cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory of finite deformations of porous solids

Communicated by G. TEMPLE 1. Introduction. The linear mechanics of fluid-saturated porous media as developed by the author was reviewed and discussed in detail in two earlier papers [l], [2]. In its final form it is based on the linear thermodynamics of irreversible processes. It is applicable to the most general case of anisotropy and includes not only the basic principles of classical thermodynamics but also the effects of coupled flows of irreversible processes. Thermoelastic dissipation is also implicit since the heat flux is nothing but one of the internal thermodynamic coordinates of the system. The solid matrix itself may be viscoelastic. Actually the theory is even more general since it takes into account the viscoelastic interaction of the fluid with the solid.due to the micromechanics of fluid penetration in cracks which are much smaller than the pores. An important concept derived from the existence of a dissipation function for the fluid is that of “Viscodynamic operator” [2]. This is an operational symmetric tensor which describes the frequency-dependent behavior of the fluid. The symmetric character of this tensor leads to important conclusions in the theory of acoustic propagation. Regarding the extension to non-linear problems a first step is constituted by a theory which introduces the non-linear superposition of a state of initial stress and incremental deformations [3]. This also leads to an analysis of finite deformations based on stress-rates. In this case the deformation is considered as a continuous sequence of incremental deformations 141. The concepts and methods introduced in this incremental theory lead quite naturally to the next development which considers a description of finite deformation using material coordinates. In particular the concept of pressure function for a porous medium which was introduced in the theory of incremental deformations [3] provides one of the essential means by which this extension of the theory can be accomplished. The mechanics of porous media is thus brought to the same level of development of the classical theory of finite deformations in elasticity. In order to restrict the length of the paper, the theory is presented in the context of quasi-static and isothermal deformations.
4D acoustoelectric imaging of current sources in a human head phantom

Electrical brain mapping typically suffers from poor spatial resolution due to the uncertain spread of electric field lines through the brain and skull. To overcome this limitation, we propose 4D acoustoelectric brain imaging (ABI) for mapping current densities at a spatial resolution confined to the ultra-sound (US) focal spot. Acoustoelectric (AE) imaging exploits an interaction between a pressure wave and tissue resistivity. It has been used to dynamically map the cardiac activation wave in the live rabbit heart. Our long-term goal is to extend this technique for electrical mapping of the human brain. In this study, we developed a human-size head and brain phantom to test and optimize ABI for detecting an embedded “EEG-like” electrical current. Detection thresholds for current sources more than 15 mm below the surface of the brain phantom was less than 1 mA/cm2 using a 0.5-MHz or 1 MHz single element transducer and copper recording wires. Further optimization of ABI could enable detection of small neural currents in the brain and lead to a new modality for functional brain imaging.
Fuzzyfication of principle component analysis for data dimensionalty reduction

Principal component analysis (PCA) extracts small uncorrelated data from original high dimensional data space and is widely used for data analysis. The methodology of classical PCA is based on orthogonal projection defined in convex vector space. Thus, a norm between two projected vectors is unavoidably smaller than the norm between any two objects before implementation of PCA. Due to this, in some cases when the PCA cannot capture the data structure, its implementation does not necessarily confirm the real similarity of data in the higher dimensional space, making the results unacceptable. In order to avoid this problem for the purposes of high dimensional data clustering, we propose new Fuzzy PCA (FPCA) algorithm. The novelty is in the extracted similarity structures of objects in high-dimensional space and dissimilarities between objects based on their cluster structure and dimension when the algorithm is implemented in conjunction with known fuzzy clustering algorithms as FCM, GK or GG algorithms. This is done by using the fuzzy membership functions and modification of the classical PCA approach by considering the similarity structures during the construction of projections in smaller dimensional space. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is tested on several benchmark data sets. We also evaluate the clustering efficiency by implementing validation measures.
Association Between Smoking Status, Preoperative Exhaled Carbon Monoxide Levels, and Postoperative Surgical Site Infection in Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery.

