cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Hybrid Hydraulic Propulsion System for Railway Machinery

The vast majority of railway construction and maintenance machines is powered by compression-ignition combustion engines. The tendency of introducing stringent standard emission regulations for these prime movers, e.g. TIER 4, forces the migration toward downsized units. Additionally, the high price reached by diesel fuel in the last decades demands reductions of the machines’ energy consumption in order to maintain the customers’ operating costs competitive. Both targets can be achieved by implementing efficient hybrid hydraulic displacement-controlled architectures that reduce pollutants emissions and benefit fuel saving without affecting the system’s productivity. For these reasons, this research paper aims at investigating the potentials of a series-parallel hybrid architecture grounded on secondary controlled hydraulic motors and potentially suitable for any railway construction and maintenance machinery. The results demonstrate that the rated engine power can be reduced by at least 35% in the reference application by applying such a propulsion system. Specifically, the high-fidelity multi-domain dynamic model created for sizing, analyzing, and controlling this displacement-controlled layout is addressed. Special focus is dedicated to the rail/wheel interface confirming that the proposed control strategy maintain the slip/spin of the wheels within the desired limits.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
ATP Production I: Glycolysis

This chapter begins a section on how the body produces ATP. It introduces the main biochemical pathways in general terms, and then discusses how glucose is metabolized to pyruvic acid in the process of glycolysis. It begins discussing glycolysis by describing the sources of glucose for the tissues – either glucose in the blood or glycogen in the tissues or glycogen in the liver mobilized as blood glucose, or gluconeogenesis from peripheral tissues. Therefore, it describes the mobilization of liver glycogen through sympathetic activation or epinephrine-induced glycogenolysis. The chapter focuses on substrate-level phosphorylation derived from glycolysis. It discusses the requirement of oxidized NAD + for the continued production of glucose by glycolysis.
Wildcat: an integrated stealth environment for dynamic malware analysis

Malware a term that refers to viruses, trojans, worms, spyware or any form of malicious code is widespread today. Given the devastating effects that malware have on the computing world, detecting and countering malware is an important goal. Malware analysis is a challenging and multi-step process providing insight into malware structure and functionality, facilitating the development of an antidote. To successfully detect and counter malware, malware analysts must be able to analyze them in binary, in both a coarse- (behavioral) and fine-grained (structural) fashion. However, current research in coarse- and fine-grained code analysis (categorized into static and dynamic) have severe shortcomings in the context of malware. Static approaches have been tailored towards malware and allow exhaustive fine-grained malicious code analysis, but lack support for self-modifying code, have limitations related to code-obfuscations and face the undecidability problem. Given that most if not all recent malware employ self-modifying code and code-obfuscations, poses the need to analyze them at runtime using dynamic approaches. Current dynamic approaches for coarse- and fine-grained code analysis are not tailored specifically towards malware and lack support for multithreading, self-modifying/self-checking (SM-SC) code and are easily detected and countered by ever-evolving anti-analysis tricks employed by malware. To address this problem, we propose WiLDCAT, an integrated dynamic malware analysis environment that facilitates the analysis and combat of malware, that are ever-evolving, becoming evasive and increasingly hard to analyze. WiLDCAT cannot be detected or countered in any fashion and incorporates novel, patent pending strategies for both dynamic coarse- and fine-grained binary code analysis, while remaining completely stealth. The environment allows comprehensive analysis of malware code-streams while selectively isolating them from other code-streams in real-time. WiLDCAT is portable, efficient and easy-to-use supporting multithreading, SM-SC code and any form of code obfuscations in both user and kernel-mode on commodity operating systems. It advances the state of the art in research pertaining to malware analysis by providing the toolkit that was sorely missing in the arsenal of malware analysts, until now!
What Do Patients Tweet About Their Mammography Experience

Rationale and Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate themes related to patients' experience in undergoing mammography, as expressed on Twitter. Methods A total of 464 tweets from July to December 2015 containing the hashtag #mammogram and relating to a patient's experience in undergoing mammography were reviewed. Results Of the tweets, 45.5% occurred before the mammogram compared to 49.6% that occurred afterward (remainder of tweets indeterminate). However, in patients undergoing their first mammogram, 32.8% occurred before the examination, whereas in those undergoing follow-up mammogram, 53.0% occurred before the examination. Identified themes included breast compression (24.4%), advising other patients to undergo screening (23.9%), recognition of the health importance of the examination (18.8%), the act of waiting (10.1%), relief regarding results (9.7%), reflection that the examination was not that bad (9.1%), generalized apprehension regarding the examination (8.2%), interactions with staff (8.0%), the gown (5.0%), examination costs or access (3.4%), offering or reaching out for online support from other patients (3.2%), perception of screening as a sign of aging (2.4%), and the waiting room or waiting room amenities (1.3%). Of the tweets, 31.9% contained humor, of which 56.1% related to compression. Themes that were more common in patients undergoing their first, rather than follow-up, mammogram included breast compression (16.4% vs 9.1%, respectively) and that the test was not that bad (26.2% vs 7.6%, respectively). Conclusion Online social media provides a platform for women to share their experiences and reactions in undergoing mammography, including humor, positive reflections, and encouragement of others to undergo the examination. Social media thus warrants further evaluation as a potential tool to help foster greater adherence to screening guidelines.
An SVD based analysis of the noise properties of a point cloud mesh reconstruction method

