cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preliminary results of the coupled CWRF-GOSSYM system

GOSSYM is a comprehensive crop growth model that has been continuously developed since the late 1970s and widely applied to assist cotton growers, crop consultants, and researchers. The state-of-art CWRF (Climate-Weather Research and Forecasting model) demonstrated skillful simulations of regional water and energy cycle processes that are keenly important to cotton growth. This study focuses on coupling GOSSYM and CWRF to study crop-climate interactions. The coupling procedures include (1) recoding the GOSSYM to follow the CWRF F90 modular implementation; (2) replacing the soil dynamic module of the GOSSYM with the CWRF-predicted soil temperature and moisture while integrating the crop field management or cultural practice component (e.g., irrigation, tillage); (3) providing the GOSSYM with surface air temperature, precipitation, and surface solar radiation from the CWRF; (4) constructing crop height and coverage, leaf and stem area indices, greenness and root profile from the GOSSYM as inputs for the CWRF to represent the crop feedback on solar albedo and infrared emissivity, precipitation interception, and evapotranspiration. This study presents the preliminary results of the GOSSYM driven by the CWRF simulated climate conditions and discusses the model performance on cotton yield, leaf area index and height and their responses to water stress under the irrigation and non-irrigation conditions.
The Performance of Phylogenetic Methods on Trees of Bounded Diameter

We study the convergence rates of neighbor-joining and several new phylogenetic reconstruction methods on families of trees of bounded diameter. Our study presents theoretically obtained convergence rates, as well as an empirical study based upon simulation of evolution on random birth-death trees. We find that the new phylogenetic methods offer an advantage over the neighbor-joining method, except at low rates of evolution where they have comparable performance. The improvement in performance of the new methods over neighbor-joining increases with the number of taxa and the rate of evolution.
Effects of flow regulation on shallow-water habitat dynamics and floodplain connectivity

Abstract Our study examined the effects of flow regulation on the spatiotemporal availability of shallow habitat patches with slow current velocity (SSCV patches) and floodplain inundation in the unregulated Yellowstone River and the regulated Missouri River in Montana and North Dakota. We mapped representative sites and used hydraulic models and hydrograph data to describe the frequency and extent of floodplain inundation and the availability of SSCV habitat over time during different water years. In the Yellowstone River the distribution, location, and size of SSCV patches varied but followed an annual pattern that was tied to the snowmelt runoff hydrograph. There was less variation in patch distribution in the Missouri River, and the pattern of habitat availability was influenced by flow regulation. Regulated flows and their effects on channel morphology and patterns of vegetation establishment resulted in 3.0–3.5 times less area of inundated woody vegetation during normal and dry years in the Missouri...
A preliminary investigation of observation diversity for enhancing fortuitous detection of defects

Unmodeled defects must be fortuitously detected by test pattern sets to achieve low defective part levels. However, fortuitous detection of many complex defects becomes less likely if test sets are structurally biased toward particular circuit configurations. In the past, we have demonstrated that test sets that observe sites multiple times with good excitation balance can fortuitously detect more defects than test sets with similar numbers of observations and less balance. Here we extend our analysis of structural bias to the path segments through which circuit sites are observed. We investigate observation diversity for all possible patterns and for particular test sets. Furthermore, we explore how this diversity relates to excitation balance.
Apoptosis and ovarian function

For decades, the mechanisms responsible for germ cell depletion from the ovary, either directly during the perinatal period or indirectly via follicular atresia during postnatal life, have remained relatively obscure. The recent application of sensitive biochemical techniques for the study of cell death to the analysis of ovarian function has revealed that these two events, as well as a third instance of ovarian cell degeneration (luteolysis), are dependent upon the activation of physiological cell death mechanisms. It is therefore hypothesized that the controlled deletion of ovarian cell populations is accomplished via activation of a 'universal' pathway of cellular suicide involving altered expression of a conserved cohort of genes. The identity of the hormonal and intracellular effectors responsible for the coordination of life and death decisions made by ovarian cells during development as well as the biological and clinical implications of gene-directed cell death in the ovary are explored in this review.
Florida’s bicycle helmet law and a bicycle safety educational program: Did they help?

