cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teacher Evaluations of Case Descriptions of LD Gifted Children

One hundred ninety-seven teachers of gifted children read a descriptive vignette of a hypothetical gifted student. Vignettes described a hypothetical gifted student labeled either learning disabled or nonhandicapped and from a low, middle, or high socioeconomic status background. Subjects rated their willingness to refer the described student for possible placement in a gifted program after reading the description. Results indicated that teachers of gifted children were significantly influenced by the presence of the educational label LD and the social class of the student.
“MIGRAINOUS” NEUROLOGIC DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH PROSTHETIC CARDIAC VALVES

SYNOPSIS Two patients developed frequent, multifocal, transient episodes of central nervous system dysfunction, frequently accompanied by headache, 14 and 42 months after insertion of prosthetic cardiac valves. The disorder satisfied the criteria for the diagnosis of classic migraine; it was self-limited in one patient and remitted after diphenylhydantoin in the other. Three other patients with “migrainous accompaniments” after cardiac surgery have been seen. “Symptomatic migraine” may occur in patients with prosthetic cardiac valves. The mechanism and etiology of this disorder is obscure.
Evolution of φX174 III. Restriction map of S13 and its alignment with that of φX174

Abstract the cleavages produced in S13 by the restriction enzymes HindII, HaeIII, HpaI, HpaII, Pstl, AvaI, MboI, AluI, HphI, HhaI, HaeII, MboII, XhoI, and Hinf have been compared with those produced in φX174. Some restriction enzymes produce, from φX174 and S13, very similar sized fragments while others produce totally dissimilar sized fragments. S13 have several new cleavage sites that are not present in φX174. For approximately every five cleavage sites that φX174 and S13 have in common, S13 has gained one extra cleavage site.
Estimation of ammonium regeneration efficiencies associated with bacterivory in pelagic food webs via a 15N tracer method

Phagotrophic protists are major components of pelagic food webs, both as consumers of bacterial and phytoplankton cells, and as regenerators of inorganic nutrients. In this study, we esti- mated the efficiency of ammonium regeneration by protists feeding on bacteria within natural plank- tonic assemblages, using a I5N tracer method, in which the excretion of "N-labeled ammonium due to grazing on "N pre-labeled bacteria was followed over time. We tested this approach in experiments based on the addition of heat-killed "N-labeled bacteria to laboratory cultures and to samples of coastal seawater. During two experiments, variation in abundance of bacterivores and bacterioplankton resulted in non-constant grazing rates. Deterministic computer models that used abundance of bacteria and protists as variables were developed to estimate best-fit vaJues of grazing mortality (g, Jr1) and of ammonium regeneration efficiency (RE, fraction of the initial "N label in added bacteria which is released as ammonium). Estimated ammonium RE were 0.30-0.35 for one trophic link systems with both a monospecific culture and a mixed species assemblage of bacterivorous flagellates. RE was higher for multi-trophic step food webs: 0.60 for 5 jim pre-screened coastal seawater and 0.90 for whole coastal seawater.
Probability Density Function Estimation Using the EEF With Application to Subset/Feature Selection

We describe a method for estimating a probability density function when some of the sufficient statistics are known. The general form of the PDF is within the exponential family and is known as the exponentially embedded family. Using the proposed estimator new approaches to choosing features from a set of possible features become available, with the error metric being the Kullback-Liebler distance. Applications to subset selection in the context of multipath estimation as well as linear regression for machine learning are used to illustrate the practical utility of the method.
Promoting comprehensive disaster policy through interdisciplinary collaboration

Systems science is a field dedicated to the study of systems within society or nature.1 It routinely draws on disciplines including engineering, medicine, economics and the environmental sciences. Analyses that use a systems science approach typically consider interactions between a system (eg, public transportation within a city) and the environment in which it functions (eg, weather conditions), and account for dynamic behaviour (eg, individuals’ responses to a severe weather event).2 Although public policy provides an additional layer of societal context for any given system, legal and policy factors are rarely integrated into systems science analyses. Because policy plays such an important role in injury prevention,3 incorporating policy considerations into systems science analyses holds great promise as an emerging methodological approach to improve population health. This is especially true for natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes, and human-caused disasters, such as terrorist acts,4 as these scenarios pose challenges within and across systems and jurisdictions. While each type of disaster raises unique concerns for planning, response and recovery, they share the potential to produce wide-ranging physical injuries. For example, disasters are associated with drownings, falls, lacerations, amputations and long-term disability.5–8 As described in detail below, by partnering with engineers to apply methods within the systems science framework, lawyers and policy analysts can bring an important—and often missing—dimension to models intended to inform preparedness plans and reduce injuries. These collaborations can occur both concurrently and serially, allowing multiple disciplines to contribute throughout relevant analyses. This article first describes the separate contributions of law and engineering within emergency preparedness efforts, and then explores their synergy when combined within a systems science approach. Laws provide an infrastructure for emergency planning, response and recovery. In the USA, every state government, along with the federal government, has the authority to …
Predicting Ground Delay Program at an Airport Based on Meteorological Conditions

