cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature sensitivity of the induction of xylose reductase in Pachysolen tannophilus

Pachysolen tannophilus is a yeast capable of fermenting xylose to ethanol. This organism is of interest due to its potential for converting the xylose found in agricultural and forestry residues to ethanol. From this study, it has been determined that when Pachysolen tannophilus is grown on xylose at 37/sup 0/C, xylose reductase activity is greatly reduced from that found in cells grown on xylose at 30/sup 0/C. Even though xylose reductase activity is reduced, cellular growth and division continues to occur at the higher temperature, suggesting either that xylose reductase activity is not a rate-limiting step in the utilization of xylose or that there is an alternate pathway for xylose utilization in Pachysolen.
Associations of the type of childcare with reported preventive medical and dental care utilization for 1‐ to 5‐year‐old children in the United States

Kim J, Kaste LM. Associations of the type of childcare with reported preventive medical and dental care utilization for 1- to 5-year-old children in the United States. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2013. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Abstract - Objective: Despite that the majority of US children use nonparental childcare (NPC), research examining its effects on children's preventive healthcare utilization is lacking. Our aim was to contrast NPC against parental childcare in terms of preventive medical and dental care utilization. Methods: Associations of childcare and healthcare utilization were evaluated using the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, a telephone interview of parent- reported children's health (22 773 children ages 1- to 5-year old). The type of childcare was categorized as parental care, center-based care (CBC), nonrelative home care (NRHC), relative care (RCC), and mixed care (MCC). The outcome measures were preventive medical care (1 physical examination/well child check-up visit) and preventive dental care (1 check-ups/dental cleanings visit) during the past 12 months. Results: Overall, 94.7% of 1- to 5-year-old children received preventive medical care, while only 53.6% received preventive dental care. The highest odds for preventive medical care was for 1- to 2-year-old children utilizing CBC (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.11- 7.30) and for 3- to 5-year-old children utilizing MCC (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.23 -3.26) followed by CBC (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.13-2.42). Considering preventive dental care, a statistically significant increase occurred for 1- to 2- year-old children with CBC (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.62-2.30), and none occurred for any NPC above the parental childcare rates for 3- to 5-year-old children. Conclusions: Childcare use, particularly center-based care, may provide a means to raise preventive healthcare utilization for young children. Future regulations, as well as policy and program development, should consider promoting childcare settings as a means to improve preventive health care utilization.
Mapping land-cover change in a Haitian watershed using a combined spectral mixture analysis and classification tree procedure

Severe deforestation in the Caribbean nation of Haiti is a long-standing concern in Haiti and internationally. There are, however, few studies measuring the amount, type, rate or location of this deforestation and related land-cover changes. This study measures the loss of pine forest over three decades from one watershed in Haiti. The study employs an image processing method that draws on the strengths of spectral mixture and classification tree analyses. Results show 54% of the watershed was forested in 1979 compared with 22% in 2000. For the 2000 map, overall accuracies range from 81 to 91% and user's mean per-class accuracies range from 71 to 90%. Overall map accuracies range from 73 to 83% for the 1979 land-cover map with user's mean per-class accuracies ranging from 71 to 84%. For 2000, the combined classification procedure yields more accurate results than a classification tree alone.
Chemical weathering indices applied to weathering profiles developed on heterogeneous felsic metamorphic parent rocks

Abstract Chemical weathering indices are commonly used for characterizing weathering profiles by incorporating bulk major element oxide chemistry into a single metric for each sample. Generally, on homogeneous parent rocks, weathering indices change systematically with depth. However, the weathering of heterogeneous metamorphic rocks confounds the relationship between weathering index and depth. In this paper, we evaluate previously defined chemical weathering indices for their suitability in characterizing weathering profiles developed on felsic, heterogeneous, metasedimentary bedrock from Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina, USA. Among the weathering indices evaluated here, the Weathering Index of Parker (WIP) is the most appropriate for application to weathering profiles on heterogeneous (and homogeneous) parent rock. Because the WIP includes only the highly mobile alkali and alkaline earth elements in its formulation, it yields values that differ greatly from those of the parent rock. In addition, the WIP allows for aluminum mobility, unlike other weathering indices. These characteristics combine to make the Weathering Index of Parker the most applicable index for studying the weathering of heterogeneous metasedimentary rocks. However, the WIP should be applied judiciously, as alkali and alkaline earth metals may be readily depleted during weathering. In addition to reflecting weathering, the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Chemical Index of Weathering (CIW), Plagioclase Index of Alteration (PIA) and Vogt's Residual Index (V) may be sensitive to subtle geochemical changes such as hydrothermal alteration along a fault and/or alteration at the water table. Weathering indices that include iron in their calculations were not included in this study, because they do not distinguish between ferric and ferrous iron. The oxidation state and distribution of iron in a weathering profile is influenced by the proportion of oxidation states in the pre-weathered metamorphic rock and interaction with groundwater during weathering.
Cellular Mesoblastic Nephroma

(2001). Cellular Mesoblastic Nephroma. Pediatric Pathology & Molecular Medicine: Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 439-444.
The multiscale manifestations of airway smooth muscle contraction in the lung

airway hyperresponsiveness is a hallmark feature of asthma and is defined as an excessive decrement in lung mechanical function following challenge with standard doses of a smooth muscle agonist, such as methacholine. Accordingly, understanding the mechanisms underlying airway hyperresponsiveness is
Relationships between timing of muscle excitation and impaired motor performance during cyclical lower extremity movement in post-stroke hemiplegia.