Tomographic reconstruction on an irregular grid may be superior to reconstruction on a regular grid. This is achieved through an appropriate choice of the image space model, the selection of an optimal set of points and the use of any available prior information during the reconstruction process. Accordingly, a number of reconstruction related parameters must be optimized for best performance. In this work, a 3D point cloud tetrahedral mesh reconstruction method is evaluated for quantitative tasks. A linear image model is employed to obtain the reconstruction system matrix and five point generation strategies are studied. The evaluation is performed using the recovery coefficient, as well as, voxel and template based estimates of bias and variance measures, computed over specific regions in the reconstructed image. A similar analysis is performed for regular grid reconstructions that use voxel basis functions. The maximum likelihood expectation maximization reconstruction algorithm is used. For the tetrahedral reconstructions, of the five point generation methods that are evaluated, three use image priors. For evaluation purposes, an object consisting of overlapping spheres with varying activity is simulated. The exact parallel projection data of this object is obtained analytically using a parallel projector and multiple Poisson noise realizations of this exact data are generated and reconstructed using the different point generation strategies. The unconstrained nature of point placement in some of the irregular mesh based reconstruction strategies has superior activity recovery for small, low contrast image regions. The results show that, with an appropriately generated set of mesh points, the irregular grid reconstruction methods can out-perform reconstructions on a regular grid for mathematical phantoms, in terms of the performance measures evaluated.
Knowing What We Don't Know - Improving Maintenance of Certification.

How do physicians know if they are keeping up with changing foundational knowledge? None of us are good at knowing what we don't know. Maintenance of certification supports our professional responsibility to ensure that our clinical knowledge is current.
Power Scaling and Coherent Beam Combination of a Narrow-Linewidth, Monolithic Two-Tone Fiber amplifier

Power scaling results of a phase modulated two-tone fiber amplifier at clock rate of 2.5GHz are presented. Coherent beam combination performance of the two-tone amplifier yielded ∼90% combining efficiency with no sign of linewidth broadening.
Why we hop on the Boycotting Bandwagon: Consumer Motivation to Participate in Brand Boycotts on Facebook

Although brands have responded to the challenges and opportunities posed by SNSs, negative online brand communication has received less attention, and there is a significant gap in research concerning brand boycotts and SM (Albrecht, Campbell, Heinrich, & Lammel, 2013; McGriff, 2012). This study extends traditional consumer boycotting literature to SNSs. Others’ boycott participation may induce heightened perceptions of boycott success (Albrecht et al., 2013) or social pressure (Klein et al., 2004) to also participate.
Mirror Substrate Fabrication Techniques Of Low Expansion Glasses

Low expansion glasses offer many advantages as mirror blank materials due to their thermal and mechanical properties as well as the flexility they offer in design and fabrication. Fused Silica, Corning Code 7940 and ULE titanium silicate, Code 7971, produced by the flame hydrolysis process, are high purity and homogeneous glasses. Determination of the average and the variation pattern of pie Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) within ULE mirror blanks (nominally 0 x 10-'/°C over the 5°C to 35°C temperature interval) is readily accomplished to an accuracy of + 2 parts per billion per degree centigrade (ppb/°C) by ultrasonic measurements. The ability to fusion seal each of the glasses offers mirror manufacturing design freedom of shape, size and weight. Solid monolithic mirror blanks have been successfully manufactured by the hex-seal method up to 4 meters diameter and 10 meter blanks are an extension of the proven fusion techniques. Lightweight fusion bonded ULE mirrors, such as the primary used in the Hubble Space Telescope, are fabricated by first "welding" selected glass pieces together to form a structurally rigid core and then fusing it between two plates. Ultralightweight (10% solid weight) low expansion mirrors produced by "frit bonding" a fusion core between two precision machined plates, maintain an optical figure when exposed to thermal cycling and mechanical abuse environments.
Plateaus and Asymptotes: Spurious and Real Limits in Human Performance

One hundred twenty years ago, the emergent field of experimental psychology debated whether plateaus of performance during training were real or not. Sixty years ago, the battle was over whether le...
The Clinically Detected and Palpable Thyroid Nodule

A subset of thyroid nodules can present as a palpable neck mass or with clinical symptoms suggestive of a thyroid nodule. Initial evaluation should include a detailed history identifying high-risk populations as well as specific risk factors and symptoms suggestive of thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer. It is essential to perform a comprehensive thyroid and neck examination. This chapter provides a review of the detailed evaluation of a patient with clinically detected thyroid nodule.
3D stacked embedded component system-in-package for wearable electronic devices