Importance Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for many perioperative complications, including surgical site infection (SSI). The duration of abstinence from smoking required to reduce this risk is unknown. Objectives To evaluate if abstinence from smoking on the day of surgery is associated with a decreased frequency of SSI in patients who smoke cigarettes and to confirm that smoking is significantly independently associated with SSI when adjustment is made for potentially relevant covariates, such as body mass index. Design, Setting, and Participants In this observational, nested, matched case-control study, 2 analyses were performed at an academic referral center in the upper Midwest. Cases included all patients undergoing elective surgical procedures at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, between January 1, 2009, and July 31, 2014 (inclusive) who subsequently developed an SSI. Controls for both analyses were matched on age, sex, and type of surgery. Exposures Smoking status and preoperative exhaled carbon monoxide level, assessed by nurses in the preoperative holding area. Patients were classified as smoking on the day of surgery if they self-reported smoking or if their preoperative exhaled carbon monoxide level was 10 ppm or higher. Main Outcomes and Measures Surgical site infection after a surgical procedure at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, as identified by routine clinical surveillance using National Healthcare Safety Network criteria. Results Of the 6919 patients in the first analysis, 3282 (47%) were men and 3637 (53%) were women; median age (interquartile range) for control and SSI cases was 60 (48-70). Of the 392 patients in the second analysis, 182 (46%) were men and 210 (54%) were women; median age (interquartile range) for controls was 53 (45-49) and for SSI cases was 51 (45-60). During the study period, approximately 2% of surgical patients developed SSI annually. Available for the first analysis (evaluating the influence of current smoking status) were 2452 SSI cases matched to 4467 controls. The odds ratio for smoking and SSI was 1.51 (95% CI, 1.20-1.90; P P Conclusions and Relevance Current smoking is associated with the development of SSI, and smoking on the day of surgery is independently associated with the development of SSI. These data cannot distinguish whether abstinence per se reduces risk or whether it is associated with other factors that may be causative.
Combs and Bottlebrushes in a Melt

We use a combination of the coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and scaling analysis to study conformations of bottlebrush and comb-like polymers in a melt. Our analysis shows that a crossover between comb and bottlebrush regimes is controlled by the crowding parameter, Φ, describing overlap between neighboring macromolecules. In comb-like systems characterized by a sparse grafting of side chains (Φ < 1), the side chains and backbones belonging to neighboring macromolecules interpenetrate. However, in bottlebrushes with densely grafted side chains (Φ ≥ 1), the interpenetration between macromolecules is suppressed by steric repulsion between side chains. In this regime, bottlebrush macromolecules can be viewed as filaments with diameter proportional to size of the side chains. For flexible side chains, the crowding parameter is given by Φ ≈ [v/(lb)3/2][(nsc/ng + 1)/nsc1/2], which depends on both the architectural parameters (degree of polymerization of the side chains, nsc, and number of backbone...
Population-based case-control study of the association between weather-related extreme heat events and neural tube defects

Background Elevated body core temperature has been shown to have teratogenic effects in animal studies. Our study evaluated the association between weather-related extreme heat events (EHEs) in the summer season and neural tube defects (NTDs), and further investigated whether pregnant women with a high pregestational body mass index (BMI) have a greater risk of having a child with NTDs associated with exposure to EHE than women with a normal BMI. Methods We conducted a population-based case-control study among mothers of infants with NTDs and mothers of infants without major birth defects, who participated in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study and had at least 1 day of the third or fourth week postconception during summer months. EHEs were defined using the 95th and the 90th percentiles of the daily maximum universal apparent temperature. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using unconditional logistic regression models with Firth's penalized likelihood method while controlling for other known risk factors. Results Overall, we did not observe a significant association between EHEs and NTDs. At the climate region level, consistently elevated but not statistically significant estimates were observed for at least 2 consecutive days with daily universal apparent maximum temperature above the 95th percentile of the UATmax distribution for the season, year, and weather monitoring station in New York (Northeast), North Carolina and Georgia (Southeast), and Iowa (Upper Midwest). No effect modification by BMI was observed. Conclusion EHEs occurring during the relevant developmental window of embryogenesis do not appear to appreciably affect the risk of NTDs. Future studies should refine exposure assessment, and more completely account for maternal activities that may modify the effects of weather exposure. Birth Defects Research, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gelatin-bentonite composite as reusable adsorbent for the removal of lead from aqueous solutions: Kinetic and equilibrium studies

Abstract Gelatin-bentonite composite (GBC) gel were used as adsorbent for the removal of lead (II) from aqueous solutions. The developed adsorbents were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, and EDX, analysis. The swelling and syneresis studies justified the reusability of GBC. Batch adsorption experiments systematically investigated the influence of contact time, metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, solution pH and regeneration of the adsorbent. The kinetic data fitted well with pseudo-first-order model and the equilibrium was reached within 4.0 h with 73.7% removal of lead (II) ions from aqueous solutions. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models were applied to describe equilibrium data. The adsorption isotherm followed Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacity of 47.169 mg/g at 25 °C. The adsorption of lead (II) ions from aqueous solution was found to be pH dependent. The thermodynamic study confirmed that the adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The regeneration of GBC with 0.1 (N) nitric acid was found excellent with ten adsorption-desorption cycles of reusability. Thus, GBC was found to be a superior adsorbent compared to other adsorbents due to its remarkable reusability after syneresis for lead (II) ions removal from aqueous solutions.
Preference for the Underdog when Sampling Commercial Products: Assessment of the Effect and Limiting Conditions

