cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Community contexts and utilization of early childhood care and education among Mexican-origin children

Children of Mexican origin are under-enrolled in early childhood education programs relative to Black and White children, which is problematic given the potential benefits of early childhood education. o better understand this under-enrollment in ways that can inform efforts to change it in the future, this study examined how utilization of early care and education programs varied among Mexican-origin families according to the community contexts where they lived. Integrating data on Mexican-origin children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study- Birth Cohort (n = 1,100) with community data from the U.S. Census Bureau, logistic regressions revealed that the odds of enrollment in early care and education programs among Mexican-origin children increased as the supply of childcare centers in their counties increased. Holding childcare center supply constant, their enrollment also increased as the percent of co-ethnic Latinos/as in the county increased, especially for children from the least acculturated Mexican-origin families. Overall, these results suggest that ethnic enclaves might link Mexican-origin families to early childhood care and education programs for their children and that this role might be most important for families least likely to be connected to U.S. institutions.
Integrative Analysis of the Intestinal Metabolome of Childhood Asthma

Background The intestinal metabolome reflects the biological consequences of diverse exposures and might provide insight into asthma pathophysiology. Objective We sought to perform an untargeted integrative analysis of the intestinal metabolome of childhood asthma in this ancillary study of the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial. Methods Metabolomic profiling was performed by using mass spectrometry on fecal samples collected from 361 three-year-old subjects. Adjusted logistic regression analyses identified metabolites and modules of highly correlated metabolites associated with asthma diagnosis by age 3 years. Sparse canonical correlation analysis identified associations relevant to asthma between the intestinal metabolome and other “omics”: the intestinal microbiome as measured by using 16S rRNA sequencing, the plasma metabolome as measured by using mass spectrometry, and diet as measured by using food frequency questionnaires. Results Several intestinal metabolites were associated with asthma at age 3 years, including inverse associations between asthma and polyunsaturated fatty acids (adjusted logistic regression β = −6.3; 95% CI, −11.3 to −1.4; P = .01) and other lipids. Asthma-associated intestinal metabolites were significant mediators of the inverse relationship between exclusive breast-feeding for the first 4 months of life and asthma (P for indirect association = .04) and the positive association between a diet rich in meats and asthma (P = .03). Specific intestinal bacterial taxa, including the family Christensenellaceae, and plasma metabolites, including γ-tocopherol/β-tocopherol, were positively associated with asthma and asthma-associated intestinal metabolites. Conclusion Integrative analyses revealed significant interrelationships between the intestinal metabolome and the intestinal microbiome, plasma metabolome, and diet in association with childhood asthma. These findings require replication in future studies.
H5N8 and H7N9 packaging signals constrain HA reassortment with a seasonal H3N2 influenza A virus.

Influenza A virus (IAV) has a segmented genome, which (i) allows for exchange of gene segments in coinfected cells, termed reassortment, and (ii) necessitates a selective packaging mechanism to ensure incorporation of a complete set of segments into virus particles. Packaging signals serve as segment identifiers and enable segment-specific packaging. We have previously shown that packaging signals limit reassortment between heterologous IAV strains in a segment-dependent manner. Here, we evaluated the extent to which packaging signals prevent reassortment events that would raise concern for pandemic emergence. Specifically, we tested the compatibility of hemagglutinin (HA) packaging signals from H5N8 and H7N9 avian IAVs with a human seasonal H3N2 IAV. By evaluating reassortment outcomes, we demonstrate that HA segments carrying H5 or H7 packaging signals are significantly disfavored for incorporation into a human H3N2 virus in both cell culture and a guinea pig model. However, incorporation of the heterologous HAs was not excluded fully, and variants with heterologous HA packaging signals were detected at low levels in vivo, including in naive contact animals. This work indicates that the likelihood of reassortment between human seasonal IAV and avian IAV is reduced by divergence in the RNA packaging signals of the HA segment. These findings offer important insight into the molecular mechanisms governing IAV emergence and inform efforts to estimate the risks posed by H7N9 and H5N8 subtype avian IAVs.
The more things change: species losses detected in Phoenix despite stability in bird–socioeconomic relationships

