cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration of Large Scale Systems

To be able to handle the complexity of large scale systems development in a specific application domain, a product can be partitioned into systems which are independently developed in distributed projects. These systems are designed to work autonomously and to interoperate with the other systems in the domain as a “mega-system” to provide the necessary functionality. Systems integration addresses the challenge to provide a pre-planned and integrated development process in this kind of environment which combines a maximum of independence and flexibility with the necessary standardization and tool support[1].
Diabetic and nondiabetic lumbosacral radiculoplexus neuropathies: New insights into pathophysiology and treatment

Diabetic lumbosacral radiculoplexus neuropathy (DLRPN) (also called diabetic amyotrophy) is a well-recognized subacute, painful, asymmetric lower-limb neuropathy that is associated with weight loss and type II diabetes mellitus. Nondiabetic lumbosacral radiculoplexus neuropathy (LRPN) has received less attention. Comparison of large cohorts with DLRPN and LRPN demonstrated that age at onset, course, type and distribution of symptoms and impairments, laboratory findings, and outcomes are similar. Both conditions are lumbosacral radiculoplexus neuropathies that are associated with weight loss and begin focally with pain but that evolve into widespread, bilateral paralytic disorders. Although both are monophasic illnesses, patients have prolonged morbidity from pain and weakness, and many patients become wheelchair-dependent. Although motor-predominant, there is unequivocal evidence that autonomic and sensory nerves are also involved. Cutaneous nerves from patients with DLRPN and LRPN show pathological evidence of ischemic injury (multifocal fiber loss, perineurial thickening and degeneration, neovascularization, microfasciculation, and swollen axons with accumulated organelles) and microvasculitis (mural and perivascular inflammation, separation and fragmentation of mural smooth muscle layers of microvessels and hemosiderin-laden macrophages). Controlled trials with immune-modulating therapies in DLRPN are in progress, and preliminary data suggest that such therapy may be beneficial in LRPN. It is likely that DLRPN and LRPN are immune-mediated neuropathies that should be separated from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and from systemic necrotizing vasculitis.
Alternative agriculture in an energy- and resource-depleting future

Industrial principles of specialization, simplification and concentration began to be applied to agriculture after the Second World War with positive production results. But it is now widely recognized that this agriculture and food system faces daunting challenges in the decades ahead, including increased human population growth, natural resource depletion, ecological degradation, climate change and escalating energy costs. These challenges have refocused the attention of agriculturalists and food scientists on the question of how we can continue to feed the human species. But these challenges also provide opportunities to rethink and redesign our food system. Agriculturalists are recognizing that resilience is at least as important to food security as maximum production, and consumer concerns provide us with unprecedented opportunities for farmers and consumers to come together as ‘food citizens’ to determine appropriate changes in our food system. To that end it is important to examine the various production systems and infrastructures in an effort to select the most viable options for long-term sustainability.
From stoichiometry to ultra lean burn in a direct injection spark ignition engine model

In an internal combustion engine, whenever complete combustion can be achieved, indicated torque production is directly related to fuel rate. This premise is exploited to extrapolate a public-domain, homogeneous charge, spark ignition engine model to the stratified charge regime. The extrapolation is based on published, functional forms for indicated torque and friction torque in a direct-injection, spark ignition engine. The extrapolated, control-oriented model is "validated" through comparisons to both published results and expected behaviors. The dynamic model is illustrated through step responses in fuel and throttle flow rate.
Low-Frequency Noise in AlSb/InAs and Related HEMTs

A comprehensive examination of the low-frequency noise characteristics of AlSb/InAs and related high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) in the 6.1-Aring-lattice-constant material system is reported. The effect of gate bias on the noise of devices in this technology is reported for the first time. The slope of the noise level in all the devices examined is nearly 1/f below 100 Hz, but some have significant generation-recombination Lorentzian components at higher frequencies, with an activation energy between 0.30 and 0.40 eV. The Hooge parameter alphaH for open-channel measurements is in the range between 5times10-4 and 5times10-3 based on measurements at low drain voltage. Comparisons are made to the noise performance of several earlier InAs-based HEMTs with considerably different layer structure and channel composition
High-resolution measurement and analysis of the infrared spectrum of nitric acid near 1700 cm−1

Abstract The infrared spectrum of the ν 2 band of nitric acid (HNO 3 ) has been measured with a tunable diode laser in the frequency interval from 1690 to 1727 cm −1 . A total of 430 assigned transitions have been analyzed to yield a set of nine rovibrational constants for the upper state with a standard deviation of 0.0012 cm −1 . The band is primarily B type with a band center at 1709.568 ± 0.005 cm −1 . Because of the absence of perturbations, the band constants can be used to calculate transition frequencies and relative intensities with a high degree of accuracy.
Tropical Cyclone Simulations with the Betts Convective Adjustment Scheme. Part II: Sensitivity Experiments

