cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bias in determining aluminum concentrations: Comparison of digestion methods and implications on Al management.

Aluminum is an important aquatic contaminant due to its ubiquity, toxicity and low regulatory discharge limits. Aluminum is mobilized in mining related, acidic drainage and is commonly a regulated pollutant. However, while aquatic toxicity studies and toxicity criteria are based on dissolved aluminum(Ald), discharge levels are, for statutory reasons, based on total recoverable aluminum (Alt). The rationale for using total recoverable aluminum recognizes the potential for the release of exchangeable, toxic cations or dissolution of metastable metal flocs in the event the discharge enters an acidic receiving stream. The digestion methods used in determining total recoverable metals are not meant to dissolve aluminosilicate clay particles but we found that they do, resulting in positively biased total recoverable aluminum values. This study explored the interaction between total suspended solids (TSS) and total recoverable aluminum using three digestion methods to evaluate which method introduced the least bias. Using field collected water and sediment samples from two coal mine drainage sites in Central West Virginia, three total recoverable digestion methods (USEPA Method 200.7, M1; USGS In-Bottle method, M2; and a Modified In-Bottle method, M3) were used to determine total recoverable aluminum across a range of total suspended solids concentrations. Baseline simulation experiments were conducted at pH 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 at different total suspended solids concentrations. Results indicated that dissolved aluminum did not respond to increasing total suspended solids concentrations while determined total recoverable aluminum increased with total suspended solids, indicating varying degrees of clay dissolution and, thus bias in the total recoverable aluminum concentration. While all three digestion methods overestimated total recoverable aluminum, at the same total suspended solids concentration, total recoverable aluminum extracted by USEPA Method 200.7 (M1) was much higher than the other two digestion methods (M2 and M3). Total recoverable aluminum from different digestion methods indicated that amount of aluminosilicate clay is digested in decreasing order: USEPA 200.7 (M1) > USGS in-bottle (M2) > modified in-bottle (M3). At pH 2.5, positive bias using methods M1, M2 and M3 was 153-287%, 53% and 40% respectively. Positive bias was greatest at pH greater than 4.5. Methods M1, M2 and M3 yielded positive biases of 660-1060%, 120-360% and 200-320% respectively. The results suggest that USEPA method 200.7 (M1) resulted in the greatest bias. Given its application in determining regulatory compliance, this is an important issue requiring further study.
Powder bed charging during electron-beam additive manufacturing

Abstract Electrons injected into the build envelope during powder bed electron-beam additive manufacturing can accumulate on the irradiated particles and cause them to repel each other. Under certain conditions, these electrostatic forces can grow so large that they drive the particles out of the build envelope in a process known as “smoking”. In the present work, we investigate the causes of powder bed charging and smoking during electron-beam additive manufacturing. In the first part of the paper, we characterize the surface chemistry of a common feedstock material—gas-atomized Ti-6Al-4V powder—and find that a thick, electrically insulating oxide overlayer encapsulates the particles. Based on these experimental results, we then formulate an analytical model of powder bed charging in which each particle is approximated as a capacitor, where the particle and its substrate are the electrodes and the oxide overlayer is the dielectric. Using this model, we estimate the charge distribution in the powder bed, the electrostatic forces acting on the particles, and the conditions under which the powder bed will smoke. It is found that the electrical resistivity of the oxide overlayer strongly influences the charging behavior of the powder bed and that a high resistivity promotes charge accumulation and consequent smoking. This analysis suggests new quality control and process design measures that can help suppress smoking.
Erythropoietin Therapy Does Not Benefit Transfusion-Dependent Primary Myelofibrosis Patients and Treatment Response Is Infrequent with a Baseline Hemoglobin Level ≥ 10 g/dL.

BACKGROUND: The potential risks of tumor growth promotion and thromboembolism associated with erythropoietin (Epo) therapy warrant cautious use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESA). Recent data suggest a surprising and significant association between ESA use and increased incidence of leukemic transformation in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) (data from an analysis separately submitted for American Society of Hematology meeting, 2007). It is prudent, therefore, to avoid unnecessary ESA exposure in PMF, especially in patients with low likelihood of treatment response. METHODS: Diagnosis of PMF was based on World Health Organization criteria. Study inclusion required availability of treatment history with ESA and adequate follow-up. We excluded patients who were receiving hemoglobin-improving agents concomitantly with an ESA, such as prednisone, androgens, danazol, or thalidomide. Transfusion dependency was defined by a history of minimum 2 units of red blood cell transfusions in a 1-month period for a hemoglobin RESULTS: A master database of PMF patients seen at the Mayo Clinic from 1976 through 2006 was queried to identify 43 patients (median age 67 years; 35% females) treated with ESAs and in whom adequate follow-up was available to determine response. Prior to ESA treatment, median hemoglobin was 9.2 g/dL (range 7.0–11.9), and 16 (37%) were red blood cell transfusion-dependent. In 25 patients, pre-treatment serum Epo level was available (median 34 mU/mL; range 2–323). Among the 43 study patients, 16 (37%) were previously treated with other PMF-specific therapies, and 18 (42%) were receiving cytoreductive treatment concurrent with an ESA. Overall, 23% of patients (10 of 43) responded to treatment with ESA. The response rate was 0% (0 of 16) in the transfusion-dependent group compared to 37% (10 of 27) in the transfusion-independent group (p=0.007). Among the transfusion-independent patients, the proportion of ESA responders was significantly higher in the presence of a baseline hemoglobin level JAK2 V617F presence (p=0.69) or its allele burden at time of initial PMF diagnosis (p=0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Clear benefit of ESAs in PMF is limited to red blood cell transfusion-independent patients and those with baseline hemoglobin levels less than 10 g/dL.
A phase 1 study of crizotinib and ganetespib (STA-9090) in ALK positive lung cancers.

