cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring Signatures of Different Physical Processes for Fusion With Scattering Muon Tomography

The success of scattering muon tomography has prompted us to explore cosmic ray flux attenuation, electro-magnetic shower induction, and muonic X-ray emission as additional means for the non-destructive assay of small and medium size objects. We report on the value of the signatures of these processes as an adjunct to multiple scattering muon tomography. We discuss our experiments and the Monte-Carlo calculations of these processes, the type of information that can be drawn from their signatures, the cost and the value of this information. We discuss the general requirements for detector systems to make use of cosmic ray flux attenuation, induction of electro-magnetic showers, and muonic X-rays in muon tomography. We find that the attenuation of the cosmic ray flux allows for the inference of the density distribution for objects of automobile size and smaller with exposure times of order a few minutes. Our preliminary experiments and calculations have shown that using muonic X-rays to identify composition is exceedingly difficult, requiring months of exposure. Our experiments are not yet sensitive enough to detect muonic x-rays at the rates expected from previous accelerator experiments
Assessment of schemes for coupling Monte Carlo and Navier-Stokes solution methods

A planar Couette flow is simulated using several different interface conditions in a hybrid technique in which the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method and the Navier-Stokes equations are coupled. Comparison of computational times and accuracy of the different methods are made to determine the best approach for further study. It is concluded that the Marshak condition, in which the properties at the interfaces between the continuum and rarefied regions are determined from flux conservation equations, is the best technique in terms of accuracy and run-time performance. When coupling NavierStokes and DSMC solvers, the use of a Maxwellian distribution to represent the particle velocity distribution hi the Navier-Stokes region yields unacceptable errors.
A comparison of experience-dependent locomotory behaviors and biogenic amine neurons in nematode relatives of Caenorhabditis elegans

Background: Survival of an animal depends on its ability to match its responses to environmental conditions. To generate an optimal behavioral output, the nervous system must process sensory information and generate a directed motor output in response to stimuli. The nervous system should also store information about experiences to use in the future. The diverse group of free-living nematodes provides an excellent system to study macro- and microevolution of molecular, morphological and behavioral character states associated with such nervous system function. We asked whether an adaptive behavior would vary among bacterivorous nematodes and whether differences in the neurotransmitter systems known to regulate the behavior in one species would reflect differences seen in the adaptive behavior among those species. Caenorhabditis elegans worms slow in the presence of food; this ‘basal’ slowing is triggered by dopaminergic mechanosensory neurons that detect bacteria. Starved worms slow more dramatically; this ‘enhanced’ slowing is regulated by serotonin. Results: We examined seven nematode species with known phylogenetic relationship to C. elegans for locomotory behaviors modulated by food (E. coli), and by the worm’s recent history of feeding (being well-fed or starved). We found that locomotory behavior in some species was modulated by food and recent feeding experience in a manner similar to C. elegans, but not all the species tested exhibited these food-modulated behaviors. We also found that some worms had different responses to bacteria other than E. coli. Using histochemical and immunological staining, we found that dopaminergic neurons were very similar among all species. For instance, we saw likely homologs of four bilateral pairs of dopaminergic cephalic and deirid neurons known from C. elegans in all seven species examined. In contrast, there was greater variation in the patterns of serotonergic neurons. The presence of presumptive homologs of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons in a given species did not correlate with the observed differences in locomotory behaviors. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that behaviors can differ significantly between species that appear morphologically very similar, and therefore it is important to consider factors, such as ecology of a species in the wild, when formulating hypotheses about the adaptive significance of a behavior. Our results suggest that evolutionary changes in locomotory behaviors are less likely to be caused by changes in neurotransmitter expression of neurons. Such changes could be caused either by subtle changes in neural circuitry or in the function of the signal transduction pathways mediating these behaviors.
Form and Formalism: The View from Legal Theory

. The article considers Robert Summers' new book (Summers 2006), in the context of Summers' earlier work and the role of form and formalism in other jurisprudential discussions. While accepting the value of a form-centered approach to studying law, the article questions Summers' claim that his approach is clearly superior to (and not merely complementary with) traditional analytic theories, like those of Hart and Kelsen. The article also suggests that the book's discussion of form in contract and commercial law is somewhat disappointing, given Summers' expertise in this area, and the many difficult form-related questions that area raises.
Simplified Wind Flow Model for the Estimation of Aerodynamic Effects on Small Structures