Preference for the Underdog when Sampling Commercial Products: Assessment of the Effect and Limiting Conditions
Costa Rican Industry: Characteristics, History, and Potential for Sustainability

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the industrial component of the Costa Rican economy and quantitatively and qualitatively reviews the historical aspects and trends, including the impact of internally and externally derived policies. It discusses several emerging industries, including tourism, textiles, and computers. There are two important components of sustainability related to Costa Rican industry. The first, “economic sustainability,” is the degree to which the industry is financially sustainable. The second criterion for sustainability, “biophysical sustainability,” is more stringent, and relates to whether there will be available indefinite supplies of necessary raw materials (current and substitutes) and unlimited or at least sufficient environmental absorption capacity to allow the continuation of current trends in the throughput of material and the output of waste. Because Costa Rican industry is to a large degree dependent upon the imported resources it requires as inputs, the ultimate assessment of its sustainability cannot be carried out without an analysis of the biophysical underpinnings of the county's economy, and the relation between biophysical sustainability and the relative prices of necessary raw materials and products generated.
Hypertrophic Olivary Degeneration: Neurosurgical Perspective and Literature Review.

Background Hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD) occurs because of posterior fossa or brainstem lesions that disrupt the dentato-rubro-olivary tract, well known as the Guillain-Mollaret triangle. Clinical and radiologic hallmarks of this condition are palatal myoclonus and T2 hyperintensity of the inferior olivary complex on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), respectively. Because symptomatic HOD can complicate the recovery of patients with posterior fossa or brainstem lesions, the purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical and imaging findings of patients with HOD. Methods Sixteen patients (8 female and 8 male) with a mean age of 40.7 years, (range, 5–83 years) years were included in this study based on clinical symptoms and MRI findings. Results We reviewed the clinical and imaging findings in 16 cases of HOD at our institution. Seven patients (43.7%) had posterior fossa tumors, 6 patients (37.5%) had cavernoma, 2 patients (12.5%) sustained traumatic brain injury, and only 1 patient (6.2%) had cerebellar infarction. Posterior fossa surgery was performed in 13 (81.2%) of these patients. HOD was detected a mean of 7.2 months (range, 0.5–18 months) after surgery or primary neurologic insult. Unilateral HOD was observed in 10 patients (62.5%), while bilateral HOD was observed in only 6 patients (37.5%). Seven patients (43.7%) were asymptomatic for HOD, whereas 5 patients (31.2%) had symptoms attributable to HOD. Two patients died because of primary tumors, although mean follow-up after detection of HOD on MRI was 52.2 months (range, 1–120 months) in the remaining 14 patients. In these cases, no change in clinical symptoms or imaging findings was detected during follow-up. Conclusions In this series, posterior fossa tumors and cavernomas were the most common causes of HOD. Although most of the patients with HOD remained asymptomatic, HOD complicated the course of recovery in almost one quarter of the patients included in this study. Neurosurgeons should be aware of HOD, which has characteristic clinical and imaging findings. In addition, HOD can complicate the recovery of patients with disruption to the dentato-rubro-olivary tract.
“We're not in the business of housing:” Environmental gentrification and the nonprofitization of green infrastructure projects

Abstract Environmental gentrification, or the influx of wealthy residents to historically disenfranchised neighborhoods due to new green spaces, is an increasingly common phenomenon around the globe. In particular, investments in large green infrastructure projects (LGIPs) such as New York's High Line have contributed to displacing long-term low-income residents. Many consider environmental gentrification to be an important environmental justice issue, but most of this research has focused on distributional justice; that is, quantifying whether LGIPs have indeed contributed to gentrifying neighborhoods around them. Limited work has focused on procedural justice in the context of environmental gentrification, or how planning processes can shape project outcomes. This is a particularly critical oversight because many LGIP planning processes are led by nonprofits, a governance model that has already raised important equity concerns in the context of planning and maintenance of smaller neighborhood parks. Yet less is known about the impacts of park nonprofits leading LGIPs. To address these gaps, we study the planning process of the 606, a rails-to-trails project located in Chicago, U.S. that contributed to environmental gentrification. Through interviews with key actors and a review of planning documents, we find that although delegation of leadership to park nonprofits has some benefits, a number of drawbacks also arise that might make gentrification a more likely outcome, namely the fragmentation of efforts to develop economically viable LGIPs while also preserving affordable housing. These findings suggest the need for cross-sectoral municipal planning efforts and for building more robust coalitions comprised of parks and housing nonprofits.
Glycaemic indices and haemoglobin A1c as predictors for non-healing ulcers.

