cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Past and Present Concepts of Learning: Implications for U.S. Shipbuilders

The experience curve has been used as the model of learning within manufacturing for nearly a century, and has been used as a basis for predicting future performance and for setting performance targets. First, a summary of the experience curve and its underlying premises is given. Then deficiencies in experience-based model of learning are presented. The case is made that an organization that attempts to compete on the basis of incremental improvements on past experience, as represented by past competence and number of units produced, will not be able to compete with the most competent competitors that are using market-driven performance targets and conscious learning and problem-solving methods to drive innovation. Two actual examples of learning outside the paradigm of the experience curve are discussed. One method of measuring present learning rates for individual processes is presented. It is concluded that U.S. shipbuilders need to look outside the experience-based model of learning, and the associated idea of series production of standard ships, toward conscious methods of learning and problem solving in order to become competitive in the commercial shipbuilding market.
Triboelectric nanogenerators and power-boards from cellulose nanofibrils and recycled materials

Abstract This paper reports the implementation of renewable, biodegradable, and abundant cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) in triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) development. Flexible and transparent CNF thin films are triboelectric positive material with nanoscale surface roughness. They are paired with FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) to assemble TENG devices, which exhibit comparable performance to the reported TENG devices built on synthetic polymers. CNF-based TENG is further integrated within a fiberboard made from recycled cardboard fibers using a chemical-free cold pressing method. The fiberboard produces up to ~30 V and ~90 μA electric outputs when subjected to a normal human step. This development shows great promises in creating large-scale and environmentally sustainable triboelectric board for flooring, packaging and supporting infrastructures from CNF and other natural wood-extracted materials.
Metanormative Contextualism and Normative Uncertainty

We offer a new argument in favor of metanormative contextualism, the thesis that the semantic value of a normative ‘ought’ claim of the form ‘S ought to Φ’ depends on the value of one or more parameters whose values vary in a way that is determined by the context of utterance. The debate over this contextualist thesis has centered on cases that involve ‘ought’ claims made in the face of uncertainty regarding certain descriptive facts. Contextualists, relativists, and invariantists all have plausible ways of explaining these cases, and one could reasonably judge the debate between these views to be a stalemate. We argue that this stalemate can be broken by shifting focus to a case that involves normative uncertainty rather than descriptive uncertainty. While relativist and invariantist rivals of contextualism can give plausible accounts of the descriptive uncertainty cases, only contextualism can provide a plausible account of the normative uncertainty case.
Fast voltammetry of metals at carbon-fiber microelectrodes: towards an online speciation sensor

Speciation controls the chemical behavior of trace metals. Thus, there is great demand for rapid speciation analysis in a variety of fields. In this study, we describe the application of fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) and fast scan adsorption controlled voltammetry (FSCAV) to trace metal speciation analysis. We show that Cu2+ can be detected using FSCAV in different matrices. We find that matrices with different Cu2+ binding ability do not affect the equilibrium of Cu2+ adsorption onto CFMs, and thus are an excellent predictor for free Cu2+ ([Cu2+]free) in solution. We modelled a correlation between the FSCV response, [Cu2+]free and log Kf for 15 different Cu2+ complexes. Using our model, we rapidly predicted, and verified [Cu2+]free and Kf of a real groundwater sample spiked with Cu2+. We thus highlight the potential of fast voltammetry as a rapid trace metal speciation sensor.
Morbidity and Associated Sudden Death in Sickle Cell Disease.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with extensive morbidity and early mortality. Although the most common known causes of death for adults with SCD are acute chest syndrome, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, and infection, the direct cause of death is frequently undefined, and patients often die suddenly. In one series of 306 autopsies of patients with SCD, death was sudden and unexpected in 41% of cases (Manci et al 2003). The incidence of sudden cardiac death and associated risk factors in patients with SCD are currently unknown. We sought to identify risk factors for mortality in adult subjects with SCD and to evaluate the frequency, risk factors and co-morbidities of sudden death in this population. We identified 43 adult patients (21 males and 22 females) who had been followed in the SCD clinic at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) and who had died between January 2000 and April 2005. Clinical characteristics and laboratory data were evaluated by retrospective chart review. Findings were compared with data from patients who were actively followed during the same time period and were still living (n=197). The average age at death was 44.3 years (range 21–83). The most frequently listed causes of death were liver failure, multiorgan failure, stroke, and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) arrest. The etiology of death in 29 of the 43 patients was unknown. Recognized risk factors for sudden cardiac death, including ejection fraction (52% vs. 54%), left ventricular size (LVIDd 5.0cm vs. 5.2cm), and fractional shortening (0.30 ±0.01 vs. 0.33± 0.01) as measured by echocardiogram, were not significantly different between deceased and living patients, respectively. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), defined as a left ventricular mass index ≥134 and ≥110 g/m 2 for men and women, was reported in 41% of the deceased patients but in only 31% of living subjects. Of the 12 deceased patients with LVH, 7 had mild LVH and 5 had moderate-severe LVH. The average tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity measured by Doppler echocardiogram was higher in patients who died compared to those who were still living (3.72 vs. 2.17 m/s). The most frequently documented cardiopulmonary complications among deceased patients were acute chest syndrome/pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension, systemic hypertension, and stroke. Identified risk factors associated with premature death were pulmonary hypertension (p
Online virtual worlds as anthropological field sites: Ethnographic methods training via collaborative research of Internet gaming cultures