Abstract Extensive sensitivity experiments with an axisymmetric tropical cyclone model that includes the Bets convective parameterization scheme are carded out. The sensitivity of the model storm evolution to the convective adjustment parameters is studied. These results show that the model storm leads to earlier development as the adjustment time scale becomes small and the stability weight on the moist adiabat in the lower atmosphere is increased. The model storm evolution is very sensitive to variations in the saturation pressure departure at the lowermost model integer level and the storm at mature stage has a lower central pressure as the magnitude of the saturation pressure departure is increased. The adjustment parameters affect the grid-scale precipitation as well as the convective precipitation and the precipitation is especially sensitive to changes in the saturation pressure departure. Sensitivity of the model to variations in the sea surface temperature, latitude, initial vortex amplitude, ini...
Advancing Treeline and Retreating Glaciers: Implications for Conservation in Yunnan, P.R. China

ABSTRACT Historic climate data and repeat photographs were used to assess and document changes in alpine treeline and glacial recession in northwestern Yunnan, China. Results show that mean annual temperature in the last two decades of the 20th century has been increasing locally at a rate of 0.06 °C yr−1 (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the annual trend is a result of both summer- and wintertime warming (0.037 °C yr−1, p < 0.001; and 0.036 °C yr−1, p < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, a local drying trend (−3.80 mm yr−1; p < 0.001) was observed during the period 1955–1995. Repeat photos and supplemental measurements show that this warming is causing the retreat of glaciers and contributing to the elevational advance of alpine treeline. Fire, a traditional management tool used to halt the advance of woody species, has been suppressed since 1988. One consequence of these interactions is the encroachment of woody vegetation into alpine meadows, which will have negative impacts on plant species diversity and Tib...
Integrated Experimental, Analytical, and Computational Design for Fatigue Crack Growth Resistance in Cast Aluminum Alloys☆

Abstract Long and small fatigue crack growth (FCG) studies at various stress ratios have been performed on solution-strengthened A535-F and precipitation-strengthened A356-T6 cast aluminum alloys. Microstructures were altered through processing and chemistry in order to systematically investigate the individual and combined effects of materials’ characteristic microstructural features on FCG. Mechanisms of FCG at the microstructural scale of the studied alloys were identified at various growth stages, and load-microstructure-damage mechanisms design maps were created. Complementary to this work, a fracture mechanics methodology for data treatment and reduction has been developed for long-to-physically small crack growth corrections, and an original material science-based model that further compensates for the microstructurally small crack growth behavior was created and validated. A computational toolset has been constructed for microstructure-specific FCG simulations. FCG response is represented by the superposition of material's matrix and secondary phase behavior, with phase property data generated using a novel microhardness indentation technique. Actual microstructural images are used as the basis for meso-scale simulations to make numerical evaluations of the FCG response and to optimize the materials for FCG resistance. Examples on the application of these methods and tools will be given as they relate to design for FCG resistance, life predictions, and material optimization.
From Kameny to Kennedy: the road to the positive rights protection of marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges

This article examines the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) through the prism of rights framing, and argues that the jurisprudential dispute between Justice Anthony Kennedy and the dissenters significantly involved a debate over the nature of rights protected by the Constitution. Kennedy embraced positive rights, as he had in previous lesbian and gay rights cases, in his holding that the Constitution mandated the recognition and protection of same-sex relationships, while the dissenters held that only negative rights should be enforced by the Court and that this view of rights does not require the recognition of relationships, only state non-interference. The potential implications of the decision are also examined, particularly in the context of the broader LGBTQ rights movement.
Trade and Transformations of Secondhand Clothing: Introduction

AbstractThis article draws out some of the broader themes arising from the study of secondhand clothing economies, as an introduction to this special issue. The articles in the issue address worn c...
Cybernetics, Redux: An Outside-In Strategy for Unraveling Cellular Function

A new paper in Science reveals how repetitive stimulation can identify and help to repair fragilities within a signaling network, while using linear mathematical models inspired by engineering, thereby suggesting how cybernetic methods can be integrated into systems and synthetic biology.
Improving the Estimation of Word Importance for News Multi-Document Summarization

We introduce a supervised model for predicting word importance that incorporates a rich set of features. Our model is superior to prior approaches for identifying words used in human summaries. Moreover we show that an extractive summarizer using these estimates of word importance is comparable in automatic evaluation with the state-of-the-art.
Managing Hawaii's Forests: A Conjoint Analysis of Lei Plant Material Sources