We used an ergometer pedalling paradigm to relate abnormalities in the timing of muscle excitation to the impaired ability to perform mechanical work in the plegic lower limbs of persons with hemiplegia. The EMGs of seven leg muscles and pedal forces were measured bilaterally during pedalling for 15 persons with hemiplegia and 12 neurologically intact age-matched control subjects. Subjects were asked to pedal at a moderate workload (135 J) and cadence (40 r.p.m.). While intersubject variability was high, the external mechanical work output of the plegic leg was significantly less (from 79.6% to -28.9% of the work produced by average leg of control subjects) as a result of less positive work and more negative work being done. The timing of EMG in individual plegic limb muscles exhibited two distinct types of abnormalities that were significantly correlated with this lesser work production: prolonged excitation in the vastus medialis and phase-advanced excitation (both early initiation and early termination) in the rectus femoris and semimembranosus. These results suggest that muscles were differently affected depending on their function, external power-producing muscles (e.g. vastus medialis) showing prolonged excitation and muscles that normally maintain crank progression during limb transitions (e.g. semimembranosus) showing phase-advanced excitation.
Search for chemisorbed HCO: The interaction of formaldehyde, glyoxal, and atomic hydrogen + CO with Rh

Abstract Transmission infrared spectroscopy has been used to search for the chemisorptive stabilization of formyl (HCO) on Al 2 O 3 -supported Rh surfaces. Formaldehyde (H 2 CO) and glyoxal (HCO) 2 have been used as potential sources of HCO. In addition, chemisorbed CO on Rh has been treated with atomic deuterium in an attempt to produce DCO. None of these routes have led to spectroscopically detectable levels of formyl adsorption at temperatures near or above 100 K. These results suggest that the formyl intermediate may not be a stable surface species on Rh in CO-hydrogenation chemistry.
Fear of Death in Mid-Old Age

A transition model hypothesizes that the discrepancy between desired and expected time left to live is greater for mid-old persons than young-old persons. This discrepancy arouses a greater fear of death, which is influenced by age, health, and purpose in life. With the use of the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale, 192 older adults (60 to 84 years of age) were assessed on these variables and death fear. In structural analyses, purpose in life and the difference between the desired and the expected time left to live had direct effects on fear of body loss, with indirect effects of health; the relative size of effects differed as expected for two age groups. These variables were not related to fear of the unknown. An awareness of approaching death appears to arouse a greater fear of physical loss, but not mental or spiritual loss, in mid-old persons than in young-old persons.
Pharmacology of Sleep

Drugs that modulate sleep and wakefulness operate by modifying the activity of key sleep–wake neurotransmitters in the brain. Wakefulness-promoting nuclei include the orexinergic lateral hypothalamus, the histaminergic tuberomammillary nucleus, the cholinergic pedunculopontine (PPT) and laterodorsal (LDT) tegmental nuclei, the noradrenergic locus coeruleus, the serotonergic raphe nuclei, and the dopaminergic ventral tegmental area (Table 2.1).
Chavez v. Martinez, Excerpt from Book Chapter, 'We Dissent: Talking Back to the Rehnquist Court'

The lawyers and legal commentators who contribute to We Dissent unanimously agree that during Chief Justice William Rehnquist's nineteen-year tenure, the Supreme Court failed to adequately protect civil liberties and civil rights. This is evident in majority opinions written for numerous cases heard by Rehnquist Court, and eight of those cases are re-examined here, with contributors offering dissents to the Court's decisions. The Supreme Court opinions criticized in We Dissent suggest that the Rehnquist Court placed the interests of government above the people, and as the dissents in this book demonstrate, the Court strayed far from our constitutional ideals when it abandoned its commitment to the protection of the individual rights of Americans. Each chapter focuses on a different case, with contributors summarizing the case and the decision, and then offering their own dissent to the majority opinion. This chapter offers Professor Cohn's dissent from Chavez v. Martinez, 538 U.S. 760 (2003), in which the Court was confronted with the question whether the coercive police interrogation of a critically wounded man, in a hospital emergency room, violated the Constitution. Oliverio Martinez claimed that such questioning by Sergeant Ben Chavez violated his right to remain silent and to avoid self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment and his right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment. Despite the fact that Martinez was not given his Miranda warnings before or during the questioning, and that he was screaming in pain while lapsing in and out of consciousness during the interrogation, the Court held Martinez's Fifth Amendment rights had not been violated. Chavez was important, in part, because it gave the Court an opportunity to hold that the Constitution requires that treaties to which the United States is a party must be enforced in our domestic courts. For several years, interest in international law principles, particularly in the area of human rights, has been increasing. Recently, some Supreme Court Justices have referred to international law in their opinions, although that has provoked some controversy in conservative quarters. The Court could have seized the opportunity Chavez presented to make a clear ruling enforcing the treaties applicable to the case. Unfortunately, the Court failed to address this question in its decision. This omission was particularly grievous given the significance of torture issues in connection with the so-called War on Terror.
Organization and firm performance: Evidence from microdata

