cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variable feeding behavior in three species of Macoma (Bivalvia: Tellinacea) as a response to water flow and sediment transport

Many species of tellinacean bivalves mainly deposit-feed but are also known to vary their feeding behavior in response to predation and to the availability of suspended organic matter relative to that of sedimentary organic matter. This study showed that three species of the Pacific genusMacoma (Macoma nasuta Conrad, 1937,Macoma secta Conrad, 1837, andMacoma inquinata Deshayes, 1855, from the San Juan Islands, Washington, USA) varied their deposit-feeding behavior in response to water flow near the sediment-water interface and to sediment transport. In the summers of 1987, 1988 and 1989, water velocity was varied in a large racetrack flume, in order to change both water velocity and bottom sediment transport. In quiet water, the inhalant siphon was protruded far from the siphon hole. As water velocity increased, with little or no sediment transport, the deposit-feeding radius decreased. Qualitative observations suggested that this was related to the drag on the siphon. InM. secta, the distance of siphon protrusion was not related to body size. Under conditions of higher near-bottom water velocity, combined with bottom sediment transport, some individuals ceased to deposit-feed, while others sustained feeding by ingesting sediment within the siphon hole, at least 1 cm beneath the sediment-water interface. These results suggest that hydrodynamic conditions are a major determinant of feeding behavior, and previous explanations of variable feeding behavior as a response to predation may have to be adjusted to accommodate this expanded set of responses.
AI/LEARN network: the use of computer-generated graphics to augment the educational utility of a knowledge-based diagnostic system (AI/RHEUM)

AI/LEARN Network is an educational package that enhances a knowledge-based diagnostic system called AI/RHEUM. This paper describes a microcomputer-based graphical representation of the knowledge base and discusses graphical representation of knowledge.
Collision Cross Sections for 20 Protonated Amino Acids: Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance and Ion Mobility Results.

We report relative dephasing cross sections for the 20 biogenic protonated amino acids measured using the cross sectional areas by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (CRAFTI) technique at 1.9 keV in the laboratory reference frame, as well as momentum transfer cross sections for the same ions computed from Boltzmann-weighted structures determined using molecular mechanics. Cross sections generally increase with increasing molecular weight. Cross sections for aliphatic and aromatic protonated amino acids are larger than the average trend, suggesting these side chains do not fold efficiently. Sulfur-containing protonated amino acids have smaller than average cross sections, reflecting the mass of the S atom. Protonated amino acids that can internally hydrogen-bond have smaller than average cross sections, reflecting more extensive folding. The CRAFTI measurements correlate well with results from drift ion mobility (IMS) and traveling wave ion mobility (TWIMS) spectrometric measurements; CRAFTI results correlate with IMS values approximately as well as IMS and TWIMS values from independent measurements correlate with each other. Both CRAFTI and IMS results correlate well with the computed momentum transfer cross sections, suggesting both techniques provide accurate molecular structural information. Absolute values obtained using the various methods differ significantly; in the case of CRAFTI, this may be due to errors in measurements of collision gas pressure, measurement of excitation voltage, and/or dependence of cross sections on kinetic energy.
Antimicrobial properties of nanomaterials

Medical device related infections account for almost 64% of all hospital acquired infections. Even with sterile conditions and handling, infection occurs when the bacteria encounters the patients' protein, and usually leads to biofilm formation. The major infection players are Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Some of the bacteria had become resistant to certain widely used antibiotics, but there is also a danger of them becoming multidrug resistant organisms, especially S. aureus. One way of combating these infections is using nanoparticles (NPs) in medical devices. Currently, NPs exhibit promising applications in medical devices to inhibit or prevent these bacterial infections. Some of the NPs are silver bromide (AgBr), metal oxides that include titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), Magnetite (Fe3O4), and more recently magnesium oxide (MgO). All of these NPs have shown antimicrobial properties against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, while TiO2 and ZnO also exhibit antifungal properties. Even though some NPs (i.e. TiO2 and ZnO) have toxicity mechanisms against mammalian cells in vitro, they are still promising to be used as coating materials or as components in composites for medical devices to fight infections. This chapter will discuss the properties, characterization, and applications of these NPs for biomedical applications.
Diffusion of Drip Irrigation: The Case of California

This article provides insights regarding the state of the literature on the economics of drip irrigation adoption and diffusion. Our literature review finds that the methodological approaches to studying diffusion—conceptual modeling, empirical analysis, and historical narratives—are complementary, yet historical analyses have been underemphasized. To address this gap, we conduct a historical analysis of the diffusion of drip irrigation in California. Our forty-five-year narrative highlights that the successful adoption of drip irrigation to diverse crops and locations required (i) coevolution of the technology and complementary production processes, and (ii) joint efforts by private and public experts at the local level.
An electrical stimulation based therapeutic wearable for pressure ulcer prevention

