cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering optical properties of semiconductor metafilm superabsorbers

Light absorption in ultrathin layer of semiconductor has been considerable interests for many years due to its potential applications in various optical devices. In particular, there have been great efforts to engineer the optical properties of the film for the control of absorption spectrums. Whereas the isotropic thin films have intrinsic optical properties that are fixed by materials’ properties, metafilm that are composed by deep subwavelength nano-building blocks provides significant flexibilities in controlling the optical properties of the designed effective layers. Here, we present the ultrathin semiconductor metafilm absorbers by arranging germanium (Ge) nanobeams in deep subwavelength scale. Resonant properties of high index semiconductor nanobeams play a key role in designing effective optical properties of the film. We demonstrate this in theory and experimental measurements to build a designing rule of efficient, controllable metafilm absorbers. The proposed strategy of engineering optical properties could open up wide range of applications from ultrathin photodetection and solar energy harvesting to the diverse flexible optoelectronics.
NASA's Space Launch System Marks Critical Design Review

With completion of its Critical Design Review (CDR) in 2015, NASA is deep into the manufacturing and testing phases of its new Space Launch System (SLS) for beyond-Earth exploration. This CDR was the first in almost 40 years for a NASA human launch vehicle and marked another successful milestone on the road to the launch of a new era of deep space exploration. The review marked the 90-percent design-complete, a final look at the design and development plan of the integrated vehicle before full-scale fabrications begins and the prelude to the next milestone, design certification. Specifically, the review looked at the first of three increasingly capable configurations planned for SLS. This "Block I" design will stand 98.2 meters (m) (322 feet) tall and provide 39.1 million Newtons (8.8 million pounds) of thrust at liftoff to lift a payload of approximately 70 metric tons (154,000 pounds). This payload is more than double that of the retired space shuttle program or other current launch vehicles. It dramatically increases the mass and volume of human and robotic exploration. Additionally, it will decrease overall mission risk, increase safety, and simplify ground and mission operations - all significant considerations for crewed missions and unique, high-value national payloads. The Block 1 SLS will launch NASA's Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) on an uncrewed flight beyond the moon and back and the first crewed flight around the moon. The current design has a direct evolutionary path to a vehicle with a 130t lift capability that offers even more flexibility to reduce planetary trip times, simplify payload design cycles, and provide new capabilities such as planetary sample returns. Every major element of SLS has hardware in production or testing, including flight hardware for the Exploration 1 (EM-1) test flight. In fact, the SLS MPCV-to-Stage-Adapter (MSA) flew successfully on the Exploration Flight Test (EFT) 1 launch of a Delta IV and Orion spacecraft in December 2014. This paper will discuss these and other technical and programmatic successes and challenges over the past year and provide a preview of work ahead before the first flight of this new capability.
Values of PCT,hs-CRP and WBC count in early diagnosis and treatment of neonatal cellulitis

Objective: To explore the values of procalcitonin( PCT),high- sensitive C- reactive protein( hs- CRP) and white blood cell( WBC) count in early diagnosis and treatment of neonatal cellulitis. Methods: Sixty children with acute cellulitis were selected as case group,including 30 children treated with incision and drainage and 30 children treated with acupuncture and drainage. Sixty healthy neonates were selected as control group during the same period. The values of PCT,hs- CRP and WBC count were recorded,and clinical curative effects were observed. Results: The total effective rates of incision and drainage group and acupuncture and drainage group were93. 3% and 86. 7%,respectively,there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups( P 0. 05). Before treatment,PCT,hs- CRP and WBC count in case group were( 4. 8 ± 2. 4) g / L,( 11. 8 ± 5. 6) mg / L and( 16. 8 ± 5. 2) × 109/ L,respectively;PCT,hs- CRP and WBC count in control group were( 0. 6 ± 0. 3) g / L,( 0. 8 ± 0. 2) mg / L and( 10. 2 ± 1. 8) × 109/ L,respectively,there were statistically significant differences between the two groups( P 0. 05),PCT,hs- CRP and WBC count after treatment in case group were statistically significantly lower than those before treatment( P 0. 05). Conclusion: PCT,hs- CRP and WBC count are effective indicators in early diagnosis of neonatal cellulitis,the curative effects of acupuncture and drainage are significant,which can be used as new treatment methods for cellulitis.
The roles of oxygen delivery and electrolyte levels in the dehydrational death ofXenopus laevis

