cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clustering and Extended Range Order in Binary Network Glasses

The clustering in alkali silica glasses (M2O)x(SiO2)1-x, where M is either Na or Rb, and x ranges between 0 and 0.4, was studied using molecular dynamics simulations. Computations were performed using a semi-empirical potential, including two- and three-body terms as well as dynamic partial charge transfer. Characterization of the structures was based on pair correlation functions, neutron static structure factor and ring statistics. Results have shown a much stronger tendency to cluster in case of Na than of Rb. The irregular arrangement of Na is evidenced by a decay pattern in the Na-Na pair correlation function, which can be associated with a fractal dimension. The clustering tendency can be attributed to the differences in the way the network structure is able to accommodate the introduction of modifying cations. As opposed to Rb, the smaller Na cation can fit on sites only slightly larger than is required for Si. This would distort the structure but hardly alter its topology. Rb on the other hand, requires larger interstices, which results in a reconstruction of the network and a significantly different intermediate range order. Na can achieve a similar influence on the network structure if they group in pairs.
The impartiality of Smith’s spectator: The problem of parochialism and the possibility of social critique

Amartya Sen has argued that contractarian theories of justice inevitably fall victim to the problem of parochialism, for the reason that they rely on a problematically narrow conception of impartia...
P2Y2 purinergic receptor is induced following human cytomegalovirus infection and its activity is required for efficient viral replication

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) manipulates many aspects of host cell biology to create an intracellular milieu optimally supportive of its replication and spread. The current study reveals a role for purinergic signaling in HCMV infection. The levels of several components of the purinergic signaling system, including the P2Y2 receptor, were altered in HCMV-infected fibroblasts. P2Y2 receptor RNA and protein are strongly induced following infection. Pharmacological inhibition of receptor activity or knockdown of receptor expression markedly reduced the production of infectious HCMV progeny. When P2Y2 activity was inhibited, the accumulation of most viral RNAs tested and viral DNA was reduced. In addition, the level of cytosolic calcium within infected cells was reduced when P2Y2 signaling was blocked. The HCMV-coded UL37x1 protein was previously shown to induce calcium flux from the smooth endoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol, and the present study demonstrates that P2Y2 function is required for this mobilization. We conclude that P2Y2 supports the production of HCMV progeny, possibly at multiple points within the viral replication cycle that interface with signaling pathways induced by the purinergic receptor.
Nerve and Nerve Root Biomechanics

Together, the relationship between the mechanical response of neural tissues and the related mechanisms of injury provide a foundation for defining relevant thresholds for injury. The nerves and nerve roots are biologic structures with specific and important functions, and whose response to mechanical loading can have immediate, long-lasting and widespread consequences. In particular, when nerves or nerve roots are mechanically loaded beyond their mechanical tolerance for injury, motor and/or sensory deficits can result. The severity and persistence of the symptoms are modulated by the profile of the mechanical insult. In this chapter, the relevant anatomy, and structure are reviewed in the context of biomechanical data describing the mechanical behavior of nerves and nerve roots. While both nerves and nerve roots have components of their anatomic organization that protect the axons of their neurons, there are distinct differences in their structure and composition. These variations contribute to differences in their mechanical response to loading owing to their strength and stiffness. However, both tissues are time-dependent and exhibit viscoelastic behavior. These time-dependent characteristics in mechanical responses imply that, in addition to the magnitude of force or deformation, the rate of loading and duration of applied mechanical insult can modulate physiologic outcomes associated with mechanical loading to these tissues. This chapter reviews all of these concepts in the context of biomechanics and physiologic outcomes. In addition, a review of current work studying nerve and nerve root loading in animal models is provided in order to relate these outcomes to clinical symptoms.
Whole foods or phytochemicals? Considerations for chemoprevention

CN05-01 Most scientists have now come to accept the views of Richard Doll and Richard Peto that a sizable fraction of cancer mortality is influenced by diet. However, acceptance of this epidemiologic reality leads to a most complex issue: Should part of a proactive strategy to address the prevention of cancer and chronic disease encourage a better diet and more exercise, or should it yield to the realities of reduced energy expenditure in the modern world? Should it support the rational development of supplements that might not require, for example, the consumption of at least five servings per day of fruits and vegetables? A large variety of phytochemicals have been identified, and mechanistic work on isolated compounds highlights multiple mechanisms for their cancer preventive activity. Bioavailability and efficacy of these compounds as components of whole foods are clearly impacted by complex interactions that are not yet well understood. There are three questions that are particularly perplexing, and although there is no consensus on any of them, it is proposed that they deserve to be the substrate for creative minds over the next decade: (1) When long-term prophylaxis is indicated, should persons at increased risk for particular cancers be encouraged to take (i) pharmaceuticals, (ii) food products or supplements enriched in potentially protective compounds, or (iii) whole foods? (2) Are there true synergies or matrix effects within the huge variety of concoctions, decoctions, preparations, elixirs, extracts, and tonics reported to have protective activities? There has been much descriptive work on the efficacy of these folk medicines, yet rigorous evaluation of the biological effects of these reported synergies is still an elusive goal. (3) Dogmatic approaches to protection from chronic disease frequently assume that one would need to attain high levels of protection in order for there to be value in this strategy. Whereas this may be the only paradigm that permits us to measure risk reduction using currently available tools, does it not also incorporate the flawed logic that the only good risk reduction is a large risk reduction?
Research in the Public Sphere: Connecting Students & the Community

