cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative histopathologic assessment of developing phenytoin‐induced gingival overgrowth in the cat

Phenytoin (Dilantin) induces gingival overgrowth characterized by an accumulation of connective tissue The cell-to-matrix ratio in the mature lesion is normal, yet there must be more fibroblasts per oral cavity if there is excessive tissue mass. Using a mongrel cat model system, we studied the early, developing phenytoin-induced lesion by quantitating fibroblasts per unit of tissue in papilla biopsies collected over a 3-month period of daily drug administration. At 6 and 8 weeks, the number of fibroblasts per unit of tissue increased dramatically. By 3 months, as the lesions matured, the fibroblast-to-matrix ratio returned to normal. We suggest that the drug interacts with resident gingival fibroblasts, causes them to proliferate and thus induces a true, but transient, hypercellularity. Cell division then appears to slow or cease, and rapid production of connective tissue matrix ensues, returning the cell-to-matrix ratio to normal.
Children's Assent for Participation in Pediatric Research Protocols Assessing National Practice

A survey instrument was used to gather and evaluate data from medical schools and children's hospitals concerning prevailing national practice on the issue of whether pediatric researchers should be required to obtain informed assent from a minor subject, in addition to parental consent, as a precondition to the participation of the minor in the research protocol. Implications are drawn from the survey results.
GEDANKEN—a simple typeless language based on the principle of completeness and the reference concept

GEDANKEN is an experimental programming language with the following characteristics. (1) Any value which is permitted in some context of the language is permissible in any other meaningful context. In particular, functions and labels are permissible results of functions and values of variables. (2) Assignment and indirect addressing are formalized by introducing values, called references, which in turn possess other values. The assignment operation always affects the relation between some reference and its value. (3) All compound data structures are treated as functions. (4) Type declarations are not permitted. The functional approach to data structures and the use of references insure that any process which accepts some data structure will accept any logically equivalent structure, regardless of its internal representation. More generally, any data structure may be implicit; i.e. it may be specified by giving an arbitrary algorithm for computing or accessing its components. The existence of label variables permits the construction of co-routines, quasi-parallel processes, and other unorthodox control mechanisms. A variety of programming examples illustrates the generality of the language. Limitations and possible extensions are discussed briefly.
System design of an Insertable Robotic Effector Platform for Single Port Access (SPA) Surgery

This paper presents a novel design and preliminary kinematic analysis of an Insertable Robotic Effector Platform (IREP) for Single Port Access (SPA) Surgery. The IREP robot can be deployed into body cavity through a O15mm skin incision to perform SPA procedures. It consists of two snake-like continuum robots as slave surgical assistants for tissue manipulation, two parallelogram mechanisms for the continuum robots' placement, and one controllable stereo vision module with integrated light source for depth perception and tool tracking. Design considerations and alternatives, calculations and preliminary simulations of this 17-DoF surgical robotic system are presented in this paper. The overall control system hierarchy for tele-manipulation using the IREP robot is also presented.
Comparison of the Gen-Probe Aptima HIV-1 and Abbott HIV-1 qualitative assays with the Roche Amplicor HIV-1 DNA assay for early infant diagnosis using dried blood spots.

Background The current gold standard for infant diagnosis of HIV-1 is the Roche Amplicor Qualitative DNA assay, but it is being phased out.
ESWorkstations-the next generation

Integrated packages of computer programs that support specific electric utility engineering functions, known as electrical systems workstations (ESWorkstations), and their integration with utility-developed software are discussed. Various suggestions for making ESWorkstations more useful are examined. A built-in expert advisor, MENTOR, and the use of open systems architecture for workstations are discussed. >
Scattering from a Vegetation Layer

A plane layer of vegetation separating air and soil is assumed to model dense crops such as alfalfa and soybeans. Backscattering from such a layer is computed by first determining the coherent fields existing in the layer by solving the Dyson equation under bilocal approximation. Then the scattered field is found using the first-order renormalization method. The scatter model is evaluated for different depths to correspond to the changes in height of the crop during its growth period. The behaviors of the scatter model versus moisture content and volume ratio of vegetation and soil permittivity are also illustrated. It was found that while ground effects are, in general, more significant near normal incidence than at large incidence angles, a reversal of this trend is possible for a thin vegetation layer. This offers a possible explanation for the relatively flat angular response observed in some of the measured scattering coefficients around 60-70°, since leaf density is not really uniform in practice. It was also found that any significant peaking of the backscattering coefficient near vertical incidence cannot be explained by volume scattering due to the propagation of the ground reflected field. It is believed that irregular ground is the contributing factor to large returns near vertical incidence.
Primates and the Evolution of Long, Slow Life Histories