The science of urban ecology has increasingly grappled with the long-term ramifications of a globally urbanized planet and the impacts on biodiversity. Some researchers have suggested that places with high species diversity in cities simply reflect an extinction debt of populations that are doomed to extinction but have not yet disappeared. The longitudinal studies conducted to date have found species composition shifting with urbanization but have not always documented continued species extirpations post-urbanization. We used long-term monitoring data on birds from the greater metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona, to measure changes in residential bird communities, species–habitat relationships, and human perceptions of bird species diversity over a five-year period. Bird richness, occupancy, and abundance decreased, as did the percentage of respondents satisfied with bird variety in their neighborhoods. As in previous analyses for this region, we found that desert specialist species were associated with neighborhoods with xeric landscaping consisting of gravel groundcover, and drought-tolerant, desert-adapted vegetation. These species were also found in neighborhoods with high per capita income rates and lower percentages of renters and Hispanic/Latinx residents. Non-native species were positively associated with neighborhoods containing mesic yards with grass and other water-intensive vegetation. The proportions of yards in our surveyed neighborhoods with these distinct landscaping types likewise remained relatively stable over five-year period. Although habitat–species relationships remained unchanged, we detected significant loss of species across the sampling period. Declines were not confined to desert specialist species but included generalist and invader species as well. The parallel reduction in residents' satisfaction suggests that people perceive some aspect of this environmental degradation. Further investigation into the mechanisms underlying these species losses may reveal options for retaining some desert specialist species, and the uniqueness they contribute to urban fauna.
Detection of grain angle in wood specimens using synthetic aperture radar imaging

Knowing the grain angle of structural wood members relative to the direction of loading is important in estimating their mechanical performance. The strength of a structural wood member can vary greatly depending on the orientation of grain, making the understanding of grain angle an essential requirement for machine grading and for structural analysis. Condition assessment of structural wood members using non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques (e.g., microwave/radar, ultrasonic, stress wave, and X-ray) is a major approach for existing wood structures. Among existing NDE techniques, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging offers technical advantages include remote sensing and subsurface sensing. The objective of this paper is to use SAR imaging to quantify the change in grain direction of various size wood dowels relative to the imaging radar. Two wood specimens were produced each 14 in. long with diameters of 1.25 in. and 1.5 in. Each wood specimen was placed vertically inside an anechoic chamber and imaged at different orientations using a 10 GHz SAR system. It was found that the integrated SAR amplitude and amplitude distribution were affected by the grain orientation of the wood specimens. Further analysis was conducted by estimating the area of contour slices of the SAR images taken in the amplitude direction and were used to confirm the findings.
Enhancement of flow measurement for graft verification.

BackgroundWe aimed to evaluate multiple transit-time flow measurements during coronary artery bypass grafting.MethodsTransit-time flow measurements were performed first on the arrested heart both w...
Study on practical voltage secondary loop testing tool

A practical test tool for voltage secondary circuit is used for field test of Secondary Screen Cabinet in transformer substation, such as power quality and microcomputer protection. Because of the influence of the structure of the voltage connection terminal and the site environmental conditions, there are unreliable contacts between the test terminals in the voltage test, which not only effects the test efficiency, but also has the risk of Electric leakage which effects personal safety. The whole structure of the voltage testing tool of this project adopts self-locking fixture structure. In the design, first of all, considering the stability of the structure, the main body of the voltage testing tool adopts the hook structure which is fully fitted with the voltage terminal. In practical use, it can quickly realize the tight combination with the voltage terminal and the requirements of the voltage testing tool which includes the stability and ease of use.
Machine learning applications in detecting sand boils from images

Abstract Levees provide protection for vast amounts of commercial and residential properties. However, these structures require constant maintenance and monitoring, due to the threat of severe weather, sand boils, subsidence of land, seepage, etc. In this research, we focus on detecting sand boils. Sand boils occur when water under pressure wells up to the surface through a bed of sand. These make levees especially vulnerable. Object detection is a good approach to confirm the presence of sand boils from satellite or drone imagery, which can be utilized to assist in the automated levee monitoring methodology. Since sand boils have distinct features, applying object detection algorithms to it can result in accurate detection. To the best of our knowledge, this research work is the first approach to detect sand boils from images. In this research, we compare some of the latest deep learning methods, Viola-Jones algorithm, and other non-deep learning methods to determine the best performing one. We also train a Stacking-based machine learning method for the accurate prediction of sand boils. The accuracy of our robust model is 95.4%.
New Theory of the Earth

New Theory of the Earth is an interdisciplinary advanced textbook on all aspects of the interior of the Earth and its origin, composition, and evolution: geophysics, geochemistry, dynamics, convection, mineralogy, volcanism, energetics and thermal history. This is the only book on the whole landscape of deep Earth processes that ties together all the strands of the subdisciplines. This book is a complete update of Anderson’s Theory of the Earth (1989). It includes dozens of new figures and tables. A novel referencing system using Googlets is introduced that allows immediate access to supplementary material via the internet. There are new sections on tomography, self-organization, and new approaches to plate tectonics. The paradigm/paradox approach to developing new theories is developed, and controversies and contradictions have been brought more center-stage. As with the Theory of the Earth, this new edition will prove to be a stimulating textbook for advanced courses in geophysics, geochemistry, and planetary science, and a supplementary textbook on a wide range of other advanced Earth science courses. It will also be an essential reference and resource for all researchers in the solid Earth sciences.
A Solid-State and Flexible Supercapacitor That Operates across a Wide Temperature Range

