cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FIRE AND VEGETATION HISTORY IN THE EASTERN CASCADE MOUNTAINS, WASHINGTON

Dendrochronological techniques were used to reconstruct a 433-yr fire his- tory, and to characterize the historical fire regime (frequency, size, season, severity) of the Teanaway River drainage in the eastern Cascade Mountains of Washington, USA. General Land Office section corner data were used to reconstruct aspects of the late-19th-century structure and composition of the forests in the study area. Systematic fire-scar surveys (;30 000 ha; 92 sites; 257 fire-scarred cross-sections; 1569 individual fire scars) revealed that fire frequency was quite variable spatially; Weibull median probability intervals ranged from seven to 43 years. Fire extent also varied widely; most fires were relatively small (,1000 ha), although several large fires (.4000 ha) were detected. Mean and median fire sizes were 1795 ha and 988 ha, respectively. Large fires occurred every 27 years, on average (every 11 years, on average, between 1708 and 1889), and coincided with periods of annual and seasonal drought (Palmer Drought Severity Index and winter Southern Oscillation Index). Intervals from 1 to 37 years occurred between fires of .4000 ha. Over 80% of fires occurred late in the growing season, or after the onset of cambial dormancy. Sampling locations in dry forest types (dominated by ponderosa pine) yielded fire-scarred cross- sections with numerous fire scars leading us to infer that most historical fires were of low intensity, leaving the overstory structure intact. This inference is corroborated by the com- position and structure of the historical forest, which was characterized by a preponderance of very large (.100-cm diameter) ponderosa pines. Mesic forest types (dominated by grand fir and Douglas-fir) likely exhibited a wider range of fire severities. Moderate and occasional high-severity understory fires or crown fires did occur within the study area, as indicated by the scarcity or lack of fire-scar evidence and the presence of relatively even-aged forests at several mesic forest sites. Historical section corner data indicate that small amounts of these forest types occurred in the study area. Fire frequency and size declined dramatically circa 1900, coincident with the advent of commercial timber harvesting, although most fires, despite their reduced number and size, continued to burn in the late summer or fall.
Calcium and protein in bone health

Dietary protein has several opposing effects on Ca balance and its net effect on bone is not well established. It has long been recognized that increasing protein intake increases urinary Ca excretion. More recently, it has been observed that increasing dietary protein raises the circulating level of insulin-like growth factor-1, a growth factor that promotes osteoblast formation and bone growth. Other effects of protein on the Ca economy have been suggested in some studies, but they are less well established. Several studies have examined associations between protein intake and bone loss and fracture rates. In the original Framingham cohort subjects with lower total and animal protein intakes had greater rates of bone loss from the femoral neck and spine than subjects consuming more protein. In another study higher total (and animal) protein intakes were associated with a reduced incidence of hip fractures in post-menopausal women. In contrast, a high animal:plant protein intake has been associated with greater bone loss from the femoral neck and a greater risk of hip fracture in older women. Higher total and higher animal protein intakes have also been associated with increased risk of forearm fracture in younger post-menopausal women. In a recent study it was found that increasing dietary protein was associated with a favourable (positive) change in bone mineral density of the femoral neck and total body in subjects taking supplemental calcium citrate malate with vitamin D, but not in those taking placebo. The possibility that Ca intake may influence the impact of dietary protein on the skeleton warrants further investigation.
Identification of Solanum habrochaites loci that quantitatively influence tomato fruit ripening-associated ethylene emissions

The phytohormone ethylene is essential for ripening of climacteric fruits such as tomato. While many of the genes responsible for ethylene synthesis and perception have been identified, the regulatory network controlling autocatalytic climacteric ethylene synthesis is not well understood. In order to better understand the regulation of ripening-associated ethylene, we have exploited the genetic variation within Solanum Sect. Lycopersicon. In particular, we have used a near-isogenic population of S. habrochaites introgression lines to identify chromosome segments affecting ethylene emissions during ripening. S. habrochaites fruits produce much larger quantities of ethylene during ripening than do cultivated S. lycopersicum tomatoes. A total of 17 segments were identified; 3 had emissions more than twice the level of the tomato parent, 11 had less than a twofold increase and 3 had significantly reduced emissions at one or more ripening stages. While several of these segments co-segregate with known ethylene-related genes, many do not correspond to known genes. Thus, they may identify novel modes of regulation. These results illustrate the utility of wild relatives and their introgression lines to understand regulation of fruit ripening-related processes.
Pathwise Optimization for Optimal Stopping Problems