1. In order to determine mechanisms which extend desiccation tolerance in terrestrial anurans, a study of the physiological processes failing in dehydrational death was undertaken withXenopus laevis. At various degrees of dehydration, measurements of resting and active metabolic rates, resting and active heart rates, resting arterio-venous blood oxygen contents (a-v differences), and resting whole animal lactate levels were made to assess cardiovascular-respiratory capabilities.X. laevis was also subjected to various osmotic and ionic loads in order to assess the roles which total osmotic pressure and sodium ion may play in dehydrational death and the animals' ability to consume oxygen. 2. Maximal oxygen consumption rates (\(\dot V_{O_2 }\)max) significantly decreased following evaporative water losses of 20 and 30% of initial body weight when compared to values for hydrated toads. Routine metabolic rates were unaffected by dehydration. 3. Resting heart rates increased with increasing dehydration, while maximal heart rates declined. There was no difference between resting and active rates at a loss of approximately 25% of original body weight. 4. At critical activity point (CAP, the inability to right) there was a significant increase in whole animal lactate, indicating an inability to supply resting metabolic demands aerobically. 5. Following dehydrations to CAP, a-v differences in blood oxygen content increased from values in normally hydrated frogs and venous saturation decreased, indicating a limitation in oxygen delivery. 6. A generalized decline in aerobic metabolic capabilities measured as\(\dot V_{O_2 }\)max could be elicited by salt loadingXenopus. Hematocrit was unchanged in these experiments, thus indicating an intrinsic osmotic effect independent of viscosity effects. 7. The nonpermeant osmotic concentration at CAP chieved either by sucrose or sodium chloride load was around 440 mosM. This was the same nonpermeant osmotic concentration at CAP in normally dehydrated frogs. 8. A critical problem during dehydration inX. laevis appears to be a curtailment of circulatory oxygen delivery capabilities eventually leading to generalized anoxia. The ultimate reason for this debilitation seems tied to a nonpermeant plasma osmotic concentration of around 440 mosM. Increasing viscosity may accentuate this phenomenon but it is not entirely responsible for it.
Familiarity Vs Trust: A Comparative Study of Domain Scientists' Trust in Visual Analytics and Conventional Analysis Methods

Combining interactive visualization with automated analytical methods like statistics and data mining facilitates data-driven discovery. These visual analytic methods are beginning to be instantiated within mixed-initiative systems, where humans and machines collaboratively influence evidence-gathering and decision-making. But an open research question is that, when domain experts analyze their data, can they completely trust the outputs and operations on the machine-side? Visualization potentially leads to a transparent analysis process, but do domain experts always trust what they see? To address these questions, we present results from the design and evaluation of a mixed-initiative, visual analytics system for biologists, focusing on analyzing the relationships between familiarity of an analysis medium and domain experts' trust. We propose a trust-augmented design of the visual analytics system, that explicitly takes into account domain-specific tasks, conventions, and preferences. For evaluating the system, we present the results of a controlled user study with 34 biologists where we compare the variation of the level of trust across conventional and visual analytic mediums and explore the influence of familiarity and task complexity on trust. We find that despite being unfamiliar with a visual analytic medium, scientists seem to have an average level of trust that is comparable with the same in conventional analysis medium. In fact, for complex sense-making tasks, we find that the visual analytic system is able to inspire greater trust than other mediums. We summarize the implications of our findings with directions for future research on trustworthiness of visual analytic systems.
Mutation, Eugenics, and the Boundaries of Science.

In my recent Perspectives article, I reviewed what we know about human mutation rates and their effects, and I highlighted the potential long-term consequences of established goals in human medicine ([Lynch 2016][1]). Given the complexity of the personal and societal issues, with conflicting short-
Carbon Dynamics and Sequestration in Urban Turfgrass Ecosystems

Urbanization is a global trend. Turfgrass covers 1.9% of land in the continental US, occupying about 16 million ha. In this article, we review existing literature associated with carbon (C) pools, sequestration, and nitrous oxide emission of urban turfgrass ecosystems. Turfgrasses exhibit significant carbon sequestration (0.34–1.4 Mg ha−1 year−1) during the first 25–30 years after turf establishment. Several studies have reported that residential turfgrass soil can store up to twofold higher soil organic carbon (SOC) content than agricultural soils. Published research suggests that the dynamics of nitrogen (N) is controlled by C transformation. Turfgrass areas have high levels of SOC and microbial biomass creating a carbon-based “sink” for inorganic N. Therefore, lower than “expected” nitrate leaching and N2O emissions have been measured in the majority of the experiments carried out for turfgrass ecosystems. Increased SOC in turfgrass soil can result from: (1) returning and recycling clippings, (2) appropriate and efficient-fertilizer use, and (3) irrigation based on turfgrass needs. Some turfgrass management practices (such as fertilization, mowing, and irrigation) carry a carbon “cost”. Therefore turfgrass’s contribution to a sink for carbon in soils must be discounted by fuel and energy expenses and fertilizer uses in maintaining turf, and the flux of N2O. More work is needed to evaluate the carbon sequestration, total carbon budget, and fluxes of the other greenhouse gases in turfgrass systems.
Applying Human Ecology to Design: From Paradigm to Practice