8064 Background: Patients with ALK + non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) initially respond to crizotinib, but eventually develop resistance. Treatment of patients with ALK positive lung cancer with HSP90 inhibitors leads to clinical and radiographic response. We hypothesized that treatment of patients with ALK rearranged NSCLC with crizotinib and ganetespib, an HSP90 inhibitor, would be safe. Methods: All patients had ALK rearranged metastatic non-small cell lung cancer not previously treated with crizotinib. Prior chemotherapy was allowed. Patients were treated with crizotinib 250 mg bid continuously; ganetespib was administered intravenously on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. In a standard 3+ 3 design, ganetespib was explored at 3 different dose levels. The primary objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of the combination of crizotinib and ganetespib. Secondary objectives included establishing the safety profile (CTCAE v4) of the combination in patients with ALK+ lung cancer, exploring the...
Genetic resistance to kindling associated with alterations in circuit function.

Abstract How a seizure spreads from a focal onset zone to other regions of the brain is not well understood, and animal studies suggest that there is a genetic influence. To understand how genetic factors may influence seizure spread, we examined whether the kindling resistance of WAG/Rij rats, which are slow to develop kindled motor seizures, is independent of the site of seizure induction and thus a global phenomenon, or whether it is circuit specific. We compared the kindling rates (number of stimulations to induce kindled motor seizures) of WAG/Rij rats to the rates of kindling in Sprague Dawley rats. Both groups underwent a standard hippocampal kindling protocol and a separate group was kindled from the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus, a site that has been previously demonstrated to result in the very rapid development of motor seizures. To examine whether there were differences in the interaction in a circuit involved with the motor seizures, evoked responses were obtained from the prefrontal cortex following stimulation of the subiculum or medial dorsal thalamic nucleus. The WAG/Rij rats once again demonstrated resistance to kindling in the hippocampus, but both strains kindled rapidly from the medial dorsal nucleus. In the WAG/Rij rats there was also a reduction in the duration of the afterdischarge in the frontal cortex during hippocampal stimulation, but there was no reduction during thalamic kindling. The prefrontal cortex evoked responses were reduced following stimulation of the subiculum in the WAG/Rij rats, but the evoked responses to thalamic stimulation were the same in both strains. These findings suggest that there are genetic influences in the strength of the input from the subiculum to the prefrontal cortex in WAG/Rij rats that could explain the resistance to limbic kindling because of reduced excitatory drive onto a key target region.
3-D bioprinting technologies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine: Current and future trends

Advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing have increased feasibility towards the synthesis of living tissues. Known as 3D bioprinting, this technology involves the precise layering of cells, biologic scaffolds, and growth factors with the goal of creating bioidentical tissue for a variety of uses. Early successes have demonstrated distinct advantages over conventional tissue engineering strategies. Not surprisingly, there are current challenges to address before 3D bioprinting becomes clinically relevant. Here we provide an overview of 3D bioprinting technology and discuss key advances, clinical applications, and current limitations. While 3D bioprinting is a relatively novel tissue engineering strategy, it holds great potential to play a key role in personalized medicine.
Cecal versus fecal microbiota in Ossabaw swine and implications for obesity.