Abstract Introduction: This research studied the effectiveness of Florida's mandatory helmet law for children and a community bicycle safety campaign promoting helmet use. Children's use of helmets before and after the law's enactment and the type and extent of head injuries sustained in bicycle crashes were evaluated. Methods: The trauma and medical records from Broward General Medical Center's Pediatric Referral Trauma Center provided demographic data, injury severity scores, and information on the type and extent of head injuries sustained. Data were compared using independent sample t tests and Pearson χ 2 statistics with .05 as the significance level. Results: Each group consisted of 72 children, predominantly 7- to 12-year-old boys. Known helmet use rose from 5.6% to 20.8%, with children aged 10 to 12 years having the greatest increase in helmet use (27%). Helmet use rose in urban and suburban areas. Changes in the type and extent of head injuries were mixed. Injury severity scores were higher for nonhelmeted children in the after-law group. Discussion: Although helmet use increased, especially among the 7- to 12-year-olds targeted during the bicycle safety campaigns, bicycle helmet use remains too low, and nonhelmeted children continue to have a higher risk for serious injuries. Community bicycle safety programs that promote helmet use remain an important adjunct to mandatory helmet use laws. (J Emerg Nurs 1999;25:496-500)
The Case against Biological Realism about Race: From Darwin to the Post-Genomic Era

This paper examines the claim that human variation reflects the existence of biologically real human races. It analyzes various concepts of race, including conceptions of race as a breeding population, continental cluster and ancestral line of descent, or clade. It argues that race functions, in contemporary human population genetics, more like a convenient instrumental concept than biological category for picking out subspecific evolutionary kinds. It shows that the rise of genomics most likely provided opponents of the biological reality of human races with at least as much ammunition as that of their counterparts the race realists. The paper also suggests that the roots of the current epistemic landscape of the debate can be traced back to Darwin's essay on The Descent of Man.
(1‐Aza‐4‐aziniobi­cyclo­[2.2.2]­octane‐N1)­tri­chlorozinc(II)

Zn(dabcoH)Cl3 (dabco is 1,4-bi­cyclo­[2.2.2]­octane), [ZnCl3(C6H13N2)], crystallizes as a neutral monomeric species with approximate C3 symmetry. The tetrahedrally coordinated ZnII ion has Zn—Cl distances ranging from 2.239 (2) to 2.250 (2) A and a Zn—N distance of 2.094 (4) A. The Cl—Zn—Cl angles are slightly larger than tetrahedral [112.44 (6)–114.38 (6)°]. The protonated aza group forms a weak interaction with a Cl atom of an adjacent mol­ecule.
Allergen inhalation challenge in smoking compared with non-smoking asthmatic subjects.

Summary Background Smoking asthmatics experience more severe symptoms, require more rescue medication and have more asthma-related hospitalizations than non-smoking asthmatics. However, studies in mice suggest that mainstream cigarette smoke may reduce airway inflammation and may attenuate airway hyperresponsiveness. A comparison of allergen-induced airway inflammatory responses of smoking and non-smoking atopic asthmatics has not been examined previously. Objectives To determine whether allergen-induced airway responses and inflammatory profiles are attenuated in smoking when compared with non-smoking mild allergic asthmatic subjects. Methods Allergen inhalation challenges were performed in 13 smoking and 19 non-smoking mild allergic asthmatic subjects. The forced expired volume in 1 s (FEV1) was measured up to 7 h after allergen inhalation. Methacholine airway responsiveness was measured before and at 24 h after allergen and sputum was induced before and at 7 and 24 h after allergen. Results Both the smoking and non-smoking groups developed similar allergen-induced falls in FEV1 during the early and late asthmatic responses and similar increases in allergen-induced airway eosinophils. The mean maximum fall in FEV1 during the late response was 16.3±4.3% in non-smokers and 12.9±7.2% in smokers. The smoking asthmatics, however, did not develop allergen-induced methacholine airway hyperresponsiveness, whereas the non-smoking controls developed a 1.18 doubling dose shift in methacholine PC20 (P<0.05). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Mild allergic asthmatic subjects, who were current smokers with a mean 6-year pack history, develop allergen-induced eosinophilic airway inflammation and late responses, similar in magnitude to non-smoking asthmatics, but do not develop methacholine airway hyperresponsiveness associated with the allergen-induced airway eosinophilia. Cite this as: Z. Meghji, B. Dua, R. M. Watson, G. M. Gauvreau and P. M. O'Byrne, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2011 (41) 1084–1090.
Exercise for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome

A considerable number of observational and intervention studies support the role of exercise as a cornerstone in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and the metabolic syndrome. Physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness are also associated with reduced mortality rates among persons with CVD, T2D, and metabolic syndrome. Exercise has definite acute effects on a number of risk markers for CVD and T2D, in addition to more substantial benefits with chronic training. Both aerobic and resistance exercise have therapeutic value, largely independent of weight loss, and should be included in exercise programs.
Academic Pinstitution: Higher Education's Use of Pinterest for Relationship Marketing

Colleges and universities have increasingly looked toward social media as a means of engaging with stakeholders. Using the relationship marketing framework as a lens, this study explores how institutions are employing the social media platform Pinterest. Content analysis of the types of college and university pins being used and their relationship to the number of user repins suggests that the tool is not being employed in a manner consistent with user expectations. Our findings suggest that some colleges and universities need to reevaluate their social media plan to acknowledge the different audiences, uses, and functionality of specific social media platforms. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed.
Effects of limited access to a fat option on food intake and body composition in female rats.

