cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
I might look OK, but I’m still doubtful, anxious, and avoidant: The mixed effects of enhanced video feedback on social anxiety symptoms

Previous experiments suggest that cognitive preparation for video feedback enhances its effects. In the current experiment, which included 95 speech-anxious undergraduates, these effects were more fully assessed, including those on self-perception, anxiety, and speech-avoidance behavior, with an attention-control preparation as a comparison condition. A possible mechanism of the cognitive preparation's effects, moderation of the effects of self-observer discrepancy, was also tested. Results indicated that the cognitive preparation showed strong effects in regard to self-perception of performance, weak effects in anxiety reduction, and null effects in behavior. Consistent with previous research, self-observer discrepancy showed a robust tendency to predict participant response across conditions.
Influence of exposure patterns of nitrogen dioxide and modifications by ozone on susceptibility to bacterial infectious disease in mice

The nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) diurnal cycle found in urban communities usually consists of a low basal concentration upon which are superimposed higher concentration peaks or spikes of short duration. Various components of this environmental exposure mode were examined to assess effects of urban exposure profiles on susceptibility to infectious pulmonary disease. Mice were exposed to NO 2 peaks of 4.5 ppm for 1, 3.5, or 7 h, challenged with Streptococcus sp. either immediately or 18 h postex‐posure, and then observed for mortality. When the streptococcal challenges were immediately after NO 2 exposure, the mortality rate was directly related to the length of peak exposure, whether or not a basal exposure was used, and all peak lengths significantly increased mortality. When the challenge was delayed for 18 h after the peak exposure, spiked exposures of 3.5 and 7 h increased mortality to the same degree. If a 1‐h peak exposure to 4.5 ppm was superimposed twice daily upon a continuous basal NO 2 concentratio...
A comparison of defect models for fault location with Iddq measurements

Iddq testing, where quiescent current is measured for a variety of states in static CMOS circuits, has emerged as a useful fault detection technique. In this paper it is shown that Iddq tests may be used for precise diagnosis of defects, using both inter and intra-gate shorts as fault models. The effects of these models are compared, using chips from a standard cell ASIC run. Of the 151 parts in the sample, diagnoses have been obtained from 135 of them. In many of these cases, the predicted defects are confined to a single standard cell. >
Mapping natural language to imagery: Placing objects intelligently

Humans are endowed with innate faculties, which allow for reasoning in noisy or uncertain environments, that far surpass the current abilities of computing systems. One such example is the notion of forming a “sketch” of some real-world location or route from a series of linguistic descriptions of regions and surrounding landmarks. While mirroring this functionality might seem like a daunting computational task, it is possible, to a certain degree, to mimic many of the underlying humanistic processes. Out of these, the facet that we consider in this paper is iterative object placement from a set of language extracted spatial relations and dependencies.
A necessary and sufficient condition for robust asymptotic stability of time-variant discrete systems

A necessary and sufficient condition for the stability of time-variant interval matrices is presented. This condition allows stability to be tested by checking only products of vertex (extreme) matrices. The implementation of the test in the form of an algorithm and two illustrative examples are provided. >
Prevalence of Self-Reported Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants in North Carolina Doctor of Pharmacy Students

Objectives:To evaluate the prevalence, associated factors, and opinions regarding nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students.Methods:An electronic survey was distributed to professional year 1 through 4 for students at 2 schools of pharmacy (public and private) in North Carolina. The survey was available for 3 weeks. Descriptive statistics (proportion of responders plus 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were used to describe the primary objective.Results:Of the 1043 surveys distributed, 407 were completed giving a 39% response rate. The results indicated that 9% (95% CI: 6.44-11.93) of PharmD students acknowledge NMUPS at least once during their pharmacy education. Additionally, 3% (95% CI: 1.90-5.45) acknowledge NMUPS at least once during the current pharmacy school year (past 5 months). Nonmedical prescription stimulant users were 9 times more likely to participate in NMUPS prior to pharmacy school (P < .0001) and 4.5 times more likely to use other illicit su...
Generalized 3D Kernel Computation Method and Its Application in PET-Insert System

We are developing insert devices for existing PET scanners to improve the image resolution with almost the same sensitivity as current PET scanners. The insert device can be used to zoom into a particular organ of interest. Introduction of the insert inside the scanner leads to three types of coincidences: insert-insert (II), insert-scanner (IS) and scanner-scanner (SS). In typical whole-body PET scanners, coincidences recorded in the scanner are sorted into parallel-beam sinograms and images are reconstructed using linear or iterative techniques. In the PET-insert system, the coincidences of type IS have an inherent fan-beam geometry. Reconstruction using parallel-beam sinograms introduces severe streaking artifacts in the images. The coincidences sorted into fan-beam sinograms reduce the artifacts in the reconstructed images. The approach to compute the kernel was derived from CT as there exists an analogy between the PET-insert geometry and a fourth generation CT scanner geometry. In this approach, the weights in the kernel are computed using the intersection of a cone with a voxel. We previously developed two dimensional reconstruction algorithms for this novel system geometry. We extend this work to three dimensions in this paper. A maximum-likelihood expectation-maximization algorithm was used to reconstruct the data. The kernel was validated with a contrast recovery study using a digital phantom. Images reconstructed from experimental data show good quality without any visible artifacts.
Food intake patterns and gallbladder disease in Mexican Americans.