We introduce the pathwise optimization (PO) method, a new convex optimization procedure to produce upper and lower bounds on the optimal value (the “price”) of a high-dimensional optimal stopping problem. The PO method builds on a dual characterization of optimal stopping problems as optimization problems over the space of martingales, which we dub the martingale duality approach. We demonstrate via numerical experiments that the PO method produces upper bounds of a quality comparable with state-of-the-art approaches, but in a fraction of the time required for those approaches. As a by-product, it yields lower bounds (and suboptimal exercise policies) that are substantially superior to those produced by state-of-the-art methods. The PO method thus constitutes a practical and desirable approach to high-dimensional pricing problems. Furthermore, we develop an approximation theory relevant to martingale duality approaches in general and the PO method in particular. Our analysis provides a guarantee on the quality of upper bounds resulting from these approaches and identifies three key determinants of their performance: the quality of an input value function approximation, the square root of the effective time horizon of the problem, and a certain spectral measure of “predictability” of the underlying Markov chain. As a corollary to this analysis we develop approximation guarantees specific to the PO method. Finally, we view the PO method and several approximate dynamic programming methods for high-dimensional pricing problems through a common lens and in doing so show that the PO method dominates those alternatives. This paper was accepted by Wei Xiong, stochastic models and simulation.
Hydrodynamic Performance and Shape Considerations of a Compact AUV for Riverine Environments

The riverine environment presents an interesting operational challenge for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The fluid dynamics involved are complex and in many ways more demanding than the open ocean waters for which most current vehicles have been designed for. These dynamics encompass strong head-on and side currents, shallow waters with bottoms that may be either rocky, hard or soft mud, topological bends or bifurcations that can lead to strong secondary flows, and local dense vegetation or artificial structures that introduce local flow perturbations. As an initial first step to engineering an AUV shape that can perform well in the riverine environment, one needs to better understand the fluid dynamics involved, both from a discrete, as well as, from a compounded point of view. The current paper reports on an ongoing investigation into the flow physics and dynamics involved within the riverine environment, with the interest of generating requirements that can provide guidance into AUV shape design. A cylindrical shape of high length-to-diameter ratio, indicative of most previously developed AUVs, serves as the nominal point of departure for the analysis.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Seborrheic Dermatitis: An Overview

Seborrheic dermatitis affects the scalp, central face, and anterior chest. In adolescents and adults, it often presents as scalp scaling (dandruff). Seborrheic dermatitis also may cause mild to marked erythema of the nasolabial fold, often with scaling. Stress can cause flare-ups. The scales are greasy, not dry, as commonly thought. An uncommon generalized form in infants may be linked to immunodeficiencies. Topical therapy primarily consists of antifungal agents and low-potency steroids. New topical calcineurin inhibitors (immunomodulators) sometimes are administered.
Use of Crop Growth Models with Whole-Genome Prediction: Application to a Maize Multienvironment Trial

High throughput genotyping, phenotyping, and envirotyping applied within plant breeding multienvironment trials (METs) provide the data foundations for selection and tackling genotype x environment interactions (GEIs) through whole-genome prediction (WGP). Crop growth models (CGM) can be used to enable predictions for yield and other traits for different genotypes and environments within a MET if genetic variation for the influential traits and their responses to environmental variation can be incorporated into the CGM framework. Furthermore, such CGMs can be integrated with WGP to enable wholegenome prediction with crop growth models (CGM-WGP) through use of computational methods such as approximate Bayesian computation. We previously used simulated data sets to demonstrate proof of concept for application of the CGM-WGP methodology to plant breeding METs. Here the CGM-WGP methodology is applied to an empirical maize (Zea mays L.) drought MET data set to evaluate the steps involved in reduction to practice. Positive prediction accuracy was achieved for hybrid grain yield in two drought environments for a sample of doubled haploids (DHs) from a cross. This was achieved by including genetic variation for five component traits into the CGM to enable the CGM-WGP methodology. The five component traits were a priori considered to be important for yield variation among the maize hybrids in the two target drought environments included in the MET. Here, we discuss lessons learned while applying the CGM-WGP methodology to the empirical data set. We also identify areas for further research to improve prediction accuracy and to advance the CGM-WGP for a broader range of situations relevant to plant breeding.
Performance Evaluation of a Constructed Wetland Treating High‐Ammonium Primary Domestic Wastewater Effluent

An investigation of a top-loading, vertical-flow, submerged-bed constructed wetland system subject to a New York State discharge permit, of mineral nitrogen transformations occurring within the wetland units, and of the effects of local environment on system performance indicated 100% removal of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and mean 99.0 ± 1.1 % removal of ammonium (NH 4 + ). The wetland system, located in Highland, New York, treats primary domestic wastewater effluent and consists of four beds presently operated in series. Influent and effluent samples from each of the four treatment units were analyzed for BOD, ammonium-nitrogen (NH 4 + -N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO 3 - -N), and nitrite-nitrogen (NO 2 - -N). During the study, mean influent wastewater concentrations were 170.8, 3.1, and 0.015 mg/L for NH 4 + -N, NO 3 - -N, and NO 2 - -N, respectively. Mean effluent concentrations of NH 4 + -N, NO 3 - -N, and NO 2 - -N were 1.9, 4.2, and 0.002 mg/L, respectively.
Asymmetric Alcohol C–H Allylation and syn-Crotylation: C9–C20 of Tetrafibricin

