cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flexible experimentation and analysis for hybrid DEVS and MPC models

Discrete-event simulation and control-theoretic approaches lend themselves to studying semiconductor manufacturing supply-chain systems. In this work, we detail a modeling approach for semiconductor manufacturing supply chain systems in a hybrid DEVS/MPC testbed that supports experimentations for DEVS and MPC models using KIBDEVS MPC/. This testbed supports detailed analysis and design of interactions between discrete processes and tactical controller. A set of experiments have been devised to illustrate the role of modeling interactions between discrete event system specification and model predictive control models. The testbed offers novel features to methodically identify and analyze complex model interactions and thus support alternative designs based on tradeoffs between model resolutions and execution times
Spatial Dependence in Entrepreneurship Research Challenges and Methods

Measures used in entrepreneurship research are often subject to spatial dependence. Spatial dependence renders ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation inappropriate because the estimates will be bi...
A novel MMIC biphase modulator with variable gain using enhancement-mode FETS suitable for 3 V wireless applications

A circuit topology for realizing a BPSK (180 degree) modulator without the use of reactive phase determining networks is presented for the first time. This physically small circuit employs a trio of enhancement mode MESFETs which are uniquely configured to extend the upper frequency response of the design to in excess of 1.7 GHz. This approach is particularly noteworthy as it is implemented using less than 3 V dc and precludes the need for negative gate voltages making it attractive for use in wireless applications. >
Design and optimization of integrated low-voltage low-power monolithic CMOS charge pumps

Driven by the proliferation of implantable and self-powered electronic devices, low-voltage, low-power, high-efficiency DC-DC power converters are on high demands. This paper first reviews the state-of-the-arts charge pumps, with focus on power loss minimization, power stage architectures and control signaling. A new four-phase complimentary charge pump is then proposed. By employing the techniques of minimizing the reversion loss and conduction loss and interleaving the power stage sub-cells, the design achieves high efficiency and low ripple voltages without compromising fabrication cost. A sub-threshold clock generator is employed to further reduce the power loss in the controller. The charge pump was designed with IBM 180 nm CMOS process with fully on-chip pumping capacitors. HSPICE simulations show that the charge pump maintains the efficiency above 90% within up to 5 mW power range, with the maximum efficiency of 92.01%. The ripple voltage is also much improved in comparison with its counterparts.
Assessment and Treatment of Obsessions and Compulsions in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Systematic Review

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review empirical evidence for the assessment and treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Systematic searches were conducted in electronic databases, reference lists, and journals. Fifty-five studies met inclusion criteria: 21 studies investigating prevalence, symptom presentation, and assessment, as well as 34 intervention studies investigating 14 different interventions. Based on the Chambless criteria for treatment efficacy, four treatments (behavior analysis and behavior modification, risperidone, fluoxetine, and fluvoxamine for adults) met criteria for possible efficacious interventions for OCD among individuals with ASD. Positive intervention outcomes were reported in the majority of studies, but there was not enough research to make firm conclusions regarding efficacy of other treatments.
High-energy cosmic rays☆

Abstract After a brief review of galactic cosmic rays in the GeV to TeV energy range, we describe some current problems of interest for particles of very high energy. Particularly interesting are two features of the spectrum, the knee above 10 15 eV and the ankle above 10 18 eV . An important question is whether the highest-energy particles are of extra-galactic origin and, if so, at what energy the transition occurs. A theme common to all energy ranges is use of nuclear abundances as a tool for understanding the origin of the cosmic radiation.
Where to look? Automating attending behaviors of virtual human characters

This research proposes a computational framework for generating visual attending behavior in an embodied simulated human agent. Such behaviors directly control eye and head motions, and guide other actions such as locomotion and reach. The implementation of these concepts, referred to as the AVA, draws on empirical and qualitative observations known from psychology, human factors and computer vision. Deliberate behaviors, the analogs of scanpaths in visual psychology, compete with involuntary attention capture and lapses into idling or free viewing. Insights provided by implementing this framework are: a defined set of parameters that impact the observable effects of attention, a defined vocabulary of looking behaviors for certain motor and cognitive activity, a defined hierarchy of three levels of eye behavior (endogenous, exogenous and idling) and a proposed method of how these types interact.
Evaluating Conflict Research on the Diffusion of War