As principles of sustainable development increasingly govern contemporary urban design, the relationship between human development and its surrounding environment becomes paramount. Human ecology p...
TEM characterization of irradiated U-7Mo/Mg dispersion fuel

Abstract This paper presents the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization on neutron-irradiated samples taken from the low-flux and high-flux sides of the same fuel plate with U-7Mo fuel particles dispersed in Mg matrix with aluminum alloy Al6061 as cladding material that was irradiated edge-on to the core in the Advanced Test Reactor. The corresponding local fission density and fission rate of the fuel particles and the average fuel-plate centerline temperature for the low-flux and high-flux samples are estimated to be 3.7 × 10 21 f/cm 3 , 7.4 × 10 14 f/cm 3 /s and 123 °C, and 5.5 × 10 21 f/cm 3 , 11.0 × 10 14 f/cm 3 /s and 158 °C, respectively. Complex interaction layers developed at the Al-Mg interface, consisting of Al 3 Mg 2 and Al 12 Mg 17 along with precipitates of MgO, Mg 2 Si and FeAl 5.3 . No interaction between Mg matrix and U-Mo fuel particle was identified. For the U-Mo fuel particles, at low fission density, small elongated bubbles wrapped around the clean areas with a fission gas bubble superlattice, which suggests that bubble coalescence is an important mechanism for converting the fission gas bubble superlattice to large bubbles. At high fission density, no bubbles or porosity were observed in the Mg matrix, and pockets of residual fission gas bubble superlattice were observed in the U-Mo fuel particle interior.
We All Die, but None of Us is Dead

This chapter might strike readers as idiosyncratic and may not be taken seriously. That it may not be taken seriously is too bad insofar as its message is strictly what it says, namely that everybody dies, but nobody is dead. As a consequence, any writer or speaker who writes or says “Socrates is dead” or any other person who has “crossed the bar” is dead. Looking to the arguments and affirmations of Socrates, Epicurus, and Descartes, among others, the argument is that when an embodied being ceases to exist, that being either enjoys the life that many theists promise or is nothing. If the being is declared “dead” but is nothing, then no adjective can be correctly predicated of it.
Fabrication and characterization of porous, conductive, monolithic Ti4O7 electrodes

Abstract Highly porous and conductive monolithic electrodes have found various electrochemical applications in water treatment and energy storage and conversion. In this work we have successfully synthesized monolithic Ti4O7 electrodes by two production methods—mechanical pressing of Ti4O7 powders and gel casting of TiO2 powders followed by sintering and reduction to Ti4O7. The electrodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Hg porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Mott-Schottky analysis, and sweep voltammetry. The removal of oxygen atoms from the TiO2 precursor resulted in n-type doping behavior, and XRD measurements confirmed the electrodes consisted of high purity Ti4O7. Porosimetry analyses indicated the electrodes had high porosities (44–48%) and low bulk densities (∼2.0 g cm−3), which allowed for high permeate fluxes of up to 801 ± 81 LMH bar−1, when operated in a flow-through mode. The efficient mass transfer achieved in the porous electrodes resulted in high rate constants for the oxidation of Fe(CN)64− (kobs = 3.0–4.5 × 10−4 m s−1). The electrodes also showed high rates of removal for oxalic acid and terephthalic acid, which were probes for direct oxidation and OH production, respectively. Chemical etching of the electrodes increased the electroactive surface area by approximately 2-fold, which increased the capacitance (30 mF cm−2) and reactivity of the electrodes towards outer sphere electron transfer reactions and the production of OH by the same factor. These results indicated that the Ti4O7 monolithic electrodes could enhance charge transfer reactions in various electrochemical applications.
Immunosenescence and Cutaneous Malignancies

The increased incidence of skin malignancies in the elderly can be attributed to a myriad of environmental and genetic factors. Among these are the not fully understood cellular and molecular changes of immunosenescence. Understanding how the immune system is dysregulated in advanced age, as well as how it interfaces with the multifaceted roles of the immune system in carcinogenesis and neoplastic control, will aid in developing effective immune strategies and improved therapeutic interventions for skin malignancies in the aging population.
Kentucky Bluegrass Full Sun Cultivar Evaluation Trial

This is the initial establishment data from Kentucky bluegrass growing in full sun conditions. This is a National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) ancillary trial, and is being conducted at several research stations in the United States. It contains 89 seeded cultivars, including a number of new experimental cultivars. Iowa State is conducting both a sun and shade setting of this trial.
Diagnosis and Management of Intrahepatic and Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinomas (CC) are rare tumors which usually present late and are often difficult to diagnose and treat. CCs are categorized as intrahepatic, hilar, or extrahepatic. Epidemiologic studies suggest that the incidence of intrahepatic CCs may be increasing worldwide. In this chapter, we review the risk factors, clinical presentation, and management of cholangiocarcinoma.
NeuralNetTools: Visualization and Analysis Tools for Neural Networks

