodology for fuzzy critical path analysis that is consistent with the extension principle of fuzzy logic. It is the direct generalization of critical path analysis to the fuzzy domains, and resolves some of the problems expressed in the fuzzy critical path literature, especially in computing the fuzzy backward pass of the project network and fuzzy activity criticality. Here the uncertainty is represented by three possible time estimates in a way that is similar to the well-known program evaluation and review technique (PERT) approach. Another important advantage of the proposed approach is that one integrated procedure determines both the fuzzy set of critical path lengths and fuzzy activity criticality. The proposed approach constructs the membership function for the fuzzy set of critical path lengths and the fuzzy activity criticality by solving a series of mathematical programming problems. The proposed method is successfully tested on well-known problem sets, and is shown to offer computation times that should allow it to help project managers better understand and manage project schedule uncertainty.
Nicotine base permeation through silicone elastomers: Comparison of dimethylpolysiloxane and trifluoropropylmethylpolysiloxane systems

The rate of release of nicotine base from several silicone polymer systems was studied relative to diffusivity and solubility characteristics. Tubes composed of dimethylpolysiloxane released nicotine base rapidly: > 75% in 4 hr. The same tubing with two external fluorosilicone laminations reduced release to about 40% in 4 hr. Tubes made of the silicone derivative trifluoropropyl- methylpolysiloxane caused a substantial reduction in transmission of nicotine base. Drug permeability through dimethylpolysiloxane was > 20 times more rapid than through the trifluoropropylmethyl- polysiloxane system. Solubility of nicotine base in the dimethylpolysiloxane and trifluoropropylmethyl derivative membranes was estimated to be 201.4 and 112.9 mg/ml, respectively. The decreased permeability through the trifluoropropylmethylpolysilox- ane polymer appears to be due to reduced diffusivity and solubility. The lower diffusivity cannot be explained on the basis of an increased effective diffusional path length since tortuosity values of about 1.0 were calculated for both polymers. Drug adsorption to filler and greater molecule-polymer interaction within the free volume matrix of the trifluoropropylmethylpolysiloxane polymer appear to be the predominant factors retarding the efflux of the nicotine. The release process was found to obey first-order kinetics by utilizing sigma-minus plots. It appears that the dimethylpolysiloxane membrane is much less suitable than the trifluoropropylmethyl derivative if one wishes to use nicotine experimentally as a timed-release preparation. Of major import is that, for other small molecules having physical-chemical characteristics similar to nicotine base, trifluoropropylmethylpolysiloxane polymers may be the most suitable drug vehicles if timed release is desirable.
Transition design provocation

There is nothing new about the call for design to do more than cater to capitalist retail economies. Twentieth-century design was greatly influenced by the Bauhaus’ modernist project of making a ne...
Lattice Relaxation Effects in Si and GaAs Nanocrystals

Raman scattering results on porous silicon, and silicon and gallium arsenide nanocrystals show that almost all vibrational modes become Raman active and remarkably soft in these nanocrystal systems. The experimental results further demonstrate that the carrier-induced strain effects play an important role on the optical properties of such nanocrystal systems.
THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: Food Sovereignty: New Mandate for Food and Farm Policy

First paragraphs: The historical justification for farm policy and other public policies related to agriculture has been food security. Contrary to current indications, farm policies should serve the common interests of the public rather than the individual interest of farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food security as "access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life" (USDA-ERS, 2014, para. 1). Unfortunately, the emphasis of both farm and food policy in the U.S. has been to providing enough "calories" to support active lifestyles, while placing little emphasis on health. USDA nutrition programs focus on education, clearly placing the responsibility for healthy diets on informed consumers rather than caring politicians. Early U.S. farm policies emphasized keeping enough socially responsible family farmers on the land to produce enough healthful food to meet the basic needs of all. However, the priorities of farm policies shifted during the 1960s and '70s to focus on increasing agricultural productivity. Lower agricultural production costs were expected to result in lower retail food prices, making enough healthful food affordable for everyone. The farm policies of choice consistently promoted the industrialization of agriculture: specialization, standardization, and consolidation into fewer, larger farming operations. The message sent to farmers by this "cheap food policy" was to either "get big or get out."...
Erotic asceticism: the razor's edge observance (asidhārāvrata) and the early history of tantric coital ritual

