cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synergies of AI methods for Robotic Planning and Grabbing, Facial Expressions Recognition and Blind's Navigation

Artificial Intelligent (AI) techniques have reached an acceptable level of maturity as single entities and their application to small and simple problems have offered impressive results. For large scale and complex problems, however, these AI methods individually are not always capable to offer satisfactory results. Thus, synergies of AI methods are used to overcome difficulties and provide solutions to large scale complex problems. This talk presents several synergies of AI methods for solving different complex problems. In particular, the first synergy combines AI planning, stochastic Petri-nets and neural nets for coordinating two robotic hands for boxes placement, and neuro-fuzzy nets for robotic hand grabbing. The second synergy is based on neural color constancy for skin detection and enriched with fuzzy image segmentation & regions synthesis and local global (LG) graphs method for biometrics application by detecting faces and recognizing facial expressions. The third synergy uses several image processing and computer vision techniques in combination with formal modeling of vibrations to offer to the blind 3D sensations of the surrounding space for safe navigation. Examples from other synergistic methodologies, such as, body motion-tracking and robotic 3D brain surgery are also presented.
TiCp2Cl-Catalyzed Living Radical and Ring Opening Polymerizations Initiated from Epoxides and Aldehydes in the Synthesis of Linear, Graft and Branched Polymers

Ti(III)Cp2Cl-catalyzed radical ring opening (RRO) of epoxides or single electron transfer (SET) reduction of aldehydes generates Ti alkoxides and carbon centered radicals which add to styrene, initiating a radical polymerization. This polymerization is mediate in a living fashion by the reversible termination of growing chains with the TiCp2Cl metalloradical. In addition, polymers or monomers containing pendant epoxide groups (glycidyl methacrylate) can be used as substrates for radical grafting or branching reactions by self condensing vinyl polymerization. In addition, Ti alkoxides generated in situ by both epoxide RRO and aldehyde SET initiate the living ring opening polymerization of e-caprolactone. Thus, new initiators and catalysts are introduced for the synthesis of complex polymer architectures.
Adhesive interactions of leukocytes, platelets, and the vessel wall during hemostasis and inflammation.

In response to hemorrhage, circulating platelets adhere to exposed subendothelial tissues and then recruit additional platelets into aggregates that function as procoagulant surfaces. In response to inflammatory stimuli, circulating leukocytes roll and then arrest on endothelial cells, and finally migrate into the surrounding tissues where they combat pathogens and repair tissue injury. These traditionally separate cellular adhesive contributions to coagulation and inflammation have become progressively linked. We now know that leukocytes roll and then arrest on activated platelets and that platelets roll on activated endothelial cells. Cell adhesion molecules that were first thought to contribute uniquely to either coagulation or inflammation are now known to contribute to both responses. This review focuses on multicellular adhesive interactions in the vasculature, with particular attention to the dual functions of the adhesion molecules P-selectin, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), and glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) in coagulation and inflammation.
COLLOID CHEMISTRY IN CERAMICS

The advancement of ceramics from an art to a science, a transition which has been in progress for the last forty odd years, parallels the development of the science of colloids. Whereas the application of the fundamentals of the physical and the chemical sciences has indicated to the ceramic engineer the methods to be used in solving his problems, it has been in the interpretation of these researches that the colloid science has contributed more than was ever anticipated. For a more practical knowledge of the basic principles involved in the fabrication of ceramic goods, the ceramist finds that a thorough understanding of the colloid-physical concept of clays and other raw materials supplies him with the answers to many of his industrial problems. The subject matter of ceramics or, more specifically, the fabrication of ceramic ware is discussed from the colloid-physical standpoint in an effort to illustrate what colloid chemistry means to the ceramic industry.
Differential learning leads to efficient neural network classifiers

The authors outline a differential theory of learning for statistical pattern classification. The theory is based on classification figure-of-merit (CFM) objective functions, described by J. P. Hampshire II and A. H. Waibel (IEEE Trans. Neural Netw. vol.1, no.2, p.216-218, June 1990). They give the proof that differential learning is efficient, requiring the least classifier complexity and the smallest training sample size necessary to achieve Bayesian (i.e., minimum error) discrimination. A practical application of the theory is included in which a simple differentially trained linear neural network classifier discriminations handwritten digits of the AT&T DB1 database with a 1.3% error rate. This error rate is less than one half of the best previous result for a linear classifier on this optical character recognition (OCR) task. >
Complexity of Mechanism Design with Signaling Costs

In mechanism design, it is generally assumed that an agent can submit any report at zero cost (with the occasional further restriction that certain types can not submit certain reports). More generally, however, an agent of type Θ may be able to report Θ1 but only at a cost c(Θ, Θ1). This cost may reflect the effort the agent would have to expend to be indistinguishable from an agent that truthfully reports Θ1. Even more generally, the possible reports (or signals) may not directly correspond to types. In this paper, we consider the complexity of determining whether particular social choice functions can be implemented in this context.
Stem Cell Paradigms in Tissue Regeneration and Cancer