In reviewing empirical studies on the causes of war, scholars claim to find evidence of progress. Most reviewers, however, do not present a set of explicitly defined criteria and when they do, their criteria are oftentimes ambiguous and vague. The objective of this study is to provide a set of criteria that are clearly defined and then to apply them in a systematic and objective way to one area of conflict studies: the diffusion of war. To do this, I draw upon criteria taken from the works of Kuhn, Popper, Lakatos and Laudan and re-evaluate the progressiveness of empirical studies addressing war diffusion. The criteria I apply include generality, simplicity, precision, predicting novel information, anticipating results and solving both empirical and conceptual problems. My analysis indicates that there is little evidence of progress on most of these criteria. I suggest that perhaps one reason for declining interest in this area is due to the failure of scholars to view the war diffusion research program as progressive. I also argue that social scientists be more explicit and clear in identifying their evaluative criteria so that their resulting evaluations are more objective and rigorous.
{FEAST at Play: Feature ExtrAction using Score function Tensors}

Feature learning forms the cornerstone for tackling challenging learning problems in domains such as speech, computer vision and natural language processing. In this paper, we build upon a novel framework called FEAST(Feature ExtrAction using Score function Tensors) which incorporates generative models for discriminative learning. FEAST considers a novel class of matrix and tensor-valued feature transform, which can be pre-trained using unlabeled samples. It uses an ecient algorithm for extracting discriminative information, given these pre-trained features and labeled samples for any related task. The class of features it adopts are based on higher-order score functions, which capture local variations in the probability density function of the input. We employ ecient spectral decomposition algorithms (on matrices and tensors) for extracting discriminative components. The advantage of employing tensor-valued features is that we can extract richer discriminative information in the form of overcomplete representations (where number of discriminative features is greater than input dimension). In this paper, we provide preliminary experiment results on real datasets.
Abstract 361: Inactivation of Cardiac Foxo1 by Insulin Signaling Is Required for Cardiac Function and Suppression of β-Myosin Heavy Chain Gene Expression

Heart failure is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA and is closely associated with diabetes mellitus. The molecular link between diabetes and heart failure is incompletely understood. We recently demonstrated that insulin receptor substrate 1, 2 (IRS1, 2) are key components of insulin signaling and their dysfunction mediates insulin resistance, resulting in metabolic dysregulation and heart failure. Loss of IRS1 and IRS2 is associated with downstream Akt inactivation and in turn activation of the forkhead transcription factor Foxo1. To determine the role of Foxo1 in control of heart failure in insulin resistance and diabetes, we generated mice lacking Foxo1 gene specifically in the heart. Mice lacking both IRS1 and IRS2 in adult hearts exhibited severe heart failure, loss of mitochondria, and a remarkable increase in the β-isoform of myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) gene expression, while deletion of cardiac Foxo1 gene largely prevented the heart failure and the loss of mitochondria, and resulted in a decrease in β-MHC expression. The effect of Foxo1 deficiency on rescuing cardiac dysfunction was also observed in db/db mice and high-fat diet (HFD) mice. Using cultures of primary ventricular cardiomyocytes, we found that Foxo1 interacts with the promoter region of β-MHC and stimulates gene expression, mediating an effect of insulin that suppresses β-MHC expression. Taken together, our study suggests that Foxo1 has important roles in promoting diabetic cardiomyopathy and controls β-MHC expression in development of cardiac dysfunction. Targeting Foxo1 and its regulation will provide novel strategies in preventing metabolic and myocardial dysfunction and influencing MHC plasticity in diabetes mellitus.
A 3-D Discontinuous Galerkin Chimera Overset Method

The Chimera overset method is a powerful technique for numerically solve partial differential equations associated with complex engineering problems using arbitrarily overlapping meshes. The method has allowed engineers to apply high-order schemes, such as the WENO and compact di erencing, which require structured meshes, to complex geometric con gurations. However, the large stencil associated with these high-order schemes can signi cantly complicate hole cutting procedures and the inter-grid communication scheme; particularly for three-dimensional geometries. This paper demonstrates a methodology for using the Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) scheme with Chimera overset meshes in threedimensions. The small stencil of the DG scheme makes it particularly suitable for Chimera meshes as it simpli es the inter-grid communication scheme. In addition, because the DG scheme represents the solution as cell local polynomials, the DG-Chimera scheme does not require a donor interpolation method with a large stencil. The DG-Chimera method also does not require the use of fringe points to maintain the interior stencil across inter-grid boundaries. Thus, inter-grid communication can be established so long as the receiving boundary is enclosed by or abuts with the donor mesh. This makes the inter-grid communication procedure applicable to both Chimera and zonal meshes. Details of threedimensional DG-Chimera scheme are presented, and the method is demonstrated on a set of inviscid ow problems.
Changes in Plasma Amino Acid Nitrogen Concentration Following Nitrous Oxide and Ether Anesthesia and Surgery

SummaryIn 9 children the concentration of amino acid nitrogen in the plasma decreased on the average of 0.38 mg per 100 ml following anesthesia with a further decline averaging 0.46 mg per 100 ml during a surgical procedure. In 5 of the 9, the plasma amino acid concentration was lower 2 hours after operation than at the conclusion of the operative procedure.The pattern of change of plasma amino acid concentration in one patient with chronic hypoaminoacidemia was similar to those with normal concentrations preoperatively.Additional studies are being prosecuted to elucidate an explanation of the factors causing the observed changes.
A new classification system predictive of complications in surgically treated pediatric humeral lateral condyle fractures.

