cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of Continuous Sterilization Systems for Fermentation Media Containing Suspended Solids

A mathematical model was developed to analyze the performance of a continuous sterilizer fed with a liquid fermentation medium containing suspended solids. This type of medium is commonly used in the industrial practice of a number of fermentation processes. The unsteady-state energy balance equations for the liquid and the suspended solids passing through each component of the system were solved analytically. A computer model was then used to calculate the temperature profiles in the liquid and in the solid particles as they move through the sterilizer, as well as the level of sterility achieved under different operating conditions. It appears that the level of sterility is always lower when solids are present in the system, as one may anticipate. The temperature gradients produced in the solids as a result of the unsteady-state heat transfer occurring as the media moves through the heat exchangers in the system result in lower temperatures in the solid cores. This reduces the effectiveness of the process by protecting the microorganisms against thermal death. In some cases it was found that the level of sterility was so low that operating under such conditions would fail to produce a sterile product. The model was also used to assess the sensitivity of the sterilization process to changes in the most significant design and operating parameters for the case in which solids are present in the medium. The sterilization temperature, steam temperature, heat transfer coefficients in the heat exchangers, particle size, and residence time in the sterilizer holding section appear to be the most important of these parameters. The model obtained in this work can be used to design continuous sterilizers processing slurry media or to evaluate the performance of existing sterilizers.
General-purpose FPGA platform for efficient encryption and hashing

Many applications require protection of secret or sensitive information, from sensor nodes and embedded applications to large distributed systems. The confidentiality of data can be protected by encryption using symmetric-key ciphers, and the integrity of the data can be ensured by using a cryptographic hash function to calculate a "digital fingerprint." In this paper, we propose reconfigurable FPGA hardware components that enable rapid deployment of cryptographic and other algorithms. The novelty of our hardware components is in their general-purpose design which enables easy mappings of algorithms to allow customizations of data protection for different usage scenarios. Since we utilize only a small part of an FPGA chip, our design can be readily integrated with other processing needs of a mobile device, a sensor node or a System-on-Chip. Important block ciphers like the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) as well as advanced cryptographic hash algorithms like Whirlpool map well onto our general-purpose components. Our solution facilitates easy hardware implementation of customizable encryption and hashing solutions, with area and speed performance comparable to custom FPGA implementations targeted at a specific cipher or hash algorithm. We achieve the best efficiency in Mbps/slice for Whirlpool. Furthermore, the components that we have proposed can be used for many other applications - not just for implementing block ciphers and cryptographic hash functions.
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics of (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and Its Pharmacodynamic Consequences in the Rat

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a widely abused illicit drug that can cause severe and even fatal adverse effects. However, interest remains for its possible clinical applications in posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety treatment. Preclinical studies to determine MDMA’s safety are needed. We evaluated MDMA’s pharmacokinetics and metabolism in male rats receiving 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg s.c. MDMA, and the associated pharmacodynamic consequences. Blood was collected via jugular catheter at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, and 24 hours, with simultaneous serotonin (5-HT) behavioral syndrome and core temperature monitoring. Plasma specimens were analyzed for MDMA and the metabolites (±)-3,4-dihydroxymethamphetamine (HHMA), (±)-4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA), and (±)-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. After 2.5 mg/kg MDMA, mean MDMA Cmax was 164 ± 47.1 ng/ml, HHMA and HMMA were major metabolites, and
Traces of embryogenesis are the same in monozygotic and dizygotic twins: not compatible with double ovulation

Common knowledge of over a century has it that monozygotic and dizygotic twinning events occur by unrelated mechanisms: monozygotic twinning 'splits' embryos, producing anomalously re-arranged embryogenic asymmetries; dizygotic twinning begins with independent ovulations yielding undisturbed parallel embryogeneses with no expectation of departures from singleton outcomes. The anomalies statistically associated with twin births are due to the re-arranged embryos of the monozygotics. Common knowledge further requires that dizygotic pairs are dichorionic; monochorionicity is exclusive to monozygotic pairs. These are fundamental certainties in the literature of twin biology. Multiple observations contradict those common knowledge understandings. The double ovulation hypothesis of dizygotic twinning is untenable. Girl-boy twins differ subtly from all other humans of either sex, absolutely not representative of all dizygotics. Embryogenesis of dizygotic twins differs from singleton development at least as much as monozygotic embryogenesis does, and in the same ways, and the differences between singletons and twins of both zygosities represent a coherent system of re-arranged embryogenic asymmetries. Dizygotic twinning and monozygotic twinning have the same list of consequences of anomalous embryogenesis. Those include an unignorable fraction of dizygotic pairs that are in fact monochorionic, plus many more sharing co-twins' cells in tissues other than a common chorion. The idea that monozygotic and dizygotic twinning events arise from the same embryogenic mechanism is the only plausible hypothesis that might explain all of the observations.
An efficient quality of service routing algorithm for delay-sensitive applications