Despite increased pressure on academia to produce job-ready graduates, students can still learn how to discover new knowledge and put that knowledge to use without compromising the important lessons a liberal education and the interdisciplinary research process teaches. An innovative course in MasonA¢â¬â¢s Honors College called A¢â¬AResearch in the Public SphereA¢â¬Â connects student researchers from across all disciplines with Northern Virginia nonprofits and businesses whose pressing challenges serve as a starting point for student research projects. Students develop their research questions around the needs of these public entities, exploring and examining their research questions from multiple perspectives. Now in its third installation, this A¢â¬AtranslationalA¢â¬Â research course demonstrates to students important relations and distinctions between A¢â¬ApureA¢â¬Â and A¢â¬AappliedA¢â¬Â research, helping them translate their learning to the public sphere. Bio-engineering, computer science, finance, government and international politics, neuroscience, psychology, and systems engineering majors have all taken the course. Two students who took the course will share some specific research experiences and learning gains. AÂ Lesson plans will be made available for those interested in particular assignments from the course.
Early detection of cardiotoxicity during chemotherapy using biomarkers

19521 Cancer chemotherapy (CHEMO), especially anthracycline-containing regimens, may result in heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) due to cardiotoxicity (CVTx). The ability to dete...
A Guide for Graduate Students Interested in Postdoctoral Positions in Biology Education Research

Postdoctoral positions in biology education research (BER) are becoming increasingly common as the field grows. However, many life science graduate students are unaware of these positions or do not understand what these positions entail or the careers with which they align. In this essay, we use a backward-design approach to inform life science graduate students of postdoctoral opportunities in BER. Beginning with the end in mind, we first discuss the types of careers to which BER postdoctoral positions lead. We then discuss the different types of BER postdoctoral positions, drawing on our own experiences and those of faculty mentors. Finally, we discuss activities in which life science graduate students can engage that will help them gauge whether BER aligns with their research interests and develop skills to be competitive for BER postdoctoral positions.
Is the respiratory health of study participants representative of the entire sample when the participation percentage is low

Background: A low participation percentage raises concerns about biased results. In a study of healthcare workers that had weak participation, we used data from those who completed part of the study questionnaire and also surveyed non-responders to determine if the respiratory health of participants was representative of the entire sample. Methods: The sample of eligible people comprised approximately 15,250 workers in several healthcare occupations living in a large city in the eastern United States. We followed a protocol with numerous attempted mail and telephone contacts. A total of 1992 (13.1%) completed the study questionnaire (25 to 30 minutes) and another 691 (4.5%) provided partial data (partials). A total of 497 (3.3% of sample) non-responders finished an abbreviated questionnaire ( Results: The 1992 participants resembled the 1188 partials/non-responders regarding asthma prevalence (14.8% vs 14.3%), but participants reported more wheeze (14.4% vs 11.4%). These findings were confirmed when we modeled participation and controlled for age and gender: odds ratio (OR)=1.03 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.83, 1.29) for asthma and OR=1.32 (95% CI 1.05, 1.67) for wheeze. An adjusted prevalence estimate of wheeze for the entire sample based on weighted estimates from participants and partials/non-responders was 11.8%. Conclusion: The results suggest that participants did not differ from the rest of the sample by prevalence of asthma, but did report more wheeze.
Resonant piezoresistive amplifiers: Towards single element nano-mechanical RF front ends