Objective The present investigation sought to determine if limiting access to an optional fatty food would induce binge-type behavior patterns in non–energy-deprived female rats. Method Four groups of rats had continuous access to a commercial rodent diet throughout the 8-week study. In addition: (1) the control group had no access to vegetable shortening; (2) the high limitation group had access to shortening for 2 hr for 3 days each week; (3) the low limitation group had access to shortening for 2 hr every day; and (4) the no limitation group had continuous access to shortening. Results As access to the shortening decreased, intake during the 2-hr access period increased. Total energy intake and body weight did not differ among groups. Body fat was greatest in the rats that ate the most cumulative shortening. Discussion These results indicate that, even under non–energy-deprived conditions, limiting access to a preferred fatty food can induce binge-type behavior in female rats. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 28: 436–445, 2000.
Bioactive surface for neural electrodes: Decreasing astrocyte proliferation via transforming growth factor‐β1

Implantation of deep-brain recording devices is a traumatic event, which inevitably elicits reactive gliosis. The ensuing glial scar encapsulating the implanted device impedes the long-term functional recording capability of the microelectrode. In this work, a bioactive surface is prepared by conjugation of transforming growth factor-beta one (TGF-β1) and laminin to dextran, which is in turn conjugated to a biomaterial substrate. Poly-L-lysine coated surfaces are treated with oxidized dextran, and the dextran is re-oxidized with sodium metaperiodate to generate hemiacetal structures to which TGF-β1 and laminin are covalently bound. Covalent conjugation of the ligand is confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A primary cell line of astrocytes is incubated on a surface conjugated with laminin and TGF-β1 and a surface only conjugated with laminin. Proliferation on the laminin plus TGF-β1 surface is 57% less (p < 0.002) than the control surface (laminin alone). The results demonstrate that conjugated TGF-β1 retains its efficacy toward astrocyte proliferation and represents a potential strategy for reducing glial scar formation in vivo. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007
Biomarkers in acute respiratory distress syndrome: from pathobiology to improving patient care

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a clinical syndrome characterized by alveolar flooding with protein-rich pulmonary edema fluid. Despite an improved understanding of ARDS pathogenesis, our ability to predict the development of ARDS and risk-stratify patients with the disease remains limited. Biomarkers may help identify patients at highest risk of developing ARDS, assess response to therapy, predict outcome, and optimize enrollment in clinical trials. This review begins with a general description of biomarker use in clinical medicine. We then review evidence that supports the value of various ARDS biomarkers organized by the cellular injury processes central to ARDS development: endothelial injury, epithelial injury, disordered inflammation and coagulation, fibrosis, and apoptosis. Finally, we summarize the growing contributions of genomic and proteomic research and suggest ways in which the field may evolve in the coming years.
Attitudinal Dimensions that Determine Pharmacists’ Decisions to Support DTCA of Prescription Medication

The use of consumers as a channel of marketing prescription drugs is now being more thoroughly explored by the pharmaceutical industry through direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA). As medication distributor and counselor, the pharmacist is in a unique position to observe the effects of DTCA. The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacists’ attitudes toward DTCA. A survey mailed to a randomized statewide sample of pharmacists solicited their level of agreement to 24, Likert-type items pertaining to the possible effects of DTCA in addition to requesting relevant respondent demographic information. Results indicated that 59% of the pharmacists did not support DTCA. Chi-squared analysis indicated that support of DTCA was independent of respondent demographics. Factor analysis revealed four underlying dimensions (“action,” “disruption,” “knowledge,” and “market”) explaining 53.4% of the variance in attitudes. Discriminant analysis was used to correctly classify 76% of respondents as supporters and nonsupported of DTCA. The study concludes that pharmacists believe in the possibility of numerous entwined effects of DTCA, resulting in a complex composition of their attitudes.
The phototropic response of Triticum aestivum coleoptiles under conditions of low gravity

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Broom) coleoptiles were stimulated by unilateral blue light pulses, the duration of which varied between 3 s and 30 min, under microgravity conditions on the IML-1 Spacelab mission and in ground controls. The stimuli covered first positive, indifferent and second positive response regions. When phototropic responses were observed under low-gravity conditions, slightly fewer seedlings responded compared with 1 g conditions. The latent period was similar in flight and 1g treatments (10–20 min), except for the response to 300,μmol m−2 in the indifferent response region, where a positive response in flight plants followed a 130 min latent period, while no response was observed in 1 g plants. First positive responses at Og were slightly enhanced, both in magnitude and in duration, compared to the 1 g controls, but not to the extent predicted by clinostat studies. The response kinetics in the second positive region at 1g showed a plateau at 120 min, in contrast to the single maximum at Og. The fluence-response relationship was similar in both flight and ground controls. Only the responses to 4 and 6μmolm-2 showed significantly greater curvatures at 9g. This contrasts with previous clinostat studies, which reported substantial response enhancement at all fluence levels.
Opportunistic spectrum access in multi-user multi-channel cognitive radio networks

