cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sodium balance and aldosterone during dehydration and rehydration in the dog

The regulation of sodium metabolism and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system was evaluated during 24 h of water, but not food, deprivation and during rehydration in the dog. Dehydration caused increases in plasma concentrations of sodium (6.0 +/- 0.7 meq/l), protein (0.8 +/- 0.1 g/dl), vasopressin (5.3 +/- 0.9 pg/ml), and renin activity (3.5 +/- 1.1 ng AI X ml-1 X 3 h-1). Plasma aldosterone was unchanged and plasma potassium fell slightly (0.2 +/- 0.1 meq/l). During dehydration, food, and thus sodium intake fell by more than 10% in 12 of 19 dogs, but urinary sodium excretion increased significantly, leading to a negative sodium balance (1.9 +/- 0.2 meq/kg). Sodium retention was observed after rehydration and sodium balance; plasma electrolytes, vasopressin, and plasma renin activity (PRA) returned turned to control levels after the 1st day of recovery. However, plasma aldosterone was slightly elevated at this time, returning to control after the 2nd day of recovery. The dehydration-induced natriuresis could not be accounted for by a fall in plasma aldosterone. However, sodium retention following rehydration could be aldosterone dependent, because additional studies showed a threefold rise in plasma levels of the hormone 1 h after drinking. The acute rise in aldosterone correlated closely (r = 0.82) with the fall in plasma sodium after drinking but not with changes in adrenocorticotrophic hormone, PRA, or plasma potassium. It is concluded that natriuresis is a homeostatic response to dehydration as a means of ameliorating the rise in body fluid osmolality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Papillomavirus Structure and Assembly

Papillomaviruses are spherical, nonenveloped DNA viruses 55–60 nm in diameter. Their coat or capsid is comprised of 72 pentamers (capsomeres) of their major capsid protein (L1) arranged on a T = 7 icosahedral lattice. An internal minor (in amount) capsid protein (L2) is associated with a subset of the L1 pentamers that forms the outer shell. Enclosed within the capsid shell is the viral genomic DNA packaged as a minichromosome by cellular nucleosomes. The overall structure of the papillomavirus virion is strikingly similar to that of the polyomaviruses, where VP1 is the major capsid protein comprising the pentameric capsomeres, and the VP2 and VP3 proteins are analogous to L2. The structures of papilloma and polyoma viruses have been a longstanding object of investigation, and have served to model the study of other icosahedral viruses. Their symmetry provided support for the Crick-Watson postulate (Crick and Watson, 1956) that most viruses likely would have structures constructed of similar repeating subunits because of genomic coding economy, and that this constraint could be most easily accommodated with either icosahedral or helical symmetry. In particular, icosahedral geometry provides a near spherical container that most efficiently optimizes the ratio of surface area (and thus the minimal subunit number) to volume ratio. The first surprise was that the capsid consists of only 360 subunits of 72 pentamers. This all pentamer construction violated Caspar-Klug “quasi-equivalence” assembly rules, and raised the question of how identical pentamers could “bond-switch” between positions on the capsid surface having five (pentavalent) or six (hexavalent) neighbors. The atomic structures of recombinant papillomavirus virus-like particles and of SV40/polyoma virions now provide interesting explanations for these structural puzzles as well as for other biological functions. The morphologic similarity between papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses (e.g., SV40) initially resulted in their co-classification in the papovavirus family (papilloma, polyoma, vaculoating agent [SV40]). As a consequence of
Comment on 'Modeling Non-Monotone Risk Aversion Using Sahara Utility Functions'

We correct the results in Proposition 2.2 of Chen et al. (2011) and the part on comparison of prudence levels.
Effects of B2H6 Pretreatment on ALD of W Film Using a Sequential Supply of WF6 and SiH4

The effects of diborane pretreatment on atomic layer deposition (ALD) of tungsten (W) thin film using a sequential supply of and on thermally grown and TiN films at 300°C were investigated. The results show that the pretreatment reduces the incubation time for film growth. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis suggest that elemental B on , released during pretreatment, induce rapid W nucleation. The drastically improved step coverage of ALD-W film is achieved at the ultrahigh aspect ratio contact (height: and top diameter: ) by the enhanced nucleation and growth via pretreatment. The effects of pretreatment on the properties of ALD-W films such as roughness, phase, microstructure, and resistivity are also investigated.
Spam filtering of bi-lingual tweets using machine learning