Objective: Results of previous studies on diet and gallbladder disease (GBD), defined as having gallstones or having had surgery for gallstones, have been inconsistent. This research examined patterns of food intake in Mexican Americans and their associations with GBD. Design: Cross-sectional. Subjects: The study population included 4641 Mexican Americans aged 20‐74 years who participated in the 1988‐94 third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). GBD was diagnosed by ultrasound. Food intake patterns were identified by principal components analysis based on food frequency questionnaire responses. Component scores representing the level of intake of each pattern were categorized into quartiles, and prevalence odds ratios (POR) were estimated relative to the lowest quartile along with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: There were four distinct patterns in women (vegetable, high calorie, traditional, fruit) and three in men (vegetable, high calorie, traditional). After age adjustment, none were associated with GBD in women. However, men in the third (POR = 0.42, 95%CI 0.21‐0.85) and fourth (POR = 0.53, 95%CI 0.28‐1.01) quartiles of the traditional intake pattern were half as likely to have GBD as those in the lowest quartile. Conclusions: These findings add to a growing literature suggesting dietary intake patterns can provide potentially useful and relevant information on diet‐disease associations. Nevertheless, methods to do so require further development and validation.
Adsorbate surface tension effects for isotherms recorded on fractally rough surfaces

Abstract We report an adsorption isotherm study of two liquids (nitrogen and oxygen) adsorbed on fractally rough silver surfaces. We observe strikingly different adsorption behavior, and attribute this to a difference in the surface tension between the two adsorbates. Our results provide insight to the problem of whether surface tension effects must be included in the analysis of adsorption isotherm data for rough substrates.
Obituary: Frank B Knight

After reciving his PhD from Princeton University in 1959, Frank Knight joined the mathematics department of the University of Minnesota. Frank liked Minnesota; the cold weather proved to be no difficulty for him since he climbed in the Rocky Mountains even in the winter time. But there was one problem: airborne flour dust, an unpleasant output of the large Companies in Minneapolis milling spring wheat from the farms of Minnesota. Frank discovered that lie was allergic to flour dust and decided that he would move to another location. His research was already recognized as important. His first four papers were published in the Illinois journal of Mathematics and the Transactions of the American Mathematical Society. At that time, J.L. Doob was one of the editors of the Illinois Journal and attracted some of the best papers in probability theory to the journal, including some of Frank’s. He was hired by Illinois and served on its faculty from 1963 until his retirement in 1991. After his retirement, Frank continued to be active in his research, perhaps even more active since he no longer had to grade papers and carefully prepare his classroom lectures as he had always done before.
Phase II study of omacetaxine (OM) and low-dose AraC (LDAC) in older patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

6592 Background: Treatment of AML in patients (pts) > 70 yrs of age with intensive chemotherapy is associated with high rates of early mortality and little benefit. Newer, lower-intensity approache...
Role of GH in regulating nocturnal rates of lipolysis and plasma mevalonate levels in normal and diabetic humans.

To define the role that nocturnal increments in growth hormone (GH) play in maintaining lipolysis, glycerol turnover was measured in six patients with GH deficiency and six normal subjects during sleep. Glycerol production initially decreased in both groups but then increased to 1.44 +/- 0.20 mumol.kg-1.min-1 by 0800 h in normal subjects, whereas GH deficiency was associated with a continuous fall to 0.77 +/- 0.10 mumol.kg-1.min-1, P less than 0.02. Nonesterified fatty acid levels paralleled these changes. Six GH-deficient patients received basal GH replacement including a pulse during sleep, which resulted in normal fasting fatty acid levels (P less than 0.05, replaced vs. chronic deficiency). To assess a possible link between the normal nocturnal increase in plasma mevalonate (the product of the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis) and sleep-associated GH release, 11 GH-deficient patients and 11 normal subjects were studied. Peak nocturnal and fasting mevalonate concentrations were not correlated with GH level. We conclude that nocturnal growth hormone secretion is essential for maintaining lipolysis but that it is not related to normal increments in mevalonate and, by inference, to cholesterol synthesis during sleep.
Growth morbidity in patients with cloacal exstrophy: a 42-year experience.