Since 2008, at Colorado State University, I have been collaboratively researching virtual worlds with my students in experimental methods seminars. My “ethnographic research and teaching laboratory” (ERTL), ambitious in scope, conducts original and even cutting edge research, while teaching students field methods in the process. The research and teaching unfold primarily in Internet-based games—such as World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2—persistent online networked social spaces of hundreds and even thousands of players. As a teaching tool, online virtual worlds provide a convenient way to get students quickly into the “field,” with online games being for some students (based on their play experience or lack of it) akin to foreign cultures. In this article, I discuss strengths and also challenges of ERTL, illustrating in the process how my lab's linked research and teaching model illuminates one way forward for empirically minded anthropologists hoping to move beyond the lone ethnographer. [online gaming cultures, ethnographic laboratory, mixed methods]
Targeting the Canonical Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway with a High-Potency IKK2 Inhibitor Improves Outcomes in a Mouse Model of Idiopathic Pneumonia Syndrome

Abstract Idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) is a noninfectious inflammatory disorder of the lungs that occurs most often after fully myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). IPS can be severe and is associated with high 1-year mortality rates despite existing therapies. The canonical nuclear factor-(NF) κB signaling pathway has previously been linked to several inflammatory disorders of the lung, including asthma and lung allograft rejection. It has never been specifically targeted as a novel IPS treatment approach, however. Here, we report that the IκB kinase 2 (IKK2) antagonist BAY 65-5811 or "compound A," a highly potent and specific inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway, was able to improve median survival times and recipient oxygenation in a well-described mouse model of IPS. Compound A impaired the production of the proinflammatory chemokines CCL2 and CCL5 within the host lung after transplantation. This resulted in significantly lower numbers of donor lung infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and reduced pulmonary inflammatory cytokine production after allograft. Compound A's beneficial effects appeared to be specific for limiting pulmonary injury, as the drug was unable to improve outcomes in a B6 into B6D2 haplotype-matched murine HSCT model in which recipient mice succumb to lethal acute graft-versus-host disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Collectively, our data suggest that the targeting of the canonical NF-κB pathway with a small molecule IKK2 antagonist may represent an effective and novel therapy for the specific management of acute lung injury that can occur after allogeneic HSCT.
Assessment of Distal Radioulnar Joint Stability After Reconstruction With the Brachioradialis Wrap.

Background: The brachioradialis (BR) wrap technique is an option to restore the stability of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ). The technique capitalizes on the BR’s advantageous insertion point o...
Deficiency in cold-inducible RNA-binding protein attenuates acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion

Background Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion can occur in shock and mesenteric occlusive diseases, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Aside from local injury, intestinal ischemia-reperfusion can result in remote organ damage, particularly in the lungs. Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) was identified as a novel inflammatory mediator. We hypothesized that a deficiency in CIRP would protect the lungs during intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods Intestinal ischemia was induced in adult male C57BL/6 wild-type and CIRP knock-out (CIRP−/−) mice via clamping of the superior mesenteric artery for 60 minutes. Reperfusion was allowed for 4 hours or 20 hours, and blood, gut, and lung tissues were harvested for various analyses. Results After intestinal ischemia-reperfusion, the elevated levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase and inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 were reduced by 68% and 98%, respectively, at 20 hours after ischemia-reperfusion in CIRP−/− mice compared with the wild-type mice. In the gut, mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 were reduced by 67% at 4 hours after ischemia-reperfusion in CIRP−/− mice. In the lungs, inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 protein and myeloperoxidase activity were reduced by 78% and 26% at 20 hours and 4 hours after ischemia-reperfusion, respectively, in CIRP−/− mice. Finally, the elevated lung caspase-3 was significantly decreased by 55%, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells decreased by 91%, and lung injury score decreased by 37% in CIRP−/− mice at 20 hours after ischemia-reperfusion. Conclusion Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, myeloperoxidase, and apoptosis are the hallmarks of acute respiratory distress syndrome. We noticed after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion the proinflammatory milieu in lungs was elevated significantly, while the CIRP−/− mice had significantly decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokine, myeloperoxidase, and apoptotic cells leading to decreased lung injury. These findings strongly established a causal link between CIRP and acute respiratory distress syndrome during intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injuries. Targeting CIRP may therefore be beneficial for treatment of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Discussions about hospice among patients with advanced cancer.