The reliable measurement of pressures on low-rise buildings in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow remains a challenge, as hasbeenshownbythelargediscrepanciesamongresultsobtainedindifferentwindtunnelfacilitiesoreveninthesamewindtunnel.Twomajor causes of the discrepancies are the difficulty of simulating large-scale, low-frequency turbulent fluctuations uniformly across laboratories and the small scale of models in typical civil engineering wind tunnels. To address these issues, it was proposed that a simplified flow be used in laboratory simulations,rather thana conventionalABL flow.In thesimplified flowthe referencemeanwind speedislarger thanthemean wind speed of the ABL flow, and the low-frequency fluctuations present in the ABL flow are suppressed; that is, the peak energy of the missing low- frequency fluctuations is supplied in the simplified flow by the increment in the mean wind speed, which may be regarded as a flow fluctuation with zero frequency. High-frequency turbulent fluctuations, which typically affect flow reattachment, are approximately the same in the ABL and the simplified flow. Because, over small distances, low-frequency fluctuations are highly coherent spatially for small low-rise buildings with dimensions of up to approximately 20 m (e.g., single-family residential homes), the peak aerodynamic effects of the two flows may be hypothesized to be approximately the same. Preliminary experimental results obtained in University of Western Ontario's ABL wind tunnel facility and Florida International University's small-scale Wall of Wind facility are shown to support this hypothesis. The use of the proposed simplified flow is currently being tested by the authors for application to computational wind engineering (CWE) applications. Such use eliminatestheneedtosimulatethelowerfrequency fluctuationsoftheboundarylayer flowandthusmakesitpossibletoachievepracticalCWE calculations, and it is advantageous in experiments from the points of view of measurement accuracy, model scaling, repeatability of the simulations, and computational efficiency. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0000508. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Boundary layers; Wind loads; Low-rise buildings; Wind tunnels. Author keywords: Atmospheric boundary layer; Computational wind engineering; Flow modeling; Low-rise buildings; Wind engineering; Wind tunnel tests.
In vivo, high-throughput imaging for functional characterization of the embryonic zebrafish heart

High-throughput imaging allows characterizing the phenotype of large populations of cells, organs or organisms. Studying the function of organs in similar ways remains a challenge. Here, we present a semi-automatic, in vivo, high-throughput imaging and analysis method to characterize cardiac function in the embryonic heart of developing zebrafish larvae subjected to an increase of breeding temperature. We sequentially acquire high-speed movies of the beating heart by automatically visiting embryos arranged in a matrix of wells placed on a motorized microscope stage. We then estimate the radial heart-wall contraction velocity over time for each fish at various temperature settings. Next, we synchronize these signals to obtain an average velocity signature that characterizes heart function at each temperature. We observe a 47 ± 5% increase in the heart rate as the breeding temperature increases from 28°C to 38.1°C (n = 10), accompanied by a change of the contraction pattern that is consistent within the population. Specifically, we quantified intra-population variabilities of the velocity amplitude signal (18%–30%) and the heartbeat length (4%–8%). We expect our approach to be highly relevant for early identification of functional abnormalities during heart development, screening fish carrying genetic defects, or for quantitatively evaluating the effect of pharmacological agents.
A Review of: “David Domke and Kevin Coe, The God Strategy: How Religion Became a Political Weapon in America Ilan Ziv (writer, director and producer) and Serge Gordey (co-producer), Jesus Politics: The Bible and The Ballot”

The article reviews two books "The God Strategy: How Religion Became a Political Weapon in America," by David Domke and Kevin Coe and "African American Women's Rhetoric: The Search For Dignity, Personhood and Honor," by Deborah F. Atwater. A review of the DVD release of the motion picture "Jesus Politics: The Bible and The Ballot" written and directed by Ilan Ziv and co-produced by Serge Gordey, is also presented.
Influence And Opportunity: Reflections On The U.S. Role In Global Public Health

Today's global health crisis illustrates many of the transnational governance challenges the United States faces today. In the arena of global health, the United States can create a new role for itself by moving beyond a national-interest paradigm and strengthening its "soft power" position in health. Health in recent administrations has moved beyond being "just" a humanitarian issue to being one with major economic and security interests. Despite U.S. unilateralism, new approaches to global health governance are being developed by other actors, who have influenced the U.S. agenda and made important contributions. Yet a larger leader is still needed, especially in identifying and following a sound legal and regulatory global health governance system; bringing political legitimacy; and setting priorities. Responsible political action is needed to develop a new mindset and lay the groundwork for better global health in the future.
Long‐Term Cropping System Effects on Carbon Sequestration in Eastern Oregon