With Hawaii's population growing and its forests shrinking, the potential for overuse of this natural resource is a challenge facing the State's policy makers and resource managers. This article examines the conditions necessary to entice members of a user group to voluntarily switch to alternatives. The user group consists of hula dancers, who gather plant materials in the forest for adornment lei on Oahu, Hawaii. The two alternatives to forest gathering were community gardens for which work time was required and commercial purchase at a given price. If the alternatives to forest gathering are made attractive enough, some hula teachers indicate a willingness to switch, while others do not. Policy makers may find it more cost effective to formulate policies that will make alternatives more attractive to user groups than to attempt to change their preference structure. The diversity found among the preferences of hula practitioners indicates that a variety of approaches should be considered. In the case of those not willing to switch, a more participatory forest management system could be examined that includes all user groups. For those willing to switch, programs that lower the labor intensity of the community garden and the price of commercial purchase have considerable appeal.
Color Processing in Macaque Striate Cortex: Electrophysiological Properties

We have shown in the accompanying paper that optical imaging of macaque striate cortex reveals patches that are preferentially activated by equiluminant chromatic gratings compared with luminance gratings. These imaged color patches are highly correlated, although not always in one-to-one correspondence, with the cytochrome-oxidase (CO) blobs. In the present study, we have investigated the electrophysiological properties of neurons in the imaged color patches and the CO blobs. Our results indicate that individual blobs tend to contain cells of only one type of color opponency: either red/green or blue/yellow. Individual imaged color patches, however, can bridge blobs of similar opponency or differing opponency. When imaged color patches contain two blobs of differing opponency, the cells in the bridge region exhibit mixed color properties that are not opponent along the two cardinal color axes (either red/green or blue/yellow). Two blobs within a single imaged color patch receive input from the same eye or from different eyes. In the latter case, the bridge region between blobs contains binocular cells that are color selective. Because the cells recorded in imaged color patches were more color selective and unoriented than cells outside of color patches, color properties appear to be organized in a clustered and segregated fashion in primate V1.
Delayed gastric emptying after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy--does gastrointestinal reconstruction technique matter?

Abstract Background The best gastrointestinal reconstruction route after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy remains debatable. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after antecolic (AC) and retrocolic (RC) duodenojejunostomy in these patients. Data Sources Studies comparing AC to RC reconstruction after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy were identified from literature databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane). The meta-analysis included 10 studies with a total of 1,067 patients, where 504 patients underwent AC and 563 patients underwent RC reconstruction. The incidence of DGE was significantly lower with AC reconstruction in both randomized controlled trials (risk ratio = .44, confidence interval = .24 to.77, P = .005) and retrospective studies (risk ratio .21, confidence interval .14 to .30, P Conclusions AC reconstruction seems to be associated with less DGE, with no association with pancreatic fistula or abscess formation.
Die Überzeugungskraft unattraktiver kommunikatoren

Es ist unbestritten, dass die physische Attraktivitat von Mitmenschen dazu beitragt, dass man sich zu ihnen hingezogen fuhlt und eventuell sogar ihr Verhalten imitieren mochte und dass man ihnen auch andere positive Eigenschaften wie etwa eine vergleichsweise hohe Glaubwurdigkeit beimisst. Daraus kann gefolgert werden, dass in jeglicher Kommunikation, in der ein Rezipient den Kommunikator sieht, attraktives Personal eingesetzt werden sollte. In der Massenkommunikation ist diese Konsequenz auch leicht zu ziehen. In TV-Program men oder in der Massenwerbung (z. B. in Anzeigen in Zeitschriften oder in TV-Spots) konnen attraktive Personen eingesetzt bzw. dargestellt werden, da sie relativ leicht verfugbar sind. Problematischer ist der Fall, in welchem attraktives Personal nicht ausreichend vorhanden ist. Im Marketingkontext ist hier z. B. an Ausendienstpersonal, an Verkaufer im Handel oder in Banken, an Prasenter von Ergebnissen von Marktforschungsinstituten und Werbeagenturen sowie von Unternehmensberatungen oder an Mitarbeiter zur Schulung von Kunden zu denken. Man kann davon ausgehen, dass es auch in solchen Bereichen vorteilhaft ware, attraktives Personal einzusetzen, um die Nachfrager oder die Kunden moglichst wirkungsvoll zu beeinflussen.
Predicting Through-Plane Water Distribution in a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

In this paper, a two-dimensional (2D) model is presented for simulating the coupled phenomena of gaseous fuel/reactant flows, species (including liquid water) transport, heat transfer, hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions in a PEM fuel cell. A 1D analysis is presented to explain the characteristics of water-content profile at the cathode GDL (gas diffusion layer)-MPL (microporous layer) interface and possible reasons for no experimental observation on the characteristics. 2D model predictions are further computed numerically and compared with available experimental data from neutron imaging. Reasonably good agreements are obtained in comparisons between the computed water profiles and the neutron-imaging data. Case-study simulations are carried out for PEM fuel cell operation at various current densities and 40 °C. The results show that the cathode water content increases with the current density, but the anode side exhibits a complex trend at the considered temperature operation: at high current density the anode water content may become lower partly due to the local heating.© 2010 ASME
Size-dependent Pb sorption to nanohematite in the presence and absence of a microbial siderophore.