Supervised neural networks have been applied as a machine learning technique to identify and predict emergent patterns among multiple variables. A common criticism of these methods is the inability to characterize relationships among variables from a fitted model. Although several techniques have been proposed to "illuminate the black box", they have not been made available in an open-source programming environment. This article describes the NeuralNetTools package that can be used for the interpretation of supervised neural network models created in R. Functions in the package can be used to visualize a model using a neural network interpretation diagram, evaluate variable importance by disaggregating the model weights, and perform a sensitivity analysis of the response variables to changes in the input variables. Methods are provided for objects from many of the common neural network packages in R, including caret, neuralnet, nnet, and RSNNS. The article provides a brief overview of the theoretical foundation of neural networks, a description of the package structure and functions, and an applied example to provide a context for model development with NeuralNetTools. Overall, the package provides a toolset for neural networks that complements existing quantitative techniques for data-intensive exploration.
Supporting ELLs’ Use of Hybrid Language and Argumentation During Science Instruction

To bridge the gap for English language learners (ELLs) in science, hybrid language affords the opportunity for students to communicate through various modes, including natural language, visual repr...
Measuring the distribution of household income, consumption and wealth

This chapter addresses the challenges posed by measuring vertical inequalities in household income, consumption and wealth. It takes stock of international databases on economic inequality, highlighting the fact that they often display not only different levels of inequality but, for some countries, diverging trends as well. The chapter also discusses the challenges in measuring inequality because of under-coverage and under-reporting of top incomes (the “missing rich”) and approaches to correct for the problem. The shortcomings of typical welfare metrics used to measure economic inequality in international databases (disposable income and/or consumption expenditures) are also discussed, stressing the need of a more comprehensive metric, using an income variable that includes social transfers in-kind (especially for education and healthcare) and adds the effect of consumption taxes and subsidies. The chapter makes several recommendations to address the existing shortcomings in the measurement of income and wealth inequality.
Integrating nutrition services into health care systems platforms: Where are we and where do we go from here

Integrating maternal-child nutrition into health care services is a desirable but complex task that requires implementation research studies. This special supplement, entitled "How to Strengthen Nutrition into the Health Platform: Programmatic Evidence and Experience from Low- and Middle-Income Countries" presents a collection of mixed-methods research and case studies mostly conducted in sub-Saharan Africa that help us gain a better understanding of the barriers and facilitators for this integration to happen. Collectively, the evidence confirms that integrating nutrition services as part of health care systems and other platforms is feasible, but for that to be successful, there is a need to address strong barriers related to all six key health care systems building blocks identified by the World Health Organization. These include financing, health information systems, health workforce, supplies and technology, governance, and service delivery. Moving forward, it is crucial that more robust implementation science research is conducted within the rough and tumble of real-world programming to better understand how to best integrate and scale up nutrition services across health care systems and other platforms based on dynamic complex adaptive systems frameworks. This research can help better understand how the key health care systems building blocks need to interlock and communicate with each other to improve the policymakers' ability to integrate and scale up nutrition services in a more timely and cost-effective way.
Pornography in the current digital technology environment: An overview of a special issue on pornography

Pornography use is a prevalent behavior that involves individual differences in types and patterns of consumption and potential positive and negative impacts. From an individual and public health p...
How Firms Competitively Became Anti-competitive: The Diffusion of Noncompete Agreements, 1996-2015

This paper examines organizational-, sub-population, and population-level factors to explain rapid and widespread diffusion of contested practices whose legitimacy and effectiveness are debatable. ...
Alternative Use for the Refined Consensus Model of Pedagogical Content Knowledge: Suggestions for Contextualizing Chemistry Education Research

The primary goal of chemistry education research should be to improve the teaching and learning of chemistry; however, in some cases, the implications of research are too abstract to readily apply to the classroom. In this commentary, we provide suggestions to help researchers contextualize their work for practitioners, asserting the utility of situating research using the framework outlined in the refined consensus model of pedagogical content knowledge, which describes the dynamic interactions among different knowledge bases as instructors engage in planning, teaching, and reflecting. Although it provides a productive avenue for research, the premise of this paper is not to advocate for more studies designed using this framework; rather, a suggestion is made to consult this framework during dissemination, that is, when considering the relevance of the results for practitioners.
AB012. Characteristics of malignancy-associated dermatomyositis in hospitalized patients: a nationally representative retrospective cohort study

Background Dermatomyositis (DM) is well-known to be associated with underlying malignancy. Although numerous studies have explored malignancy in DM population-based studies, little is known about malignancy-associated DM (MADM) in hospitalized inpatients.
Faculty of 1000 and VIVO: Invisible Colleges and Team Science

