cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conceptual Design of a Superconducting Quadrupole with Elliptical Acceptance and Tunable Higher Order Multipoles

For charged particle beams that are wider in the dispersive plane compared to the transverse plane it is cost efficient to utilize magnets that accept beams with elliptic cross section. In this paper we presents the conceptual design of a quadrupole magnet with elliptic cross section and with tunable higher order multipoles. The design consists of 18 superconducting race-track coils placed on two hollow concentric rhombic prism support structures. To compute the magnetic field for the proposed design a new method of calculating 2D and 3D fields for the air core magnets based on differential algebra (DA) techniques is developed. We will present the new method and discuss its implementation of new numerical tools based on this method in the code COSY Infinity.
INTER-POPULATION VARIATION IN SHELL MORPHOLOGY OF THE BARNACLE CHTHAMALUS FISSUS

Phenotypic traits often differ among conspecific populations inhabiting different environments. These morphological types may represent unique genotypes that are best suited to local conditions, or they may result from individual responses to local environmental conditions and thus represent plastic phenotypes. The barnacle Chthamalus fissus, commonly found in the upper intertidal of southern California and Baja California, Mexico, exhibits three morphs: one with an oval operculum, one with a narrow, slit-like operculum, and a relatively uncommon bent form with the operculum opening on one side. The aim of this study was to determine if differences in shell morphology among two populations of C. fissus separated by approximately 100 km result from local adaptation or are the result of plasticity in development of the barnacle shell. A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted in which rocks with attached juvenile barnacles were transferred among populations from La Jolla, California, USA, where adults exhibit an oval operculum, and Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, where adults exhibit either a narrow operculum or the bent morphology. The results indicate that barnacle morphology is determined by local conditions and is not due to genetic differences between the two populations. Results of a field experiment examining predation by the snail Mexacanthina lugubris lugubris suggest that oval morphs are more vulnerable than narrow morphs to this predator. Environmental factors that may be responsible for inducing this morphological variation are discussed.
Friedrich Schiller on republican virtue and the tragic exemplar

Scholars have recently argued that Friedrich Schiller makes a signal contribution to republican political theory in his view of “aesthetic education,” which offers a means of elevating self-interes...
Determining material properties of the embryonic chick heart during cardiac looping morphogenesis

Cardiac looping is a fundamental developmental process that is the first morphogenetic sign of lateral (left-right) asymmetry in the vertebrate embryo. The biophysical mechanism that drives the early linear heart tube to bend and rotate dextrally (rightward) into a c-shaped loop is still unknown, although several genetic and epigenetic factors have been implicated. There have been some theoretical mechanical models of looping. What has been lacking in models of looping are appropriate material properties for the tissue. Our lab has developed a poking device ("heart poker"), which not only gives force-deformation (i.e. stiffness) data, but also allows us to analyze the shape of indentation and input that information into a finite element (FE) model to determine material properties. A simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is used to optimize the agreement between the experimental and model results.
Why Ethics Codes Don't Work

Making codes of ethics work in the financial services industry requires defining self-interest in terms of the code's values.
Predicting axonal response to molecular gradients with a computational model of filopodial dynamics

Axons are often guided to their targets in the developing nervous system by attractive or repulsive molecular concentration gradients. We propose a computational model for gradient sensing and directed movement of the growth cone mediated by filopodia. We show that relatively simple mechanisms are sufficient to generate realistic trajectories for both the short-term response of axons to steep gradients and the long-term response of axons to shallow gradients. The model makes testable predictions for axonal response to attractive and repulsive gradients of different concentrations and steepness, the size of the intracellular amplification of the gradient signal, and the differences in intracellular signaling required for repulsive versus attractive turning.
MGMT germline polymorphism is associated with somatic MGMT promoter methylation and gene silencing in colorectal cancer.

O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) repairs inappropriately methylated guanine residues in DNA. MGMT promoter methylation and gene silencing are common events in colorectal cancer, and may or may not co-exist with the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). To date, no study has examined the relationship between MGMT promoter methylation and common MGMT single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which have been associated with colorectal cancer risk. Utilizing real-time polymerase chain reaction (MethyLight technology), we quantified DNA methylation in MGMT and eight other markers (a CIMP diagnostic panel including CACNA1G, CDKN2A, CRABP1, IGF2, MLH1, NEUROG1, RUNX3 and SOCS1 in 182 colorectal cancers collected from two prospective cohorts, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. We genotyped four MGMT germline SNPs in normal DNA and assessed microsatellite instability (MSI), 18q loss of heterozygosity and KRAS and BRAF status in tumors. The presence of a common MGMT promoter SNP (NM_002412.2:c.-56C>T) (rs16906252) was strongly associated with MGMT methylation (multivariate odds ratio 18.0; 95% confidence interval, 6.2-52.1, P T SNP was also associated with loss of MGMT expression in tumors (assessed by immunohistochemistry) (P = 0.009). This promoter SNP was not correlated with KRAS, BRAF, CIMP or MSI status. None of the other three non-promoter SNPs was significantly associated with any molecular changes tested. In conclusion, we have found a strong association between the germline polymorphism (c.-56C>T) of the MGMT promoter and promoter methylation/silencing of MGMT in colorectal cancer. Our data provide compelling evidence for common susceptibility for MGMT promoter CpG island methylation.
Segmentation, registration, and measurement of shape variation via image object shape