This essay examines shifting representations of the asidhārāvrata (lit. “sword's edge observance”) across a range of Sanskrit literary and religious texts. Originally a Brāhmaṇical ascetic discipline, an observance (vrata) by this name is the earliest ritual involving sexual contact documented in the corpus of Śaiva tantras. In its tantric adaptation, an orthodox practice for the cultivation of sensory restraint was transformed into a means for supernatural attainment (siddhi). Diachronic study of the observance in three early Śaiva texts – the Niśvāsatattvasaṃhitā, Mataṅgapārameśvara, and Brahmayāmala – reveals changes in ritual emphases, women's roles, and the nature of engagement in eroticism. Analysis of the asidhārāvrata thus sheds light on the early history of tantric sexual rituals, which by the end of the first millennium had become highly diverse. It is argued that the observance became increasingly obsolete with the rise of Śaiva sexual practices more magical, ecstatic, or gnostic in orientation.
Temporal variations in the effective reproduction number of the 2014 west Africa ebola outbreak

Background The rapidly evolving 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa is the largest documented in history, both in terms of the number of people infected and in the geographic spread. The high morbidity and mortality have inspired response strategies to the outbreak at the individual, regional, and national levels. Methods to provide real-time assessment of changing transmission dynamics are critical to the understanding of how these adaptive intervention measures have affected the spread of the outbreak. Methods In this analysis, we use the time series of EVD cases in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia up to September 8, 2014, and employ novel methodology to estimate how the rate of exponential rise of new cases has changed over the outbreak using piecewise fits of exponential curves to the outbreak data. Results We find that for Liberia and Guinea, the effective reproduction number rose, rather than fell, around the time that the outbreak spread to densely populated cities, and enforced quarantine was imposed on several regions in the countries; this may indicate that enforced quarantine may not be an effective control measure. Conclusions If effective control measures are not put in place, and the current rate of exponential rise of new cases continues, we predict 4400 new Ebola cases in West Africa during the last half of the month of September, with an upper 95% confidence level of 6800 new cases.
Ninth international symposium on recent advances in environmental health research.

This special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is dedicated to the publication of selected papers presented at the Eighth International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research. The Symposium was organized by Jackson State University (JSU) from 16–19 September, 2012 at the Marriott Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. It was built upon the overwhelming success of seven previous symposia hosted by JSU. [...]
Epidermal nevi and tumors of epidermal origin

Benign lesions of the epithelial surface, tumors of melanocytic derivation, appendicular tumors, and cancerous lesions of the epidermis are discussed with emphasis on their cosmetic effect, possible association with systemic disease, and potential for malignant degeneration.
Active Sites and Homology of Diphtheria Toxin and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exotoxin A

A major goal of our current work is to understand the actions of bacterial toxins with ADP-ribosyltransferase activity at the level of 3-dimensional protein structure. Recently an x-ray crystallographic map of Exotoxin A (ETA) of Pseudomanas aeruginosa at 3.0 A resolution has been obtained by Davis McKay (University of Colorado, Boulder), in collaboration with our group (1). In addition, a map of diptheria toxin dimer is expected to emerge soon, through collaborative studies (2) with the group of David Eisenberg (University of California, Los Angeles) and/or through independent work (3) of R. Sarma and coworkers (State University of New York, Stony Brook). In this report we summarize research leading to an emerging understanding of active site structure and mechanism of catalysis in these two toxins.
Interactive effects of betaine, crude protein, and net energy in finishing pigs

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of betaine on growth and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 32 gilts were fed one of two diets: 1) a corn-soybean meal basal (B) diet or 2) B + .125% betaine diet. In Exp. 2, 122 gilts were allotted to one of eight dietary treatments in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with two levels of betaine (0 or .125%), crude protein (adequate [ACP] or inadequate [ICP]), and net energy (NE; 0 or 6% added fat). In Exp. 1, betaine did not affect (P > .10) growth performance or carcass traits other than an increased (P .10) by betaine. Betaine decreased (P < .02) serum urea N (SUN) in fed pigs during the LF period. Betaine decreased fasting SUN and albumin in pigs fed the ACP diets, but it increased fasting SUN and albumin in pigs fed the ICP diets during the LF period (betaine x CP, P = .10). Betaine increased serum total protein in the low-NE diets, but not in the high-NE diets (betaine x NE, P < .08). The serum metabolite data suggest that betaine may affect protein status of pigs, and these effects may depend on the crude protein and energy content of the diet.
Q-fever in a Refugee After Exposure to a Central New York State Livestock Farm

Q-fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii that can create an acute or chronic form of the illness. In March 2014, Q-fever was identified by serology and Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), in a 62 year-old male that was a Nepalese refugee. The male visited a livestock farm with a slaughterhouse in rural Central New York State, twenty-two days prior to onset of symptoms. He had direct handling of goats on this farm prior to slaughter. We describe the case presentation of his illness and the public health epidemiological investigation.
Abstract 1002: IDH1 promotes tumor growth and resistance to targeted therapies in the absence of mutation

