cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heat waves measured with MODIS land surface temperature data predict changes in avian community structure

Heat waves are expected to become more frequent and severe as climate changes, with unknown consequences for biodiversity. We sought to identify ecologically-relevant broad-scale indicators of heat waves based on MODIS land surface temperature (LST) and interpolated air temperature data and assess their associations with avian community structure. Specifically, we asked which data source, time periods, and heat wave indices best predicted changes in avian abundance and species richness. Using mixed effects models, we analyzed associations between these indices and data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey in the central United States between 2000 and 2007 in four ecoregions and five migratory and nesting species groups. We then quantified avian responses to scenarios of severe, but commonly-occurring early, late, and summer-long heat waves. Indices based on MODIS LST data, rather than interpolated air temperatures, were more predictive of avian community structure. Avian communities were more related to 8-day LST exceedances (positive anomalies only); and were generally more sensitive to summer-long heat waves. Across the region, abundance, and to a lesser extent, species richness, declined following heat waves. Among the ecoregions, relationships were most consistently negative in the southern and montane ecoregions, but were positive in a more humid northern ecoregion. Among migratory groups, permanent resident species were the most sensitive, declining in abundance following a summer-long heat wave by 19% and 13% in the montane and southern ecoregions, respectively. Ground-nesting species, which declined in the south by 12% following a late summer heat wave, were more sensitive than avifauna overall. These results demonstrate the value of MODIS LST data for measuring ecologically-relevant heat waves across large regions. Ecologically, these findings highlight the importance of extreme events for avian biodiversity and the considerable variation in response to environmental change associated with different functional groups and geographic regions. The magnitude of the relationships between avian abundance and heat waves reported here raises concerns about the impacts of more frequent and severe heat waves in a warming climate.
Electrospinning Nanofibers of PANI/PMMA Blends

Electrically conducting organic polymers are a novel class of ‘synthetic metals’ that combine the chemical and mechanical properties of polymers with the electronic properties of metals and semiconductors. Electronically conducting polymers have been studied extensively owing to their applications in energy conversion devices, sensors, electro chromic devices, electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI), electronic circuits etc. Polyaniline - an organic conducting polymer - has been blended with poly methyl methacrylate and the blends have been electrospun to produce conducting nanofibers. The electrospun blends have been characterized to study fiber morphology and formulate conditions for nanofiber formation.
Foreign Language Teaching Reform and Improvement of College English Teaching Quality

With the development of China’s reform and opening, it is quite necessary for Chinese college students to improve their English competence, hence calling for reform in current college English teaching and strengthening practical English teaching. After analyzing the problems in China’s English teaching, this article puts forward some solutions.
Arm Complications After Manual Whole Blood Donation and Their Impact

Arm complications after whole blood donation occur in approximately 30% of donations. The 2 most common arm complications are contusion/hematoma (23%) and arm pain (10%). A variety of arm complications were evaluated from a national donor complication database, clinical studies, and review of the literature. The incidence of nerve injuries, arterial punctures, contusions/hematomas, and other complications were based on observations and reports at blood drives, interviews 3 weeks after donations, and donor reports of outside medical care. The clinical course of each complication is described.
The Impact of a Student-Driven Social Marketing Campaign on College Student Alcohol-Related Beliefs and Behaviors:

Researchers examined a student-driven campaign intended to reduce high-risk drinking at a Midwestern, public research university in the United States. The campaign was implemented as part of a comp...
The prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes mellitus and the association of baseline glycemic control on mortality in the intensive care unit: A prospective observational study

Abstract Purpose Hyperglycemia is common during critical illness and can adversely affect clinical outcomes. We sought to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes among medical intensive care unit (MICU) patients with stress hyperglycemia and the association between baseline glycemic control and mortality. Materials and methods A prospective, observational cohort study was performed at a tertiary care MICU. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were obtained from any patient who developed hyperglycemia and all known diabetic patients. We assessed the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes (defined by HbA1c) among patients with stress hyperglycemia, and the association between baseline glycemic control and mortality. Results We enrolled 299 patients. One hundred two (34.1%) had no history and 197 (65.9%) had a history of diabetes. Of the nondiabetic patients, 14 (13.7%) had an HbA1c of at least 6.5%. There was a significant difference in mortality between patients with HbA1c less than 6.5% and those with HbA1c of at least 6.5% (19.3% vs 11.7%, P = .038), despite similar Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores. There was no significant difference in demographic characteristics between these groups. Multivariable logistic regression revealed lower HbA1c levels to be significantly associated with increased hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-2.85; P = .001). Conclusion A significant number of MICU patients with stress hyperglycemia have undiagnosed diabetes. Hyperglycemia with lower baseline HbA1c was associated with increased mortality.
How can symposia be structured to benefit both industry and academia

