cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Action Spectrum for Light-Induced Sexual Reproduction in the Ascomycete Fungus Leptosphaerulina Trifolii

SUMMARY Perithecia (ascostromata) of the loculoascomycete Leptosphaerulina trifolii (Rost.) Petr. may develop in culture in darkness, but usually they are much more abundant in colonies exposed to light. By selecting and isolating from nonsporulating sectors occurring in dark-reared colonies, an experimental isolate was obtained that rarely sporulated in darkness but which produced abundant perithecia when exposed to light. Only UV wavelengths (<350 nm approx.) stimulated perithecium formation when colonies were exposed to filtered light from a combination of nearultraviolet and daylight fluorescent lamps. Extensive monochromatic radiation studies were conducted using wavelengths from 240-360 nm at 5 nm intervals (5 nm bandwidth). Results of these studies indicated that only wavelengths <370 nm (approx.) stimulated perithecium formation. An action spectrum derived from these results shows prominent peaks of effectiveness at 265, 287 and 300 nm. Increased effectiveness of wavelengths <250 nm was also evident but these results were inconclusive. The action spectrum for L. trifolii is very similar to that previously reported for perithecium induction in Pleospora herbarum (Pers.) Rabenh. Perithecia resulting from a single exposure of vegetative colonies to monochromatic UV (240-360 nm) in all instances developed mature asci following an additional few days of incubation in darkness. There was no evidence that maturation of asci required an additional exposure to light. Optimum temperatures favoring the development of perithecia following exposure to UV, was 24.0-26.6 C which was a slightly narrower range than that favoring linear growth (21.0-24.5 C).
An evaluation of the role of ROC plots in the prediction of heroin use from total codeine and total morphine concentrations in urine

I A diagnostic system to predict the presence of 6-acetylmorphine (6AM) in opiate-positive urines was recently proposed. A twofold criterion based on the total morphine concentration and the total codeine to total morphine concentration ratio was identified. Using relative operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, it was determined that the diagnostic system had a sensitivity of 92%, a specificity of 79%, and an overall accuracy of 73%. We applied similar decision criteria to a study population of 125 opiate- positive urines collected from criminal justice clients of a West Coast reference laboratory. ROC analysis on this population produced very different results: a sensitivity of 91%, a specificity of 49%, and an accuracy of 45%. These data illustrate the importance of choosing a representative study population without any selection biases that may compromise the validity of the accuracy measure. The ROC plot is an important tool for assessing a clinical test's performance, but in order for toxicologists and Medical Review Officers to benefit from the diagnostic test results, they must also know the predictive value (based on test accuracy and the prevalence of heroin use) of the test results. They need to know how well the test predicts the presence of 6AM, and therefore, the illicit use of heroin, in the population of interest whether it be workplace, criminal justice, hospital emergency department clients, or a combination of all populations.
Universal Background Checking – New York State’s SAFE Act

In the wake of the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, Governor Andrew Cuomo promised to give New York State the toughest gun controls in the nation. Toward that end, the January 2013 SAFE ACT provided a comprehensive set of gun control initiatives. Universal firearm and ammunition background checking is one of, if not the most, prominent of these initiatives. Every firearms and ammunition seller must initiate a background check for their purchasers; the aim is to keep dangerous and irresponsible people disarmed. This Article explains how universal background checking works in NYS, the implementation and enforcement challenges it faces, and its likely effectiveness in reducing firearms homicide, crime and suicide.
Effects of high fluoride in drinking water on children's teeth and osteogenesis

Aim: To study the influence of high fluoride in drinking water on the children's teeth and osteogenesis.Methods: A total of 62 childern from fluoride exposed area and 26 children from control area were chosen. The incidence of dental fluorosis was investigated. The serum levels of BGP and calcitonin (CT) were determined by radioimmunoassay. Results: The incidences of dental fluorosis in fluoride exposed area and control area were 59.68%, 3.85%, respectively. The serum levels of BGP in the 2 areas were (6.78± 3.87 ) μg/L, (3.78±1.81) μg/L, respectively. The serum levels of CT in the 2 areas were (492.00±52.67) ng/L, (948.57±74.72) ng/L, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indexes between the 2 areas (P0.05). Conclusion: High fluoride in drinking water results in higher incidence of dental fluorosis, and also influence the children's osteogenesis.
Study on Key Technologies of VoIP

This paper provides a description of the basic conception and principle of VoIP,especially several key technologies,which include:signaling,coding,voice activity detection,real-time transmission and guarantee of quality of network service.It analyzes the existing problems and the future of VoIP.
Steroid-stimulated amino acid uptake in cultured human fibroblasts reflects glucocorticoid and anti-inflammatory potency.