Metabolic abnormalities of cancers provide opportunities for novel tumor-specific therapies. Isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDHs) are enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle that catalyze the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and the reduction of NADP+ to NADPH. Oncogenic mutations in two IDH-encoding genes (IDH1 and IDH2) have been identified in acute myelogenous leukemia, low-grade glioma, and secondary glioblastoma (GBM). Our in silico analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data combined with wet-bench analysis of tumor extracts indicate that non-mutated IDH1 mRNA and protein is commonly overexpressed in primary GBM. We show that genetic and pharmacologic inactivation of IDH1 decreases GBM cell growth, promotes a more differentiated tumor cell state, increases apoptosis in response to targeted therapies, and prolongs survival of animal subjects bearing patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). On molecular levels, diminished IDH1 activity results in reduced α-KG and NADPH production, which is paralleled by deficient metabolic flux from glucose or acetate into lipids, exhaustion of reduced glutathione, increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and enhanced histone methylation and differentiation marker expression. These findings suggest that IDH1 upregulation represents a common mechanism of metabolic adaptation of GBM to support macromolecular synthesis, aggressive growth, and therapy resistance. Citation Format: Alexander H. Stegh. IDH1 promotes tumor growth and resistance to targeted therapies in the absence of mutation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1002.
Beyond Cumulative Risk: A Dimensional Approach to Childhood Adversity

Children who have experienced environmental adversity—such as abuse, neglect, or poverty—are more likely to develop physical and mental health problems, perform poorly at school, and have difficulties in social relationships than children who have not encountered adversity. What is less clear is how and why adverse early experiences exert such a profound influence on children’s development. Identifying developmental processes that are disrupted by adverse early environments is the key to developing better intervention strategies for children who have experienced adversity. Yet much existing research relies on a cumulative-risk approach that is unlikely to reveal these mechanisms. This approach tallies the number of distinct adversities experienced to create a risk score. This risk score fails to distinguish between distinct types of environmental experiences, implicitly assuming that very different experiences influence development through the same underlying mechanisms. We advance an alternative model. T...
Field Behavior of Tripedalia Cystophora (Class Cubozoa)

Cubozoan medusae are noted for behavior more complex than other cnidarian classes and for possessing rho‐palial sense organs that include multiple complex eyes with spherical lenses. Tripedalia cystophora, a small cubozoan medusa, was the subject of field observations in southwestern Puerto Rico concerning the role of its complex eyes. A behavioral repertoire was established with in situ observations among mangrove prop roots. Medusae show an attraction to light shafts that penetrate the mangrove canopy and in which their copepod prey are commonly found. Non‐breeding medusae feed actively on copepods in or near light shafts; breeding males and gravid females do not feed, yet breeding males exhibit the highest level of activity in an apparent search for mates. Because mating in T. cystophora can be described as a form of copulation, an image‐forming role for the complex eyes in mating behavior is a logical assumption, but neither observational evidence in this study nor optical theory supports such a role.
Reliability, Validity, and Feasibility of Direct Elicitation of Children’s Preferences for Health States

Background. Children’s preferences for health states represent an important perspective when comparing the value of alternative health care interventions related to pediatric medicine, and are fundamental to comparative effectiveness research. However, there is debate over whether these preference data can be collected and used. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to establish psychometric properties of eliciting preferences for health states from children using direct methods. Data Sources. Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, EconLit. Study Selection. English studies, published after 1990, were identified using Medical Subject Headings or keywords. Results were reviewed to confirm that the study was based on: 1) a sample of children, and 2) preferences for health states. Data Extraction. Standardized data collection forms were used to record the preference elicitation method used, and any reported evidence regarding the validity, reliability, or feasibility of the method. Data Synthesis. Twenty-six studie...
Origami, geometry and art

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to describe the mathematics that emanates from the construction of an origami box. We first construct a simple origami box from a rectangular sheet and then discuss some of the mathematical questions that arise in the context of geometry and algebra. The activity can be used as a context for illustrating how algebra and geometry, like other branches of mathematics, are interrelated.
Antimicrobial activity of ceftaroline against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates collected in 2013–2014 at the Geneva University Hospitals