A model of object shape by nets of medial and boundary primitives is justified as richly capturing multiple aspects of shape and yet requiring representation space and image analysis work proportional to the number of primitives. Metrics are described that compute an object representation's prior probability of local geometry by reflecting variabilities in the net's node and link parameter values, and that compute a likelihood function measuring the degree of match of an image to that object representation. A paradigm for image analysis of deforming such a model to optimize a posteriori probability is described, and this paradigm is shown to be usable as a uniform approach for object definition, object-based registration between images of the same or different imaging modalities, and measurement of shape variation of an abnormal anatomical object, compared with a normal anatomical object. Examples of applications of these methods in radiotherapy, surgery, and psychiatry are given.
KGF prevents hyperoxia-induced reduction of active ion transport in alveolar epithelial cells.

We evaluated the effects of acute hyperoxic exposure on alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) active ion transport and on expression of Na+ pump (Na+-K+-ATPase) and rat epithelial Na+ channel subunits. Ra...
Economic impact of urinary stones

Kidney stones have been rising in prevalence in the United States and worldwide, and represent a significant cost burden. Cost effectiveness research in this area may enable improvements in treatment efficiency that can benefit patients, providers and the healthcare system. There has been limited research in the cost effectiveness of surgical interventions for stone disease, despite the diverse treatment approaches that are available. Medical expulsive therapy (MET) has been shown to improve rates of stone passage for ureteral stones, and there is evidence that this practice should be liberalized from the standpoint of both clinical and cost effectiveness. While conservative treatment following a primary stone event appears to be cost effective, the economic impact of medical therapy for recurrent stone formers requires clarification despite its clinical efficacy. Future study regarding the cost effectiveness of prevention and interventions for stone disease are likely to improve both the quality and efficiency of care.
Neutral Particle Transport

Particle confinement times in present day controlled fusion devices are typically less than a tenth of the discharges’ duration, and this fraction will decrease in future machines with larger discharge times. Thus it is important to study the mechanism of the recycling of neutral atoms and molecules formed as plasma ions strike device walls at the plasma edge.
Does Post-Transplant Maintenance Therapy With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Improve Outcomes of Patients With High-Risk Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Leukemia?

Abstract Introduction The effect of post-transplant maintenance tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in high-risk Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph + ) leukemia remains unknown. Patients and Methods A retrospective analysis that included allograft recipients with accelerated phase and blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia or Ph + acute lymphoblastic leukemia who had received post-transplant maintenance TKI therapy from 2004 to 2014. Results A total of 26 patients, 9 with accelerated phase/blast phase CML and 17 with Ph + acute lymphoblastic leukemia, received maintenance post-transplant therapy with imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib, or ponatinib. The TKI was selected according to the pretransplantation TKI response, anticipated toxicities, and ABL1 domain mutations, when present. Newer generation TKIs were initiated at a ≥ 50% dose reduction from the standard pretransplantation dosing to limit the toxicities and avoid therapy interruptions. TKIs were started a median of 100 days (range, 28-238 days) after transplantation and were administered for a median of 16 months (range, 8 days to 105 months). Eight patients discontinued therapy because of adverse events. With a median follow-up of 3.6 years (range, 4 months to 8.7 years), the 5-year relapse-free survival rate was 61%. All 3 patients who developed a relapse underwent successful salvage treatment and remained disease-free. The 5-year overall survival rate was 78%. Conclusion Maintenance TKI therapy after transplantation is feasible and might reduce the incidence of relapses and improve outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with high-risk Ph + leukemia.
Extrinsic Recombination of Mutagenic Gene in ? Chain of Fibrinogen B