Soil organic carbon (SOC) has beneficial effects on soil quality and productivity. Cropping systems that maintain and/or improve levels of SOC may lead to sustainable crop production. This study evaluated the effects of long-term cropping systems on C sequestration. Soil samples were taken at 0- to 10-, 10- to 20-, 20- to 30-, and 30- to 40-cm soil depth profiles from grass pasture (GP), conventional tillage (CT) winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow (CTWF), and fertilized and unfertilized plots of continuous winter wheat (WW), spring wheat (SW), and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (SB) monocultures under CT and no-till (NT). The samples were analyzed for soil organic matter (SOM) and SOC was derived. Ages of experiments ranged from 6 to 73 yr. Compared to 1931 SOC levels (initial year), CTWF reduced SOC by 9 to 12 Mg ha(-1) in the 0- to 30-cm zone. Grass pasture increased SOC by 6 Mg ha(-1) in the 0- to 10-cm zone but decreased SOC by 3 Mg ha(-1) in the 20- to 30-cm zone. Continuous CT monocultures depleted SOC in the top 0- to 10-cm zone and the bottom 20- to 40-cm zone but maintained SOC levels close to 1931 SOC levels in the 10- to 20-cm layer. Continuous NT monocultures accumulated more SOC in the 0- to 10-cm zone than in deeper zones. Total SOC (0- to 40-cm zone) was highest under GP and continuous cropping and lowest under CTWF. Fertilizer increased total SOC only under CTWW and CTSB by 13 and 7 Mg ha(-1) in 13 yr, respectively. Practicing NT for only 6 yr had started to reverse the effect of 73 yr of CTWF. Compared to CTWF, NTWW and NTSW sequestered C at rates of 2.6 and 1.7 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively, in the 0- to 40-cm zone. This study showed that the potential to sequester C can be enhanced by increasing cropping frequency and eliminating tillage.
Quantization issues for soft-decision decoding of linear block codes

In general, a channel quantizer for a communication system subject to additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) is designed based on the cutoff rate. This criterion is good if the scheme considered performs close to the theoretical performance corresponding to the cutoff rate, as for error control systems employing convolutional codes. However, it is no longer true for systems using low complexity suboptimum decoding algorithms for block codes. We illustrate this point and present three examples for which we compare the optimum quantizer and the quantizer based on the cutoff rate for Q=4 quantization levels.
Review and Comment

Not everyone agrees with all the points discussed in the previous chapters. That is okay. No one has all the answers, and there is always room for improvement. But my honest plea to parents, on behalf of their troubled children, is to get their facts straight before they object to recommendations of experienced professionals and reject medical help. Parents need to base their judgments on all the facts, not just what they hear from friends, relatives, in-laws, talk shows, reporters, armchair philosophers, and countless other inexperienced rookies in the field.
The Mitochondrial Peptidase Pitrilysin Degrades Islet Amyloid Polypeptide in Beta-Cells

Amyloid formation and mitochondrial dysfunction are characteristics of type 2 diabetes. The major peptide constituent of the amyloid deposits in type 2 diabetes is islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). In this study, we found that pitrilysin, a zinc metallopeptidase of the inverzincin family, degrades monomeric, but not oligomeric, islet amyloid polypeptide in vitro. In insulinoma cells when pitrilysin expression was decreased to 5% of normal levels, there was a 60% increase in islet amyloid polypeptide-induced apoptosis. In contrast, overexpression of pitrilysin protects insulinoma cells from human islet amyloid polypeptide-induced apoptosis. Since pitrilysin is a mitochondrial protein, we used immunofluorescence staining of pancreases from human IAPP transgenic mice and Western blot analysis of IAPP in isolated mitochondria from insulinoma cells to provide evidence for a putative intramitochondrial pool of IAPP. These results suggest that pitrilysin regulates islet amyloid polypeptide in beta cells and suggest the presence of an intramitochondrial pool of islet amyloid polypeptide involved in beta-cell apoptosis.
Development of an economical model for a hybrid system of grid, PV and Energy Storage Systems

Major concerns associated with renewable energy resources are uncertainty and unpredictability. Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) can help create more reliable and dispatchable systems by adjusting charging and discharging time and rate. In this study, an economic model is developed for a hybrid system of grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV), Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), and batteries. PV generation depends on solar irradiance. CAES can store energy in large amounts and for longer periods and at lower cost than other storage systems. Batteries are integrated with CAES in the developed model mainly to operate for lower demand and shorter periods. Optimal planning for generation and storage is derived based on the developed model for each day using Dynamic Programming (DP) or simulation methods. The original non-linear model of the system is converted to a linear model in this study. The results of the model are different for each period and are highly dependent on the load demand.
On the Dynamic Short-Time Scale Wave Propagation and the Characterization of Optimal Packaging Material for High Performance Electronic Packages