Stem cells (SCs) have the ability to self-renew long term and differentiate into one or more tissues. Typically, SCs are used sparingly to replenish cells during normal homeostasis. However, even SCs that are quiescent must be able to respond quickly to injury in order to fuel rapid tissue regeneration. How SCs balance self-renewal and differentiation is of fundamental importance to our understanding of normal tissue maintenance and wound repair. Increasing evidence suggests that the regulatory circuitry governing this balancing act is at the root of some types of tumors both in mice and in humans. The skin is an excellent model system to understand how SCs function in normal tissue generation and how this process goes awry in cancer. Many of the principles we have unearthed by studying skin stem cells have parallels to the hematopoietic system. We have identified quiescent and “primed”/active SCs within the skin and shown that primed SCs have a lower threshold for activation to enter tissue regeneration. We have learned that during normal homeostasis, SC behavior is controlled not only through cues received from their microenvironment but also through signals emanating from their differentiating lineages. We have been dissecting how extrinsic signaling to SCs trigger a cascade of transcriptional changes that govern SC activation during tissue development, homeostasis and hair regeneration. Our findings provide new insights into our understanding of the process of SC activation, and in so doing have revealed mechanisms which are also deregulated in a variety of different human cancers. Our goal is to understand how SCs start and stop making tissue, and how this changes in cancer. Our recent discoveries on this topic have led us to the realm of identifying and characterizing cancer SCs (tumor-initiating cells) of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the skin. We developed a new method to knockdown genes specifically in skin and oral progenitors, enabling us to screen not only the differences between cancer and normal SCs, but also the myriad of gene alterations surfacing from the Human Cancer Sequencing project. Our screens have illuminated new oncogenes and tumor suppressors for SCCs, among the most prevalent and life-threating cancers world-wide that include cancers of lung, esophagus, breast, cervix, prostate, throat and oral tissues. Our findings are unearthing new targets for cancer therapeutics. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Anatase nanoparticle surface reactivity in NaCl media: a CD-MUSIC model interpretation of combined experimental and density functional theory studies.

The effect of particle size on the primary charging behavior of a suite of monodisperse nanometer diameter (4, 20, and 40 nm) anatase samples has been quantitatively examined with macroscopic experimental studies. The experimental results were evaluated using surface complexation modeling, which explicitly incorporated corresponding molecular-scale information from density functional theory (DFT) simulation studies. Potentiometric titrations were completed in NaCl media, at five ionic strengths (from 0.005 to 0.3 m), and over a wide pH range (3–11), at a temperature of 25 °C. From the experimental results, the pH of zero net proton charge (pHznpc) for the 4 and 20 nm diameter samples was 6.42, whereas the pHznpc was 6.22 for the 40 nm sample. The slopes of the net proton charge curves increased with an increase in particle size. Multisite surface complexation and charge distribution (CD) models, with a Basic Stern layer description of the electric double layer, were developed to describe all experimental ...
Form Follows Function: A Backward Design To Develop Leadership Ethics Curriculum

The purpose of this paper is to describe a backward design model implemented to develop a leadership ethics course taught in a graduate leadership program. Backward design was implemented to deeply embed the construct of applied ethics within the fabric of leadership curriculum while capturing intended course competencies. Course curriculum integrates a servant leadership theoretical framework and pedagogy that serves to shape and develop moral imagination in leadership students. Backwards design contributed to clarity, integrity, and alignment of course curriculum with program objectives and university mission.
Time Course of Activation of Human Occipital Cortex Measured with the Event-Related Optical Signal (EROS)

We recorded fast optical changes elicited by visual stimulation in occipital cortex from 19 young and 45 old human subjects. Faster propagation of activity from primary to secondary visual areas was observed in younger subjects.
Who is Liable for Employee Withholding and Social Security (FICA) Taxes

When a contractor or subcontractor is forced to liquidate because of cash flow problems, there may remain a significant financial liability to the federal government for collected, but unremitted, payroll taxes withheld from employees’ paychecks but not yet paid to the federal government. By law, employers are required to withhold from employee’s salaries certain employee-owed taxes on wages and to pay these funds to the federal government. These include the The Employee Federal Insurance Contribution Act (“FICA”) taxes, Medicare, and income taxes, collectively referred to here as “payroll taxes”. These funds, withheld from employees’ paychecks and owed to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), may have been improperly used to pay the businesses’ “more pressing” creditors instead of being paid over to the IRS. While it is clear the actual employer, whether partnership, corporation, or other, is liable for the taxes, other “responsible parties” are also liable. This paper examines many cases involving the court’s determination of who may be considered “responsible parties” for the taxes and penalties; penalties that can be as high as 100% of the taxes due.
A native plant competitor mediates the impact of above- and belowground damage on an invasive tree