It is well known that the Delay-Constrained Least-Cost (DCLC) unicast routing problem is NP-complete, hence various heuristic algorithms have been developed for this problem. In this paper, we propose a more efficient distributed algorithm, namely, Selection-Function-based DCLC (SF-DCLC), based on a novel selection function for the DCLC problem. The proposed SF-DCLC algorithm requires limited network state information at each node and is always able to find a loop-free path satisfying the delay bound if such paths exist. Simulation study shows that SF-DCLC is not as sensitive to the delay bound and the size of networks as some other DCLC routing algorithms, and has very low cost-inefficiency compared to the optimal one in various network scenarios we have studied. A noteworthy feature of SF-DCLC is that SF-DCLC has very high probability of finding the optimal solution in polynomial time with low computational complexity and message complexity.
Lessons learned from international expansion failures and successes

Abstract Many retail and restaurant companies adopt international expansion as a strategy to take advantage of business opportunities presented by target markets. Common objectives include increasing revenue, escaping a hypercompetitive or saturated home market, entering an emerging or lucrative market, and leveraging domestic capabilities in a bordering country. Success in international expansion is not guaranteed, however; the business world is littered with failures. In this article, we examine the international expansion failures of five service companies that opened physical facilities in a foreign country: Target, Tim Hortons, Best Buy, Tesco, and Walmart. While a variety of factors led to these failures, some common causes have been identified. These include a lack of understanding of the purchasing characteristics of consumers, underestimation of the local competition, supply chain issues, and poor strategic decisions regarding facility location and the rate of expansion. Not all international expansions are failures, though, and herein we also present the success stories of Aldo, Carrefour, and Nordstrom. These companies understood customer preferences and focused on location issues and their supply chains. Based on the aforementioned failures and successes, we offer guidance for companies looking to expand their business operations via a physical presence in a foreign country.
Collaborative Spectrum Sensing Based on Hidden Bivariate Markov Models

The purpose of spectrum sensing is to determine idle portions of a licensed spectrum band that could be used by unlicensed or secondary users without causing harmful interference to primary users. Collaborative spectrum sensing involves multiple secondary users to make joint decisions about spectrum occupancy. By exploiting multiuser diversity, collaborative sensing can alleviate the effects of hidden terminals and severely shadowed radio environments. In this paper, we investigate and compare two schemes for collaborative spectrum sensing of a narrowband channel based on online parameter estimation of a hidden bivariate Markov model: a hard decision scheme and a soft decision scheme. Relative to prior collaborative sensing approaches that do not incorporate a model of the state of the primary user, the proposed schemes improve the accuracy and reliability of collaborative spectrum sensing, especially in low signal-to-noise ratio environments. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed model-based collaborative spectrum sensing schemes.
Two-photon Absorption of Oxyhemoglobin and Methemoglogin for Microscopic Imaging

We measured two-photon absorption of oxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin with modest laser powers. In combination with our previous work on melanin tissue imaging, this shows two-photon absorption imaging of hemoglobin state is feasible.
Time-resolved infrared absorption studies of the solvent-dependent photochemistry of ClNO.

The photochemistry of nitrosyl chloride (ClNO) dissolved in cyclohexane is investigated using ultrafast time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy. Following 266 nm photolysis, the photochemistry is measured by following changes in optical density at frequencies spanning the N═O stretch fundamental transition. A photoinduced depletion in optical density is observed consistent with the depletion of ground-state ClNO. The depletion in optical density remains constant out to ∼50 ps demonstrating that ClNO photodissociation is not followed by recombination of the Cl and NO photofragments. In addition, no evidence for the formation of the ClON photoisomer is observed. These results stand in contrast to previous studies in acetonitrile where ClNO photolysis is followed by geminate recombination of Cl and NO, and by the production of ClON. These differences in ClNO photochemistry are proposed to arise from the population of different excited-states caused by solvent dependence of the ground-state potential energ...
The Utopianism of the Zhenotdel

the utopianism that thrived within the ranks of the Comnmunist Party. The women who worked in the Zhenotdel, the Commnunist Party's Department for Work among Women Workers and Peasants, crafted fromn the marxist analysis of womnen's emancipation a vision of a socialist future and the means to achieve it that divergecl in significant ways from those articulated by the Party's male leaders. During the civil war years these differences caused the zhenotdelovki no difficulties, for the party leadership concentrated on military matters and left utopians free to experiment with the creation of a new society. In this atmnosphere, the women of the Zhenotdel freely professed their vision. Once NEP began, however, the chiliastic climate of war- comminunismn gave way to a new, more settled atmosphere in which the Zhenotdel's -Ltopianism came under critical scrutiny. The brief history of Zhenotdel
Disentangling vulnerabilities from outcomes: Distinctions between trait affect and depressive symptoms in adolescent and adult samples