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in the onset and progression of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. However, it is not well documented whether the cecal vs. the fecal microbiome is more re...
The British Prose Poem and ‘Poetry’ in Early Modernism

While the prose poem in Great Britain first rose to prominence during the fin de siecle, the form takes on a firmly experimental cast only with the next generation. These early modernist texts, although seldom labelled as ‘prose poems’, participated in the broader redefinition of ‘poetry’ undertaken at the time. In the midst of debates over the difference between poetry and prose, and with the emergence of the Imagiste aesthetic, prose poems became a medium for the presentation of unmediated emotion through destabilizing images and urban fragments that echoed and reacted to new technologies, in the mode of what Andreas Huyssen has defined as ‘metropolitan miniatures.’ This essay examines texts by Jessie Dismorr and John Rodker as examples of the new ‘poetry’ in prose.
Intermediary and Energy Metabolism

The effects of morphine and its analogs on the oxidative metabolism of various tissues in the body have been studied by many investigators, and earlier studies on this subject have been summarized by Krueger, Eddy, and Sumwalt(1) and Reynolds and Randall.(2) While many of the studies were extensive, the experiments were performed on tissues other than brain. The interpretation of data from such studies with respect to analgesia, narcosis, or tolerance that occur in the central nervous system becomes difficult. A brief summary of the effects of narcotic analgesics on the metabolism of various preparations of the brain and on the concentrations of cerebral glycolytic intermediates are presented in this chapter.
Study of the perovskites Pb(NbFe)12O3 and Sr(TaFe)12O3 with the Mössbauer effect

Abstract A study of the compounds Sr(TaFe) 1 2 O 3 and Pb(Nbpe) 1 2 O 3 and the solid solution SrTiO 3 +1·15Sr(TaFe) 1 2 O 3 has been made using the Mossbauer effect of the 57 Fe. The Mossbauer spectra obtained can be interpreted on the basis that the type of ion on the B site of the A BO 3 perovskite structure is random. The principle contribution to the electric field gradient at the iron is due to the polarization of the oxygen which occurs when it is located in between two different charge species. A contribution is also made by the slight distortions from cubicity.
Microclimate of a natural pasture under planted Robinia pseudoacacia in central Appalachia, West Virginia

The conditions under which forages yield more under tree canopies than in open fields are not well understood. This study was conducted to determine how microclimate experienced by forages in central Appalachia is modified by black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) tree canopies. The effect of tree row location relative to forage growing point was evaluated for its impact on soil water, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), red/far-red ratio, and surface soil temperature. There was no consistent spatial dependency relating tree rows to soil water levels. While daily PAR decreased as the time under shade increased, the level of PAR under tree canopies nearly doubled as cloud cover increased from 0 to 25%. The red/far-red ratio decreased from 1.16 to 0.2 over forage growing between tree rows compared to forage within tree rows. Surface soil temperature remained nearly constant (1.5–2 °C increase) during sunny days under tree canopies but increased 8–12 °C by mid afternoon at unshaded sites depending on soil water levels. Forages under black locust trees experienced less extreme variation in both daily PAR and temperature than unshaded forages, thus reducing the metabolic cost of adaptation to extreme conditions.
Treatment patterns for resected gastric cancer using the National Cancer Database.

4061Background: The optimal management of patients with resected gastric cancer remains a therapeutic challenge. Although the benefit of peri-operative chemotherapy or adjuvant concurrent chemoradi...
An Unexpected Result of Meconium Drug Testing.

A preterm infant was born at approximately 35 weeks to a 38-year-old mother following a pregnancy that was complicated by severe preeclampsia. Quantitative drug testing was performed by LC-MS/MS on a meconium specimen from the baby and urine specimens from the mother and baby (Table 1). The listed home medications for the mother included prenatal vitamins, sertraline, and Tylenol #3. View this table: Table 1. Quantitative drug …
Racial Identity: Choices, Context, and Consequences

Greater public visibility, growing social acceptance, and institutional recognition have opened up the opportunity for many contemporary biracial individuals to choose from a variety of racial identity options. Although macro-level (e.g., legal) barriers have all but disappeared, microlevel challenges (e.g., multiracial microaggressions) still persist for some in the growing biracial population. Thus, it is important to understand how racial identity options are exercised differently within and across particular social contexts, and how these options in turn affect biracial individuals’ development. In this chapter, first we discuss theory and research on racial identity and identification among contemporary biracial people, followed by a brief review of work on the contextual factors that influence racial identity formation in this population. Next, we explore extant research on the association of racial identity to a host of developmental outcomes (e.g., depression, self-esteem, psychological well-being, life satisfaction). In recognition of the heterogeneous nature of the biracial population, we review, where available, research for specific biracial subgroups (e.g., Black-White, Latino-White, and Asian-White). Drawing on relevant theory and empirical findings, we will then make specific recommendations on how to support biracial children’s racial identity formation and social-emotional development and on how to enhance biracial adults’ functioning. Finally, we summarize important gaps in current research and identify needed directions for future research.
Extremely high fatigue resistance in an ultrafine grained high entropy alloy

Abstract Fatigue of structural materials is a leading cause of failure and has motivated fatigue-resistant design to eliminate risks to human lives. Majority of conventional materials, including advanced steels and Ni-based superalloys, exhibit limited fatigue endurance limits at ambient temperature. With this in mind, we designed a Cu-containing FeMnCoCrSi high entropy alloy which exhibits a normalized fatigue ratio of ∼0.62 UTS (ultimate tensile strength). Our design approach was based on (a) engineering the γ phase stability to attain sustained work hardening (WH) through delayed γ (f.c.c.) → ɛ (h.c.p.) transformation to hinder fatigue crack propagation and (b) an ultrafine grained (UFG) microstructure to delay crack initiation. We verified that a UFG γ dominant microstructure could provide opportunities for enhanced fatigue resistance, as sustained WH activity strengthened the material locally in the crack plastic zone, thereby validating our expectation that the combination of UFG and transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) is a path to design the next generation of fatigue-resistant alloys.
United States parents' perfectionism, parenting styles and perceptions of specialization in youth sport.