The demand for higher clock speed and higher level of integration, and, at the same time, smaller die size for high-performance electronic packages has accompanied by a drastic increase in package power consumption and dissipation. Large transient thermal gradients are thus experienced upon each power-on. Unlike thermal cycling test which is usually performed to evaluate the fatigue life of solder joints, rapid thermal transient is of major concern for overall package reliability. This rapid transient at short-time scale suggests that dynamic thermal-mechanical phenomenon in packages needs to be fully understood and the associated failure mechanisms identified for improved microelectronic reliability. In this study, how rapid thermal transients affect the generation, spectral characteristics, and interference of the induced stress waves propagating in high-density packaging configurations undergoing power cycling are investigated. The short-time effects facilitated by dispersive waves in current packaging configurations are studied and the possible mechanisms behind mechanical failures including solder cracking and delamination are discussed. Knowledge base thus established enables a set of guidelines to be proposed for developing new types of polymeric underfill material. Materials hence formulated would have optimal characteristics in response to the short-time effect to effectively discourage transient wave phenomena and thus improve the overall package reliability. The presented investigation provides a better understanding of the underlying physics governing the response of a high-performance package subject to rapid thermal-mechanical transients, which could potentially be the foundation for the formulation of new molecularly designed packaging materials and the associated manufacturing processes.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Large-amplitude electric fields in the inner magnetosphere: Van Allen Probes observations of subauroral polarization streams

The subauroral polarization stream (SAPS) is an important magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) coupling phenomenon that impacts a range of particle populations in the inner magnetosphere. SAPS studies often emphasize ionospheric signatures of fast westward flows, but the equatorial magnetosphere is also affected through strong radial electric fields in the dusk sector. This study focuses on a period of steady southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) during the 29 June 2013 geomagnetic storm where the Van Allen Probes observe a region of intense electric fields near the plasmapause over multiple consecutive outbound duskside passes. We show that the large-amplitude electric fields near the equatorial plane are consistent with SAPS by investigating the relationship between plasma sheet ion and electron boundaries, associated field-aligned currents, and the spatial location of the electric fields. By incorporating high-inclination DMSP data we demonstrate the spatial and temporal variability of the SAPS region, and we suggest that discrete, earthward propagating injections are driving the observed strong electric fields at low L shells in the equatorial magnetosphere. We also show the relationship between SAPS and plasmasphere erosion, as well as a possible correlation with flux enhancements for 100s keV electrons.
Painless hematuria and urethral discharge secondary to ectopic prostate.

AbstractWe report a case of ectopic prostatic tissue found in the penile urethra of a 16-year-old boy. A literature review and discussion of this rare entity are presented.
Intravenous iron therapy in non-anemic iron-deficient menstruating adolescent females with fatigue

Menstruating women, with or without underlying bleeding disorders, are at increased risk for developing iron deficiency-related fatigue, even in the absence of anemia. Oral iron therapy has limitations which include poor absorption and non-adherence due to gastrointestinal side effects. We performed a prospective clinical trial of post-menarchal adolescent females with iron-deficiency with or without mild anemia and fatigue who received a standardized regimen of intravenous iron sucrose. The baseline mean (SD) hemoglobin was 11.96 g dl(-1) (1.05) in 20 girls (ages 14-21 years); with a range of 10.3-14.1 g dl(-1) . In this cohort, intravenous iron was well tolerated and patients demonstrated a sustained increase in ferritin levels with means (SD) of 13.4 ng ml(-1) (13.1) at baseline to 141.5 ng ml(-1) (104.5) at 6 weeks and 85.2 ng ml(-1) (128.4) at 6 months after the infusions. We used a standardized (Peds QL(TM) Multidimensional) fatigue scale to objectively measure fatigue and proxy scores by parents with mean screening scores (SD) of 35.2 (16.8) and 31.9 (19.6), respectively. We demonstrated a clinically significant improvement both in patient as well as parent fatigue scores (in 19 out of 20 subjects) at 6 weeks (Mean (SD) 58.3 (21.3) [P < 0.0001] and 57 (24.4) [P < 0.0001], respectively); as well as 3 and 6 months after the iron infusions. In nonanemic patients, iron administration did not significantly influence hemoglobin concentration. Therefore, the fatigue-reducing effects of iron therapy reflect the nonhematological functions of iron. Am. J. Hematol. 91:973-977, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Model of Complementarity in Conflict Management

This chapter aims to relate the information gathered from the foregoing discussion of Northern Ireland practice (Chapters 5–7) to the theoretical debate from Chapter 4 on a model of complementarity in conflict management.
Shoreline and Sand Storage Dynamics from Annual Airborne LIDAR Surveys, Texas Gulf Coast

ABSTRACT Paine, J.G.; Caudle, T.L., and Andrews, J.R., 2017. Shoreline and sand storage dynamics from annual airborne LIDAR surveys, Texas Gulf Coast. Annual airborne LIDAR surveys were conducted along the Texas Gulf of Mexico shoreline between 2010 and 2012 to map shoreline position, determine shoreline movement and its historical context, and quantify beach and dune morphology by determining elevation threshold area (ETA) relationships for Holocene barrier islands, strandplains, and fluvial and deltaic headlands and marshes. Historical (1800s to 2007) movement is erosional for all major Texas shoreline segments, averaging 1.3 m/y of retreat. Shorelines retreated between 2007 and 2010 at a higher average rate of 2.8 m/y because of erosion and partial recovery from Hurricanes Ike (2008), Humberto (2007), and Dolly (2008). Despite the erosional context, airborne LIDAR surveys show that the shoreline advanced at 75% of 11,783 monitoring sites between 2010 and 2011 and moved an average of 6.5 m seaward durin...
Antenna Selection, Diversity Coding and Spatial Multiplexing in Cooperative Wireless Networks