During recent years, usage of social media has increased enormously. Billions of users use Twitter, Youtube etc which has resulted in the increase in spams as well. Spammers use spam accounts and target users on online social media. Whether a user accesses this social media through smart-phone or web, he/she is prone to the spammers on social media websites. This paper analyses different classification techniques that are currently being used in spam filtering in the context of social media. The contents of tweets are unique in nature, and are different from emails due to their less content so some techniques used in emails might be effective while some might not be effective. Moreover, the conversations on social media often comprises of short-forms/slangs and incorrect spellings. Usage of social media has also become popular in local/regional languages. One such language is Urdu which is common in subcontinent Indo-Pak and is written using English alphabets. We have performed spam classification for Roman Urdu tweets, collected from five major cities of Pakistan. Some of the most commonly used algorithms and techniques for spam classification are discussed and evaluated on English and Roman Urdu tweets from Pakistan in this paper.
The Significance and Thermodynamics of Fluctuating Versus Static Thermal Environments on Heliothis zea Egg Development Rates

Egg development of Heliothis zea (Boddie) was studied under various static and fluctuating environmental regimes. Two computer-controlled environmental chambers were programmed to fluctuate temperatures through diurnal sinusoids of ±5°F (2.8°C) to ±20°F (11.1°C) using the same mean temperatures as regimes in statically controlled environmental chambers. The heat-units concept of development proved not to apply to bollworm egg development. In its stead, a hypothesis is formulated based on the egg-development curve measured in static thermal conditions.
Effect of injecting heterologous glomerular basement membrane preparations in pregnant sheep.

Summary(1) Three sheep developed a fatal nephritis in 45 to 54 days when immunized with heterologous GBM and Freund's adjuvant in the last third of their pregnancy. (2) Immunization of the mothers or suckling their colustrum (in 2 of the 4 lambs) did not produce a renal lesion in the lambs. (3) It appears that the agent which produces a fatal nephritis in the mother was either not transmitted in utero or in the colustrum or it was incapable of affecting the fetal or neonatal kidney. (4) The above observations are consistent with the hypothesis that this sheep nephritis is produced by an autoimmune mechanism mediated by sensitized cells and/or autoantibody.
Um antropólogo debaixo d’água: Paisagens Sonoras Imersivas, Ciborgues Submarinos e Etnografia Transdutora

Este artigo fornece um relato antropologico em primeira pessoa sobre um mergulho no fundo do mar no submersivel da Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) que comporta tres pessoas, o Alvin. Analiso multiplos significados de imersao: afundamento em liquido, absorcao em alguma atividade e entrada compreensiva de um antropologo em um meio cultural. Inteirando-me dos ritmos do que chamo de ciborgue submarino, “fazendo antropologia em som” (FELD e BRENNEIS, 2004), mostro como paisagens sonoras interiores e exteriores criam uma sensacao de imersao e argumento que uma etnografia transdutora pode explicitar as estruturas tecnicas e praticas sociais de sondagem, de audicao e escuta que suportam essa sensacao de presenca sonica.
Can reduced or modified dietary fat prevent cardiovascular disease

Reducing or modifying the amount or type of fat in a patient's diet and replacing it with polyunsaturated fats will not significantly reduce the risk of death from all causes of cardiovascular disease but could reduce the risk of an important cardiovascular disease event by 16 percent. If a patient remained on a reduced- or modified-fat diet for at least two years, the risk of an important cardiovascular event could be reduced by 24 percent. For one patient to benefit at one year, 156 patients similar to the patient in this clinical scenario would have to be treated with a reduced- or modified-fat diet.
Current Trends in the Pharmacological Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

There has been a significant amount of research into pharmacological treatments in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over the past several decades. The field has used a targeted symptoms domain approach by borrowing from the existing evidence base in other psychiatric disorders to explore potential treatment effects in ASD. This strategy has been fruitful and led to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indications for associated symptoms, including ‘irritability associated with autism’ in the cases of risperidone and aripiprazole. Concurrently, neurobiological evidence has been aggressively pursued and a significant amount of literature has accumulated to describe various biochemical irregularities in ASD. This chapter reviews the current state of evidence in the pharmacological treatment of ASD. Sections are divided into symptom domains, to facilitate ease of clinical use and to describe a rational approach to symptomatic treatment in ASD while arming clinicians with a foundation for making informed treatment decisions.
Supporting Mexican immigrants’ resettlement in the United States: an ethnography of communication approach to building allies’ communication competence

ABSTRACTThis research explores interactions among Mexican immigrants and their U.S.- and Mexican-born allies at an immigrant support center (ISC) in the U.S. Southwest. I propose that to support Mexican immigrants in resettling, allies who work at this ISC must apply cultural knowledge about competent communication for Mexican speakers to structure their strategic actions (Sprain & Boromisza-Habashi, 2013). Taking an ethnography of communication (EOC) approach, I investigate the means and meanings of communication (Hymes, 1972) for speakers that point to cultural knowledge about competent communication. Data for this study include 7 months of observation, interviews with 37 community and staff members, and public documents collected during fieldwork. Findings reveal five means of communication that are meaningful for speakers at ISC. This research demonstrates the practical utility of the EOC in understanding how cultural expectations for communication may both assist and limit ISC’s efforts to support re...
Laser-induced bulk damage of silica glass at 355nm and 266nm