Abstract Objectives This study examined parents’ perceptions of sport specialization within the sampling years of the Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP) (Cote, 1999). Specifically, this study explored if and how parents’ perceptions of sport specialization vary as a function of their own levels of perfectionism and self-reported parenting style. Design Cross-sectional survey. Method Self-report questionnaires were administered to 203 parents of youth sport athletes (ages 6-12) from a range of sports. These questionnaires assessed parents' perceptions of sport specialization as well as their own levels of perfectionism and parenting style. Results Cluster analytic procedures resulted in the identification of four groups of parents who varied from each other in parenting style (permissive, authoritarian, authoritative) and perfectionism (self oriented, socially prescribed, other oriented). MANOVA procedures used to compare the four cluster groups on their perceptions of sport specialization revealed that parents who were in the high permissive and high socially prescribed perfectionism cluster as well as the high authoritarian and high overall perfectionism cluster reported greater support of sport specialization when compared to participants in the high authoritative, moderate self-oriented perfectionism cluster. Conclusion Overall, study findings provided support for the idea that parents’ perceptions of sport specialization are influenced by their parenting style and personal levels and types of perfectionism.
Litigation and the Abolition of the Mandatory Death Penalty

The abolition of the mandatory death penalty in the Commonwealth Caribbean, East Africa, and South Asia was the product of strategic human rights litigation brought by a network of London-based human rights lawyers and their partners on the ground. By petitioning international tribunals and domestic courts, these lawyers successfully cultivated a global body of persuasive jurisprudence that they could cite in future legal pleadings. The transmission of both legal expertise and strategy through transnational litigation networks has diffused a new international norm: namely, that an offender has the right to a sentencing hearing in order to present mitigating evidence and receive a lesser punishment, a norm that is increasingly codified in international law and state practice.
Variation in global transcriptomic response to Perkinsus marinus infection among eastern oyster families highlights potential mechanisms of disease resistance.

Abstract Dermo disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus, negatively impacts wild and cultured Eastern oyster populations, yet our knowledge of the mechanistic bases for parasite pathogenicity and the Eastern oyster's response to it is limited. To better understand host responses to the parasite and identify molecular mechanisms underlying disease-resistance phenotypes, we experimentally challenged two families exhibiting divergent Dermo-resistance phenotypes with the parasite, generated global expression profiles using RNAseq and identified differentially expressed transcripts between control and challenged oysters from each family at multiple time points post-parasite injection. The susceptible and resistant families exhibited strikingly different transcriptomic responses to the parasite over a 28-day time period. The resistant family exhibited a strong, focused, early response to P. marinus infection, where many significantly upregulated transcripts were associated with the biological processes “regulation of proteolysis” and “oxidation-reduction process.” P. marinus virulence factors are mainly comprised of proteases that facilitate parasite invasion and weaken host humoral defenses, thus host upregulation of transcripts associated with negative regulation of proteolysis is consistent with a Dermo-resistant phenotype. In contrast, the susceptible family mounted a very weak, disorganized, initial response to the parasite. Few transcripts were differentially expressed between control and injected oysters, and no functional enrichment was detected among them. At the final 28 d time point 2450 differentially expressed transcripts were identified and were associated with either “G-protein coupled receptor activity” (upregulated) or “microtubule-based process” (downregulated). A handful of protease inhibitors were differentially expressed between control and injected susceptible oysters, but this function was not enriched in the susceptible data set. The differential expression patterns observed in this study provide valuable insight into the functional basis of Dermo resistance and suggest that the timing of expression is just as important as the transcripts being expressed.
Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction Using Endobronchial Valves: How to Do It

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide. Over the last decade, many studies have validated the use of endobronchial valves (EBVs) for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) in patients who are persistently symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy. We aimed to review the literature and describe appropriate patient selection and procedural considerations. BLVR using EBVs leads to an improvement in FEV1, 6-min walk distance, and health-related quality of life. Two valve systems have recently obtained FDA approval for use for this indication. Appropriate selection of the target lobe and assessment of fissure integrity using quantitative imaging software are essential to obtain best possible outcomes. EBVs are a viable treatment option, with manageable complications, for patients with COPD who have hyperinflation and refractory symptoms, when there is complete fissure integrity (no collateral ventilation).
Accessing MIDFIELD: A Workshop for R Beginners