This paper presents, for the first time, the design and implementation of a wirelessly controlled therapeutic wearable for the prevention of pressure ulcers. As a replacement to conventional methods of patient repositioning and air mattresses, the system delivers electrical stimulation (ES) to the pressured points in the gluteal muscles. The wearable includes an embedded electrical stimulation device along with flexible, skin adhesive electrodes. The electrotherapy parameters can be adjusted by the user via a user-friendly smartphone application connected wirelessly to the garment. Track of user's therapy history is stored on cloud, for analysis and physicians feedback. Optimized for muscle contraction and pressure ulcer prevention, the presented wearable can potentially help bed-ridden patients effortlessly and autonomously.
Improved plantwide control structure for extractive divided-wall columns with vapor recompression

Abstract The conventional extractive distillation flowsheet for dehydration of low-concentration bioethanol uses three-columns: a pre-concentrator, an extractive column and a solvent-recovery column. A recent paper studied the control of a process using a single divided-wall column. The complex flowsheet uses both main and intermediate reboilers. Ethanol goes overhead, water is removed as a liquid sidestream and solvent is recovered from the base. The control challenges of such a complex multivariable interacting process are obvious. The published control structure is complex and dynamically very sensitive. Only slow ramp disturbances can be handled. The purpose of this paper is to develop a more simple control scheme that is robust and is capable of handling large step disturbances. The key feature of the modified process is to only compress what is needed in the side reboiler.
Transplantation Versus Resection for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: An Argument for Shifting Treatment Paradigms for Resectable Disease.

Objective:To investigate the influence of type of surgery (transplant vs resection) on overall survival (OS) in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (H-CCA).Background:Outcomes after resection for H-CCA are poor, yet transplantation is currently only reserved for well-selected patients with unrese
A novel paper based colorimetric assay for the detection of TiO2 nanoparticles

In this communication, we propose a new paper-based platform functionalized with methylene blue (MB) for the detection and removal of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs). Our design took advantage of color changes of the functional paper due to the photocatalytic effect of TiO2 on MB. The paper-based colorimetric sensor displayed a good sensitivity for TiO2, showing great potential for practical applications.
The flexible application of carrying capacity in ecology

Abstract Carrying capacity encompasses a broad collection of approaches used to better understand biotic interactions in ecosystems and is often applied with no explicit regard to its historical origin. In this paper, we reviewed the primary literature to examine how carrying capacity is applied in ecology. We focused our review on ecosystem studies—studies that frame their results at the ecosystem level—published after the 1950s and highlight emerging trends of this concept. We found that while carrying capacity offers some underlying commonalities, a wide range of definitions and approaches hinders a unified framework to better understand biotic ecosystem interactions. Not surprisingly, these studies most often use K—the number of individuals that the environment “can support” in a given area—to define carrying capacity, despite considerable ambiguity and uncertainty in this approach. Furthermore, the studies that we reviewed spanned several levels of ecological organization: molecules to communities and up to landscapes. To add further complexity, it is not clear whether carrying capacity was intended as a dynamic concept subject to temporal variability as it was often applied in the reviewed studies. We found that carrying capacity is most often applied to studies in conservation biology, rangeland and wildlife management, aquaculture, and fisheries biology. We explore ecosystem level responses to implications of “carrying capacity” overshoot and discuss proposed mechanisms that govern ecosystem carrying capacity. We discuss the usefulness of the concept and end with suggestions to improve carrying capacity's general application in ecosystem studies.
A Project-Based Sustainability Rating Tool for Pavement Maintenance

Abstract Pavements require maintenance to prevent undue distress or to restore performance; however, pavement maintenance and its impacts do not receive enough attention in many cases, and are either ignored or treated as a low priority. Most current maintenance activities have budget issues and only focus on removing deteriorated pavement sections. Deferred pavement maintenance has impacts on the environment and on society, and may thus affect the costs associated with maintenance. A sustainability rating tool is a good way to list, explain, and evaluate such impacts. Various sustainability rating tools have been developed for pavement; however, pavement maintenance has its own features that are different from those of the new construction, expansion, or reconstruction of pavements. This research project reviews nine sustainability rating tools for pavement, although none of these tools fully describe maintenance features or can be directly applied to evaluate maintenance projects. A new sustainability rating tool is then developed for pavement maintenance; this new tool can be used to evaluate individual projects and raise public awareness about the importance of pavement maintenance. Its details are described, and its use is demonstrated through an example to show the evaluation process and results.
Which Complex Patients Should Be Referred for Intensive Care Management? A Mixed-Methods Analysis.