Abstract Background Trait negative affect and trait positive affect are affective vulnerabilities to depressive symptoms in adolescence and adulthood. While trait affect and the state affect characteristic of depressive symptoms are proposed to be theoretically distinct, no studies have established that these constructs are statistically distinct. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to determine whether the trait affect (e.g. temperament dimensions) that predicts depressive symptoms and the state affect characteristic of depressive symptoms are statistically distinct among early adolescents and adults. We hypothesized that trait negative affect, trait positive affect, and depressive symptoms would represent largely distinct factors in both samples. Method Participants were 268 early adolescents (53.73% female) and 321 young adults (70.09% female) who completed self-report measures of demographic information, trait affect, and depressive symptoms. Results Principal axis factoring with oblique rotation for both samples indicated distinct adolescent factor loadings and overlapping adult factor loadings. Confirmatory factor analyses in both samples supported distinct but related relationships between trait NA, trait PA, and depressive symptoms. Limitations Study limitations include our cross-sectional design that prevented examination of self-reported fluctuations in trait affect and depressive symptoms and the unknown potential effects of self-report biases among adolescents and adults. Conclusions Findings support existing theoretical distinctions between adolescent constructs but highlight a need to revise or remove items to distinguish measurements of adult trait affect and depressive symptoms. Adolescent trait affect and depressive symptoms are statistically distinct, but adult trait affect and depressive symptoms statistically overlap and warrant further consideration.
Gibbs Energy of Superoxide Dismutase Heterodimerization Accounts for Variable Survival in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

The exchange of subunits between homodimeric mutant Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and wild-type (WT) SOD1 is suspected to be a crucial step in the onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The rate, mechanism, and ΔG of heterodimerization (ΔGHet) all remain undetermined, due to analytical challenges in measuring heterodimerization. This study used capillary zone electrophoresis to measure rates of heterodimerization and ΔGHet for seven ALS-variant apo-SOD1 proteins that are clinically diverse, producing mean survival times between 2 and 12 years (postdiagnosis). The ΔGHet of each ALS variant SOD1 correlated with patient survival time after diagnosis (R2 = 0.98), with more favorable ΔGHet correlating with shorter survival by 4.8 years per kJ. Rates of heterodimerization did not correlate with survival time or age of disease onset. Metalation diminished the rate of subunit exchange by up to ∼38-fold but only altered ΔGHet by <1 kJ mol–1. Medicinal targeting of heterodimer thermodyna...
Dynamic availability of fare products with knowledge of customer characteristics

Recent advancements in airline distribution technology, including IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC), could offer airlines a wealth of information about the characteristics of individual customers arriving to book. Recent literature has envisioned a world where airlines, enabled by this new distribution technology, are able to make personalized fare quotes in real time, effectively heralding the end of traditional booking classes. However, academic literature suggests that this type of price discrimination may intensify competition and lead to lower revenues for firms. In this article – the first in a series of papers exploring models of dynamic product availability with knowledge of customer characteristics – we test a simple dynamic availability (DynA) heuristic that adjusts fare class availability after inheriting information about a customer’s trip purpose. Through results from the Passenger Origin-Destination Simulator, we find that this DynA heuristic is often revenue-negative for airlines and unstable in competitive environments. The results raise questions about airline benefits from simple approaches to personalized pricing enabled by NDC, and open up opportunities for future research regarding more nuanced and advanced strategies for customized pricing and availability in the airline industry.
Nontechnical Deterrence Effects of Mild and Severe Internet Use Policy Reminders in Reducing Employee Internet Abuse

ABSTRACTThis two-stage longitudinal study examines how employee Internet abuse may be reduced by nontechnical deterrence methods, specifically via organizational acceptable use policies (AUPs). This study used actual employee usage and audit logs (not self-reporting survey measures) to monitor the web activity of employees. In stage 1, a mild AUP reminder sent to company employees resulted in a 12% decrease in employee Internet abuse. In stage 2, a more severe AUP reminder resulted in a 33% decrease in employee Internet abuse. For both stages, the AUP warning (regardless of severity level) resulted in an immediate and significant decrease in employee nonwork Internet use. Results indicate that the severe AUP treatment was more effective in reducing and maintaining lower levels of employee nonwork Internet use than the mild AUP treatment. Under the mild AUP treatment, employee nonwork Internet use levels returned to their pretreatment levels after only one week. However, under the severe AUP treatment, emp...
Results of health survey on 346 welders

[Objective]To understand the health status of welders,and provide evidence for developing control measures.[Methods]A large state-owned vehicle manufacturer was selected for detection of occupational hazards in welding operation environment.The results of occupational health examination and questionnaire survey on 346 welders were analyzed.[Results] The total qualified rate of occupational hazards in 23 welding positions was 65.22%.The health examination results showed 57 workers had abnormality,with incidence of 16.47%.THe incidence increased with the extending length of service,with significant difference(P0.01).Musculoskeletal disorders were detected on 227 workers with detection rate of 65.6%.With the extending length of service,the detection rate was significantly different between operation spots(P0.01).[Conclusion]Welding operation plays important role in health damage of workers.It is necessary to strengthen health education,to adopt active and effective protection measures so as to reduce the effect of occupational hazards on workers' health.
Manipulation combined with low-temperature thermoplastic polymer splint in the treatment of congenital clubfoot in infant