Primates are characterized by relatively late ages at first reproduction, long lives and low fertility. Together, these traits define a life-history of reduced reproductive effort. Understanding the optimal allocation of reproductive effort, and specifically reduced reproductive effort, has been one of the key problems motivating the development of life-history theory. Because of their unusual constellation of life-history traits, primates play an important role in the continued development of life-history theory. In this review, I present the evidence for the reduced reproductive effort life histories of primates and discuss the ways that such life-history tactics are understood in contemporary theory. Such tactics are particularly consistent with the predictions of stochastic demographic models, suggesting a key role for environmental variability in the evolution of primate life histories. The tendency for primates to specialize in high-quality, high-variability food items may make them particularly susceptible to environmental variability and explains their low reproductive-effort tactics. I discuss recent applications of life-history theory to human evolution and emphasize the continuity between models used to explain peculiarities of human reproduction and senescence with the long, slow life histories of primates more generally.
Use of a Novel Robotic Interface to Study Finger Motor Control

Stroke is the leading cause of permanent adult disability in the U.S., frequently resulting in chronic motor impairments. Rehabilitation of the upper limb, particularly the hand, is especially important as arm and hand deficits post-stroke limit the performance of activities of daily living and, subsequently, functional independence. Hand rehabilitation is challenging due to the complexity of motor control of the hand. New instrumentation is needed to facilitate examination of the hand. Thus, a novel actuated exoskeleton for the index finger, the FingerBot, was developed to permit the study of finger kinetics and kinematics under a variety of conditions. Two such novel environments, one applying a spring-like extension torque proportional to angular displacement at each finger joint and another applying a constant extension torque at each joint, were compared in 10 stroke survivors with the FingerBot. Subjects attempted to reach targets located throughout the finger workspace. The constant extension torque assistance resulted in a greater workspace area (p < 0.02) and a larger active range of motion for the metacarpophalangeal joint (p < 0.01) than the spring-like assistance. Additionally, accuracy in terms of reaching the target was greater with the constant extension assistance as compared to no assistance. The FingerBot can be a valuable tool in assessing various hand rehabilitation paradigms following stroke.
Comparisons of upwelling and relaxation events in the Monterey Bay area

[1] Observations show significant differences in circulation patterns of upwelling and relaxation events that occurred in the Monterey Bay during two Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network field experiments in August 2003 and 2006. During the 2003 experiment, circulation exhibited more typical patterns associated with upwelling/relaxation: the development of the southward flowing jet and pair of cyclonic (inside of the bay) and anticyclonic (outside of the bay) circulations during upwelling and the development of the northward flow along the coast during relaxation of winds. During the upwelling event of 2006, the southward flow was weaker and shallower than in 2003. The second relaxation event of 2006 was significantly different from the first relaxation event of 2006 and the relaxation event of 2003: a southward flow was present along the entrance to the bay and this southward flow penetrated into the subsurface up to around 50 m at the mooring location. Two reasons for the observed differences in upwelling and relaxation events of 2003 and 2006 are identified in the paper: weaker winds in August 2006 than in August 2003 and strong positive sea surface height anomalies propagating poleward along the coast during 2006. The 2003 field program included an extensive sampling of the bay and surrounding areas with a fleet of underwater gliders, while during 2006 program, the extensive sampling was conducted in the area of upwelling center to the north of the Monterey Bay. During the 2003 field program, the Monterey Bay model was able to reproduce observed surface and subsurface features with assimilation of glider observations. However, during the 2006 field program, the assimilation of glider data from the upwelling center to the north of the Monterey Bay had minimal impact on model simulations of observed features to the south of the upwelling center.
Error performance of OFDM-QAM in subcarrier multiplexed fiber-optic transmission

Error performance of OFDM-QAM signals is analyzed for subcarrier multiplexed (SCM) fiber-optic video transmission, particularly for hybrid AM/OFDM systems. In comparison with conventional M-QAM signals, it is shown that the OFDM system provides significant performance improvements in terms of bit-error rate (BER), channel capacity, and operating range of the optical modulation depth, in the lightwave SCM environment where both the clipping impulse noise and Gaussian noise are present. As a result, the OFDM signals will introduce less interference effects on the nominal AM channels than the M-QAM signals under the same operating conditions.
What Political Science Is Missing By Not Studying AIDS

Political science has been slow to address the political and policy issues of AIDS. It was not until 1987—six years after recognition of the epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control—that the American Political Science Association first sponsored a panel on AIDS policy at its annual convention. A second panel, on comparative public policy issues and AIDS, was not held until 1989, but that panel was sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Caucus for Political Science, not the APSA. A 1987 special issue on health policy of PS: Political Science & Politics contained not a single reference to AIDS. When it comes to using its accumulated wisdom to help society understand the phenomenon of AIDS, professional political science lags far behind psychology, anthropology, sociology, and other social science disciplines. By downplaying AIDS, political science has not only acquiesced in trivializing this deadly disease and in marginalizing groups initially identified with it, but it also has squandered an important opportunity for itself. To what degree might the study of AIDS test the breadth of current explanatory theory? What testable hypotheses might be generated from studies of AIDS policies? What does AIDS tell us about processes of political mobilization, policy making, the creation of political networks or alternative power maps?
Photonic crystal based beam aperture modifier and deflector