53Background: Timely and effective patient-clinician communication about treatment options at the end of life (EOL) is considered essential to quality care. In this study we examined the timing and nature of first discussions about hospice. We hypothesized that earlier initiation of hospice discussions would be associated with longer hospice length of stay. Methods: We analyzed data from a randomized trial of early palliative care integrated with oncology care versus oncology care alone in patients with newly diagnosed incurable lung or non-colorectal gastrointestinal cancer at the Massachusetts General Hospital (n = 350, enrolled 5/11-7/15). Analysis included patients deceased at 1 year after last enrollment (n = 259). Electronic health records were reviewed to identify first documented hospice discussion with a medical oncology or palliative care clinician. Among hospice enrollees, we tested the association of first hospice discussion with hospice length of stay, adjusting for cancer type and randomized...
My most famous patient. (Second-place essay at the Francis A. Velay Humanism in Medicine Essay Contest presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation).

As a medical student on a recent cardiology rotation, my attending taught me how to manage postoperative atrial fibrillation, a system for reading echocardiograms, and the nuances of the most recent perioperative cardiac risk management guidelines. Yet his most lasting lesson was one that he was uniquely qualified to provide. For years, he had been asking each of his patients to identify what made them famous. He suggested that we adopt his tactic, hopeful that we would remember patients on a busy service for more than their most recent ejection fraction.
Predicting creep-fatigue crack growth rates in Alloy 709 using finite element simulations of plasticity and creep-induced crack closure

This paper reports on a computational study and experimental validation of creep-fatigue crack growth rates at high temperature in two structural materials. The objectives are to develop a methodology to predict creep-fatigue crack growth rates using plasticity-induced crack closure under creep-fatigue loading conditions by characterizing the effect of hold time on crack growth rates during cyclic loading. In this study, the computation of fatigue crack growth rates is based on the crack closure phenomenon. The total crack growth rate during creep-fatigue loading is based on the addition of fatigue crack growth rate during cyclic loading and creep crack growth rate during hold time. The study identifies the effects of frequency and shape of loading cycle on crack-tip opening stresses induced by the combined action of the plasticity-induced crack closure and creep relaxation at the crack tip. Two-dimensional finite element analyses of compact tension specimens are performed to simulate crack growth under cyclic and time-dependent loading conditions. Elastic-plastic-creep material behavior is considered in these simulations. Closure levels are computed for high temperature structural materials such as 9Cr-1Mo steel and Alloy 709. The numerical predictions provide satisfactory agreement with experimental data of creep-fatigue crack growth rates in modified 9Cr-1Mo and Alloy 709 steels at high temperatures.
Newer Therapies for the Sclerodermas

There has been no effective therapy for either the cutaneous or systemic type of scleroderma probably because the pathogenesis of this disease has not been firmly established. However, recent advances in research on the cause of scleroderma and its treatment, especially with immunosuppressive agents, lathyrogens, or vasoactive drugs, may offer hope to patients with severe and disabling forms of the disease.
A Prospective Evaluation of Drug Discrimination in Pharmacology

As investigators, we use many methodologies to answer both practical and theoretical questions in our field. Occasionally, we must stop and collect the latest findings or trends and then look forward to where our ideas, findings, and hypotheses may take us. Similar to volumes that were published in previous years on drug discrimination (Glennon and Young, Drug discrimination applications to medicinal chemistry and drug studies. Wiley, Hoboken, 2011; Ho et al., Drug discrimination and state dependent learning. Academic Press, New York, 1978), this collection in Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences serves as a current analysis of the continued value of the drug discrimination procedure to the fields of pharmacology, neuroscience, and psychology and as a stepping stone to where drug discrimination methodology can be applied next, in both a practical and theoretical sense. This final chapter represents one investigator’s perspective on the utility and possibilities for a methodology that she fell in love with over 30 years ago.
Alarm-Related Workload in Default and Modified Alarm Settings and the Relationship Between Alarm Workload, Alarm Response Rate, and Care Provider Experience: Quantification and Comparison Study