Objective: Non-healing lower extremity ulcers (NHLU) are a common podiatric complication of diabetes, with poor glycaemic control as a risk factor for development. Glycaemic indices, such as haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), are used to diagnose and to monitor diabetes. Using a population-based, nationally representative sample, we evaluate the relationship between glycaemic indices and NHLU (as defined by the patient) to propose glycaemic thresholds for clinical suspicion of patient NHLU status. Method: Using data from the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), a total of 9769 adults (≥40 years old) with available self-reported diabetes and NHLU status were analysed. Glycaemic index markers, including FPG and HbA1c, were assessed via laboratory analysis from serum blood samples. Logistic regression models were fitted to determine optimal thresholds for FPG and HbA1c to predict NHLU status. Results: Compared with those without NHLU, NHLU patients were...
Pockets of progress amidst persistent racial disparities in low birthweight rates.

Racial disparities persist in adverse perinatal outcomes such as preterm birth, low birthweight (LBW), and infant mortality across the U.S. Although pervasive, these disparities are not universal. Some communities have experienced significant improvements in black (or African American) birth outcomes, both in absolute rates and in rate ratios relative to whites. This study assessed county-level progress on trends in black and white LBW rates as an indicator of progress toward more equal birth outcomes for black infants. County-level LBW data were obtained from the 2003 to 2013 U.S. Natality files. Black LBW rates, black-white rate ratios and percent differences over time were calculated. Trend lines were first assessed for significant differences in slope (i.e., converging, diverging, or parallel trend lines). For counties with parallel trend lines, intercepts were tested for statistically significant differences (sustained equality vs. persistent disparities). To assess progress, black LBW rates were compared to white LBW rates, and the trend lines were tested for significant decline. Each county’s progress toward black-white equality was ultimately categorized into five possible trend patterns (n = 408): (1) converging LBW rates with reductions in the black LBW rate (decreasing disparities, n = 4, 1%); (2) converging LBW rates due to worsening white LBW rates (n = 5, 1%); (3) diverging LBW rates (increasing disparities, n = 9, 2%); (4) parallel LBW rates (persistent disparities, n = 373, 91%); and (5) overlapping trend lines (sustained equality, n = 18, 4%). Only four counties demonstrated improvement toward equality with decreasing black LBW rates. There is significant county-level variation in progress toward racial equality in adverse birth outcomes such as low birthweight. Still, some communities are demonstrating that more equitable outcomes are possible. Further research is needed in these positive exemplar communities to identify what works in accelerating progress toward more equal birth outcomes.
Self-Reported Exercise Trends in Parkinson's Disease Patients.

Abstract Objective To examine trends in type, frequency, and effectiveness of different modes of exercise in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Background Exercise has been shown to improve symptoms in PD patients. Recent studies suggest that dance may be a particularly helpful exercise option. However, it remains unclear how the benefits of various forms of exercise compare to dance and to each other. Information on these trends can help inform future exercise programs for PD patients. Method 55 PD patients completed a survey on their exercise frequency, the impact of exercise on their symptoms, and whether they exercise alone or in groups. 9 PD patients who attend dance therapy classes completed an extended survey with additional questions comparing the benefit of dance therapy to traditional forms of exercise. Results Of the 64 patients surveyed, 67% of patients exercised at least twice a week for at least 30 minutes at a time, and 28% of patients exercised alone only. Walking was most commonly reported (77%), followed by stretching (52%), and weights (28%). 97% of patients who exercised noted mitigation of their PD symptoms. Additionally, a significantly greater percentage of patients who exercised in groups reported symptomatic improvements compared to patients who only exercised alone (p = 0.03). Conclusion More patients who participated in group exercise reported symptomatic improvement compared to those who exercised strictly alone. This suggests that the psychosocial and cognitive component of group therapy, such as dance, may confer additional benefits to PD patients.
Technical Aspects and Practical Approach Toward Same-Day Y90 Radioembolization in the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Radioembolization with Yttrium-90 (Y90) has been proven safe and effective for the treatment of primary and secondary hepatic malignancies. Standard protocols have necessitated planning angiography with Technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin (Tc99m MAA) administration/scan typically 1-2 weeks prior to the radioembolization therapy. The intent of this practice is to ensure appropriate patient selection and treatment candidacy while also confirming best dosimetry approaches. At our center, we started performing "same-day Y90" in 2008; in a subset of international patients with travel hardship, we performed the planning and treatment procedures consecutively on the same day. In this article, we reveal our practical approach to treating patients on the same day as planning angiography. With more than 160 same-day procedures completed between 2008 and 2017, the safety and efficacy of such a paradigm has been established at our center. This approach is appealing to patients, their families, and referring physicians. Appropriate patient selection and proper preprocedure planning based on baseline imaging are key elements in successful same-day radioembolization treatments.
The US Wine Industry

Among countries, the United States is the world’s fourth largest producer of wine and the largest consumer and importer. The industry is located primarily on the US west coast, and California alone accounts for four-fifths of production. It is a diverse industry in terms of the varieties grown, farm size, yield, fruit attributes and price, and ultimately value of the wine produced, attributes that have a strong relationship with the geographic location of production. The current complex taxation structure and peculiar “three-tier” wine marketing and distribution system owe much to the legacy of Prohibition. Effectively, each state is a separate entity, and they can differ significantly in their regulations and taxes applicable to wine marketing and distribution, performed by an increasingly concentrated industry. These features may be daunting to some suppliers. Nonetheless, growth in population and per capita demand continue to drive changes in production, markets, and imports in this vibrant sector of the US economy.
Overprescription of antibiotics in patients with community-acquired pneumonia in the intensive care unit.