Laser processing machines using Nd:YAG 3rd harmonic wave (355 nm) and 4th harmonic wave (266 nm) have been developed and put into practical use lately. Due to this, optical elements with high laser durability to 355 nm and 266 nm are required. Silica glass is the optical element which has high UV transmission and high laser durability. Laser-induced surface damage of the silica glass has been studied in detail, but we hardly have the significant knowledge of laserinduced bulk damage. This knowledge is required in order to evaluate the silica glass itself. That is because cracks and scratches on the surface give rise to a higher possibility of damage. Therefore, we studied the laser durability of a variety of the silica glass samples by 1-on-1 and S-on-1 laser-induced bulk damage threshold (LIDT) at 355 nm and 266 nm. In this study, we gained knowledge in three areas about bulk damage to the silica glass. First, the LIDT became lower as shot counts increased. Second, the LIDT decreased as the hydroxyl content in the silica glass increased. Last, the LIDT became higher as the hydrogen concentration in the silica glass increased. Under the UV irradiation, impurities are generated and the silica glass absorbs more light. Therefore, the LIDT decreased as shot counts increased. Also, the hydroxyl in particular generates more impurities, so damage easily occurs. On the other hand, the hydrogen reacts with impurities and absorption is suppressed. Based on these results, we can improve laser durability at 355 nm and 266 nm by reducing the hydroxyl content and increasing the hydrogen concentration in the silica glass.
Pulmonary toxicity following acute coexposures to diesel particulate matter and α-quartz crystalline silica in the Sprague-Dawley rat.

The effects of acute pulmonary coexposures to silica and diesel particulate matter (DPM), which may occur in various mining operations, were investigated in vivo. Rats were exposed by intratracheal instillation (IT) to silica (50 or 233 µg), DPM (7.89 or 50 µg) or silica and DPM combined in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or to PBS alone (control). At one day, one week, one month, two months and three months postexposure bronchoalveolar lavage and histopathology were performed to assess lung injury, inflammation and immune response. While higher doses of silica caused inflammation and injury at all time points, DPM exposure alone did not. DPM (50 µg) combined with silica (233 µg) increased inflammation at one week and one-month postexposure and caused an increase in the incidence of fibrosis at one month compared with exposure to silica alone. To assess susceptibility to lung infection following coexposure, rats were exposed by IT to 233 µg silica, 50 µg DPM, a combination of the two or PBS control one week before intratracheal inoculation with 5 × 105 Listeria monocytogenes. At 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days following infection, pulmonary immune response and bacterial clearance from the lung were evaluated. Coexposure to DPM and silica did not alter bacterial clearance from the lung compared to control. Although DPM and silica coexposure did not alter pulmonary susceptibility to infection in this model, the study showed that noninflammatory doses of DPM had the capacity to increase silica-induced lung injury, inflammation and onset/incidence of fibrosis.
“Drive-by’’ bridge frequency-based monitoring utilizing wavelet transform

In recent years, the concept of bridge monitoring using indirect measurements from a passing vehicle has been rapidly developed. This concept is known as “drive-by bridge inspection”. Most of the methods proposed under this approach utilize the dynamic characteristics of the bridge as an indicator of damage, such as the natural frequency of the bridge. The natural frequency is often estimated using fast Fourier transform (FFT). However, FFT has a low frequency resolution at the condition of higher velocity of a passing vehicle; therefore, it is not appropriate to be used to monitor the frequency change caused by the degradation of the bridge structural integrity. This paper introduces a new frequency identification technique based on wavelet analysis. Wavelet transform is characterized by its high-frequency resolution and can, therefore, be used to visualize the bridge damage represented as changing the fundamental frequency of the bridge. The paper will implement this approach using an implicit Vehicle-Bridge Interaction (VBI) algorithm to simulate the passage of the inspection vehicle over the bridge. The acceleration signals are then processed using wavelet analysis to extract the bridge frequency. In addition, the study will investigate the use of a subtracted signal from two consecutive axles. The latter point has the advantage of substantially removing the effect of the road roughness from the recorded acceleration history.
A Predictive 7-Gene Assay and Prognostic Protein Biomarkers for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract Purpose This study aims to develop a multi-gene assay predictive of the clinical benefits of chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, and substantiate their protein expression as potential therapeutic targets. Patients and methods The mRNA expression of 160 genes identified from microarray was analyzed in qRT-PCR assays of independent 337 snap-frozen NSCLC tumors to develop a predictive signature. A clinical trial JBR.10 was included in the validation. Hazard ratio was used to select genes, and decision-trees were used to construct the predictive model. Protein expression was quantified with AQUA in 500 FFPE NSCLC samples. Results A 7-gene signature was identified from training cohort (n = 83) with accurate patient stratification (P = 0.0043) and was validated in independent patient cohorts (n = 248, P Conclusions This study presents a predictive multi-gene assay and prognostic protein biomarkers clinically applicable for improving NSCLC treatment, with important implications in lung cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Tubal anastomosis of a fimbrial segment pedicle graft.