We propose novel antenna selection and link adaptive space- time modulation algorithms to support cooperative wireless networks composed of access points and user devices with multi-antenna elements. Well-known point-to-point multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna selection and link adaptation algorithms are extended, with slight modifications, to be applicable over a cooperative wireless network architecture; in which multiple transmitters are simultaneously communicating with a destination terminal. For these algorithms, a criterion based on the minimum Euclidean distance metric is used to select antennas and spatial modes (cooperative diversity and cooperative multiplexing) following the estimation of the instantaneous channel state and its feedback over a low-bandwidth feedback channel. Finally, we will present numerical results to empirically validate that our cooperative antenna selection and link adaptation algorithms yield almost equivalent performance to that achieved by MIMO antenna selection and link adaptation algorithms.
Abstract PL02-02: Tomatoes, lycopene, and prostate cancer

In 1995, the first large prospective cohort data emerged from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) demonstrating a protective association between the intake of tomatoes and processed tomato products and a lower risk of prostate cancer (PCa). By utilizing data-bases of food content of carotenoids it has been possible to demonstrate similar associations between the estimated intake of lycopene (LYC), the non-provitamin A carotenoid providing the familiar red color of tomatoes, and PCa risk. With an additional two decades of monitoring the associations originally identified in the HPFS remain consistent in the 2014 update, while other epidemiologic studies are less convincing. LYC and other carotenoids were documented in human prostate tissue supporting the hypothesis of a direct effect on prostate carcinogenesis. Studies employing various laboratory models from multiple investigators show that tomato components or pure LYC have a protective impact on experimental prostate carcinogenesis. Although an antioxidant mechanism is frequently imputed based upon the known capacity of LYC to quench reactive oxygen species, other potential mechanisms of action related to hormonal activity, cell signaling and growth control, angiogenesis, and metastasis have emerged. Yet, proof of a protective relationship remains elusive and there are many obstacles to defining the impact of specific plant derived phytochemicals for human prostate cancer risk. The importance of dose-response, host genetics, and the complexity of human prostate cancer are but a few of the challenges faced in establishing a causal relationship. The examination of a tomato, lycopene, and prostate cancer relationship provides an example for considering how we as a discipline will address the challenges of defining food or phytochemical based interventions for cancer risk. Citation Format: Steven K. Clinton. Tomatoes, lycopene, and prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr PL02-02.
Improving Performance of Distributed Graph Traversals via Application-Aware Plug-In Work Scheduler

Unordered graph algorithms can offer efficient resource utilization that is advantageous for performance in distributed setting. Unordered execution allows for parallel computation without synchronization. In unordered algorithms, work is data-driven and can be performed in any order, refining the result as the algorithm progresses. Unfortunately, a sub-optimal work ordering may lead to more time spent on correcting the results than on useful work. On HPC systems, the issue is compounded by irregular nature of distributed graph algorithms which makes them sensitive to the whole software/hardware stack, collectively referred to as runtime. In this paper, we consider an example of such algorithms: Distributed Control (DC) single-source shortest paths (SSSP). DC relies on performance gains stemming from the inherent asynchrony of unordered algorithms while optimizing work ordering locally. We demonstrate that distributed runtime scheduling policy can prevent effective work ordering optimization. We show that lifting and delegating some scheduling decisions to the algorithm level can result in significantly better performance. We propose that this strategy can be useful for performance engineering.
Nitrate in Runoff Water from Container Grown Juniper and Alberta Spruce Under Different Irrigation and N Fertilization Regimes

Abstract Juniperus horizontalis Moench ‘Plumosa Compacta Youngstown’ (compact Andorra juniper) and Picea glauca Moench (Voss) ‘Conica’ (dwarf Alberta spruce) were grown for one season in 2.2 1 (#1) nursery containers in a potting medium containing composted hardwood bark, sphagnum peat moss and sand (1:1:1 by vol). The containers were placed over lysimeters permitting continuous collection and measurement of water passing through and around the containers. Slow release or soluble N was applied at an annual rate of 1.6 g of N per pot. Containers were irrigated by either trickle or overhead methods and water volumes were recorded. Subsamples of leachate were collected and analyzed for nitrate. Much less nitrate was leached by the trickle than by the overhead irrigation. Although slow release N sources lost considerably less nitrate in runoff water, there is still sufficient nitrate lost by these sources to pollute ground water unless annual fertilizer needs are supplied by split applications. Depending on s...
Cytoplasmic preassembly and trafficking of axonemal dyneins

