cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“A Great Idea, Just Not Near Me!” Understanding Public Attitudes About Renewable Energy Facilities

ABSTRACTGenerally, the growth of renewable energy sources is supported by the American public. However, gaining acceptance of large-scale renewable energy projects from local residents is often difficult. Like many other states in the United States, Utah has several proposed, under construction, and operational renewable energy facilities and potential for significant renewable energy growth. However, several energy projects have been met with considerable local opposition. This study was undertaken to better understand Utah residents’ attitudes toward wind and solar energy, and the variation in willingness to have utility-scale wind or solar facilities built in close proximity to their place of residence, using data collected through a statewide survey. Bivariate correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to explore relationships involving two dependent variables—general renewable energy attitudes, and respondents’ willingness to have utility-scale wind or solar facilities built within close ...
Novel Approaches to Microporous Membrane-Based Controlled Release

Membrane-reservoir controlled release systems have been used for the delivery of a wide variety of therapeutic agents. Drug permeation is typically achieved by a solution-diffusion type of mechanism from a loaded reservoir region through a liquid-filled pore, and the rate of release is generally dependent on membrane porosity, tortuosity, and surface area. We have exploited the partition coefficient (between the reservoir liquid and the pore liquid phases) as an additional rate-controlling mechanism, and we have also extended the applications of membrane-reservoir systems to include delivery of microstructures such as liposomes. If the fluid that fills the pore of the membrane is chosen to be immiscible with the liquid in the reservoir phase, the drug partitions between the two phases at the interface between the reservoir and the pore. The partition coefficient may be exploited to provide rate control by reducing the driving force for diffusion across the fluid-filled membrane pore. The performance of this type of system is evaluated using benzoic acid in an organic reservoir phase, diffusing through water-filled membrane pores. Both hydrophilic and hydrophobic membrane materials were investigated. A hydrophilic membrane material afforded the advantage of a more stable water-filled pore phase. Controlled delivery of liposomal structures may also be achieved using a porous membranereservoir device. The pores of the membrane must be large enough to permit the passage of the liposomes, which are transported by simple Brownian motion. This concept is demonstrated using a porous polycarbonate membrane system, which was chosen to minimize interaction between the membrane and the liposomes.
Abstract B01: Biological consequences of histone mutations in the mammalian brain

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (HGGs) are devastating diseases with poor prognosis. The two-year survival for pediatric HGG ranges from 30%, for tumors arising in the cerebral cortex, to less than 10% for diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), which arise in the brainstem. Recurrent somatic mutations in histone H3 found in pediatric HGGs are rare in adult HGGs and may represent genetic drivers of disease. Mutually exclusive somatic heterozygous H3F3A or HIST1H3B mutations encoding a K27M variant of histone H3.3 or H3.1, respectively, are found in nearly 80 percent of DIPGs and 22 percent of non-brainstem HGG, where they occur predominantly in thalamic and other midline tumors. Strikingly, heterozygous H3F3A mutations encoding histone H3.3 G34R or G34V occur in approximately 14 percent of non-brainstem HGG, and are associated predominantly with cortical tumors arising in older children through young adulthood, suggesting a distinct developmental origin compared to the majority of tumors harboring K27M mutations. DNA methylation signatures and gene expression patterns distinguish G34R/V and K27M tumors, but the oncogenic mechanisms and brain region selectivity of these mutations are still uncertain. To study these mutations in the developing mammalian brain, we generated conditionally activated, epitope tagged H3f3a knock-in mice to express K27M, G34R or non-mutated H3.3 proteins. When activated in neural and glial precursor cells, extensive H3f3a expression was observed throughout the embryonic brain, and H3.3-K27M induced loss of H3K27me3, consistent with observations in K27M mutant DIPG tumor samples. Moreover, neural stem cells expressing H3.3-K27M demonstrated an in vitro growth advantage compared to H3.3-G34R or H3.3-WT expressing neural stem cells. We will present an analysis of the epigenetic landscape and gene expression signatures associated with the histone H3 K27M and G34R mutations in different brain regions as well as phenotypic analysis of the mutant mice. Citation Format: Jon D. Larson, Lawryn H. Kasper, Helen R. Russell, Chunxu Qu, Xiaoyan Zhu, Peter J. McKinnon, Suzanne J. Baker. Biological consequences of histone mutations in the mammalian brain. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Sep 24-27, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B01.
The Literary Form and the Message of John 8:31-36

The paper deals with the relationship between the literary form and the message of the pericope John 8:31-36 (along with its immediate literary context). Our examination of five different possible literary forms demonstrated that identifying the precise form bears directly on grasping the correct semantics and pragmatics of this Johannine passage. John 8:31-36 actually reflects the merging of at least two different literary forms: misunderstanding (also called riddle and test) and the covenantal offer of freedom. The ultimate meaning of the text, taken as a whole, should be seen as the offer of freedom. This, however, is misunderstood and eventually rejected by Jesus’ interlocutors, who failed to recognize in Jesus God, the Redeemer and Liberator, and thus did not pass the test of being his true disciples.
Racial Discourse and Partisan Blogs: How Online Commenters Manage the Partisan Divide