This research examines the relationship between organization and firm performance using the U.S. taxicab industry as the empirical context for the analyses. The research demonstrates that diversification is costly in the sense that it reduces incumbent firms' competitive advantage versus start-ups, because diversification erodes the value of a firm's stock of tacit knowledge by altering the firm's routines. Furthermore, I show that while diversification leads to costly organizational change the organizational adaptations firms make in response to diversification are necessary in the sense that they are productivity enhancing.
A New Combined Thyroid Hormone Index Based on Thyroxine, Triiodothyronine and Resin Uptake

A new thyroid hormone index, based on measurements of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and resin uptake (RT3U), is proposed. In contrast to previous thyroid hormone indices, it incorporates both T3 and T4 measurements. This combined thyroid hormone index appears to have superior predictive value in terms of clinical correlation with thyroid disease.
Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis: What we know and what we need to know.

Abstract Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis account for 11% of all reoperations for bioprosthetic valve dysfunction, and preoperative diagnosis can be made based on echocardiographic features. Early reoperation can be prevented if BPVT is identified and treated preoperatively.
An Empirical Study of Authentication Methods to Secure E-learning System Activities Against Impersonation Fraud

This study proposes to conduct an exploratory research design to empirically investigate what levels of authentication methods and strength users perceive to be more suitable for activities in elearning systems based on the threat of impersonation. Following the development of a survey instrument, expert panel feedback will be gathered for construct validity. Following a Delphi process of expert panel feedback consensus, the finalized survey instrument will be used to collect quantitative data for analysis.
An Exploration of Automated Grading of Complex Assignments

Automated grading is essential for scaling up learning. In this paper, we conduct the first systematic study of how to automate grading of a complex assignment using a medical case assessment as a test case. We propose to solve this problem using a supervised learning approach and introduce three general complementary types of feature representations of such complex assignments for use in supervised learning. We first show with empirical experiments that it is feasible to automate grading of such assignments provided that the instructor can grade a number of examples. We further study how to integrate an automated grader with human grading and propose to frame the problem as learning to rank assignments to exploit pairwise preference judgments and use NDPM as a measure for evaluation of the accuracy of ranking. We then propose a sequential pairwise online active learning strategy to minimize the effort of human grading and optimize the collaboration of human graders and an automated grader. Experiment results show that this strategy is indeed effective and can substantially reduce human effort as compared with randomly sampling assignments for manual grading.
On the work about sending back the refugees in Shanghai after the outbreak of "8.13 War"

After the outbreak of "8.13 War", refugees in shanghai were innumerable and couldn’t go home. Charities in Shanghai, various Travel Shanghai Fellow Villager Association and other social organizations etc. established the relief organization to develop the work about refugees. These organizations set up the collecting post to shelter refugees, overcome the difficulties one after another, rent the automobile steamboats and so on to send the refugees back to the ancestral home and to place properly, which protected the people, preserved the Sino-Japanese War strength, developed the produces in rear areas, play certain positive role.
Phase I trial of PCNU administered by 5-day courses

PCNU was selected for clinical trials based on high activity in both standard and intracisternally transplanted murine tumors. PCNU was administered of five daily to 24 patients with refractory advanced solid tumors by courses of five daily iv injections every 6 weeks. The total dose ranged from 25 to 125 mg/m2/course. The major dose-limiting toxicity was reversible thrombocytopenia, with the nadi at 28-49 days and recovery by 2 weeks later. At a dose of 125 mg/m2/course, the mean nadir platelet count was 77 X 10(3)/mm3 (range, 16-201 X 10(3)/mm3). Recovery time was prolonged with successive courses in four patients, suggesting cumulative toxicity. The mean nadir of leukopenia at this dose was 2.6 X 10(3) cells/mm3 (range, 1.2-5.0 X 10(3) cells/mm3) and tended to occur with a later median at Day 44. Nausea and vomiting were unusually mild for a nitrosourea. Sporadic transaminasemia and elevated LDH may have been related to the vehicle, N,N'-dimethylacetamide. Other major organ toxic effects were not encountered, and there were no objective responses. PCNU was found to be a base-substitution mutagen in the Salmonella typhimurium assay. A starting dose of 125 mg/m2, divided into five daily doses, is suggested for phase II trails in patients with no significant hematologic compromise from prior chemotherapy or radiation, and a dose of 75 mg/m2 is recommended for all others.
Endometrial carcinoma: the relevance of cervical cytology.