Abstract Genetic analysis in model organisms and human patient populations has revealed that a surprisingly large number of genes are needed to get axonemal dyneins into cilia, where they power the motility of these essential organelles. Most of these genes encode unique axonemal dynein assembly factors that are conserved among most eukaryotes that have motile cilia, whereas comparable assembly factors do not appear necessary for cytoplasmic dynein function. The known roles of assembly factors include cytoplasmic preassembly by chaperones, intraflagellar transport-dependent transport into cilia, and docking to specific sites on ciliary doublet microtubules. Understanding how these gene products work is important both to unravel general ciliary protein assembly mechanisms and to explain the etiology of many cases of human primary ciliary dyskinesia, the majority of which result from dynein assembly defects.
Chondrogenic properties of collagen type XI, a component of cartilage extracellular matrix

Cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) has been used for promoting tissue engineering. However, the exact effects of ECM on chondrogenesis and the acting mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the chondrogenic effects of cartilage ECM on human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and identified the contributing molecular components. To this end, a preparation of articular cartilage ECM was supplemented to pellets of chondrogenically differentiating MSCs, pellets of human chondrocytes, and bovine articular cartilage explants to evaluate the effects on cell proliferation and the production of cartilaginous matrix. Selective enzymatic digestion and screening of ECM components were conducted to identify matrix molecules with chondrogenic properties. Cartilage ECM promoted MSC proliferation, production of cartilaginous matrix, and maturity of chondrogenic differentiation, and inhibited the hypertrophic differentiation of MSC-derived chondrocytes. Selective digestion of ECM components revealed a contributory role of collagens in promoting chondrogenesis. The screening of various collagen subtypes revealed strong chondrogenic effect of collagen type XI. Finally, collagen XI was found to promote production and inhibit degradation of cartilage matrix in human articular chondrocyte pellets and bovine articular cartilage explants. Our results indicate that cartilage ECM promotes chondrogenesis and inhibits hypertrophic differentiation in MSCs. Collagen type XI is the ECM component that has the strongest effects on enhancing the production and inhibiting the degradation of cartilage matrix.
Synthesis and Implications

We conclude this volume by synthesizing the body of findings resulting from the Fullerton Longitudinal Study with respect to numerous issues. Findings germane to the understanding of the developmental course of temperament and the significance of individual differences in youngsters temperament for their development in the domains of personality, behavioral adjustment, intelligence, and school functioning are first addressed. Individual differences in children’s temperament interface with their home and family contexts of development, yielding additional clues as to the mechanisms by which temperament and developmental outcomes may come to be related. In support of the parental report methodology, results from the FLS yielded strong evidence regarding the predictive and construct validity of parent reports of children’s temperament. The interaction of individual differences in temperament with contexts of development, subject variables, and developmental differences in other domains have only begun to be examined. However, findings from the FLS demonstrate that even aspects of temperament assessed as early as 1.5 years have long-term sequelae, both through direct main effects and also through interactions with developmental contexts, and that early differences in temperament are associated not only with developmental risk, but also can serve as assets that may facilitate or enhance not only the children’s context of development but also their developmental trajectory.
Economic Growth, Rural and Urban Wages: The Case of Brazil

Publisher Summary At first sight, Brazil's post-World War II industrialization process seems to confirm the dual growth model prediction about the constancy of wage behavior. However, a closer scrutiny of the available data shows that Lewis's concept of surplus labor is a straitjacket that does not come near to explaining the complexities of the evolution of urban and rural wages in southern Brazil. The behavior of wages can be understood only in a frame of analysis that takes into account the agrarian structure, the agricultural terms of trade, the government labor policy, and the strength of labor unions. The chapter discusses the evolution of rural wages in Sao Paulo and the behavior of median wages in Rio de Janeiro's manufacturing. It presents a discussion on the interactions among the political-institutional framework, the agriculture terms of trade, and the urban-rural wage differential.
Array of multifunctional polymers for localized immobilization of biomolecules on microarray substrates