A large and increasing proportion of health care costs are spent caring for a small segment of medically and socially complex patients. To date, it has been difficult to identify which patients are best served by intensive care management. To characterize factors that best identify which complex patients are most suited for intensive care management. We conducted a mixed-methods study involving 35 care managers (CMs; 10 licensed social workers and 25 registered nurses) working in intensive care management programs within Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) outpatient medical centers. We asked CMs to review a randomly selected list of up to 50 patients referred to them in the prior year and to categorize each patient as either (1) “good candidates” for care management, (2) “not needing” intensive care management, or (3) “needing more” than traditional care management could provide. We then conducted semi-structured interviews to understand how CMs separated patients into these three groups. CMs assigned 1178 patients into the 3 referral categories. Less than two thirds (62%, n = 736) of referred patients were considered good candidates, with 18% (n = 216) categorized as not needing care management and 19% (n = 226) as needing more. Compared to the other two categories, good candidates were older (76.2 years vs. 73.2 for not needing and 69.8 for needing more, p < 0.001), prescribed more medications (p = 0.02) and had more prior year outpatient visits (p = 0.04), while the number of prior year hospital and emergency room admissions were greater than not needing but less than needing more (p < 0.001). A logistic regression model using available electronic record data predicted good candidate designation with a c statistic of 0.75. Several qualitative themes emerged that helped define appropriateness for referral, including availability of social support, patient motivation, non-medical transitions, recent trajectory of medical condition, and psychiatric or substance use issues. Many apparently complex patients are not good candidates for intensive care management. Current electronic medical records do not capture several of the most salient characteristics that determine appropriateness for care management. Our findings suggest that systematic collection of social support, patient motivation, and recent non-medically related life change information may help identify which complex patients are most likely to benefit from care management.
Khurbn and Holocaust: Poetry After Auschwitz

I began A Big Jewish Book1 with a dream and a quotation from Franz Kafka, and I ended it with a poem from Paul Celan. Let me start with those here, as a way to come into speaking about what I want to address in this talk: how I came to a kind of writing that I had put off for many years, although what propelled it had also propelled my life as a poet from the very beginning. There was a dream that came before the book, and I might as well tell it. I was in a house identified by someone as THE HOUSE OF THE JEWS, where many friends were gathered, maybe everyone I knew. Whether they were Jews or not was unimportant: I was and because I was I had to lead them through it. But we were halted at the entrance to a room, not a room really, more like a great black hole in space. I was frightened and exhilarated, both at once, but like the others I held back before the darkness. The question came to be the room's name, as if to give the room a name would open it. I knew that, and I strained my eyes and Body to get near the room, where I could feel, as though a voice was whispering to me, creation going on inside it. And I said that it was called CREATION.
Chemotherapy for brain metastases: breast, gynecologic and non-melanoma skin malignancies.

Greater than one-half of all intracranial tumors in adults represent metastases from disseminated systemic malignancies. Abundant class I evidence has been accumulated for the past two decades that demonstrates improved survival and quality of life with surgical resection or SRS for appropriate patients. In some tumor types, WBRT can effectively treat, prevent and/or delay recurrences and improve survival as well. However, several factors may preclude either surgery or radiation therapy (e.g., number of metastases, co-existing medical or neurological conditions) and in such patients the mainstay of treatment is chemotherapy or other biologic targeted therapy.
Explicating Actions: Reply to Commentaries

I must say at the start, responding to the comments of Paul Secord and Peter Manicas, that I am very grateful to each of them for their careful remarks. I have the highest regard for their opinions — which, you may think, is self-serving under the circumstances. It is true that both somewhat favor my version of an argument that I share with them. Secord very kindly paraphrases its main features and suggests where one may locate work in theoretical psychology that is genuinely in closer accord with the main lines of my argument than I myself supply. Manicas presses me chiefly with regard to the strong disjunction I seem to support between the natural and the human sciences. A number of themes suggest themselves for elaboration.
Nitrogen Fixation: Its Scope and Importance

Although many factors, like climate, plant strains, herbicides, and pesticides, influence agricultural productivity, total dependence rests on photosynthesis and supply of inorganic nutrients. The essential nutrient most often limiting in crop productivity is combined or “fixed” nitrogen. Because plants do not have the capability of “fixing” nitrogen, it must be provided externally for maximal productivity. However, only a very small proportion of the nitrogen on earth (less and 0.001%) is cycling at any one time between its usable fixed form in terrestrial pools and its inert molecular form in its atmospheric pool. Nitrogen fixation controls the atmosphere-to-terrestrial (land or sea) flow, nitrification and denitrification convert ammonia to nitrate and then to nitrogen gas which is lost to the atmosphere, while leaching and erosion move fixed nitrogen between land and sea. The biological world apparently stays ahead of a nitrogen deficiency because the fixation rate is just above the denitrification rate.1
Extension/Transfer of BNF Technology