We have designed and simulated a parabolic gradient-index (GRIN) photonic crystal (PC) based beam aperture modifier and a deflector. The parabolic GRIN PC is achieved by using free standing dielectric columns with graded radii transverse to the light propagation direction. The performance of the beam aperture modifier and the deflector can be tuned by changing the gradient coefficient of the GRIN PCs. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods were used to characterize changes in beam width and propagation direction. Compared with conventional approaches, the GRIN PC-based beam aperture modifier and beam deflector described here can be conveniently fabricated down to the micrometer scale.
Outlier-aware robust clustering

Clustering is a basic task in a variety of machine learning applications. Partitioning a set of input vectors into compact, well-separated subsets can be severely affected by the presence of model-incompatible inputs called outliers. The present paper develops robust clustering algorithms for jointly partitioning the data and identifying the outliers. The novel approach relies on translating scarcity of outliers to sparsity in a judiciously defined domain, to robustify three widely used clustering schemes: hard K-means, fuzzy K-means, and probabilistic clustering. Cluster centers and assignments are iteratively updated in closed form. The developed outlier-aware algorithms are guaranteed to converge, while their computational complexity is of the same order as their outlier-agnostic counterparts. Preliminary simulations validate the analytical claims.
An efficient optimization scheme for WDM/TDM PON network planning

With the growing popularity of bandwidth demanding services such as HDTV, VoD, and video conferencing applications, there is an increasing demand on broadband access. To meet this demand, the access networks are evolving from the traditional DSL (xDSL more recently) and cable techniques to a new generation of fiber-based access techniques. While EPONs and GPONs have been the most studied passive optical access networks (PONs), WDM-PON is now clearly seen as the next generation trend with an hybrid set of switching equipment. We propose here an original optimization scheme for the deployment of greenfield PON networks where we minimize the overall deployment cost. Given the geographical location of ONUs and their incoming/outgoing traffic demands, the newly proposed scheme optimizes the placement of splitters/AWGs in a PON and the link dimensioning in order to provision the overall demand. The optimization scheme proceeds in three phases. In the first phase, we generate several potential equipment hierarchies, where each equipment hierarchy is associated with an ONU partition such that a switching equipment is associated with each cluster, each ONU belongs to a single cluster, and the splitting ratio of the equipment corresponds to the number of ONUs in the cluster. In the second phase, for each equipment hierarchy, we make use of a column generation (CG) mathematical model to select the type and location of the switching equipment that leads to the minimum cost multi-stage equipment topology which accommodates all the traffic demand. The third phase selects the best hierarchy among all the generated and dimensioned hierarchies. The optimization model encompasses the particular cases where all switching equipment are either splitters and AWGs, and outputs the location of the switching equipment together with the dimensioning of the PON network. We performed numerical experiments on various data sets in order to evaluate the performance of the optimization model, and to analyze the type of equipment hierarchies which are generated depending on the traffic and the location of the ONUs.
Narcissism and Causal Attribution

This study examined the relationship between scores on narcissistic personality traits and causal attributions to positive and negative events. 119 undergraduate students in psychology as participants completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-40, the Attributional Style Questionnaire, and several Self-referencing Closed-ended Vignettes. Analyses indicated that men who scored higher on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-40 made more internal and stable attributions to positive events and more external and unstable attributions to negative events than did men who scored lower on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-40. Also scores on the Self-referencing Closed-ended Vignettes correlated significantly and positively with the Attributional Style Questionnaire, providing evidence for the validity of the vignettes.
Developmental responses to variable diet composition in a butterfly: the role of nitrogen, carbohydrates and genotype

Understanding the evolution of herbivore-plant interactions requires detailed information on proximate responses to relevant dietary variability and genetic variance, if any, associated with these responses. We measured the behavioral and developmental responses of Pieris rapae larvae to variation in the nitrogen (N) and carbohydrate (CARB) content of chemically-defined diets, using differences in the average responses of sibling groups to estimate underlying genetic variance. Larval P. rapae responded to dietary reductions in both N and CARB with increased feeding, but these responses were inadequate to compensate for dietary N deficiencies within the range of N found in host plants. As a result, larvae on reduced N diets exhibited lower relative growth rates and longer development times, whereas larvae on reduced CARB diets maintained normal developmental trajectories. We also report evidence for genetic variation underlying (a) compensatory feeding responses to CARB and N availability, (b) N-driven variation in growth rate and (c) CARB-driven variation in larval duration. Our results highlight N availability as a key factor in the growth and development of this herbivorous butterfly, with CARB availability being less constraining and sufficiently addressed by changes to larval consumption rate. Furthermore, our study reveals standing genetic variance associated with larval responses to macronutrient availability, suggesting continued potential for herbivore―plant co-evolution in this system despite a putative history of strong directional selection.
Programming environments for reusability