In patients with endometrial carcinoma, preoperative identification of poor prognostic factors is helpful in planning therapy. Extended surgical staging, including pelvic and periaortic node dissection, is indicated in patients with deep myometrial invasion or high-grade tumor, or when other risk factors for extrauterine spread are present. In this study, cervical cytology was reviewed in 86 patients with endometrial carcinoma, all of whom underwent surgical staging, to correlate the cytologic results with surgical and pathologic findings. Cervical cytology was normal in 20 patients (23%), whereas suspicious or malignant endometrial cells were present in 23 and 43 cases (27 and 50%), respectively. Suspicious or malignant cervical cytology was associated with deeper myometrial invasion (P = .011), higher postoperative tumor grade (P = .006), positive peritoneal washings (P = .012), and more advanced stage by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics criteria (P = .024). When compared with patients with normal cervical cytology, those who had malignant endometrial cells had over twice the risk of deep myometrial invasion (67 versus 30%), twice the risk of grade 2 or 3 tumor (60 versus 30%), and three times the risk of positive peritoneal washings (33 versus 10%). Seventy-four percent of patients with malignant cervical cytology were stage IC or more. In contrast, 70% of patients with normal cervical cytology were stage IA or IB. Patients with endometrial carcinoma who have malignant endometrial cells detected by cervical cytology are at increased risk of having a deeply invasive, high-grade, advanced-stage tumor, and therefore are more likely to require extended surgical staging.
Genome Skimming: A Rapid Approach to Gaining Diverse Biological Insights into Multicellular Pathogens.

Genomic data acquisition is now trivial for biologists. Yet, moving from millions of sequence reads to an assembled and annotated genome continues to pose a daunting challenge. The first animal genome sequenced arose from the free-living model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans [1]. This venture provided an unprecedented foundation for new insights into genome function and ‘omics tool development. However, the C. elegans endeavor has been tough to repeat, even with the advent of new high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies. For example, the first plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) genomes were published ten years after the C. elegans genome [2,3], and only five publication-quality PPN genomes are presently available [4–6]. Fig 1 overviews the course of a typical genome project. Millions of DNA sequences are initially collected in a matter of days, thanks to new DNA sequencing technologies. Early analytical phases (quality control and initial assembly) are also quick and usually straightforward. However, the subsequent computational stages (refining the assembly, gene prediction, and annotation) present significant bioinformatics bottlenecks. These lengthy in silico steps require multiple iterative stages of analysis, finally leading to a finished genome deemed “good enough” for publication. These latter stages often take years. Open in a separate window Fig 1 Genome skimming schematic. Boxes progressing diagonally from top left to bottom right show steps typical of conventional genome projects. Grey boxes show steps shared by genome skimming and conventional genome projects. Red boxes, arrows, and Xs show conventional genome project steps eliminated in the genome skimming approach. Green boxes show analyses specific to our genome skimming strategy.
Racial/Ethnic Disparity in Treatment for Prostate Cancer: Does Cancer Severity Matter?

Objective To determine if there are variations in the receipt of treatment based on race and disease severity. Treatment variations in men with prostate cancer (PCa) among the various racial groups in the United States exist, which may be a source of potential disparity in outcome. Methods Utilizing Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results 17, we identified 327,636 men diagnosed with PCa from 2004 to 2011. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association of receiving definitive treatment and race in the context of disease severity. Results African American (AA) and Hispanic men were less likely to receive treatment compared to White men (odds ratio [OR] 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71, 0.75, and OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92, 0.98, respectively). AA men had significantly lower OR of receiving definitive treatment within each D'Amico risk classification compared to White men, with decreasing odds of treatment for each increase in risk category (low-risk OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.78, 0.85; intermediate-risk OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.71, 0.77; and high-risk OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.58, 0.66). Hispanic men with intermediate-risk (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.84, 0.94) or high-risk (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.72, 0.85) disease had lower odds of receiving treatment compared to White men. Asian men had similar or greater odds of receiving treatment compared to White men within any Gleason or D'Amico classification. Conclusion There is a significant disparity in the receipt of treatment for PCa among AA and Hispanic men compared to White men. The variations in receipt of treatment reveal an area of opportunity to develop risk-stratified approaches to treatment regardless of ethnic identity, which may address the poorer PCa-related outcomes in these populations.
Demo: A Symbolic N-Variant System

