cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding MOOC students: motivations and behaviours indicative of MOOC completion

Massive open online courses MOOCs continue to appear across the higher education landscape, originating from many institutions in the USA and around the world. MOOCs typically have low completion rates, at least when compared with traditional courses, as this course delivery model is very different from traditional, fee-based models, such as college courses. This research examined MOOC student demographic data, intended behaviours and course interactions to better understand variables that are indicative of MOOC completion. The results lead to ideas regarding how these variables can be used to support MOOC students through the application of learning analytics tools and systems.
Seismic surface wave propagation in three-dimensional finite-element structures

abstract The boundary stiffness matrix necessary for satisfying the boundary conditions for surface wave propagation between a regular and irregular zone in three-dimensional, finite-element structures is [ R ] = − { i [ A ][ V ][ K ][ V ] −1 + [ E ]}, where i ≡ − 1 and the matrices [ A ],[ V ], and [ K ] are obtained from the analysis of the regular zone. The elements of the matrix [ E ] are given in this paper. For problems with energy transmission generally parallel to side boundaries, zero-stress (“free”) boundary conditions yield accurate results. Results from a model of a continent-ocean transition with angles of incidence of 0° and 45° agree, in general, with those of Gregersen and Alsop (1974) and Gregersen (1978), but disagree in some important details.
Physiological Evidence for Color Receptors in the Eye of a Butterfly

Although there is behavioral evidence for color vision in several species of Lepidoptera (Knoll 1925; Use 1928, 1937; Schlegtendal 1934; Schremmer 1941; Crane 1955; Use and Vaidya 1956; Mazokhin-Porshnyakov 1969), physiological analysis of the underlying mechanisms has hardly begun. Spectral sensitivity functions indicating more than 1 kind of receptor in the compound eye havebeen reported for 2 species of moth (Hasselmann 1962, Boethius et al. 1968) and a single species of butterfly (Swihart 1963, 1965).
Study of Forced Commutation Strategy for Solid State Transfer Switch

The switch strategy of solid state transfer switch is researched in terms of the mutual effect between solid state transfer switch and power system topology frame respectively.A forced commutation strategy is put forward to 10 kV double-source power system with zigzag grounding transformers.it shortens the switching time of solid-state switch and reduces the switching process on the load.
Ureteral infection stones.

AbstractWe report a case of recurrent urinary tract infections owing to culture proved ureteral infection stones. Although ureteral catheterization studies unilaterally localized the infection to the upper urinary tract, the direct immunofluorescence antibody test indicative of upper tract infection was negative. The patient was cured of persistent urinary tract infection by antibiotics, ureterolithotomy, resection of the stenotic ureteral segment and ureteroureterostomy
Ageing and the α2-adrenergic system of the platelet

1. Platelets taken from healthy unmedicated subjects over 65 years of age display less inhibition of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1)-stimulated adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) synthesis by noradrenaline than do platelets taken from young adults aged 18-25 years (P less than 0.03). The inhibition of cyclic AMP production by noradrenaline (10(-5) mol/l) correlates negatively with age over the range 18-92 years (r = -0.338, n = 108, P less than 0.005). The reduced cyclic AMP inhibition by noradrenaline in the elderly is not explained by basal cyclic AMP levels or degree of stimulation of platelets by PGE1, which do not differ between young and elderly subjects. The reduction itself is small, though, and cannot be demonstrated for a more potent agonist, adrenaline. 2. Despite the reduced noradrenaline response in the cyclic AMP system in the aged, platelet aggregation in response to alpha 2-adrenergic agents is normal or even slightly increased. Aggregation responses to adrenergic agents correlate well with aggregation responses to adenosine 5'-diphosphate, suggesting that the effector system is a major determinant of the aggregation response. 3. alpha 2-Adrenoceptor number measured by Scatchard analysis of equilibrium binding of [3H]yohimbine to platelet membranes is comparable in young and old subjects, and does not correlate with age. The KD for [3H]yohimbine does not correlate with age. The IC50 for noradrenaline displacing [3H]yohimbine is comparable in young and elderly subjects. Therefore the reduced inhibition of cyclic AMP production by noradrenaline in platelets from elderly subjects is not explained by changes in alpha 2-adrenoceptor number, or agonist- or antagonist-binding properties, but may reside in the coupling of receptor to cyclase.
2.5-Year-Olds Express Suspense When Others Approach Reality With False Expectations.

The study investigated if 2.5-year-olds are susceptible to suspense and express tension when others' false expectations are about to be disappointed. In two experiments (N = 32 each), children showed more tension when a protagonist approached a box with a false belief about its content than when she was ignorant. In Experiment 2, children also expressed more tension when the protagonist's belief was false than when it was true. The findings reveal that toddlers affectively anticipate the "rude awakening" of an agent who is about to discover unexpected reality. They thus not only understand false beliefs per se but also grasp the affective implications of being mistaken. The results are discussed with recourse to current theories about early understanding of false beliefs.
Physicians’ Refusals of Patient Demands

This paper will present a series of cases indicating the range of problems that must be considered in determining whether physicians occasionally should refuse to accede to patients’ demands.
Use of a Mobile Intraoperative Computed Tomography Scanner for Navigation Registration During Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy of Brain Tumors.