BackgroundThe most commonly cited classification system for lateral condyle fractures (Milch) has not been shown to be predictive of outcome or recommend treatment.PurposeTo determine whether a classification system and treatment based on fracture displacement and articular congruity correlates with
Kinetic Study of the Passive Film on 304 Stainless Steel Using a Scanning Tunneling Microscope

The unique capability of the scanning tunneling microscope, STM, for in situ nanoscale electronic measurements has been utilized to establish the nature of the oxide film on 304 stainless steel under HCl, distilled water, and in air. New insights were obtained concerning the kinetics and electronic surface states of the oxide film as a function of exposure time to these environments: quantitative measurements of the corrosion behavior and the stability of the oxide film, as related to observed defects, have been obtained. These findings have resulted in a model which incorporates these new insights with previously established theories concerning oxidized surfaces.
Optimization of the method to measure air concentration of formaldehyde in workplaces by phenol reagent spectrophotometry

Objective To optimize experimental conditions to measure air concentration of formaldehyde by phenol reagent spectrophotometry set in the national standard "Determination of Aliphatic Aldehydes in The Air of Workplace(GBZ/T160.54-2007)".Methods Several variables influencing experimental results in determination of air concentration of formaldehyde by phenol reagent spectrophotometry were studied,including phenol concentration,dissolution conditions of coloration reagent acid,incident light wavelength,coloration temperature and coloration rendering time,and so on.Results With the optimal method,detection limit was 0.015 mg/L of formaldehyde,with the minimal detectable concentration of 0.025 mg/m3(calculated as three liters of air sampled) and a linear range of 0.05 mg/L~5.0 mg/L.Conclusion This optimal method of determination of air formaldehyde has a lower detection limit,better sensitivity and wider linear range and can be done under normal room temperature without thermostat bath.
A Transformer Fault Case of Simple Hydrogen Above-norm

The paper introduces a case that hydrogen released from a liquid-immersed transformer at a converting station in Baosteel was above norm.With analysis of the dissolved gas from insulating oil on a gas chromatography,and with application of the partial discharging theory,the fault causes have been analyzed and eliminated,and good results have been obtained.
Constrained cyclic coordinate descent for cryo-EM images at medium resolutions: beyond the protein loop closure problem

The cyclic coordinate descent (CCD) method is a popular loop closure method in protein structure modeling. It is a robotics algorithm originally developed for inverse kinematic applications. We demonstrate an effective method of building the backbone of protein structure models using the principle of CCD and a guiding trace. For medium-resolution 3-dimensional (3D) images derived using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), it is possible to obtain guiding traces of secondary structures and their skeleton connections. Our new method, constrained cyclic coordinate descent (CCCD), builds α-helices, β-strands, and loops quickly and fairly accurately along predefined traces. We show that it is possible to build the entire backbone of a protein fairly accurately when the guiding traces are accurate. In a test of 10 proteins, the models constructed using CCCD show an average of 3.91 A of backbone root mean square deviation (RMSD). When the CCCD method is incorporated in a simulated annealing framework to sample possible shift, translation, and rotation freedom, the models built with the true topology were ranked high on the list, with an average backbone RMSD100 of 3.76 A. CCCD is an effective method for modeling atomic structures after secondary structure traces and skeletons are extracted from 3D cryo-EM images.
Fail-safe topology optimization

Fail-safe robustness of critical load carrying structures is an important design philosophy for aerospace industry. The basic idea is that a structure should be designed to survive normal loading conditions when partial damage occurred. Such damage is quantified as complete failure of a structural member, or a partial damage of a larger structural part. In the context of topology optimization fail-safe consideration was first proposed by Jansen et al. Struct Multidiscip Optim 49(4):657---666, (2014). While their approach captures the essence of fail-safe requirement, it has two major shortcomings: (1) it involves analysis of a very large number of FEA models at the scale equal to the number of elements; (2) failure was introduced in generic terms and therefore the fundamental aspects of failure test of discrete members was not discussed. This paper aims at establishing a rigorous framework for fail-safe topology optimization of general 3D structures, with the goal to develop a computationally viable solution for industrial applications. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on several examples including a 3D example with over three hundred thousand elements.
Evaluation of the Electrochemical Properties of Crystalline Copper Antimonide Thin Film Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries Produced by Single Step Electrodeposition