In this presentation, I have interpreted the scope of my assigned topic very broadly. I have done this for two reasons. First, my field experience is limited strongly to the humid tropics, so I am poorly qualified to address the specific problems associated with BNF technology in semi-arid environments. Second, I have opted for a broad treatment of the subject because I believe, with genuine missionary zeal, that it needs broad treatment to achieve some new perspective. For those reasons, I will avoid presentation of detailed data. Instead, I intend to talk about concepts, principles, generalizations, approaches, ideas, etc. In essence, this is a position paper — a philosophical evaluation of the status of technology transfer based on past and present scientific endeavors as I perceive them.
A New short proof of the local index formula of Atiyah-Singer

In this talk we present a new short proof of the local index formula of Atiyah-Singer for Dirac operators ([AS1], [AS2]) which, as a byproduct and unlike Getzler’s short proof, allows us to compute the CM cyclic cocycle for Dirac spectral triples.
Shared Representational Geometry Across Neural Networks

Different neural networks trained on the same dataset often learn similar input-output mappings with very different weights. Is there some correspondence between these neural network solutions? For linear networks, it has been shown that different instances of the same network architecture encode the same representational similarity matrix, and their neural activity patterns are connected by orthogonal transformations. However, it is unclear if this holds for non-linear networks. Using a shared response model, we show that different neural networks encode the same input examples as different orthogonal transformations of an underlying shared representation. We test this claim using both standard convolutional neural networks and residual networks on CIFAR10 and CIFAR100.
Utilizing the density of inventory samples to define a hybrid lattice for species distribution models: DISTRIB‐II for 135 eastern U.S. trees

1. Species distribution models (SDMs) provide useful information about potential presence or absence, and environmental conditions suitable for a species; and high‐resolution models across large extents are desirable. A primary feature of SDMs is the underlying spatial resolution, which can be chosen for many reasons, though we propose that a hybrid lattice, in which grid cell sizes vary with the density of forest inventory plots, provides benefits over uniform grids. We examine how the spatial grain size affected overall model performance for the Random Forest‐based SDM, DISTRIB, which was updated with recent forest inventories, climate, and soil data, and used a hybrid lattice derived from inventory densities. 2. Modeled habitat suitability was compared between a uniform grid of 10 × 10 and a hybrid lattice of 10 × 10 and 20 × 20 km grids to assess potential improvements. The resulting DISTRIB‐II models for 125 eastern U.S. tree species provide information on individual habitat suitability that can be mapped and statistically analyzed to understand current and potential changes. 3. Model performance metrics were comparable among the hybrid lattice and 10‐km grids; however, the hybrid lattice models generally had higher overall model reliability scores and were likely more representative of the inventory data. 4. Our efforts to update DISTRIB models with current information aims to produce a more representative depiction of recent conditions by accounting for the spatial density of forest inventory data and using the latest climate data. Additionally, we developed an approach that leverages a hybrid lattice to maximize the spatial information within the models and recommend that similar modeling efforts be used to evaluate the spatial density of response and predictor data and derive a modeling grid that best represents the environment.
Helping High School-Aged Military Dependents With Autism Gain Employment Through Project SEARCH + ASD Supports.

INTRODUCTION Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face high rates of unemployment, with unique challenges for military-dependent and -connected youth with ASD. This paper reports preliminary findings from Year One of a randomized waitlist controlled trial investigating the efficacy of the Project SEARCH + ASD Supports (PS + ASD) intervention model for military-dependent and -connected youth with ASD. METHODS Treatment group participants (n = 6) participated in internships at a military installation in the southeastern United States; waitlist group participants (n = 8) received special education transition services at their local high schools. Employment outcome data were collected at 12 months for both groups. RESULTS Fourteen unique internship experiences were developed across seven business partner organizations on the military installation during Year One. Five of six PS + ASD treatment group participants obtained competitive integrated employment for an overall employment rate of 83.3%. Four of the positions were federal jobs. None of the waitlist group participants obtained competitive integrated employment during the same period. CONCLUSIONS Initial results are promising and suggest that the PS + ASD model may help to meet the transition needs of military-dependent and -connected youth with ASD and the employment needs of local military communities.
Assessment of feasibility and outcomes of a salivary cortisol collection protocol in five American Indian communities.

We evaluated the feasibility and outcomes of administering a naturalistic saliva collection procedure and assessment in American Indian (Indigenous) communities. We focus on Indigenous adults livin...
Effort to Protect Totos, the Smallest Tribe in the World.