With the advent of cognitive radio technology, opportunistic spectrum access has the potential to mitigate spectrum scarcity by letting users sense and utilize unused portions of licensed spectrum opportunistically without adverse impact on the primary licensees (licensed spectrum owner). We consider the problem of how multiple secondary users should maximize their total throughput in a multi-channel sensing-based opportunistic spectrum access network under various traffic conditions. We developed two dynamic spectrum access algorithms (Hungarian and Greedy) which allow secondary users (unlicensed opportunistic users) to access spectrum based on non-cooperative independent decisions. Both algorithms allow the secondary users to seek independent spectrum opportunities without cooperation with the objective of minimizing collisions among secondary users and maximizing the spectrum utility. Simulations comparing the performance of the two algorithms yield interesting findings.
Diagnosis of sequence-dependent chips

A technique capable of diagnosing single and multiple stuck-open and stuck-at faults is presented. Eleven sequence-dependent chips (test results depend on the order of test patterns) are diagnosed. Seven of them are diagnosed as having single stuck-open faults. Two of them are diagnosed as having multiple stuck-at and stuck-open faults.
The Dynamic Relations between Market Returns and Two Types of Risk with Business Cycles

We examine the dynamic relations among market returns, market risk, and idiosyncratic risk around business cycles. Compared to the conventional view, which treats market and idiosyncratic risks separately, we first find that excess market return anticipates negative market risk and idiosyncratic risk, suggesting market return’s role as an economic indicator, with the relation stronger in recessions. Second, idiosyncratic risk helps predict positive market risk, mainly in early part of recessions, suggesting a dynamic evolution from idiosyncratic risk to market risk. Third, market risk helps predict negative idiosyncratic risk, suggesting market risk may substitute idiosyncratic risk to some extent.
SUPPORT VECTORS MACHINE: A TUTORIAL WITH R

The purpose of this tutorial is to introduce the powerful method of support vector machines for classifications and to advocate the usage of the statistical language R to develop SVM-based models.
Bronchopneumonia associated with extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli in a horse

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains carrying distinct virulence attributes are known to cause diseases in humans and animals and infect organs other than the gastrointestinal tract. A fatal case of bronchopneumonia in a 12-year-old female Quarterhorse was investigated. Following postmortem examination, E. coli, Enterococcus sp., and Klebsiella pneumonia were isolated from the lungs, which contained multifocal intra-alveolar accumulations of neutrophils and macrophages with edema, hemorrhage, and fibrin. The strain of E. coli belonged to O2:H21 and carried virulence genes cnf1, sfa, foc, fimA, and papG allele I that are known to be associated with ExPEC strains. The strain was resistant to several antimicrobials including clindamycin, erythromycin, oxacillin, penicillin, and rifampin. This is the first report, to the authors' knowledge, in which ExPEC O2:H21 has been associated with fatal bronchopneumonia in a horse.
Clinical Scenario: Large Volume, Non-metastatic T2 Bladder Tumor

The optimal treatment of bulky, non-metastatic, and locally advanced muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) involves a combination of chemotherapy and radical cystectomy. Evidence exists to support the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of MIBC; however, there are a number of scenarios where this approach is not feasible or may not be practical. The goal of this chapter is to describe our approach to the treatment of MIBC, in particular the timing and use of chemotherapy with radical cystectomy, and to provide a practical guide based on our clinical experience.
Adoption: Biological and Social Processes Linked to Adaptation

Children join adoptive families through domestic adoption from the public child welfare system, infant adoption through private agencies, and international adoption. Each pathway presents distinctive developmental opportunities and challenges. Adopted children are at higher risk than the general population for problems with adaptation, especially externalizing, internalizing, and attention problems. This review moves beyond the field's emphasis on adoptee-nonadoptee differences to highlight biological and social processes that affect adaptation of adoptees across time. The experience of stress, whether prenatal, postnatal/preadoption, or during the adoption transition, can have significant impacts on the developing neuroendocrine system. These effects can contribute to problems with physical growth, brain development, and sleep, activating cascading effects on social, emotional, and cognitive development. Family processes involving contact between adoptive and birth family members, co-parenting in gay and lesbian adoptive families, and racial socialization in transracially adoptive families affect social development of adopted children into adulthood.
Arthur McIvor and Ronald Johnston, Miners’ lung: a history of dust disease in British coal mining, Studies in Labour History, Aldershot, Ashgate, 2007, pp. xviii, 355, £60.00 (hardback 978-0-7546-3673-1).