Plant competition may mediate the impacts of herbivory on invasive plant species through effects on plant growth and defense. This may predictably depend on whether herbivory occurs above or below ground and on relative plant competitive ability. We simulated the potential impact of above- or belowground damage by biocontrol agents on the growth of a woody invader (Chinese tallow tree, Triadica sebifera) through artificial herbivory, with or without competition with a native grass, little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). We measured two defense responses of Triadica through quantifying constitutive and induced extrafloral nectar production and tolerance of above- and belowground damage (root and shoot biomass regrowth). We examined genetic variation in plant growth and defense across native (China) and invasive (United States) Triadica populations. Without competition, aboveground damage had a greater impact than belowground damage on Triadica performance, whereas with competition and above- and belowground damage impacted Triadica similarly. Whole plant tolerance to damage below ground was negatively associated with tolerance to grass competitors indicating tradeoffs in the ability to tolerate herbivory vs. compete. Competition reduced investment in defensive extrafloral nectar (EFN) production. Aboveground damage inhibited rather than induced EFN production while belowground plant damage did not impact aboveground nectar production. We found some support for the evolution of increased competitive ability hypothesis for invasive plants as United States plants were larger than native China plants and were more plastic in their response to biotic stressors than China plants (they altered their root to shoot ratios dependent on herbivory and competition treatments). Our results indicate that habitat type and the presence of competitors may be a larger determinant of herbivory impact than feeding mode and suggest that integrated pest management strategies including competitive dynamics of recipient communities should be incorporated into biological control agent evaluation at earlier stages.
The life orientation of concavo-convex brachiopods: overturning the paradigm

Concavo-convex brachiopods are generally assumed to have lived with their convex valves against the sediment. This orientation is based primarily on the a priori assumption that the upturned commissure would prevent fouling of the brachiopods' mantle cavity. Here, I present epibiontic and taphonomic evidence from orthids and nonproductid strophomenids that concavo-convex brachiopods lived in the reverse life orientation, with the convex valve on top.Ten testable epibiontic and taphonomic criteria are proposed to establish the uppermost valve during encrustation and whether epibionts encrusted primarily live or dead hosts. The criteria are evaluated for 11 collections of Ordovician and Devonian nonproductid concavo-convex brachiopods that contain a total of over 500 brachiopods and 4000 epibionts. In all cases, the results support a convex-up orientation and the encrustation of live hosts. Five criteria concern epibiont growth patterns and show that (1) epibionts predominate on convex valves, (2) epibionts are not restricted to shell margins, (3) distinct exposed and cryptic faunas, as predicted theoretically and described in previous studies, exist on convex and concave valves respectively, (4) epibiont colonies were often truncated by the commissures and hinges of live hosts, and (5) growth patterns of some epibionts indicate live hosts. Five taphonomic criteria show that (1) concavo-convex shells have greater epibiont cover than other morphologies, (2) internal surfaces of disarticulated specimens are rarely encrusted, (3) interiors of articulated specimens are rarely mud-filled, (4) standard taphofacies indicators suggest little postmortem exposure, and (5) sedimentological reconstructions suggest rapid burial.Convex-up brachiopods suggest that the Paleozoic mud bottoms they lived on were probably firmer than usually assumed and that a more complex functional interpretation of concavo-convexity is required. Hydrodynamic stability was important to many concavo-convex, plano-convex, and unequally bi-convex brachiopods. Brachiopods with these morphologies probably lived in the more stable orientation on their concave or flat valve. Productid brachiopods, although also concavo-convex, lived convex valve down and are ecologically distinct from earlier concavo-convex taxa. Productids were anchored, semi-infaunally, by spines and were more similar to Mesozoic oysters in orientation and shell function.
Racial Identity, Self-Esteem, and the Impostor Phenomenon Among African American College Students:

The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is marked by an individual’s persistent perception of incompetency despite contrary evidence. The presence of IP has been found to negatively affect many college studen...
Families in poverty.

This article discusses facts and myths about families in poverty. As the poverty rate among women and children has risen, more frequent encounters have occurred between needy families and nurses in the community. Information is presented that will help nurses better to understand poverty in the context of health care.
National and state policies influencing the care of children affected by AIDS.