Objective In recent years laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) has become the ablative neurosurgical procedure of choice. Multiple methods for registration and laser fiber verification have been described, with each method requiring multiple steps and significant time expenditure. We evaluated the use of a commercially available mobile computed tomography (CT) scanner for stereotactic registration during LITT for brain tumors in an attempt to simplify the procedure and improve intraoperative awareness of laser position. Methods This is a retrospective chart review comparing LITT of brain tumors in 23 patients undergoing a standard protocol requiring skull pins and transport of the patient to a CT suite to obtain a reference scan compared with 14 patients in whom the Medtronic O-arm was used intraoperatively for navigation registration and confirmation of laser position. Results Total ablation of the target was achieved in all patients with no surgical complications. Total surgery time was shorter for the O-arm group than for the standard protocol group, once experience was gained with bringing the O-arm in and out of the surgical field. Return from the magnetic resonance imaging suite to the operating room for repositioning of the laser was required for 1 patient in the standard protocol group, but for no patients in the O-arm group. Once experience was gained with using the O-arm, estimated surgical costs were lower for this group. Conclusions Use of a mobile intraoperative CT scanner for navigation registration and confirmation of laser position during LITT may play a role in streamlining the procedure and improving patient safety and comfort.
Measure Theory — Basic Notions

Measurable sets and functions; measures and integration; mono tone and dominated convergence; transformation of integrals; product measures and Fubini’s theorem; Lp-spaces and projec tion; approximation; measure spaces and kernels.
Red hot maples: Acer rubrum first-year phenology and growth responses to soil warming

Microhabitat environmental conditions are an important filter for seedling establishment, controlling the availability of optimal recruitment sites. Understanding how tree seedlings respond to warming soil temperature is critical for predicting population recruitment in the future hardwood forests of northeastern North America, particularly as environmental conditions and thus optimal microhabitat availabilities change. We examined the effect of soil warming of 5 °C during the first growing season on germination, survival, phenology, growth, and stem and root biomass allocation in Acer rubrum L. (red maple) seedlings. While there was no effect of soil warming on germination or survival, seedlings growing in warmer soils demonstrated significantly accelerated leaf expansion, delayed autumn leaf senescence, and an extended leaf production period. Further, seedlings growing in warmer soils showed larger leaf area and stem and root structures at the end of the first growing season, with no evidence of biomass...
Laser direct write system for fabricating seamless roll-to-roll lithography tools

Implementations of roll to roll contact lithography require new approaches towards manufacturing tooling, including stamps for roll to roll nanoimprint lithography (NIL) and soft lithography. Suitable roll based tools must have seamless micro- or nano-scale patterns and must be scalable to roll widths of one meter. The authors have developed a new centrifugal stamp casting process that can produce uniform cylindrical polymer stamps in a scalable manner. The pattern on the resulting polymer tool is replicated against a corresponding master pattern on the inner diameter of a centrifuge drum. This master pattern is created in photoresist using a UV laser direct write system. This paper discusses the design and implementation of a laser direct write system targeting the internal diameter of a rotating drum. The design uses flying optics to focus a laser beam along the axis of the centrifuge drum and to redirect the beam towards the drum surface. Experimental patterning results show uniform coatings of negative photoresist in the centrifuge drum that are effectively patterned with a 405 nm laser diode. Seamless patterns are shown to be replicated in a 50 mm diameter, 60 mm long cylindrical stamp made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Direct write results show gratings with line widths of 10 microns in negative photoresist. Using an FPGA, the laser can be accurately timed against the centrifuge encoder to create complex patterns.
Tanezumab in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal conditions.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The management of pain associated with chronic musculoskeletal conditions represents a significant challenge for the clinician. There remains a need for novel medications that have a significant analgesic benefit and are also safe and well tolerated. Both pre-clinical and clinical data have provided evidence of the role of nerve growth factor (NGF) in a multitude of pain eliciting conditions. Therefore, the development of monoclonal antibodies to NGF for chronic painful musculoskeletal conditions has generated interest.Areas covered: This manuscript is a review that examines both the pharmacological properties and clinical studies of tanezumab, the most widely studied antibody to NGF, for management of osteoarthritis (OA) and low back pain. In addition, the safety and tolerability profile and development history of tanezumab are also discussed.Expert opinion: Most studies provide strong support for the ability of tanezumab to provide clinically meaningful pain relief in individuals w...
Sensations, Intuitions, and the Law of Causality

