cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renal biopsy in lupus nephritis

Renal biopsy can be extremely valuable in the management of patients with lupus nephritis. It is remarkably common to find pathological evidence of substantial nephron loss in patients with low-grade laboratory abnormalities. This is due to compensatory hypertrophy and hemodynamic adjustments within the less-diseased nephron mass. It has been shown that the decision to institute immunosuppressive therapy is highly informed by the results of renal biopsy and offers the prospect of achieving more favorable renal outcomes. Kidney biopsies should be evaluated by dedicated renal pathology services experienced in diagnostic light, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Biopsies should be classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) system and specific lesions semiquantitatively scored against a checklist of features comprising activity (reversible) and chronicity (irreversible damage) indices. The renal biopsy findings should be reviewed jointly by pathologists and the clinicians caring for patients with lupus nephritis.
Higher-order corrections to collective particle-hole excitations using green function techniques

Abstract Using Green function techniques, we determine higher-order corrections to the Tamm-Dancoff and Random Phase Approximation equations. In particular, we find that the second-order corrections to the Tamm-Dancoff equations consist of a t-matrix term and a core-polarization term. If we truncate our configuration space, we obtain an additional second-order correction from the particle-hole ladder term. We carry out numerical calculations of these second-order corrections for the negative-parity excited states of 4He using the Tabakin separable potential.
The design and development of the server efficiency rating tool (SERT)

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) almost 3% of all electricity consumed within the US in 2010 goes to running datacenters, with the majority of that powering servers and the associated air conditioning systems dedicated to eliminating the heat they produce. The EPA launched the ENERGY STAR® Computer Server program in May 2009, intended to deliver information to better enable server purchasing decisions based on projected power consumption.The Server Efficiency Rating Tool (SERT) has been developed by the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) SPECpower committee to address the EPA requirements for Version 2 of the ENERGY STAR server program. Unlike many tools sourced from the SPEC organization the SERT is not intended to be a benchmark, and for Version 2 does not offer a single score model. Instead it produces detailed information regarding the influence of CPU, memory, network and storage I/O configurations on overall server power consumption.This paper describes the design and development of the SERT, including discussion of the collaborative nature of working with the EPA and the various industry stakeholders involved in the design, review and development process. Many of the core ideas behind SERT were derived from theSPECpower_ssj2008 and other SPEC-developed benchmarks, and this paper illustrates where ideas and code were shared, as well as where new thinking resulted in entirely new solutions. It also includes thoughts for the future, as the ENERGY STAR server program continues to evolve and the SERT will evolve with it.
COMPILATION OF INTERVENTION METHODS AND CONDITIONS, AND INGREDIENT LIMITS, FOR CONTROLLING CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI IN MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS1

Foodborne disease caused by Campylobacter jejuni has been associated with raw meats, poultry, milk, water, and other foods. Animals can harbor this pathogen among the intestinal flora, and it potentially can contaminate carcasses during dressing procedures. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to completely prevent contamination of meat and poultry. Hazards associated with contamination, survival and, subsequent growth during production, transportation, processing, and preparation must be considered. However, demonstrating C. jejuni presence and control is challenging because it is difficult to culture and maintain in laboratory conditions. Campylobacter jejuni has been exhibited to be extremely vulnerable to a wide variety of antimicrobial treatments, food processing methods, and environmental stress. Effective, validated methods for controlling this pathogen would be of immense value to consumers by reducing exposure. Relevant literature regarding the various techniques for the prevention, control, and inactivation of C. jejuni in meat and poultry is reviewed and their potential assessed.
Focusing of an elongated hole in porous medium flow

Abstract In the focusing problem, we study solutions to the porous medium equation ∂tu=Δ(um) whose initial distributions are positive in the exterior of a compact 2D region and zero inside. We assume that the initial interface is elongated (i.e., has an aspect ratio >1), and possesses reflectional symmetry with respect to both the x- and y-axes. We implement a numerical scheme that adapts the numerical grid around the interface so as to maintain a high resolution as the interface shrinks to a point. We find that as t tends to the focusing time T, the interface becomes oval-like with lengths of the major and minor axes O ( T−t ) and O(T−t), respectively. Thus the aspect ratio is O (1/ T−t ) . By scaling and formal asymptotic arguments we derive an approximate solution which is valid for all m. This approximation indicates that the numerically observed power law behavior for the major and minor axes is universal for all m>1.
Failure Recovery Planning for an Arm Mounted on an Exploratory Rover

In this paper, we present a strategy for recovery from joint failures in a robot arm mounted on a mobile platform. We use the ability to reposition the base of the arm by relocating the platform and to change the position of the wrist by regrasping the scientific-tool package to provide design degrees of freedom (DOFs). The velocity and acceleration specifications of the task combine with the constraints imposed by the joint failure to yield values for these DOFs that ensure that the task can be achieved despite the joint failure.
Functional analysis of the biomimetic silica precipitating activity of the R5 peptide from Cylindrotheca fusiformis