This article focuses on racial discourses on political blogs during one of the first racial controversies of Obama’s presidency. I examined the interactional dynamics in the comment sections of pos...
Higher-order free logic and the Prior-Kaplan paradox

The principle of universal instantiation plays a pivotal role both in the derivation of intensional paradoxes such as Prior’s paradox and Kaplan’s paradox and the debate between necessitism and contingentism. We outline a distinctively free logical approach to the intensional paradoxes and note how the free logical outlook allows one to distinguish two different, though allied themes in higher-order necessitism. We examine the costs of this solution and compare it with the more familiar ramificationist approaches to higher-order logic. Our assessment of both approaches is largely pessimistic, and we remain reluctantly inclined to take Prior’s and Kaplan’s derivations at face value.
Stereodivergent, Diels-Alder-initiated organocascades employing α,β-unsaturated acylammonium salts: scope, mechanism, and application.

Chiral α,β-unsaturated acylammonium salts are novel dienophiles enabling enantioselective Diels–Alder-lactonization (DAL) organocascades leading to cis- and trans-fused, bicyclic γ- and δ-lactones from readily prepared dienes, commodity acid chlorides, and a chiral isothiourea organocatalyst under mild conditions. We describe extensions of stereodivergent DAL organocascades to other racemic dienes bearing pendant secondary and tertiary alcohols, and application to a formal synthesis of (+)-dihydrocompactin is described. A combined experimental and computational investigation of unsaturated acylammonium salt formation and the entire DAL organocascade pathway provide a rationalization of the effect of Bronsted base additives and enabled a controllable, diastereodivergent DAL process leading to a full complement of possible stereoisomeric products. Evaluation of free energy and enthalpy barriers in conjunction with experimentally observed temperature effects revealed that the DAL is a rare case of an entropy-controlled diastereoselective process. NMR analysis of diene alcohol–Bronsted base interactions and computational studies provide a plausible explanation of observed stabilization of exo transition-state structures through hydrogen-bonding effects.
Identifying groups at risk for 1-year membership termination from a fitness center at enrollment.

The vast majority of Americans do not engage in adequate regular physical activity despite its well-known health benefits. Even when individuals attempt to become more active by joining a fitness center, estimates suggest that nearly half terminate their membership within the first 6 months. A better understanding of who is at risk for early membership termination upon joining may help researchers develop targeted interventions to improve the likelihood that individuals will successfully maintain memberships and physical activity. This study's purpose was to identify, based on a wellness assessment (WA) used in fitness centers, individuals at risk for fitness membership termination prior to 1-year. Center members (N = 441; Mage = 41.9, SD = 13.1; 74.4% female) completed a comprehensive WA of stress, life satisfaction, physical fitness, metabolic health, and sleep quality at the beginning of their memberships and were followed for one year. Latent class analyses utilized the WA to identify four groups: (a) healthy, (b) unhealthy, (c) poor psychological wellness, and (d) poor physical wellness. Participants in the poor psychological wellness group (OR = 2.24, p = 0.007) and the unhealthy group (OR = 2.40, p = 0.037) were significantly more likely to terminate their memberships at 1-year as compared to the healthy group. Participants with poor physical wellness visited the fitness center less frequently than healthy participants (p < 0.01). Results suggest that poor psychological wellness is a risk factor for terminating memberships, whereas poor physical wellness is not. Future studies should replicate these latent classes and develop targeted interventions to address psychological wellness as a method to improve fitness membership retention.
Variation in the Rate of Surgery for Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury of the Metacarpophalangeal Joint of the Thumb

Background: The indications for repair of rupture of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint of the thumb are debated. We studied factors predictive of operative t...
Radiomic modeling of BI-RADS density categories

Screening mammography is the most effective and low-cost method to date for early cancer detection. Mammographic breast density has been shown to be highly correlated with breast cancer risk. We are developing a radiomic model for BI-RADS density categorization on digital mammography (FFDM) with a supervised machine learning approach. With IRB approval, we retrospectively collected 478 FFDMs from 478 women. As a gold standard, breast density was assessed by an MQSA radiologist based on BI-RADS categories. The raw FFDMs were used for computerized density assessment. The raw FFDM first underwent log-transform to approximate the x-ray sensitometric response, followed by multiscale processing to enhance the fibroglandular densities and parenchymal patterns. Three ROIs were automatically identified based on the keypoint distribution, where the keypoints were obtained as the extrema in the image Gaussian scale-space. A total of 73 features, including intensity and texture features that describe the density and the parenchymal pattern, were extracted from each breast. Our BI-RADS density estimator was constructed by using a random forest classifier. We used a 10-fold cross validation resampling approach to estimate the errors. With the random forest classifier, computerized density categories for 412 of the 478 cases agree with radiologist’s assessment (weighted kappa = 0.93). The machine learning method with radiomic features as predictors demonstrated a high accuracy in classifying FFDMs into BI-RADS density categories. Further work is underway to improve our system performance as well as to perform an independent testing using a large unseen FFDM set.
Distributed fiber optic sensor-enhanced detection and prediction of shrinkage-induced delamination of ultra-high-performance concrete overlay