Objective:To use a gene recombination technology to contribute a mutagenic clone of β chain of fibrinogen B (to substi-tute EGS from KGD). Methods:To add mutagenic primer,selected primer,dNTP,T4 polymorase and ligase to pMLP plas-mid which included normal B β cDNA. It could synthesize a new B β cDNA chain with a few mutagenic bases. The mutagen-ic clone could be obtained through two times of transformation in different E. coli lines. Results: As a BstBI cut site was in-troduced in the mutagenic clone,it was easy to determine which was the new mutagenic clone through electrophoresis. The mutagenic clone had been obtained through the DNA sequence analysis. Conclusion:This is a good method to contribute mu-tagenic clone. It can be used to any clone contribution. When got the B β fibrinogen mutagenic clone successfully, it will be useful for the function research of B β fibrinogen KGD area.
Summarize of guidelines on drug risk management programs of ICH and EMEA

Risk assessment occurs throughout a product's lifecycle.The aim of risk management is continuously to improve drug application safety.We may avoid some inappropriate medical actions reasonably if only effective studys on drug safe signal and methods of risk management.With a series of new drug registration technical requirements promulgated in the recent time,the agency will ask the industry to research how to minimize drugs' risk and to submit risk management plans soon.Maybe we can get some available suggestions from the foreign relevant guidelines.
Renal arteriovenous fistula: a complication of anatrophic nephrolithotomy.

Abstract We report a case of an arteriovenous fistula following anatrophic nephrolithotomy. The need to consider this possible complication in patients with severe bleeding postoperatively and a prompt investigation with angiography is elaborated.
Constraint-based Analysis of Security Properties

Model checking is a verification method developed to test finite-state systems (e.g., communication protocols, hardware circuits) against properties expressed as temporal logic formulas. The method has proved successful in finding design flaws in many real-life systems. Nevertheless models, especially of software systems, often tend to have unbounded number of states. Traditionally, to verify such systems using model checkers, we have to first abstract the system into a finite-state model. This thesis develops a constraint-based technique for directly model checking infinite-state systems, describes an implementation platform for building such a model checker, and applies it to vulnerability analyses of computer systems and configurations. Specifically: (1) We first introduce a unified, automata-based model for infinite-state systems and linear temporal logic (LTL) properties. We then describe a model checking technique for such specifications based on tabled constraint logic programming. The technique can be seen as a generalization of explicit-state model checker for reachability and LTL properties. Using this technique we can automatically verify data-independent systems: systems whose control behavior is independent of the (possibly unbounded) data domain. It should be noted that, until now, exploiting data independence has involved user guidance. (2) We describe the construction of an efficient and robust system that supports constraint solving and tabling. This infrastructure is essential for constraint-based system analysis tools. The constraint solvers are written using Constraint Handling Rules (CHR), a well-known declarative language designed for this purpose. We developed new compilation methods to implement the language in the XSB tabled logic programming system, and also extended CHR to permit the definition of operations (such as entailment) that are specific to the tabled evaluation environment. (3) Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) extends Linux with a flexible mandatory access control mechanism that enforces security policies expressed in a dedicated policy language. Determining whether given policy meets site's high-level security goals can be difficult due to the low-level nature of the policy language and the size and complexity of SELinux policies. We describe a tool for reasoning about SELinux security policies which exploits our constraint-based automata models and a constraint-based reachability analyzer. We demonstrate the power and usefulness of our techniques by building and evaluating a method for analyzing configuration security vulnerabilities in computer systems.
The size and shape of protein molecules

C o n t e n t s . page General I n t r o d u c t o r y Considerat ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t i 9 Fr ict ional Rat ios f rom Sedimenta t ion and Diffusion M e a s u r e m e n t s . . . . 122 The Calculation of P ro te in H y d r a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Viscosi ty in Rela t ion to Shape and H y d r a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 X R a y Diffraction Measuremen t s in Rela t ion to Shape . . . . . . . . . t53 f l-Lactoglobulin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Insu l in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Hor se Methemoglobin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 R o t a r y Diffusion Constants and Relaxa t ion Times: Their Significance for Molecular Size and Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Double Refrac t ion of Flow and Re laxa t ion T imes . . . . . . . . . . . 143 E x p e r i m e n t a l Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 E x p e r i m e n t a l Resul t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Re laxa t ion Times f rom Dielectric Dispersion Measuremen t s . . . . . . . 155 Dipole Moments and Dielectric I n c r e m e n t s of Amino Acids, Pept ides and Prote ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Dielectric Dispersion and Re laxa t ion Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Methods of Dielectric Cons tan t M e a s u r e m e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Some Final Commen t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t65 Bibl iography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Aerobic Oxidation of Cyclic Amines to Lactams Catalyzed by Ceria-Supported Nanogold