This demo paper describes an approach to detect memory corruption attacks using artificial diversity. Our approach conducts offline symbolic execution of multiple variants of a system to identify paths which diverge in different variants. In addition, we build an efficient input matcher to check whether an online input matches the constraints of a diverging path, to detect potential malicious input. By evaluating the performance of a demo system built on Ghttpd, we find that per-input matching consumes only 70% to 96% of the real processing time in the master, which indicates a performance superiority for real world deployment.
Altered nuclear dynamics in MDX myofibers

Microtubules provide means for nuclear movement but show altered organization in the muscular dystrophy mouse model (MDX) (dystrophin-null) muscle. Here, MDX myofibers show increased nuclear moveme...
ℋ2-clustering of closed-loop consensus networks under a class of LQR design

Given any positive integer r, our objective is to develop a strategy for grouping the states of a n-node network into r ≤ n distinct non-overlapping groups. The criterion for this partitioning is defined as follows. First, a LQR controller is defined for the original n-node network. Then, a r-dimensional reduced-order network is created by imposing a projection matrix P on the n-node open-loop network, and a reduced-order r-dimensional LQR controller is constructed. The resulting controller is, thereafter, projected back to its original coordinates, and implemented in the n-node network. The problem, therefore, is to find a grouping strategy or P that will minimize the difference between the closed-loop transfer matrix of the original network with the full-order controller and that with the projected controller, in the sense of ℋ2 norm. We derive an upper bound on this difference in terms of P, and, thereby propose a design for P using K-means that tightens the bound while guaranteeing numerical feasibility.
Teaching Psychology and Law: An Empirical Evaluation of Experiential Learning

Given the recent proliferation of undergraduate psychology and law courses, there is an increased need to empirically evaluate effective methods of teaching psycholegal material. The current study ...
Issues in the accession of China to the WTO system

China’s chief interlocutors in the negotiations on its accession to the WTO system are the United States, Japan and the European Union. But many smaller countries, developed and developing, also have a stake in the outcome. Because the Uruguay Round negotiations were conducted as a single undertaking, requiring all the participants to be parties to the resulting agreements, the smaller WTO members expect China, Taiwan and other applicants for membership to abide by the club’s rules in much the same way expected of them. This China is prepared to do as a developing country. More is expected, though, of an emerging trading power, even if it is still coping with uncertainties in its transformation into a market economy.
Examining e-cigarette purchases and cessation in a consumer panel of smokers.

Objectives: Examine correlates of initiation of e-cigarette use among smokers and determine the impact of e-cigarette use on cessation among smokers in a national U.S. consumer panel.Methods: This study used the Nielsen Homescan Panel data from 2011 to 2013, augmented with state-specific measures of tobacco control activities, to examine (1) correlates of single and repeat e-cigarette purchasing among panellists currently purchasing cigarettes; and (2) correlates of ‘cessation’. Participating panellists scanned all retail purchases, and Nielsen recorded over 3 million product types. The key explanatory variable for cessation was e-cigarette purchase. Parallel analysis was conducted for conventional nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) purchase. Cessation was defined as no purchases for at least 6 months and no subsequent purchases until the end of 2013. Analysis was conducted in 2015. E-cigarettes tracked by Nielsen during this period were cig-a-like products resembling tobacco cigarettes in appearance.Results: Single e-cigarette purchase was associated with whether the panellist resided in a single person male household and bought a higher volume of cigarettes. Repeat purchase was associated with higher state cigarette taxes, less stringent state public smoke-free policies, lower cigarette prices, and more frequent cigarette purchasing. Cessation was associated with repeat e-cigarette purchasing, repeat NRT purchasing, younger age, lower monthly cigarette volume, less frequent purchasing of cigarettes, less recent cigarette purchase at baseline, and single e-cigarette purchase before baseline.Conclusions: Both individual and policy variables were associated with e-cigarette use. Repeat e-cigarette purchase was associated with cigarette purchase discontinuation, as were various smoking intensity measures.
The Human Heart as a Pump

The human heart is an unusual and efficiently designed pump. Its main function is to pump blood through the entire circulation to meet the hematologic requirements of all cells of the body. This pump is most unusual in that the source of energy for the pump is located in the walls of the pump itself. It also has an unusual circulatory system, a system which must function in an organ which shrinks and dilates many times a day as it pumps blood. The main vessels are located on the surface of the heart, and the smaller vessels which deliver the blood to the cells of the pump penetrate the wall, the source of power. These smaller vessels are so constructed that they can deliver blood to each cell even though the vessels are being firmly squeezed upon during systole and must function in the organ while it is continuously changing in size and shape during the cardiac cycle. The major volume of blood flow occurs during diastole when tissue pressure is lowest. With research and clinical experience the astute and master clinician and cardiologist can determine at the bedside the functional state of the cardiac pump with sufficient accuracy to provide diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
Augmenting and Reducing of Visual Evoked Potentials in High- and Low-Sensation Seeking Humans, Cats, and Rats