Coal mining is the classic dangerous trade. There are few, if any, occupations that have taken so many lives or caused so many injuries among its workforce. Mine collapses, explosions, suffocation and starvation of miners “buried alive” are just a few of the possible catastrophes that have caused suffering and pain among miners and their families in coal towns around the globe. But, the pain does not stop there. As McIvor and Johnston's elegant study details, even those that escape the immediate dangers of the pit are subject to years, even decades, of pain, laboured breathing and eventual death. The dust created by the picks, hammers, and especially the pneumatic tools that were introduced in the twentieth century crept deep into the lungs of the otherwise powerfully built, healthy workers, eventually incapacitating them, ruining their bodies and killing them. McIvor and Johnston relate the distressing story of towns where healthy young men are slowly transformed into hunched-over, crippled and diseased elderly. The various ways that dust affected these men is a testament to the evils of the mining system: silicosis, chronic bronchitis, coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP), pneumonia, and tuberculosis all took their toll and were all identified by a variety of physicians, commissions, expert panels as the peculiar costs of Britain's industrialization. By the 1930s, one in twenty workers in Britain was a miner, yet miners accounted for 25 per cent of all workplace injuries and an untold percentage of industrial diseases in the UK. This text, sprinkled with moving testimony of workers themselves, tells us of the cost in lives lost to Britain's industrial power, highlighting the centrality of the industry to British life.
Changes in Epiphyte Communities as the Shrub, Acer circinatum, Develops and Ages

Abstract The Pacific Northwest tall shrub Acer circinatum (vine maple) can host diverse and abundant epiphyte communities. A chronosequence approach revealed that these communities gradually shift in composition as the shrub progresses through its life cycle. Different epiphytic life forms occupy different spatial and temporal niches on shrub stems. These life forms generally shift upwards along the shrub stem as the stem ages and develops, in accordance with the similar gradient hypothesis. We postulate the following sequence of events. An initial wave of colonization occurs as new substrate is laid down. Over time, superior competitors gradually engulf and overgrow competitively inferior primary colonizers. Concurrently, shrub stem microclimate changes as shrub stems grow, age, and layer, causing the processes of competition and colonization to shift in favor of different epiphytic life forms during different life stages of the shrub stem. We define four separate shrub stem life stages: life classes 1–4...
Low-Level Updrafts in Stable Layers Forced by Convection.

Abstract An investigation is made of the stability of a convectively unstable atmosphere in the presence of a stably stratified layer beneath, which is moving with a constant velocity relative to the upper air. This work is an extension of the linear model presented as part of the recent study of Orlanski and Ross in which they sought to explain the structure of their simulated squall line. A stability analysis shows that two modes are possible: 1) the gravitational or convective mode due to the unstable stratification in the upper layer which modifies the stable region below and 2) the classical Kelvin-Helmholtz mode due to shear across the interface. The Kelvin–Helmholtz mode is of limited physical interest in this case. On the other hand, the gravitational mode produces an updraft structure similar to updrafts in the stable lower layer of a convective system. Analysis of the horizontal displacement of the surface convergence for this mode relative to the convergence in the convective zone shows this di...
Exxon Valdez Revisited: The Untold Story (a)

Being in charge of cleaning up the March 24, 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill accident meant that Otto Harrison, the general manager of Exxon International Alaskan Operations, was there when the storm clouds over the event were thick. Despite years of learning, wisdom, growth, and dealing with success and failure, Harrison had never faced a challenge of this magnitude. He was sure his experiences would be utilized in full force. The questions he thought about included whether three different governing bodies (the state of Alaska, the federal government, and Exxon [a publicly held corporation]) could work together toward a common goalto leave few signs of the biggest oil spill ever to occur in North America. What type of help was most needed now? Would Exxons plan satisfy the numerous stakeholders? How would the plan be viewed publicly? What impact would the cleanup plan have on Exxon's business? In the (A) case, the Exxon Valdez accident and immediate challenges are described so students can put themselves in Harrisons place to lead through the crisis. The (B) case (epilogue) outlines more problems and includes actions taken to try to clean up the oil as quickly and effectively as possible. The tragedy changed the oil industry in many wayssome of which are described in the epilogue.
Examining assumptions about multidrug-resistant TB control.

Pablos-Mendez Gowda and Frieden aim to establish a "rational" base for the control of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in resource-poor settings. To assess the rationality of their work this article examines the core assumptions about MDR-TB.
The Transgenic Bagel: The Transformation of Computer-Based Artwork

The Transgenic Bagel , a parody on recombinant gene-slicing, is an interactive art project that has evolved from a computer-based to a World Wide Web-based artwork. Its parodic content hypothesizes that Noah’s Ark comprised the first gene pool and was the first experiment in gene technology. In this work, mythical animals residing in Noah’s virtual ark carry the Noahsomal DNA of biblical characters. Interactive options are provided for viewers to select desired traits of persons depicted in the Book of Genesis. Once selected, these trait genes are transferred to the participant via state-of-the-art bagel technology. The author describes the evolution of the project through several electronic presentation formats and discusses how the different formats affected the stages of the work.
Experimental Mechanics for Graduate Students