The oxidative transformation of cyclic amines to lactams, which are important chemical feedstocks, is efficiently catalyzed by CeO2-supported gold nanoparticles (Au/CeO2) and Aerosil 200 in the presence of an atmosphere of O2. The complete conversion of pyrrolidine was achieved in 6.5 h at 160 °C, affording a 97 % yield of the lactam product 2-pyrrolidone (γ-butyrolactam), while 2-piperidone (δ-valerolactam) was synthesized from piperidine (83 % yield) in 2.5 h. Caprolactam, the precursor to the commercially important nylon-6, was obtained from hexamethyleneimine in 37 % yield in 3 h. During the oxidation of pyrrolidine, two transient species, 5-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole (amidine-5) and 4-amino-1-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)butan-1-one, were observed. Both of these compounds were oxidized to 2-pyrrolidone under catalytic conditions, indicating their role as intermediates in the reaction pathway. In addition to the reactions of cyclic secondary amines, Au/CeO2 also efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of N-methyl cyclic tertiary amines to the corresponding lactams at 80 and 100 °C.
A quantile-based nested partition algorithm for black-box functions on a continuous domain

Simulation models commonly describe complex systems with no closed-form analytical representation. This paper proposes an algorithm for functions on continuous domains that fits into the nested partition framework and uses quantile estimation to rank regions and identify the most promising region. Additionally, we apply the optimal computational budget allocation (OCBA) method for allocating sample points using the normality property of quantile estimators. We prove that, for functions satisfying the Lipschitz condition, the algorithm converges in probability to a region that contains the true global optimum. The paper concludes with some numerical results.
A Worldview of the Alleviation of Suffering

After an overview of the concepts of suffering and social suffering, this chapter gives six common frames for thinking about suffering-alleviation. For example, one frame is suffering-alleviation as moral responsibility; another is suffering-alleviation as undesirable or harmful. Next the following four major societal sectors for suffering-alleviation are described: the humanitarian sector, the social policy sector, the caregiving sector, and the spiritual sector. Additional topics include philosophical approaches for suffering-alleviation priority setting; suggestions for how to alleviate extreme suffering; data on the global trend in rising suffering; and a final section overviewing each chapter. The reader will discover surprisingly wide diversity in approaches to alleviating suffering, which altogether reveal how important suffering-alleviation is to studying and understanding human quality of life.
NONPARAMETRIC GOODNESS-OF-FIT TESTS FOR UNIFORM STOCHASTIC ORDERING.

We propose Lp distance-based goodness-of-fit (GOF) tests for uniform stochastic ordering with two continuous distributions F and G, both of which are unknown. Our tests are motivated by the fact that when F and G are uniformly stochastically ordered, the ordinal dominance curve R = FG-1 is star-shaped. We derive asymptotic distributions and prove that our testing procedure has a unique least favorable configuration of F and G for p ∈ [1,∞]. We use simulation to assess finite-sample performance and demonstrate that a modified, one-sample version of our procedure (e.g., with G known) is more powerful than the one-sample GOF test suggested by Arcones and Samaniego (2000, Annals of Statistics). We also discuss sample size determination. We illustrate our methods using data from a pharmacology study evaluating the effects of administering caffeine to prematurely born infants.
Travel purpose inference with GPS trajectories, POIs, and geo-tagged social media data

In our daily lives, travel takes up an important part, and many trips are generated everyday, such as going to school or shopping. With the widely adoption of GPS-integrated devices, a large amount of trips can be recorded with GPS trajectories. These trajectories are represented by sequences of geo-coordinates and can help us answer simple questions such as “where did you go”. However, there is another important question awaiting to be answered, that is “what did/will you do”, i.e., the trip purpose inference. In practice, people's trip purposes are very important in understanding travel behaviors and estimating travel demands. Obviously, it is very challenging to infer trip purposes solely based on the trajectories, because the GPS devices are not accurate enough to pinpoint the venues visited. In this paper, we infer individual's trip purposes by combining the knowledge from heterogeneous data sources including trajectories, POIs and social media data. The proposed dynamic Bayesian network model captures three important factors: the sequential properties of trip activities, the functionality and POI popularity of trip end areas. Extensive experiments are conducted on real-world data sets with trajectories of 8,361 residents and the 6.9 million geo-tagged tweets in the Bay area. Experimental results demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method on correctly inferring the trip purposes.
Meta-analysis of airway epithelium gene expression in asthma.