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of repeated manipulation combined with low-temperature thermoplastic polymer splint for external fixture in infants with congenital clubfoot.Methods Thirty-nine congenital clubfeet of 26 infants below 6 months,27 feet in 18 males and 12 feet in 8 females,were treated with manipulation and fixation by low-temperature thermoplastic polymer splint with function of memory.Results All patients were followed up for 6-12 months.The deformities of foot were rectified in all patients,and the excellent and good rate was 92.3%(36 feet in 23 infants).Conclusion For the congenital clubfoot in infants,manipulation and low-temperature thermoplastic polymer splint is an effective and safe conservative therapy with less complication.
Choline: binding studies provide some evidence for a weak, direct agonist action in brain.

The potential ability of choline to act as a muscarinic agonist in brain was examined. Binding curves for muscarinic agonists are flattened and their Hill coefficients are lower than unity, while antagonists exhibit mass action curves with Hill coefficients equal to unity. Taking into account these findings, we have studied the behavior of choline on brain muscarinic receptors as measured by competition studies with 3 H-quinuclidynyl benzilate. Choline displaces the 3 H-muscarinic antagonist in cortical and hippocampal homogenates with an IC 50 , value 100 times greater than that of acetylcholine. In addition, its displacement curve is flattened with a Hill coefficient of 0.77. We conclude that choline might act as a direct agonist on brain muscarinic receptors but probably only at high concentrations. The agonistic action of choline suggests an "inactivation" role for high affinity choline uptake as well as a role in supplying precursor.
Prospective phenotyping of NGLY1-CDDG, the first congenital disorder of deglycosylation

The cytosolic enzyme N-glycanase 1, encoded by NGLY1, catalyzes cleavage of the β-aspartyl glycosylamine bond of N-linked glycoproteins, releasing intact N-glycans from proteins bound for degradation. In this study, we describe the clinical spectrum of NGLY1 deficiency (NGLY1-CDDG). Prospective natural history protocol. In 12 individuals ages 2 to 21 years with confirmed, biallelic, pathogenic NGLY1 mutations, we identified previously unreported clinical features, including optic atrophy and retinal pigmentary changes/cone dystrophy, delayed bone age, joint hypermobility, and lower than predicted resting energy expenditure. Novel laboratory findings include low cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) total protein and albumin and unusually high antibody titers toward rubella and/or rubeola following vaccination. We also confirmed and further quantified previously reported findings noting that decreased tear production, transient transaminitis, small feet, a complex hyperkinetic movement disorder, and varying degrees of global developmental delay with relatively preserved socialization are the most consistent features. Our prospective phenotyping expands the clinical spectrum of NGLY1-CDDG, offers prognostic information, and provides baseline data for evaluating therapeutic interventions. Genet Med 19 2, 160–168.
Particle filtering for multivariate state-space models

We propose and investigate a particle filtering method for multivariate state-space models. In the literature, the most studied state-space model is the linear Gaussian model, which includes known matrices and known noise covariance matrices. In our work, we drop the assumption of knowing these matrices, which produces a nonlinear model. In tracking the dynamic states, we propose to integrate out all the static unknowns and therefore, we sample particles only from the space of the dynamic states. In computing the particle weights, again, we only use the sampled states. The sampling distribution of the states is a multivariate Student t distribution, and the computation of the weights is based on another multivariate Student t distribution. The performance of the proposed method is examined by computer simulations.
Acute kidney injury: AKI: the myth of inevitability is finally shattered.

Acute kidney injury continues to challenge physicians, researchers and patients. To date, there is no efficient treatment for acute kidney injury and its occurrence in many critically ill patients seems inevitable. However, a new study might just change the way we approach this seemingly intractable problem.
A STUDY OF FACTORS AFFECTING CO2 CORROSION AND INHIBITOR EFFECTIVENESS USING A MULTI-PHASE FLOWLOOP

A mini-flowloop was developed to study CO2 corrosion and corrosion/erosion interactions, and to assess the effectiveness of inhibitors under conditions that simulate multi-phase pipelines. The miniflowloop was used to study the effect of testing time, steel chemistry, velocity, temperature, fluid chemistry, sand and inhibitors on corrosion rates. The measured corrosion rates in inhibited and uninhibited solutions using the mini-flowloop were significantly different from those measured using other methods such as the Greene cell method. The effect of adding 1/2% Cr to the steel did not improve its CO2 corrosion resistance as has been claimed by some suppliers. The presence of oil in a brine solution increased the corrosion rates for both inhibited and uninhibited solutions. The CO2 corrosion rate increased slightly with increasing flow rate suggesting that the corrosion mechanism is partially diffusion controlled. At high flow rates, the presence of sand enhanced corrosion of steel in both uninhibited and inhibited solutions while at low flow rates sand had no effect on corrosion rates in uninhibited solutions, but it had a profound effect on the rates in inhibited solutions. The water soluble inhibitor was effective in controlling uniform corrosion, but failed to control pitting corrosion for tests conducted in 100% water solution. In 90% water-10% oil solution, the effectiveness of the inhibitor decreased and the corrosion rate increased compared to the oil-free case, but pitting was not observed. When a de-emulsifier was added to a solution inhibited by the water soluble inhibitor, corrosion rate increased dramatically. The oil soluble inhibitor was not successful in controlling pitting corrosion at low flow rates or uniform corrosion at high flowrates.
Remote C–H insertion of vinyl cations leading to cyclopentenones