Abstract Purpose Cloacal exstrophy is associated with multiple comorbidities that affect growth. This report describes long-term growth outcomes in a large cohort of patients with cloacal exstrophy and explores associated comorbidities. Methods Records of 71 patients with cloacal exstrophy who were treated between 1974 and 2015 were reviewed, and 62 patients with growth data from 2 to 20years of age were included. Genetic sex, gender of rearing, and all heights, weights, and comorbidities were noted for each patient. Height-for-age, weight-for-age, and body mass index z-scores (HAZ, WAZ, and BMIZ) were determined using US Centers for Disease Control 2000 growth data, and average patient z-scores were calculated. Results There were 904 height and 1301 weight measurements available for 62 patients. 31 were genetically 46,XY, 21 of whom underwent gonadectomy in infancy and were raised female. 46,XX patients, 46,XY male patients, and 46,XY female patients all had median HAZ and WAZ substantially lower than the general population, with median HAZ less than −2, while maintaining normal BMIZ. Short bowel syndrome and enterocystoplasty with intestine were associated with lower z-scores for all parameters. Conclusions Patients with cloacal exstrophy have significant multifactorial long-term growth failure. These benchmark data can be used to further optimize management. Level of evidence: 2b
Hydrides of LaNi compounds

Abstract Hydrides of various compounds in the La-Ni system have been prepared by gas absorption at temperatures from 25 to 200°C and pressures from 50 to 100 atmospheres of H2. The compositions of the resulting hydrides are: La7Ni3H21, LaNiH3.6, LaNi2H4.5, LaNi3H5, La2Ni7H10 and LaNi5H6.5. X-ray diffraction verified that LaNiH3.6 and LaNi5H6.5 are ternary compounds, while LaNi2H4.5, LaNi3H5 and La2Ni7H10 form in an amorphous state when hydrided at temperatures near 25°C. La7Ni3 forms primarily LaH3 during hydrogen absorption. There were no indications of superconductivity or magnetic order down to 1.8K in any of these materials.
Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Systems for Automotive Applications in the Next Millennium

A combination of environmental, economic, and technological drivers has led to a reassessment of the potential for using thermoelectric devices in several automotive applications. In order for this technology to achieve its ultimate potential, new materials with enhanced thermoelectric properties are required. Experimental results on the fundamental physical properties of some new thermoelectric materials, including filled skutterudites and 1-1-1 intermetallic semiconductors, are presented.
Synthesis of Oxide Fine Particles Induced by Ion Implantation into Glass and Sapphire

Using double ion species implantation of metal and oxygen ions, we have examined the possibility of synthesis of metal-oxide fine particles in glass or sapphire surface. Characteristics of ion implanted silica glass and sapphire were examined by RBS, XRD and optical (absorption and photo-luminescence) measurements. 1.8 MeV 1×1017 Cu+/cm2 implantation into silica glass and a successive heat treatment of 1000°, 1h in the air can make Cu fine particles. 1.8 MeV 1×1017 Cu+/cm2 and 1.0 MeV 1×1017 O+/cm2 implantation into silica glass and the successive heat treatment can synthesis Cu2O fine particles of about 8 nm in radius. 1.8 MeV 5×1016 Ti+/cm2 and 1.0 MeV 1×1017 O+/cm2 into sapphire and the successive heat treatment can synthesis Ti02 fine particles of about 10 nm in radius. The TiO2 particles were rutile-type with (200) orientation, which may be related to the (0001) orientation of sapphire substrate. Luminescence from defects in sapphire substrate was observed, but luminescence from the particles could not be detected.
Emergence of collaboration networks around large scale data repositories: a study of the genomics community using GenBank

The advent of large data repositories and the necessity of distributed skillsets have led to a need to study the scientific collaboration network emerging around cyber-infrastructure-enabled repositories. To explore the impact of scientific collaboration and large-scale repositories in the field of genomics, we analyze coauthorship patterns in NCBIs big data repository GenBank using trace metadata from coauthorship of traditional publications and coauthorship of datasets. We demonstrate that using complex network analysis to explore both networks independently and jointly provides a much richer description of the community, and addresses some of the methodological concerns discussed in previous literature regarding the use of coauthorship data to study scientific collaboration.
Neural influences on renal responses to acute volume expansion in rats with heart failure

Experiments were performed to test the postulate that neural influences underlie the suppressed excretory response to acute volume expansion (VE) typically observed 3-4 wk after myocardial infarction to induce chronic heart failure (CHF). Responses to VE were assessed in innervated (intact) and denervated (DNX) kidneys of anesthetized CHF rats and sham-operated controls. CHF rats exhibited blunted natriuretic responses to VE in both intact kidneys (35% of sham response) and DNX kidneys (55% of sham DNX response). CHF rats also displayed suppressed excretory responses to atrial natriuretic factor (0.25 microgram.kg-1.min-1 iv) in both intact kidneys (74% of sham response) and DNX kidneys (63% of sham DNX response). Additional experiments confirmed that the compliance of the venoatrial junction did not differ between sham rats (52 +/- 2 mmHg/microliter) and CHF rats (54-2 mmHg/microliter). The observations support the contention that both tonic renal sympathetic renal nerve activity and suppressed renal atrial natriuretic factor responsiveness likely contribute to the blunted excretory response to VE during CHF.
A Proposal for Network Coding with the IEEE 802.15.6 Standard

