cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of the antimicrobial contaminant triclocarban, and co-exposure with the androgen 17β-trenbolone, on reproductive function and ovarian transcriptome of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).

Triclocarban (TCC) is an antimicrobial agent routinely detected in surface waters that has been hypothesized to interact with the vertebrate endocrine system. The present study examined the effects of TCC alone and in combination with the model endocrine disruptor 17β-trenbolone (TRB) on fish reproductive function. Adult Pimephales promelas were continuously exposed to either 1 µg TCC/L or 5 µg TCC/L, to 0.5 µg TRB/L, or to a mixture (MIX) of 5 µg TCC/L and 0.5 µg TRB/L for 22 d, and a variety of reproductive and endocrine-related endpoints were examined. Cumulative fecundity was significantly reduced in fathead minnows exposed to TRB, MIX, or 5 µg TCC/L. Exposure to 1 µg TCC/L had no effect on reproduction. In general, both TRB and MIX treatments caused similar physiological effects, evoking significant reductions in female plasma vitellogenin, estradiol, and testosterone, and significant increases in male plasma estradiol. Based on analysis of the ovarian transcriptome, there were potential pathway impacts that were common to both TRB- and TCC-containing treatment groups. In most cases, however, those pathways were more plausibly linked to differences in reproductive status than to androgen-specific functions. Overall, TCC was reproductively toxic to fish at concentrations at or near those that have been measured in surface water. There was little evidence that TCC elicits reproductive toxicity through a specific mode of endocrine or reproductive action, nor that it could augment the androgenic effects of TRB. Nonetheless, the relatively small margin of safety between some measured environmental concentrations and effect concentrations suggests that concern is warranted. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:231-242. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Optimizing Memory Cost with Loop Transformations

Shi, Hailong. M.S. Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Wright State University, 2011. Optimizing Memory Cost With Loop Transformations Embedded systems are usually constrained in terms of timing, power, and memory. Many embedded applications, especially in the multi-media and telecom domains, are inherently data dominant. These embedded DSP applications usually exhibit intensive computations in the form of multi-level loops. The performance of these embedded DSP applications mainly depends on the code quality of the loops and the memory hierarchy design. During the design phase of the embedded system, it is important to estimate the overall storage requirement to guide the memory system design and take advantage of the memory system by program transformations and loop transformations. Loop transformations including loop permutation, loop fusion and loop tiling are important program transformation techniques utilized to improve the data reuse, thus reduce the life time of data elements and memory cost. In this thesis, we propose a technique to estimate the memory cost of a nested loop. We then propose loop optimization strategies to combine various loop transformation techniques to reduce the overall memory cost. In addition to significantly reduce the running time from original loops to fused loops, the results of our experiment presented that our proposed loop optimization schemes can also reduce memory cost and cache misses.
Disproportionality in Power Plants' Carbon Emissions: A Cross-National Study.

Past research on the disproportionality of pollution suggests a small subset of a sector’s facilities often produces the lion’s share of toxic emissions. Here we extend this idea to the world’s electricity sectors by calculating national-level disproportionality Gini coefficients for plant-level carbon emissions in 161 nations based on data from 19,941 fossil-fuel burning power plants. We also evaluate if disproportionalities in plant-level emissions are associated with increased national carbon emissions from fossil-fuel based electricity production, while accounting for other well-established human drivers of greenhouse gas emissions. Results suggest that one potential pathway to decreasing nations’ greenhouse gas emissions could involve reducing disproportionality among fossil-fuel power plants by targeting those plants in the upper end of the distribution that burn fuels more inefficiently to produce electricity.
Comparison of a modified phenol/chloroform and commercial-kit methods for extracting DNA from horse fecal material

There are many choices for methods of extracting bacterial DNA for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) from fecal samples. Here, we compare our modifications of a phenol/chloroform extraction method plus an inhibitor removal solution (C3) (ph/Chl+C3) to the PowerFecal® DNA Isolation Kit (MoBio-K). DNA quality and quantity coupled to NGS results were used to assess differences in relative abundance, Shannon diversity index, unique species, and principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) between biological replicates. Six replicate samples, taken from a single ball of horse feces manually collected from the rectum, were subjected to each extraction method. The Ph/Chl+C3 method produced 100× higher DNA yields with less shearing than the MoBio-K method. To assess the methods, the two method samples were sent for sequencing of the bacterial V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was greater and there were more unique species assigned to this group in MoBio-K than in Ph/Chl+C3 (P<0.05). In contrast, Firmicutes had greater relative abundance and more unique species in Ph/Chl+C3 extracts than in MoBio-K (P<0.05). The other major bacterial phyla were equally abundant in samples using both extraction methods. Alpha diversity and Shannon Weaver indices showed greater evenness of bacterial distribution in Ph/Chl+C3 compared with MoBio-K (P<0.05), but there was no difference in the OTU richness. Principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) indicated a distinct separation between the two methods (P<0.05) and tighter clustering (less variability) in Ph/Chl+C3 than in MoBio-K. These results suggest that the Ph/Chl+C3 may be preferred for research to identify specific Firmicutes taxa such as Clostridium, and Bacillus. However; MoBio-K may be a better choice for projects focusing on Bacteroidetes abundance. The Ph/Chl+C3 method required less time, but has some safety concerns associated with exposure and disposal of phenol and chloroform. While the MoBio-K may be better choice for researchers with less access to safety equipment like a fume hood.
Does Capsular Repair Technique Affect Laxity in TKA