We report a Lewis acid catalyzed reaction sequence involving a 1,2-shift and subsequent C-H insertion that gives monocyclic and fused bicyclic cyclopentenone products. This reaction sequence, which is initiated by treating β-hydroxy-α-diazo ketones with a Lewis acid, proceeds through vinyl cation intermediates that insert at non-activated gamma C-H bonds. This reaction represents an alternative strategy to exploit the diazo functional group in an intramolecular C-H insertion, and can provide products not accessible by transition metal catalyzed C-H insertions. This remote C-H activation process provides good yields of bicyclic cyclopentenone products that contain 7- and 8-membered rings, and monocyclic prostaglandin analogs.
Visualizing Attributed Graphs via Terrain Metaphor

The value proposition of a dataset often resides in the implicit interconnections or explicit relationships (patterns) among individual entities, and is often modeled as a graph. Effective visualization of such graphs can lead to key insights uncovering such value. In this article we propose a visualization method to explore attributed graphs with numerical attributes associated with nodes (or edges). Such numerical attributes can represent raw content information, similarities, or derived information reflecting important network measures such as triangle density and centrality. The proposed visualization strategy seeks to simultaneously uncover the relationship between attribute values and graph topology, and relies on transforming the network to generate a terrain map. A key objective here is to ensure that the terrain map reveals the overall distribution of components-of-interest (e.g. dense subgraphs, k-cores) and the relationships among them while being sensitive to the attribute values over the graph. We also design extensions that can capture the relationship across multiple numerical attributes. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method on several real-world data science tasks while scaling to large graphs with millions of nodes.
Parasympathetic Innervation of Airways Smooth Muscle

Nearly a century before the first accurate descriptions of the neuronal action potential were published [1, 2] and the chemical basis of synaptic transmission was firmly established [3, 4] studies carried out in isolated lungs and in the lungs of dead animals demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerves elicited “pneumoconstriction”, or what we now recognize were contractions of the bronchial musculature and thus constriction of the airways [5, 6]. Today, more than 150 years since the publication of these pioneering studies, it is well established that the vagal innervation of the airways, and more specifically, the parasympa- thetic innervation of airways smooth muscle, is the primary means by which airways tone is regulated in all mammalian species including humans [6–8]. This observation, coupled with the belief that dysfunction of the parasympathetic innervation of the airways might contribute to various pulmonary disorders [8–13] has led to a continuous effort to determine the factors which influence parasympathetic input to the airways and the effects this input has on the physiology of the lungs in states of both health and disease.
A Cohort of 169 Chronic Granulomatous Disease Patients Exposed to BCG Vaccination: a Retrospective Study from a Single Center in Shanghai, China (2004–2017)

Clinical diagnosis and treatment for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) have advanced greatly in recent years. However, CGD patients in China have unique clinical features and infection spectrums, which are challenging to their caretakers. Here, we summarized the clinical characteristics, genetic features, treatment, and prognosis of CGD in a single center in Shanghai. One hundred sixty-nine CGD patients were recruited between January 2004 and May 2017 based on clinical diagnosis. Electronic medical charts were reviewed to collect clinical data. Among the 169 patients recruited, CYBB mutations were identified in 150 cases, whereas CYBA mutations were identified in 7 cases, NCF1 in 5, and NCF2 in 7. The medium age at onset was 1 month (interquartile range 1–3). The medium age at diagnosis was 8 months (interquartile range 3–19). The most common infection sites were the lung (95.9%), lymph node (58.5%), skin (45.4%), intestinal (43.1%), and perianal (38.5%). Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) infections were common (59.2%). In addition, other non-infectious complications were also common, including anemia (55.4%) and impaired liver functions (34.6%). Thirty-one patients received stem cell transplantation. By the end of this study, 83/131 patients survived. Similar to other non-consanguineous populations, X-linked CGD accounted for the majority of the cases in China. However, BCG infections were a clinical challenge unique to China. In addition, severe infections were the major cause of death and the overall mortality was still high in China.
A Traveling Wave Ion Mobility Spectrometry (TWIMS) Study of the Robo1-Heparan Sulfate Interaction