This paper discusses design, fabrication and characterization of a 3D stacked small form factor (SFF) system-in-packages (SiPs) suitable for wearable electronics systems. In order to achieve very small size SiP, two SFF multi-chip packages were designed and fabricated utilizing embedded wafer-level ball grid array (e-WLB) technology. The package consisted of six radio frequency (RF) and digital integrated circuits (ICs), and 24 passive components of varying sizes. 3-D stacked system in package was of size 6.0 × 5.5 × 1.9 mm and was 55% smaller than the same system fabricated using conventional printed circuit board technology. The measured results showed that system performance was on par with or better than the previous systems.
The rule counts! Acquisition of mathematical competencies with a number board game

The study evaluates the linear number board game 100 House. Taking into account Krajewski's (2003, 2013) development model of mathematical competencies, this game supports the development of mathem...
On maintaining visibility in multi-robot-networks with limited field-of-view sensors

A multi-robot team can be endowed with a sensing graph whose edges indicate when one robot is visible to another. Visibility enables the robots to measure each others' relative position. The performance of different multi-robot coordination algorithms are therefore dependent on the connectivity properties of the sensing graph. Many coordination methods assume that the sensing graph is undirected. When the robots are equipped with limited field-of-view sensors, the sensing graph becomes directed. This paper provides a control algorithm to maintain the strong connectivity of a directed sensing graph in the presence of bounded persistent disturbances.
Seasonal Occurrence and Management of Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) in Leafy Greens Prior to Harvest

Hard-bodied orthopteran adults, in particular Acrididae, are an important source of insect contaminants in mechanically harvested leafy greens, Brassica spp. Because contaminants are usually detected after greens are fully processed, rejection of these value-added loads can be economically severe. A survey was conducted to determine the level of orthopteran species occurring in and around leafy greens fields prior to mechanical harvesting. This survey demonstrated that the vast majority of individual Orthoptera occurred around the edges of the field prior to harvest. In the second year of the survey, growers were already applying Sevin XLR™ (Aventis CropScience, Research Trangle Park, NC) insecticide to grassy border areas in order to prevent acridid adults from moving into the field before harvest. The main taxonomic groups in Orthoptera found in this survey included Orchelimum sp. (Tettigonidae) (68.8%), Melanoplinae (Acrididae) (18.5%), other Acrididae (5.4%), Schistocerca americana (Drury) (Acrididae)...
Deficiency of KLF4 compromises the lung function in an acute mouse model of allergic asthma.

Abstract Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways and the mechanisms are not fully understood. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous group of monocytes, granulocyte and myeloid cells at early stage of differentiation. They possess phenotypic plasticity and regulate airway inflammation. We recently reported that Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) regulates MDSC differentiation into fibrocytes, emerging effectors in chronic inflammation. However, the role of KLF4 in asthma is not known. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an epithelial cell-derived cytokine and a key initiator of allergic airway inflammation. Given the fact that TSLP promotes Th2 cytokine production that increases MDSC differentiation into fibrocytes, we postulate that KLF4 regulates asthma in a TSLP-dependent manner. In this study, we utilized a model of allergic asthma with ovalbumin challenge (OVA). We found that upon OVA treatment the wild type mice had increased MDSC infiltration into the lung, up-regulation of KLF4 and TSLP gene expression, and higher levels of Th2 cytokines including IL4 and IL13. Consistently, lack of KLF4 expression in monocytes and lung epithelial cells resulted in decreased TSLP expression and lower levels of Th2 cytokines in mice, and fibrocyte generation was compromised. KLF4 deficiency in these cells also led to decreased airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), a cardinal feature of asthma, as assessed by whole body plethysmography. Moreover, lung fibrosis as measured by trichome staining was attenuated and the population of CD45 + COL1A1+ fibrocytes was diminished in this setting. Together, our results suggest that KLF4 regulates asthma development in a TSLP- and fibrocyte-dependent manner.
An Angelman syndrome substitution in the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase C-terminal Lobe of E6AP affects protein stability and activity