The C9-C20 segment of the fibrinogen receptor inhibitor tetrafibricin was prepared in 10 steps (longest linear sequence). Ruthenium catalyzed enantioselective syn-crotylation is used to construct C9-C13. Iridium catalyzed asymmetric alcohol C-H allylation of a commercial malic acid derived alcohol is used to construct C14-C20. Recovery and recycling of the iridium catalyst is described.
Fitting identity in the reasoned action framework: A meta-analysis and model comparison

ABSTRACTSeveral competing models have been put forth regarding the role of identity in the reasoned action framework. The standard model proposes that identity is a background variable. Under a typical augmented model, identity is treated as an additional direct predictor of intention and behavior. Alternatively, it has been proposed that identity measures are inadvertent indicators of an underlying intention factor (e.g., a manifest-intention model). In order to test these competing hypotheses, we used data from 73 independent studies (total N = 23,917) to conduct a series of meta-analytic structural equation models. We also tested for moderation effects based on whether there was a match between identity constructs and the target behaviors examined (e.g., if the study examined a “smoker identity” and “smoking behavior,” there would be a match; if the study examined a “health conscious identity” and “smoking behavior,” there would not be a match). Average effects among primary reasoned action variables w...
Differential Microscopic Mobility of Components within a Deep Eutectic Solvent

From macroscopic measurements of deep eutectic solvents such as glyceline (1:2 molar ratio of choline chloride to glycerol), the long-range translational diffusion of the larger cation (choline) is known to be slower compared to that of the smaller hydrogen bond donor (glycerol). However, when the diffusion dynamics are analyzed on the subnanometer length scale, we find that the displacements associated with the localized diffusive motions are actually larger for choline. This counterintuitive diffusive behavior can be understood as follows. The localized diffusive motions confined in the transient cage of neighbor particles, which precede the cage-breaking long-range diffusion jumps, are more spatially constrained for glycerol than for choline because of the stronger hydrogen bonds the former makes with chloride anions. The implications of such differential localized mobility of the constituents should be especially important for applications where deep eutectic solvents are confined on the nanometer length scale and their long-range translational diffusion is strongly inhibited (e.g., within microporous media).
The Lungs in Heart Failure: Not an Innocent Bystander∗

The focus in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has historically centered on the heart, and afflicted patients clearly display abnormalities in left ventricular (LV) function that play a dominant role in the pathophysiology [(1)][1]. Recent studies have identified important roles
Accessing Centnerszwer's quasiracemate – molecular shape controlled molecular recognition

M. Centnerszwer's seminal 1899 report investigated the stereochemical relationship between optical antipodes of different substances using melting-point behavior. One intriguing melting-point phase diagram produced from this early investigation combined (+)-2-chlorosuccinic acid [(+)-1] and (−)-2-bromosuccinic acid [(−)-2]. While Centnerszwer's data clearly indicates the formation of a quasiracemic phase – i.e., materials constructed from pairs of isosteric molecules of opposite handedness – at the 1 : 1 component ratio, this material is energetically less favorable than the chiral counterparts. The consequence of this crystal instability is significant as evident by the absence of literature sited crystal structures for the quasiracemic phase (+)-1/(−)-2 and racemates (±)-1 and (±)-2. This study circumvented this challenge by generating multi-molecular assemblies using additional crystallizing agents capable of complementing the hydrogen-bond abilities of succinic acids 1 and 2. Both imidazole (Im) and 4,4′-bipyridyl-N,N′-dioxide (BPDO) served as tailor-made additives that effectively modified the crystal packing landscape of quasiracemate of (+)-1/(−)-2. Combining imidazole with the quasiracemate, racemate, and enantiopure forms of 1 and 2 resulted in crystal structures characterized as molecular salts with layered motifs formed from highly directional N+–H⋯carboxylate and carboxyl⋯carboxylate interactions. In contrast to the enantiopure [(+)-1·Im and (−)-2·Im] and racemic [(±)-1·Im and (±)-2·Im] systems, neighboring molecular layers observed in quasiracemate (+)-1/(−)-2·Im are organized by approximate inversion symmetry. Assessment of the crystal packing efficiency for this series of molecular salts via crystal densities and packing coefficients (Ck) indicates imidazole greatly alters the crystal landscape of the system in favor of racemic and quasiracemic crystal packing. A similar desymmetrized crystal environment was also realized for the ternary cocrystalline system of (+)-1/(−)-2·BPDO where the components organize via N+–O−⋯carboxyl contacts. This study underscores the importance of molecular shape to molecular recognition processes and the stabilizing effect of tailor-made additives for creating new crystalline phases of previously inaccessible crystalline materials.
Reporting the Cuban Revolution: How Castro Manipulated American Journalists

So much of this excellent book feels fresh and ripped from the headlines that it is odd to realize its revelations concern people and events from nearly sixty years ago. The evolving detente with C...
Modeling complex RNA tertiary folds with Rosetta.