Ceftaroline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Ceftaroline susceptibility of an MRSA set archived between 1994 and 2003 in the Geneva University Hospitals detected a high percentage (66 %) of ceftaroline resistance in clonotypes ST228 and ST247 and correlated with mutations in PBP2a. The ceftaroline mechanism of action is based on the inhibition of PBP2a; thus, the identification of PBP2a mutations of recently circulating clonotypes in our institution was investigated. We analyzed ceftaroline susceptibility in MRSA isolates (2013 and 2014) and established that resistant strains correlated with PBP2a mutations and specific clonotypes. Ninety-six MRSA strains were analyzed from independent patients and were isolated from blood cultures (23 %), deep infections (38.5 %), and superficial (skin or wound) infections (38.5 %). This sample showed a ceftaroline minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range between 0.25 and 2 μg/ml and disk diameters ranging from 10 to 30 mm, with a majority of strains showing diameters ≥20 mm. Based on the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) breakpoints, 76 % (73/96) of isolates showed susceptibility to ceftaroline. Nevertheless, we still observed 24 % (23/96) of resistant isolates (MIC = 2 μg/ml). All resistant isolates were assigned to clonotype ST228 and carried the N146K mutation in PBP2a. Only two ST228 isolates showed ceftaroline susceptibility. The decreasing percentage of ceftaroline-resistant isolates in our hospital can be explained by the decline of ST228 clonotype circulating in our hospital since 2008. We present evidence that ceftaroline is active against recent MRSA strains from our hospital; however, the presence of PBP2a variants in particular clonotypes may affect ceftaroline efficacy.
Transition to Pediatric Practice: A Residency Elective Experience to Prepare Senior Pediatric Residents for General Pediatric Primary Care.

Abstract Introduction Transition to practice (TTP), while impactful in other specialties, has been minimally studied and rarely offered in pediatric training residency programs. This pediatric TTP ...
544. Targeted Gene Delivery To the Enteric Nervous System: α-Synuclein Impairs Colonic Motility

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a division of the autonomic nervous system that coordinates the control of gastrointestinal (GI) function. Several diseases are associated with abnormalities of the ENS, for example, GI dysfunction is one of the most common non-motor complaints associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). GI pathology affects virtually every level of the GI tract, primarily presenting as decreased colonic motility. Recent studies have demonstrated that the protein, α-synuclein (α-syn), forms large inclusion within neurons of the ENS, suggesting that α-syn pathology within the ENS may play a role in the etiology of GI dysfunction in PD. To determine if α-syn expression within neurons of the ENS is sufficient to produce GI dysfunction, we aimed to overexpress human wildtype α-syn within the ENS using direct injections of adeno associated virus (AAV) to the descending colon. However, as there have been no focused investigations into the targeted transduction of the ENS using AAV, we first examined the efficiency and tropism of transduction using several AAV serotypes. Rats received direct injections (6 × 5ml) of either AAV 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 or 9 expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the descending colon. Transduction occurred in neurons and enteric glia within the myenteric and submucosal plexuses of the ENS. AAV6 and AAV9 showed the highest levels of transduction, with AAV9 primarily transducing neurons, and AAV6 transducing neurons as well as enteric glia. Transduction efficiency scaled with titer and time, to plateau at 4-weeks post injection at a titer of 6.25×1012 viral genomes (vg)/ml. Following characterization of AAV transduction in the ENS, it was determined that AAV9 demonstrated the highest levels of neuronal transduction, and was selected to deliver the α-syn transgene to the ENS. Adult male rats received direct injections (6 × 5ml at 1×1013vg/ml) of AAV9 expressing either human wildtype α-syn or a GFP control transgene into the descending colon. Four weeks post-surgery, colonic motility was assayed by quantifying the time necessary to transit and excrete a bead through 5cm of the descending colon. Animals that received AAV-α-syn had significantly impaired colonic motility, with a mean colonic transit time of 171.5 ± 43.4 minutes compared to animals that received AAV-GFP with a mean colonic transit time of 15 ± 6.8 minutes. Here we present a thorough characterization of the transduction profile of AAV in the ENS following direct injection to the descending colon. Further, using AAV to deliver human α-syn to neurons of the ENS, colonic motility was significantly decreased.
Appendicular skeletons of five Asian skink species of the genera Brachymeles and Ophiomorus , including species with vestigial appendicular structures

Vestigial biological structures provide an important line of evidence for macroevolution. They abound in the appendicular skeletons of limbless and reduced-limbed members of the skink subfamily Scincinae, which includes a predominantly Asian clade and a predominantly African clade. Reduced appendicular skeletons in the predominantly African clade have received much recent attention, but for most species in the predominantly Asian clade the appendicular skeleton has yet to be described. Here we provide descriptions of the appendicular skeletons of the reduced-limbed skinks Brachymeles bonitae and Ophiomorus blandfordi , the externally limbless skink Ophiomorus punctatissimus , and, for comparison, the pentadactyl skinks Brachymeles gracilis and B. talinis . We used x-ray radiographs to examine the skeletons of these species and to note similarities and differences in the previously-described appendicular skeletal morphology of related species. We found that in B. bonitae the pectoral and pelvic girdles are unreduced, the proximal limb elements are reduced, and the distal limb elements are vestigial. In O. punctatissimus vestigial pectoral and pelvic girdles are present. In O. blanfordi the fifth metatarsal is vestigial. The phylogenetic distribution of morphological features related to appendicular reduction shows that multiple, parallel reduction events have taken place within each of these two genera. In addition, the anatomical distribution of element reduction and loss in these genera shows that the bones are reduced and lost in the same sequence in the predominantly Asian scincine clade as they are in other squamate clades. This suggests a common evolutionary mechanism for appendicular reduction and loss across the Squamata.
Threading the Eye of the ERISA Needle: ERISA Preemption and Alternative Legal Schemes to Fill the Regulatory Vacuum