This study focused on the effects of particle size (40, 8.6, and 3.6 nm) and the presence of the microbial ligand desferrioxamine B (DFOB) on Pb(II) sorption to hematite, based on sorption edge experiments (i.e., sorption as a function of pH). Effects of hematite nanoparticle size on sorption edges, when plotted either as sorption density or as % Pb uptake, depended on whether the experiments were normalized to account for differences in specific surface area within the reaction vessels or postnormalized after the fact. Accounting for specific surface area within reaction vessels is needed to maintain comparable ratios of sorbate to sorbent surface sites. When normalized for BET specific surface area (As,BET) within the reaction vessels, the Pb(II) sorption edge shifted ∼0.5 pH units to the left for <10 nm hematite particles, but maximum sorption density (at pH ≥ 6) was unaffected by particle size. DFOB had little or no effect on Pb(II) sorption to <10 nm particles, but DFOB decreased Pb(II) sorption to t...
Progress of the composite thruster abroad

The research progress of the composite thrusters for attitudecontrol and orbitcontrol engines are presented, including the properties of the composites, the fabrication process and conjunction technique of the composite thrusters. The composite thrusters have many advantages, such as low density, high permissible operation temperature, uncooled, and they can reduce the motor weight and increase the specific impulse in comparison with the high melting point metal thrusters. They have been broadly applied in attitudecontrol and orbitcontrol engines abroad.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its implementation in the 21st century

Abstract The paper deals with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the history of its origin and the problems of searching for a balance between the basic principles of CRC. It further summarizes the CRC structure, including analysis of the 3P principle (provision–protection–participation) and the best child's interest as a primary aspect for assessing the rights of the child. One part is also the analysis of CRC implementation, including the definition of a child and its problems. Implementation is considered from the aspect of the function of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and also from the aspect of the duties of parties after ratification of the option records – the Option Record to CRC on engaging a child in armed conflicts, and also the Option Record to CRC on child trafficking, child prostitution and child pornography adopted by the Czech Republic. Without any doubt the Czech Republic understands the CRC as the basic international document that is taken into account not only with the elaboration of strategies (see “Right on Childhood”). On the other hand there are still weak points to improve (e.g. right of the child to file a complaint for violation of their rights).
Influence of soybean meal and sorghum grain supplementation on intake, digesta kinetics, ruminal fermentation, site and extent of digestion and microbial protein synthesis in beef steers grazing blue grama rangeland.

Six beef steers (British x Brahman) cannulated at the rumen, duodenum and ileum (avg wt 334 kg) and three mature steers (British x British) cannulated at the esophagus were used in a replicated 3 x 3 latin square design and fed no supplement (C), .5 kg soybean meal (SBM) or .5 kg steam-flaked sorghum grain (SFS).head-1.d-1 (DM basis) while grazing blue grama rangeland. Periods of the latin square included a minimum of 14 d for adaptation and 11 d for esophageal masticate collection and digesta sampling. In September, October and November, respectively, forage collected by esophageally cannulated steers averaged 74.5, 88.8 and 71.0% grasses; 2.06, 1.53 and 1.77% N and 68.3, (P greater than .10) by treatment, but total N intake was greater (P less than .05) for SBM vs C and SFS treatments. No differences (P greater than .10) were detected among treatments in OM, NDF, ADF and N digestibilities in the rumen, small intestine or hindgut, but total tract OM digestibility was greater (P less than .10) for SBM and SFS than for C, and total tract N digestibility was greater (P less than .10) for SBM than for C or SFS. Duodenal ammonia N flow was greater (P less than .05) when SBM was fed that when SFS and C were fed, but microbial N and non-ammonia, non-microbial N flows and microbial efficiency were not altered by treatment. Likewise, ileal N flow was not affected (P greater than .10) by treatment. Particulate passage rate, gastrointestinal mean retention time, forage in vitro OM disappearance and in situ rate of forage NDF digestion also were not affected (P greater than .10) by treatments. Ruminal fluid volume was greater (P less than .05) for SFS vs SBM and C treatments, but no differences were noted in fluid dilution rate. Ruminal fluid ammonia concentration was greater (P less than .05) when SBM was fed than when SFS and C were fed (13.5, 9.9 and 8.7 mg/dl, respectively), whereas pH and total VFA concentrations were not different (P greater than .10). Proportion of acetate in ruminal fluid was less (P less than .10) for SBM and SFS than for C. Small amounts of supplemental SBM and SFS had little effect on forage intake, ruminal fermentation and site of digestion but both increased total tract OM digestion in steers grazing blue grama rangeland.
Optimized weighting for Fourier rebinning of three-dimensional time-of-Flight PET data to non-time-of-flight