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by speech impairment, intellectual disability, ataxia, and epilepsy. AS is caused by mutations in the maternal copy of UBE3A located on chromosome 15q11-13. UBE3A codes for E6AP (E6 Associated Protein), a prominent member of the HECT (Homologous to E6AP C-Terminus) E3 ubiquitin ligase family. E6AP catalyzes the posttranslational attachment of ubiquitin via its HECT domain onto various intracellular target proteins to regulate DNA repair and cell cycle progression. The HECT domain consists of an N-lobe, required for E2~ubiquitin recruitment, while the C-lobe contains the conserved catalytic cysteine required for ubiquitin transfer. Previous genetic studies of AS patients have identified point mutations in UBE3A that result in amino acid substitutions or premature termination during translation. An AS transversion mutation (codon change from ATA to AAA) within the region of the gene that codes for the catalytic HECT domain of E6AP has been annotated (I827K), but the molecular basis for this loss of function substitution remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the I827K substitution destabilizes the 3D fold causing protein aggregation of the C-terminal lobe of E6AP using a combination of spectropolarimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Our fluorescent ubiquitin activity assays with E6AP-I827K show decreased ubiquitin thiolester formation and ubiquitin discharge. Using 3D models in combination with our biochemical and biophysical results, we rationalize why the I827K disrupts E6AP-dependent ubiquitylation. This work provides new insight into the E6AP mechanism and how its malfunction can be linked to the AS phenotype.
A drop penetration method to measure powder blend wettability.

Abstract Water wettability of pharmaceutical blends affects important quality attributes of final products. We investigate the wetting properties of a pharmaceutical blend lubricated with Magnesium Stearate (MgSt) as a function of the mechanical shear strain applied to the blend. We measure the penetration dynamics of sessile drops deposited on slightly compressed powder beds. We consider a blend composed of 9% Acetaminophen 90% Lactose and 1% MgSt by weight. Comparing the penetration time of water and a reference liquid Polydimethylsiloxane (silicon oil) we obtain an effective cosine of the contact angle with water, based on a recently developed drop penetration method. We repeat the experiments for blends exposed to increasing levels of shear strain and demonstrate a significant decrease in water wettability (decrease in the cosine of the contact angle). The results are consistent with the development of a hydrophobic film coating the powder particles as a result of the increased shear strain. Finally, we show that, as expected dissolution times increase with the level of shear strain. Therefore, the proposed drop penetration method could be used to directly assess the state of lubrication of a pharmaceutical blend and act as a quality control on powder blend attributes before the blend is tableted.
Oxidization stability of atomically precise graphene nanoribbons

The stability of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) against oxidation is critical for their practical applications. Here we study both the thermal stability and the oxidation process of the ambient-exposed armchair GNRs with a width of seven carbon atoms (7-aGNR), grown on an Au(111) surface. The atomic scale evolution of the armchair edges and the zigzag ends of the aGNRs after annealing at different temperatures are revealed by using scanning tunneling microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations. We observe evidence that the zigzag ends start to be oxidized and decomposed at 180 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, while the armchair edges are intact at 430 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C but become oxidized at 520 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. Two different oxygen species are identified at the armchair edges, namely the hydroxyl pair and the epoxy bonding motif with one oxygen bonded to two edge carbons. These oxidization species modify the electronic properties of the pristine 7-aGNRs, with a band-gap reduction from 2.6 to 2.3 eV and 1.9 eV for the hydroxyl pair- and epoxy-terminated edges, respectively. These findings demonstrate the oxidation stability of both the zigzag and armchair edges of GNRs, and they provide an opportunity to harness the high density of edge atoms in applications such as GNR-based high-temperature oxygen sensors.
Chemical Dynamics Simulations of Thermal Desorption of Protonated Dialanine from a Perfluorinated Self-Assembled Monolayer Surface

Classical chemical dynamics simulation results are presented for the thermal desorption kinetics and energetics of protonated dialanine ions (ala2-H+) physisorbed on/in a perfluorinated self-assembled monolayer (F-SAM) surface. Previously developed analytic potentials were used for the F-SAM and the ala2-H+/F-SAM intermolecular interaction, and the AMBER valence force field was used for ala2-H+. The activation energy, Ea = 13.2 kcal/mol, determined from the simulations is consistent with previous simulations of the ala2-H+/F-SAM binding energy. The A-factor, 7.8 × 1011 s–1, is about an order of magnitude lower than those representative of small molecule desorption from metal and semiconductor surfaces. This finding is consistent with the decreased entropies of ala2-H+ and the F-SAM upon desorption. Using the Arrhenius parameters for ala2-H+ desorption from the F-SAM, the lifetime of ala2-H+ adsorbed on the F-SAM at 300 K is 5 × 10–3 s. Larger peptide ions are expected to have longer adsorption lifetimes.
Vibrothermographic NDE of Fiberous Composites

Vibrothermography refers to the process of mapping the temperatures on the surface of a component while the component is undergoing forced mechanical vibration. Damaged zones in a polymeric fiber reinforced composite more efficiently convert kinetic energy to heat. Hence, at certain frequencies, delaminations and other damage appear to a scanning infrared camera as hot zones.
Conflicting Control Problems with Hyperrelaxed Adverse Controls

This chapter explores conflicting control problems with relaxed adverse controls that involve both friendly and adverse controls. The naturally relaxed problems with nonadditively coupled controls depict a different physical situation than the corresponding original problems. The chapter discusses an evasion problem and focuses on the concept of zero-sum games with control strategies. The theory of two person zero-sum games was initiated by von Neumann who proved a theorem in a special case where S 1 and S 2 were both finite sets. Von Neumann's theorem was generalized in many ways, and this theorem was one such generalization.
Resting-state functional connectivity after concussion is associated with clinical recovery.