Popular consensus suggests that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) is a mess, and one of historic proportions. ERISA’s comprehensive reach to protect employer-provided benefits has in practice produced unintended, if not contradictory, results. Congress passed ERISA over thirty years ago to protect the rights of employees who benefit from employer pension and welfare benefit plans. It did so with a series of regulations that promote uniformity in litigation across the various states through “strong preemption language.” The goal of uniformity arguably benefits workers by imposing regular standards of conduct which lend predictability to the scope of litigation, or its venue, and lead to consistency in the process. However, ERISA has not entirely lived up to its initial purpose of providing workers a safety net. The so-called safety net, in fact, has often become a barrier obstructing plaintiffs in their pursuit of make-whole relief on claims that welfare benefits have been denied or mismanaged. ERISA’s preemption feature has produced the negative consequence of changing what were meant to be benefits to barriers. Analysis of the ERISA preemption scheme and the evolution of ERISA in the courts reveals exactly how ERISA has gone awry, and whether there remain any glimmers of hope for plaintiffs filing welfare benefits or pension claims.
Functional Test of the Hemiparetic Upper Extremity: A Rasch Analysis With Theoretical Implications

Abstract Objective To investigate the measurement properties of the Functional Test of the Hemiparetic Upper Extremity (FTHUE) and examine how its score may or may not inform design of a rehabilitation program. Design The FTHUE was recently used in the Interdisciplinary Comprehensive Arm Rehabilitation Evaluation randomized controlled trial. This circumstance provided the opportunity to examine the psychometric properties of the FTHUE as it pertains to contemporary poststroke rehabilitation and recovery models. Setting Outpatient rehabilitation clinic. Participants Participants (N=109; mean age, 61.2±13.5y; mean days poststroke, 46±20.3) with resultant hemiparesis in the upper extremity. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Dimensionality was examined with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and person and item measures were derived with Rasch item response analysis. Therapists' notes were also reviewed. Results The CFA results support unidimensionality, and 16 of 17 items fit the Rasch model. The Rasch person separation (2.17) and item separation (4.50) indices, ability strata (3.22), person reliability (.82), and item reliability (.95) indicate good measurement properties. Item difficulties ranked from −6.46 to 3.43 logits; however, there was a substantial ceiling effect of person measures. Post hoc examination of therapists' written observations indicated that the scoring criteria are not sensitive to the movement strategy used for task completion. Conclusions The FTHUE's item difficulty hierarchy indicated that scores adequately distinguished the ability to perform simple versus complex motor movements of functional tasks. However, the FTHUE scoring method did not allow inclusion of the type of movement strategy used to accomplish task items. Therefore, we suggest modifications to the FTHUE that would allow it to be used for collaborative treatment planning and align well with more contemporary perspectives on treatment theory.
Concurrent Infections With Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Intraepithelial Lesions: What Is the Relationship?

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is necessary for cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer to develop, but infection with HPV is not predictive of which women will develop cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) or cancer. This study examines the relationship between the number of concurrent HPV infections and risk of SIL as well as the variations in HPV types in a diverse population. Methods: IRB approval was obtained. Women presenting for gynecologic exam were recruited to participate. ThinPrep samples were sent for cytological evaluation, and cervical cells were obtained for HPV screening and typing (INNO-LIPA genotyping kit); medical information was recorded into a Microsoft Access database. Data analysis was performed using JMP statistical software. Results: Seven hundred nineteen women were recruited to participate; race/ethnic distribution was 79.6% for African-American/Black and 14.2% for Caucasian/White with an average age of 31.4 years. Of the patients, 27.5% were HPV-positive, and the average number of HPV types present at the time of the Pap test was 2.55. There was no difference in the number of concurrent HPV infections when stratified via race/ethnicity and cervical cytology/pathology. Regardless of race/ethnicity and cytology and pathology, the three most common high-risk types of HPV were 52, 16, and 39. Conclusions: Abnormal cytology/pathology did not vary with number of concurrent HPV infections. J Clin Gynecol Obstet. 2017;6(2):29-33 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jcgo437w
Goal-Sensitive Reasoning with Disconnection Tableaux