This talk provides a description of a current graduate course in experimental mechanics taught at Brown University. This course is designed for graduate students with a strong engineering background who want to learn more about the physical and mathematical principles behind experimentation. It includes the fundamentals of optics, optical interferometry, and imaging systems including Digital Volume Correlation and Particle Image Velocimetry. It will also include signal processing, and spatial and temporal filtering techniques. The goal of the course is to give students a quantitative appreciation of commonly used experimental methods in mechanics, their applications, limitations and theories. Students will be able to apply the theories learned in lectures to carefully designed laboratory experiments. As such the course is intended for all students with interests in continuum mechanics. The purpose of this talk is to give the audience an overview of how experimental mechanics can be integrated into the pedagogy of the classroom.
The Arabs as Semites Arabia the Cradle of the Semitic Race

Of all the lands comparable to Arabia in size, and of all the peoples approaching the Arabs in historical interest and importance, no country and no nationality have perhaps received so little consideration and study in modern times as have Arabia and the Arabs.
Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia: Moving Beyond Palliation?

Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) has been effective in reducing the VT burden in structural heart disease patients. Current guidelines from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Rhythm Society recommend the consideration of catheter ablation in patients who have recurrent VT despite antiarrhythmic drug therapy.1 Although major trials have shown success rates of VT ablation ranging from 50% to 70%,2,3 the long-term prognosis of this patient population remains guarded: it is unknown whether successful ablation actually alters mortality outcomes.
Individual and Environmental Barriers to Successful Aging: The Importance of Considering Environmental Supports

The cornerstone to successful aging is maintaining a consistent physical activity routine and healthy diet. This is particular important for aging adults to preserve their independence. However, for low-income aging adults there are significant individual and environmental barriers that reduce their ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Understanding how environmental supports can be found in existing programs geared toward older adults is a way to insure long-term behavioral changes.
Molecular dynamics modeling of mechanical loss in amorphous tantala and titania-doped tantala

The mechanical loss (${Q}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) intrinsic to amorphous oxides is the limiting factor for sensitive, high-precision gravitational wave detectors and optical devices. Recent experimental work suggests that doping amorphous tantala with titania reduces ${Q}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, however, the physical processes underlying this reduction are unknown. Here, we calculate ${Q}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for pure and titania-doped tantala using numerical methods combined with molecular dynamics simulations that have atomic levels of resolution. Our results match experimental trends that titania doping decreases the magnitude of the low-temperature loss peak characteristic of these materials, with 62% titanium cation doping minimizing ${Q}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at low temperature. We provide a microscopic explanation for this reduced loss by examining how doping affects the potential energy landscape, strain coupling constant, relaxation time, and other properties of the amorphous materials within the framework of the double-well potential model. Analyzing configurational changes provides an atomic description of the transitions driving mechanical loss at various temperatures in these oxides. These results identify the important parameters contributing to ${Q}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ that are most affected by doping and provide guidance for how to screen for optimal doping combinations to minimize loss in other materials.
Patient-Derived Xenografts in Oncology

Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2012, approximately 14 million new cases and about eight million cancer-related deaths were reported. In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed and 595,690 people will die from the disease (www.cancer.gov). Scientists for many years have been investigating cancer biology in an attempt to understand its development, mechanisms of progression and identify therapeutic agents to treat malignancies arising from various tissues. Animal models have long been used to investigate cancer biology providing an avenue to explore therapeutic efficacy of anti-cancer drugs and/or contribution of the immune system to tumor immunity. There are many models, ranging from in vitro culture systems utilizing human cell lines, to genetically engineered mouse models harboring specific genetic alterations, to mouse allograft models, to patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. These existing investigational platforms vary in terms of their potential to recapitulate cancer biology as seen in patients [1, 2].
Heat Capacity and Entropy Functions in Strong and Fragile Glass-Formers, Relative to Those of Disordering Crystalline Materials

The glassy state problem is often separated into two major components [1, 2]. One of these concerns the reasons that glasses form in the first place, and deals with the circumstance that glasses are usually metastable with respect to crystals so that crystallization must be avoided. The second deals with the question of how liquids behave when crystals do not form, and it is with this component that we are concerned in this chapter. Here the central phenomenon with which we must deal, in seeking to understand vitrification, is the heat capacity function and the change in that function that accompanies the freezing in of the disordered state. This phenomenon is illustrated in Fig. 2.1 for a typical molecular liquid, 2-pentene vitrified by both liquid cooling and by vapor deposition [3].
Efficacy of Celecoxib for Early Postoperative Pain Management in Hip Arthroscopy: A Prospective Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study.