Roundabout 1 (Robo1) interacts with its receptor Slit to regulate axon guidance, axon branching, and dendritic development in the nervous system and to regulate morphogenesis and many cell functions in the nonneuronal tissues. This interaction is known to be critically regulated by heparan sulfate (HS). Previous studies suggest that HS is required to promote the binding of Robo1 to Slit to form the minimal signaling complex, but the molecular details and the structural requirements of HS for this interaction are still unclear. Here, we describe the application of traveling wave ion mobility spectrometry (TWIMS) to study the conformational details of the Robo1-HS interaction. The results suggest that Robo1 exists in two conformations that differ by their compactness and capability to interact with HS. The results also suggest that the highly flexible interdomain hinge region connecting the Ig1 and Ig2 domains of Robo1 plays an important functional role in promoting the Robo1-Slit interaction. Moreover, variations in the sulfation pattern and size of HS were found to affect its binding affinity and selectivity to interact with different conformations of Robo1. Both MS measurements and CIU experiments show that the Robo1-HS interaction requires the presence of a specific size and pattern of modification of HS. Furthermore, the effect of N-glycosylation on the conformation of Robo1 and its binding modes with HS is reported. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
Decision fatigue: A conceptual analysis:

Decision fatigue is an applicable concept to healthcare psychology. Due to a lack of conceptual clarity, we present a concept analysis of decision fatigue. A search of the term “decision fatigue” was conducted across seven research databases, which yielded 17 relevant articles. The authors identified three antecedent themes (decisional, self-regulatory, and situational) and three attributional themes (behavioral, cognitive, and physiological) of decision fatigue. However, the extant literature failed to adequately describe consequences of decision fatigue. This concept analysis provides needed conceptual clarity for decision fatigue, a concept possessing relevance to nursing and allied health sciences.
Machine Learning Methods for Software Vulnerability Detection

Software vulnerabilities are a primary concern in the IT security industry, as malicious hackers who discover these vulnerabilities can often exploit them for nefarious purposes. However, complex programs, particularly those written in a relatively low-level language like C, are difficult to fully scan for bugs, even when both manual and automated techniques are used. Since analyzing code and making sure it is securely written is proven to be a non-trivial task, both static analysis and dynamic analysis techniques have been heavily investigated, and this work focuses on the former. The contribution of this paper is a demonstration of how it is possible to catch a large percentage of bugs by extracting text features from functions in C source code and analyzing them with a machine learning classifier. Relatively simple features (character count, character diversity, entropy, maximum nesting depth, arrow count, "if" count, "if" complexity, "while" count, and "for" count) were extracted from these functions, and so were complex features (character n-grams, word n-grams, and suffix trees). The simple features performed unexpectedly better compared to the complex features (74% accuracy compared to 69% accuracy).
Reversal of atherosclerosis with therapy: update of coronary angiographic trials.

Publisher Summary There is now serial angiographic evidence for atherosclerotic lesion improvement induced by diverse modes of intervention. The weight of evidence indicates that atherosclerotic lesions as well as clinical coronary events are reduced by intervention. The Cholesterol-Lowering Atherosclerosis Study (CLAS) gave the first clear indication of the importance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in lesion progression-an effect manifested after LDL-C was removed as a risk factor. Although clinical events were not significantly different between drug and placebo groups during the 2 years of intervention, 10 year follow-up indicates a significantly lower clinical coronary event rate in the drug group. This chapter concentrates on familial atherosclerosis treatment study (FATS), NHLBl type II coronary intervention study, cholesterol-lowering atherosclerosis study (CLAS), research intervention trials, monitored atherosclerosis regression study (MARS), multicentre anti-atheroma study (MAAS), Heidelberg exercise-diet study, and the program on the surgical control of the hyperlipidemias (POSCH). Many interesting and important findings have resulted from coronary angiographic trials that need further attention if it is to increase our success with secondary preventive measures. The majority of the coronary angiographic trials, NHLBI Type II, CLAS, FATS, STARS, MARS, CCAIT, MAAS, Leiden Intervention Trial, and Lifestyle Heart Trial indicate that LDL-C reduction preferentially regresses lesions 250%S and typically retards coronary artery lesion progression in only 50 to 80% of subjects. Improved therapeutic regimens to alter progression of coronary atherosclerosis may require adjunctive therapy in concert with LDL-C reduction to prevent new lesion formation or to induce early lesion regression, such as for lesions
Promoting Climate Agenda and Biodiversity Conservation at the Local Level: A Case for Nepal’s Rural and Urban Municipalities