Background: Delayed or no response to impending patient safety–related calls, poor care provider experience, low job satisfaction, and adverse events are all unwanted outcomes of alarm fatigue. Nurses often cite increases in alarm-related workload as a reason for alarm fatigue, which is a major contributor to the aforementioned unwanted outcomes. Increased workload affects both the care provider and the patient. No studies to date have evaluated the workload while caring for patients and managing alarms simultaneously and related it to the primary measures of alarm fatigue—alarm response rate and care provider experience. Many studies have assessed the effect of modifying the default alarm setting; however, studies on the perceived workload under different alarm settings are limited. Objective: This study aimed to assess nurses’ or assistants’ perceived workload index of providing care under different clinical alarm settings and establish the relationship between perceived workload, alarm response rate, and care provider experience. Methods: In a clinical simulator, 30 participants responded to alarms that occurred on a physiological monitor under 2 conditions (default and modified) for a given clinical condition. Participants completed a National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index questionnaire and rated the demand experienced on a 20-point visual analog scale with low and high ratings. A correlational analysis was performed to assess the relationships between the perceived workload score, alarm response rate, and care provider experience. Results: Participants experienced lower workloads when the clinical alarm threshold limits were modified according to patients’ clinical conditions. The workload index was higher for the default alarm setting (57.60 [SD 2.59]) than for the modified alarm setting (52.39 [SD 2.29]), with a statistically significant difference of 5.21 (95% CI 3.38-7.04), t28=5.838, P<.05. Significant correlations were found between the workload index and alarm response rate. There was a strong negative correlation between alarm response rate and perceived workload, ρ28=−.54, P<.001 with workload explaining 29% of the variation in alarm response rate. There was a moderate negative correlation between the experience reported during patient care and the perceived workload, ρ28=−.49, P<.05. Conclusions: The perceived workload index was comparatively lower with alarm settings modified for individual patient care than in an unmodified default clinical alarm setting. These findings demonstrate that the modification of clinical alarm limits positively affects the number of alarms accurately addressed, care providers’ experience, and overall satisfaction. The findings support the removal of nonessential alarms based on patient conditions, which can help care providers address the remaining alarms accurately and provide better patient care.
A Compact Schottky Heterodyne Receiver for 2.06 THz Neutral Oxygen [OI]

In this paper we present the latest results on the performance of a compact, low power, solid-state heterodyne receiver that is being developed to target the 2.06 THz neutral oxygen [OI] line. The receiver front end features a subharmonic Schottky diode mixer that is driven by a high output all-Schottky multiplier local oscillator (LO) source. The multiplier chain consists of a 38 GHz oscillator followed by cascaded triplers at 114 GHz, 343 GHz and 1.03 THz to produce ~1 mW of LO power. The receiver is characterized for sensitivity between room temperature and 70 K. Additional data is presented demonstrating the receiver stability in terms of Allan time.
The effect of molybdenum-induced copper deficiency on acute-phase protein concentrations, superoxide dismutase activity, leukocyte numbers, and lymphocyte proliferation in beef heifers inoculated with bovine herpesvirus-1.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of Cu deficiency on acute-phase protein concentrations, superoxide dismutase activity, leukocyte numbers, and lymphocyte proliferation in heifers inoculated with live bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1). Hereford x Angus heifers were allotted by weight and initial liver Cu concentrations into molybdenum (Mo)-supplemented (n = 6) or control (n = 6) groups. Control heifers were fed a basal diet supplemented with Cu-sulfate to achieve a dietary concentration of 8 ppm of Cu. The Mo-supplemented heifers received the basal diet supplemented with Mo to achieve a dietary Mo:Cu ratio of 2.5:1 and with sulfur at .3% of the diet. All treatments were delivered for 129 d, when heifers were inoculated intranasally with BHV-1. To ensure adequate Cu stores before viral challenge, control heifers were given a cupric glycinate injection on d 100 of treatment. On d 129, Mo-supplemented heifers were considered Cu-deficient (liver Cu = 23.2 and 90.1 ppm for Mo-supplemented and control, respectively). Neutrophils were increased (P < .01) on d 129 in Mo-supplemented heifers. Ceruloplasmin, a copper-dependent acute-phase protein, increased (P < .01) by 48 h after challenge in control but not in Mo-supplemented heifers. Fibrinogen, an acute-phase protein not containing copper, increased by 48 h after challenge in Mo-supplemented but not in control heifers. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was less (P < .05) in Mo-supplemented heifers on d 129. Viral challenge had no effect on SOD activity. Lymphocyte proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin stimulation was greater (P < .01) for Mo-supplemented heifers following BHV-1 challenge. No differences were detected when lymphocytes were stimulated with concanavalin-A or pokeweed mitogens. These data indicate that Cu deficiency alters the acute-phase protein response to viral infection and may affect lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogen stimulation.
Modern Techniques for DNA, RNA, and Protein Assessment

Advances in molecular and cellular biology have led to an in-depth understanding of the basic mechanisms of life and disease. Elucidation of principles of genetic information storage in DNA, transcription of this information into RNA, and translation of RNA into proteins have led to an exponential growth of techniques useful for screening, diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment. In a wide range of medical and surgical specialties, many of these techniques are already standard of care and are used on a daily basis. In an emerging model of precision medicine, data from DNA, RNA, and protein assessment of an individual patient will be used to guide their care. While much progress has been made, our understanding of majority of surgical diseases is incomplete. An academic surgeon with a career of scientific pursuit must have a thorough understanding of the current state of laboratory techniques for DNA, RNA, and protein analysis and of the knowledge gaps that future investigations should address. This chapter reviews the basics of genetic, genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses.
Optimal fiscal limits with overrides

Abstract This paper studies optimal fiscal limits in the context of a simple political economy model. A politician chooses the level of taxation for a representative citizen but is biased in favor of higher taxes. A constitutional designer sets a tax limit before the citizen's preferred level of taxation is fully known. The politician is allowed to override the limit with the citizen's approval. The paper solves for the optimal limit and explains how it is impacted by the possibility of overrides. The paper also shows that the citizen's welfare can be enhanced if the designer imposes a limit on the politician's override proposals.
The cancer cell glycocalyx proteoglycan Glypican-1 mediates interstitial flow mechanotransduction to enhance cell migration and metastasis.