Purpose To determine whether 400 mg of celecoxib administered 1 hour before hip arthroscopy surgery would reduce pain, provide reduction in overall narcotic consumption, and lead to more rapid discharge from recovery rooms. Methods Ninety-eight patients were randomized to either the celecoxib group (n = 50) or the placebo group (n = 48). An a priori power analysis was done set to detect a difference of 0.50 on the visual analog scale (VAS), based on the senior author's preference. The number of patients planned for recruitment was rounded up to 100 to allow for flexibility in the study. Inclusion criteria were any patient at least 18 years old who underwent hip arthroscopy surgery performed by the senior author. All patients had less than Tonnis grade 2 arthritis. Exclusion criteria were allergy to sulfa-based drugs, prior adverse reaction to celecoxib, or patients who were on chronic narcotics for whom alternative pain management regimens were arranged before surgery. Randomization was performed on a 1:1 basis in blocks of 10 using sealed envelopes stating celecoxib or placebo. One hour before surgery, all patients received either 400 mg celecoxib or placebo. Patients were evaluated using a VAS preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at 1 and 2 hours postoperatively. Time from the operating room to "ready for discharge" and number of morphine equivalents of narcotic medication required in the postanesthesia care unit were recorded. Results Age and preoperative VAS were similar between the celecoxib and placebo control group, with average ages of 34.2 ± 11.9 and 35.8 ± 11.6 ( P = .27) and preoperative VAS of 2.1 ± 2.06 and 2.3 ± 1.98 ( P = .29), respectively. The celecoxib group had 26 females and 24 males, whereas the placebo group had 29 females and 19 males ( P = .42). The most common surgical procedures were labral repair (31 patients in the celecoxib group and 29 patients in the placebo group), and labral repair with acetabular osteoplasty (13 patients in the celecoxib group and 11 patients in the placebo group). There were no significant differences in procedures performed between the 2 groups ( P > .05). At 1 hour postoperatively, patients who received celecoxib had a lower pain score that was statistically significant compared with the placebo group (4.6 vs 5.4, P = .03). There was a significant difference in discharge time between patients who received celecoxib and the control group (152.9 minutes vs 172.9 minutes, P = .04). There was no significant difference found in morphine equivalents consumed in the postanesthesia care unit between the 2 groups (15.3 vs 15.4, P = .48). Conclusions A preoperative dose of 400 mg of celecoxib led to statistically significantly reduced patient-reported pain on the VAS in the acute postoperative period after hip arthroscopy surgery, though the difference is not likely clinically significant. There was a significantly shorter time to discharge in patients who received celecoxib versus placebo. Level of Evidence Level I, randomized controlled trial.
Flower Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae and Phlaeothripidae) Species Complex on Florida Blackberries and the Effect of Blackberry Cultivar

Blackberries are a relatively new crop to Florida, and little is known about which pests will become key pests in the system. This study was conducted to determine the pest potential of flower thrips in blackberries in Florida. Flower thrips were present in large numbers, particularly in early flowering cultivars. Frankliniella bispinosa Morgan (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) was the dominant species found in blackberries. Flower thrips populations behaved in a density dependent manner with Orius sp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) populations, so Orius sp. may be an important predator of flower thrips in this system.
Big Conflicts Little Conflicts

Choice-of-law doctrine today increasingly presents two distinct faces. When it comes to garden-variety tort and contract cases, conflicts doctrine often produces uncontroversial results with surprisingly little drama. In more complicated litigation, however, the picture is starkly different. It is fair to say that choice-of-law issues represent perhaps the most serious obstacle to consolidating complex cases. Further, conflicts issues even in simpler cases have proven deeply problematic when they implicate not just the interests of individuals, but larger questions about the proper allocation of state power.
Calculating the Standard Error: Just How Much Should Empirical Studies Curb Our Enthusiasm for Legal Standards?

In her essay Inducing Moral Deliberation: On the Occasional Virtues of Fog, Professor Seana Valentine Shiffrin argued that the unclarity and uncertainty of legal standards as compared to legal rules should not be understood as defects. Shiffrin claimed that these features of standards actually foster citizens’ moral deliberation and democratic engagement with law. In this response, Professor Brian Sheppard suggests a more complicated approach to assessing the merits of different legal norms. Sheppard argues that in addition to the content of the norm — rule or standard — the species of the norm matters. Sheppard further claims that the presence of a conflict between the legal norm and another norm can make rules, as opposed to standards, better at inducing moral deliberation. Through this more complicated frame, Sheppard then reviews the empirical scholarship and suggests that Shiffrin scale back and fine-tune her claim about legal standards to make it more consistent with findings about how people actually respond to such standards.
Landsat-Derived Estimates of Mangrove Extents in the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape Complex during 1990-2016.