This study develops a delamination detection system for smart ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) overlays using a fully distributed fiber optic sensor. Three 450 mm (length) × 200 mm (width) × 25 mm (thickness) UHPC overlays were cast over an existing 200 mm thick concrete substrate. The initiation and propagation of delamination due to early-age shrinkage of the UHPC overlay were detected as sudden increases and their extension in spatial distribution of shrinkage-induced strains measured from the sensor based on pulse pre-pump Brillouin optical time domain analysis. The distributed sensor is demonstrated effective in detecting delamination openings from microns to hundreds of microns. A three-dimensional finite element model with experimental material properties is proposed to understand the complete delamination process measured from the distributed sensor. The model is validated using the distributed sensor data. The finite element model with cohesive elements for the overlay-substrate interface can predict the complete delamination process.
Using Reasoning to Resolve Conjectures

This chapter tracks the use of reasoning to resolve conjectures that students proposed while using Cuisenaire Rod models to compare the sizes of fractions. The conjectures deal with whether it is possible to build models, the sizes of the models, and whether whole number operations can be applied to fractions. Three VMCAnalytics are referenced in this chapter; they are in the Video Mosaic Collaborative.
Determinants of effective vaccine coverage in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review and interpretive synthesis

Many children in low and middle-income countries remain unvaccinated, and vaccines do not always produce immunity. Extensive research has sought to understand why, but most studies have been limited in breadth and depth. This study documents existing evidence on determinants of vaccination and immunization and presents a conceptual framework of determinants. We used systematic review, content analysis, thematic analysis and interpretive synthesis to document and analyze the existing evidence on determinants of childhood vaccination and immunization. We documented 1609 articles, including content analysis of 78 articles. Three major thematic models were described in the context of one another. Interpretive synthesis identified similarities and differences between studies, resulting in a conceptual framework with three principal vaccine utilization determinants: 1) Intent to Vaccinate, 2) Community Access and 3) Health Facility Readiness. This study presents the most comprehensive systematic review of vaccine determinants to date. The conceptual framework represents a synthesis of multiple existing frameworks, is applicable in low and middle-income countries, and is quantitatively testable. Future researchers can use these results to develop competing conceptual frameworks, or to analyze data in a theoretically-grounded way. This review enables better research in the future, further understanding of immunization determinants, and greater progress against vaccine preventable diseases around the world.
Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Injury and Survival in Energy Cane Versus Sugarcane

Energy cane and sugarcane are genetically similar, but due to differences in plant growth, morphology and fiber content, it is important to understand sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), feeding injury and survival in energy cane cultivars versus sugarcane cultivars. In this study, free-choice and no-choice tests were conducted with sugarcane borer larvae on energy cane (UFCP 78-1013, UFCP 82-1655, UFCP 84-1047) and sugarcane (CP 88-1762, CP 89-2143, CP 00-1101) cultivars. Overall, the feeding preference and injury varied more in individual cultivars than a trend in energy cane versus sugarcane. In free-choice test, small larvae preferred UFCP 82-1655 leaves more than two sugarcane cultivars (CP 89-2143 and CP 00-1101) for feeding. There was no feeding preference in large larvae for the stalks. In no-choice tests, weight gain in small larvae and number of holes bored by large larvae were lowest in energy cane cultivar UFCP 84-1047 and highest in sugarcane cultivar CP 88-1762, with no difference in other cultivars. Lower stalk injury in UFCP 84-1047 in no-choice test was probably due to its greater stalk rind hardness than sugarcane as well as other energy cane cultivars. Sugarcane borer survival was similar in all the cultivars. Our results show that energy cane is a host for sugarcane borer but injury varies with cultivar and hence cultivar selection may play an important role in developing sugarcane borer management strategies in energy cane. Further research will be needed to evaluate energy cane response to sugarcane borer infestation under field conditions.
Positive self-concept predicts youth staying in school longer in India