Introduction: Repair of the arthrotomy is a performed at the end of every total knee arthroplasty (TKA). After the arthrotomy is performed, most surgeons attempt to close the arthrotomy with the medial and lateral edges anatomically approximated. If no landmarks are made prior to performing the arthrotomy however, there is a risk that anatomic approximation may not be obtained. This study looked into the biomechanical changes in stiffness of the knee before and after a medial parapatellar approach repaired with an anatomic, and shifted capsular repair with the medial side of the arthrotomy shifted up or down when repaired to determine if capsular closure may have an effect on the stiffness of the joint. Methods: Fourteen cadaveric TKA specimens were retrieved through the Medical Education and Research Institute (Memphis TN). For each specimen tested, the skin and muscle tissue was removed, and the femur and tibia were cut transversely 180 mm from the joint center. Specimens were fixed in extension in a custom knee testing platform (Little Rock AR) and subjected to a 10 Nm varus and valgus torque and a 1.5 Nm internal and external rotational torque. The angle at which these moments occurred was recorded, and each test was repeated for 0, 30, 60, and 90 degrees of flexion. After tests were performed on retrieved TKA specimens, a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon vented the knee capsule by making an incision with a number 10 scalpel blade in a horizontal nature to provide a landmark for anatomic reapproximation. Tests were repeated as before, after which the surgeon performed a standard arthrotomy and repaired it using #0 suture and a neutral alignment. Sutures were cut and the repair was repeated using upward 5 mm shift and downward 5 mm shift of the medial side of the arthrotomy during the repair. All tests were repeated after each repair technique. Any increase or decrease in laxity after capsule repair was referenced to the TKA laxity tested prior to an arthrotomy being performed. Results: Simply venting the capsule did increase laxity of the TKA in midflexion to varus torque by 3 degrees under the same torque. Otherwise, when the medial limb of the arthrotomy was shifted up during closure by 5 mm, the knee joint tended to be stiffer in flexion compared to the neutral repair measurements under varus torque, while it was closer to the measurements of the neutral or anatomic closure when the medial limb was shifted down during closure. These changes seemed to be seen in flexion more than full extension. Discussion and Conclusion: Small changes were measured in the stiffness of the joint after venting the capsule and under different degrees of non-anatomic closure. The results stress the fact that the capsule can be measurably tightened during arthrotomy repair and may impact post-operative rehabilitation or range of motion.
Effects of Cryolipolysis on Abdominal Adiposity.

Cryolipolysis is a noninvasive technique of localized fat reduction. Controlled cold exposure is performed in the selective destruction of fat cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cryolipolysis on adipocytes elimination through histological and sonographic analyses. This study reports the case of a 46-year-old female patient, with complaint of localized abdominal fat and in the preoperative period of abdominoplasty. The patient was submitted to a single 60-minute application of cryolipolysis, temperature of −5°C, on the hypogastrium area, 5 cm below the umbilicus. To study the effects of this treatment, ultrasound images taken before the session and 7, 15, 30, and 45 days after the therapy were analysed. After the abdominoplasty, parts of the treated and the untreated withdrawn abdominal tissues were evaluated macro- and microscopically. In ultrasound images, as well as in macroscopic and histological analyses, significant adipocytes destruction was detected, with consequent fat layer reduction and integrity of areas that were adjacent to the treated tissue. The presence of fibrosis observed during therapy and acknowledged through performed analyses encourages further studies to clarify such finding.
The Champion’s Creed: Shared Values of Athletes and Academicians

Although the pursuit of sports may be dismissed as unimportant by those in the academic fields, sports are pervasive, and in our society, elite athletes are revered. There are lessons to be appreciated from the training journey and ultimate achievements of such athletes, which parallel the development and sustainment of the academic radiologist on many fronts, including educational training, clinical work, the pursuit of research, and for some, the culmination of a career in a leadership role.
Motivation in Chronic Cannabis Use