A 32-year-old gravida 4 para 4 was seen at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in 1976 requesting reversal of her tubal sterilization. She had undergone a colpotomy with removal of 1.8 cm of each Fallopian Tube (confirmed histologically) in 1970. A laparotomy in 1975 for abdominal pain resulted in the removal of a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst but the pathology report did not mention the distal 1.8 cm of the right Fallopian Tube as being part of the surgical specimen. A short time later 3 of the patients children died in a house fire. At laparoscopy the right tube was unencumbered measuring 6 cm from the cornu to its blunt end. On the left a short (less than 5 mm) segment of the tube at the cornu and a normal fimbrial segment were visualized. The intervening portion of the tube was absent. Laparotomy was undertaken with the intent of performing a left cornual-ampullary anastomosis but when the cornual segment was shaved a definitive lumen could not be identified. Anastomosis of the left fimbrial segment to the right proximal fallopian tube as a pedicle graft was performed without the aid of magnification. Five 6-0 Dexon sutures were placed in a through-and-through manner involving secrosa muscularis and mucosa. A final 4-0 silk suture brought the two mesosalpinges together at the base of the tube. The patient was treated with dexamethasone and phenergan. 18 months following surgery the patient conceived. A 9-month pregnancy ended in spontaneous labor and the vaginal delivery of a healthy infant.
An Open GeoSpatial Standards-Enabled Google Earth Application to Support Crisis Management

Google Earth (GE) and related open geospatial technologies have changed both the accessibility of and audience for geospatial information dramatically. Through data rich applications with easy to use interfaces, these technologies bring personalized geospatial information directly to the non-specialist. When coupled with open geospatial data standards, such as Web Map Services (WMS), Web Features Services (WFS), and GeoRSS, the resulting web-based technologies have the potential to assimilate heterogeneous data from distributed sources rapidly enough to support time-critical activities such as crisis response. Although the ability to view and interact with data in these environments is important, this functionality alone is not sufficient for the demands of crisis response activity. For example, GE’s standard version currently lacks geoanalysis capabilities such as geographic buffering and topology functions. In this paper, we present development of the “Google Earth Dashboard” (GED), a web-based interface powered by open geospatial standards and designed for supplementing and enhancing the geospatial capabilities of GE. The GED allows users to create custom maps through WMS layer addition to GE and perform traditional GIS analysis functions. Utility of the GED is presented in a usecase scenario where GIS operations implemented to work with GE are applied to support crisis management activities. The GED represents an important first step towards combining the ubiquity of GE and geospatial standards into an easy-to-use, data rich, geo-analytically powerful environment that can support crisis management activity.
Parallel Processing in Nervous Systems with Converging and Diverging Transmission

Nervous systems exhibit a remarkable convergence and divergence of signal traffic. In this paper we examine some general properties of such a system. We show how information can be processed and conserved in detail through overlapping receptive fields. We discuss the influence of receptive field size on economy of transmitting local vs. global information and we point out the advantages of convergence and divergence in the context of reliability.
Modal Frequency Tracking of an Unknown Vibrational System

Vibrational systems operating in hostile environments create a challenging processing problem especially in order to perform real-time monitoring. To monitor a particular type of device from noisy vibration data, requires the identification of signatures that make it unique. The monitoring of modal frequencies can be used to determine the condition of a device under investigation, especially if it is a critical entity of an operational system. The performance of a model-based scheme capable of the on-line tracking of modal vibration frequencies under a variety of operational scenarios is detailed.
Health Dimensions of New York Citys Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Initiatives

Launched in 2007, PlaNYC is a comprehensive sustainability plan for New York City that includes several hundred specific actions across a range of urban sectors, including land (housing, open space...
Association Between Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Preschool Children Enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development.