Research based on youth in the United States and Europe has established the importance of noncognitive skills for successful transitions to adulthood. The influence of noncognitive skills may vary by social and economic contexts, though, and nine in ten youth worldwide live in developing countries where noncognitive skills have not been rigorously studied. I specifically examine the role that self-concept plays in predicting education/work status in the transition to adulthood among youth in Andhra Pradesh, India. Using data from the Young Lives study, I investigate the measurement properties of positive self-concept and use structural equation modeling to examine whether this competence in early adolescence (age 11-12) predicts whether youth (age 18-19) are in school, work, both, or are not currently in education, employment, or training (NEET). Findings suggest that positive self-concept is associated with youth staying in school rather than working, and young women staying in school rather than being NEET, and its effect size is comparable to those of cognitive skills. The present study contributes to the field's understanding of a noncognitive skill, self-concept, in a new setting and points to the importance of future work investigating the role noncognitive skills play in the lives of young people in diverse settings, and the conditions under which these skills are influential.
Creating Atrial Septal Defects

Since the first report by Rashkind and Miller of a BAS for transposition more than three decades ago, few modifications have occurred in the technique (1). This can be life-saving procedure, equally likely to occur in the middle of the night as it is during the daylight hours. The most common indication for a BAS is D-transposition of the great arteries (dTGA), although rare additional cases do occur.
Nanoparticles from a Supersaturated Vapor

The general ideas for condensing nanoparticles from a supersaturated vapor are reviewed. Different methods of achieving a supersaturated vapor, such as thermal evaporation, laser ablation, and sputtering are listed. The methods for controlling and characterizing nanoparticles by sputtering are emphasized. The crystal structure and crystal habit of the nanoparticles are discussed.
Ways of Knowing and the Prospects of Methodological Synthesis: Outcomes

This chapter continues to address the purposes initiated in Chapter 3. It illustrates with examples from personal experience in studies of revision points made earlier in Chapters 1 and 2. Specifically, it shows that investigators’ views can be understood in relation to exogenic/positivist and endogenic/interpretivist world views of knowledge and knowing and that investigators’ epistemological stance, mode of inquiry and the knowledge sought or created are interrelated. Whereas Chapter 3 focused on such effects during initial problem formulation and study design, Chapter 4 focuses on the entanglement of originating assumptions with decisions about kinds of analyses to use, as well as the knowledge gained from a study. Furthermore, the benefits on outcomes are shown when different ways of knowing are combined in a single study.
Rules for Finding Derivatives

The idea of a derivative, instantaneous rate of change, is difficult to use in many settings unless one can easily find the derivative of a function. This chapter is devoted to rules, formulas, for finding derivatives. Examples of how these rules can be applied to functions are included throughout the chapter.
Rehabilitation of oropharyngeal swallowing disorders

Patients with oropharyngeal swallowing disorders can be rehabilitated through a program of radiographic assessment to define the patient's anatomic or physiologic swallowing disorder(s), followed by use of carefully selected compensatory and/or therapeutic strategies. Compensatory strategies are designed to eliminate symptoms of swallowing disorders, i.e., aspiration and inefficient swallow, and include postural changes, enhancement of sensory input, changes in food characteristics (viscosity, temperature, taste), modifications in volume and speed of food presentation, and intraoral prosthetics. Therapeutic strategies are designed to change swallow physiology and include range of motion exercises, sensory motor integration procedures and swallow maneuvers. The effects of many of these procedures can be assessed during the radiographic diagnostic procedure, once the patient's oropharyngeal anatomy and swallowing physiology have been defined. In general, swallowing assessment should be completed as soon as the patient is identified as dysphagic, and an appropriate rehabilitation plan initiated.
A Cross-Sectional Study of Student-Athlete Needs Satisfaction and Well-Being

Grounded in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), the purpose of this study was to examine (a) the effects of the social environment, as defined by the divisions of the Department of Athletics, on student-athletes’ perceptions of basic needs satisfaction, (b) the effects of basic needs satisfaction on well-being, and (c) the effects of time demands, during in-season and off-season, on well-being, among student-athletes at Portland State University (PSU). Participants were student-athletes at PSU (n = 118). The participants completed a multi-section survey assessing basic needs satisfaction and wellbeing. Cumulative mean scores highlighted the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs as an indicator of positive well-being. The satisfaction of the need for competence emerged as the most important predictor of well-being. In-season time demands may contribute to a lower degree of well-being. The findings suggest that particular aspects of the social environment may be relevant for nurturing the basic psychological needs. The results also emphasize the importance of satisfying the three basic psychological needs in order to create an atmosphere that contributes to positive well-being.
UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS FOR TIME- AND SPACE-DEPENDENT RESPONSES WITH RANDOM VARIABLES

The performance of a product varies with respect to time and space if the associated limit-state function is a function of time and space. This study develops an uncertainty analysis method that quantifies the effect of random input variables on the performance (response) over time and space. The first order reliability method (FORM) is used to approximate the extreme value of the response with respect to space at discretized instants of time. Then the response becomes a Gaussian stochastic process that is fully defined by the mean, variance, and autocorrelation functions obtained from FORM, where a sequential single loop procedure is performed for spatial and random variables. The method is successfully applied to the reliability analysis of a crank-slider mechanism, which operates in a specified period of time and space.Copyright © 2018 by ASME
Cross-Layer Secure and Resilient Control of Delay-Sensitive Networked Robot Operating Systems