A synthetic site-directed mutagenesis study of the non post-translationally modified silica precipitating R5 peptide reveals that the RRIL motif is critical in the formation of active silica precipitating assemblies.
Diet complexity and estrogen receptor β-status affect the composition of the murine intestinal microbiota

Intestinal microbial dysbiosis contributes to the dysmetabolism of luminal factors, including steroid hormones (sterones) that affect the development of chronic gastrointestinal inflammation and the incidence of sterone-responsive cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon. Little is known, however, about the role of specific host sterone nucleoreceptors, including estrogen receptor β (ERβ), in microbiota maintenance. Herein, we test the hypothesis that ERβ status affects microbiota composition and determine if such compositionally distinct microbiota respond differently to changes in diet complexity that favor Proteobacteria enrichment. To this end, conventionally raised female ERβ+/+ and ERβ−/− C57BL/6J mice (mean age of 27 weeks) were initially reared on 8604, a complex diet containing estrogenic isoflavones, and then fed AIN-76, an isoflavone-free semisynthetic diet, for 2 weeks. 16S rRNA gene surveys revealed that the fecal microbiota of 8604-fed mice and AIN-76-fed mice differed, as expected. The relative diversity of Proteobacteria, especially the Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, increased significantly following the transition to AIN-76. Distinct patterns for beneficial Lactobacillales were exclusive to and highly abundant among 8604-fed mice, whereas several Proteobacteria were exclusive to AIN-76-fed mice. Interestingly, representative orders of the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, including the Lactobacillales, also differed as a function of murine ERβ status. Overall, these interactions suggest that sterone nucleoreceptor status and diet complexity may play important roles in microbiota maintenance. Furthermore, we envision that this model for gastrointestinal dysbiosis may be used to identify novel probiotics, prebiotics, nutritional strategies, and pharmaceuticals for the prevention and resolution of Proteobacteria-rich dysbiosis.
Quantitative geomorphology of the Mars Eberswalde delta

The Eberswalde delta is composed of six separate depositional lobes that have prograded some 17 km from their apex. Crosscutting distributary relationships and compensated depositional lobes are clearly visible in images acquired by the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera. Here, several lobe systems have been examined for sinuosity, radius of channel curvature, meander-bend width, and channel width parameters. Channel sinuosities of between 1.2 and 1.8 defi ne low- to moderate-sinuosity systems typical of the type transporting bedload or mixed grain-size loads. Channel systems increase in sinuosity as they get older. However, some of the younger systems show specifi c reaches of increased sinuosity. These localized changes may be due to either abutment against resistant beds of older lobes or rise in base level at the channel system terminus. If the former, such an effect of older deposits on the morphology of the channels suggests that these older lobes were fairly well indurated prior to the deposition of the youngest progradational lobes. Eighty-six percent of distributaries in the Mars Eberswalde delta are 100‐240 m wide. Comparatively, 62% and 44% of distributaries in the Atchafalaya and Wax Lake deltas of Louisiana, respectively, are of similar size. Small distributaries may indicate lower average and shorter duration fl ows or coarser sediment in Mars distributaries than those typical of the Gulf Coast systems. The volume of the material in the Mars deposit suggests long periods of sediment deposition. Sinuosity indexes, meander-bend migration, and ridge-and-swale point-bar topography suggest periods of stable discharge on the delta surface.
Generalizing to a Language Population

Many studies of verbal behavior have little scientific point if their conclusions have to be restricted to the specific language materials that were used in the experiment. It has not been customar...
Single-Level and Multilevel Mediation Analysis.

Mediation analysis is a statistical approach used to examine how the effect of an independent variable on an outcome is transmitted through an intervening variable (mediator). In this article, we p...
T Cell Costimulation by TNFR Superfamily (TNFRSF)4 and TNFRSF25 in the Context of Vaccination

TNFR superfamily (TNFRSF)4 (OX40, CD134) and TNFRSF25 are costimulatory receptors that influence CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses to cognate Ag. Independently, these receptors have been described to stimulate overlapping functions, including enhanced proliferation and activation for both regulatory T cells (CD4+Foxp3+; Tregs) and conventional T cells (CD4+Foxp3− or CD8+Foxp3−; Tconvs). To determine the relative functionality of TNFRSF4 and TNFRSF25 in T cell immunity, the activity of TNFRSF4 and TNFRS25 agonistic Abs was compared in the context of both traditional protein/adjuvant (OVA/aluminum hydroxide) and CD8+-specific heat shock protein-based (gp96-Ig) vaccine approaches. These studies demonstrate that both TNFRSF4 and TNFRSF25 independently and additively costimulate vaccine-induced CD8+ T cell proliferation following both primary and secondary Ag challenge. In contrast, the activities of TNFRSF4 and TNFRSF25 were observed to be divergent in the costimulation of CD4+ T cell immunity. TNFRSF4 agonists were potent costimulators of OVA/aluminum hydroxide-induced CD4+ Tconv proliferation, but they only weakly costimulated Treg proliferation and IgG2a production, whereas TNFRSF25 agonists were strong costimulators of Treg proliferation, producers of IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b, and weak costimulators of CD4+ Tconv proliferation. Interestingly, Ag-specific cellular and humoral responses were uncoupled upon secondary immunization, which was dramatically affected by the presence of TNFRSF4 or TNFRSF25 costimulation. These studies highlight the overlapping but nonredundant activities of TNFRSF4 and TNFRSF25 in T cell immunity, which may guide the application of receptor agonistic agents as vaccine adjuvants for infectious disease and tumor immunity.
Characterization of a 50 J linear transformer driver