Abstract Reliable modeling of RNA tertiary structures is key to both understanding these structures’ roles in complex biological machines and to eventually facilitating their design for molecular computing and robotics. In recent years, a concerted effort to improve computational prediction of RNA structure through the RNA-Puzzles blind prediction trials has accelerated advances in the field. Among other approaches, the versatile and expanding Rosetta molecular modeling software now permits modeling of RNAs in the 100–300 nucleotide size range at consistent subhelical (~ 1 nm) resolution. Our laboratory's current state-of-the-art methods for RNAs in this size range involve Fragment Assembly of RNA with Full-Atom Refinement (FARFAR), which optimizes RNA conformations in the context of a physically realistic energy function, as well as hybrid techniques that leverage experimental data to inform computational modeling. In this chapter, we give a practical guide to our current workflow for modeling RNA three-dimensional structures using FARFAR, including strategies for using data from multidimensional chemical mapping experiments to focus sampling and select accurate conformations.
Progesterone-Based Contraceptives Reduce Adaptive Immune Responses and Protection against Sequential Influenza A Virus Infections

In addition to their intended use, progesterone (P4)-based contraceptives promote anti-inflammatory immune responses, yet their effects on the outcome of infectious diseases, including influenza A virus (IAV) infection, are rarely evaluated. To evaluate their impact on immune responses to sequential IAV infections, adult female mice were treated with placebo or one of two progestins, P4 or levonorgestrel (LNG), and infected with a mouse-adapted H1N1 (maH1N1) virus. Treatment with P4 or LNG reduced morbidity but had no effect on pulmonary virus titers during primary H1N1 infection compared to placebo treatment. In serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, total anti-IAV IgG and IgA titers and virus-neutralizing antibody titers but not hemagglutinin stalk antibody titers were lower in progestin-treated mice than placebo-treated mice. Females were challenged 6 weeks later with either an maH1N1 drift variant (maH1N1dv) or maH3N2 IAV. The level of protection following infection with the maH1N1dv was similar among all groups. In contrast, following challenge with maH3N2, progestin treatment reduced survival as well as the numbers and activity of H1N1- and H3N2-specific memory CD8+ T cells, including tissue-resident cells, compared with placebo treatment. In contrast to primary IAV infection, progestin treatment increased the titers of neutralizing and IgG antibodies against both challenge viruses compared with those achieved with placebo treatment. While the immunomodulatory properties of progestins protected immunologically naive female mice from the severe outcomes from IAV infection, it made them more susceptible to secondary challenge with a heterologous IAV, despite improving their antibody responses against a secondary IAV infection. Taken together, the immunomodulatory effects of progestins differentially regulate the outcome of infection depending on exposure history.IMPORTANCE The impact of hormone-based contraceptives on the outcome of infectious diseases outside the reproductive tract is rarely considered. Using a mouse model, we have made the novel observation that treatment with either progesterone or a synthetic analog found in hormonal contraceptives, levonorgestrel, impacts sequential influenza A virus infection by modulating antibody responses and decreasing the numbers and activity of memory CD8+ T cells. Progestins reduced the antibody responses during primary H1N1 virus infection but increased antibody titers following a sequential infection with either an H1N1 drift variant or an H3N2 virus. Following challenge with an H3N2 virus, female mice treated with progestins experienced greater mortality with increased pulmonary inflammation and reduced numbers and activity of CD8+ T cells. This study suggests that progestins significantly affect adaptive immune responses to influenza A virus infection, with their effect on the outcome of infection depending on exposure history.
Specificity tests of an oligonucleotide probe against food-outbreak salmonella for biosensor detection

Phage based magneto-elastic (ME) biosensors have been shown to be able to rapidly detect Salmonella in various food systems to serve food pathogen monitoring purposes. In this ME biosensor platform, the free-standing strip-shaped magneto-elastic sensor is the transducer and the phage probe that recognizes Salmonella in food serves as the bio-recognition element. According to Sorokulova et al. at 2005, a developed oligonucleotide probe E2 was reported to have high specificity to Salmonella enterica Typhimurium. In the report, the specificity tests were focused in most of Enterobacterace groups outside of Salmonella family. Here, to understand the specificity of phage E2 to different Salmonella enterica serotypes within Salmonella Family, we further tested the specificity of the phage probe to thirty-two Salmonella serotypes that were present in the major foodborne outbreaks during the past ten years (according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The tests were conducted through an Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) format. This assay can mimic probe immobilized conditions on the magnetoelastic biosensor platform and also enable to study the binding specificity of oligonucleotide probes toward different Salmonella while avoiding phage/ sensor lot variations. Test results confirmed that this oligonucleotide probe E2 was high specific to Salmonella Typhimurium cells but showed cross reactivity to Salmonella Tennessee and four other serotypes among the thirty-two tested Salmonella serotypes.
Reminiscences on 25 years of DoD investments leading to quantum information