Within the traditional model of scholarly communications, "invisible colleges" facilitate a process of social diffusion that fuels the growth of scientific specialties. This diffusion of ideas operates not through published journal articles but rather through informal communications between researchers. In recent years, researchers have availed themselves of collaborative Web 2.0 forums such as blogs, wikis, and social networking sites to meet their need for increasingly sophisticated vehicles of informal communication. Examinations of the database Faculty of 1000 and the semantic web application VIVO help to illustrate how invisible colleges have migrated to a networked environment where they can play an even stronger role within scholarly communications. This paper will argue that the enhanced social diffusion enabled by such collaborative online venues offers an opportunity for researchers globally to accelerate the pace of innovation in an increasingly open era of team science.
Optimization of Taste-Masked (–)-Oleocanthal Effervescent Formulation with Potent Breast Cancer Progression and Recurrence Suppressive Activities

S-(–)-Oleocanthal (OC), a naturally occurring phenolic secoiridoid exclusively found in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), is a potential nutraceutical therapeutic for inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and many malignancies, especially breast cancer (BC). The oral delivery of OC is challenging because of its irritative, bitter, and pungent taste and exceptional chemistry, including two reactive aldehydes, phenolic, and ester groups. OC irritation did not correlate with CO2-induced irritation, and hence, OC was not exerting generalized acid-sensing irritation. The objective of this study was to develop an effervescent formulation of OC with an effective CO2-induced masked taste maintaining the efficacy against the estrogen receptor (ER) and HER2 positive BC. Several ratios of acid and carbonate sources were screened, and five effervescent formulations EF1-EF5 were selected and prepared based on their pH and effervescence time. OC formulations were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, FT-IR spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy analyses. OC formulations exhibited acceptable flowability and effervescence time. Based on physical characteristics and improved OC release, formulation EF-2 was selected for subsequent studies. EF-2 showed effective OC taste masking, as suggested by electronic artificial tongue and mouse preference tests. EF-2 suppressed more than 70% of the hormone and HER2-positive BT-474 BC cell growth in a nude mouse xenograft model. Furthermore, EF-2 demonstrated significant inhibition of BT-474 tumor cell locoregional recurrence after primary tumor surgical excision. EF-2-treated mouse sera had significantly reduced CA 15-3 levels, the human BC recurrence marker, compared to the placebo control group at the end of the study. These results highlight the potential of the OC formulation EF-2 as a prospective nutraceutical for the control and prevention of ER+/HER+ BC progression and locoregional recurrence.
Cultural Repertoires of Consumption in Youth Veg-Community (a St. Petersburg Case)

Neo-tribe is a fluid community in modern societies exemplified by consumer groups. The article analyses the veg-community in Saint-Petersburg and discusses the boundaries of this urban fluid community. The case study was held in Saint-Petersburg. The «cultural food repertoire» notion was used to describe the veg-community. Based on the analysis of veg-repertoires, the boundaries of the community were demarcated through the definition of «close ones», «others» and «aliens». The article presents four types of veg-nutrition cultural repertoire: animal care, healthy lifestyle, religious development and self-development. Omnivores included in the practice of ethical consumption are defined as «others» by members of the veg-community. And omnivorous, hedonistic-oriented consumption is seen as «alien». The analysis suggests that communities formed among young people have a critical consumption basis.
Fuzzy-Clustering-Based Circular Topological Via Minimization in PCB Designs

It is necessary for reliability and yield to minimize the number of used vias on nets in printed circuit board (PCB) designs. To our knowledge, the proposed fuzzy-clustering-based algorithm is the first work for a general routing region with multiple-pin nets in k -layer circular topological via minimization ( k -CTVM). In this article, given the topological connections in a set of routing nets and a set of k available layers in a routing plane, first, all the multipin nets can be transformed into a set of two-pin nets by introducing a set of preassigned vias onto the branch points on multipin nets and a conflict graph can be constructed for a final set of two-pin nets. Furthermore, the probabilistic similarity between two connected vertices using the same color can be computed for the constrained vertex-coloring problem with k colors in a conflict graph. Next, based on the definition of the clustering distance between two connected vertices in a conflict graph, fuzzy graph clustering can be developed to obtain a fuzzy matrix on k clusters. Finally, all the given nets can be assigned onto the k available layers by introducing a set of necessary vias on two-pin nets and eliminating the unnecessary preassigned vias on multipin nets. Compared with the combination of Cong's algorithm and an iterative net postassignment, NetInsertion1 , in the k -CTVM problem, the experimental results show that our proposed fuzzy-clustering- based algorithm can use less CPU time to reduce 57.3% of the number of the total used vias for eight tested PCB designs. Compared with the combination of Yan's algorithm and an iterative net postassignment, NetInsertion2 , in the k -CTVM problem, the experimental results show that our proposed fuzzy-clustering-based algorithm can reduce 34.0% of the number of the total used vias for eight tested PCB designs.
Effect of dopamine and bromocriptine on rat ileal and colonic transport