The standard techniques for the obstacles to software reuse are reviewed, and some emerging techniques that may makes a larger fraction of system software reusable are discussed. The main characteristics of five categories of programming environments are briefly examined. The categories are: structure-oriented environments, language environments, toolkit environments, software development methodologies, and system development assistants. The requirements for further development of reusability are examined, and speculations are offered as to which type of environment will be best suited to support it. >
Direct Visualization of HIV-1 Replication Intermediates Shows that Capsid and CPSF6 Modulate HIV-1 Intra-nuclear Invasion and Integration

Direct visualization of HIV-1 replication would improve our understanding of the viral life cycle. We adapted established technology and reagents to develop an imaging approach, ViewHIV, which allows evaluation of early HIV-1 replication intermediates, from reverse transcription to integration. These methods permit the simultaneous evaluation of both the capsid protein (CA) and viral DNA genome (vDNA) components of HIV-1 in both the cytosol and nuclei of single cells. ViewHIV is relatively rapid, uses readily available reagents in combination with standard confocal microscopy, and can be done with virtually any HIV-1 strain and permissive cell lines or primary cells. Using ViewHIV, we find that CA enters the nucleus and associates with vDNA in both transformed and primary cells. We also find that CA's interaction with the host polyadenylation factor, CPSF6, enhances nuclear entry and potentiates HIV-1's depth of nuclear invasion, potentially aiding the virus's integration into gene-dense regions.
PASSIVE FISHING TECHNIQUES: A CAUSE OF TURTLE MORTALITY IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

We investigated variation of incidentally captured turtle mortality in response to environmental factors and passive fishing techniques. We used Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) data collected from 1996 to 2001 in the unimpounded upper Mississippi River (UMR) adjacent to Missouri and Illinois, USA. We used a principle components analysis (PCA) and a stepwise discriminant function analysis to identify factors correlated with mortality of captured turtles. Furthermore, we were interested in what percentage of turtles died from passive fishing techniques and what technique(s) caused the most turtle mortality. The main factors influencing captured turtle mortality were water temperature and depth at net deployment. Fyke nets captured the most turtles and caused the most turtle mortality. Almost 90% of mortalities occurred in offshore aquatic areas (i.e., side channel or tributary). Our results provide information on causes of turtle mortality (as bycatch) in a riverine system and implications for river turtle conservation by suggesting management strategies to reduce turtle bycatch and decrease mortality of captured turtles.
Chemistry of Multitudinous Active Sites for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Transition Metal–Nitrogen–Carbon Electrocatalysts

Development and optimization of non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), consisting of transition metal–nitrogen–carbon (M–N–C) framework, is hindered by the partial understanding of the reaction mechanisms and precise chemistry of the active site or sites. In this study, we have analyzed more than 45 M–N–C electrocatalysts synthesized from three different families of precursors, such as polymer-based, macrocycles, and small organic molecules. Catalysts were electrochemically tested and analyzed structurally using exactly the same protocol for deriving structure-to-property relationships. We have identified possible active sites participating in different ORR pathways: (1) metal-free electrocatalysts support partial reduction of O2 to H2O2; (2) pyrrolic nitrogen acts as a site for partial O2 reduction to H2O2; (3) pyridinic nitrogen displays catalytic activity in reducing H2O2 to H2O; (4) Fe coordinated to N (Fe–Nx) serves as an active site for four-electron...
Amphiphilic Cellulose Ethers Designed for Amorphous Solid Dispersion via Olefin Cross-Metathesis

The design of cellulose ether-based amphiphiles has been difficult and limited because of the harsh conditions typically required for appending ether moieties to cellulose. Olefin cross-metathesis recently has been shown to be a valuable approach for appending a variety of functional groups to cellulose ethers and esters, provided that an olefin handle for metathesis can be attached. This synthetic pathway gives access to these functional derivatives under very mild conditions and at high efficiency. Modification of ethyl cellulose by metathesis to prepare useful derivatives, for example, for solubility and bioavailability enhancement of drugs by amorphous solid dispersion (ASD), has been limited by the low DS(OH) of commercial ethyl cellulose derivatives. This is problematic because ethyl cellulose is otherwise a very attractive substrate for synthesis of amphiphilic derivatives by olefin metathesis. Herein we explore two methods for opening up this design space for ether-based amphiphiles, for example, ...
Polymer-enhanced enzymatic microalgal cell disruption for lipid and sugar recovery