Electrochemical properties of most supercapacitor devices degrade quickly when the operating temperature deviates from room temperature. To exploit the potential of rGO in supercapacitors at extrem...
Wearable Wisdom: An Intelligent Audio-Based System for Mediating Wisdom and Advice

Having good mentors and role models is important for personal growth. However, they are not always available at the time of need. Some of our personal heroes have passed away leaving only their wisdom through writings and other artifacts. We present Wearable Wisdom, an intelligent, audio-based system for mediating wisdom and advice from mentors and personal heroes to a user. It does so by performing automated semantic analysis on the collected wisdom database and generating a simulated voice of a mentor sharing relevant wisdom and advice with the user. The results show that our platform is statistically superior in delivering relevant, yet abstract wisdom as well as providing more inspiration compared to control. We describe the implementation of the Wearable Wisdom system, report on a user study, and discuss potential applications of wisdom computation for supporting personal growth and motivation.
Microaggressions and Psychological Health Among College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model of Rumination and Social Structure Beliefs.

Racial microaggressions are common experiences for students of color on college campuses. Given prior research connecting microaggressions to negative mental health outcomes, it is important to better understand the social context and process through which microaggressions are associated with poorer mental health. In addition, we put forth a psycho-sociological approach to microaggressions, integrating an attention to both individual psychology and broader social structure. Specifically, the present study investigated whether the indirect association of school/workplace microaggressions and internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) through problem-focused thoughts (a subset of ruminative thinking) differed as a function of horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism among a racially diverse sample of non-White college students (n = 549) from two universities in the USA. As hypothesized, problem-focused thoughts mediated the associations between school/workplace microaggressions and all three negative mental health symptoms. Furthermore, the indirect effect of school/workplace microaggressions on psychological health through problem-focused thoughts was stronger in students with high levels of vertical individualism (i.e., autonomous but recognize/accept inequality among individuals), compared to students with low or average levels. Our findings suggest that students of color who endorse vertical individualism are at a relatively greater risk of negative mental health outcomes related to school/workplace microaggressions via problem-focused thoughts. Future research is needed to examine additional factors that may buffer or strengthen the pathways between microaggressions and negative mental health in students of color.
Sexual dimorphism in the contribution of neuroendocrine stress axes to oxaliplatin-induced painful peripheral neuropathy.

ABSTRACT Although clinical studies support the suggestion that stress is a risk factor for painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), there is little scientific validation to support this link. Here, we evaluated the impact of stress on CIPN induced by oxaliplatin, and its underlying mechanisms, in male and female rats. A single dose of oxaliplatin produced mechanical hyperalgesia of similar magnitude in both sexes, still present at similar magnitude in both sexes, on day 28. Adrenalectomy mitigated oxaliplatin-induced hyperalgesia, in both sexes. To confirm the role of neuroendocrine stress axes in CIPN, intrathecal administration of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeting β₂-adrenergic receptor mRNA both prevented and reversed oxaliplatin-induced hyperalgesia, only in males. By contrast, glucocorticoid receptor antisense oligodeoxynucleotide prevented and reversed oxaliplatin-induced hyperalgesia in both sexes. Unpredictable sound stress enhanced CIPN, in both sexes. The administration of stress hormones, epinephrine, corticosterone, and their combination, at stress levels, mimicked the effects of sound stress on CIPN, in males. In females, only corticosterone mimicked the effect of sound stress. Also, a risk factor for CIPN, early-life stress, was evaluated by producing both stress-sensitive (produced by neonatal limited bedding) and stress-resilient (produced by neonatal handling) phenotypes in adults. Although neonatal limited bedding significantly enhanced CIPN only in female adults, neonatal handling significantly attenuated CIPN, in both sexes. Our study demonstrates a sexually dimorphic role of the 2 major neuroendocrine stress axes in oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain.
Assessing disparities on caregiver factors known to affect children's pain and outcomes

Parental health, beliefs and behaviors influence pediatric pain experiences and treatment outcomes. There is increasing acknowledgment of pain disparities in underrepresented ethnic groups and growing understanding of social and economic factors (SEFs) that affect pain. Less is known about SEFs’ impact on caregivers and whether the presence of multiple SEFs increases risk of disparities. The present study assesses 1) disparities by ethnicity and insurance status in mental health (MH), physical health (PH), pain catastrophizing (PC) and protective behaviors (PB) of caregivers of children with pain, and 2) whether insurance status moderates ethnic disparities. 792 caregivers identifying as Hispanic (26%) and Non-Hispanic White (NHW; 74%) provided data before initial visit to an outpatient pediatric pain clinic. Measures included demographic information, insurance, PROMIS Global Health, the parent version of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and the Protect subscale of the Adult Responses to Children's Symptoms scale. Health-insurance was coded as private (73.4%) or public (25.5%). Hispanic caregivers were younger, had lower educational levels, and were more likely to have public insurance. Hispanic caregivers reported poorer PH and higher levels of PC and PB. Public insurance was associated with poorer PH and MH and with higher PC and PB. Two-way ANOVAs revealed main effects for ethnicity on PH, MH, and PB were no longer significant with insurance entered into model but remained significant for PC. Insurance main effects were significant for PH, PM, PC, and PB. None of the interaction terms were significant. Findings highlight disparities by ethnicity and insurance status in caregiver factors known to affect children's pain and treatment outcomes and underscore the role of insurance as a contributor to disparities. Results highlight the importance of assessing SEFs that may affect caregivers of children with pain to provide optimal support to families and maximize child treatment outcomes.
Snowfall and snowpack in the Western U.S. as captured by convection permitting climate simulations: current climate and pseudo global warming future climate