Purpose: We aimed to assess factors associated with therapy failure in patients with community-acquired pneumonia in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Electronic charts of patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes of pneumonia who were admitted to the ICU at a tertiary academic medical center in Southern Arizona were reviewed. Results: Antipseudomonal coverage and anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) coverage were often prescribed (58.4% and 54.1%, respectively). Antipseudomonal coverage was rarely necessary as pseudomonal pneumonia was found in only one case (0.9%). Antipseudomonal and anti-MRSA coverage was not associated with improved outcomes. Conclusion: Overprescription of antibiotics in this population remains a significant problem. More work is needed to further limit unnecessary antibiotic use.
Legitimizing Militarization or Legitimate Conservation? Collateral Value and Landscapes of the Iron Curtain Borderlands

For most of the twentieth century, conservation efforts around the world were largely modeled after the pattern established in North America of protecting resource areas, such as forests and rangelands, or protecting wildlands that privileged rugged aesthetics and recreational opportunities. In recent decades, new forms of conservation have come into clearer focus, including the transition of militarized landscapes into new land uses dedicated to conservation. This chapter examines how changes along the Iron Curtain borderlands illustrate this type of conversion, as the region increasingly receives acclaim as the Green Belt of Europe. Examples here in central Europe, and others in North America and East Asia, challenge traditional notions of conservation in a variety of ways, but also contribute to new conservation strategies that may help reconnect people to places, even places long known for their contamination or danger. The mix of social and natural qualities at these militarized landscapes generates a diverse set of conservation practices that depend upon renegotiating ideas of public safety, beauty, restoration, and preservation. The recasting of such landscapes can be understood variably as a form of legitimating militarization or as a legitimate approach to conserving biodiversity. In either case, coming to terms with the particular contexts of politics, ecology, and history in these places proves essential if we are to adequately understand the collateral – and also conflicting – values generated by the relationship between conservation and militarization.
Urinary Concentrations of Diisoheptyl Phthalate Biomarkers in Convenience Samples of U.S. Adults in 2000 and 2018-2019.

We know little about the potential health risks from exposure to diisoheptyl phthalate (DiHpP), a plasticizer used in commercial applications. The production of DiHpP ended in the United States in 2010, but DiHpP may still be present in phthalate diester mixtures. To investigate human exposure to DiHpP, we used three oxidative metabolites of DiHpP: Monohydroxyheptyl phthalate (MHHpP), mono-oxoheptylphthalate (MOHpP), and monocarboxyhexyl phthalate (MCHxP) as exposure biomarkers. We analyzed urine collected anonymously in 2000 (N = 144) and 2018–2019 (N = 205) from convenience groups of U.S. adults using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with isotope-dilution high-resolution mass spectrometry. We detected MCHxP in all the samples tested in 2000 (GM = 2.01 ng/mL) and 2018–2019 (GM = 1.31 ng/mL). MHHpP was also detected in 100% of the 2018–2019 samples (GM = 0.59 ng/mL) and 96% of the 2000 urine samples analyzed (GM = 0.38 ng/mL). MOHpP was detected in 57% (2018–2019, GM = 0.03 ng/mL) and 92% (2000, GM = 0.19 ng/mL) of samples. The presence of MHHpP, MOHpP, and MCHxP in the 2018–2019 samples suggests recent exposure to DiHpP. Intercorrelations between metabolite concentrations were more significant in samples collected in 2000 than in samples collected in 2018–2019. The differences in urinary metabolite profiles and intercorrelations from samples collected during 2000 and 2018–2019 likely reflects changes in the composition of commercial DiHpP formulations before and after 2010.
Exploring How Fourth-Grade Emerging Bilinguals Learn to Write Opinion Essays

ABSTRACTThe population of emerging bilinguals (EBs) is rapidly growing across the United States leaving many teachers wondering how best to teach these students to read and write effectively in Eng...
Evaluation of 19 short tandem repeat markers for individualization of Papaver somniferum