Abstract The performance of microarray assays results from the optimization of several parameters: in particular, the physical-chemical properties of the surface play a pivotal role in determining the robustness of the technology. Usually, microarray substrates are entirely modified with coatings able to bind, covalently or not, bioprobes. Here we present a new, fully automated approach for the immobilization of biomolecules, based on the deposition of pL amounts of water solutions of DMA based copolymers on an uncoated surface, followed by the deposition, on the same spot, of the probe. Starting from a common precursor, polymers with different characteristics and functionalities are obtained by post-polymerization modification and by combining different monomers during the synthesis. This strategy, allows to functionalize and tailor the surface properties of discrete areas of the same array with different chemistries, that coexist on a single substrate. As a consequence, probes with different functionalities are bound simultaneously to neutral, positively, negatively charged, hydrophobic, hydrophilic polymers, in micrometer-sized spots. The proposed polymer array, applicable to both DNA or protein, offers advantages in terms of time and costs reduction, since pretreatment and coating steps are totally avoided, and the requested polymer amount is extremely low. Moreover, it provides a strategy perfectly suitable for miniaturization applicable to integrated biosensors or Lab-on-a-chip devices.
Eat, but Verify: Low-Cost Portable Devices for Food Safety Analysis

Illness caused by adulterated and counterfeit foods is a very common health issue for consumers. Food fraud also affects manufacturers by damaging their reputation, resulting in a decrease in market share and consumer trust. Thus, food safety has emerged as a critical issue for consumers and manufacturers alike. Fraudulent food products are often the result of opportunities taken by willful offenders who mislabel, falsify, and/or adulterate for economic gains. In some cases, the contents of a packaged food item may not match its label. In other cases, the labeling may be correct while the product itself is counterfeit. Thus, in today's market where most food items are industrially packaged prior to sale, it is important to prioritize the consumers' right to authentic and safe food products. The solution to this challenge is not to use expensive security measures that increase the final price, but to develop economical and portable food safety, quality assurance, and authentication devices for use at all stages of a food product life cycle-from production to consumption. Such devices would be a game-changer in the field of food safety.
"A child who is hidden has no rights": Responses to violence against children with disabilities.

Abstract Background There is an urgent need to understand how best to prevent and respond to violence against children with disabilities as they are at a high risk for violence because they are marginalized, isolated, and targeted and have little power within their communities. Objective Guided by social-ecological theory, this study explores responses to violence against children with disabilities, including preventative measures and treatment of victims in the West African countries of Guinea, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Participants Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling from the following three groups: disability stakeholders including representatives from local, national, and international organizations and governments; community members including parents, teachers, and leaders; and children with disabilities. Methods A qualitative study design guided data generation, that included document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups across the four countries. In total, 419 people participated. Of those participants, 191 took part in an interview and the rest participated in one of 55 focus groups. Findings Responses to disability-based violence are driven at the mesosystem and exosystem levels. Prevailing views indicated that national level policies and laws are not always considered part of solutions, communities are leading responses to violence, and children with disabilities are hidden at home or in institutions for both their own and their family’s safety. Conclusions The findings can inform development of prevention and intervention programs that will protect children with disabilities from violence in contexts with high levels of disability stigma, social conflict, violence, and poverty.
Self-Deployable, Self-Stiffening, and Retractable Origami-Based Arrays for Spacecraft

Spacecraft with large arrays sometimes have deployed sizes that are much larger than the launch volumes; in this case, deployable arrays are used. Several methods exist for stowing, deploying, and ...
Optimization under uncertainty in the era of big data and deep learning: When machine learning meets mathematical programming

Abstract This paper reviews recent advances in the field of optimization under uncertainty via a modern data lens, highlights key research challenges and promise of data-driven optimization that organically integrates machine learning and mathematical programming for decision-making under uncertainty, and identifies potential research opportunities. A brief review of classical mathematical programming techniques for hedging against uncertainty is first presented, along with their wide spectrum of applications in Process Systems Engineering. A comprehensive review and classification of the relevant publications on data-driven distributionally robust optimization, data-driven chance constrained program, data-driven robust optimization, and data-driven scenario-based optimization is then presented. This paper also identifies fertile avenues for future research that focuses on a closed-loop data-driven optimization framework, which allows the feedback from mathematical programming to machine learning, as well as scenario-based optimization leveraging the power of deep learning techniques. Perspectives on online learning-based data-driven multistage optimization with a learning-while-optimizing scheme are presented.
A null-scattering path integral formulation of light transport

Unbiased rendering of general, heterogeneous participating media currently requires using null-collision approaches for estimating transmittance and generating free-flight distances. A long-standing limitation of these approaches, however, is that the corresponding path pdfs cannot be computed due to the black-box nature of the null-collision rejection sampling process. These techniques therefore cannot be combined with other sampling techniques via multiple importance sampling (MIS), which significantly limits their robustness and generality. Recently, Galtier et al. [2013] showed how to derive these algorithms directly from the radiative transfer equation (RTE). We build off this generalized RTE to derive a path integral formulation of null scattering, which reveals the sampling pdfs and allows us to devise new, express existing, and combine complementary unbiased techniques via MIS. We demonstrate the practicality of our theory by combining, for the first time, several path sampling techniques in spatially and spectrally varying media, generalizing and outperforming the prior state of the art.
Migration percentage and odds of recurrence/subsequent surgery after treatment for hip subluxation in pediatric cerebral palsy: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

Abstract Purpose This meta-analysis aims to systematically assess and quantitatively pool the best clinical evidence for migration percentage (MP) and odds ratio (OR) for recurrence/reoperation fol...
Neuroleptic strategies for terminal agitation in patients with cancer and delirium at an acute palliative care unit: a single-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised trial.