Background Previous studies have demonstrated that the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) heparan sulfate (HS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) are mechanosensors for interstitial flow on cancer cells. The proteins that link the GAGs to the cancer cell for mechanotransduction, however, are not known. Objective To assess whether the HS proteoglycan core proteins, Glypican-1 and Syndecan-1, or the HA receptor, CD44, provides the mechanical linkage to the cell. Methods The highly metastatic renal carcinoma cell line (SN12L1) and its companion low metastatic cell line (SN12C) were analyzed by Western blot, siRNA, and a 3-dimensional interstitial flow migration assay. Results There was significant elevation of Glypican-1 protein expression in the SN12L1 cells relative to the SN12C cells while there were no significant differences in Syndecan-1 or CD44. Knock down of Glypican-1 by siRNA completely blocked flow induced migration in SN12L1 cells. MAPK inhibitors also blocked flow induced migration in SN12L1 cells. Conclusions Glypican-1 provides the mechanical linkage from HS (the flow sensor) to the SN12L1 cell where mechanotransduction leading to the enhancement of migration (metastasis) occurs. MAPKs downstream of Glypican-1 propagate the signal. The HS, Glypican-1, MAPK signaling axis suggests opportunities for pharmaceutical intervention.
An Electrophilic Natural Product Provides a Safe and Robust Odor Neutralization Approach To Counteract Malodorous Organosulfur Metabolites Encountered in Skunk Spray

The anal secretions of skunks comprise several types of malodorous organosulfur compounds. The pungent metabolites are used defensively by skunks to repel threats posed by predators, and in many parts of the world, those perceived threats include humans and their pets. The extremely low thresholds for detection of the organosulfur metabolites make efforts to “de-skunk” people, animals, and clothing a process fraught with many challenges. The fungal-derived metabolite pericosine A (4) is a promiscuous yet stabile electrophilic compound that we propose is used by some fungi as a novel form of chemical defense. Our investigations have indicated that pericosine A readily reacts with skunk-spray secretions to transform them into odorless products. Mechanistic and computational studies suggested that pericosine A and its synthetic analogues react via SN2′-type mechanisms with thiols and thioacetates under aqueous conditions to generate stable thioethers. Testing revealed that pericosine A did not cause skin or ...
Teaching NeuroImages: Sleep-onset REM period during routine EEG.

A 76-year-old incarcerated man presented with word-finding difficulties and underwent a routine EEG. Shortly after reaching stage N2 sleep, EEG showed brisk lateral eye movements with concurrent sawtooth waves (figure), indicating sleep-onset REM period (SOREMP). Normal REM sleep is reached 90–120 minutes after sleep onset. SOREMP is an abnormal EEG finding thought to be suggestive of narcolepsy. However, it may also be present in 3.9% of the general population1 and is normal in infants. It is also associated with severe sleep deprivation, obstructive sleep apnea, and alcohol or medication (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors) withdrawal. In the inpatient setting, it is usually caused by sleep deprivation.2
Summerland: Exploring the Intersection of Spiritualism and Technology at the Dawn of the Electrical Age

The author describes Summerland, a generative installation for 24 computer-controlled telegraph sounders. This work uses texts from Samuel F.B. Morse and his contemporary, the Spiritualist medium K...
A molecular orbital selection approach for fast calculations of specific rotation with density functional theory

In this work, we describe a simple approach to select the most important molecular orbitals (MOs) to compute the optical rotation tensor through linear response (LR) Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT). Taking advantage of the iterative nature of the algorithms commonly used to solve the LR equations, we select the MOs with contributions to the guess perturbed density that are larger than a certain threshold and solve the LR equations with the selected MOs only. We propose two criteria for the selection, and two definitions of the selection threshold. We then test the approach with two functionals (B3LYP and CAM-B3LYP) and two basis sets (aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ) on a set of 51 organic molecules with specific rotation spanning five orders of magnitude, 100 -104 deg (dm-1 (g/mL)-1 ). We show that this approach indeed can provide very accurate values of specific rotation with estimated speedup that ranges from 2 to 8× with the most conservative selection criterion, and up to 20 to 30× with the intermediate criterion.
Capitate Glandular Trichomes Fail to Provide Significant Resistance to Banded Sunflower Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Extracts from capitate glandular trichomes (CGT) of wild and cultivated sunflowers, Helianthus spp., have repellent or toxic effects on sunflower specialists and generalist herbivores less closely associated with sunflower. Though CGT have been primarily examined for their potential to provide partial resistance to the sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum Hulst (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a floret- and seed-feeding pest, the banded sunflower moth (Cochylis hospes Walsingham [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]) is a similar species more common in the primary sunflower-producing states of North Dakota and South Dakota. Replicated field trials using partially inbred lines with low or high CGT densities were used to evaluate possible reductions to seed damage by C. hospes larvae in 2016–2017. Results failed to support the idea that CGT are a useful defense against larvae of C. hospes; the putative plant defense of high trichome density corresponded to slightly more, rather than less, insect damage. A test of a secondary explanation, that strength of sunflower hulls could help determine patterns of seed damage among tested lines, produced similarly negative results. Though timing of bloom differed between groups of most- and least-damaged lines, prior research and pheromone-trapping data suggest differences in plant maturity also cannot adequately explain the observed results. While the specific mechanisms remain unclear, significant differences in susceptibility to C. hospes exist for cultivated sunflower and limit losses from this primary insect pest.
Prospecting (in) the data sciences