Arthur Schopenhauer, in the World as Will and Representation Volume 1 , discusses the role of understanding, i.e., the capacity to cognize causality , offers insight into the transformation from mere sensations to intuitions. Douglas James McDermid, in “Schopenhauer as Epistemologist: A Kantian against Kant” , argues that while the law of causality may be necessary for intuition, it is insufficient to support the dramatic shift from subjective mere sensations to spatio-temporal intuitions. I argue that the application of causality on mere sensations is not just necessary but sufficient for us to have intuitions (in Schopenhauer’s notion). In this paper, I will first explain Schopenhauer’s discussion about the transition from mere sensations to intuitions through understanding, i.e., the application of the law of causality. Then, I will present McDermid’s argument that the law of causality is insufficient to account for the transition from sensations to intuitions with mere understanding. After that, I will give my argument that understanding, merely as to have the cognition of causality, is sufficient to support the transition from sensations to intuitions on the ground that causality itself entails time and space and thus to have a cognition of causality is to have a spatio-temporal interpretation of sensations.
A Qualitative Investigation of Workplace Bullying Construction: A Case Study on Hikma Pharmaceutical Company in Jordan

The study aims to investigate different ways that help the administrative consultants to construct concepts of bullying within a workplace environment. The study recruited administrative consultants from Hikma Pharmaceutical Company in Jordan through semi-structured interviews. The data obtained from the interviews was analyzed using NVIVO package. The results showed that management-oriented policies, lack of consultants’ power, and the pressure built within the organization for protecting managers have made workplace bullying a complex problem. Despite the consequences of bullying, the individuals at workplace tend to use different interpretive mechanisms to validate the manager’s behavior. Bullying among the colleagues within a workplace environment is considered as an inter-personal association between the manager and employee as the victim’s response to management and performance work practices. Therefore, the results concluded that behavior of a manager and an employee is not really constructed by administrative consultant as bullying within the workplace environment.
The Assessment of Team Performance: Observations and Needs

The abundance of teams within organizations illustrates the importance of team performance measurement—tools that measure teamwork. Taking into account the inherently complex nature of teams, this chapter presents a few insights and a picture of the research and practice on teamwork measurement over time. We define what makes a team and identify the characteristics of an effective team. Then, we present critical observations to team performance measurement that reflect the 30 years of experience of the first author, at observing, measuring, and assessing team performance in various domains. These observations provide insight into what attitudes, behaviors, and cognitions—how teams feel, act, and think—play an integral role in performance assessment, while taking situational factors and construct considerations into account. Support is presented from the literature on teams and performance measurement, and we provide major contributions from a sample of team performance measurement literature in the past 30 years. We conclude with a discussion on needs for developing future team-based measurement approaches. In this discussion of the future, emphasis is placed on our need, as a field, to continue closing the gap between research and practice through designing and validating effective performance-based measures that target practitioner needs.
Who Guards the Guardians? National Implications of Accreditation at City College of San Francisco:

Purpose: This article addresses the broad context of community college accreditation which surrounds a controversy involving one of the largest community colleges in the United States, City College...
Knowledge Integration in Hybrid Online Communities

Online communities are often governed by fluid, bottom-up dynamics. At the same time, many online communities are hosted by corporations and other organizations that want to encourage specific beha...
Prenatal Serum Concentrations of Brominated Flame Retardants and Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability in the Early Markers of Autism Study: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in California.

Background: Prior studies suggest neurodevelopmental impacts of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), but few have examined diagnosed developmental disorders. Objectives: Our aim was to determine...
‘Everyone wants a community’: a qualitative investigation of the challenges and service needs among college students in recovery

Background: Problem drinking and illicit drug use is prevalent among college students, which can pose challenges for students in recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs). Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) are emerging across the U.S. in order to provide support services for these students. Yet the population of college students in recovery still remains understudied. The objectives of this research were to explore (1) perceived service needs, and (2) opinions about the logistics of a CRP among a sample of college students in recovery.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 students who self-identified as being in recovery from SUDs. Interviews were transcribed and coded using content analysis.Results: The sample of students was slightly older than traditional college students (M= 25 years). Due to age and lifestyle differences, such as sobriety, these students often felt isolated and unable to relate to the wider student body. Students also felt limited in their options fo...
Experimental investigation of hydronic air coil performance with nanofluids