There has been a recent call for longitudinal imaging studies to better characterize the time course of physiological recovery following sport-related concussion (SRC) and its relationship with clinical recovery. To address this, we evaluated changes to resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) of the whole-brain network following SRC and explored associations between rs-FC and measures of clinical outcome. High school and collegiate football athletes were enrolled during preseason. Athletes that suffered SRC (N = 62) were assessed across the acute (within 48 hr) and sub-acute (days 8, 15, and 45) phases. Matched football athletes without concussion served as controls (N = 60) and participated in similar visits. Multi-band resting-state fMRI was used to assess whole-brain rs-FC at each visit using network-based statistic and average nodal strength from regions of interest defined using a common whole-brain parcellation. Concussed athletes had elevated symptoms, psychological distress, and oculomotor, balance, and memory deficits at 48 hr postconcussion relative to controls, with diminished yet significant elevations in symptoms and psychological distress at 8 days. Both rs-FC analyses showed that concussed athletes had a global increase in connectivity at 8 days postconcussion relative to controls, with no differences at the 48-hr, 15-day, or 45-day visits. Further analysis revealed the group effect at the 8-day visit was driven by the large minority of concussed athletes still symptomatic at their visit; asymptomatic concussed athletes did not differ from controls. Findings from this large-scale, prospective study suggest whole-brain rs-FC alterations following SRC are delayed in onset but associated with the presence of self-reported symptoms.
Cooling Rates of Hyperthermic Humans Wearing American Football Uniforms When Cold-Water Immersion Is Delayed.

Context Treatment delays can be contributing factors in the deaths of American football athletes from exertional heat stroke. Ideally, clinicians begin cold-water immersion (CWI) to reduce rectal t...
Development and acceptability testing of a Facebook smoking cessation intervention for sexual and gender minority young adults.

This study tested engagement in and acceptability of a digital smoking cessation intervention designed for young adults and tailored to sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals. The intervention included 90 Facebook posts delivered in private groups tailored to readiness to quit smoking (Ready to quit in 30 days/Not Ready; 180 posts total; 101 posts SGM-tailored by content/image). Acceptability was evaluated over 30 days (3 posts/day). Participants' (N = 27) open-ended feedback was coded and tallied; posts with significant negative feedback were flagged for change. Flags and comment volume were examined by SGM tailoring (versus not tailored) and content category (motivational interviewing, experiential strategies, behavioral strategies, relevant topics). Engagement and acceptability were high. All participants reported viewing at least half of the posts, and the majority reported viewing all 90 posts (M comments per participant = 51.74). The majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed with statements about the intervention's helpfulness and clarity. Posts received an average of 8.08 comments (SD = 2.58), with 59 posts (32.8%) flagged for change. Posts engaged comments and were found to be acceptable at comparable levels regardless of SGM tailoring and content category (all p-values > .189). SGM young adult smokers were highly engaged in an SGM-tailored smoking cessation intervention on Facebook and rated the intervention positively. Both tailored and non-tailored Facebook posts in a variety of content areas were generally well-received by SGM young adults, an underserved population with high rates of smoking.
The promise of environmental neuroscience

The physical and social environment that surrounds us has a profound impact on our brains and behaviour. This impact is so fundamental that a complete understanding of neural mechanisms cannot be developed without taking into account the extensive interactions between neurobiology, psychology, behaviour and the environment.
Emergence of Radial Tree of Bend Stripes in Active Nematics

Liquid crystals doped with live bacteria spontaneously generate a branched arrangement of channels, which could be used to transport particles at microscale.
Violence in Schools

The authors discuss trends in the incidence of various forms of school violence, including bullying, violence, gang involvement, and drug-related violence. Research-based assessment and intervention strategies are discussed with an emphasis on prevention. The authors also discuss research related to the roles of teachers, parents, and social workers in prevention efforts.
HIV and Injection Drug Use: New Approaches to HIV Prevention

Injection drug use has become a major public health problem. Its emerging significance is demonstrated globally in the dual HIV and HCV epidemics among people who inject drugs (PWID). Despite the advent of effective antivirals against HIV and HCV, PWID face multiple barriers to access and adherence to such treatments. Additionally, the lack of infrastructure for medication-assisted therapy for opioid addiction, inadequate treatment for underlying mental health disorders, and poor access to needle-syringe exchange programs and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis pose grave challenges to control these epidemics. In this chapter, we focus on the impact of the global injection drug use epidemic as well as new approaches on HIV prevention and the HIV care continuum for people who inject drugs.
22q11.2 deletion syndrome and congenital heart disease