A detailed characterization of a 50 J linear transformer driver (LTD) stage is presented. The specific goal of the design is to achieve energy densities superior to typical Marx generators, such as a 500 J compact Marx generator previously designed and built at Texas Tech's Pulsed Power lab [1]. Experimental and analytical techniques for determining circuit elements and especially parasitic elements were used, yielding the magnetizing, primary and secondary leakage inductances associated with the transformer, core saturation effects, parasitic capacitances, the inductance of the pulse discharge circuit, and losses in both copper and the deltamax core. The investigations into these characteristics were carried out using both sinusoidal excitation from 1 kHz to 20 Mhz, and pulsed excitation with rise times down to 5 ns. Pulse amplitudes were varied to cover both the linear and saturation regimes of the core. Distributed parasitic capacitances and the inductance of the pulse discharge circuit were estimated analytically and compared with experimental results. This work was carried out to seek an ideal arrangement of the capacitors and switches on the LTD stage and gain a better basic understanding of fast rise time pulse transformers. Adjustments to the 50 J stage are proposed based on this characterization in order to optimize a future ten stage, 500 J assembly.
Development of conductivity in low conversion temperature silver pastes via addition of nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles were incorporated in a dispersion of micron-sized silver spheres for testing as a low-temperature reactive component to form conductive particle networks. The development of conductivity depended on the arrangement of the micron-sized particle network, the amount of material reacted to form necks at the points of contact of micron-sized particles, and sintering of the particle network. Nanoparticles reacted to bond the micron-sized particles, but the stress issues involved in nanoparticle sintering can cause macroscopic cracking. Critical processing variables include the state of particle dispersion, the heating rate, and the fraction of nano-sized material.
The Fifth Column---Three Digressions on the Routing of Trucks: Ice & Snow, Garbage & More Garbage

An essay about routing garbage trucks and some other community problems in a town in Colorado.
High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) Activates an Autophagic Response to Oxidative Stress

Abstract Aims: Autophagy, the process by which cells break down spent biochemical and damaged components, plays an important role in cell survival following stress. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) regulates autophagy in response to oxidative stress. Results: Exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment or knockdown of the major superoxide scavenger enzyme, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), by small interfering RNA (siRNA) increases autophagy in mouse and human cell lines. Addition of either SOD1 siRNA or H2O2 promotes cytosolic HMGB1 expression and extracellular release. Importantly, inhibition of HMGB1 release or loss of HMGB1 decreases the number of autophagolysosomes and autophagic flux under oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro. Innovation: HMGB1 release may be a common mediator of response to oxidative stress. Conclusion: HMGB1 is important for oxidative stress-mediated autophagy and serves as a new target for the treatment of stress-associated disorders. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 15, 2185–2195.
Measuring Pension Liabilities under GASB Statement No. 68

SYNOPSIS: While retired government employees clearly depend on public sector defined benefit pension funds, these plans also contribute significantly to U.S. state and national economies. Growing public concern about the funding adequacy of these plans, hard hit by the great recession, raises questions about their future viability. After several years of study, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) approved two new standards, GASB 67 and 68, with the goal of substantially improving the accounting for and transparency of financial reporting of state/municipal public employee defined benefit pension plans. GASB 68, the focus of this paper, requires state/municipal governments to calculate and report a net pension liability based on a single discount rate that combines the rate of return on funded plan assets with a low-risk index rate on the unfunded portion of the liability. This paper illustrates the calculation of estimates for GASB 68 reportable net pension liabilities, funded ratios, and ...
Chitinolytic enzymes from pupae of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum

1. 1. β-N-acetylglucosaminidase and one of the several chitinases were purified from the supernatant fraction from homogenates of pupae of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst, by ammonium sulfate fractionation, hydroxylapatite chromatography, anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. 2. 2. β-N-acetylglucosaminidase exhibited a dimeric structure with2. β-N-acetylglucosaminidase exhibited a dimeric structure with apparent subunit molecular weights of 7.3 × 104 and 6.4 × 104, whereas chitinase was a monomer with an apparent mol. wt of 7.7 × 104. 3. 3. β-N-acetylglucosaminidase and chitinase were composed of approximately 1200 and 700 amino acid residues per molecule and exhibited isoelectric points of pH 4.9 and 4.7, respectively. 4. 4. The kcat/Km value for β-N-acetylglucosaminidase hydrolyzing βGlcNAc2 was 2.22 × 104 M−1 sec−1 while that for chitinase hydrolyzing glycol chitin was 6.4 ml mg−1 sec−1. 5. 5. The results demonstrate a chitinolytic enzyme system in T. castaneum composed of an endo-splitting chitinase and an exo-splitting β-N-acetylglucosaminidase.
Extension of mouse lifespan by overexpression of catalase

The free radical theory of aging was originally proposed 50 years ago, and is arguably the most popular mechanism explaining the aging process. According to this theory, aging results from the progressive decline in organ function due to the damage generated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). These chemical species are a normal part of metabolism, and a group of enzymes exists to protect cells against their toxic effects. One of these species is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which can be degraded by catalase. To determine the role of hydrogen peroxide in aging and its importance in different subcellular compartments, transgenic mice were developed with increased catalase activities localized to the peroxisome (PCAT), nucleus (NCAT), or mitochondrion (MCAT). The largest effect on lifespan was found in MCAT animals, with a 20% increase in median lifespan and a 10% increase in the maximum lifespan. A more modest effect was seen in PCAT animals, and no significant change was found in NCAT animals. Upon further examination of the MCAT mice, it was found that H2O2 production and H2O2-induced aconitase inactivation were attenuated, oxidative damage and the development of mitochondrial deletions were reduced, and cardiac pathology and cataract development were delayed. These results are consistent with a role of H2O2 in the development of pathology and in the limitation of mouse lifespan. They also demonstrate the importance of mitochondria as a source, and possible target, of ROS.
The hydrous phase equilibria (to 3 kbar) of an andesite and basaltic andesite from western Mexico: constraints on water content and conditions of phenocryst growth

We have conducted high pressure (to 3 kbar), water saturated melting experiments on an andesite (62 wt% SiO2) and a basaltic andesite (55 wt% SiO2) from western Mexico. A close comparison between the experimental phase assemblages and their compositions, and the phenocryst assemblages of the lavas, is found in water saturated liquids, suggesting that the CO2 content was minimal in the fluid phase. Thus the historic lavas from Volcan Colima (with phenocrysts of orthopyroxene, augite, plagioclase, and hornblende) were stored at a temperature between 950–975 °C, at a pressure between 700–1500 bars, and with a water content of 3.0–5.0 wt%. A hornblende andesite (spessartite) from Mascota, of nearly identical composition but with only amphibole phenocrysts, had a similar temperature but equilibrated at a minimum of 2000 bars pressure with a dissolved water content of at least 5.5 wt% in the liquid. Experiments on the basaltic andesite show that the most common natural phenocryst assemblages (olivine, ±augite, ±plagioclase) could have precipitated at temperatures from 1000–1150 °C, in liquids with a wide range of dissolved water content (∼2.0–6.0 wt%) and a corresponding pressure range. A lava of the same bulk composition with phenocrysts of hornblende, olivine, plagioclase, and augite is restricted to temperatures below 1000 °C and pressures below 2500 bars, corresponding to <5.5 wt% water in the residual liquid. Although there is some evidence for mixing in the andesites (sporadic olivine phenocrysts), the broad theme of the history of both lava types is that the phenocryst assemblages for both the andesitic magmas and basaltic andesitic magmas are generated from degassing and reequilibration on ascent of initially hydrous parents containing greater than 6 wt% water. Indeed andesitic magmas could be related to a basaltic andesite parent by hornblende-plagioclase fractionation under the same hydrous conditions.
Chemical and isotopic constraints on the formation and crystallization of SA-1, a basaltic Allende plagioclase-olivine inclusion

Results are presented of a detailed petrologic, chemical, and Mg-isotope study of SA-1, a basaltic Allende plagioclase-olivine inclusion. The chemical and isotopic data were used to identify the signatures of nebular vs. planetary processes and to determine if SA-1 contains a component produced by planetary differentiation. It was found that the results of major-element and trace-element abundances in SA-1 are inconsistent with its formation as a mixture of nebular materials. It is suggested that SA-1 contains a chemically fractionated component produced by igneous differentiation.
Epidermal focussing and effects upon photosynthetic light‐harvesting in leaves of Oxalis