This study examines current and future western U.S. snowfall and snowpack through current and future climate simulations with a 4-km horizontal grid spacing cloud permitting regional climate model over the entire CONtinental U.S. for a 13-year period between 2001 and 2013. At this horizontal resolution, the spatiotemporal distribution of the orographic snowfall and snowpack is well captured partly due to the ability of the model to realistically simulate mesoscale and microphysical features such as orographically induced updrafts driving clouds and precipitation. The historical simulation well captures the observed snowfall and snowpack amounts and pattern in the western U.S. The future climate simulation uses the Pseudo-Global Warming approach, taking the climate change signal from CMIP5 multi-model ensemble-mean difference between 2070–2099 and 1976–2005. The results show that the thermodynamic impacts of climate change in the western U.S. can be characterized considering mountain ranges in two distinct geographic regions: the mountain ranges close to the Pacific Ocean (coastal ranges) and those in the inter-mountain west. Climate change out to 2100 significantly impacts all aspects of the water cycle, with pronounced climate change response in the coastal ranges. A notable result is that the snowpack in the Pacific Northwest is predicted to decrease by ~ 70% by 2100. Trends of this magnitude have already been observed in the historical data and in previous studies. The current Pseudo Global Warming future climate simulation and previous global climate simulations all suggest that these trends will continue to the point that most snowpack will be gone by 2100 in the Pacific Northwest for the most aggressive RCP8.5 climate scenario, even if annual precipitation increases by 10%. Future work will focus on extending the current convective permitting results to a full climate change simulation allowing for dynamical changes in the flow.
Termites in the Master's House: Abortion Rap and Florynce Kennedy's Contributions to Racial and Gender Justice

Gender and racial equality movements have gained momentum in recent years. In response, some activists have called for the public to listen to Black women. This Essay offers a corollary to this important proposition: honor the legacy of Black women. To do so, it highlights the contributions of an underdiscussed figure from the racial justice and women’s rights movements of the 1970s: Florynce “Flo” Kennedy. An early pioneer of intersectional theories and accomplished attorney, activist, and speaker, Kennedy spent her life fighting injustice. Thus, Kennedy can serve as a role model for contemporary social justice activists. This Essay applies Black feminist scholar Patricia Hill Collins’ two-dimensional framework for Black women’s activism to Kennedy’s work, focusing on her abortion access advocacy. These efforts typify Kennedy’s intersectional approach to activism. Additionally, as observed by Sherie M. Randolph, most accounts of the feminist and reproductive justice movements neglect to discuss Kennedy’s contributions. Hence, discussing Kennedy’s abortion access advocacy fills this hole in the literature while enriching understanding of the United States Supreme Court’s contemporary jurisprudence on reproductive rights. The Essay also interrogates the persistent omission of Kennedy’s contributions from the existing literature. It connects this erasure with the political phenomenon of treating Black women as invisible and the stereotype of the Angry Black Woman in particular. This Essay concludes that society should reject these tropes. Doing so allows for proper acknowledgment of Kennedy’s legacy, and with it, the advancement of reproductive, racial, and gender justice.
Reachability of Linear Uncertain Systems: Sampling Based Approaches.

In this work, we perform safety analysis of linear dynamical systems with uncertainties. Instead of computing a conservative overapproximation of the reachable set, our approach involves computing a statistical approximate reachable set. As a result, the guarantees provided by our method are probabilistic in nature. In this paper, we provide two different techniques to compute statistical approximate reachable set. We have implemented our algorithms in a python based prototype and demonstrate the applicability of our approaches on various case studies. We also provide an empirical comparison between the two proposed methods and with Flow*.
PALEOENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF INVERTEBRATE FECAL PELLETS (EDAPHICHNIUM ISP.) AT AN ICHNOFOSSIL-RICH DINOSAUR NESTING LOCALITY, UPPER CRETACEOUS TWO MEDICINE FORMATION, MONTANA, USA