Studies report inconsistent findings on the relationship between ASD and breastfeeding. We explored associations between ASD and breastfeeding initiation (yes/no) and duration (months categorized in tertiles) in the Study to Explore Early Development, a community-based case-control study in six sites in the Unites States. We adjusted for various child and mother demographic and pregnancy factors. Breastfeeding initiation was reported in 85.7% of mothers of children with ASD and 90.6% of mothers of controls. After adjustment, we found no significant difference in breastfeeding initiation (adjusted odds-ratio [aOR]: 0.88 and 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60-1.28). However, mothers of children with ASD were less likely to report duration of breastfeeding in the high (≥12 months) versus low tertile (<6 months) (aOR and 95% CI: 0.61 [0.45-0.84]) or the middle (6-<12 months) versus low tertile (0.72: 0.54-0.98). The association of ASD and breastfeeding duration was slightly attenuated when the presence of the broader autism phenotype (BAP) in the mother was accounted for, but still remained for the highest tertile. This association does not appear to be totally explained by maternal BAP. We were unable to distinguish whether the difference in duration was due to difficulties breastfeeding children who later develop ASD, other factors not adjusted in our study, or greater ASD risk resulting from shorter breastfeeding duration. Longitudinal studies that compare reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding between ASD and controls and establish a temporal relation between ASD and breastfeeding are needed. Future studies should also evaluate interactions between ASD risk genes and breastfeeding. Autism Research 2019, 12: 816-829. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: In this study, we compared breastfeeding practices between mothers of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We found that the percentage of mothers who started breastfeeding was similar between the two groups, but mothers of children with ASD breastfed for a shorter amount of time compared to mothers of children without ASD. Future studies are needed to evaluate the reasons why the duration of breastfeeding was shorter for mothers of children with ASD compared to those without ASD.
Life-cycle impact and exergy based resource use assessment of torrefied and non-torrefied briquette use for heat and electricity generation

Abstract Forest residue biomass can be used as bioenergy feedstock, however, issues associated with its properties including low density and high moisture content constrains its valorization. Using mobile conversion technologies that can operate in remote areas and are capable of converting forest residues into high quality energy products can address the issues associated with its valorization for renewable energy production. This study evaluated environmental sustainability of using an integrated novel system of semi-mobile biomass conversion technologies (BCTs) to utilize low-value forest residue biomass as high value bioenergy products. A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) and resource use assessment on a unit-process level was conducted for two bio-products: nontorrefied briquettes (NTB) and torrefied briquettes (TOB). Their use for production of useful thermal energy in wood stoves for domestic heating and electricity at power plants were investigated along with their alternatives. The analyses were performed with SimaPro 8.5 using the DATASMART database. The impact assessment results showed a notable decrease in global warming (GW) impact when substituting fossil fuels with these two bio-products. Specifically, for domestic heating on an equivalent energy basis, a 50% substitution of propane with NTB and TOB showed GHG emission reductions of 46% and 41%, respectively. For electricity generation, 10% cofiring at coal power plant with NTB and TOB showed GHG emission reductions of 6% and 8%, respectively. For the TOB supply chain, a large portion of the GW impact of the came from the torrefaction process and followed by the drying process. This was due to the propane use in these processes. Comparative analysis showed that near-woods biomass conversion for TOB production instead of processing feedstock at an in-town facility with access to grid electricity found 48%–55% lower GW impact for both electricity and heat generation scenarios, respectively. Resourced footprint analysis showed that most exergy extraction from the natural environment came from the drying process for NTB supply chain. In the TOB product system, torrefaction was the major contributor.
Blockade of Sensory and Motor Pathways by Bupivacaine, Etidocaine, and Lidocaine: Clinical Significance of Spinal Ganglion Vulnerability

The effects of bupivacaine (1-2 mM), etidocaine (1-2 mM), and lidocaine (1-20 mM) on sensory and motor pathways were studied in isolated sciatic nerve-spinal cord preparations obtained from winter bullfrogs. Application of these three anesthetics to short segments (approximately 5-7 mm) of the various nerve structures depressed mostly slow conducting fibers ( 50 m/sec) and was greater at high rate of stimulation (frequency-dependent effect) with all three anesthetics. Bupivacaine (2 mM) and lidocaine (10 mM) preferentially depressed the more complex and wider compound action potential of sensory fibers over the simpler potential of motor fibers when applied to the nerve roots. Etidocaine, unlike the other two anesthetics, had similar effect on both roots during the first 10 minutes of exposure; however at the end of 30 minutes all three anesthetics equally depressed all fibers. All three anesthetics preferentially depressed the sensory pathway when applied over the dorsal root ganglion. In conclusion, the dorsal root ganglion is the structure in the afferent pathway most vulnerable to the actions of bupivacaine, etidocaine and lidocaine, especially during transmission of rapid nerve signals. Bupivacaine and lidocaine, when applied to the roots have a faster depressant effect on slow conducting sensory than motor fibers and show more frequency-dependent effects than etidocaine. This difference among the three anesthetics reflects experimental conditions such as time and length of nerve exposed to these drugs.
Is Open Science the Future of Drug Development

Traditional drug development models are widely perceived as opaque and inefficient, with the cost of research and development continuing to rise even as production of new drugs stays constant. Searching for strategies to improve the drug discovery process, the biomedical research field has begun to embrace open strategies. The resulting changes are starting to reshape the industry. Open science-an umbrella term for diverse strategies that seek external input and public engagement-has become an essential tool with researchers, who are increasingly turning to collaboration, crowdsourcing, data sharing, and open sourcing to tackle some of the most pressing problems in medicine. Notable examples of such open drug development include initiatives formed around malaria and tropical disease. Open practices have found their way into the drug discovery process, from target identification and compound screening to clinical trials. This perspective argues that while open science poses some risks-which include the management of collaboration and the protection of proprietary data-these strategies are, in many cases, the more efficient and ethical way to conduct biomedical research.
A Hybrid Damage Detection Approach Based on Multi-Temporal Coherence and Amplitude Analysis for Disaster Response