Abstract. In Oxalis, epidermal cells on both the adaxial and abaxial surface of the leaf concentrated light within the leaf by a lens mechanism. Focal lengths of epidermal cells were estimated using two methods: they were calculated from radius of curvature measurements taken from individual epidermal cells, and were measured directly in agarose replicas of the leaf surface. In the three species of Oxalis examined, light that was incident upon the adaxial leaf surface was concentrated within the palisade, whereas light that was incident upon the abaxial leaf surface was concentrated within the spongy mesophyll. Using sensiometric analysis, theoretically maximal focal intesifications were measured in leaf replicas at the focal maximum and at intermediate positions corresponding to the mid-region of the palisade and spongy mesophyll tissues. Focal intensifications ranged from 2.2 to 10.4 times incident light at the focal maximum, and 1.3 to 4.5 in the palisade or spongy mesophyll layers. Elimination of epidermal focussing, by covering the leaf surface with a thin layer of mineral oil, strongly affected chlorophyll fluorescence induction curves resulting in a decrease of 10–40% in the initial (F0) and variable fluorescence (Fv). These results are consistent with the interpretation that the chloroplasts were adapted to their light microenvironment within the leaf and that focussing by the epidermis channelled light to a population of chloroplasts that were adapted to high light.
Disturbances in Tryptophan Metabolism Following Chronic Ingestion of a High Copper Diet by Male Rats

Copper (Cu) is required in the diet as a trace mineral to prevent hypochromic microcytic anemia secondary to defective hemoglobin synthesis (Hart et al., 1928). This metal is also required for the normal function of a number of oxidative enzymes including catalase, peroxidase, and cytochrome oxidase. Following absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, copper is weakly bound to albumin and later more firmly bound to ceruloplasim, a specific Cu transport protein (Linder and Moor, 1977). Bile is the normal excretory route for copper and plays a primary role in copper homeostasis while liver and bone normally store excess copper.
Aerial Photography with Infrared Color Film as a Method of Surveying for Citrus Blackfly

Medium to heavy infestation of Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, can be detected on citrus from altitudes of as much as 10,000 feet with aerial infrared color photography. The camera and lens system used at this height covered an area of 9 square miles on a single 9×9-inch transparency. Densitometer observations of the transparencies provided a correlation wtih the density counts recorded by ground survey. A 63% reduction in the cost of surveys can be realized by using this technique.
Seismic performance and retrofit for tilt-up concrete buildings in Mid-America

Seismic risk is a concern in the Mid-America region because of the series of severe earthquakes that occurred in the New Madrid Seismic Zone in 1811-1812. Many existing concrete structures in this area are considered to be vulnerable in a moderate to significant seismic event because they were not designed for the seismic provisions of the current International Building Code. Seismic performance assessment and fragility analysis are used to evaluate the seismic vulnerability of existing structures. Based on these analyses, possible retrofit techniques are considered to reduce structural damage and corresponding losses. Based on available inventory data for Memphis, Tennessee, tilt-up concrete buildings are the most common type of concrete structure in Memphis. Tilt-up construction is commonly used for low-rise industrial buildings and has several advantages, including a large open space and low construction costs. However, many tilt-up concrete buildings were damaged during previous earthquakes in the Western U.S. and other regions. Typical damage included collapse of wall panels and roof diaphragms due connection failures. To improve seismic performance of tilt-up concrete buildings, several seismic retrofit techniques are currently used including the addition of anchors to strengthen the roof-to-wall connections.
Robust Design Concept in Possibility Theory and Optimization for System With Both Random and Fuzzy Input Variables

Whereas the robust design concept has been well established in the probability theory, it has not been developed in the possibility theory. For problems where accurate statistical information for input data is not available, a possibility-based (or fuzzy set) robust design concept is proposed in this paper by investigating the similarity between the membership function of the fuzzy variable and the cumulative distribution function of the random variable. Based on the probability-possibility consistency principle, a random variable that corresponds to the fuzzy variable is introduced in this paper in order to define the robust design concept for the fuzzy variable. For the system with input fuzzy variables, the robustness measure of the output performance is computed using the performance measure integration (PMI) method, while the integration points are obtained from the inverse possibility analysis by using the maximal possibility search method with interpolation (MPS). For the system with mixed random and fuzzy input variables, the robustness measure of the output performance is computed using PMI method, with the integration points obtained from the inverse mixed analysis by using the maximal failure search method (MFS). A new mixed (random and fuzzy) variable robust design optimization (MVRDO) method is proposed and several numerical examples are used to verify the robust design concept in the possibility theory and the MVRDO formulation.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Technique of Orthogonal Narrowband Noise Modulation

The technique of orthogonal narrowband noise modulation is based upon the classical formula of narrowband random signal. Adopting this technique, the spectrum quality of modulated noise may be approached to the fullest extent of the directly amplified narrow white noise. The experimental results prove that this technique is one of the best modulation techniques of narrow noise, and that this technique may be conveniently applied to engineering.
Early language input and later reading development in Chinese as heritage language (CHL) learners