This article addresses the difficulty that secrecy and stigma impose on the ability of HIV affected children and youth to benefit from national and state policies and programs that provide general types of care and assistance. The author calls for the development of new policies, programs, and interagency planning and collaboration designed to specifically meet the variety of needs of affected children and families.
Dentin-enamel adhesives in pediatric dentistry: an update

Adhesives and composite technology have made composite resins and polyacid-modified resin-based composites (compomers) very popular as materials to restore primary and permanent anterior and posterior teeth. More conservative preparations can be performed that maintain more tooth structure due to the adhesive properties of the adhesives used with composites and compomers. Meticulous care in the placement of adhesives and, subsequently, resin-based composites and compomers is necessary to produce long-term satisfactory results. The purpose of this paper is to update the current status in regards to dentin-enamel adhesives in primary teeth.
Optimizing delivery systems to tailor pharmacotherapy to cardiovascular circadian events

The role of chronotherapeutics--agents that match drug delivery to the natural circadian rhythms of the cardiovascular system--in antihypertensive and antianginal therapy is discussed. Hypertension and angina remain two of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Early-morning increases in blood pressure do not seem to be attenuated by many currently available sustained-release and extended-dosing formulations of anti-hypertensive agents, such as atenolol, enalapril, sustained-release verapamil, nitrendipine, nifedipine, diltiazem, and long-acting propranolol. A 24-hour controlled-onset, extended-release delivery system (COER-24) for verapamil hydrochloride has recently been developed to address the pharmacokinetic and circadian challenges to controlling blood pressure and angina. COER-24 for verapamil hydrochloride, the first chronopharmacologic agent approved for the treatment of both hypertension and angina, is designed for bedtime administration. It provides the highest concentration of drug in the blood during the early hours of the day, when blood pressure and heart rate are rising rapidly. COER-24 for verapamil hydrochloride has a more favorable adverse-effect profile than is seen with immediate-release verapamil. COER-24 for verapamil hydrochloride provides effective blood pressure reduction for 24 hours and protects against the early-morning increase in blood pressure; the drug has a more favorable adverse-effect profile than immediate-release verapamil.
Analog Optical Link Performance: Present State and Future Needs

Analytical analog optical link models are used to estimate the link performance that could be achieved based on the performance reported in the literature for new electro-optic devices. The results show that the link performance would still fall well below a nominal set of link goals that are representative of application needs.
Contextual factors influencing the implementation of the obstetrics hemorrhage initiative in Florida.

Contextual factors influencing the implementation of the obstetrics hemorrhage initiative in Florida
A BIVARIATE EXPONENTIAL MODEL WITH APPLICATIONS TO RELIABILITY AND COMPUTER GENERATION OF RANDOM VARIABLES

Abstract. A new bivariate life distribution is derived. It is called the BEE distribution and includes as special cases the BVE, ACBVE, Freund, and Proschan-Sullo bivariate life distributions. Models for the BEE distribution and their physical interpretations are given. Properties of this distribution are discussed including the bivariate loss of memory property and the decomposition into absolutely continuous and singular distributions. We show that if Y 1 ,Y 2 are independent standard exponential rv's and X 1 ,X 2 have a BEE distribution then there is a linear transformation from Y 1 ,Y 2 to X 1 ,X 2 . All previous independence transformations for such distributions relate X 1 , X 2 to more than 2 independent exponential rv's. The support of X 1 ,X 2 is partitioned into regions X 1 >X 2 , X 1 2 , and X 1 = X 2 . The distribution on each region is obtained via a linear transformation from a corresponding region in the support of Y 1 , Y 2 . The transformation is one-to-one for the absolutely continuous component of the BEE distribution. An immediate application of these transformations is an efficient method of generating rv's from the BEE distribution and its special cases on the computer. The computational efficiency is discussed.
Texture Measurement in Aluminum Alloy at High Temperature

The casting and hot rolling process is a most important and widely used industrial route to produce aluminum alloy sheet[1]. Because rolling is such a high volume process and the capital expenditure in plants and fabrication facilities is so large, even small cost savings or increases in efficiency can result in a very large total money savings[2, 3]. To remove the very costly and time-consuming plant trials, numerical simulation and nondestructive monitoring of the hot rolling process is highly needed.
Scrutiny-Dependent Cancer and Self-fulfilling Risk Factors

Cancer screening is often recommended to patients believed to have a specific risk factor, such as prostate cancer screening for men who have a family history of the disease or melanoma screening f...
From “Unremitting Attention” to “Discreet Indifference”

This chapter examines Morley’s early essays on domestic themes in his Modern Characteristics (1865) and Studies in Conduct (1869), with particular attention to his remarks on parenting. Most studies of Morley pay little attention to these works. Insofar as he wrote and published these essays before his marriage and the responsibilities of childrearing, they certainly reflect a more youthful approach to a topic not yet tempered by experience. Nevertheless, they show Morley attempting to work out a philosophy of parenting consistent with his more mature views on the subject.
Chapter 115 On the Performance of the Lottery Procedure for Controlling Risk Preferences

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the lottery procedure for inducing preferences over units of experimental exchange and show how it is supported by several experiments on behavior in simple contexts. This chapter reviews various evidence from a set of paired choice and pricing tasks designed to determine whether subjects' revealed preferences over gambles are consistent with attempted risk preference induction. There is strong support for the performance of inducing when subjects choose between paired gambles. Subjects induced to be risk seeking nearly always choose the riskier gamble, while those induced to be risk averse choose the less risky one. There is similar support for pricing gambles, but the strength of the effect is a function of the variance of the gambles. This is consistent with other experimental evidence about the importance of saliency. Risk preferences matter little when there is little risk! As risk increases, risk preferences should become more important in the experiments. Subjects appear to price gambles more consistently with their induced risk preferences as variance increases.
Nonribosomal Peptides for Iron Acquisition: pyochelin biosynthesis as a case study