Nepal is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. This paper discusses the impact climate change is having on the biodiversity in Nepal and why local governments need to conserve biodiversity to act on a climate agenda in the coming years. It recommends ecosystem and landscape-based approaches for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and disaster reduction. Large-scale approaches can not only conserve biodiversity but also contribute to the social and economic well-being of local communities. Nepal has this unique opportunity to formulate and implement appropriate policies towards biodiversity conservation at the local level both in rural and urban areas. After 20 years of administrative governance, in 2017, Nepali people have elected new representatives for 264 urban municipalities and 480 rural municipalities. In addition, the newly elected local governments should increase their commitment for biodiversity conservation by involving local communities as stewards. To do that Nepal’s rural and urban governments should develop policies that align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 11, 13 and 15 for making cities resilient and sustainable, combat climate change, and protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and halt biodiversity loss. To achieve them Nepal needs support from the international community to empower local people to monitor changes, to innovate for the future and adopt sustainability in their daily lives.
Paying for Their Stay: Race, Coresiding Arrangements, and Rent Payments Among Fragile Families:

Coresiding with extended relatives represents a beneficial form of resource sharing for disadvantaged individuals that is particularly common among Black, Hispanic, and low-socioeconomic status com...
Simulation of salt-cavity healing based on a micro–macro model of pressure solution

CO2 storage in salt rock is simulated with the finite element method (FEM), assuming constant gas pressure. The initial state is determined by simulating cavity excavation with a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model. A micro–macro healing mechanics model is proposed to understand the time-dependent behaviour of halite during the storage phase. Salt is viewed as an assembly of porous spherical inclusions that contain three orthogonal planes of discontinuity. Eshelby9s self-consistent theory is employed to homogenize the distribution of stresses and strains of the inclusions at the scale of a representative elementary volume (REV). Pressure solution results in inclusion deformation, considered as eigenstrain, and in inclusion stiffness changes. The micro–macro healing model is calibrated against Spiers’ oedometer test results, with uniformly distributed contact plane orientations. FEM simulations show that independent of salt diffusion properties, healing is limited by stress redistributions that occur around the cavity during pressure solution. In standard geological storage conditions, the displacements at the cavity wall occur within the first 5 days of storage and the damage is reduced by only 2%. These conclusions still need to be confirmed by simulations that account for changes in gas temperature and pressure over time. For now, the proposed modelling framework can be applied to optimize crushed salt back-filling materials and can be extended to other self-healing materials.
Short communication: Surface charring from prescribed burning has minimal effects on soil bacterial community composition two weeks post-fire in jack pine barrens

Abstract Prescribed fire – the intentional use of fire to help achieve a land management goal – is becoming increasingly common as a land management practice. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties can be affected by prescribed fires, but depend on the fire, soil type, residence time and frequency, and may not be changed substantially in low-severity burns. Here, we examined soil bacterial community composition immediately post-fire (15 days) in a sandy jack pine barrens soil in Wisconsin, USA. Soil bacterial communities clustered significantly by sample site (p
In vacuo atomic layer deposition and electron tunneling characterization of ultrathin dielectric films for metal/insulator/metal tunnel junctions

Metal-insulator-metal tunnel junctions (MIMTJs) are an enabling technology for future electronics including advanced computing, data storage, sensors, etc. MIMTJs are formed by inserting an ultrathin insulating layer, known as the tunnel barrier (TB), between metal electrodes. Devices based on MIMTJs have advantages of enhanced quantum coherent transport, fast speed, small size, and energy efficiency. The performance of MIMTJs depends critically on the thickness and quality of the tunnel barrier. Specifically, the tunneling current, for example, the superconducting critical current in superconductor-insulator-superconductor Josephson junctions (JJs) or the spin tunneling current in ferromagnetic-insulator-ferromagnetic magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), decreases exponentially with the TB thickness. This means thinner TBs would enable stronger coherent tunneling in MIMTJs. In addition, the defects in the TBs can degrade the quantum coherence of electrons (spins) of JJs and MTJs, respectively, resulting in decoherence and degraded performance of the MIMTJs. This justifies the urgent need in research and development of ultrathin (subnanometers to 1 nm) pinhole-free and defect-free TBs beyond the current state-of-the-art TBs of larger thickness (>1–2 nm) and high defect concentration made using thermal diffusion of oxygen or physical vapor deposition (PVD) including magnetron sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) can provide a unique resolution to achieving ultrathin and defect-free dielectric TBs for high-performance MIMTJs for future electronics. In this article, a review on their recent effort in the development of in vacuo ALD for the fabrication of ultrathin TBs for JJs and MTJs is presented. A custom-designed system that integrates high-vacuum/ultrahigh-vacuum PVD, ALD, and scanning probe microscopy was established for in vacuo fabrication of MIMTJs and characterization of the electronic properties of ALD TBs including Al2O3, MgO, and Al2MgO4 on both superconductor metals (Al) and ferromagnetic metals (Fe and FeCoB). Capacitors with ALD dielectric of thickness in the range of 1–5 nm were also constructed for the characterization of the dielectric properties of the ALD TBs. The authors have found that the metal-insulator interface plays a critical role in controlling the quality of the ALD TBs including the tunnel barrier height, dielectric constant, electric breakdown, and uniformity. They have shown that JJs and MTJs with 0.1–1.0 nm thick ALD Al2O3 TBs can be obtained with highly promising performance. The result obtained suggests that the in vacuo ALD may provide a unique approach toward MIMTJs with an atomic-scale control of the device structure required for high-performance future electronics.
Toward A Soft Robotic Ankle-Foot Orthosis (SR-AFO) Exosuit for Human Locomotion: Preliminary Results in Late Stance Plantarflexion Assistance