Abstract Although a commonly associated stereotype of chronic cannabis users is a lack of motivation, sometimes referred to as the “amotivational syndrome,” the empirical evidence is contradictory, with many studies finding no evidence to support it. In this chapter, the authors will examine the evidence for and against motivational deficits in chronic cannabis users through studies assessing self-report, educational and occupational achievement, and laboratory measures of motivation. Methodological variability likely contributes to the conflicting evidence demonstrated, and limitations of research designs will be described. Further, a distinction must be made between research examining the acute effects of cannabis use, and the long-term effects on those who use regularly but are not currently intoxicated. Finally, the authors describe the importance of measuring motivation in users within the research design, and suggest a unique method for enhancing the motivation of chronic cannabis users during research participation.
Systematic Review of Quantitative Measures of Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement in research has received increasing attention in recent years.1, 2 The term “stakeholder engagement” refers to the process of meaningful involvement of those who are engaged in making decisions about programs.3 Engaging members of the target population is often key to improving the relevance of the issues studied, the procedures used for study, and the interpretation of outcomes of research studies, health promotion activities, and disease prevention initiatives.4, 5, 6 The utility of stakeholder engagement has been well established in the literature,7, 8, 9 but there are few examples of measurement and evaluation of the degree to which stakeholders are engaged in these activities and the impact of engagement on positive outcomes. These types of evaluations have been limited in scope, and largely focused on qualitative approaches.10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Qualitative methods cannot be easily compared across programs or institutions.15 Necessary reliability and validity information describing self‐reported levels of stakeholder engagement are also lacking, and is essential to identifying the impact of engagement on the scientific process and scientific discovery.
Toward a Practical Regularity-based Model: The Impact of Evenly Distributed Temporal Resource Partitions

Most Hierarchical Real-time Scheduling (HiRTS) techniques have focused on temporal resource partitions in which time units are periodically distributed. Although such periodic partitions could provide great flexibility for the resource-level scheduling, engineers face significant obstacles when trying to determine the schedulability of real-time tasks running on them. The main reason is that periodic partitions fail to effectively bound the difference between the ideal and the actual resource allocation. To solve this problem, some researchers introduced the Regular Partition, a type of temporal resource partition that is almost evenly distributed. Recent research has shown that it achieves maximal transparency for task scheduling—some classical real-time scheduling problems on a regular partition can be easily transformed into equivalent problems on a dedicated single resource. However, the resource partitioning problem for regular partitions is much more complicated than the one for periodic partitions. Based on a practical two-layer HiRTS platform, this article introduces MulZ (Multiple Z-seqences), which is the first to solve this problem with a partitioned scheduling strategy. By using a more complicated approximation methodology, our experimental results show that MulZ outperforms the current best global scheduling algorithm on this problem. After that, it compares the overall performance of the periodic partition and the regular partition. We conclude that the regular partition is a better choice for the integration of real-time applications.
Intricacies of the Elaboration Likelihood Model

We have now presented the major postulates of the Elaboration Likelihood Model and the evidence for these postulates. In reviewing the evidence for the ELM we have focused deliberately on variables and instances that were straightforward and relatively unambiguous in interpretation. Although it would be nice if we could have provided an exhaustive list of variables that serve as peripheral cues and variables that affect message processing in either a relatively objective or a biased manner, we have already seen that this is not possible. For example, we have argued that the effects on information processing of some variables may shift from relatively objective to relatively biased as the variable reaches very high levels. Thus, although increasing personal relevance and message repetition may generally enhance subjects’ motivation and/or ability to see the merits of strong arguments and the flaws in weak ones, we have suggested that when personal relevance or message repetition reach very high levels, the initially objective processing may become biased as the person becomes motivated to reject the advocacy (Cacioppo & Petty, 1979b; Petty & Cacioppo, 1979b). In short, some variables have multiple effects on information processing. In addition, we have seen that some variables may affect information processing under certain conditions, but serve as peripheral cues in other contexts.
Source-to-accelerator quadrupole matching section for a compact linear accelerator

Recently, we presented a new approach for a compact radio-frequency (RF) accelerator structure and demonstrated the functionality of the individual components: acceleration units and focusing elements. In this paper, we combine these units to form a working accelerator structure: a matching section between the ion source extraction grids and the RF-acceleration unit and electrostatic focusing quadrupoles between successive acceleration units. The matching section consists of six electrostatic quadrupoles (ESQs) fabricated using 3D-printing techniques. The matching section enables us to capture more beam current and to match the beam envelope to conditions for stable transport in an acceleration lattice. We present data from an integrated accelerator consisting of the source, matching section, and an ESQ doublet sandwiched between two RF-acceleration units.
Ionic Conductivity of Rubidium Chloride

In the pioneering study on ionic conductivity in AgCl by Koch and Wagner [1] only one kind of defect was presumed to be mobile in doped crystals at low temperatures and defect interactions were totally neglected. Later improvements in this simple model [2,3] took into account near-neighbor defect interactions between divalent cation impurities and cation vacancies and even included long-range interactions through use of the well-known Debye-Huckel theory for dilute ionic solutions. Based on the Koch-Wagner model, a high-temperature linear section (intrinsic region) and a low-temperature linear section (extrinsic region) are expected in a ln σT vs 1/T plot and these are separated by a curved region (the “knee”). Association of divalent impurities with neighboring cation vacancies gives rise to concave downwards curvature in the extrinsic region, whereas long-range interactions between defects or the presence of mobile defects on both sublattices cause the intrinsic region to become concave upwards. Because of these last-named complications, the simple graphical methods employed extensively in early analyses of conductivity data for the alkali and silver halides have been replaced recently by the technique of non-linear, least-square computer fitting of such data [4] to calculate “best-fit” values of the defect parameters.
A State’s Perspective