Microbes synthesize small, iron-chelating molecules known as siderophores to acquire iron from the environment. One way siderophores are generated is by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). The bioactive peptides generated by NRPS enzymes have unique chemical features, which are incorporated by accessory and tailoring domains or proteins. The first part of this review summarizes recent progress in NRPS structural biology. The second part uses the biosynthesis of pyochelin, a siderophore from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as a case study to examine enzymatic methods for generating the observed diversity in NRPS-derived natural products.
The Adult With Congenital Heart Disease: Born To Be Bad?

The population of patients with adult congenital heart disease is approximately 800,000 in the U.S. Those with prior cardiac surgery often consider themselves “cured,” although the majority faces a lifetime of problems including arrhythmias, ventricular dysfunction, and one or more re-operations. Even patients with repaired “simple” lesions such as an atrial septal defect may not have normal survival if they are repaired in adulthood. Patients with repaired coarctation may have premature cardiovascular complications including sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. They also have aortic complications such as aneurysm and dissection, which result from a diffuse arteriopathy and continued hypertension that may be caused by underlying endothelial dysfunction. In addition, bicuspid aortic valve occurs in more than one-half of the patients with coarctation, so continued surveillance for significant aortic valvular heart disease is necessary. More complex lesions also pose problems after “total correction.” Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot often have pulmonary regurgitation, which is frequently overlooked on clinical exam and echocardiography. Pulmonary valve replacement should be performed before the development of irreversible right ventricular dysfunction and an increased risk of ventricular tachycardia or sudden cardiac death. Because they are vulnerable to deterioration of systemic ventricular function, those with congenitally corrected transposition require special vigilance, usually with concomitant atrio-ventricular valve regurgitation. Late referral is common with a deleterious effect on long-term survival. These patients need lifelong follow-up and the residua and sequelae of their complex anomalies must be understood in order to provide optimum care.
Vermehrung der argentaffinen Zellen und Carcinoide des Magen-Darmtraktes bei Nierenveränderungen

Bei 5 Patienten mit Nierenveranderungen ohne Uramie (solitare oder multiple Cysten, hypernephroides Nierencarcinom und Niereninfarkt) konnte gegenuber einer Kontrollgruppe von 30 Patienten ohne Nierenveranderungen eine signifikante Vermehrung der argentaffinen Zellen des Magen-Darmtraktes festgestellt werden. Zwei weitere Patienten mit hypernephroidem Nierencarcinom oder Nierencyste wiesen eine Carcinoid auf. Ferner wurden bei 4 von 12 Patienten mit Carcinoidsyndrom multiple oder solitare Nierencysten beobachtet. Wahrscheinlich liegt hinter dieser Kombination mehr als ein bloser Zufall. Bisherige Untersuchungsergebnisse uber die Serotoninwirkung an der Niere weisen auf eine Veranderung der Nierendurchblutung im Sinne einer Vasoconstriction hin. Ob zwischen den Nierenveranderungen und der Vermehrung der argentaffinen Zellen (diffuse Hyperplasie oder Carcinoid als „knotige Hyperplasie”) ein Zusammenhang uber den Serotoninstoffwechsel besteht, kann auf Grund des sparlichen Untersuchungsgutes und in Ermangelung von Paralleluntersuchungen uber den Serotoninstoffwechsel vorlaufig nicht entschieden werden.
Soil microbial communities alter conspecific and congeneric competition consistent with patterns of field coexistence in three Trifolium congeners

Coexistence and diversity in plant communities depend upon outcomes of plant competition. Competition and coexistence can be mediated by abiotic soil nutrient differences as well as by soil microbial communities. The latter effects occur through various mechanisms including negative plant–soil feedbacks, when plants foster the build‐up of specialized pathogenic microbes, which ultimately reduce conspecific, but not heterospecific, densities. Microbial mutualists can have generalized associations with host plants, and by associating with multiple species might affect coexistence by conferring different levels of benefit to hosts. We examined the effects of abiotic differences and soil microbial communities, including mutualistic nitrogen‐fixing rhizobial bacteria, on coexistence processes and asked whether these interactions inform patterns of co‐occurrence in natural communities. We measured plant–soil feedbacks in the greenhouse for three native Trifolium species that either highly co‐occurred or were spatially repulsed at our field site. Using size‐fractioned soil microbial inocula prepared from field‐collected soils, we explored the effect of soil microbes on nodulation and the outcome of competition (relative interaction intensity). We also examined the effects of soil origin (home vs. away soil) on the outcome of competition between species. Soil microbes had strong positive effects on plant growth and nodulation. Microbes in general reduced the strength of plant competition relative to competition in sterilized soil and altered the relative strength of interactions with conspecific vs. congeneric neighbours, which often occurred in ways predicted to enhance coexistence. In one pair of highly co‐occurring Trifolium, competition was strong in sterilized soils, but these species facilitated one other in the presence of the full microbial community. The net effect of these microbes in general reduced competition while also increasing performance over that in sterilized soil, suggesting a role for soil microbial mutualists in host coexistence. Synthesis. Our results demonstrate that interactions between plants and diverse soil communities can alter plant–plant interactions and plant–soil feedbacks. They may increase niche differences and equalize fitness differences in ways consistent with observed co‐occurrence in the field.
Post-renal Acute Kidney Injury: Epidemiology, Presentation, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management