A Robot Operating System (ROS) plays a significant role in organizing industrial robots for manufacturing. With an increasing number of the robots, the operators integrate a ROS with networked communication to share the data. This cyber-physical nature exposes the ROS to cyber attacks. To this end, this paper proposes a cross-layer approach to achieve secure and resilient control of a ROS. In the physical layer, due to the delay caused by the security mechanism, we design a time-delay controller for the ROS agent. In the cyber layer, we define cyber states and use Markov Decision Process to evaluate the tradeoffs between physical and security performance. Due to the uncertainty of the cyber state, we extend the MDP to a Partially Observed Markov Decision Process (POMDP). We propose a threshold solution based on our theoretical results. Finally, we present numerical examples to evaluate the performance of the secure and resilient mechanism.
Leave no stone unturned: defining recurrence in kidney stone formers.

Purpose of review Established guidelines provide recommendations on the management of kidney stones to prevent recurrence. However, clear and clinically useful terminology for recurrence of kidney stones is needed. This review describes the various manifestations of kidney stone recurrence and the reported rates of kidney stone recurrence in various clinical settings. Recent findings Kidney stone recurrence has a wide range of symptomatic and radiographic presentations. Symptomatic recurrence may include characteristic symptoms of stone passage via the ureter (renal colic and gross hematuria). This may be self-managed or result in clinical care, with or without confirmation of an obstructing stone on imaging. Radiographic recurrence has been variably defined as new stone formation, stone growth, or stone disappearance (from passage with or without symptoms). Studies have used inconsistent definitions of recurrence, and recurrence rates vary substantially. Stone free rates and residual stone fragment size after surgical interventions are useful predictors of symptomatic recurrence. Summary The recurrence rate of kidney stones has been assessed in stone formers from sub-specialty clinics, the general community, and clinical trials. The definition of recurrence is quite heterogenous between studies, but the rate of recurrence generally increases as more manifestations are included in the definition.
Supervisor Workplace Incivility: An Experimental Investigation of the Role of Cultural Dissimilarity

The current study sought to better understand differences in perceptions of incivility, to determine whether culture plays a role in the attributions made in perceiving uncivil behavior, to assess ...
Scale model of a dual dispersion primary objective grating telescope

THE MOST, The High Etendue Multiple Object Spectrographic Telescope, is a Primary Objective Grating (POG) telescope based on a Newtonian double dispersion architecture. Because it is inexpensive to scale up to large collecting area, this telescope could make an extraordinary spectroscopic survey instrument for astronomy. We describe here the laboratory tests on a scale model. We used two light sources to simulate starlight: The first was a blackbody incandescent filament in a flashlight. The other was a research-grade collimated laser. Both sources focused to 5 cm diameter circles with controlled angles of incidence. We tested two flat surface-relief reflection plane gratings as the POG in the scale model. The first POG was a conventionally ruled 4 cm2, 1180 line/mm grating mounted on a glass plate. The other POG was a 750×300 mm holographically mastered 1600 line/mm embossed decorative crating on polyester film, sold commercially as Holosheen. We report on experiments that compared resolution in the first-order diffracted image with the zero-order reflection image. Our report provides empirical evidence that along the diffraction axis THE MOST figure tolerances are vastly relaxed compared to mirror and lens telescopes. We measure the throughput of the Holosheen decorative grating to be 14% in the first order. We estimate the rate of SDSS-like spectrum acquisition from THE MOST in comparison to that of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) as an example, though this survey is not optimized to take advantage of the unique capabilities of THE MOST.
Frequencies of Heteromorphisms

An initial attempt to assess the frequency of variants was made in non-banded chromosomes from consecutive newborns by Lubs and Ruddle (Science 169:495–497, 1970). Their study included 3,476 infants of white mothers and 807 infants of black mothers, all of whom were phenotypically normal except one child with low birth weight. A total of 2,131 variants involving chromosomes A1, C9, E16, the short arms and satellites of D and G group chromosomes, and Y long arm were scored. Frequencies of certain striking variants were found to be discrepant between black and white children (Table 3.1). In particular, a metacentric C9 variant (later recognized as a 9qh inversion) was 20 times more frequent in the black children; a large short arm on a D-group chromosome was four times more frequent. Y chromosome length was not different for black and white children. However, a large Y (> E18) was present in one of nine Chinese infants included in the study and a second large Y was present in the only Turkish infant. Earlier studies had shown a high frequency of large Y in Japanese adult males (Lubs and Ruddle, Nature 233:134–136, 1971).
An exchange rate risk experiment with multiple currencies