High- and low-sensation seeking behaviors in human and cat are shown to be correlated with visual evoked potential (VEP) augmenting and reducing, respectively. Demonstration of this relationship in RHA/Verh and RLA/Verh rats provides a heuristic animal model with which to investigate the physiological and genetic basis of this relationship. Recent work is described which shows that VEP augmenting and reducing is a true cortical phenomenon and not merely a reflection of differences occurring at the thalamus. Recent evidence is discussed that suggests the role of diffuse subcortical monoaminergic projections to the cortex as the neurochemical basis for sensation seeking behaviors controlled by prefrontal and limbic cortex and perhaps the correlated VEP augmenting/reducing responses recorded from the posterior cortex.
High-Wind Drag Coefficient and Whitecap Coverage Derived from Microwave Radiometer Observations in Tropical Cyclones

AbstractOcean surface roughness and whitecaps are driven by the ocean surface wind stress; thus, their values calculated from the wind speed input may vary significantly depending on the drag coeff...
Taking care of business (before class): Information literacy in a flipped classroom

This case study presents the revision of an upper-division one-shot instruction session to include an online tutorial that introduces students to business information sources prior to the library s...
Polyurethane-FRP External Strengthening of RC Beams with No Steel Stirrups

AbstractExternally bonded (EB) fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are an effective means for the strengthening of shear-deficient reinforced concrete flexural members. Previous studies have ...
Development of the construction processes for reinforced additively constructed concrete

Abstract In August 2018, a demonstration/experiment was performed in Champaign, Illinois USA, at the Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) looking at the continuous printing of a 512 ft2 (47.6 m2) reinforced additively constructed concrete (RACC) building. This building incorporated the capability of 3D-printing to produce unique free-form shapes, while utilizing traditional reinforcing methods. Previously, in July of 2017, a more traditional building was 3D printed using a discontinuous concrete printing approach. These demonstrations were performed to determine the feasibility of using additively constructed concrete (ACC) as a material for vertical structural elements. This study explores the differences and similarities of ACC with conventional concrete construction and concrete masonry unit construction. To validate the feasibility of ACC a cost comparison analysis was performed comparing the construction methods used in these demonstrations to conventional concrete masonry unit and cast-in-place concrete construction.
Platelet-rich plasma for muscle injuries: A systematic review of the basic science literature

Platelet-rich plasma for muscle injuries: A systematic review of the basic science literature
Assessing the Contributions of Green Building Practices to Ecological Literacy in the Elementary Classroom: An Exploratory Study.

Ecological literacy in the elementary classroom typically focuses on abiotic and biotic relationships, without including how human activity and ecosystems interrelate. A possible way for students t...
Trust in Public Policy Algorithms

Algorithms are playing an increasingly important role in many areas of public policy, from forecasting elections to predicting criminal recidivism. In most of these cases, the algorithms are viewed as additional tools for use by judges, analysts and policy-makers – a form of hybrid decision-making. But such hybridization relies on the level of trust people have in these algorithms, both by the policy-maker and the public. This paper reports the results of a series of experiments on individual trust in algorithms for forecasting political events and criminal recidivism. We find that people are quite trusting in algorithms relative to other sources of advice, even with minimal information about the algorithm or when they are explicitly told that humans are just as good at the task. Using a conjoint experiment, we evaluate the factors that influence people’s preferences for these algorithms, finding that several of the factors of common concerns for scholars are of little concern for the public.
A High-Resolution 2-D Fiber Optic Inclinometer for Structural Health Monitoring Applications

We report and demonstrate a high-resolution extrinsic Fabry–Perot interferometer (EFPI)-based 2-D fiber optic inclinometer for tilt measurements in two orthogonal dimensions. The inclinometer consists of a pair of perpendicularly arranged EFPI sensors packaged inside a rectangular container box. A triangular-shaped metal prism is attached to the top plate of the container box by three ropes with identical lengths. Two optical fibers are rigidly connected to the top plate of the container box by two supporting rods, respectively. Therefore, two EFPI sensors are formed between the endfaces of two optical fibers and their corresponding side face mirrors. The prism is connected to a cross paddle, which is immersed in a damping fluid to reduce the influence of deleterious vibrations. After tilting, the two reflectors of each EFPI sensor will remain parallel, while the cavity lengths of the EFPI sensors change. Changes in the cavity lengths can be calculated, and the 2-D tilt angles of the inclinometer can be calculated according to the Fabry–Perot principle. The design of the sensor and the measurement principles are discussed. Measurements of the tilt angles of a simply supported beam induced by small loads are presented to verify the tip-angle resolution and uncertainty of the two EFPI sensors in our 2-D inclinometer. The results show the capability for metering tilt angles with high resolution. The 2-D inclinometer was used to continuously monitor the tilt angle of a gravity dam for a one-year period, showing excellent stability and practicability.
Combining Drive Time and Urologist Density to Understand Access to Urologic Care.