I trace my DoD program management history from 1980's laser cooling and trapping, to Bose Einstein condensation, atom lasers, Fermi degenerate gases, and atomtronics, to the beginnings of QIS in the form of trapped ion qubits, optical lattices, and quantum emulation of condensed matter Hamiltonians.
GC-Safe interprocedural unboxing

Modern approaches to garbage collection (GC) require information about which variables and fields contain GC-managed pointers. Interprocedural flow analysis can be used to eliminate otherwise unnecessary heap allocated objects (unboxing), but must maintain the necessary GC information. We define a core language which models compiler correctness with respect to the GC, and develop a correctness specification for interprocedural unboxing optimizations. We prove that any optimization which satisfies our specification will preserve GC safety properties and program semantics, and give a practical unboxing algorithm satisfying this specification.
Power Conversion Efficiency and Equivalent Input Loss Factor in Magnetoelectric Gyrators

Magnetoelectric (ME) gyrators are unique circuit elements capable of direct conversion of the current to voltage or vice versa. In order to understand the power conversion and loss processes in the gyrators, an equivalent input loss factor has been developed in this paper based on Mason's model (equivalent circuit model). This factor serves to understand the loss transferring mechanism and to evaluate the conversion efficiency for the electric power in ME gyrators. Studies have been carried out for modeling the power conversion in both the solenoid and the ME core. Several important factors have been proposed and discussed to enhance the conversion efficiencies in the electric–magnetic–mechanical three-phase conversion process. A simplification of our equations reveals that the efficiency of the ME gyrator is related to the product of the effective coupling ( k2 $_{\text{eff, m}}$ ) and mechanical quality ( Q mech). According to our model, magnetic and electric materials with high k $_{\text{eff, m}}$ and Q mech values are the key ingredients to enhance the efficiency of ME gyrators. We have successfully realized a power efficiency of 92% based on a Metglas/hard-PZT ME gyrator, which showed a good correlation to the predicted values.
THE ROLE OF RHINENCEPHALIC NETWORKS IN THE LATE STAGES OF KINDLING

The stereotyped development of kindled seizures from all limbic system structures strongly suggests the recruitment of a common neuronal network for seizure expression. Our own research (see Burchfiel, Applegate, Samoriski and Nierenberg, this volume), as well as that of others, has implicated the involvement of several paleocortical regions including the ipsilateral piriform, ventral perirhinal and insular cortices in the transition from stage 2 to stage 3 kindled seizures, independent of the site of focal afterdischarge initiation.5,17,19,22,28 Thus, the evolution of afterdischarge driven species typical behaviors such as arrest, grooming and wet dog shakes (stages 1–2) to pronounced facial clonus and headnodding (stage 3) involves the recruitment of the ipsilateral piriform and insular cortices for behavioral seizure expression.
Optimizing for KNL Usage Modes When Data Doesn't Fit in MCDRAM

Technologies such as Multi-Channel DRAM (MCDRAM) or High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) provide significantly more bandwidth than conventional memory. This trend has raised questions about how applications should manage data transfers between levels. This paper focuses on evaluating different usage modes of the MCDRAM in Intel Knights Landing (KNL) manycore processors. We evaluate these usage modes with a sorting kernel and a sorting-based streaming benchmark. We develop a performance model for the benchmark and use experimental evidence to demonstrate the correctness of the model. The model projects near-optimal numbers of copy threads for memory bandwidth bound computations. We demonstrate on KNL up to a 1.9X speedup for sort when the problem does not fit in MCDRAM over an OpenMP GNU sort that does not use MCDRAM.
"As natural as the air around us": on the origin and development of the concept of structural violence in health research