Abstract Papaver somniferum, commonly known as opium poppy, is the source of natural opiates, which are used as analgesics or as precursors in the creation of semi-synthetic opioids such as heroin. An increase in opioid addiction in the United States has resulted in high rates of illicit opioid use and overdoses. It has recently been shown that P. somniferum DNA suitable for genetic analysis can be recovered from heroin samples. The development of a comprehensive genetic individualization tool for opium poppy could serve to link cases and strengthen programs such as the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Heroin Signature Program, which seeks to combat rising opioid use. The purpose of this study was to develop a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) method for the quantification of opium poppy DNA, compare three commercial DNA extraction kits for their ability to isolate DNA from poppy seeds, and evaluate nineteen opium poppy short tandem repeat (STR) markers for their use in a forensic identification panel. Such a panel could be used for individualizing samples and determining the geographic origin in heroin or poppy seed tea cases. The qPCR method was proven to be reproducible and reliable, specific for P. somniferum, and sensitive enough for forensic case-type samples. Of the three kits tested, the nexttec™ one-step DNA Isolation Kit for Plants was the optimal method and facilitated rapid extraction of DNA from poppy seeds. The majority of evaluated STR primer sets were unreliable or had low discriminatory power, limiting their use for individualization of poppy samples. A six-locus STR multiplex was developed and evaluated according to Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) and International Society of Forensic Genetics (ISFG) guidelines, including the use of a sequenced allelic ladder. The multiplex was found to have low discriminatory power, with greater than two-thirds of samples analyzed having just two different genotypes. The multiplex was determined to be unsuitable for individualization; however, a genotype map was developed as a proof of concept that these markers may be useful for determining the biogeographical origin of samples. Searching the poppy genome for new STR markers and developing new primer sets may be necessary for the creation of a powerful genetic tool for the individualization of P. somniferum.
Blood and urine biomarkers associated with long-term respiratory dysfunction following neonatal hyperoxia exposure: Implications for prematurity and risk of SIDS

Abstract Former preterm infants, many of whom required supplemental O2 support, exhibit sleep disordered breathing and attenuated ventilatory responses to acute hypoxia (HVR) beyond their NICU stay. There is an increasing awareness that early detection of biomarkers in biological fluids may be useful predictors/identifiers of short- and long-term morbidities. In the present study, we identified serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA) and hyaluronan (HA) as three potential biomarkers that may be increased by neonatal hyperoxia and tested whether they would be associated with an impaired HVR in a rat model of supplemental O2 exposure. Neonatal rats (postnatal age (P) 6 days, P6) exposed to hyperoxia (40% FIO2, 24 h/day between P1–P5 days of age) exhibited an attenuated early (1 min), but not the late (4−5 min) phase of the HVR compared to normoxia control rats; the attenuated early phase HVR was associated with increased levels of DA (urine and serum), 5-HT (platelet poor plasma only, PPP), and HA (serum only). At P21, both the early and late phases of the HVR were attenuated, but serum and urine levels of all 3 biomarkers were similar to age-matched control rats. These data indicate that changes in several serum and/or urine biomarkers (5-HT, DA, and HA) following short-term (days) neonatal hyperoxia can signify long-term (weeks) respiratory control dysfunction. Further studies are needed to determine whether early detection of similar biomarkers could be convenient predictors of increased risk of abnormalities in respiratory control including sleep disordered breathing in former preterm infants who had received prior supplemental O2 and who might also be at increased risk of SIDS.
Draft genome of the Native American cold hardy grapevine Vitis riparia Michx. 'Manitoba 37'.

Vitis riparia, a critically important Native American grapevine species, is used globally in rootstock and scion breeding and contributed to the recovery of the French wine industry during the mid-19th century phylloxera epidemic. This species has abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and the largest natural geographic distribution of the North American grapevine species. Here we report an Illumina short-read 369X coverage, draft de novo heterozygous genome sequence of V. riparia Michx. ‘Manitoba 37’ with the size of ~495 Mb for 69,616 scaffolds and a N50 length of 518,740 bp. Using RNAseq data, 40,019 coding sequences were predicted and annotated. Benchmarking with Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) analysis of predicted gene models found 96% of the complete BUSCOs in this assembly. The assembly continuity and completeness were further validated using V. riparia ESTs, BACs, and three de novo transcriptome assemblies of three different V. riparia genotypes resulting in >98% of respective sequences/transcripts mapping with this assembly. Alignment of the V. riparia assembly and predicted CDS with the latest V. vinifera ‘PN40024’ CDS and genome assembly showed 99% CDS alignment and a high degree of synteny. An analysis of plant transcription factors indicates a high degree of homology with the V. vinifera transcription factors. QTL mapping to V. riparia ‘Manitoba 37’ and V. vinifera PN40024 has identified genetic relationships to phenotypic variation between species. This assembly provides reference sequences, gene models for marker development and understanding V. riparia’s genetic contributions in grape breeding and research.
An Odd New Species of North American Chrysis (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae)