The purpose of this panel is to discuss a format for sharing research results and technological advances in a symposium setting such that those from academia, industry, and government agencies mutually benefit. The panelists are asked to present the objectives and benefits of symposia participation from the varying perspectives, discuss the risks that arise from such interactions, and suggest the requirements that symposia would need to meet in order to realize the benefits while minimizing the risks.
Ovarian reserve status in young women is associated with altered gene expression in membrana granulosa cells

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is a challenging diagnosis of infertility, as there are currently no tests to predict who may become affected with this condition, or at what age. We designed the present study to compare the gene expression profile of membrana granulosa cells from young women affected with DOR with those from egg donors of similar age and to determine if distinct genetic patterns could be identified to provide insight into the etiology of DOR. Young women with DOR were identified based on FSH level in conjunction with poor follicular development during an IVF cycle (n = 13). Egg donors with normal ovarian reserve (NOR) comprised the control group (n = 13). Granulosa cells were collected following retrieval, RNA was extracted and microarray analysis was conducted to evaluate genetic differences between the groups. Confirmatory studies were undertaken with quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Multiple significant differences in gene expression were observed between the DOR patients and egg donors. Two genes linked with ovarian function, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHCGR), were further analyzed with qRT-PCR in all patients. The average expression of AMH was significantly higher in egg donors (adjusted P-value = 0.01), and the average expression of LHCGR was significantly higher in DOR patients (adjusted P-value = 0.005). Expression levels for four additional genes, progesterone receptor membrane component 2 (PGRMC2), prostaglandin E receptor 3 (subtype EP3) (PTGER3), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and StAR-related lipid transfer domain containing 4 (StarD4), were validated in a group consisting of five NOR and five DOR patients. We conclude that gene expression analysis has substantial potential to determine which young women may be affected with DOR. More importantly, our analysis suggests that DOR patients fall into two distinct subgroups based on gene expression profiles, indicating that different mechanisms may be involved during development of this pathology.
Can Traditional Divergent Thinking Tests Be Trusted in Measuring and Predicting Real-World Creativity?

Derived from the psychometric tradition of creativity research, divergent thinking (DT) tests are the major instrument for measuring people's creative potential. Although still prevalent, DT testing has received substantial criticism of its validity and practical value. This article focuses on the issue of how to reliably and validly assess and predict people's real-world creative potential. Based on reviews of the literatures on the concept of creativity, creative thinking process, the psychometric approach, and DT tests, we examine 6 major weaknesses of traditional DT instruments: lack of construct validity; not testing the integrated general creative process; neglect of domain specificity and expertise; and poor predictive, ecological, and discriminant validities. This evaluation calls for development of improved psychometric instruments to better capture people's creativity in specific professional domains of interest. Broadening the conceptions of creativity and assessment instruments should allow de...
DYNAMIC SLIDING MANIFOLDS FOR REALIZATION OF HIGH INDEX DIFFERENTIAL-ALGEBRAIC SYSTEMS

Differential-algebraic equation (DAE) systems present a number of difficult problems in nonlinear simulation and control. One of the key difficulties is that DAEs are not expressed in an explicit state space form required by many simulation and control design methods. In this paper, the problem is addressed using a new approach that constructs an explicit state space approximation of the DAEs using a sliding controller. The state space model can in turn be used with existing nonlinear control and simulation methods. This procedure, known as realization, is achieved by developing a boundary layer sliding controller with a dynamic sliding manifold. The approach builds on previous realization methods proposed by the author that employ a static sliding control surface. The approach is generalized by employing a dynamic sliding manifold which allows much greater freedom in determining optimality, robustness, and convergence of the realization than previous methods allow. The necessary criteria for key properties such as convergence, stability, and controllability of this new method are proven using a special type of sliding normal form. Furthermore, the important property of observability for sliding realizations is established for the first time by analyzing the convergence of local eigenvectors of the approximation. Together these results establish a new general framework for realization of a large class of nonlinear high index DAE systems.
Co‐evolution of MHC class I and variable NK cell receptors in placental mammals

Shaping natural killer (NK) cell functions in human immunity and reproduction are diverse killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) that recognize polymorphic MHC class I determinants. A survey of placental mammals suggests that KIRs serve as variable NK cell receptors only in certain primates and artiodactyls. Divergence of the functional and variable KIRs in primates and artiodactyls predates placental reproduction. Among artiodactyls, cattle but not pigs have diverse KIRs. Catarrhine (humans, apes, and Old World monkeys) and platyrrhine (New World monkeys) primates, but not prosimians, have diverse KIRs. Platyrrhine and catarrhine systems of KIR and MHC class I are highly diverged, but within the catarrhines, a stepwise co-evolution of MHC class I and KIR is discerned. In Old World monkeys, diversification focuses on MHC-A and MHC-B and their cognate lineage II KIR. With evolution of C1-bearing MHC-C from MHC-B, as informed by orangutan, the focus changes to MHC-C and its cognate lineage III KIR. Evolution of C2 from C1 and fixation of MHC-C drove further elaboration of MHC-C-specific KIR, as exemplified by chimpanzee. In humans, the evolutionary trajectory changes again. Emerging from reorganization of the KIR locus and selective attenuation of KIR avidity for MHC class I are the functionally distinctive KIR A and KIR B haplotypes.
Microwave characterization of corner reflector p-doped multiple quantum-well lasers