In this paper, we present two supervised-learning models, logistic regression and decision tree, to predict occurrence of ground delay program at an airport based on meteorological conditions and scheduled traffic demand. Such predictive capabilities can help the Federal Aviation Administration traffic managers and airline dispatchers to prepare mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of adverse weather. The models are applied to predict ground delay program occurrence at two major U.S. airports: Newark Liberty Intl. and San Francisco Intl. airports. The logistic regression model estimates the probability that a ground delay program will occur during a given hour. Decision tree, on the other hand, classifies an hour as a ground delay program or not based on the input variables. Results indicate that both models perform significantly better than a purely random prediction of ground delay program occurrence at the two airports. The logistic regression model performs better than the decision tree model. The degree to which various input variables impact the probability of ground delay program vary between the two airports. While the enroute convective weather is a dominant factor causing ground delay programs at New York airports, poor visibility and low cloud ceiling caused by marine stratus are major drivers of ground delay programs at San Francisco Intl. airport.
Developing a Model-Based Drinking Water Decision Support System Featuring Remote Sensing and Fast Learning Techniques

Timely adjustment of operating strategies in drinking water treatment in response to water quality variations in both natural and anthropogenic causes is a grand technical challenge. One essential approach is to develop and apply integrated sensing, monitoring, and modeling technologies to provide early warning messages to plant operators. This paper presents a thorough literature review of the technical methods, followed by the development of a model-based decision support system (DSS). The DSS aims to aid water treatment plant operators by analyzing source water impacts. This model-based DSS features remote sensing and fast learning techniques that can be easily applied by end-users and provide a visual depiction of spatiotemporal variations in source water quality parameters of interest. The system is able to forecast the trend of water quality one day into the future at a specific location and nowcast water quality at water intake locations, thus helping the assessment of water quality in finished water against treatment objectives. The model-based DSS was assessed in a case study at a water treatment plant in Las Vegas, United States.
Acute Presentation of Lumbar Spinal Schwannoma Due to Torsion: A Case Report

Although schwannomas are common spinal tumors with insidious presentations, acute neurological deterioration is an extremely rare manifestation that can occur in the setting of tumor torsion and infarction. The present case reports an unusual presentation of a spinal schwannoma that underwent torsion and infarction. A 65-year-old male presented initially with acute radicular pain progressing to cauda equina syndrome and confusion. MRI of the lumbar spine revealed an intradural extramedullary lesion at the level of L1/L2 measuring 1.1x0.9 cm. Intraoperatively, a reddish mass was seen caudally twisted around itself. Gross total resection was achieved with a final diagnosis of schwannoma with areas of infarction. At his six week follow up clinical visit, the patient was asymptomatic and his neurological exam was normal. The neurosurgeon should be aware of such atypical radiographic and clinical presentation amongst the spectrum of clinical manifestation of these nerve sheath tumors.
Does the Degree Designation of a Doctor Make a Difference in the Consumer Selection Process: An Empirical Study

Professional services marketers are increasingly concerned about the role credentials play in clients’ selection process. This study evaluates the impact of the degree designation of oral maxillofacial surgeons on a national random sample of potential clients. The results indicate that the degree designation does make a significant difference in clients’ perception.
Financialization and Income Inequality in the New Economy

An emergent literature in sociology reveals a positive association between financialization and income inequality. Recent evidence also shows that various indicators of the new economy expand inequality in advanced industrial societies. Interestingly, less attention is paid to how financial activities moderate the connection between measures of the new economy and income inequality. We attempt to contribute to this literature by examining whether the distributional effect of the transition to the new economy is enhanced by financialization. To achieve this objective, we compile a panel data set of 18 advanced industrial societies for the years 1988 to 2008. According to the analysis, financial activities are one of the more consistent positive predictors of inequality in this study9s sample of rich countries. More importantly, the interactions of financialization with service employment, female labor participation, and knowledge employment, respectively, return significant positive associations with income inequality. These results indicate that finance9s tendency to expand the income of elite earners exacerbates the distributional impact of the transition to the new economy.
Genomic Regulation of the PACAP Receptor, PAC1, and Implications for Psychiatric Disease

Impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and related neurological signaling has been attributed to several psychiatric conditions including unipolar and bipolar depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Consequently, irregularities in the mRNA expression or protein levels of neuropeptide hormones and receptors involved in related stress pathways can trigger these neurological disorders. As a critical modulator of the stress and fear pathways in concert with the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) ligand, the PAC1 receptor (PAC1) has been implicated in risk for PTSD. Genetic variants, epigenetic alterations, and hormone regulation have been attributed to changes in the expression of ADCYAP1R1 which encodes the PAC1 protein. The chapter will focus on a review of PACAP-induced cellular function, localization, and expression of the PAC1 receptor. The goal of this review is to address the effects of altered expression of PAC1 on phenotypic outcomes, particularly those neurological in nature. We also discuss existing and potential mechanisms that can induce changes in ADCYAP1R1 transcript levels, including genetic and epigenetic alterations and hormone regulation.
Unique Inflammatory Mediators and Specific IgE Levels Distinguish Local from Systemic Reactions after Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed Vaccination

Although the U.S. National Academy of Sciences concluded that anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) has an adverse event (AE) profile similar to those of other adult vaccines, 30 to 70% of queried AVA vaccinees report AEs. AEs appear to be correlated with certain demographic factors, but the underlying immunologic pathways are poorly understood. We evaluated a cohort of 2,421 AVA vaccinees and found 153 (6.3%) reported an AE. Females were more likely to experience AEs (odds ratio [OR] = 6.0 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 4.2 to 8.7]; P < 0.0001). Individuals 18 to 29 years of age were less likely to report an AE than individuals aged 30 years or older (OR = 0.31 [95% CI = 0.22 to 0.43]; P < 0.0001). No significant effects were observed for African, European, Hispanic, American Indian, or Asian ancestry after correcting for age and sex. Additionally, 103 AEs were large local reactions (LLRs), whereas 53 AEs were systemic reactions (SRs). In a subset of our cohort vaccinated 2 to 12 months prior to plasma sample collection (n = 75), individuals with LLRs (n = 33) had higher protective-antigen (PA)-specific IgE levels than matched, unaffected vaccinated individuals (n = 50; P < 0.01). Anti-PA IgE was not associated with total plasma IgE, hepatitis B-specific IgE, or anti-PA IgG in individuals who reported an AE or in matched, unaffected AVA-vaccinated individuals. IP-10 was also elevated in sera of individuals who developed LLRs (P < 0.05). Individuals reporting SRs had higher levels of systemic inflammation as measured from C-reactive protein (P < 0.01). Thus, LLRs and SRs are mediated by distinct pathways. LLRs are associated with a vaccine-specific IgE response and IP-10, whereas SRs demonstrate increased systemic inflammation without a skewed cytokine profile.
Understanding the Impacts of AFEX™ Pretreatment and Densification on the Fast Pyrolysis of Corn Stover, Prairie Cord Grass, and Switchgrass

Lignocellulosic feedstocks corn stover, prairie cord grass, and switchgrass were subjected to ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX™) pretreatment and densified using extrusion pelleting and ComPAKco densification technique. The effects of AFEX™ pretreatment and densification were studied on the fast pyrolysis product yields. Feedstocks were milled in a hammer mill using three different screen sizes (2, 4, and 8 mm) and were subjected to AFEX™ pretreatment. The untreated and AFEX™-pretreated feedstocks were moisture adjusted at three levels (5, 10, and 15 % wb) and were extruded using a lab-scale single screw extruder. The barrel temperature of the extruder was maintained at 75, 100, and 125 °C. Durability of the extruded pellets made from AFEX™-pretreated corn stover, prairie cord grass, and switchgrass varied from 94.5 to 99.2, 94.3 to 98.7, and 90.1 to 97.5 %, respectively. Results of the thermogravimetric analysis showed the decrease in the decomposition temperature of the all the feedstocks after AFEX™ pretreatment indicating the increase in thermal stability. Loose and densified feedstocks were subjected to fast pyrolysis in a lab-scale reactor, and the yields (bio-oil and bio-char) were measured. Bio-char obtained from the AFEX™-pretreated feedstocks exhibited increased bulk and particle density compared to the untreated feedstocks. The properties of the bio-oil were statistically similar for the untreated, AFEX™-pretreated, and AFEX™-pretreated densified feedstocks. Based on the bio-char and bio-oil yields, the AFEX™-pretreated feedstocks and the densified AFEX™-pretreated feedstocks (pellets and PAKs) exhibited similar behavior. Hence, it can be concluded that densifying the AFEX™-pretreated feedstocks could be a viable option in the biomass-processing depots to reduce the transportation costs and the logistical impediments without affecting the product yields.
Near infrared spectroscopy to predict bitter pit development in different varieties of apples