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has been confronting the issue of decommissioning nuclear generating plants for several years. Our objective has been to place the cost of decommissioning upon the consumers who benefit from the electricity generated by a nuclear plant, while recognizing the related safety issues. In addition to our usual concerns about “safe and reliable service at just and reasonable rates,” the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission had the enormous task of deciding the state regulatory issues surrounding the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. The accident has made all of us more keenly aware of the issues surrounding nuclear energy, including the topics of this symposium, decommissioning and decontamination.
The Enemy (The Intruder's Genesis)

Abstract It is estimated that global IP traffic on the Internet will reach an annual rate of 1.3 zettabytes by 2016 as more people connect to the Internet by mobile devices. Global IP traffic in 2011 was about 369 exabytes, or 0.369 zettabytes. Furthermore, the number of devices that will be connected to the Internet would reach around 19 billion. The reality of threat to the Internet security will be extremely critical to all individual, corporate, and government users. The Internet was envisioned to support primarily educational and research activities to share information and knowledge. In the early 21st century, social media networks such as Facebook have overshadowed the dot-com on the Internet. Hence the nature of Internet security has now become synonymous with cybersecurity. Government agencies are currently in the process of creating a formal set of governance to define cybersecurity and courses of actions to be taken to defend against cyberattacks.
Reason and Consistency

Is inconsistency ever reasonable? It may be reasonable for a person to accept each statement in an inconsistent set because it is reasonable, though incorrect, for him to think the set of statements is consistent. Moreover, it may even be reasonable for a person to accept a set of statements he is certain is inconsistent. A person who has discovered that he accepts an inconsistent set of statements may reasonably continue to do so when, for lack of time or insight, he sees no sarisfactory way of extricating himself. Such reflections put inconsistency in a better light than is customary. The conviction remains: there is something unreasonable about inconsistency. The question is when inconsistency is unreasonable and why it is so.
The Promise of a Malaria Vaccine—Are We Closer?

Malaria vaccine development has rapidly advanced in the past decade. The very first phase 3 clinical trial of the RTS,S vaccine was completed with over 15,000 African infants and children, and pilot implementation studies are underway. Next-generation candidate vaccines using novel antigens, platforms, or approaches targeting different and/or multiple stages of the Plasmodium life cycle are being tested. Many candidates, in various stages of development, promise enhanced efficacy of long duration and broad protection against genetically diverse malaria strains, with a few studies under way in target populations in endemic areas. Malaria vaccines together with other interventions promise interruption and eventual elimination of malaria in endemic areas.
Retrieval method for the bianisotropic polarizability tensor of Willis acoustic scatterers

Acoustic materials displaying coupling between pressure and momentum are known as Willis materials. The simplest Willis materials are comprised of subwavelength scatterers that couple monopoles to dipoles and vice versa, with the interaction defined by a polarizability tensor. We propose a method for retrieving the polarizability tensor for subwavelength Willis acoustic scatterers using a finite set of scattering amplitudes. We relate the polarizability tensor to standard T-matrix and S-matrix scattering formalisms. This leads to an explicit method for retrieving the components of the polarizability tensor in terms of a small set of scattered pressure data in the near or far field. Numerical examples demonstrate the retrieval method for one- and two-dimensional configurations.
Effect of hydrothermal carbonization temperature on pH, dissociation constants, and acidic functional groups on hydrochar from cellulose and wood

Abstract The aims of this work were to quantify chemical states associated with the pH, dissociation constants, and pH at point of zero charge (pHPZC) of hydrochar and to quantify the acidic functional groups on hydrochar surface. Hydrochars from cellulose and wood treated at 180, 220, and 260 °C with 30 min residence time were produced. Boehm titration was applied to analyze acidic functional groups and dissociation constants on hydrochar surfaces. FTIR spectroscopy was used to identify the functional groups qualitatively. The results of this study indicate that hydrochar becomes more acidic due to a larger number of acidic functional groups on the hydrochar surface with the increase of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) temperature. The total number of acidic functional groups increased from 20.5 ± 0.3 μmol/g to 1267.9 ± 22.5 μmol/g and 576.6 ± 7.8 μmol/g to 680.8 ± 18.8 μmol/g for cellulose and wood, respectively.
Multinomial Extension of Propensity Score Trimming Methods: A Simulation Study.