Abstract Abstract 5113 Background Toto is a primitive Indo-Bhutanese tribe residing in a small enclave called Totopara in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India. Toto culture and language is totally unique to the tribe, and is clearly distinguished from the neighboring Rajbongshis, Koch or the Bhutanese Sharchop tribes. Totos use to do consanguineous marriage and stay in the same locality even after marriage. Totos are becoming extinct since 1950. Total population of Totos are 1377 (smallest tribe of the world) and it is declining day by day. We noticed that their life span is very short (35-40 years). With a motive to investigate the reason behind it we started our work and got the answers of our queries. Almost 50% of them are carrier of beta Thalassemia, which is a genetic disease and are caused by the mutation of beta globin gene. The objectives of our study are, • To screen their whole population for Thalassemia (carrier / patient). • To increase the awareness level by arranging awareness program in that locality frequently through seminar, documentaries and discussions. • To make Totos understand about the ill fate of Thalassemia patients. • To control the birth of Thalassemic children, we are insisting them not to marry between two carriers. • Finally to confirm the mutation in globin gene by DNA analysis. Materials & Methods After awareness program, 3-4 ml of blood sample was collected from each Toto along with their written consent. On the spot inexpensive NESTROF (Naked Eye Single Tube Red Cell Osmotic Fragility) test was done. After returning to institute we use to do CBC (Complete Blood Count) followed by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). DNA was isolated from those samples detected as carrier or patients using the protocol standardized in our lab. Mutation was detected by ARMS (Amplification Refractory Mutation System)–PCR. Conclusion Total individual already screened in the Totopara under the age limit 10- 35 years is 688. Number of Totos and Non-Totos are 628 and 60 respectively. From NESTROFT and CBC result it was revealed that different blood parameters e.g., MCV, MCH, RBC, RDW, Hb% etc of 71% Totos do not match with the normal value and found to be significantly altered. HPLC results show that 51% Totos are carrier of HbE and 20% of them are HbE homozygous. Whereas 97% non-Totos are found to be normal. DNA analysis by ARMS-PCR confirmed the result of HPLC. The percentage of HbE carrier and HbE homozygous is very high among Totos and this is the real cause of their early death. To protect this primitive tribe we have to restrict their marriage between two carriers. For Totos thalassemia carrier detection should be mandatory before marriage. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Abstract 501: Selective i n vivo Modulation of Vagal-Muscarinic Signaling Prevents Sudden Cardiac Death in a Pressure Overload Model of Heart Failure

Introduction: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) from ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT/VF) claims a quarter millions lives/year in USA. Patients with heart failure (HF) have high SCD risk. We previously de...
First-in-Human Use of a Hybrid Real-Time Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Acquisition System for Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions: A Multicenter Pilot Study.

Background The ability to successfully perform a biopsy on pulmonary lesions by means of bronchoscopy varies widely due to anatomic and technological limitations. One major limitation is the lack of the ability to utilize real-time guidance during tissue sampling in the periphery. A novel system has been developed that enables real-time visualization and sampling of peripheral lesions by displaying an ultrasound image of the lesion and needle simultaneously. Methods We performed a multicenter, prospective pilot in patients with peripheral pulmonary lesions undergoing a clinically indicated bronchoscopy. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of visualizing, accessing, and obtaining specimens adequate for the cytology of lung lesions when using a novel hybrid real-time ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration system for peripheral pulmonary lesions. Results Twenty-three patients underwent bronchoscopic sampling of a peripheral pulmonary lesion with the study device. Mean lesion size was 3.6 (range 1.7-5.7) cm. Targeted lesions were located in all lobes of the lung. All lesions were successfully visualized and sampled under real-time visualization with specimens adequate for cytological evaluation. The needle was visualized in all lesions throughout targeting and sampling. There were no incidents of pneumothorax or moderate-to-severe bleeding. Conclusion In this feasibility study, we report the first-in-human use of a continuous real-time endobronchial ultrasound guidance system to sample peripheral pulmonary lesions. Future generations of this device may improve usability and further studies are needed to determine the true diagnostic capabilities of this novel technique.
Predictors for Discontinuation of Intrauterine Devices That Underwent Ultrasound‐Guided Placement in a Long‐term Follow‐up Cohort

Objectives To investigate long-term outcomes of ultrasound-guided intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. The rate of and reasons for IUD discontinuation were reviewed, including the prevalence of uterine fibroids. Methods A retrospective cohort of patients who underwent transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS)-guided IUD insertion was reviewed. Information collected included age, body mass index, insertion date, indication for IUD use, indication for using TAUS guidance, and presence of uterine fibroids. The date of and reason for discontinuation were recorded. Results One hundred sixteen patients with successful TAUS-guided IUD placement were identified. Of these, 51 patients (43.97%) no longer had an IUD in place. An overall actual-to-expected use ratio was calculated to be 63.49%. The most common reason for IUD discontinuation was spontaneous expulsion (11.21%). The prevalence of fibroid uteri was 27.6% in our cohort. The actual-to-expected use ratio of those with a fibroid uterus was calculated to be 43.28%, which was significantly lower than that for a nonfibroid uterus (73.80%; P = .002). There were 27 of 104 patients with IUD use of less than 1 year, and fibroids were present 44.4% of the time. Comparatively, of the 77 patients that had IUD continuation of greater than 1 year, only 24.7% had fibroids (P = .022). The yearly continuation rates over 5 years were 74.04%, 55.84%, 41.67%, 35.14%, and 32.0% respectively. Of the 18 patients who received TAUS-guided insertion for a previous IUD expulsion, 33.3% had another spontaneous expulsion. Conclusions Uterine fibroids and a previous expulsion appear to be the most likely predictors of IUD discontinuation, particularly within 1 year after insertion.
The cost of ectoparasitism in Cliff Swallows declines over 35 years