Bitter pit is a physiological disorder in apples. Several major apple varieties are susceptible to this disorder that poses a great challenge to growers and the associated industry as it significantly reduces the produce utilization value and marketability. The current method of bitter pit detection is through visual assessment of symptoms. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a non-invasive technique that can be utilized towards detecting bitter pit development in fruits in pre-/non-symptomatic stages. Therefore, NIR spectra (935–2500 nm) of apples were collected from healthy and bitter pit Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples from a commercial orchard. The apples were stored in a controlled environment and spectral reflectance data were acquired at days 0, 7, 14, 35, and 63 after harvest. Chemical analysis was performed at the end of the storage period to estimate calcium, magnesium, and potassium content in the fruit peel. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was used to identify the apples as healthy or bitter pit using NIR-based spectral features. In addition, specific spectral features were selected by implementing two feature extraction methods: PLSR and stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA) on day 63 spectral dataset. The PLSR and SDA-based selected features from day 63 in Honeycrisp apples classified the same dataset with classification accuracies of about 100% with both methods. Regression analysis indicated a strong relationship between the PLSR-based spectral features and magnesium-to-calcium ratio in fruit peel in all three (Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith) apple varieties.
Domestic Violence in Japan

It was a feminist action research effort that named the previously unnamed, unaddressed problem of domestic violence in Japan in the early 1990s. The absence of the name meant a lack of societal recognition, which in turn reflected the low value placed on women’s rights, and had left many women to suffer in silence. Collective grassroots organizing, action research, and advocacy efforts aided by the international currents, such as the United Nations Conference on Women and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995, promoted the government to address domestic violence. The enactment of the Spousal Violence Act in 2001 symbolizes a societal recognition of the problem, yet at the same time it represented a shift in its definition from a social structural problem to an individual-level problem and from patriarchy-rooted male violence against women to spousal violence. Undeterred, advocates continue to improve the legislative and governmental responses through grassroots organizing and policy advocacy, often setting directions, not reacting, to the revisions of the Spousal Violence Act.
Denial of service lab for experiential cybersecurity learning in primarily undergraduate institutions

Cybersecurity is a broad, dynamic, and ever changing field that is difficult to integrate into undergraduate Computer Science curriculum. The absence of sanitized labs coupled with the requirement of specialized faculty to teach the subject pose obstacles many undergraduate colleges face in adopting cybersecurity education. In this paper we describe a pilot lab that is part of the education modules of the project CyberPaths. This project aims to offer a solution to cybersecurity education for primarily undergraduate liberal arts institutions. We present a pilot study that tested a denial of service learning lab in a general education course at Wofford College that has received very positive feedback from students.
Expression of BrpA in Streptococcus mutans is regulated by FNR-box mediated repression.

Our previous studies showed that brpA in S. mutans, which encodes a member of the LytR-CpsA-Psr family of proteins, can be cotranscribed with brpB upstream as a bicistronic operon, while the intergenic region also has strong promoter activity. To elucidate how brpA expression is regulated, the promoter regions were analyzed using PCR-based deletions and site-directed mutagenesis and a promoterless luciferase gene as a reporter. Allelic exchange mutagenesis was also used to examine genes encoding putative trans-acting factors, and the impact of such mutations on brpA expression was analyzed by reporter assays. Multiple elements in the short brpA promoter (nucleotide -1 to -344 relative to start cordon ATG) were shown to have a major impact on brpA expression, including an FNR-box, for putative binding site of an FNR-type of transcriptional regulator. When compared to the intact brpA promoter, mutations of the highly conserved nucleotides in FNR-box from TTGATgtttAcCtt to TTACAgaaaGtTac resulted in 1362-fold increases of luciferase activity (P<0.001), indicative of the FNR-box mediated repression as a major mechanism in regulation of brpA expression. When luciferase reporter was fused to the upstream brpBA promoter (nt -784 to -1144), luciferase activity was decreased by 4.5-fold (P<0.001) in the brpA mutant, TW14D, and by 67.7-fold (P<0.001) in the brpB mutant, JB409, as compared to the wild-type, UA159. However, no such effects were observed when the reporter gene was fused to the short brpA promoter and its derivatives. These results also suggest that brpA expression in S. mutans is auto-regulated through the upstream brpBA promoter. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A multi-objective analytical design approach of switched reluctance machines with integrated active current profile optimization