We examine the Medium Access Control sublayer of the IEEE 802.15.6 Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) standard, and propose minor modifications to the standard so that linear random network coding can be included to help improve energy efficiency and throughput of WBANs compatible with the standard. Both generation-based and sliding window approaches are possible, and a group-block acknowledgment scheme can be implemented by modifying block acknowledgment control type frames. Discussions on potential energy and throughput advantages of network coding are provided.
Infrared Spectra of CH2=Zr(H)NC, CH3-ZrNC, and η2-Zr(NC)-CH3 Produced by Reactions of Laser-Ablated Zr Atoms with Acetonitrile

The zirconium methylidene isocyanide, methyl isocyanide, and η2-nitrile-π-complexes are observed in the matrix IR spectra from reactions of laser-ablated Zr atoms and acetonitrile isotopomers. The methylidene CH2═Zr(H)NC has a C1 agostic structure in line with simple early transition-metal methylidenes recently produced from reactions with small alkanes and methyl halides, and the extent of agostic distortion is also comparable. Formation of the isocyanide complexes from acetonitrile is interesting but not surprising according to previous studies of metal reactions with nitrile-containing compounds, and their stabilities over the cyanide species are reproduced by DFT calculations. Observation of the relatively rare nitrile π-complex and its photodissociation suggests that the reaction proceeds in the order of Zr←NCCH3, η2-Zr(NC)—CH3, CH3—ZrNC, and CH2═Zr(H)NC. The intermediate transition-state structures are also examined.
Guiding Sixth Grade Language Development in Mathematical Content Acquisition through Student Centered SIOP Instruction

7 CHAPTER 1 IMPROVING ACHIEVEMENT 8 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM 8 PURPOSE STATEMENT 9 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 9 DEFINITION OF TERMS 9 THEORETICAL RATIONALE 9 ASSUMPTIONS 10 BACKGROUND AND NEED 11 SUMMARY 11 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 13 REVIEW OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH 13 COLLABORATION 13 CHAPTER 3 METHOD 22 RESEARCH APPROACH 22 SAMPLE AND SITE 23 Improving Sixth Grade Mathematical Achievement 6 ACCESS AND PERMISSIONS 24 DATA GATHERING PROCEDURES 25 DATA ANALYSIS APPROACH 26 ASILOMAR CONFERENCE 26 CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS 28 DESCRIPTION OF SITE, INDIVIDUALS, DATA 28 THEMES 38 CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION /ANALYSIS 39 SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS 39 COMPARISON OF FINDINGS TO THE LITERATURE 39 LIMITATIONS/GAPS IN THE RESEARCH 40 IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 41 OVERALL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 41 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 42 REFERENCES 43 Improving Sixth Grade Mathematical Achievement 7
Optimal turning path generation for unmanned aerial vehicles

In this paper, we present an optimal method for calculating turning maneuvers for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed for ecological research. The algorithm calculates several possible solutions using vectors represented in complex notation, and selects the shortest turning path given constraints determined by the aircraft. This algorithm considers the UAV's turning capabilities, generating a two-dimensional path that is feasible for the UAV to fly. We generate a test flight path and show that the UAV is capable of following the turn maneuvers.
Forced redundant states of 5-level single-phase diode-clamped multilevel inverters

Diode-clamped multilevel inverters belong to one of the three main multilevel inverter topologies. To date, the single-phase versions of these inverters have been characterized as not having redundant states. Significantly, such states are useful for reducing device switching frequency during inverter operation, and hence for decreasing switching power losses and conducted electromagnetic interference effects, and also improving other aspects of inverter performance such as enabling capacitor voltage balancing. This paper describes a study of single-phase diode-clamped multilevel inverters with their output connected in series with a voltage source. Doing so for a five-level inverter resulted in additional switch states producing the expected output levels, as compared to not having a voltage source so connected. Hence these are referred to as forced redundant states; they are determined by the source's magnitude and its polarity. Both simulation and experimental results are described to help analyze and verify this advantageous behavior.
An Introductory-Level Field-Based Course in Geology and Botany

At the University of Vermont (UVM), we offer a year-long, interdisciplinary, residentially based course for first-year students interested in the natural sciences. This course, entitled “The Geology and Ecology of Lake Champlain,” takes advantage of the University's location between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains. Although the University offers students introductory-level courses in both geology and ecology, these are high-enrollment lecture-format classes with some field trips. “The Geology and Ecology of Lake Champlain” offers a small group of students a field-based course that seeks to integrate these related disciplines. In the course, the students become active hands-on participants in small research projects. Although UVM's geographic location has certain unique features, we believe that the fundamental approach of this course can be adopted by universities in other locales.
Pityriasis rosea in pregnancy: report of a spousal occurrence and craniosynostosis in the healthy newborn.