Host–parasite dynamics often vary over time, brought about by changes in the parasite’s virulence or the host’s ability to resist or tolerate the parasite. Although virulence evolution in microparasites is well studied, we know little about temporal change in the pathogenicity of macroparasites such as blood‐feeding insects. Using data collected over 35 yr, we report a reduction in pathogenicity of the hematophagous swallow bug (Cimex vicarius) on its Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) host. Relative to experimentally fumigated, parasite‐free nests, the negative effects of bugs on nestling swallow body mass and survival were less in the later years of the study than in the earlier years, and the negative relationship between nestling body mass and bug abundance became weaker over time. The survival of adult birds exposed to swallow bugs increased throughout the study, while survival of birds from parasite‐free nests decreased over time. Swallow bug abundance per nest, bug body size, and bug age ratios did not change during the study. Between‐colony transmission of bugs showed less immigration into larger colonies than in earlier studies, but there was no net change in transmission. Cliff Swallows did not reduce their exposure to bugs over time by being more likely to avoid infested nest or colony sites. Parents increased the number of food deliveries to their offspring over time in the presence of parasites, but the total amount of food delivered was unchanged. The reduced cost of swallow bug ectoparasitism does not seem related to changes in parasite narrow‐sense virulence, the host’s avoidance of parasites, the presence of alternative hosts for bugs, or climate‐driven phenological mismatches. The results probably reflect the Cliff Swallow’s evolving of greater tolerance to swallow bugs, brought about by the bird’s shift from natural cliff nesting sites to artificial structures that may harbor more bugs than natural cliffs. This study shows that hosts can respond relatively rapidly to high levels of parasitism, and provides support for models that suggest the evolution of tolerance should be expected in some host–parasite systems.
Anti-Blackness/Nativeness and erasure in Mexico: Black feminist geographies and Latin American decolonial dialogues for U.S. urban planning

Latin American decolonial scholarship highlights the importance of time, space, and relationship variables in theoretical frameworks, notably different from white-settler philosophical underpinning...
What Happens to Survivors of COVID-19 after Hospital Discharge? - 30-Day Functional Outcomes among Older and Younger Adults

Introduction: As of December 19th 2020, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in approximately 17.6 million cases and 315,000 deaths in the United States. The hospitalization rate for COVID-19 in the US continues to rise and is currently around 295.8 hospitalizations per 100,000 population. Despite the increasing number of individuals who are contracting and recovering from this disease, little is known about their functional recovery. Understanding functional outcomes in these patients is critical to address their rehabilitation needs. The purpose of this study is to characterize the 30-day patient-reported functional outcomes of older and younger adults following acute hospitalization for COVID-19. Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study was performed from April to October 2020 of adult survivors of hospitalization for COVID-19 (n=28). A standardized telephone questionnaire was administered 30-days after hospital discharge to participants addressing their ability to perform basic activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs, mobility, fatigue symptoms (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems-PROMIS) and general disability (Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index - HAQ-DI). Results: Participants' were 23-95 years old. Twenty-one (75%) were less than 65 years old. Fifteen (54%) were female and 19 (68%) were white. Mean hospital length of stay was 11.3 days and 10 (36%) participants required ICU admission. Among adults aged 65 years developed new impairments and 29% new dependence. The most common new impairments in both age groups were transferring for basic ADLs and preparing meals and grocery shopping for instrumental ADLs. Seventy-one percent of older and 76% of younger adults experienced a decline in at least one mobility task (getting up from a chair, walking up 10 stairs, or walking mile). Seventy-six percent of younger adults and 43% of older adults experienced a clinically significant worsening (> 5 points) in their PROMIS fatigue scores. Sixty-two percent of younger adults and 43% of older adults experienced a clinically significant worsening (> 0.22 points) in their HAQ-DI scores. Conclusions: Among adults hospitalized with COVID-19, the majority experienced a decline in ≥1 functional task 30 days after discharge compared to pre-hospitalization. Younger adults had similar to worse impairment in physical functional outcomes than older adults. These results indicate all adults, regardless of age, are at risk for prolonged, clinically significant functional impairment following hospitalization for COVID-19.
Blood Pressure Changes After a Health Promotion Program Among Mexican Workers