We report on the dc and microwave characterization of p-doped multiple quantum-well strained layer lasers with single-ended output provided by the use of a total-internal-reflector corner facet formed with chemically assisted ion beam etching. Mesa geometry devices suitable for on-wafer microwave probing with 150 /spl mu/m cavity lengths have threshold currents of 12 mA and bandwidths of 20 GHz. Damping rates as a function of the square of resonance for corner reflector (CR) devices and standard devices with two plane mirrors mere compared, showing that the high speed characteristics of CR devices were quite similar to standard devices. Simplicity in processing and single-sided output makes these lasers ideal candidates for efficient, broad bandwidth optical sources suitable for monolithic integration into OEICs. >
On the Design of Modern Multilevel Coded Modulation for Unequal Error Protection

Different error protection capabilities associated with different bit positions in a constellation are utilized to provide unequal error protection (UEP) with multilevel coding (MLC) on AWGN and fast/slow fading channels. Unlike previous work on this problem, the design tool in this paper is the symmetric information rate (SIR), which is well suited to the use of modern component codes. The constellation design problem is addressed from two perspectives: bits-to-symbol mapping, and positions of constellation points. Design guidelines of MLC for UEP are presented, and examples are shown to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. It is further shown that the proposed design is especially desirable for communication over a slow-fading wireless channel, as it allows for a gradual performance degradation with the decreasing receive SNR. Throughput advantages are shown to support this claim.
Separation of Light Hydrocarbons on Micropacked Bidentate Alkylsilane Silica Columns by Gas Chromatography

Micropacked bidentate alkylsilane silica columns are prepared and characterized for the separation of light hydrocarbons by gas chromatography. The chromatographic and kinetic properties of the phases are examined, and the results are reported. The results show that a column packing chemically modified with 1,1,4,4-tetramethyl-1,4-dichlorodisilylethylene exhibits better separation performance probably due to effective dispersive interactions between the solutes and the stationary liquid phase. A 3.0-m column of this packing material provides a good, rapid separation of a mixture of 10 hydrocarbons at a lower column head pressure under isothermal conditions.
Elaboration of Relationships Among Variables of Pharmacy Patronage: A Basis for Establishing a Theory

This paper describes conditional analyses of two independent variables, source type and patronage factors, and two dependent/response variables, percentage of very satisfied patrons and percentage of loyal patrons (those not changing source of prescriptions durmg the prior five years). Various types of relationships and variables are described and applied to these data. The data were obtained by a mail survey of 3,000 households which yielded 1,248 (42%) usable responses. The relationships were primarily of the asymmetric type. The two independent variables did not meet the test for intervening or antecedent status; however, patronage factors functioned as facilitating variables for source type, and they were necessary conditions for much of the influence source type exerted on the response variables. The relative strengths and the cumulative effects of the independent variables were assessed.
Race independently impacts outcome of infrapopliteal bypass for symptomatic arterial insufficiency.

The impact of racial background on the outcome of lower extremity revascularization is unknown because a majority of studies have a preponderance of white patients. The charts of patients between 1988 and 2004 requiring infrapopliteal lower extremity revascularization were reviewed. Life-table analyses, the Cox proportional hazards model, and log-rank test were used to calculate graft patency and limb salvage. Bypasses were performed on 236 limbs in 225 patients. Mean follow-up was 18 ± 1.5 months. Twenty-eight (12%) bypasses were performed on whites, 43 (18%) on African Americans, 148 (63%) on Hispanics, and 17 (7.2%) on patients of other races. African American race negatively correlated with primary-assisted patency (hazard ratio 2.9, P = .03), secondary patency (hazard ratio 3.64, P = .02), and limb salvage (hazard ratio 8, P = .006) compared with whites. African American race has a negative impact on the long-term outcome of infrapopliteal revascularization, regardless of disease stage or associated ...
The Lex Pompeia and the Poena Cullei

When the South Sea Bubble burst, a passionate member of the British Parliament called for the application of the Lex Pompeia on Parricides to those who had defrauded the nation. Just as the Romans, he argued, face to face with a monstrous and unprecedented crime, devised for it a monstrous and unprecedented punishment, so the British were invited to tie the directors of the South Sea Company into sacks with a dog, a cock, a viper and an ape in each, and sink them in the Thames.
Reconciling perspectives of software logic testing