Background: Pityriasis rosea is a papulosquamous disease. It may occur during pregnancy; in this setting, it has occasionally been associated with adverse outcomes. Purpose: A woman who developed pityriasis rosea at the beginning of her eighth week of gestation is described. The outcomes in newborns delivered by pregnant women who developed pityriasis rosea during gestation are summarized. Method: A 28-year-old woman developed pityriasis rosea during her eighth week of pregnancy. Her husband had pityriasis rosea two months earlier. PubMed was searched for the following terms: conjugal, craniosynostosis, newborn, pityriasis, pregnancy, rosea, sagittal, spouse. The papers were reviewed and the references cited were evaluated. Results: Our patient delivered a healthy male infant after 41 weeks of gestation. He had normal weight, height, and Apgar scores. Isolated sagittal craniosynostosis was diagnosed and was successfully treated at nine weeks after birth without complications. Conclusion: Several retrospective studies have investigated the possibility of adverse outcomes in infants born to women who developed pityriasis rosea during pregnancy, such as stillbirth, low gestational weight, hypotonia, and premature delivery. However, there are also reports of healthy newborns in women who have had pityriasis rosea during gestation. Our patient carried the fetus one week post-term and delivered a healthy boy via C-section; isolated sagittal craniosynostosis was later diagnosed and successfully repaired. The occurrence of craniosynostosis in a woman who developed pityriasis rosea during her first trimester of pregnancy may be two coincidental events.
Chapter 8 Prenatal Behavior Development: Ontogenetic Adaptations and Non-Linear Processes

Abstract Research priorities should be derived from descriptions of developing organisms, not from theory-driven agendas of scientific disciplines or efforts to extend priorities form the postnatal to the prenatal period. A lack of appreciation of the unique character of the prenatal period may be responsible for the near absence of material about prenatal behavior and its causes in textbooks of child development. Each stage has its own developmental agenda and degree of continuity or discontinuity with preceding and following stages. At prenatal stages, age-specific phenomena are more dramatic, more numerous, and passed through more quickly than those encountered after birth. Such prenatal phenomena as spinally-driven spontaneous motility, behaviorally-driven morphogenesis, and the regulation of naturally occurring motoneuron death have no postnatal counterparts. Researchers should be on guard for other non-linearities and adaptations to the developmental process and the ever-changing ecological niche of the prenatal environment. Embryos have much to teach us about development if we are willing to listen.
Transformations in San Diego County Gravestones and Cemeteries

San Diego County, California, USA, is home to more than 100 cemeteries and nearly 300,000 individually marked graves. Analysis of the region’s cemeteries and grave markers by members of the San Diego County Gravestone Project has pinpointed significant patterns in commemoration strategies, evident through temporal, spatial, and formal trends. The material expressions of death seen in southern California graveyards reflect changing mortuary attitudes and parallel other diachronic cultural phenomena of modern American society during the 19th and 20th centuries. In offering an overview of every San Diego County cemetery, this work develops a classification for the region’s graveyards. It also uses spatially controlled stylistic evolutions to pinpoint different degrees of regularity in gravestone change. These trends reveal attenuation in the communication and spread of ideas regarding mortality from urban areas to more rural settings in San Diego County.
Saying Goodbye to Lectures in Medical School - Paradigm Shift or Passing Fad?

Medical schools have been moving away from lecture-based courses. Questions remain, however, regarding what content students must learn, how that learning is best done, and what else is required for trainees to become lifelong learners and adaptable practitioners.
Not so far: attenuation of low-frequency vocalizations in a rainforest environment suggests limited acoustic mediation of social interaction in African forest elephants

Forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis aggregate in large numbers in forest clearings. Whether they maintain contact as they move through the forest and are able to coordinate these aggregations, similar to the fission-fusion sociality of the well-studied savanna elephants Loxodonta africana, is currently unknown. Since sound attenuates faster in closed as compared to open habitats, the low-frequency rumble vocalizations of forest elephants may exhibit smaller detection ranges than measured for those of savanna elephants, which may restrict the ability of forest elephants to coordinate interactions between separated family units. Here, we modeled the attenuation of forest elephant rumbles using amplitude measurements of rumbles recorded in a rainforest in Gabon and estimated the distances at which elephants might be able to detect them under observed ambient sound conditions. Our results suggest an attenuation rate less than predictions of spherical spreading loss, suggesting that reflection of the sound waves within the forest results in constructive interference. Nevertheless, we found that forest elephant rumbles of average dominant frequency (31.07 Hz) under average ambient sound levels would not be detectable farther than 0.8 km. Moreover, for 50% of analyzed rumbles, the harmonic structure was completely attenuated at only 100 m. However, we estimated detection distances of up to 3.2 km for rumbles of average dominant frequency when ambient sound was at its lowest. Our findings suggest that long-distance communication to coordinate interactions among separated family units may be limited in forest elephants, with potentially important consequences for their social organization. The challenges associated with the extent of, and variation in, detection distances of long-distance vocalizations used by animals to mediate interactions between separated group members has rarely been investigated. While it has been suggested that forest elephants exhibit a fission-fusion sociality similar to savanna elephants, our results indicate shorter detection distances for forest elephant rumbles, suggesting a limited ability to mediate interactions between separated family units. However, under optimal ambient sound conditions, detection distances increased considerably. The long detection distances estimated for savanna elephants may reflect the optimal conditions under which the playback experiments were conducted. On average, savanna elephants may be much more limited in communication distance. Further studies on the constraints and opportunities that the different environments impose on these species’ communication capability may be critical to understanding potential differences in the social complexity they express.
Cell-type specific expression of constitutively-active Rheb promotes regeneration of bulbospinal respiratory axons following cervical SCI