The coherence-based and amplitude-based methods have been used to detect damaged area caused by natural disasters. However, the coherence-based method becomes less reliable for pixels having low coherence and amplitude-based method is in general less sensitive to the damage than coherence-based method. This paper presents an approach to damage proxy maps by jointly utilizing the interferometric coherence and amplitude information acquired from multi-temporal synthetic aperture radar images to complement their weakness. This technique is evaluated for the landslides triggered by the M6.7 Hokkaido earthquake on September, 6, 2018 in Japan. The experimental results demonstrate the benefit of the hybrid technique showing better performance than individual approaches.
Fabrication and Characterization of High-Purity Alumina Ceramics Doped with Zirconia via Laser Direct Deposition

Additive manufacturing of ceramics via laser direct deposition is particularly challenging owing to high thermal gradients and subsequently high tendency for thermally induced cracking. Therefore, it is necessary to have an improved understanding of the effects of processing conditions and material compositions on the quality of deposited ceramic parts. In this article, thin wall structures of high-purity ceramics were fabricated with commercially available alumina powder. The effects of zirconia dopants, varying from 0 wt.% to 10 wt.%, were studied. The microstructure and compositions of the manufactured specimens were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy to study grain size, orientation and distribution. Grain size distribution varied within the deposited ceramic parts because of the non-uniform temperature distribution during printing. The zirconia dopant was found to mainly accumulate within grain boundaries. An increasingly finer microstructure was observed with increased zirconia doping materials in the printed samples.
Bio/diversity and its deadly underside: making killable in times of emergency

The article highlights the shared technologies of power at work in the biopolitical governing of human mobility, and the management of ‘nature’ through shaping and preserving biodiversity. Reading ...
Social Justice Pedagogy for Whom? Developing Privileged Students’ Critical Mathematics Consciousness

Increasingly, teachers are using consciousness raising pedagogies such as culturally relevant, responsive, sustaining, and social justice pedagogies. However, little attention has been paid to teachers engaging in this work with students of privileged backgrounds (e.g., white, affluent students) and in mathematics. The present study addresses this gap by examining critical consciousness development with social justice pedagogy focusing on 10 students in one-sixth grade mathematics class in an independent social justice-oriented K-8 school in a large, urban city in the Bay Area, California. Analysis of student interviews, student work, and field note data indicate that eight of the 10 focus students gained critical mathematics consciousness, conceptualized as improving sociopolitical understanding, developing critical civic empathy, and taking action.
Do big goals lead to bad policy? How policy feedback explains the failure and success of cellulosic biofuel in the United States

Abstract U.S. policymakers are pursuing visionary policies for clean energy, including a proposed federal Green New Deal and state and city pledges for 100% renewable energy. Bold policy goals are unlikely to be achieved, however, if policy instruments are poorly designed, as occurred in past experiences of ambitious but unsuccessful energy policy. To understand how ambitious energy transition goals affect the political dynamics of policy design and implementation, this paper conducts a longitudinal case study of the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard using policy feedback theory. It finds that unrealistically high goals for cellulosic biofuels triggered weak policy design, undermining the policy’s effectiveness. This was a negative policy feedback wherein anticipated costs led policymakers to weaken the mandate with waivers, exemptions, and alternative compliance options. Yet while too much flexibility on fuel volumes led to insufficient incentives for cellulosic ethanol, the policy’s flexibility on fuel pathways allowed for new developments in cellulosic renewable natural gas. Thus, the case offers both a cautionary tale about the political risks of overambitious goals, as well as constructive lessons about policies that build new constituencies for clean energy.
Reasoning Through the Disjunctive Syllogism in Monkeys

The capacity for logical inference is a critical aspect of human learning, reasoning, and decision-making. One important logical inference is the disjunctive syllogism: given A or B, if not A, then B. Although the explicit formation of this logic requires symbolic thought, previous work has shown that nonhuman animals are capable of reasoning by exclusion, one aspect of the disjunctive syllogism (e.g., not A = avoid empty). However, it is unknown whether nonhuman animals are capable of the deductive aspects of a disjunctive syllogism (the dependent relation between A and B and the inference that "if not A, then B" must be true). Here, we used a food-choice task to test whether monkeys can reason through an entire disjunctive syllogism. Our results show that monkeys do have this capacity. Therefore, the capacity is not unique to humans and does not require language.
GPCR and Other Proteins: Predictions of Structures and Ligand Binding