Many software logic test coverage criteria have emerged over the past several years; however, they are scattered throughout the literature. The goal of this paper is to describe the various logic tests and explain their rationale in a centralized location in order to aid software testers in their decisions about which to implement. Each logic test is examined in terms of its minimum and maximum test sizes, subsumption relationship to other logic tests, and its fault detection capability. It is shown that although semantic tests generally have a smaller test size, syntactic tests are better in terms of fault detection capability. Furthermore, it is shown that the syntactic tests subsume their semantic counterparts. Two new software faults are introduced to Kuhn's fault hierarchy, namely the term insertion fault and the term negation fault, and the fault detection capability of the logic tests with respect to these faults is examined. A new software testing criterion called multiple unique true point-near false point (MUTP-NFP) is also presented, with a description of its benefits and limitations. Specifically, a detailed comparison of the MUTP-NFP criterion and the CUTPNFP-MNFP-MUTP criterion is given. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Linking fire history to successional changes of xeric oak woodlands

Science-based information is needed that quantitatively links changes in fire regimes to vegetation succession, while offering a context for fire management. To demonstrate an approach to filling this need, we reconstructed the fire, vegetation, and environmental history at four oak woodland sites in Oklahoma and discussed the information relevance to local and regional fire issues. During the last three centuries, fire regimes were temporally and spatially dynamic while progressing through stages that corresponded to cultural and land use changes. Each stage appeared to be characterized by a different mode of fire frequency, severity, and extent. Stage changes corresponded with tree establishment patterns that are reflected in the present vegetation structure and demographics. Decreased fire occurrence in the early 20th-century led to the establishment of a major oak cohort that has since experienced failed recruitment and invasion by eastern redcedar. A past pivotal role of humans in maintaining frequent fire regimes and influencing vegetation is suggested and has important implications for present day natural community restoration and fire management. We suggest that long-term fire history and vegetation data provide critical perspective on ecosystem change and that these data are essential for guiding prescribed fire management, particularly of fire-adapted vegetation and communities such as oak woodlands.
Genetic loci for pathological myopia are not associated with juvenile myopia.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate chromosomal regions previously linked to pathological myopia for linkage to juvenile myopia in a sample of myopic children and their families. Of 125 families with a myopic child participating in the Orinda longitudinal study of myopia, 53 submitted 221 buccal swab samples for genetic analysis. Myopia in proband children was defined as -0.75 D or more myopia in both meridians on cycloplegic autorefraction (1% tropicamide). Affected status in parents and siblings was obtained by survey. DNA was extracted from buccal mucosal cells, amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and then analyzed with seven markers for chromosome 12 and five markers for chromosome 18 in the regions previously associated with pathological myopia. LOD scores were not significant for any marker tested. The largest positive LOD score was 0.15 for GATA30F04. Model-free methods using a SimIBD approach suggested a possible linkage at one marker, GATA6H09 (P = 0.003), but these results were not supported by transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) analysis. The statistical power to detect LOD scores of > or =1.0, assuming homogeneity, was estimated at 93.2%. We found no confirmatory evidence of linkage between juvenile myopia and regions of chromosomes 12 and 18 previously associated with pathological myopia.
Conservative management of chronic mallet finger

Ten cases of chronic mallet fingers that were 4 to 18 weeks old were treated conservatively by immobilization of the distal interphalangeal joint in extension for 8 continuous weeks and for 2 more weeks at night. With a stringent rating system, there were five excellent, four good, and one fair end result. Two patients had recurrence of the deformity within a week after treatment, and both fully recovered after 8 weeks of further splinting. Splinting is a predictable, safe, and simple method of treatment for chronic mallet fingers.
Early East Brazilian Uplands

relative time period: Follows the Late Paleoindian tradition, precedes the Late East Brazilian Uplands tradition.
Fade to white or stereotype : patriarchal policing of gender norms in television and filmic representations of childbirth

Drawing on the examination of five feature films, including Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, and more than half-a-dozen popular television programmes, including Parenthood, The L Word and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, this work argues that dominant cultural representations foster a narrow and potentially damaging, disempowering and dehumanising depiction of childbirth. Together these works foster a dominant conceptualisation and representation of childbirth that narrowly represents childbirth, emphasising themes including 'bitter birth' or birth as affliction, a reproductive double bind affirming women's fundamental procreative role while also pathologising their reproductive processes, and the trivialisation of women's birthing agency through the broad failure to recognize maternal magnificence. This work further argues that dominant representations of maternity pervading mass media, as indicated in the examined examples, normalise patriarchal gender roles, particularly emphasised femininity, and mark gender noncomformists as deviant. The promotion of such norms is clear in contemporary cultural depictions of childbirth, including birth-related hit films such as Knocked Up and The Back-up Plan. In the last of these an important component of patriarchal gender codes is further shown to include heteronormativity.
Introduced Amino Terminal Epitopes Can Reduce Surface Expression of Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors

Epitopes accessible on the surface of intact cells are extremely valuable in studies of membrane proteins, allowing quantification and determination of the distribution of proteins as well as identification of cells expressing large numbers of proteins. However for many membrane proteins there are no suitable antibodies to native sequences, due to lack of availability, low affinity or lack of specificity. In these cases the use of an introduced epitope at specific sites in the protein of interest can often provide a suitable tool for studies. However, the introduction of the epitope sequence has the potential to affect protein expression, the assembly of multisubunit proteins or transport to the surface membrane. We find that surface expression of heteromeric neuronal nicotinic receptors containing the α4 and β4 subunits can be affected by introduced epitopes when inserted near the amino terminus of a subunit. The FLAG epitope greatly reduces surface expression when introduced into either α4 or β4 subunits, the V5 epitope has little effect when placed in either, while the Myc epitope reduces expression more when inserted into β4 than α4. These results indicate that the extreme amino terminal region is important for assembly of these receptors, and demonstrate that some widely used introduced epitopes may severely reduce surface expression.
MUTANT IDH1 SUPPRESSES APOPTOSIS REGULATOR PAR-4 IN GLIOMAS

BACKGROUND: Glioma-associated mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) alter its catalytic properties, leading to the production of D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2-HG). This promotes hypermethylation and inhibits differentiation, but its full range of effects remains unclear. In pediatric acute myeloid leukemias, the presence of mutant IDH1 is associated with upregulation of Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4), which promotes cancer-selective apoptosis. Because of this, and because very little work has been done studying Par-4 in gliomas, we tested the effect of mutant IDH1 on Par-4 in these tumors. METHODS: Par-4 expression was measured via western immunoblots in cell cultures and immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded tumor tissue microarrays. Par-4 mRNA levels and stability were measured using RT-PCR, cycloheximide, and actinomycin D assays.Par-4 promoter activity was studied with a luciferase reporter assay. Glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines and patient-derived stem cells were infected via lentivirus with either the Selective for Apoptosis induction in Cancer cells (SAC) domain of Par-4 or with control plasmid, for in vitro studies as well as prior to intracerebral injection in nude mice. External validation datasets included The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the REpository for Molecular BRAin Neoplasia DaTa (REMBRANDT). RESULTS: In vitro treatment with exogenous unmodified D-2-HG or expression of R132H IDH1 downregulates Par-4 in GBM cells. This occurs by inhibition of Par-4 promoter activity as well as by acceleration of Par-4 mRNA degradation, but not direct promoter hypermethylation. In patients, Par-4 expression is markedly lower in IDH1-mutant high grade gliomas, both in our cohort (P = 0.003) as well as in GBMs from TCGA (P = 0.008). Expression of the SAC domain of Par-4 induces apoptosis in GBM cells. When GBM stem cell intracranial xenografts express SAC, mice have longer median survival compared to controls (30 vs 23 days, P = 0.016). Among high-grade gliomas that are IDH1 wild-type, those that express Par-4 have significantly longer median survival (18.4 versus 8.0 months, P = 0.002), a finding confirmed in external GBM cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that a.) Mutant IDH1 and D-2-HG can affect protein expression independent of direct gene hypermethylation, b.) Suppression of Par-4 may contribute to IDH1-mutant tumorigenesis; c.) While this might seem to be a paradoxical effect of mutant IDH1 given its association with better prognosis, not all its activities will be “favorable” or the mutation would not be so prevalent in gliomas; d.) Regardless of IDH1 status, Par-4 may be an effective sensitizer of gliomas to apoptosis. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Tumor Biology.
The Tempest and the New World

S HAKESPEARE SETS THE ACTION of The Tempest on an island in the Mediterranean, an island somewhere between Naples and Tunis. Yet there appear to be, at the very least, several glances in the play toward the New World. Ariel speaks of fetching magic dew from the "still-vex'd Bermoothes" (I. ii. 229). Caliban says that Prospero's Art is powerful enough to control the god worshiped by Caliban's mother and, apparently, by Caliban, a god named "Setebos" (I. ii. 375; V. i. 261), who was in fact worshiped by South American natives. Trinculo mentions the English willingness to pay a fee "to see a dead Indian" (II. ii. 33). And Miranda exclaims upon seeing the courtiers resplendent in their finery: "O brave new world / That has such people in 't!" (V. i. 182-83).I
EFFECT OF VASOPRESSIN ON CALCIUM AND SODIUM EXCRETION IN HYDRATED NORMAL SUBJECTS.