This work presents measurement and scaling results for micro/nano-mechanical resonant piezoresistive amplifiers (RPA) showing the potential of such devices as single element receiver front-ends. It has been previously demonstrated that the formation of an internal electromechanical positive feedback within a suspended resonant piezoresistor leads to a negative (active) motional resistance. Such devices can simultaneously amplify and filter incoming electrical signals while maintaining a low noise figure. Basic scaling physics suggests that by reducing the dimensions into the deep submicron range, RPAs can maintain similar negative motional resistances (−r m ), while consuming significantly less power and operating at higher frequencies. However, no empirical data has been shown to support this claim. In this work, RPAs with operating frequencies ranging from 5MHz to 162MHz have been fabricated and their performances have been compared. Measurements show a negative transconductance (g m ) of −22mA/V (r m = −45Ω) with an effective quality factor of 2100 (in air) for a 162MHz RPA with DC bias power of only 530 μW. It is also shown that the figure of merit (FOM) for such devices (defined as g m /P DC ) significantly improves by miniaturization of the resonant piezoresistor.
Overview of Articulation and Fluency Disorders

Articulation and fluency disorders represent major categories of communication disorders. Although specific behavioral characteristics associated with articulation disorders are different from fluency disorders, commonalities exist in that both can (1) interfere with effective communication, (2) be manifested in the early years of development, and (3) cause frustrations and anxieties. Early identification and management are critical for remediation of articulation and fluency disorders. Articulation disorders comprise the large majority (65.5%) of patients seen by speech pathologists. Fluency disorders, however, represent only 3.2%.1
Suppression of samson phase formation in Al—Mg alloys by boron addition

Abstract Al-Mg alloys, particularly Al 5083 and Al 5456, are widely used for boat and ship structural applications because of their unique properties such as lightweight, high strength and good weldability. However, structural parts manufactured with these alloys fail catastrophically as a result of the formation of Al3Mg2, known as Samson phase, at grain boundaries. Here we demonstrate that the Samson phase formation is suppressed in Al 5083 by alloying with B, which traps most of Mg in solid solution as AlMgB2 phase. This decreases the supersaturation level of Mg in Al matrix, which is a driving force for the formation of Samson phase in Al 5083. We observe Cu-rich precipitates, instead of the Samson phase, at grain boundaries upon extended annealing at 150 °C. This is a significant finding as it provides new insight as to how to minimize the longstanding problem of sensitization.
Publicly Provided Health Insurance, Maternal Employment, and Child Health

Using a comprehensive data set from the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF), this study analyzes the effects of public health coverage and maternal employment on children’s health outcomes among the single-mother families. The estimation strategy accounts for the potential endogeneity of a mother’s employment status and choice of health insurance coverage for her children. Results suggest that the effectiveness gap between the publicly provided health insurance and employer provided coverage is still sizable. More importantly, the time constraint imposed by maternal employment has negative effects on children’s health outcomes especially at early stages of their lives. The public health insurance programs are designed to provide free or nearly free access to medical care to the vulnerable families. Since the Medicaid program was established in 1965, its eligibility rules have evolved substantially over time. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, a series of expansions in the traditional Medicaid program highlighted the recent changes to the publicly provided health insurance programs in the U.S. In 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was created, providing states greater latitudes to expand coverage to children, using Medicaid, a separate state program, or a hybrid program of the two. With these expansions, more than 83% of all 8.9 million uninsured children are estimated to be eligible for Medicaid/SCHIP coverage as of 2000 (Dubay and
Description of a Cryptic New Species of the Plant Bug Genus Eccritotarsus (Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) from Peru, a New Biocontrol Agent of Water Hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae)

Abstract. The new plant bug Eccritotarsus eichhorniae is described from specimens taken on water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, in Maynas Province, Peru. This new species is extremely similar to Eccritotarsus catarinensis (Carvalho), a species described from Santa Catarina, Brazil. These two populations were considered conspecific until COI sequencing data and breeding studies indicated that the Peruvian material probably represented a new cryptic species. Subsequent morphological studies confirmed that two species were involved. In this paper diagnoses, descriptions, and illustrations of the adults, scent glands, and male genitalia are provided to distinguish these two closely related species, both of which are currently being used as biocontrol agents on water hyacinth in South Africa.
Role of Negative Pressure Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Sternal Wound Infections After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Background:Sternal wound infections after pediatric cardiac surgery are uncommon but can be morbid.Methods:We describe an institutional protocol for complicated sternal wounds utilizing hyperbaric ...
Graphs and the Derivative

This chapter discusses the graphs and the derivative of functions. Calculus allows looking in an infinitesimal microscope at a graph before the whole graph. If f '( x ) is a function undefined, something else may appear in the microscope but this is an exceptional case. The exact shape of the slope can be measured on an auxiliary scale as follows, but usually this is not necessary. One of the most fundamental decay laws in mathematics says that the rate of decrease of a quantity is proportional to the amount that is left. Radioactive substances have this property.
Heat transfer through granular beds at high temperature