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome has an estimated prevalence of 1 in 4-6,000 livebirths. The phenotype varies widely; the most common features include: facial dysmorphia, hypocalcemia, palate and speech disorders, feeding and gastrointestinal disorders, immunodeficiency, recurrent infections, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, and congenital heart disease. Approximately 60-80% of patients have a cardiac malformation most commonly including a subset of conotruncal defects (tetralogy of Fallot, truncus arteriosus, interrupted aortic arch type B), conoventricular and/or atrial septal defects, and aortic arch anomalies. Cardiac patients with a 22q11.2 deletion do not generally experience higher mortality upon surgical intervention but suffer more peri-operative complications than their non-syndromic counterparts. New guidelines suggest screening for a 22q11.2 deletion in the patient with tetralogy of Fallot, truncus arteriosus, interrupted aortic arch type B, conoventricular septal defects as well as those with an isolated aortic arch anomaly. Early identification of a 22q11.2 deletion in the neonate or infant when other syndromic features may not be apparent allows for timely parental screening for reproductive counseling and anticipatory evaluation of cardiac and noncardiac features. Screening the at-risk child or adult allows for important age-specific clinical, neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and reproductive issues to be addressed.
Forest composition, fuel loading, and soil chemistry resulting from 50 years of forest management and natural disturbance in two southeastern Coastal Plain watersheds, USA

Abstract Globally, prescribed fire, harvesting, and understory mastication, alone and in combination, are common forest management practices. Timber commodities, wildlife habitat, wildfire fuel reduction, soil conservation, and water quality are frequently targeted and assessed as these practices are utilized. In the 1960s, a study of paired, first-order watersheds was established in coastal South Carolina, USA, to evaluate the long-term impacts of forest management (i.e. prescribed fire, thinning, mastication of understory vegetation) on water quantity and quality. Following Hurricane Hugo in 1989, this included salvage logging on one watershed, but not the other. In 2015, these watersheds were comprehensively evaluated to determine differences in forest species composition, fuels, and soil chemistry. Softwood basal area was greater in the managed watershed than in the unmanaged watershed and hardwood basal area was greater in the unmanaged watershed than in the managed watershed. Total fuel mass did not differ between the two watersheds, but 1-hr and 1000-hr rotten fuel mass were greater on the unmanaged watershed. Ten-hr fuel mass was greater on the managed watershed. Calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and pH differed between the litter (Oi horizon) and duff (Oe + Oa horizons) of both watersheds, but carbon only differed in the duff. Mineral soil (Ultisols, 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths) calcium and phosphorus differed between the watersheds, but pH and the other chemicals did not. Collectively, these results indicated that: (1) forest management and natural disturbance on these watersheds altered long-term forest structure; (2) different species compositions and the inclusion or exclusion of salvage logging after Hurricane Hugo produced different fuel compositions that may potentially impact potential wildfire hazard and fire behavior; (3) organisms as a primary soil-forming factor were impacted by long-term management, therefore, some soil chemical properties were affected. Collectively, these analyses highlighted the broad, long-term impacts to ecosystem properties and processes that might directly and indirectly result from active forest management and natural disturbance and the scale of site-specific assessment that might be considered when landowner objectives are targeted in forest management plans and practices.
Association Between Family/Neighborhood Cancer Risk Factors and Adolescent Dietary Behaviors: A Parent-Adolescent Dyadic Analysis:

Objective. This cross-sectional study examined associations between adolescent dietary behaviors and family/home environments with parent-adolescent dyadic analysis. Methods. Secondary data were an...
A history of sexual violence and political authority in South Africa

In Colonizing Consent, Elizabeth Thornberry has written a powerful, dynamic history of sexual violence and political authority in South Africa. Thornberry traces the history of rape and assault in ...
Endocrine toxicities of immune checkpoint inhibitors

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are monoclonal antibodies that target two key signalling pathways related to T cell activation and exhaustion, by binding to and inhibiting cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) or PD1 and its ligand PDL1. ICIs, such as nivolumab, pembrolizumab and ipilimumab, are approved for the treatment of numerous and diverse cancer types, in various combination regimens, and are now an established cornerstone of cancer therapeutics. Toxicities induced by ICIs are autoimmune in nature and are referred to as immune-related adverse events (irAEs); these events can affect any organ system in an unpredictable fashion. Importantly, irAEs can manifest as endocrinopathies involving the thyroid (hypothyroidism or thyrotoxicosis), pituitary (hypophysitis), adrenal glands (adrenal insufficiency) and pancreas (diabetes mellitus). These events are a frequent source of acute and persistent morbidity in patients treated with ICIs and can even be fatal. Over the past few years, there has been a growing understanding of the underlying pathogenesis of irAEs that has led to the development of more effective management strategies. Herein, we review the current understanding of the pathobiology, clinical manifestations and treatment approaches to endocrine toxicities arising from ICIs.
Unveiling the Pathogenesis of Psychiatric Disorders Using Network Models