An unusual new species of chrysidid, Chrysis lindae Kimsey, new species, is described from Bisbee, Arizona, USA.
Interaction Force Between an Axial Magnetic Dipole and a Magnetic Sphere

In this article, we address the fundamental problem of a magnetic sphere of radius $a$ experiencing the magnetic field produced by an axial magnetic dipole located at $(0, 0, c)$ , $c>a$ . We provide analytic solutions for the scalar magnetic potentials and exact expressions for the interaction force in terms of the non-dimensional permeability $k=({\mu ^{e}}/({\mu ^{e}+\mu ^{i}}))$ , $0\le k\le 1$ and the dipole-sphere separation $c/a$ . An approximate expression for the force is proposed which exactly captures the actual force characteristics qualitatively. By modeling the tip of a magnetic force microscope as a dipole and the sphere as a magnetic material, the numerical values of the force are calculated, using the theoretical results presented herein, for samarium cobalt (SmCo) and Alnico 5 (Alcomax) magnetic materials. Our estimates predict forces as high as 10−13 N for SmCo magnets and 10−12 N for Alcomax types of magnetic materials. Larger force estimates are attainable by altering the tip-to-sphere separation and other parameters as well.
Innovation from a Networked, Ecosystems Perspective

Innovation is often viewed as an idea or solution. It is seldom viewed as an emergence that transcends across the micro, meso, and macro levels of a network or service ecosystem (Chandler and Vargo, Market Theor 11(1): 35–49, 2011). How can value and innovation be managed at each of these levels? In order to view innovation more clearly, what are the fundamental units of study (i.e., foci) at each of these levels? Why is it important to view innovation in this way?
Trustworthy and Transparent Third-party Authority

Recent advances in cryptographic approaches, such as Functional Encryption and Attribute-based Encryption and their variants, have shown significant promise for enabling public clouds to provide secure computation and storage services for users’ sensitive data. A crucial component of these approaches is a third-party authority (TPA) that must be trusted to set up public parameters, provide private key service, and so on. Components of deployed cryptographic mechanisms such as the certificate authorities (CAs), which are the TPAs of the underlying PKI for the SSL/TLS protocol, have faced several types of attacks (e.g., stealthy targeted and censorship attacks), and certificate mis-issuance problems. Such practical challenges indicate that the successful deployment of newer emerging cryptographic schemes will also significantly depend on the trustworthiness of the TPAs. Furthermore, recently proposed decentralized TPA approaches that lower the threshold on the conditions required for an entity to become an authority can make the trust issue much worse. To address this issue, we propose an authority transparency framework to ensure the trustworthiness of TPAs of recent and emerging advanced cryptographic schemes. The framework includes a formal model and a secure logging-based approach to implement the framework. Further, to address the issues related to privacy, we also present a privacy-preserving authority transparency approach. We present security analysis and performance evaluation to show that authority transparency achieves the security and performance goals.
Functional Principal Component Analysis for Extrapolating Multistream Longitudinal Data

In this article, we present a nonparametric approach to predict the evolution of multistream longitudinal data. Our approach first decomposes each stream into a linear combination of eigenfunctions and their corresponding functional principal component (FPC) scores. A Gaussian process prior for the FPC scores is then induced based on a functional semimetric that introduces a similarity measure across streams. Finally, an empirical Bayesian updating strategy is derived to update the established prior using real-time stream data. Empirical evidence shows that the proposed framework outperforms state-of-the-art approaches and can effectively account for heterogeneity as well as achieve high predictive accuracy.
Aspergillus superinfection and bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan among patients with severe COVID-19-related respiratory failure

Rationale: The frequency of superinfection with Aspergillus among patients with severe COVID-19-related respiratory failure is unknown. The association of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid markers, such as galactomannan, with the presence of Aspergillus infections is also unclear. Methods: Our cohort included all patients with COVID-19 admitted to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital ICU from March to November 2020 who were intubated and underwent a BAL;patients were identified as having COVID-19 by the presence of a flag in the electronic medical record. We evaluated BAL fluid data for fungal organisms and markers. Data analysis was performed in Excel and Prism, with non-parametric values compared by two-tailed Mann Whitney tests. Results: We identified 274 patients meeting study entry criteria. The median (interquartile range) age was 62 years (47-69), and 93 (34%) were female. 714 BALs were performed on these patients, and 457 galactomannan tests were sent from these BALs. Only six (2.2%) patients grew Aspergillus on BAL fluid culture;one patient never grew Aspergillus but given his significantly elevated BAL galactomannan of 7.81, was empirically treated. The median (IQR) optical density index of galactomannan for the BAL samples that grew Aspergillus was 6.69 (3.37-8.87) compared with 0.08 (0.06-0.13) for those that did not, p 0.5 as positive, with patients who grew Aspergillus on culture as gold standard, the test sensitivity was 91.7% and specificity was 94.6%;using the ATS recommended cutoff of >1.0 as positive, the sensitivity was 75.0% and specificity was 97.5%. The median (IQR) age of patients who grew Aspergillus was 71.5 years (64-80.5) (p=0.02 compared with the overall cohort). Only two were immunocompromised (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and another was status post liver transplant). Of note, two patients who grew Aspergillus had visible mold or plaque seen during bronchoscopy;three had cavitary findings on imaging;three died. Conclusions: Aspergillus superinfection is uncommon among ventilated patients with COVID-19 but can occur in patients without typical immunocompromising risk factors. BAL fluid galactomannan levels are lower in patients without Aspergillus, and had reasonable specificity especially if cutoff of >1.0 was used. Future analysis should focus on additional factors that differentiate between these two groups.
Equation of State of QCD at Finite Temperature and μ B = 0