A comprehensive approach has been followed to determine parameters needed to correlate thermal conductances of packed beds comprised of granular opaque particles in a non-participating fluid. An apparatus has been designed and used to measure thermal conductances for several packed beds over a wide temperature range. Parameters required by an existing theoretical model were inferred from the measurements, and model calculations were performed to determine those parameters which affect thermal conductance. The thermal conductance of packed beds has been found to increase with the temperature difference across the bed thickness.
Enhancing Classroom Performance: A Review of Reinforcement Schedules

During the past decade the application of elementary principles of behavior have become a standard in the classroom teacher's repertoire of behavior change strategies. Unfortunately, the application of more advanced principles of behavior derived through basic behavioral research lies as an untapped resource for classroom teachers. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the use of systematic procedures to deliver reinforcers to enhance academic performance. In this paper we provide educators with information on the use of reinforcement schedules in academic settings. Various schedules of reinforcement are presented along with examples of their application in applied settings.
Systematically Understanding the Cyber Attack Business: A Survey

Cyber attacks are increasingly menacing businesses. Based on the literature review and publicly available reports, this article conducts an extensive and consistent survey of the services used by the cybercrime business, organized using the value chain perspective, to understand cyber attack in a systematic way. Understanding the specialization, commercialization, and cooperation for cyber attacks helps us to identify 24 key value-added activities and their relations. These can be offered “as a service” for use in a cyber attack. This framework helps to understand the cybercriminal service ecosystem and hacking innovations. Finally, a few examples are provided showing how this framework can help to build a more cyber immune system, like targeting cybercrime control-points and assigning defense responsibilities to encourage collaboration.
Abundance and mortality of a specialist leaf miner in response to shading and fertilization of American holly

Phytomyza ilicicola Loew (Diptera: Agromyzidae), a univoltine specialist leaf miner, typically reaches higher densities on cultivated Ilex opaca Aiton planted in sunny, urban sites than it does on native trees in the forest understory (Potter & Kimmerer, 1986; Potter, 1992). I manipulated shading and fertilization to study their effects on holly leaf morphology, nutritional quality, early leaf abscission, and incidence and survival of leaf miners.
Management Styles of REIT Funds

Executive Summary. This study examines the ability of implied property type allocations to aid in the explanation for the performance of real estate investment trust (REIT) funds. Implied allocatio...
Sampling uncertain constraints under parametric distributions

We consider optimization problems with uncertain constraints that need to be satisfied probabilistically. When data are available, a common method to obtain feasible solutions for such problems is to impose sampled constraints, following the so-called scenario generation (SG) approach. However, when the data size is small, the sampled constraints may not support a guarantee on the feasibility of the obtained solution. This paper studies how to leverage parametric information and the power of Monte Carlo simulation to obtain feasible solutions even when the data are not sufficient to support the use of SG. Our approach makes use of a distributionally robust optimization formulation that informs the Monte Carlo sample size needed to achieve our guarantee.
On the Design of Sinuous Antennas for UWB Radar Applications

Sinuous antennas are capable of producing ultrawideband (UWB) radiation with polarization diversity. This capability makes the sinuous antenna an attractive candidate for UWB polarimetric radar applications. Additionally, the ability of the sinuous antenna to be implemented as a planar structure makes it a good fit for close-in sensing applications such as ground penetrating radar. However, recent literature has shown the sinuous antenna to suffer from resonances, which degrade performance. Such resonances produce late time ringing, which is particularly troubling for pulsed close-in sensing applications. The resonances occur in two forms: log-periodic resonances on the arms, and a resonance due to the sharp ends left by the outer truncation. A detailed investigation as to the correlation between the log-periodic resonances and the sinuous antenna design parameters indicates the resonances may be mitigated by selecting appropriate design parameters. In addition, a novel truncation method is proposed to remove the sharp end resonance. Both simulation and measured results are provided to support the developed sinuous antenna design guidance.
The Cellular Immunity Agent Based Model (CIABM): Replicating the cellular immune response to viral respiratory infection

Abstract Viral respiratory infections, such as influenza, result in over 1 million deaths worldwide each year. To date, there are few therapeutic interventions able to affect the course of the disease once acquired, a deficit with stark consequences that were readily evident in the current COVID-19 pandemic. We present the Cellular Immune Agent Based Model (CIABM) as a flexible framework for modeling acute viral infection and cellular immune memory development. The mechanism/rule-based nature of the CIABM allows for interrogation of the complex dynamics of the human immune system during various types of viral infections. The CIABM is an extension of a prior agent-based model of the innate immune response, incorporating additional cellular types and mediators involved in the response to viral infection. The CIABM simulates the dynamics of viral respiratory infection in terms of epithelial invasion, immune cellular population changes and cytokine measurements. Validation of the CIABM involved effectively replicating in vivo measurements of circulating mediator levels from a clinical cohort of influenza patients. The general purpose nature of the CIABM allows for both the representation of various types of known viral infections and facilitates the exploration of hypothetical, novel viral pathogens.
Clio: An Autonomous Vertical Sampling Vehicle for Global Ocean Biogeochemical Mapping