In this article, the authors describe a classroom experiment on exchange rates appropriate for undergraduate courses in macroeconomics, international economics, and money and banking. Student teams...
Functional improvement in hand strength and dexterity after surgical treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy: a prospective quantitative study

OBJECTIVE Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the primary cause of adult spinal cord dysfunction. Diminished hand strength and reduced dexterity associated with CSM contribute to disability. Here, the authors investigated the impact of CSM severity on hand function using quantitative testing and evaluated the response to surgical intervention. METHODS Thirty-three patients undergoing surgical treatment of CSM were prospectively enrolled in the study. An occupational therapist conducted 3 functional hand tests: 1) palmar dynamometry to measure grip strength, 2) hydraulic pinch gauge test to measure pinch strength, and 3) 9-hole peg test (9-HPT) to evaluate upper extremity dexterity. Tests were performed preoperatively and 6-8 weeks postoperatively. Test results were expressed as 1) a percentile relative to age- and sex-stratified norms and 2) achievement of a minimum clinically important (MCI) difference. Patients were stratified into groups (mild, moderate, and severe myelopathy) based on their modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score. The severity of stenosis on preoperative MRI was graded by three independent physicians using the Kang classification. RESULTS The primary presenting symptoms were neck pain (33%), numbness (21%), imbalance (12%), and upper extremity weakness (12%). Among the 33 patients, 61% (20) underwent anterior approach decompression, with a mean (SD) of 2.9 (1.5) levels treated. At baseline, patients with moderate and low mJOA scores (indicating more severe myelopathy) had lower preoperative pinch (p < 0.001) and grip (p = 0.01) strength than those with high mJOA scores/mild myelopathy. Postoperative improvement was observed in all hand function domains except pinch strength in the nondominant hand, with MCI differences at 6 weeks ranging from 33% of patients in dominant-hand strength tests to 73% of patients in nondominant-hand dexterity tests. Patients with moderate baseline mJOA scores were more likely to have MCI improvement in dominant grip strength (58.3%) than those with low mJOA scores/severe myelopathy (30%) and high mJOA scores/mild myelopathy (9%, p = 0.04). Dexterity in the dominant hand as measured by the 9-HPT ranged from < 1 in patients with cord signal change to 15.9 in patients with subarachnoid effacement only (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Patients with CSM achieved significant improvement in strength and dexterity postoperatively. Baseline strength measures correlated best with the preoperative mJOA score; baseline dexterity correlated best with the severity of stenosis on MRI. The majority of patients experienced MCI improvements in dexterity. Baseline pinch strength correlated with postoperative mJOA MCI improvement, and patients with moderate baseline mJOA scores were the most likely to have improvement in dominant grip strength postoperatively.
8.1 Lakefield and Mobility Compute: A 3D Stacked 10nm and 22FFL Hybrid Processor System in 12×12mm 2 , 1mm Package-on-Package

The Lakefield processor combines heterogeneous 3D die stacking also called Foveros, with hybrid computing to enable a new class of small form factor mobile products. The stacked die and implementation of the 3D package with PoP memory is shown in Fig. 8.1.1. The compute die is on Intel 10nm+ for power-performance and includes the CPU, GPU, IPU, memory and display engine based on IP from the Icelake product family. It includes one Core™ and four Atom™ cores in a hybrid configuration connected using a cache-coherent fabric. Both core types are exposed to the operating system which selects the best core depending on the performance and power characteristics of the workload. The memory subsystem supports LPDDR4X PoP in a 4×16 configuration. The base die is on Intel 22FFL and contains the chipset functionality including PCIe Gen3, USB type-C, storage, audio and a sensor hub. Combining 10nm and 22FFL in 3D enables a large dynamic range of performance and power modes. The 3D dies communicate with a low-power inter-die I/O called the Foveros Die Interface (FDI). The power delivery has been optimized to leverage a PMIC-based power delivery compared to previous to reach the low power and small form factors.
Reduction of aflatoxin transfer into milk of lactating dairy cows with addition of a dietary clay adsorbent

Twenty-four lactating Holstein cows were used in a randomized complete block design to test the efficacy of clay at reducing aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk. Cows were blocked by parity and stage of lactation and were adapted to individual feed gates prior to treatment. Cows were randomly assigned 1 of 4 dietary treatments (n=6): 1) control (CON) total mixed ration (TMR); 2) aflatoxin control (AFC) TMR with 300 ppb aflatoxin B1 (AFB1); 3) adsorbent diet (CLY) TMR with 1.76 oz (50 g) of clay; 4) AFC diet with clay (CLY+AF) with 300ppb AFB1 and 1.76 oz (50 g) of clay. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS. Main effects were treatment, days-inmilk, parity, and day. Significance was declared at P<0.05. Dry matter intake was similar across treatments; however, cows consuming CON diets had reduced milk yield. Milk from AFC cows had the greatest concentration of AFM1, and cows fed CLY+AF averaged 1.47 ± 0.186 ppb AFM1 less than cows fed AFC, resulting in a 60.0% reduction. Results from this study show that adding clay to contaminated diets was effective at reducing AFM1 concentrations in milk of cows fed AFB1 without negatively affecting production.
Evaluation of the use of spinal anesthesia administered prior to proceeding to the operating room in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty

Abstract Background Previous studies have demonstrated improvements in efficiency when specific procedures are performed in a designated preoperative area prior to proceeding to the operating room. In this study the authors sought to evaluate if spinal anesthesia could be safely and efficiently administered prior to proceeding to the operating room when compared to general anesthesia and spinal anesthesia administered in the operating room. Methods The authors reviewed the electronic health record at a single institution between the years 2012 to 2018. Total joint arthroplasties by a single surgeon were identified and the specific time frames of interest were measured and compared between patients who received a spinal anesthetic in the preoperative area, patients who received a general anesthetic, and patients who received a spinal anesthetic in the operating room. These time frames of interest included: anesthesia induction time, operating room recovery time, post anesthesia recovery unit time, and operating room turnover time. The electronic medical record was also reviewed for spinal-related adverse events. Categorical variables were compared using the Fisher exact test and continuous variables were compared using equal-variance t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results The study cohort consisted of 246 patients (142 total hip arthroplasty and 104 total knee arthroplasty); 40.2% (99) of patients received a general anesthetic (GA), 52% (128) of patients received a preoperative spinal anesthetic (PSA), and 7.7% (19) of patients received an intraoperative spinal anesthetic (ISA). Preoperative spinal anesthetics demonstrated a shorter anesthesia induction time, shorter operating room recovery times, shorter PACU recovery times, and longer operating room turnover times when compared to general anesthesia and intraoperative spinals. There were no spinal-related adverse events. Conclusion The results of this retrospective cohort study demonstrate that administration of spinal anesthesia in the preoperative area is safe as compared with intra-operative spinal administration. Pre-operative spinal for total joint arthroplasty reduces time spent in the operating room and PACU when compared with general anesthesia and intraoperative spinal but it does not substantially affect overall perioperative efficiency.
Adaptive workload adjustment for cyber-physical systems using deep reinforcement learning

Abstract Reducing computational energy consumption in cyber-physical systems (CPSs) has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Associated with energy consumption is a heating of the devices. Device failure rate increases exponentially with increase temperature, so that high energy consumption leads to a significant shortening of processor lifetime. Reducing thermal stress without harming application safety and performance is the goal of this work. Our approach is to abort control tasks dispatch when this is judged, by a neural network, to not contribute to either safety or performance. This technique is orthogonal to others that have been used to reduce energy consumption such as dynamic voltage/frequency scaling and adaptive use of redundancy. Simulation experiments show that this approach leads to a further reduction in device aging when used in conjunction with these prior techniques.
Habitat selection of the pre-released giant panda in Wolong Nature Reserve

The giant panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a rare endangered species listed on the IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red List of Threatened Species and in the Appendices of CITES(the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The giant panda has encountered risks of gene loss and local extinction of metapopulations due to habitat loss as a result of both biogeological and anthropologenic disturbance. One way to save endangered species is to reintroduce captive animals to sparsely populated regions of their historical distribution area. However,in order for reintroduction to succeed,captive animals must be able to select habitat that ensures their survival in the wild,a crucial skill that can be honed during pre-release training. We conducted research involving pre-release training of a giant panda in an enclosure in an area of natural habitat at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda(CCRCGP) in Wolong Nature Reserve. We found that the panda selected areas with a high density of Fargesia robusta bamboo shoots(means±standard deviation of habitat plots and control plots: 2.68±1.14 vs.1.58±0.66),but avoided areas with a high density of adult bamboo(9.91±2.51 vs. 12.18±4.68) dead bamboo(2. 52±0. 86 vs. 3.39±1.33) and areas with higher bamboo culms((4.57±1.09) m vs.(4.98±0.66) m). The panda was found in areas near water((1.59±0.67) m vs.(2.19±0.87) m) and shelter((5.37±2.14) m vs.(8.35±7.76) m) more often than other areas,but avoided areas close to trees((3.09 ± 0.69) m vs.(2.70 ± 0.42) m) and areas with higher canopy cover(1.85±0.57 vs. 2.10±0.47)(P 0.05). Logistic regression showed that the density of new bamboo shoots was the main factor predicting habitat use by the pre-released giant panda. The pre-released giant panda had similar habitat selection patterns as its mother,suggesting that it may be able to learn skills from its mother,an important factor that can impact the success of the reintroduction. The pre-released giant panda also displayed similar habitat selection patterns as wild giant pandas in Wolong Nature Reserve,suggesting that it may be prepared for foraging in the wild. The fact that the pre-released giant panda selected areas close to the shelter suggests it might have learned predator avoidance skills from pre-release training,which could have a positive effect on its survival in the wild. Home range and home range core areas were 9.21hm2and 1.93 hm2,about 51.95% and 10.89% of the pre-release training enclosure respectively,while the home range was only 1.4%—2.4% of home ranges of wild giant pandas in Wolong Nature Reserve. It is essential to enrich the bamboo species richness of the pre-release training enclosure(such as by including Bashania faberi in the enclosure) in the future.
Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis Precipitated by Thyrotoxicosis and Renal Tubular Acidosis.