The terrestrial feeding trace Edaphichnium lumbricatum is known from the Triassic to the Pleistocene and is characterized by tubular burrows with ellipsoidal fecal pellets, indicating substrate feeding by earthworms or other invertebrates. We describe 11 specimens attributable to Edaphichnium isp. from Egg Mountain, a terrestrial locality with a diverse fossil assemblage from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation in Montana, USA, and assess their paleoenvironmental and paleoecological implications. These ichnofossils were recovered from a 1.5 meter stratigraphic succession comprised of calcareous siltstones and limestones with abundant fossil insect pupal cases, representing well-drained paleosols. Although burrows are not always present, three recurring arrangements of Edaphichnium isp. fecal pellets are identified: linearly arranged pellets, horizon-confined pellets, and pellets in clusters dispersed vertically and horizontally throughout the matrix. Two color patterns (light and dark pellets) are also distinguished. Pellets are fine-grained and have a consistently ellipsoidal shape (length:diameter of 1.57), with maximum lengths ranging from 1.9–6.7 mm (mean 4.1 mm) and maximum diameters ranging from 1.0–4.1 mm (mean 2.6 mm). Geochemical analyses indicate pellets are comprised of varying proportions of calcite, plagioclase, and quartz, and are enriched in phosphorus relative to the sedimentary host matrix. Possible trace makers include chafer or other coleopteran larvae, millipedes, and earthworms, suggesting a range of capable trace makers of Edaphichnium-like fecal pellets. Edaphichnium isp. at specific stratigraphic horizons suggests increased organic content in the subsurface, potentially connected to depositional hiatuses. Edaphichnium isp. adds a secondary component to the Celliforma ichnofacies known from Egg Mountain and surrounding strata, and to the array of nesting, feeding, and dwelling traces of wasps, beetles, other invertebrates, mammals, and dinosaurs from the locality.
Chapter 15. Antidiabetic Agents

Publisher Summary Diabetes is a hereditary disease, but the nature of the genetic defect and its primary lesion are unknown. It involves a widespread disorder of metabolism, but exhaustive study has not yet determined whether this is a cause or consequence of the hormonal, vascular, and neurological abnormalities of the disease. The hypoglycemic drugs that are used today to treat well over a million diabetics are descended in a direct line from two essentially chance observations—that is, certain antibacterial sulfonamides caused hypoglycemia and that a simple guanidine derivative reduced the blood sugar of rabbits. In spite of the vast body of fact and conjecture now contained in the literature of diabetes, metabolic biochemistry, and the control of metabolism, no antidiabetic drug has yet come from the rational application of knowledge about these processes. Compounds unrelated to the sulfonylureas or guanidine derivatives have been studied for their hypoglycemic properties; all are apparently first identified by a largely empirical observation of their effect on blood sugar in experimental animals. This chapter briefly discusses diabetes as a disease entity and describes some of the hormonal factors and metabolic processes that are deranged in diabetes. It focuses on the relationship of these factors to the disease and provides a few leading references that may stimulate thought on possible new approaches to antidiabetic drugs.
The Emergence of the Black Athlete in America

(1971). The Emergence of the Black Athlete in America. The Black Scholar: Vol. 3, The Black Athlete, pp. 16-28.
Low-Temperature Pumpability of U.S. Army Diesel Engine Oils

Abstract : Borderline oil-pumpability temperatures (BPT's) were determined for U.S. Army diesel engines by cranking experiments conducted in a cold box. The variables investigated included: four different diesel engine types; four different oil viscosity grades; and three different viscosity index improver chemical types. In general, for a given oil, the decreasing order of engine severity (i.e., highest BPT) was: the Continental LDT-465-1C and the Cummins VTA-903T were the most severe, and were approximately equivalent. The GM 6.2L engine was the next least severe with the DDC 6V-53T engine being the overall least severe. The different viscosity index improver chemistries of specially blended test oils included: olefin copolymer (OCP), styrene-isoprene polymer (SI), aNd polymethacrylate (PMA). The PMA-containing 15W-40 oils had superior low-temperature oil pumpability performance in each engine in which they were evaluated.
Treatment of viscosity data on polymer solutions (an analysis of equations and procedures): I. Intrinsic viscosity and limiting slope constants☆

Abstract 1. 1. Existing equations and conventional procedures for the graphical determination of intrinsic viscosity and slope constants are analyzed. It is shown that slope constants obtained by the conventional procedures contain a systematic error which varies with the intrinsic viscosity. 2. 2. Several new equations and procedures are proposed which allow a more precise and more accurate determination of intrinsic viscosity and slope constants. 3. 3. Accuracy and precision of the latter data are checked by means of relationships existing between the various quantities. 4. 4. Several new relationships between the various quantities are established and tested. 5. 5. Attention is drawn to the possible application of the new equations and procedures to the evaluation of measurements of osmotic pressure and of light scattering.
Effectiveness of Over-the-Counter Nicotine Replacement Therapy