There is a general tendency to treat heritage language (HL) learners as if they formed a single unitary group with shared linguistic and print experiences. In actuality, however, HL learners vary widely in their early oral and print experiences at home or in other social contexts and as a result, they develop vastly different skills in both oral language and literacy skills. The study aimed to investigate the effect of early oral and print input on later reading development among Chinese as heritage language (CHL) learners. Seventy-three college-level CHL learners who participated in this study completed an early language background questionnaire and a series of reading measures inclusive of print vocabulary knowledge, lexical inferencing ability and reading comprehension. The results found that early language input was significantly related to later reading development. Critically, the study identified the significant factors of language experiences predicting later reading skills. Oral language input at home and print input in CHL schools were found to jointly contribute to the later development of word-level abilities while print input at home predicted later reading comprehension skill among CHL learners. The findings suggest that early oral and print language input at home and in CHL schools could have longitudinal effects on later reading skills. 继承语(HL)学习者总被认为是一个特定的学习者群体拥有相似语言与读写经历。实际上,在家庭和其他社会环境中,继承语学习者的早期口语和读写经历差别迥异。正因为如此,这些学习者的口语和读写能力也大不一样。本研究旨在调查早期口语和读写输入对于后期汉(华)语继承语(CHL)阅读发展的影响。73名大学汉语继承语学习者参与了本次研究,他们完成了一份早期语言背景问卷调查和一系列阅读测试包括了读写词汇,词汇推理能力和阅读理解。结果发现早期语言输入与后期阅读发展有着显著的关联。尤其重要的是,本研究验证了语言经历对预测后期阅读能力的显著影响。家庭的口语输入和在汉(华)语继承语学校的读写输入共同预测了学习者的后期词汇程度的能力然而家庭的读写输入预测了学习者的后期阅读理解能力。本研究的结果表示家庭和继承语学校的早期口语和读写输入对阅读能力的发展有长期的作用。
Racial Differences in Substance Use: Using Longitudinal Data to Fill Gaps in Knowledge

Despite the fact that several studies have addressed racial differences in substance use, there still exist gaps in understanding the development of substance use among African-Americans. In this chapter, we focused on three major gaps: (1) the lack of attention to heterogeneity among substance users and substances used, (2) the failure to adequately explain why there are differences in age of onset, prevalence, and frequency of substance use for African-Americans compared to Whites, and (3) the lack of research to examine racial differences in how substance use relates to other behaviors. To address these gaps, we used data from two prospective longitudinal studies, the Pittsburgh Youth Study and the Pittsburgh Girls Study. Consistent with other studies, we found racial differences in substance use. However, the nature and direction of these differences depended on the type of drug examined, as well as the age, gender, and cohort of the respondents. Therefore, when examining racial differences in substance use, one must consider individual and contextual factors. There were few racial differences in progression from initiation to regular use and few proximal or distal predictors of later onset tobacco smoking among African-American young men. However, for young women, it appeared that racial differences in the development of positive alcohol and tobacco expectancies might explain some of the observed differences in substance use. More research is needed to identify individual and normative factors that may affect racial differences in experimental and regular use of drugs. Finally, although we found, as other studies have also found, that violence is related to alcohol and drug intoxication and to drug dealing, there were no racial differences in these associations. Future research should focus on determining whether differential prevention targets are needed for African-Americans and Whites and evaluate differential efficacy of interventions.
A geometrical model for shale smear: implications for upscaling in faulted geomodels

A new 1D bed-scale model has been built to help model shale smear in interbedded sand–shale sequences using the shale smear factor (SSF). A smear envelope is generated by mapping each potential shale smear onto the fault plane employing five different shale smear geometries. Graphical outputs then focus on the cumulative length of the resultant smears and the remaining sand–sand juxtaposition windows in the predicted shale smear envelope. The smears are evaluated stochastically with lengths that are a randomized function of the estimated Vclay content of the source shale layers, allowing the smear pattern to change with each realization. A new fragmented smear mode is developed that allows discontinuous smears to be distributed randomly on the fault plane and can be used to modify the smear pattern as fault displacement increases. The model has been tested using well data. Results show that windows in the smear envelope are commonly present, and that their frequency and location are dependent on the smear placement model and sand–shale stacking pattern. Smear fragmentation leads to more windows being preserved. The 1D model can also assess the impact of geocellular upscaling on fault seal analysis. Upscaling reduces cross-fault sand connectivity due to the elimination of thin beds. Shale smear envelopes are also reduced in length as fewer shale beds are involved, even though layers are thicker. A fault may or may not appear more sealing dependent on the layer configuration and net-to-gross ratio (NTG). The model offers results that can inform input to fault seal evaluations and allows the effect of geomodel upscaling to be more closely interrogated.
Design, simulation, and characterization of a radial opposed migration ion and aerosol classifier (ROMIAC)