Abstract Electrodeposited crystalline Cu 2 Sb thin films are studied to evaluate the use of these electrodes as model systems for studying Cu 2 Sb as a lithium ion battery anode material. The films have been characterized with an emphasis on determining the film quality and relating the structure, composition, and morphology to the resulting electrochemical and morphological transformations that occur during electrochemical lithiation and delithiation. It is shown that electrodeposition can produce high quality films that are devoid of major defects and can be used to provide mechanistic insight on the electrochemistry of reversible lithium alloying. The Cu x Sb films show that the fundamental reaction mechanism remains largely unchanged for copper concentrations of 1 > x > 3. For the first time we show that the copper concentration greatly affects critical criteria for anode materials such as the initial coulombic efficiency and reversible capacity of the electrode material. Voltage limit experiments show that an overpotential is required to remove trapped lithium states. Additional ex-situ experiments reveal that internal strain created during the lithiation process is relieved by buckling, greatly altering the film surface area and geometry, and resulting in the formation of cracks upon delithiation. This process is only semi-reversible, and strained areas remain visible even when discharged outside the voltage window of Cu 2 Sb determined by differential capacity plots. The results presented here indicate that these electroplated thin films are useful as analytical tools for showing pathways to improving the performance and fundamental understanding of alloy based lithium-ion battery anodes.
The Importance of Being Earnest: The Authenticity of Reciprocity in Marketing Exchange Relationships

Effective marketing relationships have been found to rely on the development of beneficial exchange behaviors. To fully understand the effects of these actions, it is important to examine what underlies and has a pervasive impact on the development and effects of these exchange behaviors; that is, reciprocity. While the extant literature has introduced two dimensions, this paper proposed that a third, perhaps even more important, dimension of reciprocity exists. Specifically, this paper proposes that the influence that reciprocity has been found to have on exchange behaviors does not rely only on what action is exchanged (i.e., equivalence) and when the action is exchanged (i.e., immediacy), but, also on how the action is exchanged (i.e., authenticity). Authenticity refers to the extent to which the action that is exchanged is exchanged in a genuine manner. Based on the motives and constraints attributed to the action, four types of the authenticity are possible: true inauthenticity, true authenticity, surface acting, and deep acting. By focusing on how actions are exchanged, each type of authenticity determines the symbolic value imputed to the benefit and that value directly influences the party’s decision of whether to repay the benefit and the determination of what an appropriate repayment would be as well as indirectly influencing exchange behaviors toward their partner.
AN INFORMATION-PROCESSING MODEL BASED ON REACTION TIMES IN SOLVING LINEAR EQUATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a methodology for relating reaction-time data to an information-processing model that solves the problem. The basic approach is to use steps in the problem solution produced by the information-processing model as stimulus items for human solvers. The various items corresponding to the solution of a particular problem are, of course, presented in scrambled order together with items from many other problems so that their homogeneity is not noticeable. Then, by a subtraction technique, the difference between the time required to produce an answer from one state and the time required to produce the same answer from the successive state provides an indication of the time required to execute the processing needed to go from one state to the next.
The Politics of Intersubjectivity: Representation and the Double

This chapter introduces the dynamic motif of the double and its relation to intersubjectivity by visiting aspects of political representation, which is intrinsically doubled, whether in the form of origin or establishing narratives or in the form of representative government. I take up early modern English political philosophy, fortified by the backdrop of the King’s Two Bodies, and informing the meaning of political representation. Then, I look at the doubles that drive Haudenosaunee political culture. Next, I look at doubled icons that represent, broadly speaking, government or political power, which leads to a meditation on certain features of Marxism, of the Bolshevik Revolution, and then on aspects of Engels’ philosophy.
Is Interferential Current Before Pilates Exercises More Effective Than Placebo in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain?: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Objective To determine whether interferential current (IFC) before Pilates exercises is more effective than placebo in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Design Two-arm randomized controlled trial, with a blinded assessor, and 6 months follow-up. Setting Clinic of a school of physical therapy. Participants The random sample consisted of patients (N=148) of both sexes, with age between 18 and 80 years and chronic nonspecific low back pain. In addition, participants were recruited by disclosure of the treatment in the media. Interventions Patients were allocated into 2 groups: active IFC + Pilates or placebo IFC + Pilates. In the first 2 weeks, patients were treated for 30 minutes with active or placebo IFC. In the following 4 weeks, 40 minutes of Pilates exercises were added after the application of the active or placebo IFC. A total of 18 sessions were offered during 6 weeks. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measures were pain intensity, pressure pain threshold, and disability measured at 6 weeks after randomization. Results No significant differences were found between the groups for pain (0.1 points; 95% confidence interval, −0.9 to 1.0 points), pressure pain threshold (25.3kPa; 95% confidence interval, −4.4 to 55.0kPa), and disability (0.4 points; 95% confidence interval, −1.3 to 2.2). However, there was a significant difference between baseline and 6-week and 6-month follow-ups in the intragroup analysis for all outcomes ( P Conclusions These findings suggest that active IFC before Pilates exercise is not more effective than placebo IFC with respect to the outcomes assessed in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.
Heart structural remodeling in a mouse model of Duchenne cardiomyopathy revealed using optical polarization tractography [Invited].