To the Editor: Drs Pierce and Gilpin conclude that nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has not increased smoking cessation rates since it became available over-the-counter. We do not believe that the authors can draw such efficacy conclusions from this nonrandomized, noncontrolled study. Pierce and Gilpin compared users of NRT vs nonusers, but these may be different populations. Smokers who cannot quit on their own may be more likely to use NRT and thus are likely to be more dependent than those who attempt to quit without it. Stratification for the number of cigarettes smoked cannot correct for this. This study is also limited by retrospective self-reporting, which relies heavily on memory, and may be biased as smokers may be more likely to remember successful cessation attempts than short, unaided, and unsuccessful efforts. Furthermore, the authors did not obtain biochemical verification of abstinence. Finally, the authors suggest that NRT is not effective in smokers who smoke less than 15 cigarettes a day. However, they did not consider the growing antismoking climate in California during the 7-year period of their study, thereby confounding the conclusions about treatment effects in moderate and heavy smokers vs light smokers over time. A recent meta-analysis found that NRT doubles the successful completion rate relative to placebo. The authors’ conclusions have the potential to damage public confidence in NRT and may deter smokers from using effective treatment. Authoritative agencies have recommended that smokers should use NRT when trying to quit smoking.
The Quasi-Periodic Table and Anomalous Metallic Properties

We compare the electron states in atoms and solids in an attempt to gain some insight into the quasi-localized behavior of the heavy-electron materials. These materials occur in compounds containing elements that have uncertainties in their electronic configurations both in the free atoms and in the metals. We find that unlike the long range phenomena of conventional superconductivity in the transition metals and local-moment magnetism in the rare-earth systems, the site quantum numbers in the heavy-electron systems have not yet been determined. These uncertainties lead to the anomalous properties of these systems.
Longitudinal characterization of functional, morphologic, and biochemical adaptations in mouse skeletal muscle with hindlimb suspension

Introduction Hindlimb unloading-induced muscle atrophy is often assessed after a homeostatic state is established, thus overlooking the early adaptations that are critical to developing this pattern of atrophy. Methods Muscle function and physiology were characterized at 0, 1, 3, 7, and 14 days of hindlimb suspension (HS). Results Reductions in muscle mass were maximal by Day 14 of HS. Functional strength and isolated muscle strength were reduced. MyHC-I and -IIa expressing fibers were reduced in size by Day 7 in the soleus and by Day 14 in the gastrocnemius (MyHC-I fibers only). Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 expression was increased by Day 1 in both the calf and tibialis anterior while IGF-1 expression was significantly reduced on Day 3. Phosphorylation of Akt was reduced on Day 14. Conclusions Insight into these early changes in response to HS improves understanding of the molecular and functional changes that lead to muscle atrophy. Muscle Nerve 48: 393–402, 2013
Occurrence of K99 antigen on Escherichia coli isolated from pigs and colonization of pig ileum by K99+ enterotoxigenic E. coli from calves and pigs.

Abstract Several strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) isolated from pigs were found to have an antigen (K99) previously reported only on strains of calf and lamb origin and which facilitates intestinal colonization in the latter two species. Several human ETEC were also tested for K99; however, none were positive. Each of four K99-positive ETEC strains of calf origin and one of pig origin produced K99 in pig ileum in vivo, adhered to villous epithelium in pig ileum, colonized pig ileum, and caused profuse diarrhea in newborn pigs. In contrast to the K99-positive strains above, four K99-negative ETEC from humans and chickens and one K99-positive ETEC from a calf either did not colonize pig ileum or did so inconsistently. When the K99-negative strains did colonize, they had little or no tendency to adhere to intestinal villi. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that K99 facilitates adhesion to and colonization of pig ileum by some ETEC.
Analysis of Nature of Science Included in Recent Popular Writing Using Text Mining Techniques

This study examined the inclusion of nature of science (NOS) in popular science writing to determine whether it could serve supplementary resource for teaching NOS and to evaluate the accuracy of text mining and classification as a viable research tool in science education research. Four groups of documents published from 2001 to 2010 were analyzed: Scientific American, Discover magazine, winners of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books, and books from NSTA’s list of Outstanding Science Trade Books. Computer analysis categorized passages in the selected documents based on their inclusions of NOS. Human analysis assessed the frequency, context, coverage, and accuracy of the inclusions of NOS within computer identified NOS passages. NOS was rarely addressed in selected document sets but somewhat more frequently addressed in the letters section of the two magazines. This result suggests that readers seem interested in the discussion of NOS-related themes. In the popular science books analyzed, NOS presentations were found more likely to be aggregated in the beginning and the end of the book, rather than scattered throughout. The most commonly addressed NOS elements in the analyzed documents are science and society and empiricism in science. Only one inaccurate presentation of NOS were identified in all analyzed documents. The text mining technique demonstrated exciting performance, which invites more applications of the technique to analyze other aspects of science textbooks, popular science writing, or other materials involved in science teaching and learning.
Type I rehearsal and recognition