The large torque ripple of a switched reluctance machine (SRM) caused by commutation and the inherent nonlinear torque-producing nature is a major disadvantage for its widespread application. To mitigate this problem, current profiling for torque ripple minimization has been extensively pursued, however, most current profiling attempts are performed on existing SRM designs and thus will not guarantee a multi-objective optimized design in the entire design space for any specific applications. This paper thus proposes a built-in active current profile optimization approach, which is integrated to the early multi-objective design and optimization stage of SRMs. In addition, the proposed method is very time-saving, especially when the number of prime design variables and the entire search domain are large. Multi-objective optimization process involving 200, 1,000 and 5,000 trail designs are carried out with the multi-objective differential evolution (MODE) algorithm and their Pareto fronts are approximated at a speed more than 100 times faster than the popular finite element analysis (FEA) based electric machine analysis methods, offering machine designers handy, convenient and accurate initial designs, which can be further verified or fine-tuned by FEA in later processes.
A constrained linear regression optimization algorithm for diaphragm motion tracking with cone beam CT projections.

Abstract Purpose We presented a feasibility study to extract the diaphragm motion from the inferior contrast cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) projection images using a constrained linear regression optimization algorithm. Methods The shape of the diaphragm was fitted by a parabolic function which was initialized by five manually placed points on the diaphragm contour of a pre-selected projection. A constrained linear regression model by exploiting the spatial, algebraic, and temporal constraints of the diaphragm, approximated by a parabola, was employed to estimate the parameters. The algorithm was assessed by a fluoroscopic movie acquired at anterior-posterior (AP) fixed direction and kilovoltage CBCT projection image sets from four lung and two liver patients using the Varian 21iX Clinac. The automatic tracing by the proposed algorithm and manual tracking were compared in both space and frequency domains for the algorithm evaluations. Results The error between the results estimated by the proposed algorithm and those by manual tracking for the AP fluoroscopic movie was 0.54 mm with standard deviation (SD) of 0.45 mm. For the detected projections the average error was 0.79 mm with SD of 0.64 mm for all six enrolled patients and the maximum deviation was 2.5 mm. The mean sub-millimeter accuracy outcome exhibits the feasibility of the proposed constrained linear regression approach to track the diaphragm motion on rotational fluoroscopic images. Conclusion The new algorithm will provide a potential solution to rendering diaphragm motion and possibly aiding the tumor target tracking in radiation therapy of thoracic/abdominal cancer patients.
Low voltage ride-through capability improvement methods for DFIG based wind farm

Abstract In this paper the low voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability enhancement of the DFIG based wind farm (WF) is accomplished by using of the existing series devices like the new bridge type fault current limiter (NBFCL), new solid-state fault current limiter (N-SSFCL), resistive solid-state fault current limiter (R-type SSFCL), inductive-resistive type solid-state fault current limiter (SSFCL-LR), and series dynamic braking resistor (SDBR). The LVRT analysis is done among the series devices in terms of LVRT capability improvement performances, implementation feasibility, and cost. A temporary balanced and unbalanced fault was applied in the DFIG based 15 MW test model system to demonstrate the LVRT performance among the series devices. In this work, all simulations were executed in Matlab/Simulink software and from all simulation results, it can be stated that the mentioned all series devices can augment the LVRT capability during the fault, however the performance of the NBFCL and the N-SSFCL are most impressive in comparison to others.
Capturing aromaticity in automatic mechanism generation software

Abstract Better modeling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) formation has the potential to greatly aid in predicting soot formation. Automatic mechanism generation provides a powerful platform for comprehensively exploring reaction sequences implied by known chemistry and identifying the ones that are important in various systems. Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG), a software developed on our group, has been successfully used to model a variety of chemistries, but has previously been unprepared to properly handle the challenge of aromatics. To accurately model PAH chemistry, several improvements were needed to core RMG algorithms: more robust resonance structure generation for PAHs and more flexible reaction generation algorithms for aromatics. Resonance structures are an integral part of the reaction generation algorithm, so representation accuracy is an important consideration. Clar structures were introduced as a concise and accurate representation for PAHs to replace Kekule structures. This combined with a refactoring of the overall resonance algorithm also provided significant performance gains. Another major improvement was enabling reactivity of benzene bonds, which allows much greater flexibility in designing rate rules to differentiate aromatic and aliphatic reactions. As a test case, a model was generated for co-pyrolysis of iodonaphthalene and acetylene and compared with literature data, demonstrating the much-improved ability of RMG in modeling aromatic species.
Nurturing a Caring Connection in an Opioid Epidemic

The current national opioid crisis poses challenges to the physician–patient relationship. This vignette describes a patient scenario which served as a personal reminder of how the physicians caring role must remain the highest priority while trying to address prescribing concerns.
Communication: Geographic Aspects

Communications geography is a recent focus of inquiry drawing on geographers with backgrounds in transportation, urban social behavioral, social impacts, cartography, as well as place and landscape representation. Concepts, models, and theories from scholars in the social, communication, and information sciences, future studies, social theory, and GIS are valuable in recent research thrusts into the meanings and mappings of cyberplaces and cyberspaces, community empowerment using GIS, Internet accessibility, Web content and presentation, and the worlds of E-commerce.
COPD and exercise.