SummaryIn 9 healthy men doses of Arginine-8-Vasopressin and Lysine-8-Vasopressin from 5.5 to 20 mM which produced decreases in free water clearance (ch2o) of 4 to 112% had no significant effect on calcium or sodium excretion.
Von der Erkenntnistheorie zu logistischen Konstitutionssystemen

Dieses Kapitel gilt der Darlegung, wie Russell den erkenntnistheoretischen Streit um die Existenz der Ausenwelt in einen Vergleich von verschiedenen sprachlichen Systemen verwandelt hat. Es soll damit gezeigt werden, welchen Einflus die logische Analyse der Sprache auf die philosophische Problematik ausgeubt hat.
Incorporation of manufacturing information into an MDO environment

The Paper describes a metal and composite recurrent cost model of a large civil aircraft wing structure for a multidisciplinary design, analysis and optimisation (MDO) environment. The work was part of a recent European MDO project (BE95-2056) which investigated methods for the integration of structures, aerodynamics, dynamics and manufacturing cost at the preliminary design stage. The paper discusses the cost modelling approach, which is based on parametric and process cost model methods, and the integration of the cost models into an MDO process. Results for the cost models are shown. A framework has been successfully developed which allows the incorporation of manufacturing cost models into an MDO environment. It allows a designer to evaluate cost changes with respect to specific design changes such as rib pitch, stringer pitch, wing area and wing sweep.
Evaluating Indent Pile-Up with Gold Films on Non-Plastically Deforming Substrates

This work focused on ascertaining the effect of pile-up during indentation of thin films on substrates. Conventional understanding has postulated that differences in contact area resulting from pile-up or sink-in significantly alter the extraction of material properties. In this work, the specific case of pile-up with compliant, plastically deforming films on stiff, non-plastically deforming substrates was studied. Several literature methods to assess pile-up were leveraged, and a new technique was developed and validated to quantify projected pile-up. Indentation testing was performed on gold films of multiple thicknesses on several ceramic-based substrates. The results indicated that the degree of pile-up was solely a function of indent depth into the film. Pile-up was not influenced by film thickness or substrate elastic modulus. In other words, the pile-up development was insensitive to the presence of the substrate and how it contributes to the composite’s elastic properties. In such case, if the elastic response of the film/substrate composite was independent of the degree of pile-up, then elastic data acquired from unloading did not require a contact area correction. The findings are confirmed using the Zhou–Prorok model for extracting film elastic properties for both gold and platinum films.
Tracking Invisible Transformations of Physisorbed Monolayers: LDI-TOF and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry as Complements to STM Imaging.

Triphenyleneethynylene (TPEE) derivatives bearing one long aliphatic chain on each terminal aryl ring and two short aliphatic chains on the central aryl ring (core chains) self-assemble single component and 1-D patterned, two-component, crystalline monolayers at the solution–graphite interface. The monolayer morphology directs the core chains off the graphite, making them accessible for chemical reactions but invisible to imaging by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This precludes using STM to monitor transformations of the core chains, either by reaction or solution–monolayer exchange of TPEE molecules. Laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI-TOF MS) successfully identifies TPEE compounds within physisorbed monolayers. The LDI-TOF spectra of TPEE monolayer–graphite samples exhibit strong molecular ion peaks and minimal fragmentation or background. LDI-TOF and STM techniques are combined to evaluate monolayer composition and morphology, track solution–monolayer exchange, to id...
Ultrafast Proton Transfer in Polymer Blends Triggered by Shock Waves.

We describe ultrafast proton transfer in the ground electronic state triggered by the use of shock waves created by high-speed impacts. The emission of Nile Red (NR), a polarity sensing dye, was used to probe the effects of shock compression in a series of polymers, including polymer Bronsted bases blended with organic acid proton donors. NR undergoes a shock-induced red-shift due to an increase both in density and in polymer polarity. In blends with poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) and phenol, NR showed an excess shock-induced red-shift with a distinct time dependence not present in controls that are incapable of proton transfer. The excess red-shift first appeared with 0.8 km·s–1 impacts. Occurring in ca. 10 ns, this NR red-shift was caused by the formation of an ion pair created by shock-triggered proton transfer from phenol to PVP.
Biomarkers of Functional Outcome in Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Interplay between Clinical Metrics, CD163, and Ferritin.

Background Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with neurological decline and poor prognosis. Although many etiologic models have been explored, secondary damage caused by continued inflammation and iron exposure from red blood cell lysis may explain poor outcomes at distant follow-up. Examining serum samples of patients with ICH for biomarkers of iron physiology may yield relationships between iron exposure and functional outcomes. Methods The following study retrospectively evaluated 41 patient serum samples obtained 1 day and 7 days post-ictus for CD163, ferritin, and hepcidin concentrations. Functional outcomes, using the modified Rankin Scale, were dichotomized into good (0-3) and poor (4-6). Correlation analysis and logistic regression were used to explore relationships between biomarker values, clinical metrics (such as ICH Score), and functional outcomes at 3 and 12 months. Results Clinical metrics (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, ICH Score, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) were correlated with elevated ferritin levels 7 days post-ictus. Furthermore, it was found that mean CD163 levels on day 1 were significantly associated with functional outcomes at 3 and 12 months; mean serum ferritin concentrations on days 1 and 7 were elevated in those with poor outcomes at 3 months, and day 7 levels were independently correlated with 12-month outcomes. Conclusion Although this study serves to contribute to a growing body of evidence that CD163 and ferritin are biomarkers of functional outcomes, prospective cohort studies may clarify the role of iron-related inflammatory biomarkers as they pertain to neurological decline in patients with ICH.
HTLV-1 Infection and Neuropathogenesis in the Context of Rag1-/-γc-/- (RAG1-Hu) and BLT Mice