Abstract Enzymatic cell disruption is a promising, highly energy-efficient technology for recovery of cellular compounds from microalgal cells, but it has not been applied at large scale because of its low cost-efficiency. In this work, we present a novel and highly efficient approach to enhance enzymatic disruption of Chlorella protothecoides cell walls to recover the lipid contents and cell wall compositional sugars. When thermoresponsive polymers, such as poly-( N -isopropylacrylimide-co-allylamine), were mixed with microalgal cell suspensions, cell disruption was increased from 22 to 68%, with equivalent increases in lipid recovery. The use of thermoresponsive polymers allows for simple and efficient separation of polymers after product recovery for reuse in subsequent batches. The highest cell disruption and associated lipid yield reached about 68% and 59%, respectively, which was achieved using 10 mol-% amine copolymers with a loading of 0.05 g/g algal biomass dry weight (BDW). During this process, about 50% of dry algal cell wall was converted to reducing sugars. Furthermore, we found that copolymers were able to disrupt algal cells in the absence of enzyme. Polymer loadings of 0.1 g/g BDW led to the highest cell disruption and lipid recovery for 6 h contact time reaching 32% and 30%, respectively. A quantitative and morphological analysis on polymer-enhanced microalgal cell disruption is presented, indicating that the polymer may function by stressing and breaking the cell wall and/or protecting enzyme from denaturation.
Multidimensional Visualization of MHD and Turbulence in Fusion Plasmas

Quasi-optical imaging at sub-THz frequencies has a major impact on fusion plasma diagnostics. Millimeter-wave imaging reflectometry utilizes microwaves to actively probe fusion plasmas, inferring the local properties of electron density fluctuations. Electron cyclotron emission imaging is a multichannel radiometer that passively measures the spontaneous emission of microwaves from the plasma to infer local properties of electron temperature fluctuations. These imaging diagnostics work together to diagnose the characteristics of turbulence and magnetohydrodynamic activity. Important quantities, such as amplitude and wavenumber of coherent fluctuations, correlation lengths and decorrelation times of turbulence, and poloidal flow velocity of the plasma, are readily inferred.
Investing in Authoritarian Rule: Punishment and Patronage in Rwanda's Gacaca Courts for Genocide Crimes

Introduction Part I. Clientelist and Authoritarian Legacies: 1. A history of clientelism in Rwanda 2. The RPF: an unrivaled patron Part II. Formal and Informal Rules of the Game: 3. The mental map: shared expectations of rule 4. The gacaca court: deciding innocence and guilt Part III. Consolidating Authoritarianism: 5. Confessions: surrendering the right to rule 6. Denunciations: local space and local control 7. Judges: political cooptation at the grassroots Conclusion.
Analysis on examination results of enteric pathogenic bacteria among food service employees of large-scale activities

[Objective]To explore the effect of method that stool samples is collected from food service employees of large-scale activities by anal swab and enteric pathogenic bacteria are examined by SN enrichment broth.[Methods]The anal swab specimens collected from food service employees before a large-scale international forum in 2012 summer in Tianjin were cultured in SN enrichment medium for 18-24 hours,and then were inoculated with SS agar plate.The suspected colonies were identified by biochemical and serological detection in pathogenic biology laboratory.[Results]Among 674 anal swab specimens,4 strains of Salmonella were detected,including 3 strains of group C Salmonella and 1 strain of group B Salmonella,Shigella were not detected,and the total positive rate was 0.59%.All 4 positive specimens were collected from male migrant workers.[Conclusion]This method can effectively improve the detection rate of fecal pathogens.
Blood concentration monitoring analysis of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with high-dose-methotrexate

Objective:To determine blood concentration of methotrexate in human plasma by HPLC and analyze result of blood concentration monitoring of acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL)treated with high-dose-methotrexate(HD-MTX).Methods:21 ALL hospitalized from 2005 to 2007 were given the curative scheme of eighty-five cycles of HD-MTX(5 g/m2).To rescue with calicium folinate 42 h after the treated with HD-MTX.Blood concentration of MTX was monitorred by high performance liquid chromatography in 44 h,72 h after the administration in each cycle.Results:Blood concentration of MTX in 44 h,72 h after the administration were(0.82±0.95)μmol/L,(0.091±0.062)μmol/L,respectively.Conclusions:MTX has a large individual variation in disposition,the dosage of calicium folinate increase or decrease according as blood concentration monitoring and clinic observation.
Intrarenal Reflux and Renal Damage

AbstractThe retrograde flow of dye from the calices into the collecting tubules (intrarenal reflux) seen during cystography in children and its effect on the kidneys were evaluated. A retrospective analysis was made of 175 patients with excretory urograms revealing cortical atrophy. Of these patients 68 per cent had cystograms revealing vesicoureteral reflux. Intrarenal reflux was seen in 8 patients less than 6 years old, an incidence of 13.5 per cent in that age group. There was a high correlation, 7 of 8 or 87.5 per cent, between the areas of intrarenal reflux, and associated renal cortical atrophy and calicectasis. Intrarenal reflux provides a pathway by which bacteria and hydrostatic pressure may produce injury to the renal parenchyma. The presence of intrarenal reflux is an absolute indication for ureteroneocystostomy.
FIELD-DEPENDENT CONDUCTANCE IN SODIUM-LIQUID AMMONIA SOLUTIONS II—SEMI-CONDUCTOR BEHAVIOUR AT THE ELECTRODES