Data science is characterized by engaging heterogeneous data to tackle real world questions and problems. But data science has no data of its own and must seek it within real world domains. We call...
Anesthetic management of pediatric patients with Niemann‐Pick disease type C for intrathecal 2‐hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin injection

Background Niemann-Pick disease type C is an autosomal-recessive, lysosomal storage disorder with variable age of onset and a heterogeneous clinical presentation that includes neurological, psychiatric, and visceral findings. Serial intrathecal injections of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin are being evaluated as a treatment modality for Niemann-Pick disease type C with a subset of patients requiring anesthesia for this procedure. Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of anesthesia provided for patients undergoing intrathecal injection of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin. Methods A retrospective review of pediatric patients who received serial intrathecal injections of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin with anesthesia at two tertiary care centers was conducted from December 2015 through April 2019. Data were extracted for analysis included preoperative comorbidities, demographics, vital signs, intraoperative anesthesia course, airway management technique, venous access, postoperative course, and perioperative complications. In total, 19 patients were identified and a total of 394 anesthetic encounters were included in this study. Results All 394 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin administration procedures were successfully performed, and there were no changes made in the anesthetic plan during the anesthesia encounters. Three hundred forty-nine anesthetics were performed utilizing inhalation induction and mask maintenance, and 45 anesthetics were performed with placement of a supraglottic airway device due to patient body habitus and provider preference. The incidence of a major adverse event (aspirations, arterial desaturation) was 5/394 (1.3%, 95% CI 0.05%-3.1%). Minor adverse events (emesis, delirium, hypotension, seizure, and airway obstruction) were observed in 19/394 encounters (4.8%, 95% CI 3.0%-7.5%). Conclusions Our findings suggest that general anesthesia induced via inhalation induction and maintained with volatile anesthetic via mask or supraglottic airway is a safe and effective option for pediatric patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C undergoing serial intrathecal injections of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, supporting this technique as a viable option for anesthetic care in these patients.
The Molybdenum Oxide Interface Limits the High-TemperatureOperational Stability of Unencapsulated Perovskite Solar Cells

We report on the improved operational stability of unencapsulated perovskite solar cells (PSCs) aged in ambient atmosphere at elevated temperatures (70 C) for >1000 hours under constant illuminati...
Planned versus Unplanned Delivery for Placenta Accreta Spectrum.

OBJECTIVE Women with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) having an unplanned delivery may have worse outcome compared with women with a planned delivery. The primary objective of this study was to compare severe maternal morbidity among women with PAS who had a planned scheduled delivery versus an unplanned delivery. Secondary objective was to compare neonatal outcomes. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study at two tertiary centers (January 2009 to June 2019) of all women who underwent a hysterectomy with a histologic proven PAS. Primary outcome was severe maternal morbidity which defined as any of the following: transfusion of ≥4 RBC units or ureter/bowel injury. Neonatal outcome was a composite neonatal morbidity defined as any of the following: Apgar score's < 5 at 5 minutes, mechanical ventilation, or respiratory distress syndrome. Maternal demographic, clinical, and sonographic characteristics were compared between the two groups (planned vs. unplanned). Descriptive statistics were used as appropriate, and a statistical significance was established if p-value was < 0.05. RESULTS Of 109 women who underwent cesarean hysterectomy for PAS, 41 (37.6%) had an unplanned delivery. There was no significant difference in the number of previous cesarean deliveries or ultrasound findings between the two groups. Women with an unplanned delivery were more likely to bleed during pregnancy than those that had a planned delivery (p = 0.04). Women with unplanned delivery had lower gestational age at delivery (30.3 vs. 33.8 weeks, p = 0.001) had a 75% higher rate of the primary outcome (63 vs. 36%, p = 0.007) and had a higher rate of intensive care unit admissions (39 vs. 17.7%, p = 0.01) compared with women with a planned delivery. The neonatal morbidity did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION Since unplanned cesarean hysterectomy among women with PAS occurs in 40% and is associated with significantly higher morbidity, interventions are needed to mitigate the rate of adverse outcomes. KEY POINTS · Only 60% of women with PAS reached planned delivery at 34 weeks.. · PAS unplanned delivery is associated with high morbidity.. · Some women with PAS may need a scheduled earlier delivery..
Intermodal maritime supply chains: assessing factors for resiliency and security