OBJECTIVE To improve our understanding of timely access to urologic care, we leveraged driving time combined with a measure of urologist density. MATERIALS AND METHODS We identified all urologists who billed Medicare using National Provider Identifier in 2015 and geocoded their practice location. We developed drive-time based service areas for each provider using Esri's street network dataset stratified into 30, 60, 90, and 120-minute areas. Population characteristics were aggregated and block groups were assigned to a Hospital Referral Region. RESULTS We identified 10,170 urologists that billed Medicare in 2015 in the United States. Compared to the northeast, vast expanses of land across the western United States have drive times to urology care >60 minutes. However, less than 13% of the US population is unable to obtain urologic care within 30 minutes. Likely reflecting rural populations, White and American Indian populations are represented in greater proportion among those requiring a longer drive time to urologic care. Disparities were noted between areas with timely access to a high versus low density of urologists; low density areas have a greater proportion of Black and Asian populations and greater income inequality. CONCLUSIONS Drive time to urologists combined with urologist density is a novel approach to investigating urologic care access and a tool for health disparities research. While almost all of the US population lives within 1-hour drive time to a urologist there remains important differences in the population severed by high compared to low provider density.
Sparse Array Design Utilizing Matrix Completion

Sparse array design has been advantageous in re¬ducing receiver data, system’s hardware and computational costs by the careful placement of available sensors such that the ob¬jective function is optimized. In this paper, we investigate sparse array design for maximizing the Signal-to-Interference plus noise ratio (SINR) which arises frequently in many applications. We propose a design approach which does not necessarily require any a priori knowledge of the interference environment and operates directly on the received data statistics. The data dependent design is achieved by adopting a low rank matrix completion, which ensures the availability of full data correlation matrix against all possible locations. The regularized successive convex approximation (SCA) is utilized to realize sparse beamformer design. We compare the performance of sparse array design with the commonly used arrays in terms of maximizing the SINR and show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm under limited received data snapshots.
Microglial Associated Circadian Rhythms of Perineuronal Net Composition

ABSTRACT Perineuronal Nets (PNNs) are extracellular matrix (ECM) structures that envelop neurons and regulate synaptic functions. Long thought to be stable structures, PNNs have been recently shown to respond dynamically during learning, potentially regulating the formation of new synapses. We postulated that PNNs may vary during sleep, a period of active synaptic modification. Notably, PNN components are cleaved by matrix proteases such as the protease cathepsin-S, synthesized by microglia. Cathepsin-S is expressed in a diurnal manner in the mouse cortex, coinciding with dendritic spine density rhythms. Thus, cathepsin-S may induce PNN remodeling during sleep, mediating synaptic reorganization. These studies were designed to test the hypothesis that PNN numbers vary in a diurnal manner in the rodent and human brain, and in a circadian manner in the rodent brain, in association with cathepsin-S expression rhythms coinciding with reported rhythms in synaptic plasticity. In mice, we observed diurnal and circadian rhythms of PNNs labeled with the lectin wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA+PNNs) in several brain regions involved in emotional memory processing. Sleep deprivation prevented the daytime decrease of WFA+ PNNs. Diurnal rhythms of cathepsin-S expression in microglia were observed in the same brain regions, opposite to PNN rhythms. Finally, incubation of mouse sections with cathepsin-S eliminated PNN labeling. In humans, WFA+PNNs showed a diurnal rhythm in the amygdala and thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Our results demonstrate that PNNs vary in a circadian manner that coincides with expression rhythms of cathepsin-S in the mouse hippocampus. We suggest that rhythmic modification of PNNs may contribute to memory consolidation during sleep.
Modeling fish habitat condition in ice affected rivers

Abstract Hydro-morphological conditions in rivers can change significantly with the presence of ice. These changes can affect fish habitat, which can have important effects on fish mortality during the winter months. It is important to consider thermal-ice processes and their interactions with channel morphology in fish habitat models. In this paper, a review of wintertime fish habitat preference is presented and used to develop recommendations for habitat suitability curves for the winter period. A case study was used to illustrate the importance of considering the winter period when determining changes to fish habitat due to river restoration efforts. The impact of the dam removal on fish habitat quality for both open water and ice affected conditions were evaluated using existing water habitat suitability curves as well as the developed winter curves. River conditions were simulated with a two-dimensional hydro-thermal-ice-sediment river dynamic model coupled with an IFIM and PHABSIM type fish habitat suitability model. The model considers thermal-ice as well as sediment and bed change conditions in rivers to allow for more detailed habitat suitability evaluation than previous models. Simulations show habitat quality will improve for both open water and ice affected conditions in the restored reach of the St. Regis River.
Marginalization Among Blacks in South Africa