Time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanners provide the potential for significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and lesion detectability in clinical PET. Therefore, it is likely that TOF will become the standard for clinical whole body PET in the near future. However, fully 3D TOF PET image reconstruction is a challenging task due to the huge data size. One solution to this problem is to rebin TOF data into a lower dimensional format. We have recently developed Fourier rebinning methods for mapping TOF data into non-TOF formats and achieved substantial SNR advantages over sinograms acquired without TOF information. However, such mappings for rebinning into non-TOF formats are not unique and optimization of rebinning methods has not been widely investigated. In this paper we address the question of optimal rebinning in order to make full use of TOF information and consequently to maximize image quality. We focus on FORET-3D, which rebins 3D TOF data into 3D non-TOF sinogram formats without requiring a Fourier transform in the axial direction. We optimize the weighting for FORET-3D using a uniformly minimum variance unbiased (UMVU) estimator under reasonable approximations. We show that the rebinned data with optimal weights are a sufficient statistic for the unknown image, implying that any information loss due to rebinning is as a result only of the approximations used in developing the optimal weighting. We demonstrate using simulated and real phantom TOF data that the optimal rebinning method achieves significant variance reduction and better contrast recovery compared to other rebinning weightings.
The Development of Complex Societies in Eastern North America: The Roles of Feasting, Famine, and Fighting

The development of social complexity in Eastern North America occurred within a diverse array of historical trajectories, and was shaped by many factors, of which feasting, famine, and fighting played important roles. When initial settlement took place is unknown, but sites and artifacts of the Clovis culture occur widely by ca. 13,000 cal year BP. Cemeteries with hypertrophic artifacts appear soon thereafter in the Dalton culture of the Central Mississippi Valley, the first of many archaeological cultures characterized by evidence for periodic aggregation, elaborate ceremony, feasting behavior, and monumentality. While these behaviors were intermittent early on, they become widespread after ca. 6000 cal year BP. Famines, or extended periods of subsistence resource shortfall, were likely an ever present concern, but skeletal evidence for major episodes of dietary-induced stress does not appear until the Middle Holocene and after, although prior to that time skeletal samples are small. Evidence for fighting or conflict between groups also dates to the Middle Holocene and after, reaching endemic proportions during some periods and much reduced during others, patterning that appears tied to the stability of food resources, the distribution, and packing of people on the landscape, and the importance of warfare as a means of enhancing prestige or achieving political domination. While the independent domestication of indigenous plant species occurred in the later Holocene, and exogenous species like maize were adopted soon after, in many areas wild resources continued to dominate subsistence as well as use in social display and feasting, and were stored to reduce the likelihood of famine. Variation in rainfall patterns measured using tree ring records indicates late prehistoric and contact period societies heavily dependent upon agriculture were particularly vulnerable to drought. Formalized warfare on a large-scale resulting in the destruction of whole communities is documented in the centuries immediately before Contact, a period characterized by the widespread occurrence of fortifications and defensive settlement postures, and skeletons exhibiting weapons trauma. Changes observed in the Fort Ancient culture illustrate how these developments played out in the upper Midwest, highlighting the importance of examining local sequences when assessing the importance of specific factors.
Synergy Repetition Training versus Task Repetition Training in Acquiring New Skill

Traditionally, repetitive practice of a task is used to learn a new skill, exhibiting as immediately improved performance. Research suggests, however, that a more varied training protocol, may allow for better transference of the skill to a new, but related task. In synergy-based motor control theory, fundamental motor skills, such as hand grasping, are represented with a synergy subspace that captures essential motor patterns. In this study, we propose that motor skill learning through synergy-based mechanisms may provide advantages over traditional repetition learning. A new task was designed to highlight the range of motion and dexterity of the human hand. Two separate training strategies were tested in healthy subjects: repetition training and synergy training, versus a control. All three groups showed improvements when retested on the same task. When tested on a new task, only the synergy group showed significant improvements in accuracy (9.27% increase) compared to the repetition (3.24% decline) and control (3.22% decline) groups. Average completion time was also shortest for the synergy group in the new task. A kinematic analysis revealed that the timing benefits may have resulted from the initial feed-forward portion of the task, while accuracy improvements may have derived from general improved coordination amongst the four involved fingers. These results support the use of synergy-based motor training in healthy individuals, but can potentially benefit individuals undergoing hand-based rehabilitative therapy.
Extended low-dose dexamethasone suppression test for diagnosis of atypical Cushing's syndrome in dogs.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate extension of the low-dose dexamethasone suppression (LDDS) test from 8 h to 12 h to detect possible hypercortisolemia associated with atypical hyperadrenocorticism (AHAC). Twelve client-owned dogs were enrolled in the study: 6 healthy dogs (group 1) and 6 dogs with suspected AHAC (group 2). Baseline EDTA plasma samples were collected for endogenous ACTH determination using an immunoradiometric assay. Serum samples were collected before and at 4, 8, 10, and 12 h post-administration of 0.01 mg/kg dexamethasone IV for cortisol concentration determination via chemiluminescent assay. Mean endogenous ACTH concentration did not differ between groups (group 1: 22.4 pg/mL, group 2: 20.0 pg/mL; P > 0.2). Mean baseline cortisol concentration also did not differ significantly between groups (group 1: 3.03 μg/dL, group 2: 4.95 μg/dL; P > 0.2) nor was there any difference in mean cortisol concentration between the groups at any other time point (P > 0.2). The cortisol concentration from 1 dog in group 2 suppressed to 0.7 μg/dL at 8 h but increased to 1.5 μg/dL at 10 h and 3.7 μg/dL at 12 h post-dexamethasone. Based on results of this study, use of an extended LDDS test could not differentiate between healthy dogs and dogs with AHAC. Diagnosis of AHAC should continue to be based on prior established criteria until new testing has been identified.
The Exhausted Horse Syndrome