We report the design, sea trials, and scientific operation of a fast vertical profiling autonomous underwater vehicle, called Clio, designed to cost-effectively improve the understanding of marine microorganism ecosystem dynamics on a global scale by collecting high-volume filter samples autonomously, in contrast to conventional techniques that require a ship’s wire.
Factors governing the equilibrium between metalalkyl, alkylidene and alkylidyne: MCX2R, XMCXR and X2MCR

Abstract The reactions of vinyl ethers, H2CCH(OR), with RuHClL2 (L=PiPr3) furnish the carbene complexes RuHCl[C(CH3)(OR)]L2 by H migration. Os(H)3ClL2 serves as a surrogate for unknown OsHClL2, to give the analogous carbene, but this transforms further for RPh to give the carbyne OsHCl(OPh)(CCH3)L2. DFT calculations furnish insight into the relative thermodynamic stability of the various isomeric species, and are consistent with the major influence of π-donation by OR, as well as the preference of Os (versus Ru) for saturation and higher oxidation state. Comparison of the reactivity of H2CCHD0 (D0=π-donor) towards MHClL2 versus Cp2ZrHCl shows the dominant influence of metal π-donor power. Ruthenium and osmium complexes containing an MCF3 subunit show remarkably facile isomerization to FMCF2 carbenes.
Distributed Microbiology Testing: Bringing Infectious Disease Diagnostics to Point of Care.

We discuss the current practice of point-of-care diagnostics in infectious diseases as methods transition from antigen-based to molecular, and beyond simple molecular to the next generations of point-of-care testing methods. We evaluate the role of point-of-care at different sites of care and describe and evaluate trends likely to be driven by advances in molecular methodology, emerging biomarkers, and informatics. We describe strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the development of point-of-care diagnostics in the near (1-10 years) and more distant (10-20 years) future.
Diet-microbiome interactions and the regulation of the epigenome

Abstract This chapter introduces the link between diet, gut microbiota, and host epigenetics. Environmental cues including diet and gut microbiota trigger epigenetic modifications that regulate gene expression, influencing disease progression. Diet-microbe interactions have been shown to influence (1) available substrates for epigenetic modification (i.e., methyl and acetyl groups), (2) DNA methylation or histone methylation and/or acetylation, and (3) the generation of microbial metabolites that regulate the activity of epigenetic proteins such as histone deacetylases (HDACs). Conversely, the epigenome of the host also influences gut microbial composition. The goal of this chapter is to summarize current literature showing that alterations in dietary intake significantly influence the gut microbiota that, in turn, modifies the epigenome, having significant consequences on host health. Advancements in this research area are expected to lead to the prevention and/or treatment of diseases caused, at least in-part, by these diet-microbiome-host epigenome interactions.
Evidence of information limitations in coarse-grained models