One of the challenges that has been outlined for instantiation-based theorem proving methods is their application in reasoning over theories with many axioms, as in tasks involving large ontologies or mathematical libraries. Goal-sensitive methods, which restrict inferences to those related to the goal to be refuted, tend to outperform other methods on large axiom sets especially. This paper presents a goal-sensitive adaptation of the disconnection tableau calculus, leveraging the advantages of goal-sensitivity in an instantiation-based, tableau-guided proof method. A proof of the method’s completeness follows its description, as well as a discussion of planned future work in this area.
Reflections - Mary Barra

This engineering-style essay is about Mary Barra, Chairman & CEO of the General Motors Company. Most of the many articles and books about Mary Barra emphasize her gender and how she broke through the glass ceiling for women at General Motors; I emphasize that she is an electrical engineer who mastered the many management disciplines. My hope is that Mary Barra's career can inspire more intelligent, dedicated American youth to study electrical engineering as their under-graduate major and have successful careers in management. Most of the data reported in this essay were taken from, Laura Colby's "ROAD to POWER: How GM's Mary Barra Shattered the Glass Ceiling", Wiley Bloomberg Press, 2015.
A Brain Ring-Enhancing Lesion

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) presents a diagnostic challenge as there is no unified pathophysiological process driving its presentation. Case reports are limited in detailing manifestations and outcomes of NPSLE. This case highlights a unique presentation of NPSLE and discusses challenges associated with diagnosis. A 27-year-old man with systemic lupus erythematosus presented with altered mentation. Initial laboratory results and computed tomography of the brain were unremarkable, but magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed ring-enhancing lesions reported as NCC. This led to an extensive infectious disease evaluation, but ultimately there was no evidence of infection. The patient was diagnosed with NPSLE; treatment with intravenous glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide led to dramatic clinical improvement. Repeat brain magnetic resonance imaging showed resolution of the ringed lesions. This case illustrates the importance of thorough evaluation in immunocompromised patients and warns of the risk of anchoring bias that can lead to diagnostic delays.
Internal-illumination photoacoustic computed tomography

We report a photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system using a customized optical fiber with a cylindrical diffuser to internally illuminate deep targets. The traditional external light illumination in PACT usually limits the penetration depth to a few centimeters from the tissue surface, mainly due to strong optical attenuation along the light propagation path from the outside in. By contrast, internal light illumination, with external ultrasound detection, can potentially detect much deeper targets. Different from previous internal illumination PACT implementations using forward-looking optical fibers, our internal-illumination PACT system uses a customized optical fiber with a 3-cm-long conoid needle diffuser attached to the fiber tip, which can homogeneously illuminate the surrounding space and substantially enlarge the field of view. We characterized the internal illumination distribution and PACT system performance. We performed tissue phantom and in vivo animal studies to further demonstrate the superior imaging depth using internal illumination over external illumination. We imaged a 7.5-cm-deep leaf target embedded in optically scattering medium and the beating heart of a mouse overlaid with 3.7-cm-thick chicken tissue. Our results have collectively demonstrated that the internal light illumination combined with external ultrasound detection might be a useful strategy to improve the penetration depth of PACT in imaging deep organs of large animals and humans.
Assessing Cortical Thickness in Human Tibiae With Sonography vs Computed Tomography: A Pilot Study:

Osteoporosis is a public health problem worldwide that decreases bone strength and increases the risk for fractures. Cortical thickness of long bones has gained attention because of its contributions to the resistance of bone fracture. What is currently lacking is a nonionizing imaging modality that assesses cortical bones with a sensitivity equal to that of computed tomography (CT). Tibiae were utilized to compare cortical thickness measurements recorded with diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) and CT. Four percentage sites (4%, 38%, 50%, 66%) were identified along the tibiae, and cortical measurements were taken from 3 views (anterior, medial, lateral). Medial views at all sites except 38% had DMS full measurements that were not significantly different than those collected with CT. The 4% sites in all views yielded the most cortical thickness measurements that were not significantly different from those of CT. These promising results at DMS full 4% sites open the possibility of translating this methodol...
Early Experience with Transurethral Electrical Bladder Stimulation

AbstractSeventeen patients 2.5 to 20 years old with neurovesical dysfunction (10 myelomeningocele, 2 lipomeningocele, 2 spinal cord injury, 2 primary tethered spinal cord, 1 transverse myelitis) completed a total of 41 series (605 individual sessions) of transurethral electrical bladder stimulation. Ultimately, all patients demonstrated detrusor contraction during therapy, and 88% had sensation of contractions, usually developing later in therapy. Of 12 patients with carefully documented serial urodynamic studies 8(67%) demonstrated a measurable (14 to 158%) increase in bladder capacity but 3 subsequently had capacities near baseline. Two patients demonstrated long-term improvement in fecal continence but none had voluntary control of micturition.
The Hadamard Variational Formula