This workshop, similar to our 2018 FIE workshop but revised to reflect participant feedback, introduces data and tools for investigating undergraduate persistence metrics using R. Student record data are from MIDFIELD, a database of registrars’ data from US institutions. The stratified data sample includes demographic, term, course, and degree information for 98,000 students from 1987 to 2016. The midfieldr package provides functions for determining persistence metrics such as graduation rates and for grouping findings by institution, program, sex, and race/ethnicity. The goal of the workshop is to share our data, methods, and metrics for intersectional research in student persistence. The workshop is designed for R beginners.
A New Approach for Hybrid ac-dc Circuit Fault Analysis

Classical fault analysis is a powerful tool for the ac power system fault analysis, which provides the short circuit currents for an effective protection system design. With the rise of dc circuits within the ac grid and the presence of dc loads and power sources, new fault analysis that includes the hybrid system has become an immediate need. Faults at the ac side of the circuit are affected by the dc loads and sources. Thus, a fast and accurate scheme that can analyze the effects of the dc circuit on the ac grid is required. The existing methods for fault analysis of the ac-dc hybrid grids are complex and require different modeling for the ac and dc circuits.This paper aims to extend the results of the classical ac fault analysis to the ac-dc hybrid grids. This will make available the well-developed ac fault analysis methods to the hybrid circuit with accuracy and simplicity. The proposed method finds a Thevenin equivalent of the dc laterals applied to the ac circuit; thus, avoids multiple analyses currently used in ac-dc circuits.
The utility of olfactory function in distinguishing early-stage Alzheimer's disease from HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.

Author(s): Sundermann, Erin E; Fields, Adam; Saloner, Rowan; Gouaux, Ben; Bharti, Ajay; Murphy, Claire; Moore, David J | Abstract: ObjectivesGiven the rising number of older people with HIV (PWH) and the overlap in cognitive dysfunction profiles in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and Alzheimer's disease and its precursor, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), methods are needed to distinguish aMCI/Alzheimer's disease from HAND. As an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease, we examined whether olfactory dysfunction could help to distinguish between aMCI/Alzheimer's disease and HAND among PWH.DesignAn observational cohort study.MethodsEighty-one older (≥50 years) PWH (83% men, 65% white) from the California NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium completed the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT; higher scores = better smell identification) and a comprehensive seven-domain neuropsychological test battery and neuromedical evaluation. HAND was classified via Frascati criteria. High aMCI risk was defined as impairment (g1.0 SD below normative mean) on two of four delayed recall or recognition outcomes (at least one recognition impairment required) from the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised. We examined UPSIT scores in relation to aMCI risk and HAND status, and continuous memory scores considering adjustments for demographics and relevant clinical or HIV disease characteristics.ResultsFifty-seven participants were classified with HAND (70%) and 35 participants were classified as high aMCI risk (43%). UPSIT scores were lower (worse) in the high versus low aMCI risk group [F (1,76) = 10.04, P = 0.002], but did not differ by HAND status [F (1,76) = 0.62, P = 0.43]. UPSIT scores positively correlated with all memory outcomes (Ps l 0.05).ConclusionOlfactory assessments may help in detecting early aMCI/Alzheimer's disease among PWH and allow for appropriate and early disease intervention.
The importance of continued non-pharmaceutical interventions during the upcoming SARS-COV-2 vaccination campaign

Abstract In this communication we assess the potential benefit of SARS-COV-2 pandemic vaccination in the US and show how continued use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) will be crucial during implementation.
Understanding and dealing with hard faults in persistent memory systems

The advent of Persistent Memory (PM) devices enables systems to actively persist information at low costs, including program state traditionally in volatile memory. However, this trend poses a reliability challenge in which multiple classes of soft faults that go away after restart in traditional systems turn into hard (recurring) faults in PM systems. In this paper, we first characterize this rising problem with an empirical study of 28 real-world bugs. We analyze how they cause hard faults in PM systems. We then propose Arthas, a tool to effectively recover PM systems from hard faults. Arthas checkpoints PM states via fine-grained versioning and uses program slicing of fault instructions to revert problematic PM states to good versions. We evaluate Arthas on 12 real-world hard faults from five large PM systems. Arthas successfully recovers the systems for all cases while discarding 10× less data on average compared to state-of-the-art checkpoint-rollback solutions.
Trauma, de Lucy Bond e Stef Craps