Developing accurate coarse-grained (CG) models is critical for addressing long time and length scale phenomena with molecular simulations. Here, we distinguish and quantify two sources of error that are relevant to CG models in order to guide further methods development: “representability” errors, which result from the finite basis associated with the chosen functional form of the CG model and mapping operator, and “information” errors, which result from the limited kind and quantity of data supplied to the CG parameterization algorithm. We have performed a systematic investigation of these errors by generating all possible CG models of three liquids (butane, 1-butanol, and 1,3-propanediol) that conserve a set of chemically motivated locality and topology relationships. In turn, standard algorithms (iterative Boltzmann inversion, IBI, and multiscale coarse-graining, MSCG) were used to parameterize the models and the CG predictions were compared with atomistic results. For off-target properties, we observe a strong correlation between the accuracy and the resolution of the CG model, which suggests that the approximations represented by MSCG and IBI deteriorate with decreasing resolution. Conversely, on-target properties exhibit an extremely weak resolution dependence that suggests a limited role of representability errors in model accuracy. Taken together, these results suggest that simple CG models are capable of utilizing more information than is provided by standard parameterization algorithms, and that model accuracy can be improved by algorithm development rather than resorting to more complicated CG models.Developing accurate coarse-grained (CG) models is critical for addressing long time and length scale phenomena with molecular simulations. Here, we distinguish and quantify two sources of error that are relevant to CG models in order to guide further methods development: “representability” errors, which result from the finite basis associated with the chosen functional form of the CG model and mapping operator, and “information” errors, which result from the limited kind and quantity of data supplied to the CG parameterization algorithm. We have performed a systematic investigation of these errors by generating all possible CG models of three liquids (butane, 1-butanol, and 1,3-propanediol) that conserve a set of chemically motivated locality and topology relationships. In turn, standard algorithms (iterative Boltzmann inversion, IBI, and multiscale coarse-graining, MSCG) were used to parameterize the models and the CG predictions were compared with atomistic results. For off-target properties, we observe...
Global transmission network of SARS-CoV-2: from outbreak to pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is straining health systems around the world. Although the Chinese government implemented a number of severe restrictions on people9s movement in an attempt to contain its local and international spread, the virus had already reached many areas of the world in part due to its potent transmissibility and the fact that a substantial fraction of infected individuals develop little or no symptoms at all. Following its emergence, the virus started to generate sustained transmission in neighboring countries in Asia, Western Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States, and finally in South America and Africa. As the virus continues its global spread, a clear and evidence-based understanding of properties and dynamics of the global transmission network of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to design and put in place efficient and globally coordinated interventions. Methods: We employ molecular surveillance data of SARS-CoV-2 epidemics for inference and comprehensive analysis of its global transmission network before the pandemic declaration. Our goal was to characterize the spatial-temporal transmission pathways that led to the establishment of the pandemic. We exploited a network-based approach specifically tailored to emerging outbreak settings. Specifically, it traces the accumulation of mutations in viral genomic variants via mutation trees, which are then used to infer transmission networks, revealing an up-to-date picture of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 between and within countries and geographic regions. Results and Conclusions: The analysis suggest multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into the majority of world regions by means of heterogeneous transmission pathways. The transmission network is scale-free, with a few genomic variants responsible for the majority of possible transmissions. The network structure is in line with the available temporal information represented by sample collection times and suggest the expected sampling time difference of few days between potential transmission pairs. The inferred network structural properties, transmission clusters and pathways and virus introduction routes emphasize the extent of the global epidemiological linkage and demonstrate the importance of internationally coordinated public health measures.
Notes on the flesh

Notes on the Flesh is an ambitious work by Kuwaiti woman writer Shahd Al-Shammari. This slim volume of short stories is, by the author's admission in the book's Prologue, “part-memoir, part-illness...
Scattering of Quasistatic Plasmons From One-Dimensional Junctions of Graphene: Transfer Matrices, Fresnel Relations, and Nonlocality

It requires substantial computational resources to design plasmonic circuits such as resonators, topological waveguides, modulators, and photonic switches based on graphene and other conducting 2D materials, so a comprehensive study is called for. The authors propose numerical approaches to solve the problem through the transfer-matrix method using reconstructed numerical solutions of Maxwell equations, and find the limits of the method's applicability. The results would facilitate the design of plasmonic circuits by means of electrostatic gating, ultrafast photoexcitation, Moire, and substrate engineering at the visible to near-infrared telecommunication frequencies.
Intergenerational Ambivalence and Loneliness in Later Life.

Objective This brief report examined the relationship between intergenerational ambivalence and loneliness in later life among a group of older adults with at least one child. Background Previous work has explored the links between intergenerational ambivalence and other indicators of well-being but has not examined loneliness. Although studies show an association between positive and negative relationship quality with children and loneliness, there are conflicting findings, and there is also insufficient exploration of the role of gender. Method Utilizing pooled data from the 2012 and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (n = 10,967) (https://hrs.isr.umich.edu/documentation), structural equation models were used to examine the hypothesized relationships, and multiple group analysis was utilized to assess potential gender differences. Results The results indicated that greater intergenerational ambivalence was associated with increased loneliness in later life. However, there were no significant gender or marital status differences in the relationships. Conclusion This study adds to the existing literature on ambivalence and well-being by showing that ambivalent relationships are related to loneliness. Results underscore the emotional complexity of parent-child relationships and suggest the need for investigating the consequences of holding contradictory feelings.
Are E+A Galaxies Dusty-Starbursts?: VLA 20cm Radio Continuum Observation