Much of the value exchanged in international trade is transported as containerized freight. While this transport mode has become ubiquitous for manufactured goods, offering a fast and efficient service, it does pose security threats in the post-9/11 era. Even though containerization offers security from pilferage, it provides a means for obscuring contraband as well as opportunities to tamper with goods in shipment. Although the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-PAT) are high profile initiatives seeking to improve the security of global supply chains, vulnerability still remains from the port of origin and on the high seas to the port of discharge. This research is based on interviews from a wide range of supply chain participants that includes regulatory agencies, transportation providers, importers, exporters, and trade intermediaries. These provide the basis for a decomposition of the global maritime supply chain into those elements up to that point when goods are cleared by U.S. Customs. Analysis of the informational and physical flows suggests that the greatest vulnerabilities lie in those transportation segments between the origin of the goods and that point when they await shipment at a foreign port.
Deep Learning of Simultaneous Intracranial and Scalp EEG for Prediction, Detection, and Lateralization of Mesial Temporal Lobe Seizures

In people with drug resistant epilepsy (DRE), seizures are unpredictable, often occurring with little or no warning. The unpredictability causes anxiety and much of the morbidity and mortality of seizures. In this work, 102 seizures of mesial temporal lobe onset were analyzed from 19 patients with DRE who had simultaneous intracranial EEG (iEEG) and scalp EEG as part of their surgical evaluation. The first aim of this paper was to develop machine learning models for seizure prediction and detection (i) using iEEG only, (ii) scalp EEG only and (iii) jointly analyzing both iEEG and scalp EEG. The second goal was to test if machine learning could detect a seizure on scalp EEG when that seizure was not detectable by the human eye (surface negative) but was seen in iEEG. The final question was to determine if the deep learning algorithm could correctly lateralize the seizure onset. The seizure detection and prediction problems were addressed jointly by training Deep Neural Networks (DNN) on 4 classes: non-seizure, pre-seizure, left mesial temporal onset seizure and right mesial onset temporal seizure. To address these aims, the classification accuracy was tested using two Deep Neural Networks (DNN) against 3 different types of similarity graphs which used different time series of EEG data. The convolutional neural network (CNN) with the Waxman similarity graph yielded the highest accuracy across all EEG data (iEEG, scalp EEG and combined). Specifically, 1 second epochs of EEG were correctly assigned to their seizure, pre-seizure, or non-seizure category over 98% of the time. Importantly, the pre-seizure state was classified correctly in the vast majority of epochs (>97%). Detection from scalp EEG data alone of surface negative seizures and the seizures with the delayed scalp onset (the surface negative portion) was over 97%. In addition, the model accurately lateralized all of the seizures from scalp data, including the surface negative seizures. This work suggests that highly accurate seizure prediction and detection is feasible using either intracranial or scalp EEG data. Furthermore, surface negative seizures can be accurately detected and lateralized with machine learning even when they are not visible to the human eye.
Serous adenofibromas and cystadenofibromas of the ovary

Abstract 1. 1. Fourteen cases of serous adenofibromas and cystadenofibromas of the ovary are reported. These tumors correspond to the typical “fibroma ovarii adenocysticum” of Frankl, and Wolfe's case in 1927 is the only one previously reported in the English literature. 2. 2. The tumors were found to be made up of two component parts, a dense connective tissue matrix in which were imbedded numerous small cystic spaces lined by compact, single-layered, cuboidal or low columnar, often ciliated epithelium. “Psammoma-bodies” and papillary tendencies were frequent. 3. 3. Grossly the tumors were firm and solid, with minute cystic spaces (adenofibromas) or partially cystic with at least one-fourth of the mass solid (cystadenofibromas). 4. 4. In two cases the neoplasm was bilateral, and in 3 cases the neoplasm was an incidental laboratory finding. 5. 5. There was no constant associated pelvic pathology of significance, although myomata uteri were found in 6 cases. 6. 6. Pain was the most common presenting complaint in nine instances, and in 6 of these cases it could be definitely related to pressure of the tumor. 7. 7. No endocrinologic importance could be attached to these tumors. Five cases of abnormal vaginal bleeding were adequately explained by associated pelvic pathologic conditions. 8. 8. The most striking clinical feature was the age of the patients. In a total of 31 tumors of this distinct group collected from the literature and including this series 29 (93.5 per cent) were forty years of age or over and 20 (64.5 per cent) were fifty years of age or over. 9. 9. Malignancy (clinically or microscopically) was not observed in any of these cases, in spite of the fact that the potentialities in this respect would appear to be as great as in the serous cystadenomas and the fibromas. 10. 10. A chart and discussion portraying the concept that these tumors are of germinal epithelial origin and emphasizing their close relationship to serous cystadenomas and papillomatous fibromas is shown. 11. 11. It is suggested that these tumors be classified as a special type of epithelial tumor of the ovary under the subhead of serous cystadenomas, as previously suggested by Taylor.
A Servomotor Controller for Simulating Human Motion in the Testing of Rehabilitation Equipment Dynamics