Damage to respiratory neural circuitry and consequent loss of diaphragm function is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals suffering from traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Repair of CNS axons after SCI remains a therapeutic challenge, despite current efforts. SCI disrupts inspiratory signals originating in the rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) of the medulla from their phrenic motor neuron (PhMN) targets, resulting in loss of diaphragm function. Using a rat model of cervical hemisection SCI, we aimed to restore rVRG-PhMN-diaphragm circuitry by stimulating regeneration of injured rVRG axons via targeted induction of Rheb (ras homolog enriched in brain), a signaling molecule that regulates neuronal-intrinsic axon growth potential. Following C2 hemisection, we performed intra-rVRG injection of an adeno-associated virus serotype-2 (AAV2) vector that drives expression of a constitutively-active form of Rheb (cRheb). rVRG neuron-specific cRheb expression robustly increased mTOR pathway activity within the transduced rVRG neuron population ipsilateral to the hemisection, as assessed by levels of phosphorylated ribosomal S6 kinase. By co-injecting our novel AAV2-mCherry/WGA anterograde/trans-synaptic axonal tracer into rVRG, we found that cRheb expression promoted regeneration of injured rVRG axons into the lesion site, while we observed no rVRG axon regrowth with AAV2-GFP control. AAV2-cRheb also significantly reduced rVRG axonal dieback within the intact spinal cord rostral to the lesion. However, cRheb expression did not promote any recovery of ipsilateral hemi-diaphragm function, as assessed by inspiratory electromyography (EMG) burst amplitudes. This lack of functional recovery was likely because regrowing rVRG fibers did not extend back into the caudal spinal cord to synaptically reinnervate PhMNs that we retrogradely-labeled with cholera toxin B from the ipsilateral hemi-diaphragm. Our findings demonstrate that enhancing neuronal-intrinsic axon growth capacity can promote regeneration of injured bulbospinal respiratory axons after SCI, but this strategy may need to be combined with other manipulations to achieve reconnection of damaged neural circuitry and ultimately recovery of diaphragm function.
Engineered CRISPR/Cas9 system for multiplex genome engineering of polyploid industrial yeast strains

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been widely used for multiplex genome engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, its application in manipulating industrial yeast strains is less successful, probably due to the genome complexity and low copy numbers of gRNA expression plasmids. Here we developed an efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system for industrial yeast strain engineering by using our previously engineered plasmids with increased copy numbers. Four genes in both a diploid strain (Ethanol Red, 8 alleles in total) and a triploid strain (ATCC 4124, 12 alleles in total) were knocked out in a single step with 100% efficiency. This system was used to construct xylose-fermenting, lactate-producing industrial yeast strains, in which ALD6, PHO13, LEU2, and URA3 were disrupted in a single step followed by the introduction of a xylose utilization pathway and a lactate biosynthetic pathway on auxotrophic marker plasmids. The optimized CRISPR/Cas9 system provides a powerful tool for the development of industrial yeast based microbial cell factories.
Out on the edge.

The Kuiper Belt, beyond Neptune, is the third great domain of the Solar System, and home to the Pluto–Charon binary. What are the prospects for exploration of these distant worlds?
4 – Clock Skew Scheduling for Improved Reliability*

This chapter discusses clock skew scheduling for improved reliability. The synchronization strategy for clocked registers in the vast majority of VLSI/ULSI based digital systems is a fully synchronous approach. For such synchronous digital systems to function properly, the many thousands of switching events require a strict temporal ordering. This strict ordering is enforced by a global synchronization signal known as the clock signal that must be delivered to every register at a precise relative time. The delivery function is accomplished by a circuit and interconnects structure commonly known as a clock distribution network. Multiple factors affect the propagation delay of the data signals through the combinational logic gates and interconnect.Because the clock distribution network is composed of logic gates and interconnection wires, the signals in the clock distribution network are delayed. A quadratic programming formulation of the clock skew scheduling problem is discussed in the chapter.
Functional anatomy of the brain

The central nervous system comprises the brain and spinal cord which provide sensation, control of movement, emotion, aesthetics, reason and self-awareness. The tissue that makes up the central nervous system is highly differentiated and exceedingly ordered, yet plastic. The central nervous system is well protected throughout by a fluid-filled, tri-layered, connective tissue covering (the meninges) and various osseous claddings. The cranium provides a rigid armor for the brain whereas the vertebral column constitutes the flexible protection of the spinal cord. Because the focus of this volume is the study of various disease states that affect the functions of the brain, it is important to understand the normal relationship of the brain to its surrounding structures including its bony case and its connective tissue coverings, its blood supply, and its internal organization, as well as how the perturbation of the relationships among these structures can impact brain functions. It is the purpose of this chapter to present an overview of this information. More detailed anatomical information is readily available in textbooks of gross anatomy and neuroscience.
The η-baryon octet