There is described in some detail the observation of very large field-dependent conductance effects in cells designed for high field studies of sodium metal-liquid ammonia solutions. It is shown that the phenomenon is due to semi-conductor behaviour of the electrodes and not to any unusual feature of the solutions themselves.
The effect of international trade agreements on transportation planning along the Texas-Mexico border

The ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has elevated traditional local and state-level transportation planning efforts to the level of national and international planning and transportation policy. The implementation of NAFTA is creating significant problems for transportation planners, including increased commercial vehicle congestion, and an emphasis on institutional and political issues. The incremental implementation of elements of the trade agreement compounds planning problems as trade conditions, and subsequent demands on border transportation infrastructure, will be changing rapidly. Focusing primarily on commercial vehicle traffic, this paper provides an overview of NAFTA, institutional issues relating to transportation planning, state and local transportation planning efforts in Texas, and the research efforts of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Research Center of Excellence at Texas A&M University.
Electronic Structure and Band Gap of Fullerenes on Tungsten Surfaces: Transition from a Semiconductor to a Metal Triggered by Annealing.

The understanding and control of molecule–metal interfaces is critical to the performance of molecular electronics and photovoltaics devices. We present a study of the interface between C60 and W, which is a carbide-forming transition metal. The complex solid-state reaction at the interface can be exploited to adjust the electronic properties of the molecule layer. Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy measurements demonstrate the progression of this reaction from wide band gap (>2.5 eV) to metallic molecular surface during annealing from 300 to 800 K. Differential conduction maps with 104 scanning tunneling spectra are used to quantify the transition in the density of states and the reduction of the band gap during annealing with nanometer spatial resolution. The electronic transition is spatially homogeneous, and the surface band gap can therefore be adjusted by a targeted annealing step. The modified molecules, which we call nanospheres, are quite resistant to ripening and coalescence, unlike any ...
Effects of radiative forcing of building integrated photovoltaic systems in different urban climates

Recent years have witnessed a remarkable reduction in solar-panel costs, such that low-efficiency, low-cost photovoltaics (PV) currently prevail over more complex, high-efficiency technologies. Although solar-energy-generating installations provide a renewable energy source often considered emission-free, a number of externalities are frequently ignored that favor technologies with a reduced efficiency as long as they are available at lower cost. Whenever PV systems are installed, the absorption properties of the surface are changed and less sunlight from the Earth’s surface is reflected into space. By including this radiative forcing in the form of the Earth’s surface reflection coefficient albedo (α), we take these externalities into consideration in the overall equivalent global warming potential (GWP) of a PV system. Three different effects need to be considered when changing the absorption properties of the Earth’s surface: (1) global albedo impact, (2) regional atmospheric heat islands, and (3) locally heated surfaces. The unintended radiative forcing adversely affects the net efficiency of building-integrated solar installations in warm urban climates, as more energy is required for cooling to ensure human comfort. The total GWP of four different PV technologies was examined for three different urban climates, temperate, moderate, and warm. To minimize the system energy payback time (EPBT) it is most sensible to install high-efficiency solar-energy systems outside cities and urban developments in locations with high annual irradiance. Only when taking radiative forcing into environmental and economic considerations is it expected that solar-technology development will correct its trajectory away from low-cost systems and toward high-efficiency installations with lower overall GWP.
Improved airborne molecular contaminant filter performance for photolithography

Airborne molecular contaminants continue to pose cost of ownership challenges in photolithography. Recent advances in understanding siloxane removal have led to the development of an innovative filtration configuration utilizing new media that works in concert to increase overall filter life for acids, bases and silicon containing organic contaminants. This paper examines accelerated testing results, for these state-of-the-art filtration assemblies versus legacy products, to demonstrate improved system performance. The state-of-the-art filtration assemblies have been evaluated in production semiconductor fabs and have shown favorable performance.
Observables and Operators

The version of classical mechanics based on forces and Newton’s laws resists any meaningful reformation into a quantum theory because it depends critically on such concepts (trajectory, acceleration, etc.) that do not correspond to any observable reality in the quantum world. More productive for finding links between classical and quantum realms is an alternative formulation, where energy rather than force takes the central role. There are two essential elements in this formulation of classical mechanics. One is the idea of canonical coordinates in the so-called phase space (as opposed to regular three-dimensional configuration space), and the other is the concept of Hamiltonian.
If training data appears to be mislabeled, should we relabel it? Improving supervised learning algorithms for threat detection in ground penetrating radar data