Abstract The objective of this study is to experimentally characterize and compare the performance of a nanofluid comprised of Al2O3 nanoparticles with 1% volumetric concentration in a 60% ethylene glycol/40% water (60% EG) solution to that of 60%EG in a liquid to air heat exchanger. The test bed used in the experiment was built to simulate a small air handling system typical of that used in HVAC applications. Previously established empirical correlations for thermophysical properties of fluids were used to determine the values of various parameters (e.g. Nusselt number, Reynolds number, and Prandtl number). The testing shows that the 1% Al2O3 nanofluid generates a marginally higher rate of heat transfer than the 60% EG under certain conditions. At Re = 3000, the nanofluid produced a rate of heat transfer that was 2% higher than that of the 60% EG. The empirically determined Nusselt number associated with the convection in the coil tubing for the nanofluid follows the behavior predicted by the Dittus-Boelter correlation (R2 = 0.97), while the empirically determined Nusselt number for the 60% EG follows the Petukhov correlation similarly (R2 = 0.97). Pressure loss and hydraulic power for the nanofluid were higher than for the base fluid over the range of conditions tested. The exergy destroyed in the heat exchange and fluid flow processes were between 9% and 12% lower for the nanofluid than the base fluid over the tested range of Reynolds numbers.
Seismic-infrasound-acoustic-meteorological sensors to dynamically monitor the natural frequencies of concrete dams

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is leading research using seismic-infrasound-acoustic-meteorological (SIAM) arrays to determine structural characteristics of critical infrastructure. Large infrastructure, such as dams, emit infrasound (acoustic energy below that of human perception) at their natural modes of vibration, which are related to their structural condition. To validate the concept and its potential use for monitoring flood control structures, a structural evaluation was conducted at the Portuguese Dam in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The dam’s dynamic properties were studied prior to the deployment of SIAM arrays using detailed finite element (FE) models assembled in COMSOL Multiphysics software. The principal natural frequencies of the dam were identified and the fundamental modes were confirmed in the infrasound pass-band. The natural frequencies of 4.8 Hz, 6.7 Hz, and 10.2 Hz, respectively, were determined for the lower modes of vibrations. A total of three SIAM arrays wer...
Fuzzy Set and Possibility Theory in Optimization: L. Zadeh's Contributions

The thesis of this article is that after the Bellman/Zadeh seminal 1970 fuzzy optimization paper [1], two new powerful optimization types have emerged over the last four decades: (1) Flexible optimization and (2) Optimization under generalized uncertainty. Flexible optimization arises when it is necessary to relax the meaning of the mathematical relation of set belonging. Optimization under generalized uncertainty arises when it is necessary to represent parameters whose values are known only partially or incompletely.
Teaching surgery in late Byzantine Alexandria.

When one examines Alexandrian commentaries on works of Galen and Hippocrates, disclosed are essential guides to the Art of Medicine as practiced in the late fifth, sixth, and early seventh centuries. These are outlines and contents of a 'medical curriculum' in late Byzantine Alexandria, as well as Ravenna, and thanks to the patient and skilled labors of Dickson,' Duffy,2 Irmer, Palmieri, Pritchet, Westerink, and others, following and building on the pioneering studies of Brautigam, Meyerhoff, and Temkin, medical historians can now peruse carefully edited Greek and Latin texts and generally reliable translations of some commentaries by Agnellus of Ravenna, John of Alexandria, Palladius, and Stephanus of Athens. Deeply experienced medical practitioners became teachers of would-be medical students in Alexandria and Ravenna. Alexandria had long functioned as a city reputed to be the home of medical instruction, and by ca. 550 or slightly later, teachers began to produce commentaries on the classic texts of Greek and Roman medicine, with Galen and Hippocrates as major authorities. Underpinning what the medical professors set down in their commentaries were extended lives spent in the actual practice of medicine, sometimes as military physicians (as may have been the case of Paul of Aegina in the early seventh century), sometimes as doctors who had gained lengthy experience in Alexandria itself, and sometimes as medical professionals who had emigrated to Egypt after successful careers in another part of the Greek-speaking eastern Roman Empire. Reflecting time as a medical student and later career in Constantinople, Aetius of Amida's Tetrabiblon foreshadows editorial mechanics and techniques of textual exegesis as they emerge more clearly with the medical commentators after 550. It may well be that Stephanus, 'the Philosopher and Physician', was originally from Athens, but whether he was or not, the attribution of an Athenian background suggests that non-Alexandrian physicians either were recruited or that the growing fame of medical instruction attracted accomplished personnel from other cities and provinces of the Empire.
Management and Scheduling of Tests for Locating Failures Dependent upon Operation-Time in Responsive Systems

We propose fault location strategies based on failure probabilities that are not constant over the system’s lifetime. The approach is not only to locate the failed units in a multiprocessor system but also to efficiently choose the appropriate diagnosis method. Point and set estimations are used for fault location inference. Methods are comparison based, employing multiple incomplete test concepts. A dynamic testing policy is given, which changes between single fault location and multiple fault location dependent upon system operation-time.
Deletion of the exon 2 of mouse Foxp3 results in systemic lupus erythematosus-like disease