We present the design, simulation, and characterization of the radial opposed migration ion and aerosol classifier (ROMIAC), a compact differential electrical mobility classifier. We evaluate the performance of the ROMIAC using a combination of finite element modeling and experimental validation of two nearly identical instruments using tetra-alkyl ammonium halide mass standards and sodium chloride particles. Mobility and efficiency calibrations were performed over a wide range of particle diameters and flow rates to characterize ROMIAC performance under the range of anticipated operating conditions. The ROMIAC performs as designed, though performance deviates from that predicted using simplistic models of the instrument. The underlying causes of this non-ideal behavior are found through finite element simulations that predict the performance of the ROMIAC with greater accuracy than the simplistic models. It is concluded that analytical performance models based on idealized geometries, flows, and fields should not be relied on to make accurate a priori predictions about instrumental behavior if the actual geometry or fields deviate from the ideal assumptions. However, if such deviations are accurately captured, finite element simulations have the potential to predict instrumental performance. The present prototype of the ROMIAC maintains its resolution over nearly three orders of magnitude in particle mobility, obtaining sub-20 nm particle size distributions in a compact package with relatively low flow rate operation requirements.
Immune sera in the study of food antigens. III. Vegetable seed oils.

Abstract 1. 1. Sera from specifically immunized rabbits were employed in agar-gel double-diffusion precipitin test techniques for the qualitative antigenic analyses of cottonseed, corn, peanut, and soybean extracts and their edible derivative oils. 2. 2. Eight antigenic components were demonstrated in cottonseed extracts, two in corn, four in peanut, and twelve in soybean. 3. 3. Two to three of these water-soluble seed antigens were demonstrated in two out of seven brands of commercial cottonseed oil and one antigenic fraction in one of five brands of corn oil by immunologic techniques of detection. 4. 4. Water-soluble antigens of peanut and soybean could not be detected in the lots of their derivative oil preparations tested.
Parton model description of multiparticle azimuthal correlations in $pA$ collisions

In K. Dusling et al. [arXiv:1705.00745.], an initial-state ``parton model'' of quarks scattering off a dense nuclear target was shown to qualitatively reproduce the systematics of multiparticle azimuthal anisotropy cumulants measured in proton/deuteron-nucleus ($pA$) collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the LHC. The systematics included (i) the behavior of the four-particle cumulant ${c}_{2}{4}$, which generates a real four-particle second Fourier harmonic ${v}_{2}{4}$; (ii) the ordering ${v}_{2}{2}g{v}_{2}{4}\ensuremath{\approx}{v}_{2}{6}\ensuremath{\approx}{v}_{2}{8}$ for two-, four-, six-, and eight-particle Fourier harmonics; and (iii) the behavior of so-called symmetric cumulants SC(2,3) and SC(2,4). These features of azimuthal multiparticle cumulants were previously interpreted as a signature of hydrodynamic flow; our results challenge this interpretation. We expand here upon our previous study and present further details and novel results on the saturation scale and transverse momentum (${p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$) dependence of multiparticle azimuthal correlations. We find that the dependence of ${v}_{2}{2}$ and ${v}_{2}{4}$ on the number of color domains in the target varies with the ${p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ window explored. We extend our prior discussion of symmetric cumulants and compute as yet unmeasured symmetric cumulants. We investigate the ${N}_{c}$ dependence of ${v}_{2}{2}$ and ${v}_{2}{4}$. We contrast our results, which include multiple scatterings of each quark off the target, to the Glasma graph approximation, where each quark suffers at most two-gluon exchanges with the target. We find that coherent multiple scattering is essential to obtain a positive definite ${v}_{2}{4}$. We provide an algorithm to compute expectation values of arbitrary products of the ``dipole'' lightlike Wilson line correlators.
Research cuts threaten public trust.

In her News In Depth story “NIH overhead plan draws fire” (2 June, p. [893][1]), J. Kaiser reports that President Trump's budget proposal cuts the National Institutes of Health budget by $4.6 billion without affecting spending on science by substantially reducing payments for indirect costs.
Nuclear deformation in the laboratory frame

We develop a formalism for calculating the distribution of the axial quadrupole operator in the laboratory frame within the rotationally invariant framework of the configuration-interaction shell model. The calculation is carried out using a finite-temperature auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo method. We apply this formalism to isotope chains of even-mass samarium and neodymium nuclei and show that the quadrupole distribution provides a model-independent signature of nuclear deformation. Two technical advances are described that greatly facilitate the calculations. The first is to exploit the rotational invariance of the underlying Hamiltonian to reduce the statistical fluctuations in the Monte Carlo calculations. The second is to determine quadruple invariants from the distribution of the axial quadrupole operator in the laboratory frame. This allows us to extract effective values of the intrinsic quadrupole shape parameters without invoking an intrinsic frame or a mean-field approximation.
Economies of scope: context of agriculture, small family farmers and sustainability