Crump et al. (Biometrika. 2009;96(1):187-199), Sturmer et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2010;172(7):843-854), and Walker et al. (Comp Eff Res. 2013;2013(3):11-20) proposed propensity score (PS) trimming methods as a means to improve efficiency (Crump) or reduce confounding (Sturmer and Walker). We generalized the trimming definitions by considering multinomial PSs, one for each treatment, and proved that these proposed definitions reduce to the original binary definitions when we have only 2 treatment groups. We then examined the performance of the proposed multinomial trimming methods in the setting of 3 treatment groups, in which subjects with extreme PSs more likely had unmeasured confounders. Inverse probability of treatment weights, matching weights, and overlap weights were used to control for measured confounders. All 3 methods reduced bias regardless of the weighting methods in most scenarios. Multinomial Sturmer and Walker trimming were more successful in bias reduction when the 3 treatment groups had very different sizes (10:10:80). Variance reduction, seen in all methods with inverse probability of treatment weights but not with matching weights or overlap weights, was more successful with multinomial Crump and Sturmer trimming. In conclusion, our proposed definitions of multinomial PS trimming methods were beneficial within our simulation settings that focused on the influence of unmeasured confounders.
Core Logic: A Conspectus

This chapter presents an ‘absolutist’ view about logic—Core Logic. Core Logic is relevant, in a sense heretofore not satisfactorily explicated. The so-called loss of unrestricted transitivity of deduction in Core Logic brings with it epistemic gain. Core Logic suffices for Intuitionistic Mathematics, Classical Mathematics, the hypothetico-deductive testing of scientific theories against empirical evidence, and the reasoning involved in the logical and semantic paradoxes. Core Logic is the minimal inviolable core of logic that is needed, and suffices, for rational belief revision. Core Logic is the logic of ‘conceptual constitution’: it suffices for neo-logicist derivation of number-theoretic axioms from deeper logical principles governing the operator #xΦ(x) (the number of Φs). Core Logic has the nice property that its natural deductions and sequent proofs are structurally isomorphic, and it is obtained by smoothly generalizing an inferential reading of the truth-tables. There is an automated proof-finder for (propositional) Core Logic, whose decision problem is PSPACE-complete (like that of Intuitionistic Logic). Any classical core proof provides a means of ‘quasi-’effectively transforming any verifications of its premises, relative to a model M, into a verification of its conclusion, relative to M.
Development of Some Analytical Fracture Mechanics Models for Pipeline Girth Welds

Analytical models based on fracture mechanics technology are developed to establish predicted critical defect sizes for sharp, circumferential defects in pressurized pipe. These models are only intended to provide a theoretical basis for establishing predicted critical defect sizes. The general problem considered here is that of a surface-defect in a plate; that is, the flat plate analogy is used here for a pipeline. Failure is considered to occur when the ligament ruptures and provides a leakage path. The fracture mechanics model used, called the collapsed ligament model, is based on the work of Erdogan and Bakioglu, which is in turn based on the Dugdale model. The collapsed ligament model assumes plastic collapse in the depth direction but any fracture mechanics model in the length direction. To illustrate the use of these theoretical models for defects in pressurized pipes, curves are derived that show the predicted critical defect sizes. In these curves, the defect depth is plotted versus the defect length for a given set of material properties and applied stress. Defects having sizes that fall below this curve are not expected to extend. On the other hand, it is assumed that defects with sizes which fall above the curve will extend.
Selective C–H Bond Activation via NOx-Mediated Generation of Strong H-Abstractors

Mechanistic details and product distributions for C3H8–O2 reactions catalyzed by gas-phase NOx species are compared to reactions on solid V2O5 catalysts. C3H8 conversions are greatly enhanced by ad...
Outcomes after high-dose radiation in management of neuroendocrine neoplasms.

616Background: In this study, we analyze outcomes after the use of high-dose radiation therapy (RT) in management of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) at a high-volume center. Methods: We performed a...
Effect of continuous cooling on inhibition and attention while wearing firefighter's PPE in a hot environment.

Firefighting is physically and mentally strenuous, requiring rapid, appropriate decision-making in hot environments. Intact cognitive function is imperative to firefighters’ effectiveness and safet...
Electrical monitoring of saline tracers to reveal subsurface flow pathways in a flat ditch-drained field

Abstract Time-lapse electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) combined with salt tracers can enhance our understanding of subsurface flow and transport in ditch-drained agroecosystems. In a nearly level field adjacent to a drainage ditch, we installed 192 electrodes in a 72-m2 plot along with five hydrometric stations to enable time-lapse ERI monitoring during storms. Immediately prior to a wintertime rainstorm, we applied 5 kg of KBr to a shallow trench located roughly 11 m upgradient from the ditch. Antecedent conditions prior to the storm were wet, assuring a hydrologically connected state that favored tracer dissolution and movement in the subsurface. We monitored the evolution of the tracer plume with ERI over a seven-day period. Four-dimensional (4D) delineation of precipitation and tracer transport using time-lapse ERI showed that the tracer plume moved preferentially downward through a discontinuity in the argillic horizon within the first 57 hrs. Over the following 79 hrs, the tracer plume exhibited steady, lateral movement towards the drainage ditch within a more permeable sandy horizon situated just below the argillic. A spatial moment analysis of logarithmic changes in conductivity in the sand layer revealed seepage velocities ranging from 0.0027 to 0.0482 m d−1; these values were positively correlated with hydraulic gradients, suggesting laminar flow processes typical of sandy aquifers. Increasing groundwater velocities with hydraulic gradients suggest that solute transfers from groundwater to ditch are likely to be faster in storms, especially during wet periods. Even so, predominantly slow lateral transport within the sandy horizon, even during storms, indicates that critical source areas of pollutant loss are likely within a few meters of the ditch.
Effect of Concussions on National Football League Quarterback Performance