Optimal function and symptom control are primary management objectives for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Exercise plays an important role in meeting these challenging treatment goals. This article presents factors that limit endurance for persons with COPD, broad exercise goals, elements of appropriate exercise prescription, and various options that lead to successful outcomes.
Structured matrices and fast RLS adaptive filtering

Abstract We present a new approach to the discrete-time Chandrasekhar recursions and some generalizations thereof. We extend the recursions to a class of structured time-variant state-space models, and discuss connections with the (generalized) Schur algorithm. We also apply the extended recursions to the adaptive filtering problem and give a transparent derivation of fast recursive least-squares algorithms.
Multiphase modeling approach for ionic liquids (ILs) based nanofluids: Improving the performance of heat transfer fluids (HTFs)

Abstract Ionic liquids (ILs) based nanofluids was recently being considered as a heat transfer augmentation method via improving the thermal properties of heat transfer fluids (HTFs). In this study, the thermal performance of ionic liquids (ILs) based nanofluids in a circular tube was numerically analyzed using (i) a continuum based model and an (ii) eulerian based two phase model. For the continuum model, we considered ILs based nanofluids as a mixture averaged single fluid. The eulerian based model connected with two fluids multiphase model which emphasizes the dynamics of interaction between the nanoparticles and the base fluid. The study was carried out for ILs based nanofluids: a mixture of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl} imide ([C4mim][NTf2]) ILs and Al2O3 nanoparticles. The numerical model was validated against the experimental data for ILs based nanofluids and the Shah’s equation for base ILs. The results showed that the overall heat transfer coefficient increases significantly for ILs based nanofluids for a range of Reynolds numbers. The results also suggested that the two phase eulerian model was more reliable than continuum based model for predicting the heat transfer performance under such a configuration. A parametric analysis of nanofluids volume fraction and heat flux were also analyzed. Finally, an empirical model was proposed in this study to analyze the heat transfer performance of ILs based nanofluids under laminar flow conditions.
Synthetic Butterfly Scale Surfaces with Compliance‐Tailored Anisotropic Drop Adhesion

Many natural surfaces such as butterfly wings, beetles' backs, and rice leaves exhibit anisotropic liquid adhesion; this is of fundamental interest and is important to applications including self-cleaning surfaces, microfluidics, and phase change energy conversion. Researchers have sought to mimic the anisotropic adhesion of butterfly wings using rigid surface textures, though natural butterfly scales are sufficiently compliant to be deflected by capillary forces exerted by drops. Here, inspired by the flexible scales of the Morpho aega butterfly wing, synthetic surfaces coated with flexible carbon nanotube (CNT) microscales with anisotropic drop adhesion properties are fabricated. The curved CNT scales are fabricated by a strain-engineered chemical vapor deposition technique, giving ≈5000 scales of ≈10 µm thickness in a 1 cm2 area. Using various designed CNT scale arrays, it is demonstrated that the anisotropy of drop roll-off angle is influenced by the geometry, compliance, and hydrophobicity of the scales; and a maximum roll-off anisotropy of 6.2° is achieved. These findings are supported by a model that relates the adhesion anisotropy to the scale geometry, compliance, and wettability. The electrical conductivity and mechanical robustness of the CNTs, and the ability to fabricate complex multidirectional patterns, suggest further opportunities to create engineered synthetic scale surfaces.
Gaining Strength from Nature

Munich’s transition from the war-ravaged ruin of 1945 to today’s prosperous cultural capital demanded that its residents endure many hardships, adapt, and find the strength to rebuild. This essay considers the sources of this resilience from the perspective of environmental history, finding them in the experiences of the war years, when the city was subject to increasing damage and disruption from bombing raids. Instead of giving up, Muncheners proved that they could adapt and survive the forces of nature the attacks exposed them to. They turned back the clock to a preindustrial age, showing that years of city life had not weakened their relationship to nature. This quality would serve them well in the difficult years of occupation and recovery to come.
Quality of life in patients with bronchiectasis: a 2-year longitudinal study.