Abstract Water and electrolyte transport were determined in rat ileum and colon using the single-pass perfusion technique. Intraperitoneal dopamine caused prompt stimulation of both ileal and colonic water absorption. The dopamine effect was mediated by both specific dopamine and α 2 -adrenergic receptors. Haloperidol, a specific dopamine antagonist, and yohimbine, an α 2 -adrenergic antagonist, inhibited the effect of dopamine in ileal absorption; both antagonists alone had no effect on basal water transport. Bromocriptine (intravenous and intraluminal) stimulated ileal and colonic water absorption, which was inhibited by haloperidol and yohimbine, and reversed cholera toxin-induced ileal secretion. Magnitude and time-courses of the increased water absorption in ileal loops inoculated with cholera toxin were the same as in loops, inoculated with saline, suggesting that bromocriptine acted to reverse cholera toxin-induced secretion by stimulating absorption. Bromocriptine had no effect on the cyclic adenosine monophosphate increase caused by cholera toxin. We conclude (a) dopamine stimulates water absorption in vivo in rat ileum and colon; (b) this dopamine effect is via specific dopamine and α 2 -receptors; (c) bromocriptine stimulates water absorption in ileum and colon and also acts by dopamine and α 2 -receptors; and (d) bromocriptine reverses cholera toxin-induced secretion.
Microbial Metabolite Fortifies the Immune Firewall.

Clearance of pathogens by Kupffer cells is an important innate immune process in the liver. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, McDonald et al. reveal that microbial-derived D-lactate promotes Kupffer-cell-mediated killing of circulating pathogens.
Middle Ear Viral Load Considerations in the COVID-19 Era: A Systematic Review.

Objective To systematically review the available medical literature to investigate the viral load in the middle ear and mastoid cavity and the potential risk of exposure to airborne viruses during otologic surgery. Data sources PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases. Study selection This review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Protocol. Data extraction Using the Boolean method and relevant search term combinations for terms "mastoid," "middle ear," "virus," "exposure" "COVID-19" "SARS-CoV-2." PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases were queried. A total of 57 abstracts were identified and screened by two independent reviewers. Following inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 studies were selected for the final analysis. Data synthesis Due to the heterogeneity of clinical data, a meta-analysis was not feasible. Results Rhinovirus, followed by respiratory syncytial virus are reported to be the most prevalent viruses in MEF samples but formal statistical analysis is precluded by the heterogeneity of the studies. Drilling was identified to have the highest risk for aerosol generation and therefore viral exposure during otologic Surgery. Conclusions The medical literature has consistently demonstrated the presence of nucleic acids of respiratory viruses involving the middle ear, including SARS-CoV2 in a recent postmortem study. Although no in vivo studies have been conducted, due to the likely risk of transmission, middle ear and mastoid procedures, particularly involving the use of a drill should be deferred, if possible, during the pandemic and enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) used if surgery is necessary.
The Effect of Patient and Hospital Characteristics on Total Costs of Peripheral Bypass in New York State.

Introduction:With the aging U.S. population, peripheral vascular procedures will become increasingly common. The objective of this study is to characterize the factors associated with increased tot...
The tangled web we weave: how humans influence predator-prey dynamics

Large carnivores like gray wolves (Canis lupus) play key roles in regulating ecosystem structure and function. After being functionally extirpated from the United States by the early 1900s, wolves have recently recolonized portions of their historic ranges and are increasingly coming into contact with a rapidly-growing human population. When carnivores encounter humans, the way they behave, and therefore the way they shape ecosystems, is likely to change. Unfortunately, our ability to predict how wolves will affect ecosystems in human-dominated areas is limited by an incomplete understanding of how and why carnivores respond to human influence. We are therefore investigating wolf kill sites across Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where we can disentangle the effects of multiple simultaneous human influences. Specifically, we are evaluating whether and how spatiotemporal patterns of wolf predation may change in response to unnatural physical infrastructure, disturbance from general human activity, potential threat of mortality, and human-altered prey distributions. Our ongoing field study will help managers anticipate effects of wolf predation in and around human-influenced areas while contributing novel information to theories of predation risk and predator-prey interactions. Featured photo by YNP on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/HGfKqs
Do thermal acclimation and an acute heat challenge alter myonuclear domain of control- and fast-growing quail?