E+A galaxies are characterized as a galaxy with strong Balmer absorption lines but without any [OII] or Halpha emission lines. Strong Balmer absorption lines indicate that E+A galaxies have experienced a starburst within the last <1-1.5 Gyr. However, the lack of emission lines indicates that E+A galaxies do not have any on-going star formation. Therefore, E+A galaxies are interpreted as a post-starburst galaxy. However, it has been a mystery why E+A galaxies underwent a starburst then stopped abruptly. One possible explanation to E+A galaxies is the dusty starburst scenario, where E+A galaxies have on-going star formation, but optical emission lines are invisible due to the heavy obscuration by dust. To test this dusty starburst scenario, we have observed 36 E+A galaxies carefully selected from the SDSS DR1 in 20cm radio continuum using the VLA. Since the radio emission is not affected by the dust extinction, the SFR in dusty galaxies can be revealed by the 20 cm continuum. All of our 36 target E+A galaxies are selected to have H\delta EW greater than 6A and no detection of [OII] or Halpha emission lines within 1 sigma. These selection criteria are much stronger than previous E+A selections in our attempt to select galaxies in the pure post-starburst phase without any remaining star formation. Except for the two galaxies with a nearby radio source, none of our 34 E+A galaxies are detected in 20 cm continuum to the limits reported in Table 1. The obtained upper limits on the radio estimated SFR suggest that E+A galaxies do not possess strong starburst (> 100 Msun yr^-1) hidden by dust extinction for the whole sample while 15 (z<0.08) E+As have lower SFR upper limits of ~15 Msun yr^-1. (Abridged)
Development of a Home-Based Telerehabilitation Service Delivery Protocol for Wheelchair Seating and Mobility Within the Veterans Health Administration.

Introduction The provision of seating and wheeled mobility devices is a complex process that requires trained professionals and multiple appointments throughout the service delivery process. However, this can be inconvenient and burdensome for individuals with mobility limitations or for individuals who live in rural areas. Rural areas often present unique difficulties regarding the provision of healthcare services including lengthy travel times to medical facilities and lack of specialized providers and medical technology. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the development and implementation of a service delivery protocol for a home-based telerehabilitation assessment for wheelchair seating and mobility. Materials and methods The telerehabilitation team consists of a trained wheelchair seating and mobility therapist and a telehealth clinical technician (TCT). In order to determine veterans that are appropriate for a home-based telerehabilitation assessment, a three-phase pre-assessment screening process was conducted by the therapist and TCT, including consult, chart, and phone review. Veterans that met all of the predetermined eligibility criteria were recommended for a telerehabilitation wheelchair assessment. The TCT traveled to the veteran's residence with necessary evaluation and safety equipment and connected with the therapist remotely using the VA Video Connect platform. Assessment and veteran data were collected during the initial evaluation and then during a 21-day follow-up. Results Forty-three veterans were successfully seen via telerehabilitation for a seating and wheeled mobility assessment between November, 2017 and July, 2018. The average travel distance between the veteran's residence and the clinic was 34.1 miles. The total telerehabilitation encounter times ranged from 45 min to 145 min. Conclusions The implementation of this service delivery protocol for wheelchair seating and mobility assessments demonstrated the benefits of using telehealth services including reaching rural veterans, reducing distance traveled, maximizing efficiency of provider schedules, and conducting realistic assessments in veterans' home environments. Success can be attributed to being able to deliver best practice remotely and to the rapport of the TCT with the providers. Cultivating provider buy-in, selecting appropriate outcome measures, and restructuring workflows were additional lessons learned. The VA Video Connect platform is an accessible tool that can be easily learned by both veterans and providers and used beyond initial wheelchair seating evaluations for improved access to follow-up healthcare services.
Some brief notes on the “unfinished business” of qualitative inquiry

The paper argues that there are a variety of ”implicit” issues in qualitative inquiry that need to be addressed if the area is to develop in some “normal science” sense. This “unfinished business” is concerned with a deeper investigation of basic terms that are now simply taken for granted, such as “theme” and “pattern”. It also includes the need to develop “rules” which will assist in making and justifying how qualitative interpretations are made from the implicit processes of inference. Specific suggestions are made for accomplishing these issues.
Convenient Facts: Nken v. Holder, The Solicitor General, and the Presentation of Internal Government Facts

In April 2012, facing a court order to disclose internal Justice Department e-mails, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) wrote to the United States Supreme Court in Nken v. Holder to admit that it had made a factual statement to the Court three years earlier about agency policy and practice that were not accurate. The statement had been based on e-mail communications between Justice Department and agency lawyers. In fact, the statement neither reflected the content of the e-mails nor the actual policy and practice of the relevant government agencies. The letter promised remedial measures and concluded by assuring the Court that the OSG took its responsibility of candor seriously.The underlying factual representation by the OSG in Nken case was unusual because it attracted attention and lengthy FOIA litigation that led to the disclosure of the communications that served as the basis of the statement. But it is not at all unusual as an example of unsupported factual statements by government lawyers that are used to support legal arguments. Indeed, unsupported statements appear in OSG briefs on a wide range of issues. These statements benefit from the unusual position of the government: it has access to information not available to other litigants, and it benefits from a presumption of candor that endows its statements with a claim of self-evident authority that no private litigant could match.The Nken case provides a unique opportunity to explore the consequences of judicial acceptance of fact statements provided by the OSG. Because of Freedom of Information Act litigation, we have an opportunity to examine how the OSG gathered information as well as the role played by government counsel at the Justice Department and the interested agencies. This examination shows multiple dangers with unsupported statements about internal government facts. It also demonstrates the difficulty of relying on lawyers representing the government to seek out and offer information that will undermine the government’s litigation position.Prevention of misleading statements could be pursued through greater self-regulation, prohibition of extra-record factual statements or through a model of disclosure and rebuttal. This Article argues that the experience in Nken reflects the grave danger in presuming that self-regulation is an adequate safeguard against erroneous statements. It further argues that despite the appeal of a rigid rule that prohibits such statements, such an approach ignores the Court’s thirst for information about real world facts that are relevant to its decisions. The Article concludes by arguing that the best approach is to adopt a formal system of advance notice combined with access to the basis of government representations of fact.
Diurnal variability of low clouds in the Southeast Pacific simulated by a multiscale modeling framework model