This work focuses on the development of automatic buried threat detection (BTD) algorithms using ground penetrating radar (GPR) data. Buried threats tend to exhibit unique characteristics in GPR imagery, such as high energy hyperbolic shapes, which can be leveraged for detection. Many recent BTD algorithms are supervised, and therefore they require training with exemplars of GPR data collected over non-threat locations and threat locations, respectively. Frequently, data from non-threat GPR examples will exhibit high energy hyperbolic patterns, similar to those observed from a buried threat. Is it still useful therefore, to include such examples during algorithm training, and encourage an algorithm to label such data as a non-threat? Similarly, some true buried threat examples exhibit very little distinctive threat-like patterns. We investigate whether it is beneficial to treat such GPR data examples as mislabeled, and either (i) relabel them, or (ii) remove them from training. We study this problem using two algorithms to automatically identify mislabeled examples, if they are present, and examine the impact of removing or relabeling them for training. We conduct these experiments on a large collection of GPR data with several state-of-the-art GPR-based BTD algorithms.
Update in the Early Management and Reperfusion Strategies of Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains a leading cause of death and long-term disability. The paradigms on prehospital care, reperfusion therapies, and postreperfusion management of patients with AIS continue to evolve. After the publication of pivotal clinical trials, endovascular thrombectomy has become part of the standard of care in selected cases of AIS since 2015. New stroke guidelines have been recently published, and the time window for mechanical thrombectomy has now been extended up to 24 hours. This review aims to provide a focused up-to-date review for the early management of adult patients with AIS and introduce the new upcoming areas of ongoing research.
Estimated versus achieved maximal oxygen consumption in severely burned children maximal oxygen consumption in burned children

Abstract Purpose In burned children, exercise training increases maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and can be combined with the nonspecific beta-blocker propranolol to decrease cardiac work. VO2 max is estimated if indirect calorimetry is not available. We compared measured and estimated VO2 max in severely burned children treated with or without propranolol to determine the suitability of commonly used formulas in these populations. Methods Patients received propranolol or placebo (control) during acute hospitalization. VO2 max was measured during a modified Bruce treadmill test at discharge and compared to values obtained using the Cooper, Bruce, American College of Sports Medicine, and Porro formulas. Pearson correlations and Bland–Altman analyses were used to compare measured and estimated values. Results Ninety-nine children (propranolol n = 46,control n = 53) admitted at our facility between 2003 and 2016 were analyzed. Age at burn (propranolol 12 ± 4 years, control 12 ± 3 years,p = 0.893) and total body surface area burned (propranolol 44 ± 15%,control 49 ± 14%,p = 0.090) were comparable between groups. Measured VO2 max was higher in the propranolol group (25.5 ± 6.0 mL/min/kg vs. 22.0 ± 4.7 mL/min/kg,p = 0.002) and was generally lower than estimated values. Age, sex, inhalation injury, body mass index, exercise time, and maximal speed were predictive of measured VO2 max in the control group. Age, sex, and maximal speed were predictive in the propranolol group. Backward selection yielded the formula [7.63 + 2.16 × sex(females = 0,males = 1) + 0.41 × age(years) + 0.15 × maximal speed(m/min)] (R2 = 0.6525). Conclusions Propranolol seems to have beneficial effects on cardiorespiratory capacity in burned children. However, estimated VO2 max with common formulas were too high. The VO2 max formula reported here is suitable for propranolol-treated children and the Porro formula for non-propranolol-treated children.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Iron Using A4 Tesla Whole-Body Scanner

Neurologists and neuropathologists have long known (e.g., Spatz, 1922) that certain specific regions of the adult human brain contain exceptionally high concentrations of iron. The liver, spleen and bone marrow are also rich in iron (Matsuno et al., 1985), but in these organs the iron is distributed relatively uniformly rather than being localized to specific regions as in the brain. The reported concentration in various brain nuclei varies somewhat from investigator to investigator but is generally consistent with the results of Hallgren and Sourander (1958) who find the iron concentration small or absent throughout the brain at birth then increasing rapidly in specific regions until about age twenty when a plateau appears to be reached. There is evidence for a further increase in extreme old age (Klintworth, 1973). Iron is prominent in the nuclei of the basal ganglia which are also referred to as the extrapyramidal motor system. The greatest iron concentration is found in the globus pallidus, substantia nigra and red nucleus where it is roughly 0.2 mg iron/gram of fresh tissue. The concentration is also elevated, but not as markedly, in the putamen, the dentate nucleus and the caudate nucleus where it is in the range of approximately 0.10 to 0.13 mg/gram. By way of comparison, Hallgren and Sourander report the average non-heme iron in the cortex and white matter as about.04 mg/gram and in the liver as 0.13 mg/gram.
Text Messaging to Enhance Mindfulness-Based Smoking Cessation Treatment: Program Development Through Qualitative Research