En The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991 (1995), el historiador ingles Eric Hobsbawm caracterizo el siglo XX por la cantidad unica de catastrofes humanas, como la Revolucion Rusa de 1917, las dos grandes guerras, las crisis economicas y el genocidio sistematico, evidenciando la relevancia de comprender los diferentes tipos de traumas desencadenados por este contexto. Trauma, de Lucy Bond y Stef Craps, se presenta como una guia necesaria para comprender la elasticidad del termino trauma y su aplicabilidad para estudios culturales y literarios. En este horizonte, Trauma explora las diferentes concepciones del trauma a partir del siglo 19, ademas de presentar posibles definiciones y aplicaciones practicas en el campo de los estudios literarios, reconociendo su difusion como una categoria critica en el ambito academico. Escrito por profesores de los departamentos de literatura inglesa, Lucy Bond de la Universidad de Westminster en el Reino Unido y Stef Craps, de la Universidad de Gante en Belgica, el volumen forma parte de una serie de publicaciones tituladas The New Critical Idiom, cuyo objetivo es dilucidar terminos cruciales para los estudios de teoria literaria de una manera introductoria.
Exploiting Zero Knowledge Proof and Blockchain Towards the Enforcement of Anonymity, Data Integrity and Privacy (ADIP) on IoT

In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been contemplated as the next technological advancement in the era of internet. This paper discloses the architecture of a multilayer, multimode security system for IoT. The proposed system is capable of providing multiple security solutions that support anonymous authentication, device privacy, data integrity, and the detection of device sybil attacks and IoT server spoofing attacks. For IoT access control and authentication, our system can support two modes of operations, one mode endorses protection of device privacy over network, and the second mode relinquishes device identity to establish data tracing during safety critical IoT events. The new security system is incorporated with two crypto approaches, Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) and Blockchain. IoT devices anonymity were achieved via multimode ZKP protocol. Data integrity and protection against sybil and IoT spoofing attacks were maintained via blockchain. Our threats analysis models showed that data modification and data injections attacks are not feasible. A probabilistic modeling of IoT spoofing attack was presented in this paper, it shows that our security system provides high resiliency against such attacks with a probability approaching 1.
Testis Vein Testosterone Falls in the Aging Rat: Refutation of “Dilution” Hypothesis

A proposal that serum testosterone concentration declines during aging In the male laboratory rat because it is diluted in a larger body mass (and larger blood plasma volume) was reexamined. Five age groups were studied: 4, 7, 13, 19, and 24 months of age. Testosterone was measured in both testicular vein and peripheral serum collected from ether-anesthetized rats within 2.5 minutes of removal from the cage. Both testosterone concentrations fell significantly (P < 0.001) at 7 months of age and did not change further in older rats, although body weight continued to increase until 19 months of age. The ratio of testicular vein to peripheral serum testosterone did not change significantly within the age span, although both concentrations (and their ratio) were at their lowest values at 24 months of age. Serum LH did not change significantly at any age. It was concluded that the decline in peripheral serum testosterone in the aging male rat reflects a significant change in testicular function, which first can be observed by 7 months of age. The eflect of dilution on testosterone and possibly on LH is a minor factor during aging.
All-sky imaging observations of conjugate medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances in the American sector

[1] All-sky imaging systems at Arecibo, Puerto Rico (18.3°N, 66.7°W, +28° mag. lat.), and Mercedes, Argentina (34.6°S, 59.4°W, −24.6° mag. lat.), are used to study ionospheric conjugate processes at lower midlatitudes. For the first time in the American sector the simultaneous occurrence in both hemispheres of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances has been observed. The first year of observations yielded 43 nights (∼40%) with simultaneous occurrence of airglow bands. Supporting information from GPS receivers indicate the presence of vertical total electron content variations that correlate with the airglow structures observed with the imagers. Weak phase fluctuations have been measured, indicating that these structures do not produce severe large-scale ionospheric irregularities.
Evaluating the Quality of Synthetic Speech

The utility of text-to-speech systems depends on two aspects of their performance: intelligibility and nateralness. Evaluation of these aspects of synthetic speech provides important information about the performance of a speech synthesizer in comparison to competing products. It can be important for developers to understand where the realitve strengths and weaknesses of a particular synthesizer are so they can assist in development as well as marketing. Diagnostic evaluation directly can assist in the development effort by pinpointing specific problems in synthesis that can be redressed by engineering solutions. This chapter will outline the prinicles that govern the design of tests to measurethe performance of a text-to-speech system. Moreover, we will discuss the factors that influence performance on these tests. Finally, we will review some performance comparison tests used for text-to speech systems.
GrADSolve - RPC for High Performance Computing on the Grid

Although high performance computing has been achieved over computational Grids using various techniques, the support for high performance computing on the Grids using Remote Procedure Call (RPC) mechanisms is fairly limited. In this paper, we discuss a RPC system called GrADSolve that supports execution of parallel applications over Grid resources. GrADSolve employs powerful scheduling techniques for dynamically choosing the resources used for the execution of parallel applications and also uses robust data staging mechanisms based on the data distribution used by the end application. Experiments and results are presented to prove that GrADSolve’s data staging mechanisms can significantly reduce the overhead associated with data movement in current RPC systems.
Unloading the hired gun: Inoculation effects in expert witness testimony.