Rote, repetitive Type I Rehearsal is defined as the continuous maintenance of information in memory using the minimum cognitive capacity necessary for maintenance. This definition is operationalized in an incidental paradigm where pairs of words are overtly rehearsed 1, 5, or 10 times (maintained for 1.33 to 13.33 seconds). An analysis of the types of errors made on a forced-choice recognition test supported the hypothesis that acoustic—phonemic components of the memory trace, as opposed to semantic and contextual components, are added or strengthened by this rehearsal process. Furthermore, it was observed that co-rehearsed words did not effectively cue one another's recall. These results are discussed in relation to the usefulness of the distinction between Type I and Type II rehearsal.
Theory of macromolecule-ligand interactions

Abstract Modeling macromolecule-ligand interactions correctly is a considerable computational challenge. In the past two years, progress has been made in qualitative modeling of such interactions, using databases and computational screening. These have been useful in drug design. Computational simulations of the time scale and dynamics of ligand encounter complexes with diffusion equation methods have found exciting applications on protein-ligand systems. Finally, the applications of molecular dynamics and free energy calculations to study protein-ligand interactions and protein stability have led to new insights into the energetics and structures of such complexes.
A 20-year experience with thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

BACKGROUND Endovascular approaches (thoracic endovascular aortic repair) have revolutionized treatment of thoracic aortic disease. OBJECTIVE We report our 20-year experience with this therapy. METHODS Four hundred twenty patients (mean age = 69.0 years; 54% male) underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (1993-2013), predominantly for fusiform aneurysm (n = 144), saccular aneurysm (n = 94), acute (n = 64) or chronic (n = 36) dissection, or traumatic injury (n = 39). Rupture was present in 80 patients (19.1%). Most patients (78.3%) were at high risk for open repair. Mean aortic diameter was 5.5 cm. Extent of repair included arch in 218 patients, total descending aorta in 193 patients, and thoracoabdominal aorta in 35 patients. RESULTS Thirty-day mortality occurred in 20 patients (4.8%). Neurologic events included stroke (5.0%) and spinal cord ischemia (permanent 1.7%, temporary 7.9%). Although dialysis was only required in 1.4% of the patients, 19% had renal failure by RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure) criteria. Endoleak occurred in 32.9% of the patients. Ten-year freedom from dissection, rupture, or need for reintervention in treated or adjacent aortic segments (ie, treatment failure) was 63.2%. Independent predictors included presentation with rupture, preexisting renal failure, or intervention on the arch aorta (all Ps < 0.03). Aortic pathology also independently predicted treatment failure (P = 0.026). The 15-year survival rate was 32.3%. Advancing age, presence of coronary artery disease, rupture, or postoperative renal failure (all Ps < 0.05), but not treatment failure (P = 0.926), independently predicted late mortality. CONCLUSIONS Thoracic endovascular aortic repair can be performed with acceptable results in a high-risk population. The risk of treatment failure persists, underscoring the importance of continued long-term endograft surveillance, but this does not seem to impact late mortality.
Meson-Induced Fission

Several batches of plates loaded with uranyl acetate have been exposed to ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ mesons in the Berkeley cyclotron. The mesons were generated by the 350-Mev proton beam striking a carbon target and the plates were shielded from the direct beam, or positive particles generated at the target, by several inches of copper. They received negative mesons over a wide range of energies. About one in a hundred of the mesons observed to end in these plates, ended in a characteristic fission event. Twenty-two such fissions were observed. This was in rough qualitative agreement with what might be expected if it is assumed that the capture of a negative $\ensuremath{\pi}$-meson by the uranium nucleus always produces fission. Three of these events showed 3-way fission, a light particle coming off at about 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to the tracks of the heavy fission fragments.
Using dynamic accounts to enable access to advanced resources through science gateways

Science Gateways have emerged as a valuable solution for providing large numbers of users with access to advanced computing resources. Additionally, they can hide many of the complexities often associated with using such resources effectively. Many gateways use a community account, which is shared by all gateway users on the backend compute resource. In some cases this can lead to problems when it comes to segregation of user data. To address this issue, we have investigated the use of dynamic accounts, where each gateway user is dynamically allocated their own account on the backend resource. We describe some of the features of the Dynamic Account service and explain how it has been integrated into the TeraGrid Visualization Gateway. We also discuss problems encountered, identify remaining open issues, and describe directions for future work.
Series-connected reconfigurable multicell battery: A novel design towards smart batteries