Abstract Efforts to determine physiological traits that may render species resilient or susceptible to changing global temperatures have accelerated in recent years. Temperature is of critical importance to biological function; thus, climate change has the potential to severely affect all levels of biological organization in many species. For example, increases in environmental temperatures may alter muscle structure and function in birds. Myonuclear domain (MND), an under-studied aspect of avian muscle physiology that changes in response to thermal stress, is defined as the amount of cytoplasm within a muscle fiber that each nucleus is responsible for servicing. Here, we used two random bred lines of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) representing examples of control and fast growth rates. We used a factorial design to administer four treatment combinations to each line – an initial period of either heat-stress acclimation (Acclimation) or no acclimation (Not acclimated) followed by either a heat-stress challenge (HS) or no challenge (NC) after week 8 of age – to determine the effects of thermal acclimation and acute thermal stress on quail MND. We found a significant interaction between line * final treatment with fast-growing, HS birds demonstrating the lowest numbers of nuclei per mm of fiber, and Acclimated control-growing birds showing the highest numbers of nuclei per mm of fiber. There was a significant effect of line on MND with the fast-growing line having larger MNDs. Initial treatment with Not Acclimated birds showed larger MNDs. Additionally, control growing quail demonstrated positive correlations with fiber size, whereas fast growing quail did not. This may mean that nuclei in larger fibers of fast-growing quail may be functioning maximally, and that increases in temperature may also demonstrate similar effects.
A novel method for producing functionalized vesicles that efficiently deliver oligonucleotides in vitro and in vivo in mice

Nano-based delivery systems have greatly enhanced our ability to administer and target drugs and macromolecules to their therapeutic targets. Because of chemically modifying them and their functional effects on cells, oligonucleotide drugs have great therapeutic potential. Oligonucleotide drugs have off-target effects and stability issues, so they can be encapsulated functionalized vesicles with targeting ligands such as antibodies (Ab). Herein, we describe a novel, scalable and straightforward approach to produce functionalized vesicles, which we call the Functionalized Lipid Insertion Method. This method differs significantly from an older approach for producing functionalized vesicles referred to as the Detergent-Dialysis Method. The older method requires excess detergent and extensive dialysis over many hours to produce the functionalized vesicles. With the Functionalized Lipid Insertion Method, only the functionalized lipid is detergent-solubilized during the formation of the functionalized vesicle. The approach reduces the dialysis time, keeps the vesicle intact, and orients the functionalized lipid to improve targeting compared to the older method. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique demonstrates that vesicle size is sensitive to the initial solubilized component mixture by the older method. In contrast, functionalized vesicle size increases in size are consistent with functionalized lipid insertion into the vesicle. In vitro, functionalized vesicles using our approach are able to deliver oligonucleotides selectively and can functionally affect liver cancer HepG2 cells. Functionalized vesicles produced by this method can also achieve targeted delivery of oligonucleotides in mice without inducing a significant immune response through cytokine production or showing physical signs of an immune response. The industrial and therapeutic significance and implications of functionalized vesicles produced by our method are also discussed.
(112) Oriented Terfenol-D Composites

This paper describes the manufacture and testing of polymer matrix Terfenol-D particulate composites fabricated with a [112] preferred crystal orientation. The results demonstrate that crystal orientation permits higher saturation strain than previously obtained in particulate composites. Oriented particle composites were fabricated using needle shaped Terfenol-D particulate made from commercially available [112] textured polycrystals. A magnetic field applied during manufacture oriented the particles along their longest dimension. Three materials of 22, 36, and 49% particulate volume fraction, were produced and tested to obtain the magnetostriction at constant mechanical loads from 0.5 to 16 MPa. Results demonstrate that crystallographically oriented particle composites saturate at 1475 microstrain whereas the previous non-oriented particle composite saturates at 1150 microstrain. The authors attribute the increased magnetostriction to a predominance of particle orientation along the [112] crystal direction. Modulus measurements indicate that the composites can be described using an upper bound 1–3 composite model. Upper bound rule of mixtures models show that the 36% and 49% oriented particle composites exhibit 94% and 90% respectively of the predicted upper bound magnetostriction. Further rule of mixtures models are used to illustrate how applied stress increases the effective anisotropy in composites as a function of particulate volume fraction. The results demonstrate that by preferential orientation of particles, Terfenol-D particulate composite materials may be fabricated with magnetostriction properties close to that of bulk Terfenol-D.
From the Flat Earth to the Topology of Space-Time

Publisher Summary This chapter reveals that the three-dimensional space around is one of the most fundamental experiences. To turn this personal experience into a scientific concept, one has to perform a number of tasks. First, one has to describe in more detail the three-dimensional space experienced in everyday life. Second, one has to extend the concept to distances much larger than those of the immediate experience— that is, to astronomical distances. Third, one has to extend the concept to very small distances of the order of atomic and nuclear distances. One has been working on these tasks, since the beginning of science and there is not yet any end in sight. The concept of space has several roots in the Greek world. The best known one is the geometry of Euclid. This geometry and its critical analysis led in the nineteenth century to the concept of metric that in turn led to the particular concept of space-time, on which the general theory of relativity is based.
Living with fire: homeowner assessment of landscape values and defensible space in Minnesota and Florida, USA

Homeowners' preferences for vegetation and defensible space near their homes were documented for wildfire-prone areas in Florida and Minnesota (USA) through 80 in-depth interviews and home site visits. The dominant preference for 'natural' landscapes was articulated as valuing vegetated views, wildlife, recreation, quiet, solitude, and privacy. Homeowners recognized wildfire risk but varied in their perceptions of effective wildfire prevention measures and willingness to take actions to reduce their risk. Most supported prescribed burns, especially if fire experts who understand the local ecology and fire behavior conduct the burns.
Relationship between hourly extreme precipitation and local air temperature in the United States

[1] We examine the relationship between hourly extreme precipitation and daily mean temperature across the Contiguous United States (CONUS) during the period 1950–2009. Logarithmically-transformed hourly extreme precipitation generally increases approximately linearly with the daily mean temperature. At most (about 80%) of the stations, regression slopes between hourly extreme precipitation and daily mean temperature are higher than 7%, the approximate Clausius-Clapyron rate. Stations located in the western coastal region exhibit the lowest regression slopes, with median regression slopes less than 7%, while stations in the northern tier of the CONUS showed higher regression slopes, with median regression slope of 16%. More stations (75%) exhibit regression slopes higher than 7% in summer than in winter (65%). Stations in the southern U.S. have higher regression slopes in winter than in summer, whereas stations in the northern U.S. have higher slopes in summer. It seems physically implausible that the intensity of extreme rainfall events could be as sensitive to local temperature as reflected by the regression slopes. Hence, these large values at least partially may be a consequence of factors relating to temperature gradients as opposed to temperature in its own right.
Carnegie Mellon Online: Web-mediated education

Distributed education, Web-based instruction, virtual classes-these are all trends in applying technologies to education and learning. One effort at Carnegie Mellon to explore Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) has been through a system known as Carnegie Mellon Online. Online provides a technical infrastructure to deliver materials to our students both on and off campus. It is designed to deliver educational content and assess student competence in support of courses across the University's curriculum. The focus has been large, core, academic courses. We have built a course-neutral, database-driven, student-centered infrastructure that supports both Web-based course delivery and course management. In addition to delivering conventional Web-based hypertext and other media, the system generates customized content (e.g., assessments, feedback) for each individual student and tracks the student through a course while enforcing course specific rules and policies (e.g., topic prerequisites, time and place constraints for exams). The system is designed to be scalable to handle large numbers of courses and students. We describe our work to date, including our pedagogical motivations and our technical approach. We conclude with a discussion of how our approach differs from other uses of the Web in education.
Reliability and Validity of the Situational Confidence Questionnaire in an Adolescent Sample: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Item Response Theory.

The psychometric properties of the Situational Confidence Questionnaire were examined in an adolescent sample. An 8-factor model fit the data well. The average Cronbach alpha was 0.93.
Selecting Corpus-Semantic Models for Neurolinguistic Decoding

Neurosemantics aims to learn the mapping between concepts and the neural activity which they elicit during neuroimaging experiments. Different approaches have been used to represent individual concepts, but current state-of-the-art techniques require extensive manual intervention to scale to arbitrary words and domains. To overcome this challenge, we initiate a systematic comparison of automatically-derived corpus representations, based on various types of textual co-occurrence. We find that dependency parse-based features are the most effective, achieving accuracies similar to the leading semi-manual approaches and higher than any published for a corpus-based model. We also find that simple word features enriched with directional information provide a close-to-optimal solution at much lower computational cost.
Anatomy of the Placenta

The future shape of the discoid placenta is not visible in the early implantational stages. The earliest stage seen by this author was about ten days postconceptional, that is some three to five days postimplantation (Figure 1). The trophoblast was a loose aggregation of cells resembling tissue culture expiants. The trophoblast was seemingly random, with many open spaces and an irregular, hemorrhagic zone at the interface with the endometrial stroma. Delamination of prototrophoblastic cells from these anchors serve as the placental mesenchyme. This gives rise to angio-blasts, fibroblasts, and placental reticuloendothelial cells. Just after this same period, generally, but in some areas earlier, the distinction between cytotrophoblast and syncytial trophoblast becomes apparent (Figure 2). The open spaces or lacunae eventually coalesce into the intervillous space, with communication to the maternal vascular system at the sites of hemorrhagic leaks. This previllous stage is seen generally about the inner cell mass, the future embryo, which also shows axial and orientational differentiation during this period.