Abstract The current study investigated the efficacy of inoculation as a trial strategy designed to counter mock jurors' perceptions that an expert is a hired gun in a criminal trial. The effect of narrative and fragmented expert responses to cross-examination questions was also examined. The significant results were that not using inoculation led to higher ratings of expert knowledge compared to other conditions. Response style did not make a difference in the criminal setting. Implications of these results regarding “hired gun” expert witnesses and courtroom persuasion are discussed.
Comprehensive Teacher Induction: Meeting The Dual Needs Of Principals And New Teachers In Rural Schools

This research project is the third in a series of research projects conducted for the purpose of assisting rural school principals create comprehensive first-year teacher induction programs. This project promotes the use of comprehensive teacher induction programs that meet both the needs of school principals, but also the social, personal, and family needs of new teachers starting their education careers in rural schools in South Dakota. The data was collected from previous teacher skills and school traits studies involving school principals and first-year teachers from across South Dakota. This report was created through the Northern State University Teacher Induction Program, a follow-up support and data collection program intended for new teachers entering education upon graduation from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The data collected documents trends and issues and is reported annually to Northern State University School of Education.
A Review of: “Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Libraries and Media Centers 2008 Edition, Vol. 28. Hysell, Sharon Graff, ed.”: Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. 343p. ISBN 978-1-59158-6920. $70.00.

Over the past years, many libraries have been confronted with shrinking budgets and 2009 will be surely be a challenging year to those librarians striving to update and improve their reference coll...
Coping with errors in binary search procedures (Preliminary Report)

We consider the problem of identifying an unknown value xe{1,2,...,n} using only comparisons of x to constants when as many as E of 'the comparisons may receive erroneous answers. For a continuous analogue of this problem we show that there is a unique strategy that is optimal in the worst case. This strategy for the continuous problem is then shown to yield a strategy for the original discrete problem that uses log2n+E.log2log2n+O(E.log2E) comparisons in the worst case. This number is shown to be optimal even if arbitrary “Yes-No” questions are allowed. We show that a modified version of this search problem with errors is equivalent to the problem of finding the minimal root of a set of increasing functions. The modified version is then also shown to be of complexity log2n+E.log2log2n+0(E.log2E).
Enteric bacterial protein AvrA promotes colonic tumorigenesis and activates colonic beta-catenin signaling pathway

Salmonella infections can become chronic and increase the risk of cancer. The mechanisms by which specific Salmonella organisms contribute to cancer, however, are still unknown. Live and attenuated Salmonella are used as vectors to target cancer cells, but there have been no systematic studies of the oncogenic potential of chronic Salmonella infections in cancer models. AvrA, a pathogenic product of Salmonella, is inserted into host cells during infection and influences eukaryotic cell pathways. In the current study, we colonized mice with Salmonella AvrA-sufficient or AvrA-deficient Salmonella typhimirium strains and induced inflammation-associated colon cancer by azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS). We confirmed Salmonella persisted in the colon for up to 45 weeks. Salmonella was identified not only in epithelial cells on the colonic luminal surface and base of the crypts but also in invading tumors. Tumor incidence in the AvrA+infected group was 100% compared with 51.4% in the AOM/DSS group without bacterial gavage and 56.3% in mice infected with the AvrA- strain. Infection with AvrA+ strain also altered tumor distribution from the distal to proximal colon that might reflect changes in the microbiome. AvrA-expressing bacteria also upregulated beta-catenin signaling as assessed by decreased beta-catenin ubiquitination, increased nuclear beta-catenin and increased phosphorylated-beta-catenin (Ser552), a marker of proliferating stem-progenitor cells. Other β-catenin targets increased by AvrA included Bmi1, a cancer stem cell marker, matrix metalloproteinase-7, and cyclin D1. In summary, AvrA-expressing Salmonella infection activates β-catenin signals and enhances colonic tumorigenesis. Our findings provide important new mechanistic insights into how a bacterial protein targets proliferating stem-progenitor cells and contributes to cancer development. Our observations also raise a note of caution regarding the use of mutant Salmonella organisms as vectors for anti-cancer therapy. Finally, these studies could suggest biomarkers (such as AvrA level in gut) to assess cancer risk in susceptible individuals and infection-related dysregulation of β-catenin signaling in cancer.
Effects of Group Composition, Materials, and Developmental Level on Play in Preschool Children With Disabilities