In this chapter we discuss the main techniques to calculate the equation of state of QCD at finite temperature and μB = 0 in lattice QCD. In particular, we describe the differential and integral methods. We also discuss the Stefan-Boltzmann ideal gas limit, as well as the comparison with perturbative QCD results. The most recent lattice QCD results are introduced and discussed.
Aldosterone sensitivity: an opportunity to explore the pathogenesis of hypertension

Aldosterone sensitivity is defined as an outcome variable for a given circulating level of aldosterone. In basic and translational studies, aldosterone sensitivity has been measured in differential tissue responses, e.g., lower urine sodium and higher urine potassium, as an index of the renal response; in clinical studies, aldosterone sensitivity has been measured in differential blood pressure responses. The concept of aldosterone sensitivity disrupts the conventional wisdom of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and has the potential to uncover novel mechanisms of hypertension. Here, we review basic and translational science studies that uncovered differential renal responses to aldosterone and connect this earlier work to more recent observational studies and randomized trials that have demonstrated differential blood pressure responses for a given level of aldosterone in healthy and hypertensive persons. Black race and older age are associated with higher aldosterone sensitivity and blood pressure. We also discuss gaps in the field and how future basic and clinical studies might inform mechanisms of differential sensitivity.
Maximal independent sets in clique-free graphs

Nielsen proved that the maximum number of maximal independent sets (MIS's) of size $k$ in an $n$-vertex graph is asymptotic to $(n/k)^k$, with the extremal construction a disjoint union of $k$ cliques with sizes as close to $n/k$ as possible. In this paper we study how many MIS's of size $k$ an $n$-vertex graph $G$ can have if $G$ does not contain a clique $K_t$. We prove for all fixed $k$ and $t$ that there exist such graphs with $n^{\lfloor\frac{(t-2)k}{t-1}\rfloor-o(1)}$ MIS's of size $k$ by utilizing recent work of Gowers and B. Janzer on a generalization of the Ruzsa-Szemeredi problem. We prove that this bound is essentially best possible for triangle-free graphs when $k\le 4$.
Graph Theory and Algorithms

Overview of graph theory: graphs, complexity of algorithms, and graph problem formulations and solutions. Keywords: graphs; networks; combinatorial optimization problems; computational complexity; NP-completeness; graph algorithms; flow algorithms; operations research applications; VLSI CAD applications
Influence of Starvation for Methionine and Other Amino Acids on Subsequent Bacterial Deoxyribonucleic Acid Replication

Abstract Billen, Daniel (University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Tex.), and Roger Hewitt. Influence of starvation for methionine and other amino acids on subsequent bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid replication. J. Bacteriol. 92:609–617. 1966.—A study has been made of the subsequent replicative fate of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesized during amino acid starvation by several multiauxotrophic strains of Escherichia coli. Using radioisotopic and density labels and a procedure whereby total cellular DNA is analyzed, we have confirmed and extended a recent report that the DNA made during amino acid starvation behaves anomalously during subsequent DNA replication. When 5-bromouracil (BU) serves as the density lable, 40% or more of the DNA synthesized during starvation will subsequently fail to replicate during three cell generations. Selective amino acid effects were noted. In two methionine-requiring bacteria, methionine deprivation appeared to be of singular importance in influencing the subsequent replicative fate of the DNA made in its absence. When a non-BU density label (N15, C13) was utilized, the effects of amino acid starvation were less obvious. Although the DNA synthesized during complete amino acid starvation in a methionine-requiring E. coli was subsequently more slowly replicated, most of the DNA was finally duplicated during three generations of growth. If methionine was present during starvation for other required amino acids, the subsequent replication rate of the DNA synthesized during this time was more nearly normal, and complete replication was observed. The results have been interpreted as indicating that DNA synthesized during amino acid starvation, and especially during methionine starvation, is somehow altered, and that BU substitution for thymine may interfere with the restoration of such DNA to its replicative state.