Background Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is a rare neuromuscular disorder characterized by transient episodes of flaccid paralysis due to a defect in muscle ion channels. Most cases are hereditary, but it can be acquired. We present a case of acquired hypokalemic periodic paralysis associated with hyperthyroidism and renal tubular acidosis. Clinical Case. A 38-year-old female with a history of Graves' disease presented to the emergency department with generalized weakness and associated nausea, vomiting, and weight loss. Examination was significant for diffuse weakness in all extremities. Labs showed hypokalemia, hyperthyroidism, and nonanion gap metabolic acidosis with a positive urine anion gap. She was treated for hypokalemic periodic paralysis and renal tubular acidosis. Potassium replacement, propranolol, methimazole, and sodium bicarbonate were initiated. Her potassium gradually corrected with resolution of her symptoms. Further investigation revealed a history of dry eyes, dry mouth, and recurrent dental carries. She had positive ANA, SS-A, and SS-B antibodies. She was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, which may have been associated with her Graves' disease and thus contributed to both her RTA and hyperthyroidism. Conclusion Early recognition and treatment of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis are important to prevent cardiac complications. Management includes potassium replacement with careful monitoring to prevent rebound hyperkalemia. The definitive treatment is to achieve euthyroid status.
Consumptive life cycle water use of biomass-to-power plants with carbon capture and sequestration

Abstract Biomass-to-power conversion provides the most promising route to bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS). The objectives of this study are to estimate the water consumption of biomass-to-power plants with CCS and then quantify its variability and uncertainty on a life cycle basis. The fuel-based life cycle analysis reveals that compared to the case of complete coal combustion with CCS, co-firing biomass at coal-fired power plants with CCS significantly increases the life cycle blue water consumption, depending on the type, co-firing rate, and production location of biomass; and dedicated biomass combustion with CCS further increases the life cycle blue water consumption by a factor of more than 55. Among the numerous stages across both the coal and biomass fuel cycles, the biomass production is the dominant stage accounting for more than 70% of the life cycle blue water consumption for the co-firing path and about 98% for the dedicated biomass-to-power path. These results indicate the importance of advancing agricultural practices and technologies to reduce the overall water consumption. Large-scale BECCS deployment may pose a challenge for water sustainability. Thus, this study calls for a strong need for a close coordination of technology, resource, and policy in transition to a sustainable net-zero carbon energy future.
Representations of Native Americans in U.S. culture? A case of omissions and commissions

In settler colonial societies, colonizers often omit contemporary Indigenous Peoples from representations, while controlling signifiers of indigeneity to legitimate their interests (e.g., stereotyp...
The 2021 British Defence Review and the British 'Tilt to the Indo-Pacific'

Britain's most recent defense review (March 2021's Defence in a Competitive Age) announced a "tilt to the Indo-Pacific" on the part of British defense policy. This working paper examines the document's discussion of that tilt with a particular eye to parallels and differences with Britain's pre-1971 posture "east of Suez," and especially the 1957-1971 period when the Indian Ocean littoral was its military priority. The paper's conclusion is that what the Review seems to promise is a lighter version of that posture, for vaguer ends, with the costs and benefits creating a great deal of uncertainty about the policy's plausibility and viability.
Origins and Childhood

This chapter gives some insight into the developments of the Jewish citizenry within the Habsburg empire, exemplifying the Haas family and describing the economic success of the broader family in the 19th century. Arthur Haas grew up in the Moldavian city of Brno in the wealthy environment of the Strakosch sugar dynasty in the Austrian Hungarian Empire. He enjoyed a protected upbringing in a privileged family.
Biased signalling and allosteric machines: new vistas and challenges for drug discovery

Seven transmembrane receptors (7TMRs) are nature's prototype allosteric proteins made to bind molecules at one location to subsequently change their shape to affect the binding of another molecule at another location. This paper attempts to describe the divergent 7TMR behaviours (i.e. third party allostery, receptor oligomerization, biased agonism) observed in pharmacology in terms of a homogeneous group of allosteric behaviours. By considering the bodies involved as a vector defined by a modulator, conduit and guest, these activities can all be described by a simple model of functional allostery made up of the Ehlert allosteric model and the Black/Leff operational model. It will be shown how this model yields parameters that can be used to characterize the activity of any ligand or protein producing effect through allosteric interaction with a 7TMR.