In 1998 Vaidehi Nagarajan and I initiated a project to predict the structures of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) from first principles (there were no crystal structures at the time). Our early methods were successful in predicting fairly accurate structures for several GPCRs, and we published the first GPCR crystal structures. First for olfactory receptors and then in 2004, the dopamine D2 and adrenergic b2 structures. The first experimental X-ray crystallography structure was for bovine rhodopsin and then for b2 AR in 2005, which showed that our 1st principle structure was rather accurate. Later we used the templates of transmembrane tilt from experiment to develop methods for predicting the low energy packing of GPCRs sufficiently stable to bind to ligands, with a number of successes. More recently, we have focused on the mechanism by which the GPCR attached to a Gprotein activates the G protein after binding an agonis.
Progression of atypical femur stress fracture after discontinuation of bisphosphonate therapy

Atypical femur fracture (AFF) is an uncommon complication of long-term bisphosphonate use, but the risk declines substantially after treatment cessation. We report a case of a 70-year-old woman with osteopenia treated with alendronate for 9 years who presented with right mid-thigh pain and radiographic findings of focal lateral cortical thickening in the right mid-femur and lateral cortex irregularity in the proximal-mid left femur. Alendronate was discontinued, but she remained on estrogen for menopausal symptoms. Four years later, a horizontal linear translucent defect was seen in the right mid-femur area of cortical hypertrophy, consistent with an incomplete AFF. The patient underwent prophylactic intramedullary rodding of the right femur and estrogen was discontinued. Three years later (7 years after initial presentation), the cortical irregularities in the left femur were more prominent and three small horizontal linear translucent defects were now evident, consistent with early incomplete atypical fracture development. The patient also suffered a wrist fracture. She was treated with teriparatide for 1.5 years with resolution of the translucent defects in the left but not the right femur, although abnormal thickening of the lateral cortex persisted in both femurs. Our case demonstrates incomplete atypical femur fracture progression in a patient with long-term bisphosphonate exposure, even after treatment cessation. These findings highlight the importance of follow-up for patients who develop diaphyseal femur stress fractures and the potential for early healing with anabolic therapy. This case also demonstrates the challenge in managing older patients with incomplete AFF at risk for progression to complete AFF and osteoporotic fracture.
Predictive Modeling and Risk Stratification of Patients With Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct.

Objectives/hypothesis To investigate patient-specific characteristics that independently predict for progressive hearing loss in patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). Utilize multivariable predictive models to identify subgroups of patients with significantly different progression risks. Study design Retrospective analysis of patients evaluated at an academic tertiary care center. Cohort included 74 ears of patients with a diagnosis of EVA as defined by the Cincinnati criteria. Methods Hearing trajectories were characterized, and a Kaplan-Meier estimator was utilized to determine progressive phenotype probabilities across the first 10 years after diagnosis. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to identify patient characteristics that independently altered this probability. Stratified risk groups were delineated from generated nomogram scores. Results Male gender was associated with a 4.53 hazard ratio for progressive hearing loss (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.53 to 12.59). Each millimeter increase in operculum size was independently associated with an 80.40% increase in expected hazard (95% CI, 40.18 to 120.62). Each dB increase in air pure tone average at time of diagnosis decreased expected hazard by 1.59% (95% CI, -3.02 to -0.17). The presence of incomplete partition type II was associated with a 2.44 hazard ratio (95% CI, 1.04 to 5.72). Risk groups stratified by median nomogram score evidenced the discriminative ability of our model with the progression probability in the high-risk group being six times higher at 1 year, nearly five times greater at 3 years, and three times greater at 9 years. Conclusions EVA patient characteristics can be used to predict hearing loss probability with a high degree of accuracy (C-index of 0.79). This can help clinicians make more proactive management decisions by identifying patients at high risk for hearing loss. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 2021.
Trends in high performance computing: a historical overview and examination of future developments

In this article, major recent trends and changes in the high-performance computing (HPC) market place were analyzed. Within the first half of this decade clusters of PCs and workstations have become the prevalent architecture for many HPC application areas in all ranges of performance. However, the Earth Simulator vector system demonstrated that many scientific applications could benefit greatly from other computer architectures. At the same time, there is renewed broad interest in the scientific HPC community for new hardware architectures and new programming paradigms. The IBM BlueGene/L system is one early example of a shifting design focus for large-scale system. The DARPA HPCS program has the declared goal of building a Petaflops computer system by the end of the decade using novel computer architectures.
Saddle block anesthesia.