Background: Sports-related concussion (SRC) rates are higher in American football than any other sport; therefore, the effects of SRCs on professional football players is a prevalent topic. Previous research has shown that sustaining an SRC has negative financial and overall career outcomes for athletes and may cause performance decrements after an athlete returns to play, however, the results of previous research regarding athlete performance after returning from an SRC are mixed. While some studies found that player performance in the National Football League (NFL) was unaffected upon returning from an SRC, evidence also suggests significant scoring reductions in offensive players. Although previous research has found that NFL running backs and wide receivers perform at levels similar to their performance before sustaining an SRC, little is known about quarterback performance after an SRC. There is also evidence that SRCs decrease neurocognitive performance, a quality that is crucial, especially for quarterbacks. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine changes in NFL quarterback performances upon return to play from an SRC. Method: Quarterback ratings (QBRs) and concussion data from 2012-2015 were used to determine if changes occurred in NFL quarterback performance following an SRC. Results: QBRs decreased by 13.3 points (p = 0.014) after quarterbacks return from an SRC. Conclusions: Changes in on-field performance for NFL quarterbacks after sustaining an SRC could be the result of neurocognitive decrements that impact quick reaction and decision-making skills, which may have greater impacts on quarterbacks than other positions.
The Socioecological Model as a framework for exploring factors influencing childhood immunization uptake in Lagos state, Nigeria.

Nigeria is one of the ten countries globally that account for 62% of under- and unvaccinated children worldwide. Despite several governmental and non-governmental agencies’ interventions, Nigeria has yet to achieve significant gains in childhood immunization coverage. This study identifies intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy-level factors that influence childhood immunization uptake from various stakeholders’ perspectives using the Socioecological Model (SEM). Using the Socioecological Model as a guiding framework, we conducted ten focus group sessions with mothers/caregivers and community leaders residing in Lagos state and nine semi-structured interviews with healthcare workers who provide routine immunization services in Lagos state primary healthcare facilities. We performed a qualitative analysis of focus groups and semi-structured interviews using deductive coding methods. The study sample included 44 mothers/caregivers and 24 community leaders residing in Lagos State, Nigeria, and 19 healthcare workers (routine immunization focal persons) working in the primary healthcare setting in Lagos state. Study participants discussed factors at each level of the SEM that influence childhood immunization uptake, including intrapersonal (caregivers’ immunization knowledge, caregivers’ welfare and love of child/ren), interpersonal (role of individual relationships and social networks), organizational (geographical and financial access to health facilities, health facilities attributes, staff coverage, and healthcare worker attributes), community (community outreaches and community resources), and policy-level (free immunization services and provision of child immunization cards). Several factors were intertwined, such as healthcare workers’ education of caregivers on immunization and caregivers’ knowledge of vaccination. The reciprocity of the findings across the Socioecological Model levels emphasizes the importance of developing multi-pronged interventions that operate at multiple levels of the SEM. Our results can inform the design of culturally appropriate and effective interventions to address Nigeria’s suboptimal immunization coverage.
A Phase I Trial of Neoadjuvant Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) Prior to Radical Prostatectomy (RP) in Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Many men with locally advanced prostate cancer who undergo RP develop recurrence and require additional therapy. We hypothesized that neoadjuvant SBRT followed by RP may be a convenient, safe, and effective method to provide multi-modality therapy. Herein, we report the results of our phase I trial of neoadjuvant SBRT followed by RP in locally advanced prostate cancer. MATERIALS/METHODS Men with high-risk and clinical node positive prostate cancer were enrolled between 3/2017-10/2017 on a single center phase I trial (NCT02946008). The primary endpoint was 30-day post-RP complications based on operative blood loss, length of stay, readmission, drain or catheter replacement, with a composite goal of ≤28% of patients experiencing a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), using a continual reassessment method. Dose level 0 and 1 delivered 30 Gy and 35 Gy in 5 fractions to the prostate/seminal vesicles, respectively. All patients received 25 Gy/5 fractions to the pelvic lymph nodes. RP was performed 4-10 weeks after SBRT. No hormone therapy was used. Acute and late toxicities were evaluated by CTCAE v.4.0. Quality of life (QoL) outcomes were obtained with the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-26). RESULTS Median follow-up was 40 months (range, 33-44). Although the study was deemed safe by the 30-day primary endpoint (25% of patients experienced a DLT), the trial was stopped early after enrollment of 16 patients (38 originally planned) due to onset of late adverse events. RP was performed at a median of 6 weeks (range, 5-10). No grade 3 toxicities occurred during or post-SBRT/pre-RP. Post-RP, grade 3+ GU and GI toxicities occurred in 75% and 25% of patients, respectively. Two patients required cystectomy and urinary diversion ≥2 years post-RP. Mean EPIC QoL scores at baseline, post-SBRT/pre-RP, 3 months, 12 months and 24 months post-RP for urinary incontinence: 90 (82-99), 91 (84-97), 14 (5-22), 25 (7-42), and 42 (17-68); sexual function: 70 (54-85), 67 (50-83), 7 (2-12), 12 (5-20), 22 (10-34). No patients reported bothersome rectal bleeding. Seven patients (43%) had a biochemical recurrence, and five patients (31%) developed distant metastases. No patients developed a local or regional recurrence. CONCLUSION Neoadjuvant SBRT to 30-35 Gy in 5 fractions followed by RP results in unacceptably high toxicity and severe QoL declines. Locoregional only treatment intensification is oncologically inadequate, as nearly half of men having recurred by 3 years post-treatment. Given the success of definitive radiotherapy plus hormone therapy in locally advanced prostate cancer, the combination of neoadjuvant SBRT and RP should not be further pursued.
Treatment of Pearly Penile Papules with Fractionated CO2 Laser