We investigated the heart structural remodeling in the mdx4cv mouse model of Duchenne cardiomyopathy using optical polarization tractography. Whole heart tractography was obtained in freshly dissected hearts from six mdx4cv mice. Six hearts from C57BL/6J mice were also imaged as the normal control. The mdx4cv hearts were significantly larger than the control hearts and had significantly higher between–subject variations in myofiber organization. While both strains showed classic cross-helical fiber organization in the left ventricle, the rate of the myocardial fiber orientation change across the heart wall was significantly altered in the right ventricle of the mdx4cv heart.
Narcissism and the Strategic Pursuit of Short-Term Mating: Universal Links across 11 World Regions of the International Sexuality Description Project-2

Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current study, responses from a cross-cultural survey of 30,470 people across 53 nations spanning 11 world regions (North America, Central/South America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia, and East Asia) were used to evaluate whether narcissism (as measured by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory; NPI) was universally associated with short-term mating. Results revealed narcissism scores (including two broad factors and seven traditional facets as measured by the NPI) were functionally equivalent across cultures, reliably associating with key sexual outcomes (e.g., more active pursuit of short-term mating, intimate partner violence, and sexual aggression) and sex-related personality traits (e.g., higher extraversion and openness to experience). Whereas some features of personality (e.g., subjective well-being) were universally associated with socially adaptive facets of Narcissism (e.g., self-sufficiency), most indicators of short-term mating (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality and marital infidelity) were universally associated with the socially maladaptive facets of narcissism (e.g., exploitativeness). Discussion addresses limitations of these cross-culturally universal findings and presents suggestions for future research into revealing the precise psychological features of narcissism that facilitate the strategic pursuit of short-term mating.
Oscar Bony's La Familia Obrera: The Labor and the Work

This article analyzes Oscar Bony's work La Familia Obrera (1968), in which a working class family sat on view in the gallery of the Instituto Di Tella in Buenos Aires. What might be read from the t...
Distributed Formation Control for Communication Relay with Positionless Flying Agents

Distributed formation of swarming with no coordinated agreement or positioning information is an interesting research area. This principle is applied to the development of ad-hoc wireless communication networks based on flying agent for finding ground users in disaster areas. We describe a decentralized self-control algorithm for coordinating a swarm of identical flying agents to spatially self-organize into arbitrary shapes using local communication maintaining a certain level of density. The proposed approach generates a shared coordinate system by flying agents which are continuously performing local trilateration, and achieves pre-defined shape formation by allowing agents to scatter within the defined 2D shape using virtual pheromones to maintain their communication pathways.
Raman spectroscopy reveals biophysical markers in skin cancer surgical margins

The recurrence rate of nonmelanoma skin cancer is highly related to the residual tumor after surgery. Although tissueconserving surgery, such as Mohs surgery, is a standard method for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer, they are limited by lengthy and costly frozen-section histopathology. Raman spectroscopy (RS) is proving to be an objective, sensitive, and non-destructive tool for detecting skin cancer. Previous studies demonstrated the high sensitivity of RS in detecting tumor margins of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). However, those studies rely on statistical classification models and do not elucidate the skin biophysical composition. As a result, we aim to discover the biophysical differences between BCC and primary normal skin structures (including epidermis, dermis, hair follicle, sebaceous gland and fat). We obtained freshly resected ex vivo skin samples from fresh resection specimens from 14 patients undergoing Mohs surgery. Raman images were acquired from regions containing one or more structures using a custom built 830nm confocal Raman microscope. The spectra were grouped using K-means clustering analysis and annotated as either BCC or each of the five normal structures by comparing with the histopathology image of the serial section. The spectral data were then fit by a previously established biophysical model with eight primary skin constituents. Our results show that BCC has significant differences in the fit coefficients of nucleus, collagen, triolein, keratin and elastin compared with normal structures. Our study reveals RS has the potential to detect biophysical changes in resection margins, and supports the development of diagnostic algorithms for future intraoperative implementation of RS during Mohs surgery.
Perturbation Analysis for Wetting Fronts in Richard's Equation