This paper presents the design of a simple digital servomotor control algorithm used to simulate human motion in the testing of rehabilitation/exercise equipment performance. Design performance specifications were determined to simulate typical human motion torque and dynamics. The motor was modelled mathematically, and the parameters of the model were obtained from a step input response. The minimal prototype method was used to obtain a digital control algorithm, which was implemented in the FORTH language on a PDP 11/23 computer.
A 400 /spl mu/W-RX, 1.6mW-TX super-regenerative transceiver for wireless sensor networks

A fully integrated 2GHz super-regenerative transceiver is implemented in a 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS process. The transmit and receive paths utilize BAW resonators, yielding a 450 /spl mu/W 1V RF front-end and a transmitter delivering 380 /spl mu/W with 23% efficiency. At 5kb/s, the receiver achieves a sensitivity of -100.5dBm for 10/sup -3/ BER.
Model-independent determinations of B → Dlν, D∗lν form factors

Abstract We present non-perturbative, model-independent parametrizations of the individual QCD form factors relevant to B → D ∗ l ν and B → Dl ν decays. These results follow from dispersion relations and analyticity, without recourse to heavy quark symmetry. To describe a form factor with two percent accuracy, three parameters are necessary, one of which is its normalization at zero recoil, F (1). We combine the individual form factors using heavy quark symmetry to extract values for the product | V cb | F (1) from B → D ∗ l ν data with negligible extrapolation uncertainty.
Termination of the W(2)O(y) (-)+H(2)O/D(2)O-->W(2)O(y+1) (-)+H(2)/D(2) sequential oxidation reaction: An exploration of kinetic versus thermodynamic effects.

Several mechanisms proposed and calculated for the sequential oxidation of tungsten suboxide clusters by H2O/D2O [Mayhall et al., J. Chem. Phys. 131, 144302 (2009)] are evaluated using anion photoelectron spectroscopy of an apparent intermediate, W2O6D2−. The spectrum of W2O6D2− is consistent with the W2O5−+D2O→W2O6−+D2 intermediate in which the initial water addition involves the interaction of the oxygen from D2O with a tungsten atom, approaching from a direction with the least repulsion from the W2O5− oxygen atoms, coupled with the interaction between a deuterium with a tungsten-tungsten bridging oxygen on the cluster. The presence of W2O6H2− and W2O6D2− suggests that there is insufficient internal energy in the complex to surmount the barrier for rearrangement required for tungsten hydride and hydroxide formation necessary for H2 or D2 evolution, which was calculated to be energetically favorable. The quality of the calculations is verified by direct comparison between experimental photoelectron spect...
Anaerobic (UASB) Treatment of Pulp (CTMP) Wastewater and the Toxicity on Granules

A chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) effluent was treated by upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors. The purpose of the 254 day experiment was to evaluate the acclimatization process for two types of anaerobic granules to CTMP wastewater. One type was an acetic acid enriched culture composed mainly of methanogenic bacteria (reactor I) and the other was a mixed anaerobic culture containing both methanogenic and acidogenic bacteria (reactor II). Initially the reactors were maintained on synthetic feed with acetic acid (reactor I) or sucrose (reactor II) as the carbon source. In order to acclimatize the granules to the wastewater, CTMP wastewater was introduced in 3 stages (10, 50, and 100%). The wastewater contained 8200 mg/l COD, 30-40% of which was non-biodegradable. Both reactors were operated at a specific loading rate of 0.16 g COD/g VSS/day throughout the experiment. Supplementary batch tests using serum bottles were conducted to evaluate toxicity of the CTMP wastewater and two known toxic compounds, pentachlorophenol and mercuric chloride, on mixed anaerobic culture granules. Reactor II acclimatized to the CTMP wastewater better than reactor I. At 50% CTMP wastewater, a COD removal rate of 80% was attained for reactor II, while reactor I removed only 55% of the influent COD. Coincidentally, acetic acid consumption in reactor I was also inhibited after the introduction of 50% CTMP wastewater. It took reactor I 60 days to recover from the CTMP toxicity and to achieve the level of reactor II performance. An unexpected discovery was that the granules from both reactors were completely inhibited 2 weeks after the completion of the 254 day experiment. The granules were stored in a cold room (4°C) for two weeks, during this period, the granules lost the ability to degrade acetic acid. These sick (inhibited) granules re-gained acetoclastic activity when sucrose feed was provided as a carbon source. The results of batch tests showed a dramatic reduction in granule biogas production after exposure both to starvation and to toxicants at levels higher than a certain threshold concentration. The biogas production ratio between the starved and the fed granules was decreased from 89.9% to 43.0% when they were exposed to 50% and 300% CTMP wastewater, respectively. The toxicity of 100% CTMP was equivalent to 7 ppm of pentachlorophenol and 25 ppm of mercuric chloride.