This study examined the effects of play group composition (segregated or integrated) and category of play materials (functional, constructive, or dramatic) on the cognitive level of play, and the relation of level of play to developmental level and language use. Participants were 24 preschool children with developmental disabilities, half assigned randomly to play groups with other children with disabilities (segregated) and half to groups with typically developing peers (integrated). All groups played on separate occasions with each category of materials. Videotaped sessions were transcribed and coded for cognitive level of play. There were no effects for play group composition, but category of play materials, and individual toys within each category, significantly influenced the type of play. Further, the percent children engaged in each level of play, summed across category of materials, was significantly related to measures of cognitive development. In addition, number of different words spoken during...
An Asymptotic Analysis of Differential Electrical Mobility Classifiers

An asymptotic analysis of balanced flow operations of differential mobility analyzers (DMAs) and a new class of instruments that includes opposed migration aerosol classifiers (OMACs) and inclined grid mobility analyzers (IGMAs) provides new insights into the similarities and differences between the devices. The characteristic scalings of different instruments found from minimal models are shown to relate the resolving powers, dynamic ranges, and efficiencies of most such devices. The resolving powers of all of the instruments in the nondiffusive regime of high voltage classifications, R_(nd), is determined by the ratio of the flow rate of the separation gas (sheath or crossflow) to that of the aerosol. At lowvoltage,when diffusion degrades the classification, the OMAC and the IGMA share an R_(nd) factor advantage in dynamic range of mobilities over the DMA, although the OMAC also suffers greater losses because diffusion immediately deposits particles onto its porous electrodes. On the basis of this analysis, a single master operating diagram is proposed for DMAs, OMACs, and IGMAs. Analysis of this operating diagram and its consequences for the design of differential electrical mobility classifiers suggests that OMACs and IGMAs also have advantages over DMAs in design flexibility and miniaturization. Most importantly, OMACs and IGMAs may outperform DMAs for the currently difficult classification of particles with diameters less than 10 nm. On the other hand, DMAs are more amenable to voltage scanning-mode operation to enable accelerated size distribution measurements, whereas it is most convenient to operate OMACs and IGMAs in voltage stepping-mode operation.
Persistent Behavioral Alterations in Rats Neonatally Exposed to Low Doses of the Organophosphate Pesticide, Parathion

Although developmental exposures of rats to low levels of the organophosphate pesticides (OPs), chlorpyrifos (CPF) or diazinon (DZN), both cause persistent neurobehavioral effects, there are important differences in their neurotoxicity. The current study extended investigation to parathion (PTN), an OP that has higher systemic toxicity than either CPF or DZN. We gave PTN on postnatal days (PND) 1-4 at doses spanning the threshold for systemic toxicity (0, 0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg/day, s.c.) and performed a battery of emotional and cognitive behavioral tests in adolescence through adulthood. The higher PTN dose increased time spent on the open arms and the number of center crossings in the plus maze, indicating greater risk-taking and overall activity. This group also showed a decrease in tactile startle response without altering prepulse inhibition, indicating a blunted acute sensorimotor reaction without alteration in sensorimotor plasticity. T-maze spontaneous alternation, novelty-suppressed feeding, preference for sweetened chocolate milk, and locomotor activity were not significantly affected by neonatal PTN exposure. During radial-arm maze acquisition, rats given the lower PTN dose committed fewer errors compared to controls and displayed lower sensitivity to the amnestic effects of the NMDA receptor blocker, dizocilpine. No PTN effects were observed with regard to the sensitivity to blockade of muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors, or serotonin 5HT(2) receptors. This study shows that neonatal PTN exposure evokes long-term changes in behavior, but the effects are less severe, and in some incidences opposite in nature, to those seen earlier for CPF or DZN, findings consistent with our neurochemical studies showing different patterns of effects and less neurotoxic damage with PTN. Our results reinforce the conclusion that low dose exposure to different OPs can have quite different neurotoxic effects, obviously unconnected to their shared property as cholinesterase inhibitors.
Graduate Student Essay The Seizure of Vilna, October 1920

(1961). Graduate Student Essay The Seizure of Vilna, October 1920. The Historian: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 234-246.
Revisiting Optimal Water-Distribution System Design: Issues and a Heuristic Hierarchical Approach

AbstractFor the past three decades, a number of studies have been dedicated to water-distribution system (WDS) optimal design using alternative optimization algorithms. Many of those, however, focused on the introduction and application of new optimization techniques. Application systems optimized in previous studies are generally limited to simple transmission networks, so-called benchmark systems, in which local distribution lines were mostly excluded. Efforts seeking logical approaches to solve complex problems with large number of decisions are lacking. In this paper, logical and efficient approaches that could be utilized to optimize real-life scale WDS by the aid of existing optimization techniques are presented. This study aimed two main objectives: first, the effect of local distribution lines in final system design is investigated, and second, a heuristic to improve the efficiency of meta-heuristic search methods is proposed. Applications to real WDS demonstrate that (1) by integrating the transm...