In an earlier chapter, the functional equation technique of dynamic programming was applied to obtain a variational equation for a Green’s function corresponding to a second order ordinary differential equation. In the present chapter, this method is extended to apply to elliptic partial differential operators, and a first consequence is the classical Hadamard variational formula.
Projection Storage Displays Using Laser-Addressed Smectic Liquid Crystals

A beam-addressed storage light valve (LV) can form the basis for a very high information-content display. In many cases the upper limit will be determined by the resolution limit of the optical system used to project the LV onto a screen, and this may be as high as 108 picture elements (pels). In contrast, a refreshed display such as a CRT has a lower limit to the refresh rate in order to avoid flicker so that high information content requires a very high data rate. Practical extension of refreshed CRT displays beyond a few million pels only seems feasible if multiple beams are used. Even then, as with storage CRT’s, an upper limit on the amount of information which can be resolved by the user is going to be determined by the physical size limitations of the tube.
When the Heart Is Not to Blame: Managing Lung Disease in Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract It is well-recognized now that adult survivors with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk for non-cardiac co-morbidities and complications that can impact symptoms and clinical outcomes. Lung disease, in particular, is common in this population, but likely an under-recognized and undertreated cause for long-term morbidity. Abnormal lung function contributes to exercise intolerance and is associated with a higher risk for mortality in this population. The exact mechanisms that contribute to abnormal measurements of lung function are not entirely known, and are likely multifactorial and variable depending on the underlying CHD. Nevertheless, lung disease is a potentially modifiable risk factor in this patient population, the management of which may result in improved clinical outcomes. This review summarizes our current understanding of the prevalence, impact and management of lung disease in adults with CHD.
Anisotropic heat conduction in the metal organic framework perovskites [C(NH 2 ) 3 ]X(HCOO) 3 (X = Cu, Zn)

We report thermal conductivity (κ) measurements on single crystals of the metal-organic framework perovskite compounds [C(NH2)3]X(HCOO)3 (X = Cu, Zn) in the temperature range 5 K ≤ T ≤ 300 K. The directionality of N-H⋅ ⋅ ⋅O bonds and their stretching due to the Jahn-Teller distortion in the Cu compound are identified as mechanisms underlying differences in the κ(T) behavior for the two compounds and their anisotropy. For heat flow along a direction preferentially transverse to the N-H⋅⋅⋅O bonds, κ ∼ 0.6 W/mK near 300 K, approaching the theoretical minimum value. A possible magnetic contribution to the heat flow in the Cu compound is also discussed.
Local and Landscape Drivers of Carabid Activity, Species Richness, and Traits in Urban Gardens in Coastal California

Urban ecosystems, as mosaics of residential, industrial, commercial, and agricultural land, present challenges for species survival due to impervious surface, degradation, fragmentation, and modification of natural habitat, pollution, and introduced species. Some urban habitats, such as community gardens, support biodiversity and promote ecosystem services. In gardens, local factors (e.g., vegetation, groundcover) and landscape surroundings (e.g., agriculture, built or impervious cover) may influence species abundance, richness, and functional traits that are present. We examined which local and landscape factors within 19 community gardens in the California central coast influence ground beetle (Carabidae) activity density, species richness, functional group richness, and functional traits—body size, wing morphology, and dispersal ability. Gardens with higher crop richness and that are surrounded by agricultural land had greater carabid activity density, while species and functional group richness did not respond to any local or landscape factor. Gardens with more leaf litter had lower carabid activity, and gardens with more leaf litter tended to have more larger carabids. Changes in local (floral abundance, ground cover) and landscape (urban land cover) factors also influenced the distribution of individuals with certain wing morphology and body size traits. Thus, both local and landscape factors influence the taxonomic and functional traits of carabid communities, with potential implications for pest control services that are provided by carabids.
Advances in Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Marine Natural Products

Marine natural products represent novel and diverse chemotypes that serve as templates for the discovery and development of therapeutic agents with distinct mechanisms of action. These genetically encoded compounds produced by an evolutionary optimized biosynthetic machinery are usually quite complex and can be difficult to recreate in the laboratory. The isolation from the source organism results in limited amount of material; however, the development of advanced NMR technologies and dereplication strategies has enabled the structure elucidation on small scale. In order to rigorously explore the therapeutic potential of marine natural products and advance them further, the biological characterization has to keep pace with the chemical characterization. The limited marine natural product supply has been a serious challenge for thorough investigation of the biological targets. Several marine drugs have reached the markets or are in clinical trials, where those challenges have been overcome, including through the development of scalable syntheses. However, the identification of mechanisms of action of marine natural products early in the discovery process is potentially game changing, since effectively linking marine natural products to potential therapeutic applications in turn triggers motivation to tackle challenging syntheses and solve the supply problem. An increasing number of sensitive technologies and methods have been developed in recent years, some of which have been successfully applied to marine natural products, increasing the value of these compounds with respect to their biomedical utility. In this review, we discuss advances in overcoming the bottlenecks in marine natural product research, emphasizing on the development and advances of diverse target identification technologies applicable for marine natural product research.
JUUL Electronic Cigarettes: Nicotine Exposure and the User Experience