This article examines the concept of "structural violence." Originating in the work of Johan Galtung in 1969 and popularized by Paul Farmer, structural violence is increasingly invoked in health literature. It is a complex concept - rich in its explanatory potential but vague in its operational definition and arguably limited in its theoretical precision. Its potential lies in the focus it gives to the deep structural roots of health inequities; in contrast to the more passive term "social determinants of health," structural violence explicitly identifies social, economic, and political systems as the causes of the causes of poor health. It is also evocative in its framing of health inequities as an act of violence. Yet the formulation of structure used in this literature is largely atheoretical and, by extension, apolitical. Development of the concept hinges on clarifying the precise aspects of structure it points to (perhaps through using the concept in conjunction with larger theoretical frameworks) as well as improving operational definitions to enable its use in quantitative social epidemiology. We argue that the concept of structural violence can provide a useful lens for understanding health inequities, but its full potential is only realized when combined with larger theoretical frameworks.
MYCOPHENOLATE MOFETIL IN CHILDREN WITH STEROID-DEPENDANT AND/OR FREQUENTLY RELAPSING NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Background and objectives Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has emerged as a new agent for treatment of a variety of glomerular diseases. This study examines the safety and efficacy of MMF in treating pediatric patients with steroid-dependent (SD) and/or frequently relapsing (FR) nephrotic syndrome (NS). Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 18 patients with SDNS and/or FRNS treated with MMF for at least 3 months. MMF was used in 11 patients with SDNS (n = 10) and FRNS (n = 1), including 7 males and 4 females. Results Mean age at time of diagnosis of NS was 3.3 years (range 1.1–8.5 years), and at the start of MMF 5.9 years (range 2.9–10 years). Seven patients had a renal biopsy prior to starting MMF; all had mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Mean follow-up after starting MMF was 12.2 months (range 4–24 months). Mean MMF dose was 948 mg/m2/day (range 500–1087 mg/m2/day). MMF resulted in improvement in 9 of 11 patients, with 8 patients weaned off steroids completely, with a reduction in the mean relapse rate from 4.7 relapses/patient/year (range 2.4–6) before MMF to 1.05 relapses/patient/year (range 0–4.5) after MMF therapy (p = 0.0001). The relative risk for relapse before MMF was 4.7 (p = 0.0002). None of the patients had significant adverse events or intolerance to MMF therapy. Conclusion We conclude that MMF is a safe and effective option for treatment of children with SDNS and/or FRNS.
A qualitative study of the multi-level influences on oral hygiene practices for young children in an Early Head Start program

Individual child-level risk factors for Early Childhood Caries (ECC) have been studied, but broader family- and community-level influences on child oral hygiene behaviors are less well understood. This study explored multiple levels of influence on oral hygiene behaviors for young children in Early Head Start (EHS) to inform a future behavioral intervention targeting children from low-income families. Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers of children under 4 years old, enrolled in the home visitor (HV) component of one EHS program in Los Angeles, CA, who participated in the BEhavioral EConomics for Oral health iNnovation pilot study (BEECON) in 2016–7. Audio-recordings of interviews were translated if needed, and transcribed in English, and coding and analysis was facilitated by Dedoose qualitative software. This investigation used general thematic analysis guided by the Fisher-Owens child oral health conceptual framework to identify influences on oral hygiene behaviors for the young children. Many mothers reported brushing their children’s teeth twice/day, and concern that most children frequently resisted brushing. They identified children being sick or tired/asleep after outings as times when brushing was skipped. Several child-, family-, and community-level themes were identified as influences on child oral hygiene behaviors. At the child-level, the child’s developmental stage and desire for independence was perceived as a negative influence. Family-level influences included the mother’s own oral hygiene behaviors, other family role models, the mother’s knowledge and attitudes about child oral health, and mothers’ coping skills and strategies for overcoming challenges with brushing her child’s teeth. Overall, mothers in the EHS-HV program were highly knowledgeable about ECC risk factors, including the roles of bacteria and sugar consumption, which motivated regular hygiene behavior. At the community-level, mothers discussed opportunities to connect with other EHS-HV families during parent meetings and playgroups that HV coordinated. A few mothers noted that EHS-HV playgroups included brushing children’s teeth after snacking, which can be a potential positive influence on children’s hygiene practices. Child-, family- and community-level factors are important to consider to inform the development of tailored oral health preventive care programs for families in EHS-HV programs.
Does Device or Connection Type Affect Health Preferences in Online Surveys

Recent evidence has shown that online surveys can reliably collect preference data, which markedly decrease the cost of health preference studies and expand their representativeness. As the use of mobile technology continues to grow, we wanted to examine its potential impact on health preferences. Two recently completed discrete choice experiments using members of the US general population (n = 15,292) included information on respondent device (cell phone, tablet, Mac, PC) and internet connection (business, cellular, college, government, residential). In this analysis, we tested for differences in respondent characteristics, participation, response quality, and utility values for the 5-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L) by device and connection. Compared to Mac and PC users, respondents using a cell phone or tablet had longer completion times and were significantly more likely to drop out during the surveys (p < 0.001). Tablet users also demonstrated more logical inconsistencies (p = 0.05). Likewise, respondents using a cellular internet connection exhibit significantly less consistency in their health preferences. However, matched samples for tablets and cell phones produced similar EQ-5D-5L utility values (mean differences < 0.06 on a quality-adjusted life-year [QALY] scale for all potential health states). Allowing respondents to complete online surveys using a cell phone or tablet or over a cellular connection substantially increases the diversity of respondents and the likelihood of obtaining a representative sample, as many individuals have cell phones but not a computer. While the results showed systematic variability in participation and response quality by device and connection type, this study did not show any meaningful changes in utility values.
Defense of Military Installations from Ballistic Missile Attack Doctrine, History, Challenges, and Future Research