Abstract Eight hundred seventy-seven attempts at saddle block anesthesia with heavy Nupercaine solution have been analyzed. It provided complete subjective relief of at least one hour's duration in 816 cases, or 93 per cent, and incomplete subjective relief in 53 cases, or 6 per cent. Seven hundred fifty-four patients, or 86 per cent, were delivered under the sole analgesic effect of saddle block anesthesia. In 123 other patients supplementary delivery anesthetic was used to supplement waning spinal effect, for deeper anesthetic to permit operative maneuver and for psychological reasons only. subjective relief was of one to two hours' duration on the average, but the perineal anesthesia usually exceeded three to four hours' duration. The time of administration was the late first stage or early second stage of labor. The incidence of operative deliveries was found to be low. The untoward effects found were 100 per cent motor weakness, 18 per cent incidence of blood pressure fall exceeding 80 mm. Hg, 14 per cent incidence of postspinal headaches, and a case each illustrating “spinal reaction” and “neurologic complication” (foot drop). There were ten dead babies, of which six were stillbirths and four neonatal deaths. Two neonatal deaths were due to prematurity.
Performance and Waiting-Time Predictability Analysis of Design Options in Cost-Based Scheduling for Scalable Media Streaming

Motivated by the impressive performance of cost-based scheduling for media streaming, we investigate its effectiveness in detail and analyze opportunities for further tunings and enhancements. Guided by this analysis, we propose a highly efficient enhancement technique that optimizes the scheduling decisions to increase the number of requests serviced concurrently and enhance user-perceived quality-of-service. We also analyze the waiting-time predictability achieved by the new technique. The simulation results show that it can achieve significant performance improvements while providing users with highly accurate expected waiting times.
SIGNIFICANCE AND AGES OF MID-WISCONSINAN ORGANIC DEPOSITS IN SOUTHERN MICHIGAN

Four recently drilled, closely spaced wells near Kalkaska, Michigan encountered a thick zone of organic-rich sediments at a depth of about 130 m; all are interpreted as part of the same unit. Two radiocarbon dates and botanical data derived from the carbonaceous material along with associated sediments indicate that about 35,000 B.P. the site was ice-free, poorly drained, and supported first an open and later a closed boreal forest. These two and eight additional radiocarbon determinations (four finite and four “infinite”) from wood recovered during other research are compared with all other previously published dates for Middle Wisconsinan material from southern Michigan. This array of ages suggests that at least parts of the state were not glaciated during much if not all of the Middle Wisconsinan, including the Cherrytree Stadial. Botanical evidence also indicates that about 35,000 B.P. the climate in the northwest part of the Southern Peninsula was considerably cooler than at present, possibly being i...
The Importance Of Decision Confidence To Strategy Outcomes

Strategic marketing researchers are of the view that formulating high quality strategies is sufficient for achieving high strategy success rates. This research study investigates the effect of key organizational and managerial variables on the outcome of strategies. In particular, the study includes, decision confidence, a hitherto neglected variable in the strategy literature, as an additional, and critical, variable that affects the success of marketing strategies. This study attempts to establish a bridge between two main streams of literature in the strategy discipline--strategic marketing and decision making.
With Increasing Availability of Distillers Grains Will Phosphorus Be a Problem for Iowa Livestock Producers

and Implications Retention and excretion of phosphorus were calculated using NRC equations for metabolism of phosphorus in beef cattle fed 0, 20 or 40% distillers grains (DGS). These estimates of phosphorus excretion were similar to quantities of phosphorus excretion measured in experiments with cattle. The predictions of phosphorus retention and excretion were used to estimate phosphorus balance of a 1000-head feedlot in which the cattle were fed 0, 20 or 40% DGS. Feeding 20 or 40% DGS increased phosphorus in the manure from the feedlot 60 and 120%, respectively. However there was not adequate phosphorus in the manure to replace soil phosphorus removed in the crops to produce the feeds for the cattle. The areas of land needed for manure disposal were calculated to be 470, 554 & 608; 756, 890 & 977 and 1,052, 1239 & 1,359 acres for crop rotations of continuous corn, corn-corn-soybeans and corn-soybeans when the cattle were fed 0, 20 or 40% DGS. These results indicate that feeding DGS does not innately cause an environmental problem, but will require each feedlot to develop manure management plans. Use of farm phosphorus balance seems to be a plausible approach to develop reliable manure management plans for feedlots feeding DGS.
The Mind of the Terrorist: The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda

Introduction: Terrorists and Terrorism PART I: WHEN HATRED IS BRED IN THE BONE: NATIONAL-SEPARATIST TERRORISM Secular Palestinian Terrorism The Irish and Basque The Kurds and Tamils PART II: REBELLION AGAINST THE GENERATION OF THEIR PARENTS: SOCIAL-REVOLUTIONARY TERRORISM European and North American Cases Latin American Cases PART III: KILLING IN THE NAME OF GOD: RELIGIOUS EXTREMIST TERRORISM HEZBOLLAH AND HAMAS Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden Killing in the Name of Other Gods PART IV: THE CHANGING FACE OF TERRORISM Global Jihad and Suicide Terrorism Weapons of Mass Destruction and Mass Disruption Challenges and Implications