Regulatory CD4 T cells (Tregs) are indispensable in maintaining self-tolerance and deficiency in Treg development and function leads to autoimmunity. Foxp3 is the master transcription factor determining Treg differentiation and function in both humans and mice. Unlike the mouse Foxp3 gene which only expresses a single product, human FOXP3 gene encodes at least two major isoforms (a full length and a short isoform lacking exon 2) through alternative splicing. The region of human FOXP3 encoded by exon2 binds to RORα and RORγt in vitro and regulates their transcription activity. However, how Foxp3 exon 2 regulates Treg development and function in vivo remains largely unknown. In order to understand the role of exon 2 in vivo, we deleted the exon 2 of mouse Foxp3 gene. Exon 2 knockout (dE2) mice showed splenomegaly/lymphadenopathy and produced higher ratio of Tfh and Tfr when compared with wildtype mice. Despite increased Treg compartment, dE2 mice generated autoreactive IgG against dsDNA and nuclear antigens. Histological examination of kidney revealed immune-complex deposits and glomerulonephritis. The dE2 mice also exhibited skin lesions on face, neck and back of the body starting 6 month after birth. Our data suggest that exon 2 of Foxp3 is critical in maintaining proper Treg function and self-tolerance.
Guidance on and comparison of machine learning classifiers for Landsat-based land cover and land use mapping

Remote sensing scientists are increasingly adopting machine learning classifiers for land cover and land use (LCLU) mapping, but model selection, a critical step of the machine learning classificat...
In vitro modulation of macrophage tumoricidal activity

NaIO4 treatment of mouse adherent peritoneal cells or lymphocyte-free cloned macrophages enhances their cytotoxic and tumoricidal activity. 5×10−3 M NaIO4 treatment of nontumoricidal BCG-activated macrophages renders them completely tumoricidal, whereas the same treatment of stimulated (peptone-normal) macrophages renders them weakly tumoricidal. Addition of LPS in nanogram quantities too low to enhance tumor cell killing by untreated peptone-normal macrophages causes NaIO4-treated peptone-normal macrophages to be maximally tumoricidal. The activating action of NaIO4, MAF, or LPS can be potently, but inconsistently, blocked or reversed by the reducing agent NaBH4 or the aldehyde-reacting agent dimedone. NaIO4 treatment of lymphocyte-free macrophage colonies does not make them cytotoxic, but NaIO4-treated colony macrophages are cytotoxic for tumor cells when cultured in 10 ng/ml LPS (an amount of LPS inadequate to render untreated colony macrophages cytotoxic). Supernatants of NaIO4-treated adherent peritoneal cells contain MAF activity. Thus, the NaIO4-induced enhancement of peritoneal cell tumoricidal activity may result from both direct NaIO4 activating effects on macrophages and indirect NaIO4 effects through NaIO4-induced MAF production.
Validation of citrate and derivatives in expressed prostatic secretions to predict prostate cancer: High-resolution 1H-NMR study

651 Reliable markers for early detection of prostatic cancer which sensitivity/ specificity will be higher than those of PSA (prostatic specific antigen) are desirable. High concentrations of citrate have been reported in vivo in the healthy prostate gland. Quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) along with a novel statistical method were utilized to analyze and validate endogenous metabolites in expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) from men with prostate cancer (PCa) and from healthy controls. Flash frozen EPS samples from 66 men (40 with PCa and 26 controls) were analyzed by high-resolution 1H-NMR spectroscopy using a Bruker 500 MHz DRX NMR spectrometer with a 1-mm microprobe. The total number of scans per fully relaxed 1H-NMR spectrum was n=40 with water suppression. Absolute concentrations of endogenous metabolites (citrate, spermine, myo-inositol, lactate, alanine, phosphocholine, glutamate, acetate, hydroxybutyrate) were quantified using trimethylsilyl-propionic acid as an external standard reference. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression (LR) was used to model the risk of PCa based upon the levels of the measured metabolites. The average age of the EPS donors was 54.7 ± 9.8 years. The median Gleason score for the men with PCa was 6 (range 5-9). The Wilcoxon rank sum test indicated that citrate, spermine, inositol, citrate/spermine, and citrate/lactate were all significant predictors of PCa (p
Practice, Reason, Context: The Dialogue Between Theory and Experiment

Experiment, instrumentation, and procedures of measurement, the body of practices and technologies forming the technical culture of science, have received at most a cameo appearance in most histories. For the history of science is almost always written as the history of theory. Of course, the interpretation of science as dominated by theory was the main pillar of the critique, launched by Kuhn, Quine, Hanson, Feyerabend, and others, of the positivist and logical empiricist traditions in the philosophy of science. Against Carnap, Hempel, Nagel, and Popper, who accorded observation reports an independent status either as a source of inductive support or as a basis for the falsification of scientific theories, Hanson and Kuhn emphasized the theory-ladenness of observation. They made this central point – that all observation is shaped by reference to theory – the cornerstone of a full-blown philosophy of science by buttressing it with two additional lines of argument: First, theories are always underdetermined by the data, several theories being compatible with the same set of data. Hence, choice between theories is never a matter of empirical support, but always turns around conceptual issues. Second, statements derived from theory never confront nature alone; they are always clothed in a web of interrelated beliefs. Thus, theories, their associated observation languages, and the entire technical culture they support must be accepted or rejected as wholes.
Inter-species molecular attraction effect in the development of a two-species mixing layer