While NATO nations have long enjoyed relative security from air attack at military installations, recent developments in missile technology and doctrine have threatened that security. With 26 conflicts worldwide in the past 100 years featuring airbase attacks, doctrine and planning tools must be updated to allow continued use of air bases within missile range of enemy forces. Research conducted for the United States Air Force identifies the areas of base resilience and how they affect mission capability. Several models have been developed based on these principles, but there are gaps in model capability and usefulness for allied partners. This paper presents the proposal of a novel base planning model capable of directly quantifying missile attack consequences and generating optimal site layout plans and protection strategies. This model would be implemented using multi-objective genetic algorithms to identify solutions that provide optimal tradeoffs between the competing objectives of minimizing attack consequences, minimizing site construction costs, and minimizing mission impact. These capabilities are expected to assist military engineers in their critical task of analyzing and selecting the design strategy that minimizes operational impacts to a base located in a contested region.
Probing the coupling of butterfly wing photonic crystals to plasmon resonances with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Both plasmonic and photonic materials manipulate light by structurally-defined optical properties. While photonic architectures can promote the scattering and reflection of certain wavelengths of light, plasmonic materials have plasmon resonances that confine light at the nanoscale. Coupling photonic materials to plasmon resonances could enhance the plasmonic response via wavelength-dependent interference and confinement properties. Here we explore the use of wavelength-dependent, naturally-abundant photonic crystal structures found in butterfly wings as substrates for plasmonic nanoparticle deposition, and probe the plasmonic–photonic interactions using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. To better understand the wavelength dependence of field enhancement and localization of these systems, we examined the SERS responses of plasmonic nanoparticles deposited on four different butterfly wing colors with three excitation wavelengths. We find that excitation at wavelengths most closely matching the butterfly wing color produces the most intense SERS signal, with signal magnitude increases up to an order of magnitude, beyond a mere additive effect. These naturally abundant photonic structures show potential to create cheaper, wavelength-selective SERS substrates, and they provide a quantitative insight on plasmon–photonic crystal coupling.
Exosomal MicroRNAs Associate With Neuropsychological Performance in Individuals With HIV Infection on Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background Neurocognitive dysfunction remains prevalent among people living with HIV (PLWH), even after viral suppression on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). We investigated associations between neuropsychological performance (NP) and patterns of circulating exosomal microRNA (exo-miRNA) expression in PLWH on cART. Setting A cross-sectional examination of plasma exo-miRNA among PLWH on cART with systemic viral suppression and volunteers without HIV infection. Methods Thirty-one PLWH who started cART during early infection (n = 19) or chronic infection (n = 12) participated in phlebotomy and an 11-test neuropsychological battery after >1 year on treatment. NP higher- or lower-performing participants were categorized based on normalized neuropsychological scores. Total RNA was extracted from purified exosomes of 31 PLWH and 5 volunteers without HIV and subject to small RNA sequencing. Differential expression of exo-miRNAs was examined and biological functions were predicted. Results Eleven exo-miRNAs were up-regulated in NP lower-performing (n = 18) relative to higher-performing PLWH (n = 13). A high proportion of the differentiating exo-miRNA target the axon guidance KEGG pathway and neurotrophin tyrosine receptor kinase signaling Gene Ontology pathway. Differential expression analysis of exo-miRNAs between NP lower- (n = 7) and higher-performing (n = 12) PLWH within the early infection group alone confirmed largely consistent findings. Conclusions Plasma exo-miRNA content differed between NP higher- and lower-performing PLWH. Several differentially expressed exo-miRNAs were predicted to be involved in inflammation and neurodegeneration pathways. Exo-miRNA in plasma may indicate cross-talk between the circulation and central nervous system and thus may be clinically relevant for neurocognitive dysfunction in PLWH.
Evaluating Feedstocks, Processes, and Products in the Teaching Laboratory: A Framework for Students to Use Metrics to Design Greener Chemistry Experiments.