Psychiatric disorders are complex brain disorders with a high degree of genetic heterogeneity, affecting millions of people worldwide. Despite advances in psychiatric genetics, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of psychiatric disorders are still largely elusive, which impedes the development of novel rational therapies. There has been accumulating evidence suggesting that the genetics of complex disorders can be viewed through an omnigenic lens, which involves contextualizing genes in highly interconnected networks. Thus, applying network-based multi-omics integration methods could cast new light on the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. In this review, we first provide an overview of the recent advances in psychiatric genetics and highlight gaps in translating molecular associations into mechanistic insights. We then present an overview of network methodologies and review previous applications of network methods in the study of psychiatric disorders. Lastly, we describe the potential of such methodologies within a multi-tissue, multi-omics approach, and summarize the future directions in adopting diverse network approaches.
Streamlined Workflow Analysis Using Swim Lanes

This is a case study on the workflow analysis process utilized by the technical services departments at the University at Albany SUNY in preparation for a migration from a legacy library system to ...
A Modified Version of the CAGE as an Indicator of Alcohol Abuse and Its Consequences Among Undergraduate Drinkers

In March of 1999, we conducted a cross-sectional, web-based survey using a random sample of 2041 undergraduate students attending a large, public university in the Midwest. The sample was recruited via e-mail and students completed the Web survey from their computer terminals. Toward the goal of establishing the usefulness of the CAGE when screening undergraduates for alcohol misuse, we first examined the proportion of undergraduates with a positive score on a modified version of the CAGE and then determined the correlates of a positive CAGE score (e.g. alcohol consumption, fear of addiction, etc.). We found preliminary evidence that the question “Have you been afraid you might be alcoholic” may be the best identifier, when compared to the modified CAGE, of at-risk students.
Role of Capillary Forces in the Reduction of Dust Pollution During Transport and Handling of Powders

Mixing of dry powders with oil or liquid binder is often done to minimize segregation and dust pollution during handling and transport. The amount of binder required is determined empirically due to inadequate models. Oil as a binder forms capillary bridges between particles. In the present study, theoretical expressions are developed for the calculation of the capillary force at different oil interlayer thickness between particles. Experimental measurements using AFM were conducted to validate the theory for particle/particle and particle/wall interactions.
Job Satisfaction in the Workplace

This study examines the relative importance of background, perception, and organizational variables in explaining differences in job satisfaction levels of black female managers in human-service agencies. Correlational analysis revealed that nine out of twenty independent variables were significantly related to the level of job satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis revealed a six variable predictive model for job satisfaction. Implications of the findings for organizational policies and programs are discussed.
Characterization of null and hypomorphic alleles of the Drosophila l(2)dtl/cdt2 gene: Larval lethality and male fertility.

The Drosophila lethal(2)denticleless (l(2)dtl) gene was originally reported as essential for embryogenesis and formation of the rows of tiny hairs on the larval ventral cuticle known as denticle belts. It is now well-established that l(2)dtl (also called cdt2) encodes a subunit of a Cullin 4-based E3 ubiquitin ligase complex that targets a number of key cell cycle regulatory proteins, including p21, Cdt1, E2F1 and Set8, to prevent replication defects and maintain cell cycle control. To investigate the role of l(2)dtl/cdt2 during development, we characterized existing l(2)dtl/cdt2 mutants and generated new deletion alleles, using P-element excision mutagenesis. Surprisingly, homozygous l(2)dtl/cdt2 mutant embryos developed beyond embryogenesis, had intact denticle belts, and lacked an observable embryonic replication defect. These mutants died during larval stages, affirming that loss of l(2)dtl/cdt2 function is lethal. Our data show that L(2)dtl/Cdt2 is maternally deposited, remains nuclear throughout the...
Ground emergency medical services requests for helicopter transfer of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients decrease medical contact to balloon times in rural and suburban settings.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:153–160 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care is time-dependent. Many STEMI patients require interhospital helicopter transfer for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) if ground emergency medical services (EMS) initially transport the patient to a non-PCI center. This investigation models potential time savings of ground EMS requests for helicopter EMS (HEMS) transport of a STEMI patient directly to a PCI center, rather than usual transport to a local hospital with subsequent transfer. Methods: Data from a multicenter retrospective chart review of STEMI patients transferred for primary PCI by a single HEMS agency over 12 months were used to model medical contact to balloon times (MCTB) for two scenarios: a direct-to-scene HEMS response and hospital rendezvous after ground EMS initiation of transfer. Results: Actual MCTB median time for 36 hospital-initiated transfers was 160 minutes (range = 116 to 321 minutes). Scene response MCTB median time was estimated as 112 minutes (range = 69 to 187 minutes). The difference in medians was 48 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI] = 33 to 62 minutes). Hospital rendezvous MCTB median time was estimated as 113 minutes (range = 74 to 187 minutes). The difference in medians was 47 minutes (95% CI = 32 to 62 minutes). No patient had an actual MCTB time of less than 90 minutes; in the scene response and hospital rendezvous scenarios, 2 of 36 (6%) and 3 of 36 (8%), respectively, would have had MCTB times under 90 minutes. Conclusions: In this setting, ground EMS initiation of HEMS transfers for STEMI patients has the potential to reduce MCTB time, but most patients will still not achieve MCTB time of less than 90 minutes.
Government Ownership and Trusteeship of Water