Simulations of fluid mixing occurring at high-pressures mandate the use of real-fluid equations of state to capture the effect of both intermolecular repulsive forces and attractive forces which are neglected in perfect gases. Dedicated mixing rules account for these forces by providing a generic mapping of the mixture state-space onto a pure fluid domain. However, the specific inter-species molecular forces depend on the particular characteristics of the molecular pairs under consideration, and typically require the knowledge of binary interaction coefficients kαβ . The impact of kαβ on a flow field is as of now unclear; further, kαβ is unknown for many molecular pairs and when unknown, set to be null. This study addresses the impact of kαβ on the temporal evolution of a real-fluid mixing layer and uses Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) to explore this impact. The results show differences between augmented attraction (kαβ 0), affecting both fluid dynamics and diffusion processes. Specifically, in a binary mixing layer, it is observed that augmented attraction leads to delayed transition and mixing layer growth, manifested in the momentum layer thickness. The fractal dimension as a measure of interface corrugation likewise shows a delayed development for augmented attraction. These results provide an hitherto undocumented mechanism affecting the development of mixing layers.
Pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for treatment of cardiomyopathic damage: Current concepts and future directions

Today, cell replacement therapy using pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) remains a research endeavor, with several hurdles that must be overcome before delivery of PSC-CMs can become a therapeutic reality. In this review, we highlight major findings to date from pre-clinical studies involving delivery of PSC-CMs and consider remaining challenges that must be addressed for successful clinical translation. Our goal is to provide an overview of the current status of cardiomyocyte replacement therapy and what challenges must be addressed before successful clinical translation of such therapies will be possible.
Approximate Optimal Adaptive Control of Partially Unknown Linear Continuous-time Systems with State Delay

In this paper, an approximate optimal adaptive control of partially unknown linear continuous time systems with state delay is introduced by using integral reinforcement learning. A quadratic cost function over infinite time horizon is considered and a value function is defined by considering the delayed state. It has been shown that the optimal control input makes the system asymptotically stable when, given dynamics, the time delay is greater than zero. A novel delay modified algebraic Riccati equation is derived to confirm the stability of the system. Then, to overcome the need for drift dynamics, an actor-critic framework is introduced based on the integral reinforcement learning approach for approximate optimal adaptive control. A novel value function is defined and update law for tuning the parameters of the critic/value function is derived. Lyapunov theory is employed to demonstrate the boundedness of the closed-loop system. A simulation example is included to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Recent Progress in Nuclear Lattice Simulations

We review several recent results on nuclear lattice simulations by the Nuclear Lattice Effective Field Theory Collaboration. In the first part we discuss the implementation of nuclear forces on the lattice using chiral effective field theory. The new development we highlight is the use of nonlocal lattice operators to achieve a simpler decomposition into spin channels, in contrast with previous studies that considered only local interactions. In the second part we present evidence that nuclear physics is close to a quantum phase transition. This development is also linked to the study of the differences between local and nonlocal interactions. In the final part we further explore the link between the nuclear forces and nuclear structure. We consider the simplest possible nuclear interaction that can accurately reproduce the ground state properties of light nuclei, medium-mass nuclei, and neutron matter. We discuss what these recent developments say about the emergence of nuclear structure from nuclear forces and the road ahead for nuclear lattice simulations.
Long-term trends in the contribution of PM2.5 sources to organic carbon (OC) in the Los Angeles basin and the effect of PM emission regulations