Perturbation methods are used to study the interaction of wetting fronts with impervious boundaries in layered soils. Solutions of Richards' equation for horizontal and vertical infiltration problems are considered. Asymptotically accurate solutions are constructed from outer solutions and boundary-layer corrections. Results are compared with numerical simulations to demonstrate a high level of accuracy.
Solving differential equations with radial basis functions: multilevel methods and smoothing

Some of the meshless radial basis function methods used for the numerical solution of partial differential equations are reviewed. In particular, the differences between globally and locally supported methods are discussed, and for locally supported methods the important role of smoothing within a multilevel framework is demonstrated. A possible connection between multigrid finite elements and multilevel radial basis function methods with smoothing is explored. Various numerical examples are also provided throughout the paper.
Removal of Zinc Ions by Sol-Gel Silica Doped with Cibacron Blue

Chemically doped sol-gel silica has been developed by entrapping organic dye cibacron blue as a complexing reagent in porous silica prepared by the sol-gel method for removal of metal ions from water samples. In the doped sol-gel silica, the large reagent molecules are entrapped inside the pores while small metal ions can diffuse into the pores where they are complexed by the reagent and retained inside the pores. This new solid sorbent was tested for removal of Zn(II) from aqueous solutions. The kinetics, isotherm, and pH effect of the removal were investigated. With a loading of 0.10 mmol cibacron blue/g, the sol-gel silica sorbent had a capacity of 0.09 mmol Zn/g. It was demonstrated that the sol-gel silica sorbent could be regenerated and reused repeatedly.
CARNITINE DEFICIENCY IN CIRRHOSIS

Fasting serum total carnitine was measured in 16 normal controls and in 255 hospital patients (16 clinical groups). Only in cirrhosis was hypocarnitinemia (<55μ) found. Twenty of 60 cirrhotics had hypocarnitinemia and hypocarnitinuria. They exhibited severe hepatocellular disease and advanced protein-calorie undernutrition. Their intakes of preformed carnitine, and of lysine and methionine, the precursors of carnitine biosynthesis, were 30% of the intakes of normal individuals. When normals and hypocarnitinemic cirrhotics were given 2 to 4 × the recommended daily allowances of lysine, methionine and other essential nutrients by oral and intravenous routes, without exogenous carnitine, the normals maintained a normal serum carnitine level but the cirrhotics remained hypocarnitinemic. In the latter patients, 250 μmole of exogenous L carnitine per day corrected the hypocarnitinemia and hypocarnitinuria. Eight hypocarnitinemic cirrhotics died, and their tissue levels of carnitine and triglyceride were compared to those in 10 subjects who died in normal nutritional state from acute cardiovascular cause. In the cirrhotics, compared to the cardiovascular cases, carnitine level was reduced in liver, muscle, kidney and brain; triglyceride was elevated in liver and muscle.
THE-DB: a threading model database for comparative protein structure analysis of the E. coli K12 and human proteomes

New methodology must be developed to improve the ability to characterize the growing number of amino acid sequences, which vastly exceeds the number of experimentally determined protein structures. Homologous proteins can be used as structural templates for modeling proteins that do not have experimentally determined structures. However, in many cases, there are no homologous proteins (typically <30% sequence identity) with determined structures from which a query sequence can be reliably modeled. The aim of protein threading is to use features, such as secondary structure, solvent accessibility and torsional angles, in addition to sequence patterns to identify structural templates from the protein databank to assist for full-length atomic-level structural modeling. However, there are still numerous protein sequences for which correct templates cannot be recognized. This raises the question as to what attributes allow query sequences to be matched to the correct but distantly homologous templates. To aid the investigation into this question and to provide genome-score protein structure for the biological community, a database called THE-DB (threading hard and easy protein database) has been developed in which it becomes possible to analyze over 15 000 query sequences from the Escherichia coli (E. coli) K12 and human proteomes, as well as to find their three-dimensional templates derived from the state-of-the-art threading algorithms which is not feasible with existing protein template databases. The E. coli K12 and human data can be downloaded in bulk from the THE-DB page.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON TESTING MILK SAMPLES FOR ANTIBIOTICS1

When the Difco Bioassay Kit using whey agar and B. subtilis is used for the detection of growth inhibiting substances in milk for cheese manufacture, it is seldom that any antibiotic other than pen...
Motivating Exercise Through Social Media: Is a Picture Always Worth a Thousand Words?