Background: Cardiovascular disease is becoming increasingly prevalent in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), and high blood pressure (BP) is one of the main risk factors. The efficacy and sustainability of worksite health promotion (WHP) programs for BP reduction in LMIC have yet to be determined. Methods: This non-randomized company-based trial evaluated 6- and 12-months effects of a WHP intervention on BP among 2,002 participating workers from seven Mexican companies. Intervention and control groups were assigned at the company level. The intervention included nutrition counseling, physical exercise, and stress management components. Mixed models assessed differences in BP change between intervention and control companies in intent-to-treat (ITT), per-protocol (PerP), and as-treated (AsTr) analyses, and also within-group changes stratified by company, intervention component, and baseline cardiovascular risk factor levels. All analyses were adjusted for potential confounders. We accounted for missing data and loss to follow-up using inverse probability of censoring weighting. Results: ITT analyses revealed mean BP change differences of -1.1 mmHg at 12 months (95% CI: -2.9; 0.6) in intervention companies relative to control companies. PerP and AsTr analyses confirmed this finding. Within-group analyses showed consistent BP reductions at both 6 and 12 months. Substantial differences in BP changes ranging from diastolic -6.1 mmHg, (95% CI: -11.2; -1.2) to systolic -13.0 mmHg (95% CI: -16.0; -10.1) were found among individuals with diabetes at baseline in intervention companies relative to control companies. Conclusion: After 1 year, WHP was associated with modest but uncertain BP reductions. Substantial reductions were mainly observed among diabetic workers.
Estimating hourly PM2.5 concentrations at the neighborhood scale using a low-cost air sensor network: A Los Angeles case study.

Abstract Predicting PM2.5 concentrations at a fine spatial and temporal resolution (i.e., neighborhood, hourly) is challenging. Recent growth in low cost sensor networks is providing increased spatial coverage of air quality data that can be used to supplement data provided by monitors of regulatory agencies. We developed an hourly, 500 × 500 m gridded PM2.5 model that integrates PurpleAir low-cost air sensor network data for Los Angeles County. We developed a quality control scheme for PurpleAir data. We included spatially and temporally varying predictors in a random forest model with random oversampling of high concentrations to predict PM2.5. The model achieved high prediction accuracy (10-fold cross-validation (CV) R2 = 0.93, root mean squared error (RMSE) = 3.23 μg/m3; spatial CV R2 = 0.88, spatial RMSE = 4.33 μg/m3; temporal CV R2 = 0.90, temporal RMSE = 3.85 μg/m3). Our model was able to predict spatial and diurnal patterns in PM2.5 on typical weekdays and weekends, as well as non-typical days, such as holidays and wildfire days. The model allows for far more precise estimates of PM2.5 than existing methods based on few sensors. Taking advantage of low-cost PM2.5 sensors, our hourly random forest model predictions can be combined with time-activity diaries in future studies, enabling geographically and temporally fine exposure estimation for specific population groups in studies of acute air pollution health effects and studies of environmental justice issues.
Do Interritual Practices Demonstrate Religions’ Theologies of God? Toward a Critical Assessment

Can people of different faiths worship the same God and pray inter-religiously? Can this worship demonstrate that the religions believe in the same God? Does the participation in interreligious prayer verify that the participants believe in one God? The essay tackles these inquiries by pointing to theological voices claiming that Christian-Muslim interreligious worship is a reliable basis for concluding that Christianity and Islam believe in the same God. It also offers an assessment in light of a personal interreligious worship experience. The essay shows whether or not there is an authentic, open, epistemic trajectory between religions and their followers’ religiosity, and whether the data collector can certainly rely on this relationship to construct a reliable epistemological perception of the religion’s interpretation of God. In sum, it examines critically whether it is the case that interreligious worship is always a reliable epistemic medium of the religious faith of the worshipping subjects.
Sport and Communication: An Interdisciplinary Curriculum

(1978). Sport and Communication: An Interdisciplinary Curriculum. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 63-63.
Repair Replication Schemes in Bacteria and Human Cells

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the schemes that remove damage from the DNA and attempt restoration of the original nucleotide sequence. The excision-repair of damaged DNA must involve a coordinated sequence of steps beginning with recognition of the lesion. After phosphodiester bonds are broken, the integrity of the interrupted DNA strand is restored through the enzymic processes of degradation, repair resynthesis, and ligation. Pathways for excision-repair in E.coli are elucidated through analysis of mutants deficient in various enzyme activities. A pathway mediated by DNA polymerase I that results in short repair patches approximately 20 nucleotides in extent; a pathway that results in a somewhat larger average patch size, probably due to intrinsic properties of DNA polymerases II and III; and a pathway that is induced in response to DNA damage and is dependent upon protein synthesis, requires recA+ and lexA+, and leads to much longer patches. Short patches are initiated and completed earlier than the long patches produced by the inducible pathway. In UV-irradiated human cells, only a single class of repair patches comparable in size to the short patches in E.coli, is synthesized at both early and late times after irradiation. The same patch size distribution also results from the treatment of human cells by angelicin or 8-methoxypsoralen plus long-wavelength UV, or by activated aflatoxin B1.
Dynamic programming for optimal load-shedding of office scale battery storage and plug-loads