Differential gene expression in the airway epithelium of asthmatics vs. controls has been reported in several studies. However, there is no consensus on which genes are reproducibly affected in asthma. We sought to identify a consensus list of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using a meta-analysis approach. We identified eight studies with data that met defined inclusion criteria. In total, these studies were comprised of 355 cases and 193 controls and involved sampling of either bronchial or nasal epithelium. We conducted study-level analyses, followed by a meta-analysis. Likewise, we applied a meta-analysis framework to the results of study-level pathway enrichment. We identified 1,273 DEGs, 431 of which had not been identified in previous studies. 450 DEGs exhibited large effect sizes and were robust to study population differences in age, sex, race/ethnicity, medication use, smoking status, and exacerbations. The magnitude of differential expression of these 450 genes was highly similar in bronchial and nasal airway epithelia. Meta-analysis of pathway enrichment revealed a number of consistently dysregulated biological pathways, including putative transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators. In total, we identified a set of genes that are consistently dysregulated in asthma, link to known and novel biological pathways, and will inform asthma sub-type identification.
Physicalism from a Probabilistic Point of View

Physicalism -like other isms -has meant different things to different people. The main physicalistic thesis I will discuss here is the claim that all occurrences supervene on physical occurrences -that the physical events and states of affairs at a time determine everything that happens at that time. This synchronic claim has been discussed most in the context of the mind/body problem, but it is fruitful to consider as well how the supervenience thesis applies to what might be termed the organism/body problem. How are the biological properties of a system at a time related to its physical properties at that time?
Evolution of modern breast cancer treatment: when less is more.

"In this special issue of Gland Surgery , I am privileged to work with internationally renowned experts in many fields to present" "a focused collection of articles reviewing topics of critical interest to patients and their physicians seeking optimal long term" "health following a diagnosis of breast cancer. This collection captures the rapid evolution in our field, with particular focus on" "therapies that may provide superior outcomes while mitigating long term toxicity for the patient."
University of Central Florida Takes the Bronze at Annual International Programming Competition

Three programming team members from the University of Central Florida traveled across the world to compete in the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals, ultimately earning the bronze medal. Team member Timothy Buzzelli reflects on his World Finals journey and the training and guidance that led to victory.
Risk-taking behaviors and stressors differentially predict suicidal preparation, non-fatal suicide attempts, and suicide deaths.

Abstract Negative life events are elevated in suicidal populations. Diathesis-stress and kindling effects models suggest different mechanisms by which negative life events increase suicide risk. Different forms of negative life events – risk-taking behaviors and stressors – may have different effects on non-fatal suicide attempts and suicide. We assessed the effects of risk-taking behaviors and stressors on suicide, history of non-fatal suicide attempts, and active preparation for suicide in a sample of adults who died by suicide or other causes (N = 377). Psychological autopsy procedures using family member interviews and collateral record review were used to complete a risk-taking behaviors composite measure from the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders, the Modified Life Experiences Scale, and the planning subscale of the Suicide Intent Scale. Stressors were significantly associated with death by suicide, even when accounting for demographic and diagnostic characteristics. Risk-taking behaviors were significantly associated with non-fatal suicide attempts, even when accounting for demographic and diagnostic characteristics. Suicide decedents who did not actively prepare for suicide showed significantly higher risk-taking scores than suicide decedents who actively planned for suicide. Our results suggest that risk-taking behaviors and stressors impact suicide risk through separate mechanisms. Risk-taking behaviors may represent a longstanding vulnerability to act impulsively on suicidal thoughts. Stressors may impact risk for fatal suicidal behaviors in mood disordered populations.
Efficient integration of smart appliances for demand response programs

Power utilities rely on Demand Response (DR) programs in order to shave the peak load at critical times, when there is an excessive demand. In the context of automation, DR programs are categorized as manual or automated. With the emergence of home energy management (HEM) systems that monitor and operate the household appliances, the opportunities for automated DR have emerged. For example, smart appliances with deferrable loads can be scheduled to shift their load without consumers' intervention, given that many consumers might not engage enough to perform the manual DR. However, it has been shown that unjustified load compensation from many HEM-enabled consumers in peak times could result in high off-peak demand. Therefore, it is essential for utilities to identify and target the consumers for participation based on certain criteria. To address this issue, in this paper, we proposed a method for the selection of consumers who are using smart appliances with the highest potential for a DR program. The proposed method measures the (1) frequency, (2) consistency, and (3) peak time usage of deferrable loads across several days. We evaluate our approach on a historical real-world electricity consumption dataset from residential households. The findings demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method to sort consumers (with the smart appliance) based on their potential to participate in DR.
Is NG Aspiration Sensitive and Specific to Detect Upper GI Bleeding