Summary Background The role of neuroleptics for terminal agitated delirium is controversial. We assessed the effect of three neuroleptic strategies on refractory agitation in patients with cancer with terminal delirium. Methods In this single-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised trial, patients with advanced cancer, aged at least 18 years, admitted to the palliative and supportive care unit at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA), with refractory agitation, despite low-dose haloperidol, were randomly assigned to receive intravenous haloperidol dose escalation at 2 mg every 4 h, neuroleptic rotation with chlorpromazine at 25 mg every 4 h, or combined haloperidol at 1 mg and chlorpromazine at 12·5 mg every 4 h, until death or discharge. Rescue doses identical to the scheduled doses were administered at inception, and then hourly as needed. Permuted block randomisation (block size six; 1:1:1) was done, stratified by baseline Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) scores. Research staff, clinicians, patients, and caregivers were masked to group assignment. The primary outcome was change in RASS score from time 0 to 24 h. Comparisons among group were done by modified intention-to-treat analysis. This completed study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03021486 . Findings Between July 5, 2017, and July 1, 2019, 998 patients were screened for eligibility, with 68 being enrolled and randomly assigned to treatment; 45 received the masked study interventions (escalation n=15, rotation n=16, combination n=14). RASS score decreased significantly within 30 min and remained low at 24 h in the escalation group (n=10, mean RASS score change between 0 h and 24 h −3·6 [95% CI −5·0 to −2·2]), rotation group (n=11, −3·3 [–4·4 to −2·2]), and combination group (n=10, −3·0 [–4·6 to −1·4]), with no difference among groups (p=0·71). The most common serious toxicity was hypotension (escalation n=6 [40%], rotation n=5 [31%], combination n=3 [21%]); there were no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Our data provide preliminary evidence that the three strategies of neuroleptics might reduce agitation in patients with terminal agitation. These findings are in the context of the single-centre design, small sample size, and lack of a placebo-only group. Funding National Institute of Nursing Research.
Postpartum headaches after epidural or spinal anesthesia.

Purpose of review Postpartum headache is a common occurrence with various obstetric, neurologic, and anesthetic etiologies. Post dural puncture headache (PDPH) after neuraxial anesthesia is a culprit that may be less familiar to obstetricians. In this review, authors will discuss the differential diagnosis and management of postpartum headache, review PDPH, and explore evidence suggesting that PDPH may have greater implications than previously considered. Recent findings Emerging evidence suggests that PDPH, previously believed to be benign and self-limited, is associated with significant acute and chronic sequelae. A recent large database study links PDPH to subdural hematoma and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. The authors also identified associations between PDPH and bacterial meningitis, depression, and back pain. A growing body of literature also links PDPH or unintentional dural puncture with an epidural needle (UDP) with development of chronic headaches. Summary Patients who experience UDP or PDPH should be counseled to return for evaluation for new or worsening headache. In the immediate postpartum setting, clinicians assessing these patients should have a low threshold to obtain brain imaging. In addition, obstetricians should be alerted that patients who suffer UDP may be prone to develop chronic headache disorders and consider referral to pain specialists.
Examining academic entitlement through the lens of field education

Scant literature exists on the topic of academic entitlement in the social work discipline, especially within the context of social work experiential learning, also known as field education. This d...
ENSO impacts child undernutrition in the global tropics.

The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a principal component of global climate variability known to influence a host of social and economic outcomes, but its systematic effects on human health remain poorly understood. We estimate ENSO’s association with child nutrition at global scale by combining variation in ENSO intensity from 1986-2018 with children’s height and weight from 186 surveys conducted in 51 teleconnected countries, containing 48% of the world’s under-5 population. Warmer El Nino conditions predict worse child undernutrition in most of the developing world, but better outcomes in the small number of areas where precipitation is positively affected by warmer ENSO. ENSO’s contemporaneous effects on child weight loss are detectable years later as decreases in height. This relationship looks similar at both global and regional scale, and has not appreciably weakened over the last four decades. Results imply that almost 6 million additional children were underweight during the 2015 El Nino compared to a counterfactual of neutral ENSO conditions in 2015. This demonstrates a pathway through which human well-being remains subject to predictable climatic processes. The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influences the weather around the world and, therefore, has strong impacts on society. Here, the authors show that ENSO is associated with child nutrition in many countries, with warmer El Nino conditions leading to more child undernutrition in large parts of the developing world.