Plug-loads are often neglected in commercial demand response (DR) despite being a major contributor to building energy consumption. Improvements in technology like smart power strips are prompting the incorporation of plug-loads as a DR resource alongside building HVAC and lighting. Office scale battery storage (OSBS) systems are also candidates as a DR resource due to their ability to run on battery power. In this work, we present a model predictive control (MPC) framework for optimal load-shedding of plug-loads and OSBS.We begin with discussion of the context of this work, and present two models of OSBS systems. A model predictive controller for OSBS and plug-load load-shed scheduling is presented. We discuss casting the MPC as a dynamic program, and an algorithm to solve the dynamic program. Simulation results show the efficacy and utility of dynamic programming, and quantify the performance of OSBS systems.
E-Man’s Life Cycle

Die Welt des E-Man wird anders aussehen. Diese Welt ist junger. Stichwort: E-Man bringt die hochste Leistung mit 33 Jahren!
Inhibition of inflammation and carcinogenesis in the lung and colon by tocopherols

Tocopherols, which exist in alpha, beta, gamma, and delta forms, are antioxidative nutrients also known as vitamin E. Although alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T) is the major form of vitamin E found in the blood and tissues, gamma- and delta-T have been suggested to have stronger anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, using a tocopherol mixture that is rich in gamma-T (gamma-TmT, which contains 57%gamma-T), we demonstrated the inhibition of inflammation as well as of cancer formation and growth in the lung and colon in animal models. When given in the diet at 0.3%, gamma-TmT inhibited chemically induced lung tumorigenesis in the A/J mice as well as the growth of human lung cancer cell H1299 xenograft tumors. gamma-TmT also decreased the levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, gamma-H2AX, and nitrotyrosine in tumors. More evident anti-inflammatory and cancer preventive activities of dietary gamma-TmT were demonstrated in mice treated with azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium. These results demonstrate the antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic activities of tocopherols.
3D Microstructural Architectures for Metal and Alloy Components Fabricated by 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing Technologies

The layer-by-layer building of monolithic, 3D metal components from selectively melted powder layers using laser or electron beams is a novel form of 3D printing or additive manufacturing. Microstructures created in these 3D products can involve novel, directional solidification structures which can include crystallographically oriented grains containing columnar arrays of precipitates characteristic of a microstructural architecture. These microstructural architectures are advantageously rendered in 3D image constructions involving light optical microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations. Microstructural evolution can also be effectively examined through 3D image sequences which, along with x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis in the x-y and x-z planes, can effectively characterize related crystallographic/texture variances. This paper compares 3D microstructural architectures in Co-base and Ni-base superalloys, columnar martensitic grain structures in 17–4 PH alloy, and columnar copper oxides and dislocation arrays in copper.
Asphaltene Molecular Size by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

Asphaltene molecular size and weight have been of concern since asphaltenes were first isolated from crude oils. Despite previous divergent results on this topic, in recent years, there has been a growing consensus among all mass spectral ionization techniques and all diffusion measurements that asphaltenes are fairly small molecules. In this paper, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is used to determine translational diffusion coefficients of asphaltene and model compounds under a variety of conditions. These FCS studies provide several stringent tests on asphaltene molecular size and architecture. A broad range of concentrations including ultralow concentrations is investigated to ensure the lack of potential aggregation difficulties. Large temperature variations are used to test the application of the simple diffusion equation. FCS results here clearly show the dependence of the diffusion constant on the molecular weight. Finally, FCS results on asphaltenes are in quantitative agreement with t...
Data assessing the usefulness of screening obstetrical ultrasonography for detecting fetal and placental abnormalities in uncomplicated pregnancy: effects of screening a low-risk population.

To investigate the usefulness of screening in low-risk populations, the authors evaluated the yield of ultrasonography for detecting abnormalities in 678 clinically uncomplicated preg nancies. The yield of ultrasonography in high-risk women who were referred for amniocen tesis was remarkably similar to the yield in other women. All four diagnoses of twins were correct, but overall only six of 12 initial ultrasound diagnoses of fetal demise or fetal anomalies were confirmed at delivery. Of the eight major fetal anomalies present at delivery, including two cases of Down's syndrome, three had been detected by ultrasonography; none of the nine minor anomalies had been detected, usually because they were too small or might be detectable only at a later gestational age. Although ultrasonography may have a nearly perfect predictive value for certain anomalies, on average, in this study, positive ultrason ography increased the probability of an adverse outcome of pregnancy from 5.3% to 36%, while a normal ultraso...