What does this article offers? It raises questions on the assumptions of efficiency in agriculture, traces the history of the logic of scale replacing logic of scope, analyses its impact on sustainability and offers a framework to discern technical contradictions of efficiency across different sectors and find a balance for sustainability. It delves with a few basic questions: First, what is the assumption for efficiency in agriculture and food production? Second, how efficiency criterion of dominant players in one leading sector decimates the efficiency wisdom of another sector? Tracing the evolution of theory and practice of ‘economies of scale’ during the last three centuries of industrial revolution, the article shows the irony of adopting economies of scale time and again only to face greater economic recession, market failures, climate changes, food crisis and growing un-sustainability of our ecosystem. Through empirical evidences from small family farmers and farmer producer organizations from across India and based on the findings of eight years of action research on designing sustainable producer organization, the article highlights that ‘economies of scope’ in agriculture is not only more efficient for nutritious food production and climate resilience but also for sustainability of agricultural ecosystems and of overall socio-economic-environment.
Semantics and Afro-American Liberation:

Terminology can be used as an effective weapon in the arsenal of liberation rather than used as a part of the armament of oppression
Theoretical investigation of C-(A)-S-H(I) cement hydrates

Abstract The atomic-level understanding of the correlation of chemical, electronic and bonding behavior to mechanical properties of complex multi-component calcium (alumino)silicate hydrates [C-(A)-S-H] (The Cement Chemist Notation heavily used in this manuscript refers to C=CaO; A=Al2O3; S=SiO2; H=H2O or –OH), which is among the main binding phases of concrete could provide a point of departure for the study of cement behavior. In this paper, models of highly ordered C-(A)-S-H(I) are proposed and investigated. These models have been optimized and constructed in close relation and guidance of relevant experiments. The focus of the work is on illuminating the effect of Al substitution on chemical and mechanical properties of highly ordered synthetic cement phases. Furthermore, we show the importance of hydrogen bonds to mechanical properties in cements. We show, for the first time, that in the absence of vacancies in Dreierketten chains, the Al substitution in bridging sites reduces the mechanical anisotropy of C-(A)-S-H(I) cement. The study also shows the average partial charge of O, H, Si of different structural units are effectively independent of the chemical environment. This finding could have profound implications upon relevant classical molecular dynamics force fields for cements and could lead to further improvements in the modeling capabilities.
Introduction to Lipids

Historically, biological materials have been classified as fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals. One of the main characteristics that distinguishes fats from the other natural products is their solubility in non-polar solvents such as ether, chloroform, benzene, etc., and their insolubility in water. These organic solvent-soluble substances have been grouped according to their physical state at room temperature; hard solids, soft solids, and liquids have been called waxes, fats, and oils, respectively. The heterogeneity of ‘fat extracts1 has become evident with the development of more efficient extraction procedures, and particularly with the development and application of chromatographic techniques to the separation of the extract components. ‘Fat extracts’ may be composed of a complex mixture of substances with widely different chemical structures, but with similar solubilities in organic solvents. The term presently used to include this diverse group of substances is Lipid. Lipids are still most often defined according to their solubility properties.
The Expressions of Hope in the Face of Complex Surgery: Experiences of Patients and Their Loved Ones.

Background:Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), a reduction in damaged lung tissue in end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a breakthrough surgical procedure requiring months of rigorous screening, testing, and conditioning. Engaging in this process is prolonged and challenging with no research found exploring patients and loved ones’ experiences through this demanding process.Objective:The purpose was to examine the experience of LVRS for patients and loved ones as they encounter the complex preparation required prior to, during, and throughout the extended convalescence following surgery.Methods:A mixed-methods approach was used, combining health outcomes with interview data. Participants and loved ones were purposefully selected, invited, and consented during the perioperative phase of LVRS. Quantitative data were obtained via chart review, while qualitative data were gathered through a 2-stage interview process, preoperatively and postoperatively. Qualitative data were analyzed using na...
Automatic Hierarchical Clustering of Static Call Graphs for Program Comprehension

Program comprehension is an imperative and indispensable prerequisite for several software tasks, including testing, maintenance, and evolution. In practice, understanding the software system requires investigating the high-level system functionality and mapping it to its low-level implementation, i. e. source code. The implementation of a software system can be captured using a call graph. A call graph represents the system’s functions and their interactions at a single level of granularity. While call graphs can facilitate understanding the inner system functionality, developers are still required to manually map the high-level system functionality to its call graph. This manual mapping process is expensive, time-consuming and creates a cognitive gap between the system’s highly-level functionality and its implementation. In this paper, we present an innovative approach that can automatically (1) construct and visualize the static call graph for a system written in Python, (2) cluster the execution paths of the call graph into hierarchal abstractions, and (3) label the clusters according to their major functional behaviors. The goal is to bridge the cognitive gap between the high-level system functionality and its call graph, which can further facilitate system comprehension. To validate our approach, we conducted four case studies including code2graph, Detectron, Flask, and Keras. The results demonstrated that our approach is feasible to construct call graphs and hierarchically cluster them into abstraction levels with proper labels.