Abstract Background As of March 2019, JUUL electronic cigarettes are the most popular e-cigarette on the U.S. market, but little is known of nicotine exposure and dependence on JUUL and user experience. Methods JUUL users participated in a community-based study involving questionnaires, saliva collection and a qualitative interview. Results Fifteen participants were enrolled (80% male, 53% White) and had an average age of 29.8 (standard deviation = 10) years. Daily exposure to nicotine assessed via salivary cotinine was similar to those reported for other e-cigarette and tobacco cigarette users in general. The majority reported low to moderate nicotine dependence. Qualitative interview themes included: the importance of social networks in adoption and use of the product; device features such as small size and vapor cloud reinforced product use; the product provided satisfaction compared to a tobacco cigarette; and a perceived sense of addiction to the product. Conclusions JUUL e-cigarettes expose users to levels of nicotine similar to other e-cigarettes but may be more satisfying due to unique device features. JUUL may be quite acceptable to tobacco cigarette smokers who are seeking to quit. However, it holds addictive potential and can reinforce long-term nicotine use.
Money over Merit? Socioeconomic Gaps in Receipt of Gifted Services.

In this essay, Jason A. Grissom, Christopher Redding, and Joshua F. Bleiberg investigate the receipt of gifted services based on the socioeconomic status (SES) of elementary school students and the...
Quantification of the Influence of Deep Basin Effects on Structural Collapse Using SCEC CyberShake Earthquake Ground Motion Simulations

This paper examines the effects of earthquake ground motions in deep sedimentary basins on structural collapse risk using physics-based earthquake simulations of the Los Angeles basin developed thr...
Leadership and Licensure for Drug Treatment and the Implementation of Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment in Community Mental Health Centers

Using a random sample of 48 outpatient mental health programs in low-income and racial and ethnic minority communities, this study examined directorial leadership, drug treatment licensure, and implementation of evidence-based protocols and practices to address co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders (COD). Understanding of findings was enhanced with focus groups at six clinics. Most programs (81 %) offered COD treatment. Directorial leadership was positively associated with COD treatment (β = 0.253, p = 0.047, 95 % CI 0.003, 0.502) and COD supervision and training (β = 0.358, p = 0.002, 95 % CI 0.142, 0.575). Licensure was negatively associated with COD treatment (β = -0.235, p = 0.041, 95 % CI -0.460, -0.010) and COD supervision and training (β = -0.195, p = 0.049, 95 % CI -0.389, -0.001). Although lack of financial integration may limit the effect of licensing on COD treatment implementation, the response of leaders to regulation, funding, and human resources issues may encourage COD treatment practices. Implications for leadership interventions and policy are discussed in the context of health care reform.
Airborne Defects Auxiliary Identification Technology of Transmission Line Inspection based on Edge Calculation

At present, the data of unmanned aerial aehicle (UAV) transmission line inspection cannot be fully utilized on the data source side, the defect data also have to be processed repeatedly. In response to these challenges, a way to increase calculation resources on the data source side is present in this paper. First, the on-chip identification core is developed for the UAV. Then, the identification model that based on SSDMobilenet-FPN is built for the micro-terminal, and the method of monitoring the flight attitude and camera angle linkage mechanism are also developed, moreover the ground-based video source switching method is studied. Finally, the UAV, which can assist the ground inspectors to judge the transmission line defects in an all-round way, can realize the collection, analysis and diagnosis of the data during the inspection.
Enumeration of Ampicillin-Resistant $E.\ Coli$ in Blood Using Droplet Microfluidics and High-Speed Image Processing

Bacteria entering the bloodstream causes bloodstream infection (BSI). Without proper treatment, BSI can lead to sepsis which is a life-threatening condition. Detection of bacteria in blood at the early stages of BSI can effectively prevent the development of sepsis. Using microfluidic droplets for single bacterium encapsulation provides single-digit bacterial detection sensitivity. In this study, samples of ampicillin-resistant E. coli in human blood were partitioned into millions of $30\ \mu \mathrm{m}$ diameter microfluidic droplets and followed by 8-hour culturing. Thousands of fluorescent bacteria from a single colony filled up the positive droplets after the culturing process. A circle detection software based on Hough Transform was developed to count the number of positive droplets from fluorescence images. The period to process one image can be as short as 0.5 ms when the original image is pre-processed and binarized by the developed software.