[1] This study analyzes the diurnal variations of austral-spring stratocumulus clouds in the Southeast Pacific and their physical mechanisms from a global multiscale modeling framework (MMF) simulation. This MMF contains an advanced third-order turbulence closure in its cloud-resolving model component, helping it to realistically simulate boundary layer turbulence and low-level clouds. The main finding is that the MMF simulation can reproduce the spatial pattern of the diurnal variations of low clouds within the region, with the day-night cloud fraction (CF) differences ranging from 0.10 at 30° off the shore to 0.40 near the shore. The diurnal phases and ranges of simulated liquid water path, CF, and surface cloud radiative effects agree well with available observations. The maximum CF occurs in the early morning and the minimum in the late afternoon over the open ocean. However, near the shore, the maximum/minimum CF anomalies are more variable. The spatial variability of the diurnal variations is attributed to the modulation of solar-forced variation by the orographically induced circulation. The solar radiation makes the lower cloud layer dissipated during the day, and clouds recover first there in the early evening, with the upper cloud layer changing relatively less in cloudiness. The southwestward propagating upsidence wave that is related to the orographical forcing modulates the CF anomalies near the shore. The orographically induced subsidence, however, extends too deeply into the boundary layer because of the model's unrealistically smooth topography, and it dissipates rather than enhances the stratocumulus near the shore between the late night and the following noon.
Secure group instant messaging using cryptographic primitives

Instant Messaging (IM) services over the last few years have evolved from a casual communication tool to a formal business communication tool. Security requirements change drastically when instant messaging systems are employed in the corporate world as sensitive data needs to be transmitted. Many security enhancements have been proposed for instant messaging from the perspective of peer-to-peer talk. In this paper, we study the extension of secure instant messaging for group settings. We also propose a scheme, IBECRT, which uses ID-based encryption and the Chinese Remainder Theorem. The scheme does not require a central trusted entity for key distribution and achieves uniform work-load distribution. Additionally, the protocol has the following properties: hiding the users' identity in a conference, authentication of senders, and integrity protection of the messages exchanged.
Deriving snow liquid water content using C-band polarimetric SAR

In hydrological investigations, modeling and forecasting of snow melt runoff requires information about snowpack properties and their spatial variability. In particular, timely measurement of snow parameters is needed for operational hydrology. The liquid water content of snowpack is one of the important parameters. This paper reports a study of algorithm development and testing for snow wetness retrieval using C-band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar SAR imagery. This algorithm is based on the first-order scattering model with consideration of both surface and volume scattering. Test results using JPL AIRSAR data show that the authors' algorithms can be used to provide quantitative estimates of liquid water content in top layer of a snowpack. >
O Mentor, My Mentor—A Modified Version of Agent Causation as “Evidence From Above” for Banja's Critique of Free Will

My bioethics mentor John Banja gets several things right in his AJOB Neuroscience target article “‘Could Have Chosen Otherwise Under Identical Conditions': An Evolutionary Perspective on Free Will”...
Optimized orthonormal transforms for SNR improvement by subband processing

Orthonormal transforms for signal representation are ubiquitous in a large number of signal processing and communications problems. A problem that frequently arises is to find the best transform for a particular situation. This paper considers the problem of noise suppression by subband processing. The noisy input is split into separate frequency bands using an orthogonal transform or filter-bank (FB), and these bands are separately denoised. We address the problem of finding the best FB for such a scheme. We have previously pointed out a strong connection between optimality of the FB and the principal component property, which in particular solves this problem when the noise is white. Here we establish results for the case when the noise is colored. We prove that if a common principal component filter-bank (PCFB) for the signal and the noise exists, it is optimal within the class of memoryless transforms. We show how this result need not be true for more general classes, using the class of all (unconstrained) FBs as an illustration.