Objective: Pearly penile papules are asymptomatic, benign growths distributed around the corona of the penis that can frequently be a source of significant psychological distress for the patient. Various treatment options are limited mainly by their complications. Design: Two case reports and a review of the literature. Setting: University academic setting. Participants: Two subjects of skin types I and V. Measurements: Visual inspection and photographs were used to determine clearance. Results: Two cases of pearly penile papules that were successfully treated using a fractionated CO2 laser. Conclusion: The fractionated CO2 laser is a well-tolerated treatment for pearly penile papules. Importantly, this modality is useful even in darker skin types.
Bacterial Toxins that Modulate Rho GTPase Activity

This chapter describes a distinct class of toxins that mimic endogenous regulatory factors of Rho GTPases. The actions of bacterial toxins are noncovalent and are therefore reversible. These ‘‘modulating toxins’’ encode domains that function as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) or as GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). The study of bacterial GEFs and GAPs is shedding new light on mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis. Binding of GTP to the nucleotide-free form of the GTPase is favored by a high cytoplasmic concentration of GTP relative to GDP. Three types of endogenous eukaryotic proteins regulate GTPase cycling between GTP-bound and GDPbound forms. The rate of GTP hydrolysis is accelerated by interaction with GAPs. GAPs act in two ways to increase GTPase activity. The first involves the positioning of a nucleophilic water molecule that attacks theγ-phosphate of GTP. Second, GAPs donate a catalytic arginine residue that is needed to complete the active site of the GTPase. Several toxins secreted by type III systems have GAP activity for Rho GTPases. These are SptP from Salmonella enterica, ExoS and ExoT from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and YopE from Yersinia pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. enterocolitica. A major difference between them is that ExoT possesses only about 0.2% of the catalytic ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of ExoS. The three-dimensional structures of ExoS bound to Rac1 and SptP bound to Rac1 in the presence of GDP have been determined.
Frontier Cities: Encounters at the Crossroads of Empire

Introduction: Local Crossroads, Global Networks, and Frontier Cities Jay Gitlin, Barbara -Berglund, and Adam Arenson I. PRECEDENTS: IMPERIAL PLANS AND COMMERCIAL VENTURES Chapter 1. The European Frontier City in Early Modern Asia: Goa, Macau, and Manila -Alan Gallay Chapter 2. Colonial Projects and Frontier Practices: The First Century of New Orleans History -Daniel H. Usner, Jr. II. URBAN SPACE AND FRONTIER REALITIES IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY Chapter 3. Insinuating Empire: Indians, Smugglers, and the Imperial Geography of Eighteenth-Century Montreal -Brett Rushforth Chapter 4. On the Edge of the West: The Roots and Routes of Detroit's Urban Eighteenth Century -Karen Marrero Chapter 5. People of the Pen, People of the Sword: Pittsburgh in 1774 -Carolyn Gilman III. NETWORKS AND FLOWS: THE FRONTIER CITY IN THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES Chapter 6. Grain Kings, Rubber Dreams, and Stock Exchanges: How Transportation and Communication Changed Frontier Cities -Elliott West Chapter 7. Frontier Ghosts Along the Urban Pacific Slope -Matthew Klingle IV. RENDERINGS: VISUALIZING AND READING THE FRONTIER CITY Chapter 8. Locating the Frontier City in Time and Space: Documenting a Passing Phenomenon -Timothy R. Mahoney Chapter 9. Mapping the Urban Frontier and Losing Frontier Cities -Peter J. Kastor Chapter 10. Private Libraries and Global Worlds: Books and Print Culture in Colonial St. Louis -John Hoover Epilogue. Frontier Cities and the Return of Globalization -Jay Gitlin, Barbara Berglund, and Adam Arenson Notes List of Contributors Index Acknowledgments
Sequential analysis of staphylococcal colonization of body surfaces of patients undergoing vascular surgery.