Postobstructive renal damage has many etiologies but can be simply defined as a mechanical inability for urine to pass through the urinary system resulting in kidney damage. This obstruction can occur at any point along the urinary tract, from the tip of the urethra to within the kidney itself. Etiologies can be intrinsic and extrinsic and partial and complete and can occur at any time. The causes of post-renal acute kidney injury may be divided anatomically based on location. Upper tract causes of post-renal obstruction include renal etiologies and ureteral etiologies. Lower tract causes of post-renal obstruction include bladder, prostatic, and urethral etiologies. Obstructive uropathy often presents as some combination of flank or abdominal pain, hematuria, uremic symptoms, occasionally signs of infection when this is present, or rarely decreased urine output. Identification of elevated creatinine and/or hydronephrosis on routine surveillance or workup of other issues can also lead to the diagnosis. The preferred screening test for hydronephrosis is renal ultrasound, but renal radionuclide studies may be indicated if contrast is contraindicated or the remaining function of the kidney is in question. Management of post-renal acute kidney injury involves first relieving the obstruction, and this depends upon the anatomic location and etiology. Treatments are grouped based on anatomic location.
Exploring additives for improving the reliability of zinc nitrate hexahydrate as a phase change material (PCM)

Abstract Phase change materials (PCM) store large quantities of energy in small volumes due to the high values of latent heat involved during phase change (e.g., from solid to liquid). However, they often require low temperatures (i.e., supercooling below the melting point) to initiate solidification. Heterogeneous nucleation enables reduction in the values of sub-cooling, (ΔT)sub, during the solidification of PCMs. Identification of material-specific nucleation promoters (or “nucleators”) remains non-trivial. In this paper, we investigate heterogeneous nucleation in a chosen thermal energy storage material, Zinc nitrate hexahydrate, Zn(NO3)2.6H2O. Previously recommended heterogeneous nucleators were zinc oxide (ZnO) and impurities without any specific causality being identified that justifies the specific selection of this nucleator. In last 30 years, no systematic study was conducted to study the effects of different heterogenous nucleators on zinc nitrate hexahydrate. In one study, the heterogenous nucleators were selected based on the relation between supercooling and lattice mismatch between the planes of closely packed polyhedral sites of PCMs. In this study, the operational performance of zinc nitrate hexahydrate as PCM candidate was improved through heterogenous nucleation (i.e. reduction in supercooling) and the stability was studied to ensure that the PCM survived over 1000 thermal cycles (i.e. repeated melt-freeze cycles). The heterogeneous nucleators considered in this study were zinc oxide [ZnO] and zinc hydroxyl nitrate [Zn3(OH)4(NO3)2]. The results have shown that the heterogenous nucleators reduce to 3.0 °C supercooling, increased the energy storage (i.e., recovery during solidification), and survived up to 750 cycles of repeated melting and solidification.
Evidence for hope: making human rights work in the 21st century

One might be forgiven for harboring a pessimistic view of the state of human rights: there are now more people displaced by war and violence than there were during World War II, and one in nine peo...
Mid-Cretaceous cellular slime mold (Eukarya: Dictyostelia?) in Burmese amber

A cellular slime mould (Eukarya: Dictyostelia?) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber is described as Paleoplastes burmanica gen. et sp. nov. The specimen consists of a clear, acellular plasmodium contai...
Cyberattack-Resilient Cyberphysical Systems

A great deal of attention is currently being placed on the development of advanced automation for physical systems, including a wide array of applications such as automobiles, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), the Internet of Things, and 3D printers. These automation opportunities introduce cyberattack risks that can lead to loss of human life or serious injury. The cyberattack risks related to physical systems first received national attention in 2011 due to the Stuxnet cyberattack, which disrupted industrial Iranian centrifuges employed in nuclear reactors.1
Modification of microturbulence during impurity injection on text

A multichannel, far-infrared (FIR) laser scattering system is used to study the temporal development of the power spectra of low frequency microturbulence in the TEXT tokamak. The single shot measurement capability has revealed significant modifications in the spectra during laser ablative injection of small quantities of scandium into the plasma. The present paper reports these observations in detail and discusses their relevance to transport phenomena in fusion plasmas.
Chiral charge-density wave in TiSe2 due to photo-induced structural distortions