Abstract Objectives In the present study, we examined how the influence of exercise-related social media content on exercise motivation might differ across content type (with images vs. without images) and account type (individual vs. corporate). Design Using a 2 × 2 within-subjects experimental design, 229 participants viewed a series of 40 actual social media posts across the four conditions (individual posts with images, corporate posts with images, individual posts without images, and corporate posts without images) in a randomized order. Method Participants rated the extent to which they felt each social media post motivated them to exercise, would motivate others to exercise, and was posted for extrinsic reasons. Participants also completed other measures of individual differences including their own exercise motivation. Results Posts with images from individuals were more motivating than posts with images from corporations; however, corporate posts without images were more motivating than posts without images from individuals. Participants expected others to be similarly motivated by the stimuli, and perceived corporate posts as having been posted for more extrinsic reasons than individuals’ posts. Conclusions These findings enhance our understanding of how social media may be used to promote positive health behaviors.
Response of Water Chemistry and Young-of-Year Brook Trout to Channel and Watershed Liming in Streams Showing Lagging Recovery from Acidic Deposition

Reductions in sulfur emissions have initiated chemical recovery of surface waters impacted by acidic deposition in the Adirondack region of New York State. However, acidified streams remain common in the region, which limits recovery of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations. To investigate liming as a method to accelerate recovery of brook trout, the channels of two acidified streams were limed annually from 2012 to 2015, and an entire watershed of a third acidified tributary was limed by helicopter in 2013. Stream flow, water chemistry, and density of young-of-year (YOY) brook trout were measured in limed streams, an untreated acidified stream, and a buffered reference stream. Lime additions increased pH and acid-neutralizing capacity and decreased inorganic monomeric aluminum concentrations to less than 2.0 μmol/L, the minimum concentration at which in situ brook trout mortality has been documented. However, of the two channel-limed streams, only stream T8 showed a significant response (P < 0.01) in YOY density, increasing from a mean of 0.4 fish/m2 before liming to 2.7 fish/m2 after liming. No YOY brook trout response was observed in the stream within the limed watershed. Groundwater inputs to streams were identified by relative differences in temperature and concentrations of silica and sodium. YOY brook trout densities increased only in the channel-limed stream (T8) with suitable groundwater inputs for fall spawning and a summer nursery. Results suggest that targeted liming of acidified streams with the necessary groundwater habitat could be beneficial in accelerating recovery of brook trout populations.
Assessment of the Predictive Value of Outpatient Smartphone Videos for Diagnosis of Epileptic Seizures.

Importance Misdiagnosis of epilepsy is common. Video electroencephalogram provides a definitive diagnosis but is impractical for many patients referred for evaluation of epilepsy. Objective To evaluate the accuracy of outpatient smartphone videos in epilepsy. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective, masked, diagnostic accuracy study (the OSmartViE study) took place between August 31, 2015, and August 31, 2018, at 8 academic epilepsy centers in the United States and included a convenience sample of 44 nonconsecutive outpatients who volunteered a smartphone video during evaluation and subsequently underwent video electroencephalogram monitoring. Three epileptologists uploaded videos for physicians from the 8 epilepsy centers to review. Main Outcomes and Measures Measures of performance (accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value) for smartphone video–based diagnosis by experts and trainees (the index test) were compared with those for history and physical examination and video electroencephalogram monitoring (the reference standard). Results Forty-four eligible epilepsy clinic outpatients (31 women [70.5%]; mean [range] age, 45.1 [20-82] years) submitted smartphone videos (530 total physician reviews). Final video electroencephalogram diagnoses included 11 epileptic seizures, 30 psychogenic nonepileptic attacks, and 3 physiologic nonepileptic events. Expert interpretation of a smartphone video was accurate in predicting a video electroencephalogram monitoring diagnosis of epileptic seizures 89.1% (95% CI, 84.2%-92.9%) of the time, with a specificity of 93.3% (95% CI, 88.3%-96.6%). Resident responses were less accurate for all metrics involving epileptic seizures and psychogenic nonepileptic attacks, despite greater confidence. Motor signs during events increased accuracy. One-fourth of the smartphone videos were correctly diagnosed by 100% of the reviewing physicians, composed solely of psychogenic attacks. When histories and physical examination results were combined with smartphone videos, correct diagnoses rose from 78.6% to 95.2%. The odds of receiving a correct diagnosis were 5.45 times greater using smartphone video alongside patient history and physical examination results than with history and physical examination alone (95% CI, 1.01-54.3;P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance Outpatient smartphone video review by experts has predictive and additive value for diagnosing epileptic seizures. Smartphone videos may reliably aid psychogenic nonepileptic attacks diagnosis for some people.
Detection of reconnection signatures in solar flares

Abstract Solar flare forecasting is limited by the current understanding of mechanisms that govern magnetic reconnection, the main physical phenomenon associated with these events. As a result, forecasting relies mainly on climatological correlations to historical events rather than the underlying physics principles. Solar physics models place the neutral point of the reconnection event in the solar corona. Correspondingly, studies of photospheric magnetic fields indicate changes during solar flares—particularly in relation to the field helicity—on the solar surface as a result of the associated magnetic reconnection. This study utilizes data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and SpaceWeather HMI Active Region Patches (SHARPs) to analyze full vector-field component data of the photospheric magnetic field during solar flares within a large HMI dataset (May 2010 through September 2019). This analysis is then used to identify and compare trends in the different categories of flare strengths and determine indications of the physical phenomena taking place.
The Crawling Phenomenon in Sequential Convex Programming.