Background: Bronchiectasis is a condition of increasing incidence and prevalence in the United States, defined by the presence of bronchial dilatation on chest-computed tomography. Most patients suffer from chronic daily cough and sputum production. Patients suffering from this disease often have a poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL), with increased morbidity and mortality, and increased health care burden. Little is known about trends in HRQoL among patients with bronchiectasis, therefore, we examined these trends over 2 years using a bronchiectasis-specific HRQoL instrument. Methods: We present data obtained from administering the Quality of Life-Bronchiectasis (QOL-B) questionnaires at three time points: (I) baseline at the time of first visit to the University of Connecticut Center for Bronchiectasis Care; (II) 1 year follow-up; and (III) a 2-year follow-up. Responses from the 36-item questionnaire evaluate eight scales (Physical Functioning, Role Functioning, Vitality, Emotional Functioning, Social Functioning, Treatment Burden, Health Perceptions, and Respiratory Symptoms); scores are standardized on a 0–100 point scale with higher scores indicating better HRQoL. Results: Twenty-six patients provided baseline QOL-B data, with seven lost to follow-up, leaving nineteen patients in the longitudinal study. Statistically significant improvement between the initial visit and the one-year follow-up visit was shown in three of the eight domains: Physical Functioning, Role Functioning, and Health Perceptions. At 2 years, these improved HRQoL scores were generally maintained. Conclusions: This study demonstrates patients with bronchiectasis can demonstrate improved HRQoL after treatment at a specialized care center and these improvements are maintained for most patients 2 years after the initial visit.
Interconnects for Flexible and Printed Electronic Applications

In path to revolutionize future of next generation electronics, which are portable, flexible, small and robust, we must come up with suited and matching properties of materials for not only bigger elements in integrated smart electronic devices as energy storage and power provider devices but also for elements like interconnects. Having flexible interconnects which have low bulk resistivity, ability to bend, roll, compress, adhere, and have process-ability helps in realization of flexible electronics. In this paper, we have presented detailed constraints about flexible interconnects which comprises of materials, mechanical, electrical environmental aspects of flexible interconnects. Processing and characterization techniques have also been discussed. Applications as electronic textiles are discussed in parallel to keep up the actual requirements of flexible interconnects in picture. As flexible electronic textile (e-textile) can work as platform for multi-electric-functions by providing many conductive paths. For textile the main feature is fiber-to- fiber connection within a device. Thus, interconnects which provide these connections are focus of concern for flexible e- textiles as well. Finally, potential future of applications and challenges have been discussed for flexible interconnects in flexible and printed electronic applications such as electronic textile and other flexible circuits including the devices which are closely attached to human body.
3D-bioprinted tracheal reconstruction: an overview

Congenital tracheomalacia and tracheal stenosis are commonly seen in premature infants. In adulthood, are typically related with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and can occur secondarily from tracheostomy, prolong intubation, trauma, infection and tumors. Both conditions are life-threatening when not managed properly. There are still some surgical limitations for certain pathologies, however tissue engineering is a promising approach to treat massive airway dysfunctions. 3D-bioprinting have contributed to current preclinical and clinical efforts in airway reconstruction. Several strategies have been used to overcome the difficulty of airway reconstruction such as scaffold materials, construct designs, cellular types, biologic components, hydrogels and animal models used in tracheal reconstruction. Nevertheless, additional long-term in vivo studies need to be performed to assess the efficacy and safety of tissue-engineered tracheal grafts in terms of mechanical properties, behavior and, the possibility of further stenosis development.
Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification-Coupled Glass Nanopore Counting Toward Sensitive and Specific Nucleic Acid Testing

Solid-state nanopores have shown great promise and achieved tremendous success in label-free single-molecule analysis. However, there are three common challenges in solid-state nanopore sensors, including the nanopore size variations from batch to batch that makes the interpretation of the sensing results difficult, the incorporation of sensor specificity, and the impractical analysis time at low analyte concentration due to diffusion-limited mass transport. Here, we demonstrate a novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-coupled glass nanopore counting strategy that could effectively address these challenges. By using the glass nanopore in the counting mode (versus the sizing mode), the device fabrication challenge is considerably eased since it allows a certain degree of pore size variations and no surface functionalization is needed. The specific molecule replication effectively breaks the diffusion-limited mass transport thanks to the exponential growth of the target molecules. We show the LAMP-coupled glass nanopore counting has the potential to be used in a qualitative test as well as in a quantitative nucleic acid test. This approach lends itself to most amplification strategies as long as the target template is specifically replicated in numbers. The highly sensitive and specific sensing strategy would open a new avenue for solid-state nanopore sensors toward a new form of compact, rapid, low-cost nucleic acid testing at the point of care.
Disability and consent in medieval law