A variety of experiments have been carried out to establish the origin of the chiral charge-density wave transition in 1T-TiSe$_2$, which in turn has led to contradictory conclusions on the origin of this transition. Some studies suggest the transition is a phonon-driven structural distortion while other studies suggest it is an excitonic insulator phase transition that is accompanied by a lattice distortion. First, we propose these interpretations can be reconciled if one analyzes the available experimental and theoretical data within a formal definition of what constitutes an excitonic insulator as initially proposed by Keldysh and Kopaev. Next, we present pump-probe measurements of circularly polarized optical transitions and first-principles calculations where we highlight the importance of accounting for structural distortions to explain the finite chirality of optical transitions in the CDW phase. We show that at the elevated electronic temperature that occurs upon photoexcitation, there is a non-centrosymmetric structure that is near-degenerate in energy with the centrosymmetric charge density wave structure, which explains the finite chirality of the optical transitions observed in the CDW phase of TiSe$_2$.
Mechanically reconfigurable multi-functional meta-optics studied at microwave frequencies.

Metasurfaces advanced the field of optics by reducing the thickness of optical components and merging multiple functionalities into a single layer device. However, this generally comes with a reduction in performance, especially for multi-functional and broadband applications. Three-dimensional metastructures can provide the necessary degrees of freedom for advanced applications, while maintaining minimal thickness. This work explores mechanically reconfigurable devices that perform focusing, spectral demultiplexing, and polarization sorting based on mechanical configuration. As proof of concept, a rotatable device, a device based on rotating squares, and a shearing-based device are designed with adjoint-based topology optimization, 3D-printed, and measured at microwave frequencies (7.6–11.6 GHz) in an anechoic chamber.
Is conservation based on best available science creating an ecological trap for an imperiled lagomorph

Habitat quality regulates fitness and population density, making it a key driver of population size. Hence, increasing habitat quality is often a primary goal of species conservation. Yet, assessments of fitness and density are difficult and costly to obtain. Therefore, species conservation often uses "best available science," extending inferences across taxa, space, or time, and inferring habitat quality from studies of habitat selection. However, there are scenarios where habitat selection is not reflective of habitat quality, and this can lead to maladaptive management strategies. The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is an imperiled shrubland obligate lagomorph whose successful recovery hinges on creation of suitable habitat. Recovery of this species is also negatively impacted by the non-native eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), which can competitively exclude New England cottontails from preferred habitat. Herein, we evaluate habitat quality for adult and juvenile New England and eastern cottontails using survival and density as indicators. Our findings did not support selection following an ideal free distribution by New England cottontails. Instead, selected resources, which are a target of habitat management, were associated with low survival and density and pointed to a complex trade-off between density, survival, habitat, and the presence of eastern cottontails. Further, movement distance was inversely correlated with survival in both species, suggesting that habitat fragmentation limits the ability of cottontails to freely distribute based on habitat quality. While habitat did not directly regulate survival of juvenile cottontails, tick burden had a strong negative impact on juvenile cottontails in poor body condition. Given the complex interactions among New England cottontails, eastern cottontails, and habitat, directly assessing and accounting for factors that limit New England cottontail habitat quality in management plans is vital to their recovery. Our study demonstrates an example of management for possible ecological trap conditions via the application of incomplete knowledge.
Mental and Physical Health Changes Following an Abusive Intimate Relationship: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

Longitudinal studies are critical to understanding health changes following trauma. The present systematic review adopted a longitudinal perspective on intimate partner abuse (IPA) by examining cha...
Am I My Brother’s Keeper? How Technology Necessitates Reform of the Lack of Duty to Rescue or Duty to Report Laws in the United States

Due to advancing communications technology and the advent of smartphones, we are at a pivotal point in our interconnectedness as a society. The world is literally at our fingertips. We connect to the far reaches of the globe in real time with a click, swipe, tap, or voice command. With such universal connectivity, and phones in our pockets, why are we not required to do the bare minimum of calling 9-1-1 when someone is in danger? Traditionally, our common law system never imposes a duty to rescue, except when a special relationship exists, and has only required a duty to report in limited circumstances. This article examines the viability of current duty to rescue and duty to report laws in the United States as well as whether reform is necessary given the capacity and availability of today’s technology. First, the article explores the history and rationale behind the lack of duty to rescue laws and their exceptions. The article next considers the nature of the duty to report, given the absence of a common law duty to rescue, suggesting that neither duty to rescue nor duty to report laws are adequate in their present forms. By examining pending cases and past precedent, this article then analyzes why changing the current state of the law is essential. Utilizing model statutes, this article proposes imposing liability upon actors who fail to report an event or act causing injury to a person or to rescue another when the actor’s conduct created the circumstances causing the injury or harm. “[T]he world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it.” Albert Einstein
Estimation of modal parameters of a beam under random excitation using a novel 3D continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer system and an extended demodulation method