Slime-producing coagulase-negative staphylococci are pathogens in vascular surgery by virtue of their ability to adhere to and persist on prosthetic graft material. Inguinal and abdominal skin sites were cultured in 41 patients upon hospitalization, and slime production and antimicrobial susceptibility were assessed in all recovered staphylococcal isolates. Twenty-one patients eventually underwent lower-extremity revascularization. In the operative population, cultures were also obtained on the day of surgery and fifth postoperative day. All 21 patients received perioperative cefazolin. Of 327 coagulase-negative staphylococci recovered, Staphylococcus epidermidis (47%), S. haemolyticus (21%), and S. hominis (10%) were the predominant isolates. Slime-producing coagulase-negative staphylococci were recovered from 17 of 21 patients at admission but only from 8 of 21 patients on day 5 postoperation (P less than 0.05). S. epidermidis isolates demonstrated increasing multiple resistance from admission to 5 days postoperation to methicillin, gentamicin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (P less than 0.05). All coagulase-negative staphylococcal isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin and vancomycin. Slime-producing capability was not associated with increased methicillin resistance for the recovered isolates. The data demonstrate that patients enter the hospital colonized with slime-producing strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci and that during hospitalization the staphylococcal skin burden shifts from a predominately susceptible to a resistant microbial population, which may enhance the importance of slime production as a risk factor in lower-extremity revascularization. Images
Plateletpheresis for postsplenectomy rebound thrombocytosis in a patient with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura on romiplostim

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disease in which IgG-coated platelets are removed from circulation by the spleen, and platelet production is impaired due to increased thrombopoietin (TPO) clearance. Romiplostim, a novel TPO-mimetic agent, is approved for patients with ITP that are unresponsive to traditional treatments. However, there is little experience when using this drug before splenectomy. We describe herein the case of a young female with chronic ITP who was treated with romiplostim, underwent splenectomy shortly thereafter, and required plateletpheresis for postoperative rebound thrombocytosis with concomitant neurologic symptoms. J. Clin. Apheresis 28:321–324, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DART: the Designer's Augmented Reality Toolkit

This demonstration highlights the Designer's Augmented Reality Toolkit (DART), a system that allows users to easily create augmented reality (AR) experiences. Over the past year our research has focused on the creation of this toolkit that can be used by technologists, designers, and students alike to rapidly prototype AR applications. Current approaches to AR development involve extensive programming and content creation as well as knowledge of technical topics involving cameras, trackers, and 3D geometry. The result is that it is very difficult even for technologists to create AR experiences. Our goal was to eliminate these obstacles that prevent such users from being able to experiment with AR. The DART system is based on the Macromedia Director multimedia-programming environment, the de facto standard for multimedia content creation. DART uses the familiar Director paradigms of a score, sprites and behaviors to allow a user to visually create complex AR applications. DART also provides low-level support for the management of trackers, sensors, and camera via a Director plug-in Xtra. This demonstration will show the wide range of AR and other types of multimedia applications that can be created with DART, and visitors will have the opportunity to use DART to create their own experiences.
The racemization of complex ions on activated carbon—IV: Study of conditions for activation of sugar carbon

Abstract The conditions for the activation of sugar carbon for the racemization of d -K[Co(EDTA)]. 2H 2 O have been investigated. The activity of the carbon increased with the number of activations and was greatest when the carbon was ignited in air and cooled in N 2 .
The evolution of Flight Management Systems

In the 12 years since Flight Management Systems first became standard equipment on commercial aircraft, this category of avionic equipment has experienced exceptional growth in features and functionality. There have also been significant differences between the various "species" of systems that were developed for different aircraft and for different aircraft manufacturers. This paper explores the reasons for the differences and describes what the main differences are. It also describes the numerous evolutionary changes that have taken place in each family of systems. Finally, how this trend is expected to continue into the future is discussed. >
Characterization of Circle Cliffs tar sands: 2. Application of the e.p.r. technique to paramagnetic metal ions

Abstract In the second of a two-part investigation, the results of an e.p.r. study of the paramagnetic metal ions in the bitumen and mineral components of Circle Cliffs tar sand are reported. Analysis of a spectrum observed at g ≈ 2 in the bitumen component and assigned to V4+ shows that vanadium originates in the vanadyl etioporphyrin complex. A computer simulation of a complex exhibiting characteristics of the Mn2+ ion, which is observed in the mineral component at g ≈ 2, is shown to arise from manganese in dolomite. A broad feature at g ≈ 4 in the mineral spectrum is identified as Fe3+ located at sites in kaolinite clay. Finally, a very broad band underlying the manganese spectrum at g ≈ 2 is tentatively identified as originating with amorphous iron oxides coating clay particles. The results demonstrate the utility of e.p.r. in not only identifying important metallic ions but also establishing the organic or inorganic complexes in which they occur.