This essay highlights the ways that legal fictions about the extent to which disability limits agency have historically been used to prevent women from exercising many of the rights of legal adulthood, particularly those related to marriage and property. In the late thirteenth century, English law began to limit the activities of people with cognitive and sensory disabilities, on the grounds that they lacked the understanding necessary to consent. These laws ostensibly existed to protect people who could not protect themselves. However, using the records of late medieval lawsuits, I show that as women inherited land at unprecedented rates during the fourteenth century, men fraudulently alleged that women were disabled in order to gain control of their property.
Toxic consequences and oxidative protein carbonylation from chloropicrin exposure in human corneal epithelial cells

Chloropicrin (CP), a warfare agent now majorly used as a soil pesticide, is a strong irritating and lacrimating compound with devastating toxic effects. To elucidate the mechanism of its ocular toxicity, toxic effects of CP (0-100 μM) were studied in primary human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. CP exposure resulted in reduced HCE cell viability and increased apoptotic cell death with an up-regulation of cleaved caspase-3 and poly ADP ribose polymerase indicating their contribution in CP-induced apoptotic cell death. Following CP exposure, cells exhibited increased expression of heme oxygenase-1, and phosphorylation of H2A.X and p53 as well as 4-hydroxynonenal adduct formation, suggesting oxidative stress, DNA damage and lipid peroxidation. CP also caused increases in mitogen activated protein kinase-c-Jun N-terminal kinase and inflammatory mediator cyclooxygenase-2. Proteomic analysis revealed an increase in the carbonylation of 179 proteins and enrichment of pathways (including proteasome pathway and catabolic process) in HCE cells following CP exposure. CP-induced oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation can enhance protein carbonylation, prompting alterations in corneal epithelial proteins as well as perturbing signaling pathways resulting in toxic effects. Pathways and major processes identified following CP exposure could be lead-hit targets for further biochemical and molecular characterization as well as therapeutic intervention.
Clinical and Molecular Correlates of Tumor Mutation Burden in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

ABSTRACT Introduction Recent clinical studies have identified tumor mutation burden (TMB) as a promising therapeutic biomarker of anti-tumor immune checkpoint blockade. However, given the relatively slow turnaround time and high expense in measuring TMB, tobacco smoking history (TSH) is an attractive replacement biomarker. The carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoking may be modified by the protective effects of genome stability genes. This study aims to test the associations between tobacco smoking, genome stability gene inactivation, and TMB. Methods Publicly available TSH and DNA somatic alteration data from NSCLC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Correlations and enrichments were calculated with Spearman and Fisher’s exact test methods, respectively. Multivariate modeling of TMB was performed with penalized linear regression. Results 85% of never smokers in adenocarcinomas (LUAD) had low TMB, but a positive TSH was not predictive of hypermutancy. The limited utility of TSH in predicting TMB was reproduced on an independent LUAD dataset. To expand our search for predictors of TMB, we further investigated the contributions of genome stability related genes (GSGs) to TMB. 242/461 (52%) and 300/465 (65%) patients with LUAD and squamous carcinomas (LUSC), respectively, showed evidence of loss of function in at least one of the 182 GSGs. 182 GSGs from 16 pathways were assessed for associations with TMB high tumor status using Fisher’s exact test. We performed univariate gene and pathway enrichments in TMB high tumors and found roles forPOLE, REV3L, and FANCE genes, as well as several key GSG pathways. Conclusions This study comprehensively tested the association between GSG, tobacco smoking, and TMB in NSCLC. In LUAD, never-smoking status was predictive of low TMB, but overall TSH was not an adequate surrogate biomarker for TMB in NSCLC. Furthermore, we identified an association between GSG inactivation and TMB.
Trends in permanent work disability associated with rheumatoid arthritis in the United States, 1999 - 2015.

BACKGROUND Advances in treatment over the past 20 years has resulted in improved control of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but whether there has been a decrease in permanent work disability associated with RA in the U.S. has not been examined. METHODS Medicare data from 1999 to 2015 were used to identify beneficiaries age 20 to 59 with RA who became eligible for Medicare coverage under Social Security Disability Insurance. Diagnosis of RA was based on physician claims in the first year of enrollment. Annual rates of enrollment were sex- and age-standardized to the 2000 U.S. POPULATION RESULTS The study included 97,787 beneficiaries with RA and Social Security Disability Insurance across all years. Medicare enrollment was 26.0 per million in 1999 and 26.0 per million in 2015. Rates increased following the Great Recession of 2008-09 before returning to pre-recession levels. There was no linear trend over time after adjusting for the annual national unemployment rate (relative risk 0.99 per year; 95% confidence interval 0.99, 1.00; p = 0.69). Risks of work disability were much higher among workers over age 50. CONCLUSION Based on Medicare enrollment by recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance, there was no decrease in permanent work disability among young and middle-age workers with RA in the U.S. between 1999 and 2015.