Exhaustion occurs in most equestrian sports, but it is more frequent in events that require sustained endurance work such as endurance racing, three-day eventing, trail riding, and hunting. Exhaustion is also more likely when an unfit, unacclimatized, or unsound horse is exercised. Mechanisms that contribute to exhaustion include heat retention, fluid and electrolyte loss, acid-base imbalance, and intramuscular glycogen depletion. Clinical signs include elevated temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate; depression; anorexia; unwillingness to continue to exercise; dehydration; weakness; stiffness; hypovolemic shock; exertional myopathy; synchronous diaphragmatic flutter; atrial fibrillation; diarrhea; colic; and laminitis. Treatment includes stopping exercise; rapid cooling; rapid large volume intravenous or oral fluid administration; and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration.
A Multiplexed, Heterogeneous, and Adaptive Code for Navigation in Medial Entorhinal Cortex.

Summary Medial entorhinal grid cells display strikingly symmetric spatial firing patterns. The clarity of these patterns motivated the use of specific activity pattern shapes to classify entorhinal cell types. While this approach successfully revealed cells that encode boundaries, head direction, and running speed, it left a majority of cells unclassified, and its pre-defined nature may have missed unconventional, yet important coding properties. Here, we apply an unbiased statistical approach to search for cells that encode navigationally relevant variables. This approach successfully classifies the majority of entorhinal cells and reveals unsuspected entorhinal coding principles. First, we find a high degree of mixed selectivity and heterogeneity in superficial entorhinal neurons. Second, we discover a dynamic and remarkably adaptive code for space that enables entorhinal cells to rapidly encode navigational information accurately at high running speeds. Combined, these observations advance our current understanding of the mechanistic origins and functional implications of the entorhinal code for navigation. Video Abstract
Delayed Enrollment and Student Involvement: Linkages to College Degree Attainment

ABSTRACTStudents who delay college enrollment after they graduate from high school have a lower chance of completing a college degree compared to students who enroll in college immediately after high school. This article explores delayers’ involvement in high-impact postsecondary campus activities to understand whether participation in high-impact activities is associated with bachelor’s degree attainment for students who delay enrollment. This study found that overall involvement in high-impact activities was associated with greater odds of bachelor’s degree attainment for all students, but students who delay entry into college do not benefit any differently than immediate-enrollment students from involvement in these activities. Participation in high-impact activities is only related to bachelor’s degree attainment in a minor way compared to other variables like students’ socioeconomic background and high school grade point average. This finding suggests that although high-impact practices may play a ro...
Semantic modeling of plastic deformation of polycrystalline rock

Abstract We have developed the first iteration of the Plastic Rock Deformation (PRD) ontology by modeling the semantics of a selected set of deformational processes and mechanisms that produce, reconfigure, displace, and/or consume the material components of inhomogeneous polycrystalline rocks. The PRD knowledge model also classifies and formalizes the properties (relations) that hold between instances of the dynamic physical and chemical processes and the rock components, the complex physio-chemical, mathematical, and informational concepts of the plastic rock deformation system, the measured or calculated laboratory testing conditions, experimental procedures and protocols, the state and system variables, and the empirical flow laws that define the inter-relationships among the variables. The ontology reuses classes and properties from several existing ontologies that are built for physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. With its flexible design, the PRD ontology is well positioned to incrementally develop into a model that more fully represents the knowledge of plastic deformation of polycrystalline rocks in the future. The domain ontology will be used to consistently annotate varied data and information related to the microstructures and the physical and chemical processes that produce them at different spatial and temporal scales in the laboratory and in the solid Earth. The PRDKB knowledge base, when built based on the ontology, will help the community of experimental structural geologists and metamorphic petrologists to coherently and uniformly distribute, discover, access, share, and use their data through automated reasoning and integration and query of heterogeneous experimental deformation data that originate from autonomous rock testing laboratories.
Elucidating the Impact of Thin Film Texture on Charge Transport and Collection in Perovskite Solar Cells