Nasogastric aspiration or lavage is a commonly used diagnostic test to evaluate for upper GI bleeding in patients with melena or hematochezia. Blood in the nasogastric aspirate provides information on the location and activity of the bleed. Despite its common utilization, the test has limited sensitivity and is very uncomfortable for patients. This article reviews the usefulness, diagnostic accuracy, and prognostic ability of NGA/NGL in the evaluation of acute gastrointestinal bleeding.
Distribution System Parameter and Topology Estimation Applied to Resolve Low-Voltage Circuits on Three Real Distribution Feeders

Accurate distribution secondary low-voltage circuit models are needed to enhance overall distribution system operations and planning, including effective monitoring and coordination of distributed energy resources located in the secondary circuits. We present a full-scale demonstration across three real feeders of a computationally efficient approach for estimating the secondary circuit topologies and parameters using historical voltage and power measurements provided by smart meters. The method is validated against several secondary configurations, and compares favorably to satellite imagery and the utility secondary model. Feeder-wide results show how much parameters can vary from simple assumptions. Model sensitivities are tested, demonstrating only modest amounts of data and resolutions of data measurements are needed for accurate parameter and topology results.
Arizona Sunset Experience: The First Two Cycles, 1978-82

The sunset laws represent one of the earliest efforts in the search for methods to centralize regulatory reform. The principles that constitute the operating mechanism for sunset laws are automatic termination of all government agencies and their statutes and periodic review of the performance of all government agencies. The specific objectives of sunset are to evaluate existing governmental effectiveness and efficiency and to deter future governmental growth. The wide-spread enactment of sunset laws since the first sunset law was enacted by Colorado in 1976, demonstrated the enthusiasm that characterized the first stage of sunset. Within several years, the second stage of sunset developed, in which a more cautious attitude was exhibited. Not only did legislative enactment cease, but the second stage was a period for reflection and evaluation. The focus of this study is to evaluate the experience of Arizona in its first two cycles of sunset. During this period, the performance of twenty-nine agencies has been evaluated by the Auditor General, by legislative Committees of Reference, and by the Legislature. Numerous recommendations have been made, many of which have been implemented. Moreover, a substantial amount of time and money have been expended in the process. Because the process is ongoing and extends far into the future, it is appropriate to examine and evaluate the effect of these first two cycles. This study describes the Arizona sunset law, discusses the performance audits and legislative action regarding each agency, and evaluates these actions and their effects.
What is the benefit of irradiation compared to other methods of food preservation

Abstract Various food processing technologies are used to make food palatable and appetizing, achieve food safety and shelf-life extension, and satisfy consumer needs for variety, convenience, and price. Irradiation is used commercially in many countries for pasteurization and sterilization, insect disinfestation, and sprout inhibition. In this chapter, we will evaluate the various technologies that are commercially used for these applications and discuss the advantages that irradiation offers, the constraints that are responsible for it being underutilized, and the opportunities for increased use.
Apicomplexan lineage-specific polytopic membrane proteins in Cryptosporidium parvum

Apicomplexans are a group of parasitic protozoans, including Plasmodium and Cryptosporidium species, which harbor a specialized organelle called an apicoplast. Of the 145-apicomplexan lineage-specific proteins identified in Cryptosporidium parvum, 30 are surface proteins. In Plasmodium falciparum, a heteromeric complex of three related apicomplexan lineage-specific membrane proteins containing 6 transmembrane domains (m6t) have been identified. These proteins are Pfm6t α, Pfm6t β, and Pfm6t γ and these proteins are localized on merozoite as an inner membrane complex (Rayavara et al. in Mol Biochem Parasitol 167(2):135–143, 2009). In C. parvum, homologs of these proteins are identified and are Cpm6t α, Cpm6t β, and Cpm6t γ. Mass spectrometric analysis of C. parvum (Iowa II) protein extracts of oocyst, sporozoite and soluble and insoluble fractions of cytoplasm identified the presence of Cpm6t α, Cpm6t β, and Cpm6t γ specific peptides in these fractions. The expression of Cpm6t α, Cpm6t β, and Cpm6t γ proteins on various developmental stages of C. parvum suggests that this novel group of apicomplexan lineage-specific proteins in Cryptosporidium may be involved in multiple cellular processes apart from the invasion into host epithelial cells as suggested for P. falciparum merozoites onto host erythrocytes.
Optimization of solar-driven systems for off-grid water nanofiltration and electrification