Background: Mindfulness-based programs show promise for promoting smoking cessation in diverse populations. Mobile health strategies could increase treatment engagement and in-the-moment support, thus enhancing the effects of mindfulness-based smoking cessation interventions. However, most mobile health programs have been developed without sufficient input from the target population. Objective: By eliciting input from the target population, predominantly low socioeconomic status (SES) African American adult smokers, throughout the development of an SMS (short message service) text messaging program that teaches mindfulness for smoking cessation, we aimed for the resulting program to be optimally effective and consistent with participants’ needs and preferences. Methods: Two qualitative studies (N=25) were conducted with predominantly low SES, African American adult smokers. In Study 1 (initial qualitative input; n=15), participants engaged in focus groups to provide suggestions for program development. In Study 2 (abbreviated trial; n=10), participants received a 1-week version of the SMS text messaging program and provided feedback through in-depth interviews. Results: In Study 1, participants suggested that the SMS text messaging program should be personalized and interactive (ie, involve two-way messaging); provide strategies for coping with cravings and recovering from smoking lapses; involve relatively short, to-the-point messages; and include pictures. In Study 2, participants were highly engaged with the texts, indicated that the program was useful, and provided additional suggestions for improvement. Conclusions: Eliciting feedback from the target population throughout the intervention development process allowed for iterative revisions to increase feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness. Overall, SMS text messaging appears to be a feasible, appealing way to provide in-the-moment personalized support and encourage mindfulness among low-income African American smokers.
Molecular conformation affects the interaction of the Pseudomonas quinolone signal with the bacterial outer membrane

Gram-negative bacteria produce outer-membrane vesicles (OMVs) that package genetic elements, virulence factors, and cell-to-cell communication signaling compounds. Despite their importance in many disease-related processes, how these versatile structures are formed is incompletely understood. A self-produced secreted small molecule, the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS), has been shown to initiate OMV formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by interacting with the outer membrane (OM) and inducing its curvature. Other bacterial species have also been shown to respond to PQS, supporting a common biophysical mechanism. Here, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the specific interactions between PQS and a model P. aeruginosa OM at the atomistic scale. We discovered two characteristic states of PQS interacting with the biologically relevant membrane, namely attachment to the membrane surface and insertion into the lipid A leaflet. The hydrogen bonds between PQS and the lipid A phosphates drove the PQS–membrane association. An analysis of PQS trajectory and molecular conformation revealed sequential events critical for spontaneous insertion, including probing, docking, folding, and insertion. Remarkably, PQS bent its hydrophobic side chain into a closed conformation to lower the energy barrier for penetration through the hydrophilic headgroup zone of the lipid A leaflet, which was confirmed by the potential of mean force (PMF) measurements. Attachment and insertion were simultaneously observed in the simulation with multiple PQS molecules. Our findings uncover a sequence of molecular interactions that drive PQS insertion into the bacterial OM and provide important insight into the biophysical mechanism of small molecule–induced OMV biogenesis.
Abstract P234: Social Coherence and Religious/Spiritual Coping Skills Modify Associations Between Weight-Related Discrimination and Risk of Multi-System Physiological Dysregulation Among US Adults

Background: Weight discrimination is associated with higher multi-system physiological dysregulation, referred to as allostatic load (AL), which increases cardiovascular risk. While reducing weight...
A dynamic crowdshipping model and daily travel behavior

Abstract Using a dynamic optimization model, we study the transaction of pickup/delivery activities between two groups of individuals: carriers and requesters, in a P2P crowdshipping model. Based on their value of time, requesters set maximum willingness to pay for their parcels to be picked up and delivered and carriers, make an offer depending on the changes that needs to be made to their original itinerary. The proposed model was tested for Los Angeles and Orange Counties, with 27% of successful matches, also demonstrating the impacts of crowdshipping on regional travel behavior and shifts in space-time distribution of the demand.
Neurocognition and Treatment Outcomes in Schizophrenia

Neurocognitive deficits affect nearly every aspect of psychosocial and functional outcomes in schizophrenia. In particular, deficits to executive functioning and verbal memory have been found to predict clinical and psychosocial outcomes at every stage of the psychosis spectrum, from clinically high-risk populations to chronic schizophrenia. Baseline cognitive indices provide clinical and prognostic information about daily functioning, community integration, and quality of life and can serve as predictors of health-care-related outcomes as well. While psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia are amenable to pharmacologic interventions, treatment strategies for cognitive symptoms are lacking. From a drug discovery perspective, modulation of glutamatergic and cholinergic pathways is promising, but there are no current FDA-approved medications for the treatment of cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. As therapeutic options for this disorder continue to grow, including pharmacology, neuromodulation, cognitive remediation, and combinations thereof, these treatments will be made particularly potent if they are applied to biomarker-identified sensitive subgroups of patients.