This study aimed to investigate the long-term variations in the contributions of emission sources to ambient PM2.5 organic carbon (OC) in central Los Angeles (CELA) and Riverside using the Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) database in the 2005-2015 period, during which several federal and state PM-based regulations were implemented to reduce tailpipe emissions in the region. The measured concentrations of OC, OC volatility fractions (i.e., OC1, OC2, and OC3), elemental carbon (EC), ozone (O3), sulfate, the ratio of potassium ion to potassium (K+/K), and selected metal elements were used as the input to the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. PMF resolved tailpipe emissions, non-tailpipe emissions, secondary organic aerosols (SOA), biomass burning, and local industrial activities as the main sources contributing to ambient OC at both sampling sites. Vehicular exhaust emissions, non-tailpipe emissions, and SOA were dominant sources of OC across our sampling sites, accounting cumulatively for more than 80% of total OC mass throughout the study period. Our findings showed a significant reduction in the absolute and relative contributions of tailpipe emissions to the ambient OC levels in CELA and Riverside over the time period of 2005-2015. The contribution of exhaust emissions to total OC in CELA decreased from 3.5 µg m-3 (49%) in 2005 to 1.5 µg m-3 (34%) in 2015, while similar trends were observed at Riverside during this period. These reductions are mainly attributed to the implementation of several federal, state, and local air quality regulations targeting tailpipe emissions in the area. The implementation of these regulations furthermore reduced the emissions of primary organic precursors of secondary aerosols, resulting in an overall decrease (although not statistically significant, P values ranging from 0.4 to 0.6) in SOA mass concentration in both locations over the study period. In contrast to the tailpipe emissions, we observed an increasing trend (by ∼4 to 14%) in the relative contribution of non-tailpipe emissions to OC over this time period at both sites. Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of air quality regulations in reducing direct tailpipe emissions in the area, but also underpinned the need to develop equally effective mitigation policies targeting non-tailpipe PM emissions.
Association of Usual Sodium Intake with Obesity Among US Children and Adolescents, NHANES 2009‐2016

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of sodium intake with obesity in US children and adolescents. Methods Cross-sectional data were analyzed for 9,026 children and adolescents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2016. Usual sodium intake was estimated from 24-hour dietary recalls using a measurement error model. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of sodium intake with overweight/obesity, obesity, and central obesity (waist to height ratio [WtHR] ≥ 0.5; waist circumferences (WC) ≥ age- and sex-specific 90th percentile). Results Mean (SE) sodium intake was 3,010 (9) and 3,404 (20) mg/d for children and adolescents, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) comparing Q4 versus Q1 (87.5th vs. 12.5th percentile of sodium intake) among children was 1.98 (95% CI: 1.19-3.28) for overweight/obesity, 2.20 (1.30-3.73) for obesity, 2.10 (1.12-3.95) for WC ≥ 90th percentile, and 1.68 (0.95-2.97) for WtHR ≥ 0.5, adjusting for demographics, energy, and sugar-sweetened beverage intake. Among adolescents, AOR was 1.81 (0.98-3.37) for overweight/obesity, 1.71 (0.82-3.56) for obesity, 1.62 (0.71-3.66) for WC ≥ 90th percentile, and 1.73 (0.85-3.50) for WtHR ≥ 0.5. Conclusions Sodium intake was positively associated with overweight/obesity, obesity, and central obesity among US children independent of energy and SSB intake, but the association did not reach significance among adolescents.
Lead, Soils, and Children: An Ecological Analysis of Lead Contamination in Parks and Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Brooklyn, New York.

Although the prevalence of elevated childhood blood lead levels (BLLs) has been declining, there are still an estimated 500,000 children (1 to 5 years) with BLLs above the CDC's reference value (≥ 5 μg/dL). The objective of this study was to evaluate the ecological association between soil lead (Pb) concentrations in greenspaces in Brooklyn, NY and elevated BLLs of children aged 1 to 5 years old. Soil samples (n = 1504) were collected from a wide variety of parks within 43 neighborhood tabulation areas (NTAs) located in Brooklyn, NY, analyzed with a portable XRF with a subset (n = 350), and also analyzed by ICP-MS. Lead concentrations were right skewed with a mean of 160.4 ppm and a median of 113.1 ppm. The Pb concentration range spanned three orders of magnitude with most samples (66.7%) ≥ 80 ppm and 6.7% of samples ≥ 400 ppm. Elevated BLL (≥ 5ug/dL) data on children 1 to 5 years were obtained from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (2011-2015). Weighted median soil Pb concentrations were calculated for each NTA and stratified into quartiles. The overall median rate of children from 1 to 5 years old with BLLs ≥ 5 µg/dL was 28.6 per 1000; the median rate was highest (p = 0.070) in the fourth quartile (Pb concentrations ≥ 150 ppm) compared to the first quartile (Pb concentrations < 88 ppm), 37.2 vs. 28.3 per 1000, respectively. We then used multivariable linear regression to determine the ecological association between BLL rates and soil Pb concentrations. In the final stepwise multivariable regression model, controlling for known risk factors, there was a significant positive association between soil Pb concentrations and increased childhood BLL rates (beta = 0.0008; p = 0.004). Our findings suggest that there is an ecological association between high soil Pb levels and increased rates of elevated childhood BLLs.
Comparison of residential dormitory COVID-19 monitoring via weekly saliva testing and sewage monitoring