This paper presents the design of a soft robotic ankle-foot orthosis (SR-AFO) exosuit to aid in plantarflexion for gait rehabilitation in individuals who suffer from irregular gaits due to stroke or other injuries. The SR-AFO exosuit is a sock-like garment fabricated from compliant fabrics. The SR-AFO exosuit aids in late stance of the walking gait in plantarflexion by contracting the actuator to pull the posterior end of the foot upward. This helps to reduce the muscle effort of the user during plantarflexion. The addition of a second actuator shows a 45.3% increase to 13. $51\pm 0.31$ kg payload capacity. The actuators are oriented at an optimal angle of 5° to produce the highest pulling force. Three healthy participants are evaluated during walking trials with and without SR-AFO exosuit assistance while ankle angle and muscle activity are monitored. The gastrocnemius (GA) and soleus (SOL) muscle activity during late stance is reduced by 13.4% and 16.6% respectively. Tibialis anterior (TA) increases slightly during swing most likely due to the hysteresis in the system deflating during that window. The ankle range of motion remains within natural walking limitations and plantarflexion angle increases when the SR-AFO exosuit is active.
A Modified Control Model for Steady-State Accommodation

Previous control models of steady-state accommodation have difficulty explaining the effect of the accommodative stimulus conditions on the accommodative response function. In this study, we suggest a model, in which an accommodative sensory gain (ASG) acting as a linear operator is added to simulate the sensory part of the accommodation system. Results derived from the model show that the sensory part, which may degrade the accommodative error (or blur) signal, not only affects the slope of the accommodative response function but also increases the system’s effective threshold (ET) to the blur signal. An experiment was conducted to estimate the ET values for eight emmetropic subjects.
Tales from times long past

Why, unlike other primates, did our ancestors begin to walk upright? What factors enabled Homo erectus to develop new cultural practices and, later, to give rise to our own species? As paleoanthropologist Meave Leakey explains in The Sediments of Time, understanding climate change is key in answering such questions. Reflecting on 50 years of research, largely at field sites around Lake Turkana in Kenya9s Great Rift Valley, the book—co-written with Leakey9s daughter Samira Leakey—is an engaging memoir in which fieldwork adventures appear alongside dense details of Ice Age cycles, ice core technology, fossil anatomy, and geological research.
A Novel Topical Ophthalmic Formulation to Mitigate Acute Mustard Gas Keratopathy In Vivo: A Pilot Study.

Purpose This pilot study investigated the in vivo therapeutic potential and tolerability of a multimodal ophthalmic formulation, topical eye drops (TED), for acute mustard gas keratopathy (MGK) using a rabbit model. Methods Twenty New Zealand White rabbits were used. Only right eyes of 18 rabbits (oculus dexter [OD]) received single sulfur mustard gas (SM) vapor injury, whereas contralateral eyes were left untreated or received TED for tolerabilty evaluation. Two rabbit eyes received no treatment and served as age-matched naive control. The four groups were: Naive (oculus sinister [OS] untreated eyes; n = 9); TED (OS treated only with TED BID for 3 days; n = 9); SM (OD exposed to SM vapor; n = 9); and SM+TED (OD exposed to SM+TED BID for 3 days; n = 9). Ocular examination in live rabbits were performed utilizing slit-lamp biomicroscopy, Fantes grading system, fluorescein staining, Schirmer's tests, pachymetry, and applanation tonometry. Cellular and molecular changes in rabbit corneas were assessed after humane euthanasia on day-3 and day-7 with histopathological and real-time polymerase chain reaction PCR techniques. Results TED to rabbit eyes was found tolerable in vivo. SM-exposed eyes showed significant increase in Fantes scores, central corneal thickness (CCT), Schirmer's test, epithelium-stroma separation, and corneal edema. TED mitigated clinical symptoms by reducing corneal edema, Fantes scores, CCT, and Schirmer's test. Further, TED decreased SM-induced corneal haze, inflammatory and profibrotic markers, transforming growth factor-TGF-β1 and cyclooxygenase-2COX-2, and damage to corneal structure, including epithelial-stromal integrity. Conclusions The developed multimodal eyedrop formulation, TED, has potential to mitigate acute MGK effectively in vivo. Translational relevance TED is effective against MGK.
Soybean phosphatides

The fractionation of the hot ethyl alcohol extract of the oil-free soybean meal yielded: (a) nonprotein nitrogenous compounds containing no phosphorus; (b) monoamino-diphosphorus compounds; (c) diamino-monophosphorus compounds; (d) monoamino-monophosphorus compounds containing only half as much nitrogen and phosphorus as lecithin and cephalin.