A recent issue of the Harvard Law Review carried an article with the strange title of "Tu-tu."' This eye-catching title leads the reader to a fable about a tribe of south-sea islanders who have a tabu against having anything to do with one's mother-in-law. It appears that if one of these islanders accidentally encounters his mother-in-law, he becomes what is called "tu-tu" and is subject to some dangerous force or infection which attaches to him and threatens the whole community with disaster. For this reason a person who has become tu-tu must be subjected to a special ceremony of purification. Civilized Americans, of course, know that there is no such thing as tu-tu. As the prevalence of mother-in-law jokes testifies,2 people encounter their mothers-in-law often and nothing like this happens. Therefore, tu-tu does not exist in fact, it has no reference to reality. While it might be argued that tu-tu has reality to the islanders, it can be demonstrated that even they can get along very well without the concept. They say "If a man encounters his mother-in-law, he becomes tu-tu. When a man is tu-tu, he must be purified." But all reference to tu-tu may be eliminated and the same result reached by simply saying "If a man encounters his mother-in-law he must be purified." The reader will think, this is all very amusing, but what is it doing in the Harvard Law Review? Reading further, he will find an exploration of the semantics of legal reasoning, an investigation of the meaning of legal phrases, pointing out that many of them have no more reference to any actual thing in existence than does tu-tu. An examination of the legal concept of ownership shows that it falls into this pattern. "I bought this watch, therefore I have ownership of it. I have ownership of this watch, therefore I may recover it from one who takes it from me." Just as we eliminated tu-tu, we can eliminate the middle concept entirely: "I bought this watch, therefore I may recover it from one who takes it from me." The author suggests that we may substitute "tu-tu" for "ownership," or, if we prefer, "green cheese," and the logic is unimpaired. This is somewhat disturbing. No matter how carefully we follow the argument, nod our heads, and say "Ownership is nothing, it does not exist,
Microring coupled-resonator optical waveguides

We use transfer matrices to obtain the dispersion relations of microring coupled-resonator optical waveguides (CROWs). We also analyze pulse propagation through finite and semi-infinite microring CROWs. The results agree well with FDTD simulations.
Language productivity of black and white children in black versus white situations.

This study hypothesized that subjects would have increased language productivity when talking to members of their own ethnic group than when talking to members of a different ethnic group. Males (N=148) between the ages of 7-9 years participated in this study. Subjects consisted of 22 black children who were required to give a speech to all black children (BS-BA); 22 black children who were required to give a speech to all white children (BS-WA) ; 22 white children who were required to give a speech to all white children (WS-WA); and 22 white children required to give a speech to all black children (WS-BA). The speeches were recorded and analysed. The results support the hypothesis of this study. Since language productivity depended on the interaction of race and context, the results were seen as not in accord with the deficiency theory of black-white differences in language productivity.
Using Disk Throughput Data in Predictions of End-to-End Grid Data Transfers

Data grids provide an environment for communities of researchers to share, replicate, and manage access to copies of large datasets. In such environments, fetching data from one of the several replica locations requires accurate predictions of end-to-end transfer times. Predicting transfer time is significantly complicated because of the involvement of several shared components, including networks and disks in the end-to-end data path, each of which experiences load variations that can significantly affect the throughput. Of these, disk accesses are rapidly growing in cost and have not been previously considered, although on some machines they can be up to 30% of the transfer time. In this paper, we present techniques to combine observations of end-to-end application behavior and disk I/O throughput load data. We develop a set of regression models to derive predictions that characterize the effect of disk load variations on file transfer times. We also include network component variations and apply these techniques to the logs of transfer data using the GridFTP server, part of the Globus Toolkit?. We observe up to 9% improvement in prediction accuracy when compared with approaches based on past system behavior in isolation.
A Review of Delayed-Release MMX Mesalamine: It’s Use in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis affects approximately 500,000 people within the U.S. For mild to moderate disease, 5-ASA is considered the fi rst line medication to achieve both induction of remission and maintenance of remission. Since the use of sulfasalazine over 40 years ago, numerous new formulations have been created to minimize side effects and maximize drug delivery to the affected colon. Here, we have detailed the currently available 5-ASA formulations and explain why there is room for new and improved 5-ASA formulations. In addition, we will summarize the latest trials detailing the use of MMX mesalamine and where it may fi t into the treatment algorithm for our patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis.