cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term changes in Lake Ontario rotifer abundance and composition: A response to Cercopagis predation?

Abstract Rotifers and the predatory Cercopagis , Bythotrephes , Leptodora , and Diacyclops were collected from 1984 to 2013 in Lake Ontario. In contrast to a previous study, total rotifer abundance decreased. Of the six common genera, Polyarthra and Keratella abundances significantly decreased; Conochilus , Kellicottia , Synchaeta , and Asplanchna abundances did not. Relative abundances of Conochilus and Keratella remained the same, but relative abundance of Kellicottia increased from 12.6% to 24.7% of the population after 1999. Bythotrephes predation on rotifers was minimal, as this species was not observed in quantity during the summer months when rotifers were present. Although Leptodora and Diacyclops predation cannot be ruled out, populations of these genera were higher prior to th e Cercopagis invasion and did not appear to be causal in the observed decline in rotifers. The changes in rotifer populations observed did coincide with the introduction of the exotic, predaceous cladoceran Cercopagis . Selective feeding on rotifers by Cercopagis was likely, as relative abundance of colonial and loricated large-spine species increased and non-loricated forms such as Polyarthra decreased in abundance and relative abundance. However, with the long-term decrease in chlorophyll and phosphorus, which were reduced to ~ 10 from ~ 25 μg P/L in the late 1990s, a definitive causal factor cannot be determined. The decrease in abundance of total rotifers was likely a response to decreased chlorophyll levels in Lake Ontario, while the change in relative abundance and composition of loricated and colonial forms suggests that a top-down selective response may be occurring.
Template-directed growth of p-bromo­iodo­benzene

Crystals of the title compound, C6H4BrI, were obtained by growth on a two-dimensional self-assembled monolayer template. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 110 K revealed a centrosymmetric structure in which the center of the benzene ring lies on an inversion center and the halogen atoms are statistically disordered. The monoclinic structure reported here is isostructural with p-dibromo­benzene but not with p-diiodo­benzene.
Intense turquoise and green colors in brownmillerite-type oxides based on Mn5+ in Ba2In(2-x)Mn(x)O(5+x).

Brownmillerite-type oxides Ba2In2–xMnxO5+x (x = 0.1–0.7) have been prepared and characterized. Magnetic measurements indicate that manganese in as-prepared samples is substituting predominantly as ...
Single cell Brillouin enhanced four-wave mixing with focusing geometry

Abstract The generation of a phase conjugated signal by single cell Brillouin enhanced four-wave mixing with focusing geometry is reported. A single cell containing the optical nonlinear medium is used simultaneously for conventional stimulated Brillouin scattering and for four-wave mixing. Experiments were performed using both CS 2 and TiCl 4 as the nonlinear medium. These materials have large Brillouin gain but differ greatly in their nonlinear index of refraction, thus the mechanism for four-wave mixing is shown to be due to the Brillouin nonlinearity. An important advantage of this geometry is that the frequency of the phase conjugate signal is not shifted from the input pump frequency. Although these experiments were performed with a relatively low pump/probe ratio, the energy of the generated phase conjugate signal is the same order of magnitude as that generated under much higher pump/probe ratios.
Ionization constants of hydroxy compounds of carbon, silicon and germanium. The novel acidity of the compounds, Ph3MM′Ph2OH

Abstract The hydroxy compounds, Ph 3 MM′Ph 2 OH, (where M and M′  C, Si or Ge) are more acidic by 1.5 to 2.7 pK a units than the compounds, Ph 3 MOH, in dimethyl sulfoxide. This enhanced acidity which is not reflected in the hydrogen bonding studies is explained in terms of an n o → LUMO MM ′ interaction in the conjugate base form.
Ezetimibe in Combination With a Statin Does Not Reduce All-Cause Mortality

Background: Although the ezetimibe-statin combination has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by 12% compared to a statin alone, its effect on hard clinical endpoints such as mortality is less certain. Prior trials evaluated this combination in highly select population groups, but impact on all- cause mortality in the general population has not been reported. Methods: A total of 3,827 subjects who were prescribed either a statin (group 1) or the combination of statin with ezetimibe (group 2) between January 1st, 2005 and January 1st, 2008 were studied. Socio-demographic and clinical variables and mortality records were analyzed. Univariate and stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the impact of ezetimibe on all-cause mortality, controlling for patient characteristics, selected cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, and medications. Results: Group 1 (n = 2,909), and group 2 (n = 918) were similar in regards to most demographic variables, 152 patients died from any cause during the study period. There was no difference in all cause mortality between the groups. Hypertension, higher HDL-C and omega-3 fatty acid use were associated with ezetimibe use in this cohort of patients and were considered as covariates in the analysis. Patients on the drug combination did not experience lower mortality after controlling for covariates and other significant risk factors. Conclusions: No significant mortality benefit was found with the use of ezetimibe in combination with a statin over use of a statin alone. Omega-3 fatty acid use and higher HDL-C demonstrated a substantial survival benefit.
Improving the Power of GWAS and Avoiding Confounding from Population Stratification with PC-Select

Using a reduced subset of SNPs in a linear mixed model can improve power for genome-wide association studies, yet this can result in insufficient correction for population stratification. We propose a hybrid approach using principal components that does not inflate statistics in the presence of population stratification and improves power over standard linear mixed models.
Test results of pre-production prototype distributed ion pump design for the PEP-II asymmetric B-Factory collider

We have built and tested a plate-type pre-production prototype distributed ion pump (DIP) for the PEP-II B-Factory High Energy Ring (HER). The design has been simplified from an earlier design to use less materials and to reduce overall costs. Penning cell hole sizes of 15, 18, and 21 mm have been tested in a uniform magnetic field of 0.18 T to optimize pumping speed. The resulting final DIP design consisting of a 7-plate, 15 mm basic cell size anode was predicted to give the best pumping speed results for the actual varying magnetic field of the HER dipole. A description of the final optimized DIP design will be presented along with the test results of the pumping speed measurements.
Validation of warpage limit for successful component surface mount (SMT)

Coplanarity and flatness of electronic components have been identified as some of the key parameters for a good component surface mount (SMT) along with the associated reflow-profile and moisture condition. Currently, the coplanarity of components is specified at room temperature in industry standards such as JEP95. The current room temperature specifications often fail to ensure proper SMT process as they do not account for temperature dependent behavior of components during reflow process. There is a need to establish a method to better reflect the component behavior. Recently, there was attempt [1] to shift away from room temperature measurement towards a measurement at reflow temperatures. However, before such methods can be implemented, one must determine the limits of solder joint formation with respect to the warpage of components. In order to perform successful SMT assembly, there is need to understand and quantify the boundaries of the geometric relationship among the component, solder paste and board. In order to explore these boundaries, two experiments were conducted; "single solder joint forming experiment", and "bent substrate SMT experiment". The results of these two experiments can then supplement the limited data available in the literature to provide the effect of the coplanarity budget for successful joint formation. A comparison between results shows very consistent trends despite the use of very distinct measurement methods. This work then creates a foundation for developing more robust package requirements to ensure high quality SMT connections.
Impact of preoperative myocardial infarction on surgical outcomes in inpatient orthopaedic surgery.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a preoperative myocardial infarction (MI) on outcomes of inpatient orthopaedic operations.
Review article: the impact of bariatric surgery on gastrointestinal motility.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 34: 825–831 Summary Background Obesity is a major medical problem worldwide. Different treatment modalities have emerged to treat obese patients, but the best long-term results are achieved with bariatric surgery. Currently, the interventions most commonly performed are laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), Roux-en-Y- gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy. Aim To review the gastrointestinal motor complications associated with each of these types of bariatric interventions and the clinical implications of such complications. Methods Search of medical database (PubMed) on English-language articles from January 1996 to March 2011. The search terms used were laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), roux-en-Y-gastric bypass (RYGB), using the AND operator with the terms: complications, motility, GERD, reflux, gastric emptying, esophagitis, dysphagia. Results Of the three bariatric interventions reviewed, LAGB was the most studied. Most studies reported short follow-up, of ≤1 year. Oesophageal motor dysfunction is the most common motility complication following the bariatric interventions that were reviewed and is mainly observed after LAGB. Some data suggest that oesophageal motor function testing predicts development of post-operative symptoms and oesophageal dilation. RYGB offers protection from gastro-oesophageal reflux. Sleeve gastrectomy was the least studied and was associated with an acceleration of gastric emptying. Conclusions The effects of these interventions on GI motility should be considered when selecting patients for bariatric surgery. There is scant information regarding the overall effect of sleeve gastrectomy on gastro-oesophageal reflux patterns and oesophageal motility.
A low-cost high-performance cleanroom enclosure

A conventional laboratory room was converted into a cleanroom for laser microfabrication. These simple techniques resulted in a measured class 100 environment at the surface of the optical table, well beyond the class 1000 design goal. The total conversion costs were approximately 40% the cost of a comparable commercial modular cleanroom, sufficiently inexpensive for the development of microfabrication instructional laboratories.
Factors that Differentiate between Adopters and Non-adopters of E-Commerce: An Empirical Study of Small and Medium Sized Businesses

The study of technology adoption has been a hot topic among researchers in the IS community in recent years. With the increased use of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have taken advantage of the potential benefits that e-commerce can provide. However, a significant number of SMEs have not adopted e-commerce yet. This study surveyed managers/owners of SMEs in the Midwest region of the USA to identify variables that differentiate between adopters and non-adopters of e-commerce. The results suggest that managers/owners most receptive to adopting e-commerce have the financial and technological resources to implement it, see e-commerce as useful for their firms, perceive e-commerce as compatible with preferred work practices, values and culture of their organizations, and feel external pressure to put e-commerce into operation.
Experimental Demonstration of a Hybrid Link for Mitigating Atmospheric Turbulence Effects in Free-Space Optical Communication

Atmospheric turbulence causes severe performance degradation in free-space optical communication links. However, by using a reliable low-bandwidth wireline or RF link in parallel, the performance of such links can be improved significantly. This is achieved by using error correction codes at the transmitter and decoding the received data jointly over the two links at the receiver. Our work describes the feasibility study of such a hybrid link. It is observed that a 10% use of the wireline link can result in more than 8-dB performance gain in the optical link.
Hydrocortisone Suppresses Intranuclear Activator-Protein-1 (AP-1) Binding Activity in Mononuclear Cells and Plasma Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9)

Having demonstrated recently that hydrocortisone (HC) suppresses intranuclear and total cellular nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) and increases inhibitor kappa B (I kappa B) in mononuclear cells (MNC), in vivo, we have now investigated the effect of hydrocortisone on the other major pro-inflammatory transcription factor, AP-1 and the two proteins, MMP-2 and MMP-9, whose transcription is modulated by it. MMP's hydrolyze extracellular matrix proteins and thus, allow the spread of inflammation. HC (100 mg) was given intravenously to eight normal subjects following an overnight fast. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h. MNC were separated and the nuclear fractions and cellular homogenates were prepared by standard techniques. AP-1 binding activity was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 were measured by ELISA. AP-1 binding activity fell significantly at 1, 2, 4 and 8 h. Plasma MMP-2 concentration also decreased significantly at 1, 2, 4 and 8 h while MMP-9 decreased at 1 and 2 h. These data demonstrate that the acute anti-inflammatory effect of HC, in vivo, is, in part, due to AP-1 suppression and a reduction in MMP-2 and MMP-9. Thus, HC may reduce the extracellular spread of inflammation through the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases.
Perhaps it is time for a change in policy on lung cancer screening.

It is time to think seriously about using computed tomography as a screening test for lung cancer. We should include members of society beyond the scientific community in making this decision.
Nebulized Hypertonic Saline for Bronchiolitis in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Acute bronchiolitis is the most frequent lower respiratory tract infection in infants, yet there are no effective therapies available. Current evidence is unclear about the role of hypertonic saline (HS) for the acute treatment of bronchiolitis. Objective To determine whether nebulized 3% HS compared with normal saline (NS) improves respiratory distress in infants with bronchiolitis not responding to standard treatments in the emergency department. Design, Setting, and Participants A randomized clinical trial with blinding of investigators, health care providers, and parents was conducted at a single urban pediatric ED. The participants included children aged 2 to less than 24 months with their first episode of bronchiolitis and a Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument score of 4 to 15 after nasal suctioning and a trial of nebulized albuterol. Interventions Patients were randomized to receive either nebulized 3% HS (HS group) or NS (NS group). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was change in respiratory distress at 1 hour after the intervention, as measured by the Respiratory Assessment Change Score (a decrease indicates improvement). Secondary outcomes included vital signs, oxygen saturation, hospitalization, physician clinical impression, parental assessment, and adverse events. Results The 31 patients enrolled in each treatment arm had similar baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. At 1 hour after the intervention, the HS group demonstrated significantly less improvement in the median Respiratory Assessment Change Score compared with the NS group (HS, −1 [interquartile range, −5 to 1] vs NS, −5 [interquartile range, −6 to −2]; P = .01). There were no significant differences in heart rate, oxygen saturation, hospitalization rate, or other outcomes. There were no adverse events. Conclusions and Relevance Infants with bronchiolitis and persistent respiratory distress after standard treatment in the emergency department had less improvement after receiving 3% HS compared with those who received NS. Based on these results and the existing evidence, administration of a single dose of 3% HS does not appear to be indicated to treat bronchiolitis in the acute care setting. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01247064
The susceptibility and response of inbred and outbred Mimulus guttatus to infection by Cucumber mosaic virus

The deleterious effects of inbreeding have been well documented, but only recently have studies begun to explore the consequences of inbreeding for important ecological interactions. We examined the effects of inbreeding on the interaction between host and pathogen using the mixed-mating Mimulus guttatus (Scrophulariaceae) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Inbred (self) and outbred M. guttatus from two California populations (M5 and M13) were rub-inoculated with CMV and compared to sham-inoculated controls. Flower production by outbred plants in host population M5 showed little effect of the inoculation treatment, but inoculation reduced flower production of inbred plants by 12%, indicating that inbreeding reduces tolerance to CMV infection. This interaction fell short of significance, however. The effects of inbreeding and CMV inoculation on biomass in M5 varied significantly across the 15 families used in this experiment, indicating genetic variation in the effect of inbreeding on resistance or tolerance to CMV. CMV infection reduced biomass in host population M13, but there were no significant interactions between virus treatment and level of inbreeding for either flower production or biomass. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect CMV in host tissues. In both populations, mean ELISA absorbance values of inoculated plants were nearly identical for self and outcross hosts, indicating equal susceptibility to CMV. In outbred plants of population M5, flower production did not change with increasing ELISA absorbance, but in inbred plants it declined, indicating reduced tolerance to CMV infection. The results from this study suggest that pathogens may become increasingly detrimental as host populations become more inbred.
Home-based comprehensive assessment of rural elderly persons: the CARE project.

CONTEXT: Home-based comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been effective in urban areas but has had little study in rural areas. CGA involves medical history taking, a physical exam, and evaluation of functional status, mental status, cognitive status, gait and balance, medications, vision, extent of social supports, and home safety. We sought to develop and pilot a model of rural home-based CGA to determine whether successful urban models can be adapted to rural areas. METHODS: This study was a developmental demonstration project with qualitative and quantitative evaluation components of a home-based CGA model using a home health agency and a geriatrician participating from a remote location by teleconference. Findings and recommendations were relayed to patients, caregivers, and primary physicians. The population studied was elderly volunteers (N = 51) aged 75 years and older who did not have a terminal diagnosis or immediate plans to enter a long-term care facility. Survey instruments and focus groups were used with subjects, family members or caregivers, and physicians to generate refinements and outcome measures for the model. FINDINGS: Among the 51 patients undergoing CGA, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living dependency and balance and gait problems were highly prevalent. Means of 1.1 major problems and 4.9 nonmajor problems were identified per patient. Recommendations were implemented for 32% of major problems and for 35% of nonmajor problems. Primary physicians found recommendations for vaccination and home safety change helpful but were skeptical of physical examination findings by the nurse. Practitioners noted that this study resulted in several positive outcomes: (1) some subjects initiated regular clinic visits; (2) several visually impaired elders began services for the blind; (3) identification of gait and balance problems resulted in physical therapy treatment; and (4) identification of caregiver stress was addressed by social-work intervention. Potential further refinements of the model for rural home-based CGA were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Home-based CGA identifies important problems of rural older adults. However, modifications are still needed to create a truly effective process. Language: en
Evaluation of three flame retardant (FR) grey cotton blend nonwoven fabrics using micro-scale combustion calorimeter

Unbleached (grey or greige) cotton nonwoven fabrics (with 12.5% polypropylene scrim) were treated with three phosphate–nitrogen–based flame retardant formulations and evaluated with micro-scale combustion calorimeter. Heat release rate, peak heat release rate, temperature at peak heat release rate, heat release capacity, total heat release and char yield were determined. The peak heat release rate and total heat release results demonstrated that nonwoven fabrics treated with a formulation having higher diammonium phosphate and no dimethylol dihydroxyethyleneurea were superior to those treated with a formulation containing dimethylol dihydroxyethyleneurea. Nonwoven fabrics treated with these formulations were both superior to the nonwoven fabrics treated with a commercially available flame retardant formulation. These results were supported by the percentages of phosphorus and nitrogen on these fabrics, confirming that P–N synergism imparts high flame retardancy to the nonwoven fabrics. Grey cotton (untrea...
Geology of Ray Sponaugle Well, Pendleton County, West Virginia

United Fuel Gas Company well 8800-T (Ray Sponaugle #1), located on the east flank of the Wills Mountain anticline in southwestern Pendleton County, West Virginia, was spudded March 1, 1960, in the Martinsburg shale and was completed as a dry hole in July, at a total depth of 13,001 feet in the basal member of the Lurich formation, stratigraphically less than 1,500 feet below. Deviation surveys show true depth only 30.2 feet less than drilled depth. The borehole penetrated Ordovician and Cambrian formations in normal sequence to near the base of the Elbrook dolomite at 10,035 feet where a major thrust fault was encountered. Below this discontinuity, an overturned complexly deformed section of Middle Ordovician limestones continued to a depth of 11,050 feet where the top of the Edinburg limestone was encountered. After drilling 422 feet of Martinsburg shale the Edinburg was again reached. 1,529 feet of Middle Ordovician limestones were then drilled in normal sequence to total depth. Twelve metabentonite beds were used as an aid in correlating the repeated formations below the Wills Mountain thrust. Located near the western edge of the tightly folded central Appalachian Valley and Ridge structural province, the Sponaugle well has demanded a thorough reinterpretation of surface structure in the area.
FDTD method capable of attaching rectangular domains

A finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method capable of attaching rectangular computational domains is proposed herein. The aim of this approach is to reduce the size of computational domain according to the geometry of the modeled structure so as to reduce the simulation time with keeping precision of the result in an acceptable range. A multigrid algorithm is applied on the attaching interface between two rectangular domains so that different resolution can be achieved in different domains.
Message-initiated constraint-based routing for wireless ad-hoc sensor networks

Most existing routing mechanisms differ in routing objectives and routing strategies; however, all the existing routing protocols have in common that the routing objective and destination specification are fixed, and that the routing objective is incorporated only implicitly. We propose a general message specification mechanism to encode explicitly the routing destinations, constraints and objectives in messages, so that general-purpose instead of objective or destination specific routing strategies can be applied. Using general-purpose routing strategies while specifying quality-of-service (QoS) properties explicitly at the application layer in messages, QoS-aware strategies for individual messages are obtained. We also propose two frameworks of general-purpose routing strategies for this type of message specification.
The Cost of Education: Medical Student Stress during Clerkships

Introduction: Physicians and physicians-in-training experience sustained stress, leading to increased rates of burnout, anxiety, depression, and suicide. This study explored stress patterns in third year students during clerkships at a U.S. medical school. Methods: Students completed an anonymous modified mental health professional stress survey during three successive clerkships and rated six stress factors on a Likert-type scale, from o to 3. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and linear mixed-effects regression models. Results: Twenty nine survey responses were collected. Overall, stress due to workload, professional self-doubt, and home-work conflicts was significantly higher than stress associated with patient-related difficulties, organizational structure, and difficulties with other healthcare workers (all p values < 0.05). On Internal Medicine and Surgery, more than 75% of students worked over 60 hours/week and reported the highest level of home-work conflicts. Women had significantly lower work-related interpersonal stress scores than men (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Medical students encounter complex Stressors during clerkships. Potential strategies to help improve the learning climate are discussed, such as duty hour limits, reduced workload, teaching time management skills, fostering emotional intelligence qualities, and team-building exercises involving all learners.
Phase Equilibria in the Fe2O3–P2O5 System

Four ferric phosphate compounds were identified in the Fe2O3–P2O5 system and the liquidus surfaces in the subsystems Fe3PO7–FePO4, FePO4–Fe4(P2O7)3, and Fe4(P2O7)3–Fe(PO3)3 were determined. The results are significantly different from those presented by Wentrup in 1935. Fe3PO7 is the stable ferric oxophosphate compound, not Fe4P2O11, and Fe3PO7 decomposes in air at 1090°C. The congruent melting point of FePO4 (1208°C) is similar to what was reported, but Fe4(P2O7)3 melts congruently at 945°C, about 300°C lower than claimed by Wentrup. Fe(PO3)3, for which the melting temperature has not been previously reported, melts congruently at 1205°C. Eutectic points exist at 58.0 mol% Fe2O3 (1070°C), 42.7% Fe2O3 (925°C), and 37.0% Fe2O3 (907°C). The latter two eutectic points bracket the conventional glass-forming range for iron phosphate melts under consideration as alternative hosts for nuclear wastes.
Integrated gradient index luneburg lens for robust fiber-to-chip coupling

We demonstrate a high contrast, low loss, gradient index lens for robust fiber-to-chip coupling of silicon waveguides. We experimentally show increased alignment tolerance in comparison to a conventional inverse taper.
On Covering Klein’s Curve and Generating Projective Groups

An important event in the history of Riemann surface theory was F. Klein’s investigation [6] of the principal congruence subgroup at level seven of the modular group and his subsequent discovery of the famous quartic curve x 3 y + y 3 z + z 3 x = 0. This genus 3 curve was soon put to good use. A. Hurwitz [5] showed that a compact Riemann surface of genus g has no more than 84(g — 1) conformal homeomorphisms and cited Klein’s curve to show that this bound is attainable. It is an easy consequence of Hurwitz’s work that there is a one-to-one correspondence between conformal equivalence classes of compact Riemann surfaces that attain the upper bound and normal subgroups of finite index of $$ \left( {2,3,7} \right)\;{\rm{: = }}\left\langle {\left. {x,y:{x^2}\;{\rm{ = }}{y^3}\;{\rm{ = }}{{(xy)}^7} = \;1} \right\rangle .} \right. $$ Factors of (2,3,7) are therefore called Hurwitz groups. In [2], all such normal subgroups were obtained whose factor is an extension of an Abelian group by PSL 2(1). In other words all Abelian covers of Klein’s surface by compact Riemann surfaces exhibiting Hurwitz’s upper bound were obtained. Here a new infinite family of Hurwitz groups is given whose members act on covers of Klein’s curve. Further, matrix representations of certain groups from [2] are obtained and used to decide precisely when the extension splits.
An Experimental Study on the Performances of Wind Turbines over Complex Terrain

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the performance of wind turbines sited over hilly terrains in order to elucidate the underlying physics to explore/optimize design of wind turbines sitting over complex terrains for higher power yield and better durability. The experiments were conducted in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel with wind turbines sited over a two-dimensional hill. In addition to measuring dynamic wind loads and the power outputs of the wind turbines, detailed flow field measurements were also made to quantify the flow characteristics of the surface wind and the wake interference among multiple wind turbines over hilly terrain. The detailed flow field measurements were correlated with the wind load and power output measurements of the wind turbine models to explicate the physical mechanisms associated with power generation and fatigue loads acting on the wind turbines for the optimal design of the wind turbine layout over complex terrain.
Teen Daughters and Their Mothers in Conversation: Identifying Opportunities for Enhancing Awareness of Risky Tanning Behaviors

Abstract Purpose The incidence of melanoma has been increasing dramatically among teenage and young adult women over the past several decades. Despite a causal link between ultraviolet light exposure and melanoma, a significant proportion of young women intentionally tan. Furthermore, we know very little about the family's role in melanoma-related risk practices. Methods This study examined 22 interviews of adolescent girls and their mothers discussing topics related to sun protection and tanning behavior. Results Qualitative analysis elicited four primary themes: (1) high rates of prior discussion about indoor tanning; (2) discussion of other risky behaviors that are considered more important than tanning; (3) a desire for increased knowledge of risky tanning behavior; and (4) change in tanning behavior with relevant life experience. Conclusions Results emphasize the value of educational interventions designed to raise melanoma-related risk awareness and suggest the potential benefit of improving knowledge maintenance and family engagement through information sharing.
Waiting time perceptions at transit stops and stations: Effects of basic amenities, gender, and security

Abstract Waiting time in transit travel is often perceived negatively and high-amenity stops and stations are becoming increasingly popular as strategies for mitigating transit riders’ aversion to waiting. However, beyond recent evidence that realtime transit arrival information reduces perceived waiting time, there is limited empirical evidence as to which other specific station and stop amenities can effectively influence user perceptions of waiting time. To address this knowledge gap, the authors conducted a passenger survey and video-recorded waiting passengers at different types of transit stops and stations to investigate differences between survey-reported waiting time and video-recorded actual waiting time. Results from the survey and video observations show that the reported wait time on average is about 1.21 times longer than the observed wait time. Regression analysis was employed to explain the variation in riders’ reported waiting time as a function of their objectively observed waiting time, as well as station and stop amenities, weather, time of the day, personal demographics, and trip characteristics. Based on the regression results, most waits at stops with no amenities are perceived at least 1.3 times as long as they actually are. Basic amenities including benches and shelters significantly reduce perceived waiting times. Women waiting for more than 10 min in perceived insecure surroundings report waits as dramatically longer than they really are, and longer than do men in the same situation. The authors recommend a focus on providing basic amenities at stations and stops as broadly as possible in transit systems, and a particular focus on stops on low-frequency routes and in less safe areas for security measures.
Extracellular superoxide dismutase transgene overexpression preserves postischemic myocardial function in isolated murine hearts

Background Myocardial injury after ischemia and reperfusion may be mediated, at least in part, by oxygen-derived free radicals ; this supposition is supported by the observation that significant quantities of these radicals are generated during reperfusion. To directly assess the protective effect of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD), this study was designed to investigate the ability of EC-SOD overexpression in the hearts of transgenic mice to protect myocardial tissue against ischemia-reperfusion injury by use of an isolated work-performing murine heart preparation and functional analysis. Methods and Results Ten transgenic mice (EC-SOD, 28 to 31 g) were studied and compared with 10 control mice (Ctl, 28 to 31 g) in terms of preischemic and postischemic myocardial function. All hearts underwent cardiac harvest and arrest, followed by instrumentation and subsequent reperfusion with warm Krebs-Henseleit solution. Preload-dependent functional analysis was then performed to evaluate cardiac output, contractility (dP/dt), heart rate, stroke work, and stroke volume before and after a 7-minute period of warm ischemia. Results are expressed as mean±SEM (ANOVA, paired/unpaired t tests). There was no significant difference in preischemic myocardial performance for Ctl and EC-SOD mice. After warm ischemia, cardiac output in EC-SOD was significantly improved compared with Ctl (EC-SOD, 4.55±0.37 mL/min ; Ctl, 2.55±0.28 mL/min ; P<.05). Postischemic dP/dt, stroke work, and stroke volume were also significantly improved in EC-SOD compared with Ctl mice (EC-SOD, 1808±39 mm Hg/s, 745±67 dyne.cm, and 13.1±1.2 μL, respectively ; Ctl, 1497±87 mm Hg/s, 472±83 dyne.cm, and 8.2±1.5 μL ; P<.05). Conclusions EC-SOD overexpressed mice showed significant improvement in postischemic cardiac function compared with Ctl mice. Thus, EC-SOD overexpressed hearts are less susceptible to mild degrees of ischemia-reperfusion injury than normal hearts.
Games in the Normal Form

At twelve and a half minutes into the broadcast, Detectives Logan and Briscoe arrest two murder suspects. District Attorney Adam Schiff instructs Assistant D.A. Jack McCoy to make the following offer to each separately: If you confess and provide evidence of first-degree murder by your accomplice, you will receive a 1 year sentence on a weapons charge provided that your accomplice does not confess. If she does confess as well, you both will get 8 years for murder II. If you hold out and your accomplice turns state's evidence, you will serve 25 to life for murder I. If she also holds out, you will serve 4 years for voluntary manslaughter. Assuming each suspect loses one unit of utility for each year in prison, Table 5.1 shows the payoffs of each subject given all of the possible outcomes. The rows represent the actions of suspect 1 whereas the columns represent the actions of suspect 2. Each pair of numbers represents the payoffs for suspect 1 and suspect 2 for each combination, respectively. The situation of the suspects is strategic because the outcome of any action by suspect 1 depends on the choices of suspect 2, and vice versa. What should the suspects do? Collectively, they prefer to hold out. If they both hold out, the total jail time is only eight years, far less than any other outcome. Unless, however, they reach a binding agreement, the individual incentives of the suspects undermine this outcome.
Three Dimensional Human Neuro-Spheroid Model of Alzheimer's Disease Based on Differentiated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

The testing of candidate drugs to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) requires clinical trials that are lengthy and expensive. Efforts to model the biochemical milieu of the AD brain may be greatly facilitated by combining two cutting edge technologies to generate three-dimensional (3D) human neuro-spheroid from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from AD subjects. We created iPSC from blood cells of five AD patients and differentiated them into 3D human neuronal culture. We characterized neuronal markers of our 3D neurons by immunocytochemical staining to validate the differentiation status. To block the generation of pathologic amyloid β peptides (Aβ), the 3D-differentiated AD neurons were treated with inhibitors targeting β-secretase (BACE1) and γ-secretases. As predicted, both BACE1 and γ-secretase inhibitors dramatically decreased Aβ generation in iPSC-derived neural cells derived from all five AD patients, under standard two-dimensional (2D) differentiation conditions. However, BACE1 and γ-secretase inhibitors showed less potency in decreasing Aβ levels in neural cells differentiated under 3D culture conditions. Interestingly, in a single subject AD1, we found that BACE1 inhibitor treatment was not able to significantly reduce Aβ42 levels. To investigate underlying molecular mechanisms, we performed proteomic analysis of 3D AD human neuronal cultures including AD1. Proteomic analysis revealed specific reduction of several proteins that might contribute to a poor inhibition of BACE1 in subject AD1. To our knowledge, this is the first iPSC-differentiated 3D neuro-spheroid model derived from AD patients’ blood. Our results demonstrate that our 3D human neuro-spheroid model can be a physiologically relevant and valid model for testing efficacy of AD drug.
The impact of body mass index on the risk of high spinal block in parturients undergoing cesarean delivery: a retrospective cohort study.

To investigate the hypothesis that the risk of high spinal block is not increased in obese parturients undergoing cesarean delivery compared to non-obese parturients. This is a retrospective study at an academic center. We searched the perioperative database for women who underwent cesarean delivery under spinal or combined spinal epidural anesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine ≥10.5 mg. A body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 was defined as obese. We categorized obesity into: obesity class I (BMI = 30–34.9 kg/m2), obesity class II (BMI = 35–39.9 kg/m2), obesity class III (BMI = 40–49.9 kg/m2), and super obese (BMI ≥50 kg/m2). The primary outcome was high spinal block defined as need to convert to general anesthesia within 20 min of spinal placement as a result of altered mental status, weakness, or respiratory distress resulting from the high block, or a recorded block height ≥T1. The analysis included 5015 women. High spinal blocks occurred in 29 patients (0.6%). The risk of high spinal was significantly different according to BMI (p = 0.025). In a multivariate model, BMI (p = 0.008) and cesarean delivery priority (p = 0.009) were associated with high blocks. BMI ≥50 kg/m2 was associated with greater odds of high block compared to BMI <30 kg/m2 [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 6.3 (2.2, 18.5)]. Scheduled cesarean delivery was also associated with greater odds of high block compared with unscheduled delivery. At standard spinal doses of hyperbaric bupivacaine used in our practice (≥10.5 mg), there were greater odds of high block in those with BMI ≥50 kg/m2.
Lithographic sonication patterning of large area GaN nanopillar forests grown on a Si substrate

Abstract This paper presents lithographic sonication patterning, a highly-scalable, material-independent method for patterning nanopillar forests. Through contact lithography, patterns with dimensions down to 3 μm were written across a 3-inch silicon wafer with a gallium nitride nanopillar forest grown through molecular beam epitaxy. Standard, ultraviolet lithography techniques were used to define a photoresist mask that protects covered nanopillars. Exposed nanopillars are removed via local cavitation in a deionized water ultrasonic bath. Sonication strips nanopillars 100 nm from their base, thus enabling further processing steps, including metal evaporation and substrate etching. As an example application, a four-point conductivity test device is demonstrated, where lithographic sonication patterning enables smooth, Ohmic contacts and successful dry etching of the silicon device layer. This method is compatible with commonly available cleanroom tools and provides a readily available alternative to more complicated fabrication approaches, such as selective nanopillar growth.
Enhanced detection of solids from Gaussian spectral features

We define a spectral feature approach to improve compositional exploitation for hyperspectral imaging. Focusing on the spectral feature characteristics of materials makes detection more robust to the spectral variability of both the target and background encountered during the collection process, consequently reducing detection false alarm rates without compromising sensitivity. Our method decomposes each spectrum into a small set of Gaussian-shaped components using LASSO regression (L1-regularization). A detection framework extracts the combinations of spectral features unique to a material of interest, allowing identification of target materials given its presence in intimate (i.e., nonlinear) mixtures and at different morphologies (e.g., particle sizes). We validate our methods with experimental data that incorporate variability from particle size, measurement angle, and atmospheric conditions. Initial exploitation results using our approach for fused silica demonstrate improved performance extendible across localized experimental conditions.
Reduced higher-dimensional resting state fMRI dynamism in clinical high-risk individuals for schizophrenia identified by meta-state analysis.

Abstract New techniques to investigate functional network connectivity in resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data have recently emerged. One novel approach, called meta-state analysis, goes beyond the mere cross-correlation of time courses of distinct brain areas and explores temporal dynamism in more detail, allowing for connectivity states to overlap in time and capturing global dynamic behavior. Previous studies have shown that patients with chronic schizophrenia exhibit reduced neural dynamism compared to healthy controls, but it is not known whether these alterations extend to earlier phases of the illness. In this study, we analyzed individuals at clinical high-risk (CHR, n = 53) for developing psychosis, patients in an early stage of schizophrenia (ESZ, n = 58), and healthy controls (HC, n = 70). ESZ individuals exhibit reduced neural dynamism across all domains compared to HC. CHR individuals also show reduced neural dynamism but only in 2 out of 4 domains investigated. Overall, meta-state analysis adds information about dynamic fluidity of functional connectivity.
CONVERGENCE OF VOLTERRA SERIES ON INFINITE INTERVALS AND BILINEAR APPROXIMATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the convergence of Volterra series on infinite intervals and bilinear approximations. Some earlier results demonstrate that the so called bilinear systems, that is, those of the form · x ( t ) = Ax ( t ) + u ( t ) Bx ( t ); y ( t ) = c ( x ) t ); x (0) = x 0 can, subject to a very mild hypothesis, be used to approximate the more general linear-analytic systems x ( t ) = f [ x ( t )] + u ( t ) g [ x ( t )]; y ( t ) = h [ x ( t )]; x (0) = x( 0 ) to an arbitrary degree of accuracy as measured in the L∞ norm on [0, T ]. There are, however, a number of very interesting properties of nonlinear systems such as stability, subharmonic response, etc. that relate to the infinite interval [0, ∞ ). The chapter discusses some basic results on the nature of approximation on [0, ∞ ).
Abstract B32: Myeloid-derived suppressor cell depletion augments antitumor activity in ovarian cancer

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells that are increased in tumors and create an immunosuppressive environment by inhibiting the T-cell function. In addition, MDSCs promote angiogenesis, tumor invasion, and metastasis. Increased MDSC accumulation in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has been associated with poor prognosis. Our study investigated whether depletion of MDSCs will influence EOC progression and enhance the therapeutic response of programmed death-1 (PD1) immunotherapy. The intraperitoneal ID8 syngeneic mouse epithelial ovarian cancer cell model in B6 mice was used for the study. The ID8 tumor-bearing mice were treated once a week with either the anti-Gr1 specific monoclonal antibody (Ly6G/Ly6C mAb) that targets and depletes MDSCs, or its isotype IgG2b mAb as control (100µg/dose/mouse). Mice were sacrificed at day 60 for tumor burden evaluation. Quantification of various immune cells and their effector cytokines in blood, spleen, bone marrow, ascites, and tumor were performed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) using specific cell surface and intracellular markers, ELISA, and by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The preclinical trial of anti-GR1 and anti-PD1 Ab combination was also carried out. ID8-bearing mice exhibited significantly higher levels of MDSCs (CD11bGr1+) (p Citation Format: Sharif Sakr, Sajad Dar, Shailendra Giri, Adnan Munkarah, Ramandeep Rattan. Myeloid-derived suppressor cell depletion augments antitumor activity in ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Conference: Addressing Critical Questions in Ovarian Cancer Research and Treatment; Oct 1-4, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(15_Suppl):Abstract nr B32.