The recent tantalizing experimental support for an $\ensuremath{\eta}$-baryon ${J}^{P}={\frac{1}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ unmixed octet challenges conventional model wisdom. The establishment of the $\ensuremath{\Xi}(1868)$ member of the $\ensuremath{\eta}$ octet will give strong affirmation that the negative-parity baryon mass spectrum could be mixing-free.
Co 6 Se 8 (PEt 3 ) 6 superatoms as tunable chemical dopants for two-dimensional semiconductors

Electronic, optoelectronic, and other functionalities of semiconductors are controlled by the nature and density of carriers, and the location of the Fermi energy. Developing strategies to tune these parameters holds the key to precise control over semiconductors properties. We propose that ligand exchange on superatoms can offer a systematic strategy to vary these properties. We demonstrate this by considering a WSe2 surface doped with ligated metal chalcogenide Co6Se8(PEt3)6 clusters. These superatoms are characterized by valence quantum states that can readily donate multiple electrons. We find that the WSe2 support binds more strongly to the Co6Se8 cluster than the PEt3 ligand, so ligand exchange between the phosphine ligand and the WSe2 support is energetically favorable. The metal chalcogenide superatoms serves as a donor that may transform the WSe2 p-type film into an n-type semiconductor. The theoretical findings complement recent experiments where WSe2 films with supported Co6Se8(PEt3)6 are indeed found to undergo a change in behavior from p- to n-type. We further show that by replacing the PEt3 ligands by CO ligands, one can control the electronic character of the surface and deposited species. Co6Se8(PEt3)6 superatoms may act as tunable chemical dopants for atomically thin semiconductors. A team led by Shiv Khanna at Virginia Commonwealth University performed a theoretical investigation of the mechanisms governing charge transfer between selected superatomic clusters and the surface of a two-dimensional semiconductor. By using dispersion corrected density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation, and the DFT-D2 functional to account for van der Waals interactions, it was found that Co6Se8(PEt3)6 superatoms are able to donate multiple electrons to WSe2, thereby changing its electronic behaviour from p-type to n-type semiconductor. The Fermi energy of the doped system could also be tuned over a broad range by selectively replacing the PEt3 ligands by CO ligands. These predictions are valuable for the development of effective strategies for doping of two-dimensional materials.
TOXICOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PLANT FUROCOUMARINS

I. ABSTRACT Plants containing photosensitizing furocoumarins have been used by man for more than 3000 years in the treatment of certain skin disorders. This review considers the past and current uses of furocoumarins in medicine, their occurrence and distribution in plants, mode of photosensitizing action, and toxicological properties, with particular emphasis on their phototoxicity to livestock and poultry. Although only a few furocoumarin-containing plants have been implicated as photosensitizers of domestic animals, furocoumarins occur in a large number of plant species in several families, and it is likely that these compounds are involved in a significant number of the photosensitization cases observed in domestic animals.
Head Trauma in a High School Girl with Subtle Residual Symptoms

In many cases of brain dysfunction, physicians will dismiss patients as cured despite the continued existence of some subtle and sometimes not so subtle cognitive and motor deficits. Such patients generally later have substantial problems in attempting to return to normal life. However, because they have been dismissed as “cured” by a neurosurgeon or neurologist, such cases can present a difficult problem for the neuropsychologist must contradict the “medical authorities”. The following case represents such a case, as well as illustrates the potential value of rehabilitation treatment when such cases are identified.
Validating Polyphenol Intake Estimates From a Food-Frequency Questionnaire Using Repeated 24-Hour Dietary Recalls and a Unique Method of Triads Approach With Two Biomarkers

Assessment of polyphenol intake in free-living subjects is challenging, mostly because of the difficulty in accurately measuring phenolic content and the wide presence of phenolic compounds in food...
Score for Predicting Ventilator Weaning Duration in Patients With Tracheostomies

Background Factors affecting the timing of ventilator liberation among patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (≥21 consecutive days) are poorly understood. After tracheostomy placement, ventilator liberation typically involves daily reductions in ventilator support as patients regain the capacity to breathe independently. Objectives To determine the association between ventilator requirements on the day after tracheostomy placement and subsequent weaning duration. Methods Retrospective review of medical records of adults with tracheostomies treated at an academic medical center from 2011 to 2015. A new ventilator independence score based on ventilator settings on the day after tracheostomy was developed. Scores range from 0% to 100%; higher scores reflect greater levels of unassisted breathing for a greater proportion of the day. A multi-variable competing-risk survival regression model was used to determine the association between the ventilator independence score and time from tracheostomy placement to ventilator liberation. Results Of 372 patients, 72% were liberated from mechanical ventilation. The ventilator independence score measured on the day after tracheostomy placement had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of 0.71 (95% CI, 0.65-0.76) for differentiating patients who were liberated within the next 14 days from those who were not. Median time from tracheostomy placement to ventilator liberation was 41 days for patients with a score of 0%, 20 days for scores between 0% and 50%, 15 days for scores between 50% and 75%, and 10 days for scores between 75% and 100%. Conclusions A score derived from ventilator settings may help clinicians predict the timing of ventilator liberation in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation.
Improving Eco-Literacy through Service Learning: A Natural History Service Project Case Study