To date, the lack of a suitable small animal model has hindered our understanding of Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-1 chronic infection and associated neuropathogenesis defined as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The host immune response plays a critical role in the outcome of HTLV-1 infection, which could be better tested in the context of humanized (hu) mice. Thus, we employ here the Balb/c-Rag1−/−γc−/− or Rag1 as well as Bone marrow-Liver-Thymic (BLT) mouse models for engraftment of human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells. Flow cytometry and histological analyses confirmed reconstitution of Rag1 and BLT mice with human immune cells. Following HTLV-1 infection, proviral load (PVL) was detected in the blood of Rag-1 and BLT hu-mice as early as 2 weeks post-infection (wpi) with sustained elevation in the subsequent weeks followed by Tax expression. Additionally, infection was compared between adult and neonatal Rag1 mice with both PVL and Tax expression considerably higher in the adult Rag1 mice as compared to the neonates. Establishment of peripheral infection led to lymphocytic infiltration with concomitant Tax expression and resulting myelin disruption within the central nervous system of infected mice. In addition, up-regulation in the expression of several immune checkpoint mediators such as programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), T-cell Ig and ITIM domain (TIGIT), and T cell Ig and mucin domain-3 protein (Tim-3) were observed on CD8+ T cells in various organs including the CNS of infected hu-mice. Collectively, these studies represent the first attempt to establish HTLV-1 neuropathogenesis in the context of Rag-1 and BLT hu-mice as potential novel tools for understanding HTLV-1 neuropathogenesis and testing of novel therapies such as immune checkpoint blockade in the amelioration of chronic HTLV-1 infection.
Seasonality of dissolved nitrogen from spring melt to fall freezeup in Alaskan Arctic tundra and mountain streams

Predicting the response of dissolved nitrogen export from Arctic watersheds to climate change requires an improved understanding of seasonal nitrogen dynamics. Recent studies of Arctic rivers emphasize the importance of spring thaw as a time when large fluxes of nitrogen are exported from Arctic watersheds, but studies capturing the entire hydrologic year are rare. We examined the temporal variability of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations in six streams/rivers in Arctic Alaska from spring melt to fall freeze-up (May through October) in 2009 and 2010. DON concentrations were generally high during snowmelt and declined as runoff decreased. DIN concentrations were low through the spring and summer and increased markedly during the late summer and fall, primarily due to an increase in nitrate. The high DIN concentrations were observed to occur when seasonal soil thaw depths were near maximum extents. Concurrent increases in DIN and DIN-to-chloride ratios suggest that net increases from nitrogen sources contributed to these elevated DIN concentrations. Our stream chemistry data, combined with soil thermistor data, suggest downward penetration of water into seasonally thawed mineral soils, and reduction in biological nitrogen assimilation relative to remineralization, may increase DIN export from Arctic watersheds during the late summer and fall. While this is part of a natural cycle, improved understanding of seasonal nitrogen dynamics is particularly important now because warmer temperatures in the Arctic are causing earlier spring snowmelt and later fall freeze-up in many regions.
Greater temperature and precipitation extremes intensify Western US droughts, wildfire severity, and Sierra Nevada tree mortality

AbstractExtensive drought in the western United States (WUS) during the twenty-first century and associated wildfire and tree mortality incidence has highlighted the potential for greater area of severity within widespread droughts. To place recent WUS droughts into a historical context, the authors analyzed gridded daily climate (temperature, precipitation, and climatic water deficit) data to identify and characterize the spatiotemporal evolution of the largest WUS droughts of the last 100 years, with an emphasis on severe cores within drought extents. Cores of droughts during the last 15 years (2000–02 and 2012–14) covered a greater area than in earlier droughts, driven by greater temperature and precipitation extremes. Comparing fire extent and severity before, during, and after drought events using the monitoring trends in burn severity dataset (1984–2014), the authors found fire size and high-severity burn extent were greater during droughts than before or after. Similarly, recent Sierra Nevada fores...
The Better Mix: 1985–1990

In the latter half of the 1980s, Computer started to broaden its range to appeal to both practitioners and researchers.
Methodological considerations of terrestrial laser scanning for vegetation monitoring in the sagebrush steppe