Organic–inorganic halide perovskites have emerged as one of the most promising materials for photovoltaic applications. Because of the polycrystalline nature of perovskite thin films, it is crucial to investigate the impact of microstructures on device performance. In this study, we employ ramp-annealing to tailor the texture of perovskite thin films via controlling the nucleation of perovskite grains. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies further suggest that the thin film texture impacts not only the charge collection at the contact but also the carrier transport in the bulk perovskite layer. The combination of the two effects leads to enhanced performance in devices constructed of preferentially oriented perovskite thin films.
The Narrative History of the Chocolate Wars: A Short and Tasty Bargaining Game

This single lesson classroom game is designed to test student knowledge of Realist and Liberal concepts through an imbalanced resource bargaining mechanic. The game is designed for approximately 20...
Multi-Layer Defense Model for Securing Online Financial Transactions

Purchasing items on the Internet with credit cards is risky-due to the ease of gaining the information without having the physical card. The ease of phishing, spoofing, or other ways perpetrators can obtain a consumer's credit card information. The threat of identity theft is growing as we rely more and more on the Internet to make purchases. To mitigate risk, we present a new Multi-Layer Defense (MLD) model. Our proposed MLD model combines the strong two-factor authentication capabilities with a unique random code that is only valid for an active session. Essentially, two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security used in addition to username and password to better confirm the user's identity. This code serves as a private key to authenticate such online transactions. The code can be utilized to identify users and establish secure ways of purchasing items. The proposed MLD model uses devices to log into card accounts via an application to view a generated code. The generated code is inputted on an online retailer's website to authorize the use of the credit card. This minimizes the possibility of an illegitimate user gaining access to another individual's credit card. Without a valid code, impostors cannot use the stolen card information to make purchases that could harm the account holder. To show the practicality of our scheme, we provide one case study between a Consumer A and Consumer B that explains the difference in outcome by using the proposed MLD model.
Effects of Network Structure on the Phase Transition of Acrylamide-Sodium Acrylate Copolymer Gels

We report preliminary studies on the effect the relative amount of ionizable groups incorporated in the network, main polymer-constituent molecules, and cross-linking agent has on the volume phase transition of acrylamide-sodium acrylate copolymer gels. The experimental results agree with the theoretical prediction that the phase transition is characterized mainly by the number of ionized groups per effective polymer chain.
Interdisciplinary aerodigestive care model improves risk, cost, and efficiency.

Abstract Objective This study sought to evaluate the impact of an interdisciplinary care model for pediatric aerodigestive patients in terms of efficiency, risk exposure, and cost. Methods Patients meeting a standard clinical inclusion definition were studied before and after implementation of the aerodigestive program. Results Aerodigestive patients seen in the interdisciplinary clinic structure achieved a reduction in time to diagnosis (6 vs 150 days) with fewer required specialist consultations (5 vs 11) as compared to those seen in the same institution prior. Post-implementation patients also experienced a significant reduction in risk, with fewer radiation exposures (2 vs 4) and fewer anesthetic episodes (1 vs 2). Total cost associated with the diagnostic evaluation was significantly reduced from a median of $10,374 to $6055. Conclusion This is the first study to utilize a pre-post cohort to evaluate the reduction in diagnostic time, risk exposure, and cost attributable to the reorganization of existing resources into an interdisciplinary care model. This suggests that such a model yields improvements in care quality and value for aerodigestive patients, and likely for other pediatric patients with chronic complex conditions.
Effect of Chlorine-Induced Sublethal Oxidative Stress on the Biofilm-Forming Ability of Salmonella at Different Temperatures, Nutrient Conditions, and Substrates

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of chlorine-induced oxidative stress on biofilm formation by various Salmonella strains on polystyrene and stainless steel (SS) surfaces at three temperatures (30, 25 [room temperature], and 4°C) in tryptic soy broth (TSB) and 1/10 TSB. Fifteen Salmonella strains (six serotypes) were exposed to a sublethal chlorine concentration (150 ppm of total chlorine) in TSB for 2 h at the predetermined temperatures. The biofilm-forming ability of the Salmonella strains was determined in 96-well polystyrene microtiter plates by using a crystal violet staining method and on SS coupons in 24-well tissue culture plates. All tested strains of Salmonella produced biofilms on both surfaces tested at room temperature and at 30°C. Of the 15 strains tested, none (chlorine stressed and nonstressed) formed biofilm at 4°C. At 30°C, Salmonella Heidelberg (ID 72), Salmonella Newport (ID 107), and Salmonella Typhimurium (ATCC 14028) formed more biofilm than did their respective nonstressed controls on polystyrene ( P ≤ 0.05). At room temperature, only stressed Salmonella Reading (ID 115) in 1/10 TSB had significantly more biofilm formation than did the nonstressed control cells ( P ≤ 0.05). Salmonella strains formed more biofilm in nutrient-deficient medium (1/10 TSB) than in full-strength TSB. At 25°C, chlorine-stressed Salmonella Heidelberg (ATCC 8326) and Salmonella Enteritidis (ATCC 4931) formed stronger biofilms on SS coupons ( P ≤ 0.05) than did the nonstressed cells. These findings suggest that certain strains of Salmonella can produce significantly stronger biofilms on plastic and SS upon exposure to sublethal chlorine.
Macroevolution of dimensionless life history metrics in tetrapods