Wastewater surveillance has been used as tool for outbreak detection for COVID-19 particularly where there was not capability in place for routine and robust individual testing. Given clinical reports that earlier detection is possible following infection from throat/nasal samples compared to fecal samples for COVID-19 patients, the utility of wastewater testing where robust individual testing is possible is less clear. The objective of this study was to compare the results of weekly required COVID-19 saliva tests to weekly wastewater monitoring for residential buildings (i.e., dormitories) located across three college campuses capturing wastewater from 80 to 441 occupants per sampling location. Sampling occurred during the spring semester of the 2021 academic year which captured the third wave of SARS-CoV-2 cases in the study region. Comparison of the saliva and wastewater testing results indicated that the wastewater SARS-CoV-2 concentrations had a strong linear correlation with the previous week's percentage of positive saliva test results and a weak linear correlation with the saliva testing results surrounding the wastewater sampling (four days before and 3 days after). Given that no correlation was observed between the wastewater and the saliva testing from the following week, the weekly saliva testing captured spikes in COVID-19 cases earlier than the weekly wastewater sampling. Interestingly, the N1 gene copy was observed in buildings on all campuses, but N2 was observed in wastewater on only one of the campuses. N1 and N2 were also observed in sewer biofilm. The campus-specific challenges associated with implementation of wastewater surveillance are discussed. Overall, these results can help inform design of surveillance for early detection of SARS-CoV-2 in residential settings informing mitigation strategies to slow or prevent the spread of the virus among residents in congregate living.
Authentication, Authorization, Access Control, and Privilege Management

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity or authority of a network or system user (which can be a human user, or a computer-based process or device) through a secure means, such as digital signatures, passwords, tokens, or biometric features. Authorization, which takes place after authentication, refers to the privileges granted to an authenticated user who has requested access to services or resources. The concepts of authentication and authorization are interdependent; authorization to use a network or system resource frequently includes establishing the identity of the user requesting access or verifying that a trusted third party has certified that the user is entitled to the access requested. Privilege is a security attribute shared by users whose identities have been authenticated. Access control and privilege management begin with the administrative and mechanical process of defining, enabling, and limiting the operations that users can perform on specific system resources. The permission or limitation of operations is based on the business rules or access policies of the organization. Keywords: access control; authentication; discretionary access control; identity management; mandatory access control; role-based access control
Vole Stranglers and Lemming Cycles

Some small mammal populations undergo cyclic fluctuations in their numbers, whereas others do not. In their Perspective, Hudson and BjA¸rnstad discuss new work on the cyclic dynamics of the collared lemming in northeastern Greenland ( Gilg et al.). As the Perspective authors explain, population fluctuations of the collared lemming are directly affected by the tension between the lemmings9 specialist predator, the stoat, and three generalist predators (the snowy owl, the arctic fox, and the long-tailed skua).
Comparison of the Structure of C- and N-Polyhedrins from Two Occluded Viruses Pathogenic for Orgyia pseudotsugata

C-and N-polyhedrins from a cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (a double-stranded RNA virus) and a nuclear polyhedrosis virus (a DNA virus), respectively, of Orgyia pseudotsugata were compared. Although both polyhedrins appear to stabilize their respective virions and have similar molecular weights, they differed in amino acid composition, tryptic peptide elution profiles from a cation-exchange resin, and N-terminal amino acid sequence and showed no antigenic relatedness. This suggests that these two proteins originated independently of one another.
Exchanging Scope of Disaster for Political Responsiveness in U.S. Disaster Decisions: 1953-2009

This article examines the impact of scope of disaster and political responsiveness in presidential decisions for the period from 1953 to 2009 (Eisenhower to Obama). Where my previous research focused on individual-level gubernatorial and presidential choice, this analysis explores the effects of scope of disaster and political responsiveness on the annual number of requests and declarations. Whereas earlier analyses traced the effects of the competing influences of vulnerability, disaster scope, and responsiveness on individual political choices, the current analysis assesses the cumulative impact of those influences on the annual number of requests and declarations and the percentage of requests granted. The article highlights several conclusions. First, the Stafford Act expanded federal coverage to all categories of disasters, added a significant range of individual types of assistance, and provided extensive funding for recovery planning. As a result, it changed the dynamics of the disaster decision process. Second, the impact of election year politics on disaster decisions increased over time. The effect of economic factors, especially scope of disaster declined. Third, the changes affected governors more than presidents, and the governors’ choices drove the presidents’ choices. The analysis highlights the increasingly expansive and political nature of the disaster decision-making process. The analysis also highlights the difficulty that the emergency management system faces in emphasizing mitigation and preparedness as intensively as response and recovery. The pressures that have driven the expansion of the federal role in disaster relief have made the adoption of a proactive focus a difficult long-term goal.
Special Education in Saudi Arabia: History and Areas for Reform

The purpose of this paper is to examine and conduct a historical overview of special education in Saudi Arabia. Special education has existed in Saudi Arabia since 1958 and has made considerable progress in providing services to students with disabilities. However, there is still a need for improvement in educating students with disabilities and in the movement toward inclusive education. Providing free and appropriate public education for such students should be the purpose guiding special education in the country. This paper discusses the areas that need to be improved in order to ensure that students receive the best possible education within inclusive learning environments.