Exciting developments in the field of Green Chemistry spur the continuous innovation of experiments in the teaching laboratory. Beyond learning practical techniques, students can critically assess experiments using relevant metrics to propose further improvements and identify the most important interconnected impacts of these alternative products and processes. Herein we review popular laboratory experiments through the simple framework of feedstocks, processes, and products, offering data-driven methods for student evaluation of experiments used in the teaching laboratory. These evaluations employ techniques from life-cycle assessments and techno-economic analyses leveraging freely available data from online databases and safety data sheets. These methods may be used by students and educators to first assess seemingly distinct facets of a chemical transformation (energy inputs, reagent toxicity, etc.) and then relate these to meaningfully address system-wide improvements (replacing harmful solvents, reducing reagent costs, etc.).
A comparison of template matching and deep learning for classification of occluded targets in LiDAR data

Automatic target recognition (ATR) is an ongoing topic of research for the Air Force. In this effort we develop, analyze and compare template matching and deep learning algorithms for use in the task of classifying occluded targets in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. Specifically, we analyze convolutional sparse representations (CSR) and convolutional neural networks (CNN). We explore the strengths and weaknesses of each algorithm separately, then improve the algorithms, and finally provide a comprehensive comparison of the developed tools. To conduct this final comparison, we improve the functionality of current LiDAR simulators to include our occlusion creator and parallelize our data simulation tools for use on the DoD High Performance Computers. Our results demonstrate that for this problem, a DenseNet trained with images containing representative clutter outperforms a basic CNN and the CSR approach.
Recent advances in the mitigation of dendrites in lithium-metal batteries

Utilizing lithium (Li) metal as the anode can enable lithium metal battery (LMB) systems to achieve energy densities of up to 1150 Wh Kg−1, approaching that of gasoline. However, the use of Li metal is plagued with a whole host of problems, the most serious of which is the issue of nucleation of Li metal dendrites. These dendrites grow inexorably on charge–discharge cycling, piercing through the battery separator membrane and eventually electrically shorting the battery. This can result in thermal runaway leading to an unacceptable fire hazard. In this review article, we focus on recent advances in mitigating, suppressing, and healing Li metal dendrites in LMBs with liquid electrolytes. We discuss a whole host of exciting approaches including electrolyte engineering, interface engineering, the use of stable Li hosts, homogenizing Li-ion flux, and the physical healing of dendrites using temperature fields. We discuss the pros and cons of these approaches and provide our perspectives for future research directions. In particular, it is important to consider dendrite mitigation in a full-cell setting and with a realistic form factor such as prismatic or cylindrical cells. Given the multifaceted nature of the dendrite challenge, it is unlikely that there is a single magic solution, making it necessary to explore a combination of strategies to work in synergy to make Li metal anodes viable in commercial systems.
Reproductive cycle and fecundity of the bonnethead Sphyrna tiburo L. from the northwest Atlantic Ocean.

The present study examined temporal changes in plasma sex hormone concentrations and the morphology and histology of reproductive organs in mature northwest Atlantic (NWA) bonnetheads Sphyrna tiburo L. to characterize reproductive cycle, breeding periodicity and fertility in this still poorly studied population. Progressive increases in testis width, epididymis head width, plasma testosterone (T) concentrations, and occurrence of mature spermatozoa were observed in male S. tiburo from June to September, demonstrating that spermatogenesis occurs during the summer. Nonetheless, increases in maximum follicle diameter, oviducal gland width, plasma 17β-estradiol and T concentrations, and occurrence of vitellogenic follicles were not observed in mature females until between October and April, demonstrating non-synchronous patterns of gametogenesis in males and females. Fresh copulatory wounds were observed in females collected during late September along with histological evidence for sperm presence in the oviducal gland between September and April, confirming a 6- to 7 month period of female sperm storage. Ovulation occurred between mid-April and early May in concert with increases in female plasma progesterone concentrations. Gestation occurred during a 4.5- to 5 month period between May and early September, and 97% of mature females collected during this period were gravid, indicating a highly synchronized, annual reproductive periodicity. Brood size was significantly correlated with maternal size and ranged from 1 to 13 pups with a mean ± S.D. of 8.1 ± 2.2, which was significantly lower than reported in Gulf of Mexico (GOM) populations. The occurrence of non-fertile offspring was observed in 17% of broods with a range of 1-7 non-fertile eggs present in individual females. Thus, as previously reported in GOM S. tiburo, this unusual form of infertility also appears to be prevalent in the NWA population and requires further study. This study has demonstrated meaningful differences in reproductive biology of these populations, emphasizing the need for region-specific approaches for population management.
A Unified Petrov–Galerkin Spectral Method and Fast Solver for Distributed-Order Partial Differential Equations

Fractional calculus and fractional-order modeling provide effective tools for modeling and simulation of anomalous diffusion with power-law scalings. In complex multi-fractal anomalous transport phenomena, distributed-order partial differential equations appear as tractable mathematical models, where the underlying derivative orders are distributed over a range of values, hence taking into account a wide range of multi-physics from ultraslow-to-standard-to-superdiffusion/wave dynamics. We develop a unified, fast, and stable Petrov–Galerkin spectral method for such models by employing Jacobi poly-fractonomials and Legendre polynomials as temporal and spatial basis/test functions, respectively. By defining the proper underlying distributed Sobolev spaces and their equivalent norms, we rigorously prove the well-posedness of the weak formulation, and thereby, we carry out the corresponding stability and error analysis. We finally provide several numerical simulations to study the performance and convergence of proposed scheme.