Eco-literacy (knowledge of natural history, and direct observation of the natural world and the organisms it contains) is critical to a holistic understanding of biology. Many undergraduate biology students lack this knowledge and experience, often because of a lack of engagement with the environmental science curriculum. The effectiveness of service learning is well established, but few examples of service-learning projects in the context of natural history education have been published. We describe how we used best practices for the development of a field-based service-learning project in a college-level natural history course. The project was built around established learning goals and was conducted through a partnership with a local state park. Students worked in groups to conduct bird biodiversity surveys and prepared a printed bird-watching guide, which was presented to park staff. The project was linked to a series of assignments intended to maximize academic and personal growth, including a project plan, progress report, and reflection paper. Students reported increased engagement in the course curriculum and an increased sense of the relevance of the course content.
A Classwide Peer-Assisted Self-Management Program: Adaptations, Implications, and a Step-by-Step Guide for Rural Educators:

Nationwide, teachers and administrators alike note that classroom management is one of their top rated concerns and a key reason for their reluctance to include students with disabilities in their ...
Racial Differences in Discharge Location After a Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults.

Abstract Objective To determine if there were racial differences in discharge location among older adults treated for traumatic brain injury (TBI) at a level 1 trauma center. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Participants Black and white adults aged ≥65 years treated for TBI between 1998 and 2012 and discharged to home without services or inpatient rehabilitation (N=2902). Main Outcome Measures We assessed the association between race and discharge location via logistic regression. Covariates included age, sex, Abbreviated Injury Scale-Head score, insurance type, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and comorbidities. Results There were 2487 (86%) whites and 415 blacks (14%) in the sample. A total of 1513 (52%) were discharged to inpatient rehabilitation and 1389 (48%) were discharged home without services. In adjusted logistic regression, blacks were more likely to be discharged to inpatient rehabilitation than to home without services compared to whites (odds ratio 1.34, 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.70). Conclusions In this group of Medicare-eligible older adults, blacks were more likely to be discharged to inpatient rehabilitation compared to whites.
The social dimensions of smart meters in the United States: Demographics, privacy, and technology readiness

Abstract Energy consumers have been introduced to numerous technologies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the efficiency of electrical systems. The introduction of smart meters into the electrical grid could increase energy efficiency, decrease electrical costs for consumers, and potentially contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the benefits of this technology, smart meters have sparked debate and concern among some energy consumers. In this paper, we examine the publics’ general level of support for smart meter technologies, and a set of variables that may correlate with support for installing smart meters in people’s homes. Specifically, we examine whether demographic variables, issues tied to privacy (e.g., privacy concerns and privacy violation), social norms (e.g., injunctive and descriptive norms), and concepts from the technology readiness index (e.g., discomfort with or excitement about new technologies) correlate with support for smart meters. To examine these issues, we analyzed a quota sample of 1035 people living in the U.S. Participants were from 17 states with high rates of smart meter installation. Our results suggest that people’s perceptions and experiences with privacy violations are associated with levels of support for smart meter installation for people in our sample. In addition, descriptive social norms and technology readiness factors were associated with support for smart meter installation.
Feminism for the Americas: The Making of an International Human Rights Movement

Feminism for the Americas is a brilliant and ambitious new account of the origins of global feminism. Debunking common narratives that credit US or Western European feminists for pioneering interna...
Risk Assessment of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles in Tunnels

The need to understand the risks and implications of traffic incidents involving hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles in tunnels is increasing in importance with higher numbers of these vehicles being deployed. A risk analysis was performed to capture potential scenarios that could occur in the event of a crash and provide a quantitative calculation for the probability of each scenario occurring, with a qualitative categorization of possible consequences. The risk analysis was structured using an event sequence diagram with probability distributions on each event in the tree and random sampling was used to estimate resulting probability distributions for each end-state scenario. The most likely consequence of a crash is no additional hazard from the hydrogen fuel (98.1–99.9% probability) beyond the existing hazards in a vehicle crash, although some factors need additional data and study to validate. These scenarios include minor crashes with no release or ignition of hydrogen. When the hydrogen does ignite, it is most likely a jet flame from the pressure relief device release due to a hydrocarbon fire (0.03–1.8% probability). This work represents a detailed assessment of the state-of-knowledge of the likelihood associated with various vehicle crash scenarios. This is used in an event sequence framework with uncertainty propagation to estimate uncertainty around the probability of each scenario occurring.