This study provides the first assessment of decadal changes in mangrove extents in Sierra Leone. While significant advances have been made in mangrove mapping using remote sensing, no study has documented long-term changes in mangrove extents in Sierra Leone—one of the most vulnerable countries in West Africa. Such understanding is critical for devising regional management strategies that can support local livelihoods. We utilize multi-date Landsat data and cloud computational techniques to quantify spatiotemporal changes in land cover, with focus on mangrove ecosystems, for 1990–2016 along the coast of Sierra Leone. We specifically focus on four estuaries—Scarcies, Sierra Leone, Yawri Bay, and Sherbro. We relied on the k-means approach for an unsupervised classification, and validated the classified map from 2016 using ground truth data collected from Sentinel-2 and high-resolution images and during field research (accuracy: 95%). Our findings indicate that the Scarcies river estuary witnessed the greatest mangrove loss since 1990 (45%), while the Sierra Leone river estuary experienced mangrove gain over the last 26 years (22%). Overall, the Sierra Leone coast lost 25% of its mangroves between 1990 and 2016, with the lowest coverage in 2000, during the period of civil war (1991–2002). However, natural mangrove dynamics, as supported by field observations, indicate the potential for regeneration and sustainability under carefully constructed management strategies.
Broken Symmetry & Nonequilibrium Superfluid 3He

The superfluid phases of 3He provide a unique physical system to study the dynamical effects of spontaneous symmetry breaking in condensed matter. The theory of superfluid 3He is grounded in two of the most successful theories of strongly interacting matter, Landau’s Fermi-liquid theory and the BCS pairing theory of superconductivity. These two theories were placed into a common theoretical framework in the late 60’s. I discuss applications of this theory to nonequilibrium dynamics of superfluid 3He. In 1957 Landau predicted that liquid 3He would support propagating shear waves at low temperatures, i.e. a transverse sound mode. Such waves have recently been observed at low temperatures in the superfluid B-phase of liquid 3He. These observations provide a beautiful example of the effect of spontaneous symmetry breaking in condensed matter. I discuss the theory of transverse wave propagation in 3He and the recent detection of these waves by magneto-acoustic rotation of the polarization in a magnetic field.
Using the Gamma Camera for Counting Contamination Survey Wipes

The gamma camera can be used as a highly sensitive detector for low-level counting. Minimum detectable activities (MDA) of less than 200 dpm for {sup 99m}Tc can be achieved using a gamma camera with a collimator. If a nuclear medicine computer is also used, MDAs of less than 100 dpm can be obtained without difficulty.
Homolysis of substituted anisoles: substituent effects on phenoxyl radical stabilities.

The effect of a substituent on reaction thermodynamics (energetics) is perhaps the most fundamental of the “substituent effects.” In free radical reactions, other factors, most notably “polar effects,” are typically deduced from deviations in thermodynamic/rate correlations. A detailed understanding of radical substituent effects therefore requires the availability of thermodynamic information.
The ethics of organ transplantation: a brief history.

The pauses the transplant community has taken, at various times throughout the history of transplantation, to make sure that transplantation was truly a boon to patients represent genuine ethical engagement.
Evolution of Methods for Assessing Ciguatera Toxins in Fish

Most seafoods that are available to the consumer in the United States are wholesome and unlikely to cause illness. However, there are some areas of risk, such as the consumption of raw shellfish and naturally occurring toxins, i.e., ciguatera and paralytic shellfish poisoning (National Academy of Science 1991). Ciguatera is the most common nonbacterial food poisoning disease associated with the consumption of fish in the U.S. and its territories. Ciguatera poisoning outbreaks occur primarily in tropical regions of the world, including the Caribbean, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean regions, and Middle Eastern and Australian areas (Bagnis et al. 1979; Bagnis 1970; Banner 1965; Lewis 1986; Maharaj et al 1986; Royal 1982). Although past toxic outbreaks were limited to the endemic areas, the interregional transport of fish can result in outbreaks in nontropical parts of the world. Ciguatera is considered a world health problem (World Health Organization 1984; Juranovic and Park 1991).
Adaptive Sampling and Online Learning in Multi-Robot Sensor Coverage with Mixture of Gaussian Processes

We consider the problem of online environmental sampling and modeling for multi-robot sensor coverage, where a team of robots spread out over the workspace in order to optimize the overall sensing performance. In contrast to most existing works on multi-robot coverage control that assume prior knowledge of the distribution of environmental phenomenon, also known as density function, we relax this assumption and enable the robot team to efficiently learn the model of the unknown density function Online using adaptive sampling and non-parametric inference such as Gaussian Process (GP). To capture significantly different components of the environmental phenomenon, we propose a new approach with mixture of locally learned Gaussian Processes for collective model learning and an information-theoretic criterion for simultaneous adaptive sampling in multi-robot coverage. Our approach demonstrates a better generalization of the environment modeling and thus the improved performance of coverage without assuming the density function is known a priori. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm via simulations of information gathering from indoor static sensors.