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) provides fast collection of high-definition structural information, making it a valuable field instrument to many monitoring applications. A weakness of TLS collections, especially in vegetation, is the occurrence of unsampled regions in point clouds where the sensor’s line-of-sight is blocked by intervening material. This problem, referred to as occlusion, may be mitigated by scanning target areas from several positions, increasing the chance that any given area will fall within the scanner’s line-of-sight from at least one position. Because TLS collections are often employed in remote regions where the scope of sampling is limited by logistical factors such as time and battery power, it is important to design field protocols which maximize efficiency and support increased quantity and quality of the data collected. This study informs researchers and practitioners seeking to optimize TLS sampling methods for vegetation monitoring in dryland ecosystems through three analyses. First, we quantify the 2D extent of occluded regions based on the range from single scan positions. Second, we measure the efficacy of additional scan positions on the reduction of 2D occluded regions (area) using progressive configurations of scan positions in 1 ha plots. Third, we test the reproducibility of 3D sampling yielded by a 5-scan/ha sampling methodology using redundant sets of scans. Analyses were performed using measurements at analysis scales of 5 to 50 cm across the 1-ha plots, and we considered plots in grass and shrub-dominated communities separately. In grass-dominated plots, a center-scan configuration and 5 cm pixel size sampled at least 90% of the area up to 18 m away from the scanner. In shrub-dominated plots, sampling at least 90% of the area was only achieved within a distance of 12 m. We found that 3 and 5 scans/ha are needed to sample at least ~ 70% of the total area (1 ha) in the grass and shrub-dominated plots, respectively, using 5 cm pixels to measure sampling presence-absence. The reproducibility of 3D sampling provided by a 5 position scan layout across 1-ha plots was 50% (shrub) and 70% (grass) using a 5-cm voxel size, whereas at the 50-cm voxel scale, reproducibility of sampling was nearly 100% for all plot types. Future studies applying TLS in similar dryland environments for vegetation monitoring may use our results as a guide to efficiently achieve sampling coverage and reproducibility in datasets.
Adherence to colorectal cancer screening measured as the proportion of time covered.

Background and Aims Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can reduce CRC incidence and mortality, but measuring screening adherence over time is challenging. We examined adherence using a novel measure characterizing the proportion of time covered (PTC) by screening tests. Methods Eligible patients were age 50 to 60 years and followed at a large, safety-net health care system between January 2010 and September 2014. We estimated PTC as the number of days up to date with screening divided by the number of days from cohort entry until study end, CRC diagnosis, or death. We estimated mean and median PTC and used least-significant difference tests to assess differences in adherence by patient characteristics. Results Of 18,257 patients, most were non-Hispanic black (40.5%) or Hispanic (34.9%) and/or female (62.4%). Approximately 40% (n = 7559) were never screened during the study period; the remaining 10,698 patients completed 19,105 screening examinations (14,481 fecal immunochemical tests [FITs], 4393 colonoscopies, 94 sigmoidoscopies, and 137 barium enemas). Overall, the mean PTC was 29.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.6%-29.5%). Among those who completed at least one screening test (n = 10,698), the mean PTC was 49.0% (95% CI, 48.5%-49.5%). The most common reasons for non-adherence were lack of repeat FIT and no diagnostic colonoscopy after abnormal results for the FIT. The mean PTC increased with the number of primary care visits (0 visits, 21%; 1 visit, 29%; 2-3 visits, 35%; ≥4 visits, 37%; all P Conclusions PTC provides a reliable estimate of screening adherence, capturing breakdowns in the CRC screening process amenable to intervention. Repeat FIT and diagnostic colonoscopy are important intervention targets that may increase adherence in underserved populations.
Testing the applicability of intelligent methods for information retrieval

Presentation de deux evaluations de l'utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle dans les systemes de recherche de l'information, elaborees au Virginia Tech. Le «Composite Document Expert/extended/effective Retrieval» systeme (CODER) est developpe depuis 1985 pour tester l'utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle dans la recherche de l'information. Le «Retrieval Experiment-Virginia Tech On Line Catalog» (REVTOLC) permet de mesurer le service rendu a differents utilisateurs en fonction de differents besoins. Cinquante-trois participants ont ete repartis en 4 groupes d'utilisateurs pour mener a bien cette experimentation des systemes
Impact of the Fukushima Events on Public Preferences and Perceptions in the United States, 2011

The CRESP 2011 post-Fukushima survey included a cell phone component of 25 % in order to avoid potential bias associated with landline only surveys. Sample sizes for the six site-specific studies (Hanford, Idaho, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Savannah, WIPP) were 180 (a total of 1,080 respondents), and the national sample size was 850.
DSS in Healthcare: Advances and Opportunities

Decision support systems (DSSs) in healthcare have generally targeted quality, risk mitigation, productivity, and profitability outcomes of hospitals. This chapter reviews advances made by DSSs in supporting these areas and opportunities that remain. We argue that the role of DSSs in improving learning for decision makers is crucial and present steps to facilitate this. Changes in the behavior of physicians and administrators will be critical to the success of DSSs. We cite information technologies available to improve healthcare decision making and frame research questions for future information systems researchers. Finally, we propose that the future of DSSs in healthcare will involve the development of capabilities to integrate various types of data, recognize patterns, and take proactive actions.