Abstract A novel three-dimensional (3D) continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (CSLDV) system that contains three CSLDVs and an external controller is developed to measure 3D vibration of a structure under random excitation, and a new operational modal analysis method is proposed to estimate its 3D modal parameters, including damped natural frequencies and undamped end-to-end mode shapes, by extending the conventional demodulation method. Calibration among three CSLDVs in the 3D CSLDV system based on the geometrical model of its scan mirrors is conducted to adjust their rotational angles and ensure that three laser spots can continuously and synchronously move along the same scan path on the structure. The extended demodulation method can estimate undamped mode shapes of the structure under random excitation by filtering raw response with a bandpass filter and multiplying the filtered response by sinusoidal signals with its damped natural frequencies obtained from the fast Fourier transform of raw response. Experimental investigation on one-dimensional (1D) and 3D CSLDV measurements for modal parameter estimation is conducted on a beam under white-noise excitation to validate the extended demodulation method and examine the accuracy of the 3D CSLDV system. Modal assurance criterion (MAC) values between the first four undamped mode shapes of the beam from 1D CSLDV measurement and corresponding damped mode shapes from 1D step-wise scanning measurement are larger than 95%. MAC values between the first four undamped mode shapes of the beam from 3D CSLDV measurement and corresponding damped mode shapes from 3D step-wise scanning measurement are larger than 90% in all the three directions of a specified measurement coordinate system.
Neophallus Construction and Penile Prosthesis Implantation: Techniques and Complications

Neophallus construction (NPC) and penile prosthesis implantation (PPI) techniques are critical components of masculinizing genital gender affirming surgery (gGAS). We aim to summarize the recent techniques and complications from the literature on NPC and PPI over the last 3 years. Phalloplasty techniques include suprapubic pedicled phalloplasty, musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap (MLDF), single stage radial forearm free flap (RFFF), groin flap phalloplasty, and anterolateral thigh flap (ALT). Various implants and implantation techniques are described, two of which are novel devices designed specifically for transgender surgery: ZSI 100 FtM Malleable penile implant and ZSI 475 FtM implant (Zephyr Surgical Implants, Geneva, Switzerland). NPR and PPI are associated with higher complication rates compared to routine prosthetic surgery. Urethral fistulas remain the most prevalent complication; however, recent technical advancements and the exclusion of urethral lengthening procedures have reduced the rates of fistula formation. There are exciting PPI technology innovations in transgender-specific care, but, at this juncture, the lack of comparison studies makes it difficult to access outcomes.
Understanding the Universe: An Inquiry Approach to Astronomy and the Nature of Scientific Research

Part I. Steps to Astronomy: 1. The sky 2. The origins of astronomy 3. Gravity and orbits 4. Light 5. The astronomers' tools: telescopes and space probes Part II. The Solar System: 6. Introducing the Solar System 7. The inner Solar System 8. The outer Solar System 9. Smaller bodies in the Solar System 10. Planets beyond the Solar System Part III. Stars: 11. Our Sun 12. A census of stars 13. The formation of stars and planets 14. Stellar structure 15. Stellar evolution and death Part IV. Galaxies and the Universe: 16. The Milky Way galaxy 17. Galaxies 18. Cosmology 19. Life in the Universe Index.
Reconfigurable Parallel Sorting and Load Balancing on a Beowulf Cluster: HeteroSort

HeteroSort load balances and sorts within static or dynamic networks using a conceptual torus mesh. We ported HeteroSort to a 16-node Beowulf cluster with a central switch architecture. By capturing global system knowledge in overlapping microregions of nodes, HeteroSort is useful in data dependent applications such as data information fusion on distributed processors.
The Sedimentary System of Long Island Sound

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the sedimentary system of Long Island Sound (LIS). The basin occupied by LIS is a product of the period of prolonged erosion of eastern North America that occupied the late Mesozoic and the Cenozoic eras. The principal source of sediment entering the LIS is the Connecticut River, which drains most of central New England and enters the LIS near its eastern end. This is an area of strong mixing because of a high level of tide-stream turbulence, and sediment brought down the river is mixed into the bottom water that subsequently flows into the central LIS. The extensive deposits of silt-clay sediment in the central basin of the Sound are therefore formed as a consequence of the estuarine circulation. An overview of the principal results of the mechanics of sediment transport and deposition in LIS is presented in the chapter. Structure of the bottom of LIS revealed by acoustic reflection profiles made with 7-kHz acoustic pulses is also described.
FROG measurements of ultracomplex and ultraweak ultrashort pulses

This work extends the frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) technique to the measurement of ultracomplex (supercontinuum) and ultraweak light pulses. Use of FROG for ultracomplex pulses simply requires sufficient bandwidth, which is achieved by angle-dithering a nonlinear crystal.