Abstract Life history traits represent organism’s strategies to navigate the fitness trade-offs between survival and reproduction. Eric Charnov developed three dimensionless metrics to quantify fundamental life history trade-offs. Lifetime reproductive effort (LRE), relative reproductive lifespan (RRL), and relative offspring size (ROS), together with body mass, can be used classify life history strategies across the four major classes of tetrapods: amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. First, we investigate how the metrics have evolved in concert with body mass. In most cases, we find evidence for correlated evolution between body mass and the three metrics. Finally, we compare life history strategies across the four classes of tetrapods and find that LRE, RRL, and ROS delineate a space in which the major tetrapod clades occupy mostly unique subspaces. These distinct combinations of life history strategies provide us with a framework to understand the impact of major evolutionary transitions in energetics, physiology, and ecology.
Simulation and Life Prediction of Gear Meshing Process of Gearbox of A Crawler Vehicle

A crawler vehicle gearbox was easy to invalidation, stress change of the gear tooth meshing process was difficult to accurately measure, and the life prediction was not accurate. this paper established a finite element model of gear meshing, the analysis of the gear teeth began to come into contact with the complete separation of highly nonlinear dynamic process, and the simulation results of test, and established the life prediction model by nCode Designife software, and estimated the gear fatigue failure position and life. Compared with the actual results verified the feasibility of dynamic analysis method of gear meshing, for gear strength check, the reference for the optimization design and fatigue life prediction.
Describing seasonal differences in tree crown delineation using multispectral UAS data and structure from motion

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have emerged as a platform capable of providing valuable data on vegetation structure, health, and productivity. The platform provides maximum temporal flexibility in ...
Breaking the last line of performance border

The Compute Library for Deep Neural Networks [1] (clDNN) is an open source performance library for Deep Learning (DL) applications intended for acceleration of DL inference on Intel® Processor Graphics. Released in 2017, works in tight cooperation with Neo [2], which is the open source OpenCL [3] driver for Intel® Processor Graphics. Together they provide a complete open source software stack for Deep Learning applications.Achieving high performance is usually a long and complex process. The closer workload is to device's theoretical peak performance, the more difficult is to take the next step. Breaking the last line of performance border is the most difficult one.During development of clDNN libraries, performance problems were discovered on a daily basis. This document will identify some techniques that were used to optimize those performance problems and achieve top performance.
Engines of discovery : Scientific instruments and the history of astronomy and planetary science in the United States in the twentieth century

Le developpement technologique des navettes spatiales, des satellites et des instruments scientifiques associes est essentiel a la comprehension de l'histoire de l'astronomie moderne et des planetes
In vitro study of improved wound-healing effect of bioactive borate-based glass nano-/micro-fibers

Because of the promising wound-healing capability, bioactive glasses have been considered as one of the next generation hard- and soft-tissue regeneration materials. The lack of understanding of the substantial mechanisms, however, indicates the need for further study on cell-glass interactions to better interpret the rehabilitation capability. In the present work, three bioactive glass nano-/micro-fibers, silicate-based 45S5, borate-based 13-93B3 and 1605 (additionally doped with copper oxide and zinc oxide), were firstly compared for their in vitro soaking/conversion rate. The results of elemental monitoring and electron microscopic characterization demonstrated that quicker ion releasing and glass conversion occurred in borate-based fibers than that of silicate-based one. This result was also reflected by the formation speed of hydroxyapatite (HA). This process was further correlated with original boron content and surrounding rheological condition. We showed that an optimal fiber pre-soaking time (or an ideal dynamic flow rate) should exist to stimulate the best cell proliferation and migration ability. Moreover, 13-93B3 and 1605 fibers showed different glass conversion and biocompatibility properties as well, indicating that trace amount variation in composition can also influence fiber's bioactivity. In sum, our in vitro rheological module closely simulated in vivo niche environment and proved a potentially improved wound-healing effect by borate-based glass fibers, and the results shall cast light on future improvement in bioactive glass fabrication.
Tin sulfide (SnS) thin-film solar cells deposited by organic chemical vapor sulfurization based on CdS and high transmittance Cd(S,O) n-type layers with the superstrate device structure

In this work, RF-sputtered metallic tin (Sn) film was sulfurized through di-tert-butyl-disulfide vapor at 350 °C for 150, 180, 210, and 240 min. According to the Raman spectra analysis, 210 min was sufficient to form dominantly SnS film. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies of SnS film were evaluated. The n-type window layers CdS and high transmittance Cd(S,O) were deposited by chemical bath deposition through two different baths without and with TX-100 surfactant, respectively. XPS analysis of CdS and Cd(S,O) films was carried out. SnS solar cells formed in the superstrate solar cell device configuration. The photovoltaic performances were evaluated.