The traditional multicell battery design usually employs a fixed configuration to connect multiple cells in series during operation in order to achieve the required voltage. This design has low reliability and can only utilize a part of the total battery capacity if cell state variations are present. Recently, several reconfigurable multicell battery topologies have been proposed. However, these topologies are too complex and unrealistic for the battery systems with large numbers of cells. This paper proposes a novel series-connected, reconfigurable, multicell battery design. A new switching circuit topology is proposed where each cell in the battery only uses two switches to fully control its operation independently. The cell switching circuit and the control circuit for each cell are designed and implemented by using high-efficiency semiconductor devices. The proposed design can maximally utilize the battery's capacity and is tolerant to failures of single or multiple cells. These prolong the operating time and lifespan and enhance the reliability of the battery system. By using the proposed design, additional monitoring, control, protection, and optimization functions can be readily added to each cell and the battery system to produce a smart battery. The proposed design is validated by simulation and experimental studies for a six-cell polymer lithium-ion battery pack. The proposed design is universal and can be applied to any type and size of battery cells.
The F factor of Escherichia coli carries a locus of stable plasmid inheritance stm, similar to the parB locus of plasmid RI.

We found that a 1.4 kb fragment of the F factor of Escherichia coli (coordinates 62.8–64.2) considerably increased the stable inheritance of different plasmids which carried it. The fragment has a 589 bp DNA sequence (coordinates 63.3–63.9) with extensive homology to the parB locus of plasmid RI and, probably like the parB region, ensures the presence of plasmids in bacterial populations by killing those cells which have lost the plasmid.
Using cumulative-recall curves to assess the extent of relational and item-specific processing.

Although distinguishing between item-specific and relational information has proved to be a useful approach for understanding a variety of important memory phenomena, finding measurement tools for assessing the amount and type of information processed has proven difficult. Using the repeated-testing procedure, Burns (1993) demonstrated that item gains (the recall of items on a later test that were not recalled on earlier tests) and item losses (the forgetting of items on a later test that were recalled on earlier tests) reflected differences in amount of item-specific and relational information processed, respectively. Although several researchers have begun to use the measures with apparent success, the present research demonstrates that the accuracy of the item-gain measure is largely dependent on the rather arbitrary choice of recall-test length. We also show that a related but alternative measure, analysis of cumulative-recall curves, avoids some of the shortcomings of the item gain and loss measures....
Validation of a 3D RANS model to predict flow and stratification effects related to fish passage at hydropower dams

This paper discusses the validation and application of a three-dimensional RANS model to simulate flow and temperature distributions within the powerhouse units and the forebay of McNary Dam on the Columbia River. The hydrodynamic model is first validated with data collected from an experimental model study of a single turbine intake unit. The capability of the model to predict stratification effects is then investigated by comparing the predicted temperature field with field data collected within the forebay of McNary Dam. It is found that the model is able to accurately predict the salient features of the thermally stratified flow within the forebay for a test case corresponding to strongly stratified conditions without spill and for a case corresponding to moderately stratified conditions with spill. The model is then applied to investigate the effects of introducing a floating curtain wall in the forebay on the gatewell temperatures at the 14 powerhouse units of the dam. It is found that one of the de...
Ferroresonance During Single-Phase Switching of 3-Phase Distribution Transformer Banks

It is possible to obtain ferroresonant overvoltages during single-phase switching of distribution transformer banks. When energizing the bank with single-pole devices at higher distribution voltage, the internal winding capacitances of ungrounded wye-delta banks can react with the bank saturation characteristics producing high sustained overvoltages. Transient network analyzer (TNA) studies have determined the necessary conditions for the occurrence of the phenomena and have investigated remedies. One promising solution is the substitution of wye-wye grounded banks for the ungrounded wye-delta banks on 19.9/34.5-kV distribution circuits.
Canopy conductance of Pinus taeda, Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus phellos under varying atmospheric and soil water conditions.

Sap flow, and atmospheric and soil water data were collected in closed-top chambers under conditions of high soil water potential for saplings of Liquidambar styraciflua L., Quercus phellos L. and Pinus taeda L., three co-occurring species in the southeastern USA. Responses of canopy stomatal conductance (g t ) to water stress induced by high atmospheric water vapor demand or transpiration rate were evaluated at two temporal scales. On a diurnal scale, the ratio of canopy stomatal conductance to maximum conductance (g t /g t,max ) was related to vapor pressure deficit (D), and transpiration rate per unit leaf area (E l ). High D or E l caused large reductions in g t /g t,max in L. styraciflua and P. taeda. The response of g t /g t,max to E l was light dependent in L. styraciflua, with higher g t /g t,max on sunny days than on cloudy days. In both L. styraciflua and Q. phellos, g t /g t,max decreased linearly with increasing D (indicative of a feed-forward mechanism of stomatal control), whereas g t /g t,max of P. taeda declined linearly with increasing E l (indicative of a feedback mechanism of stomatal control). Longer-term responses to depletion of soil water were observed as reductions in mean midday g t /g t,max , but the reductions did not differ significantly between species. Thus, species that employ contrasting methods of stomatal control may show similar responses to soil water depletion in the long term.