The paper examines the so-called crawling phenomenon for a class of sequential convex programming algorithms. These algorithms are designed to solve non-convex optimization problems by using convex approximations, trust regions and relaxations. The crawling phenomenon occurs when the iterates of the algorithm get as close as permitted to each other, yet these iterates are not close to a stationary point of the original non-convex problem. It is shown that once the design parameters for a general class of such iterative algorithms are fixed, there are generic problem instances that lead to the crawling phenomenon. A simple example and potential remedies to address this phenomenon are also presented.
Duodenoscope Medical Device Reports Associated with Patient Infection, Patient Exposure, or Device Contamination

Background: Each year, the FDA receives more than a million reports of suspected device-associated deaths, serious injuries, and malfunctions. Medical device reports (MDRs) are submitted to the FDA by mandatory reporters (manufacturers, importers, and device user facilities) and voluntary reporters such as healthcare professionals, patients, and consumers. The FDA uses MDRs to monitor device performance, including monitoring reports of infection or device contamination to detect potential device-related safety issues and to share this information in public communications. In this analysis, the FDA presents MDRs for duodenoscopes, which are a type of flexible endoscope that have been associated with infections in patients. Methods: For this analysis, we searched the MDR database for duodenoscope reports submitted between January 2015 and July 1, 2019. MDRs were classified into clinical risk categories based on the MDR’s text narratives as patient infection (indicated the presence of infection in patients potentially transmitted by the device), patient exposure (indicated a contaminated device has been used in a patient, but the MDR lacks clear mention of patient infection), or device contamination (indicated that the device was contaminated, but no mention of device use in patients or patient infection). Results: Overall, 1,115 duodenoscope reports related to a patient infection, patient exposure, or device contamination for devices marketed inside and outside the United States were received from January 2015 to mid-2019. Among them, 79 MDRs were received for deaths in patient infection, patient exposure, or device contamination reports. The number of reported infections decreased from 247 MDRs in 2015 to 55 MDRs in the first half of 2019. Furthermore, the number of reported deaths decreased from 25 MDRs in 2015 to 2 MDRs reported in the first half of 2019. Conclusions: The MDR data indicate a decrease in the number of reported infections. The decrease in infections suggests that efforts to reduce the risk of infection from duodenoscopes have yielded improvements; however, additional improvements are necessary to further decrease the risk of infection. Funding: None Disclosures: None
Tips for Conducting Telesimulation-Based Medical Education

Telesimulation utilizes communications technology, such as video conferencing platforms, to provide simulation-based medical education when participants and facilitators are geographically separated. Learners interact with each other, embedded participants, and a simulated patient and/or vital sign display on the computer screen. Facilitators observe the learners in real-time and provide immediate feedback during a remote debrief. Telesimulation obviates the need to have instructors, learners, and high fidelity patient simulators (HPS) in the same place, allowing simulation-based educational sessions to occur in institutions located remotely from simulation centers or when other barriers limit in-person education and/or training. For example, due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many medical education programs temporarily discontinued in-person simulations to adhere to physical distancing guidelines. The authors have reflected upon their experiences executing telesimulation sessions since the start of the pandemic and provide these 12 tips as practical suggestions on how to successfully implement telesimulations with medical trainees. These tips are intended to guide implementation and facilitation by staff and faculty trained in simulation.
Learning to Recognize Semantically Similar Program Statements in Introductory Programming Assignments

With the continuously increasing population of students enrolling in introductory programming courses, instructors are facing challenges to provide timely and qualitative feedback. Automated systems are appealing to address scalability issues and provide personalized feedback to students. Many of the current approaches fail to handle flexible grading schemes and low-level feedback regarding (a set of) program statements. The combination of program static analysis in the form of program dependence graphs and approximate graph comparisons is promising to address the previous shortcomings. Current techniques require pairwise comparisons of student programs that does not scale in practice. We explore techniques to learn models that are able to recognize whether an unseen program statement belong to a semantically-similar set of program statements. Our initial results on a publicly-available introductory programming assignment indicate that it is possible to assign with high accuracy an individual program statement to some of the popular semantically-similar sets, and a large proportion is covered with these, which suggests feedback provided by instructors can be automatically propagated to other student programs.