The work described is motivated by an inability to extend central infrastructure for power and water to low-population-density areas of the Navajo Nation and elsewhere. It is estimated that 35% of the Navajo population haul water for household use, frequently from unregulated sources of poor initial quality. The proposed household-scale, solar-driven nanofiltration (NF) system designs are economically optimized to satisfy point-of-use water purification objectives. The systems also provide electrical energy for a degree of nighttime household illumination. Results support rational design of multiple-component purification systems consisting of solar panels, a high-pressure pump, NF membranes, battery storage and an electrical control unit subject to constraints on daily water treatment and excess energy generation. The results presented are conditional (based on initial water quality, membrane characteristics and geography) but can be adapted to satisfy alternative treatment objectives in alternate geographic, etc. settings. The unit costs of water and energy from an optimized system that provides 100 gpd (1 gallon is 3.78 L) and 2 kWh/day of excess electrical energy are estimated at $0.16 per 100 gallons of water treated and $0.26 per kWh of nighttime electrical energy delivered. Methods can be used to inform dispersed infrastructure design subject to alternate constraint sets in similarly remote areas.
Volumetric Analysis of the Vocal Folds Using Computed Tomography: Effects of Age, Height, and Gender.

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to use computed tomography (CT) volumetric analysis to assess the effect of age, gender, height, body mass index (BMI), and ethnicity on vocal fold volume in patients with normal larynges. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional study. METHODS Vocal fold length, width, and height were measured in a total of 105 patients without a history of laryngeal or thyroid pathology on thin-section soft-tissue neck CTs. The product of the three dimensions was used to calculate vocal fold volume. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess for an association between vocal fold volume and age, gender, height, BMI, and ethnicity. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were estimated to evaluate the degree interobserver and intraobserver agreement. RESULTS Vocal fold volume was not associated with age, BMI, or ethnicity. Gender-adjusted height (P = .002) and height-adjusted gender (P = .016) were significantly associated with volume. Height remained significantly associated with volume after stratifying by gender (P < 0.001). There was moderate-to-good correlation in both interobserver (ICC = 0.690 to 0.761) and intraobserver (ICC = 0.733 to 0.873) agreement. CONCLUSION Age was not associated with vocal fold volume, which is in accordance with several prior negative studies. Age-related vocal fold atrophy may not substantially contribute to presbyphonia symptoms, but other processes such as changes in the extracellular matrix may play a larger role. However, both gender and height were independently associated with vocal fold volume. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E240-E247, 2021.
Monsoon Rains of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene: Patterns, Intensity and Possible Causes of Changes

Field evidence for marked environmental changes in the regions subject to monsoon climate has long been available: ancient lake shorelines, fossil dunes, evaporites and Alpine moraines (Brooks 1926, Zeuner 1946). However, a clear picture of the spatial patterns of these features and an accurate radiocarbon-dated chronology of events has been lacking. Without information on the pattern and timing of events, it has been difficult to characterize and interpret these environmental changes in terms of circulation patterns and climate. Moreover, it has been difficult to test hypotheses that attempt to explain the changing monsoon climates. This paper summarizes recent studies that have provided sufficient information about the nature, location and timing of climatic events to facilitate reconstruction of the changes in monsoonal circulations and estimation of the magnitude of precipitation changes. The possible role of changes in the Earth’s orbital elements (obliquity, precession and eccentricity) in causing the observed climatic changes is examined. Some early ideas on the astronomical theory of climatic change, as it relates to tropical climates, are traced.
Assessing Chondrocyte Status by Immunofluorescence-Mediated Localization of Parkin Relative to Mitochondria

Immunofluorescence staining is a widely used and powerful tool for the visualization and colocalization of two or more proteins and/or cellular organelles. For colocalization studies in fixed cells, one target protein/organelle is immunostained and visualized by one fluorophore and the other target protein/organelle is immunostained and visualized by a different fluorophore whose excitation emission spectra does not overlap with the first fluorophore. Parkin (PARK2) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase which performs ubiquitination of surface proteins of dysfunctional mitochondria to mark them for autolysosomal degradation. Here we describe the immunofluorescence staining of parkin protein and immunofluorescence or dye-based methods to visualize mitochondria and study the colocalization of parkin and mitochondria in primary human or mouse chondrocytes or cell lines.
Marriage and Family Therapists’ Reporting of Telehealth Use on Practice Websites during COVID-19: A Linguistic Analysis

Clinicians may have to adapt their online marketing and engagement strategies to convey messages regarding COVID-19 and telehealth appointments for current and potential clients. This study reports...
An Origami Inspired Polarization-Insensitive FSS