The social policy of apartheid was hypothesized to have resulted in high levels of marginalization and lower mental health in Black South Africans. The extent to which this has occurred was examined in a 1995 study of 370 Black South Africans, employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods. An exceptionally high endorsement of marginalization (relative to other modes of acculturation) was found, and low mental health was significantly associated with it. The context of apartheid and the consequences on Black South Africans closely parallels that of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada. In addition to marginalization, Blacks in this study exhibited resilience, determination, and defiance as a response to their oppression, and discovered confidence, pride, and identity in overcoming the difficulties of apartheid. Apartheid seems to have resulted in a duality of consequences for Black South Africans. It appears that apartheid resulted in psychological damage, but it also seems to have elicited responses of resilience, coping and strength. This duality was also found among women who bear the added discrimination of sexism; gender analyses revealed that apartheid has more devastating effects on women, and that they are at higher risk for marginalization than men.
CPR during COVID-19: Use of Expert-driven Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice to Implement PALS Guidelines

The American Heart Association (AHA) and other national institutions have endorsed modifications to resuscitation guidelines given the risk of healthcare workers' (HCWs) exposure to COVID-19. Institutional implementation of the COVID-19-focused guidelines requires both proof of feasibility and education of HCW. Pediatric critical care medical directors at The University of Texas Southwestern/Children's Health System of Texas (UTSW/CHST) created a guideline for the resuscitation of COVID-19 patients. The simulation team used in situ simulation to demonstrate guideline feasibility and to create educational materials. Methods A UTSW/CHST guideline incorporated COVID-19-focused AHA and other national organizational recommendations to fit the institutional needs. A high-fidelity in situ simulation helped test the feasibility and optimize the UTSW/CHST guideline. We developed a novel form of rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP), expert-driven RCDP, in which all simulation participants are experts, to debrief the simulation. Results In situ simulation with expert-driven RCDP demonstrated guideline feasibility in the resuscitation of a COVID-19 patient while balancing the protection of HCW. Expert-driven RCDP allowed for real-time alterations to the guideline during the simulation event. Video recording and dissemination of the simulation allowed for the education of over 300 staff on the new recommendations. Conclusions High-fidelity in situ simulation with expert-driven RCDP created a rapid consensus among expert critical care providers to develop the UTSW/CHST guideline and quickly adopt the new AHA recommendations. This debriefing method helped minimize the risk of HCW exposure by minimizing the number of required participants and time for simulation. We recommend using this distinctive, expert-driven RCDP debriefing method for expeditious testing of COVID-19-focused processes at other institutions.Video Abstract available at: [link forthcoming].
The road towards aggressive pitch scaling with single exposure EUV

In 2015 IBM announced the first 7 nm test chip patterned with Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) technology, enabling 36nm back end of the line (BEOL) metal pitch and self-aligned contact. Five years later, EUV has become the mainstream enabler for 7 nm node manufacturing, including the recent announcement of IBM Power10 high-performance chip. The high-performance definition of this technology, essential to IBMs server chips, has unique requirements that push the process complexity even further. In this paper, we will review some of the challenges and patterning solutions that will allow successful implementation of high-performance design definitions. We will also discuss our current efforts to extend the use of single expose EUV in the printing of interconnects to a second node, over a multi-patterning scheme, by replicating our strategy of co-optimization across all contributors to patterning success. We will review a few examples of this approach, including resolution improvements of our latest NXE3400 EUV system, all of which have allowed us to realize significant yields for our transistor interconnects at 28nm pitch. The entitlement of each process and material will be gauged through a robust characterization methodology that includes an understanding of the defect mode modulated, as well its ultimate correlation to electrical yield.
Field Evaluation of Different Attractants for Detecting and Monitoring Drosophila suzukii

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), more commonly known as the spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), is an invasive pest of soft, thin-skinned fruit responsible for significant economic losses for farmers and growers worldwide. To improve detection methods, several lures have been developed for use in trapping SWD, however, they lack selectivity. Therefore, there is a significant need for more selective monitoring devices to enable growers to make timely pest management decisions to properly protect vulnerable crops. Previous studies identified a quinary blend (QB) that offers significantly higher selectivity by increasing SWD captures while reducing non-target captures, compared with the standard apple cider vinegar bait. In this study, the selectivity and efficacy of the QB was compared to two commercially available (Scentry and Trece) SWD lures across blueberry and raspberry fields in Maryland, West Virginia, and New Jersey. A formulated version of the QB consistently had higher selectivity within the blueberry and raspberry field sites compared with commercial lures; although efficacy was compromised such that total SWD captures per trap tended to be lower. The selectivity ratio range of SWD to non-targets for a QB-based (ChemTica) lure averaged 15-57% compared with other commercial lures that ranged from 1-30%. Due to high selectivity of the formulated version of the QB, the potential for this lure to be utilized by growers as a SWD monitoring tool is high.