An origami inspired frequency selective surface (FSS) design is proposed. Using the Miura-Ori origami pattern, traditional rhombic loop resonators are appropriately oriented to form a dual-band frequency selective surface. The proposed FSS consists of two identical layers that are rotated 90° in respect to each other. Due to this configuration, the designed FSS exhibits polarization insensitivity in a 2.5:1 bandwidth for broadside scan.
Gait Speed and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults After Hospitalization: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND Hospitalization can impair physical and functional status of older adults, but it is unclear whether these deficits are transient or chronic. This study determined the association between hospitalization of older adults and changes in long-term longitudinal trajectories of 2 measures of physical and functional status: gait speed (GS) and instrumental activities of daily living measured with Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ). METHOD Linear mixed-effects models assessed the association between hospitalization (nonelective vs elective, and surgical vs medical) and outcomes of GS and FAQ score in participants (older than 60 years) enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging who had longitudinal assessments. RESULTS Of 4902 participants, 1879 had ≥1 hospital admission. Median GS at enrollment was 1.1 m/s. The slope of the annual decline in GS before hospitalization was -0.015 m/s. The parameter estimate (95% CI) for additional annual change in GS trajectory after hospitalization was -0.009 (-0.011 to -0.006) m/s, p < .001. The accelerated GS decline was greater for medical versus surgical hospitalizations (-0.010 vs -0.003 m/s, p = .005), and nonelective versus elective hospitalizations (-0.011 vs -0.006 m/s, p = .067). The odds of a worsening FAQ score increased on average by 4% per year. Following hospitalization, odds of FAQ score worsening further increased (multiplicative annual increase in odds ratio per year [95% CI] following hospitalization was 1.05 [1.03, 1.07], p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Hospitalization of older adults is associated with accelerated long-term decline in GS and functional limitations, especially after nonelective admissions and those for medical indications. However, for most well-functioning participants, these changes have little clinical significance.
Putting the Commercial in Social Enterprise Education: Employing the For-profit to Nonprofit Business Model in the Classroom

This article presents the case of an undergraduate social entrepreneurship class where students run social enterprises on campus for four weeks. After completing sales, students donate their profits to local nonprofit organizations. The case illustrates how university classes may equip students to address societal problems through entrepreneurial activity.
Differences in Academic Resiliency When the Pandemic Forced Courses Online: Was Prior Online Coursetaking Protective?

We report results from a dataset consisting of all courses taken by students at the City University of New York [CUNY] in fall 2019 and spring 2020. This time frame covers the semester prior to the wide-spread onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City (i.e., pre-pandemic), and the semester when the coronavirus precipitated a rapid and unprecedented forced shift of all courses within the university system to a fully-online mode of instruction early in the term (i.e., pandemic term). Findings indicate that students at two-year colleges, men, and certain racial/ethnic groups had less resilient course outcomes when comparing their rates of pre-pandemic vs. pandemic course outcomes. However, these differences were observed primarily among those students who had not originally chosen to enrol in any fully online courses that year. In contrast, students who had originally chosen to enrol in fully online courses that year were much more resilient, with differences by institution type, gender, and race/ethnicity by and large not exacerbated by the pandemic.
Automatic color map digitization by spectral classification

A method of converting polygon map information into a digital form which does not require manual tracing of polygon edges is discussed. The maps must be in color-coded format with a unique color for each category in the map. Color scanning using a microdensitometer is employed and a three-channel color separation digital data set is generated. The digital data are then classified by using a Gaussian maximum likelihood classifier, and the resulting digitized map is evaluated. Very good agreement is observed between the classified and original map.
What Rough Beast: Synthetic Biology and the Future of Biosecurity

Synthetic biology (SB) seeks to create modular biological parts that can be assembled into useful devices, allowing the modification of biological systems with greater reliability, at lower cost, with greater speed, and by a larger pool of people than has been the case with traditional genetic engineering. We assess the offensive and defensive security implications of SB based on the insights of leading synthetic biologists into how the technology may develop, the projections of practicing biosecurity authorities on changes in security context and on potential security applications of SB, and joint appraisals of policy-relevant sources of uncertainty. SB appears to have minimal security implications in the near term, to create modest offensive advantages in the medium term, and to strengthen defensive capabilities against natural and engineered biological threats and to enable novel potential offensive uses in the long term. To maximize defensive and minimize offensive effects of SB despite uncertainty, this essay suggests a combination of policy approaches including community-based efforts, regulation and surveillance, further research, and the deliberate design of security and safety into the technology.
An Economic Analysis and Simulation of Woodfuel Management in the Sahel

This paper presents an economic framework and a computationalmethodology for assessing the evolution of woodfuel supply costsand the spatial distribution of biomass in a Sahelian woodlandsetting. Spatial data on standing stock and the costs oftransport to market are used to construct a supply curve for fuelto a fuel-consuming location. Given an exogenously specifieddemand, the model simulates, period by period, the extraction,regeneration, and transport of wood fuels. The model is appliedto evaluate the benefits and ecological impacts of scenarios forwoodland management around the city of N'Djamena, Chad.