In cultured human skin-derived fibroblast monolayers, steroids which exhibit glucocorticoid and anti-inflammatory activity stimulate the uptake of the amino acid analogue α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). Stimulation of AIB uptake is maximal after 5 hr of exposure to steroid, persists up to 24 hr in the presence of steroid, and is blocked by cycloheximide. Since the rate of AIB efflux from monolayers is also accelerated in the presence of steroid, the increase in the rate of AIB uptake is attributable to a greater stimulation of the rate of AIB influx. In the presence of steroid the apparent Km of uptake of AIB is reduced without an appreciable effect on the apparent Vmax of uptake. Steroid analogues lacking an 11β substituent (e.g., prednisone, cortisone) neither stimulate the uptake of AIB nor block the action of active analogues. The stimulation by active derivatives is concentration-dependent, and compounds can be ranked in potency according to their ED50 values for stimulation of AIB uptake: cortisol (44 nM)
Actinomycosis : the disease and its treatment

A case of pulmonary actinomycosis is described in a patient who presented with fever, weight loss, and a painful mass on his lower anterior left rib cage. Gram-stain and culture and sensitivity tests performed on the fluid drawn of the chest wall mass revealed Actinomyces israelii as the infecting organism. The patient was successfully treated with long-term penicillin therapy. A review of this rare bacterial disease is presented, emphasizing its treatment and its similarities and differences to other bacterial and fungal diseases.
Dreibens Modulo 7: A New Formula for Primality Testing

In this paper, we discuss strings of 3’s and 7’s, hereby dubbed “dreibens.” As a first step towards determining whether the set of prime dreibens is infinite, we examine the properties of dreibens when divided by 7. by determining the divisibility of a dreiben by 7, we can rule out some composite dreibens in the search for prime dreibens. We are concerned with the number of dreibens of length n that leave a remainder i when divided by 7. By using number theory, linear algebra, and abstract algebra, we arrive at a formula that tells us how many dreibens of length n are divisible by 7. We also find a way to determine the number of dreibens of length n that leave a remainder i when divided by 7. Further investigation from a combinatorial perspective provides additional insight into the properties of dreibens when divided by 7. Overall, this paper helps characterize dreibens, opens up more paths of inquiry into the nature of dreibens, and rules out some composite dreibens from a prime dreiben search.
Geodesics on the regular tetrahedron and the cube

Consider all geodesics between two given points on a polyhedron. On the regular tetrahedron, we describe all the geodesics from a vertex to a point, which could be another vertex. Using the SternBrocot tree to explore the recursive structure of geodesics between vertices on a cube, we prove, in some precise sense, that there are twice as many geodesics between certain pairs of vertices than other pairs. We also obtain the fact that there are no geodesics that start and end at the same vertex on the regular tetrahedron or the cube.
Reduction of Spatial Sampling Requirement in Sound-Based Synthesis

We study the problem of synthesizing the sound field at arbitrary locations and times from the recordings of an array of audio sensors. Given prior estimates of the locations and frequencies of the sound sources, such as those obtained using adaptive source localization, we characterize the spatio-temporal support of the sound field spectrum. This characterization allows the spatial sampling requirements to be reduced in comparison to when no prior estimates of the sources are utilized. We derive an adaptive interpolation kernel, based on the estimated spectral support, to reconstruct the sound-field function using measurements from sensors on a coarse spatial-sampling grid. Simulation results demonstrate the gain achieved in reduced sampling requirements by using the proposed adaptive interpolation approach.
Biomechanical Analysis of Weighted-Ball Exercises for Baseball Pitchers:

Background Weighted-ball throwing programs are commonly used in training baseball pitchers to increase ball velocity. The purpose of this study was to compare kinematics and kinetics among weighted-ball exercises with values from standard pitching (ie, pitching standard 5-oz baseballs from a mound). Hypothesis Ball and arm velocities would be greater with lighter balls and joint kinetics would be greater with heavier balls. Study design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Twenty-five high school and collegiate baseball pitchers experienced with weighted-ball throwing were tested with an automated motion capture system. Each participant performed 3 trials of 10 different exercises: pitching 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-oz baseballs from a mound; flat-ground crow hop throws with 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-oz baseballs; and flat-ground hold exercises with 14- and 32-oz balls. Twenty-six biomechanical parameters were computed for each trial. Data among the 10 exercises were compared with repeated measures analysis of variance and post hoc paired t tests against the standard pitching data. Results Ball velocity increased as ball mass decreased. There were no differences in arm and trunk velocities between throwing a standard baseball and an underweight baseball (4 oz), while arm and trunk velocities steadily decreased as ball weight increased from 5 to 32 oz. Compared with values pitching from a mound, velocities of the pelvis, shoulder, and ball were increased for flat-ground throws. In general, as ball mass increased arm torques and forces decreased; the exception was elbow flexion torque, which was significantly greater for the flat-ground holds. There were significant differences in body positions when pitching on the mound, flat-ground throws, and holds. Conclusions While ball velocity was greatest throwing underweight baseballs, results from the study did not support the rest of the hypothesis. Kinematics and kinetics were similar between underweight and standard baseballs, while overweight balls correlated with decreased arm forces, torques, and velocities. Increased ball velocity and joint velocities were produced with crow hop throws, likely because of running forward while throwing. Clinical relevance As pitching slightly underweight and overweight baseballs produces variations in kinematics without increased arm kinetics, these exercises seem reasonable for training pitchers. As flat-ground throwing produces increased shoulder internal rotation velocity and elbow varus torque, these exercises may be beneficial but may also be stressful and risky. Flat-ground holds with heavy balls should not be viewed as enhancing pitching biomechanics, but rather as hybrid exercises between throwing and resistance training.
A Phase 2 Consortium (P2C) Trial of R115777 (Tipifarnib) in Myelofibrosis with Myeloid Metaplasia.

Background: Myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) is a progressive and fatal myeloproliferative disorder with limited therapeutic options. R115777 is a non-peptidomimetic enzyme-specific inhibitor of farnesyl protein transferase (FT) which we recently reported has in vitro activity against aberrant myeloid progenitors from MMM patients (Leukemia2003;17:849). This observation, coupled with the clinical activity demonstrated in high risk acute myeloid leukemia (Blood2001;97:3361) and chronic myeloid disorders (Blood2003;101:1692) led us to perform a Phase II trial in patients (pts) with MMM. Methods: Eligible pts had histologically confirmed MMM and were symptomatic, defined by anemia (hemoglobin Results: 34 pts (median age 65 yrs, range 55–80; 71% male) were enrolled in the trial. All pts displayed symptomatic disease at enrollment, with 10 who were erythrocyte transfusion dependent; and 19 (56%) had a Lille MMM prognostic score ≥1; no pts were significantly thrombocytopenic at entry by enrollment criteria. Median pre-study spleen and liver sizes were 12 cm (range: 0–35) and 2 cm (range: 0–15) below the left and right costal margin, respectively. Median time to discontinuation of therapy was 5.5 months (95% CI:2.9–6.4). Reasons for early termination were progression (7), adverse reactions (5), co-morbidities (2), refusal of further treatment (2), and death on study (1). One pt died of grade 5 pneumonitis two weeks after study enrollment, which was felt to be unrelated to study treatment. Significant toxicities (≥ grade 3) were seen for myelosuppression (n=13), neuropathy (n=2), fatigue (n=1), rash (n=1) and hyponatremia (n=1). Overall, R115777 resulted in little improvement in anemia, with the exception of one anemia-based partial response. However, the myelosuppressive aspects of the agent may have masked improvements in cytopenias. In contrast, R115777 did result in clinically relevant decreases in organomegaly in 11 pts (33%) (splenomegaly in 3 pts, hepatomegaly in 5 pts, and both in an additional 3 pts.) Across all pts who had some reduction in splenomegaly, the median maximal reduction was 42.5% (of palpable component; range: 8–100%). Likewise, all patients with baseline hepatomegaly had resolution of this problem at some point during therapy. Four pts remain on the agent (from 14 to 22 months) for continued and sustained improvement in organomegaly. Responses observed did not significantly correlate with reductions in bone marrow fibrosis, osteosclerosis, neoangiogenesis, or resolution of baseline karyotypic abnormalities. Conclusions: R115777 has demonstrated preliminary activity against MMM associated organomegaly. Whether this latter benefit is independent of R115777 induced myelosuppression is unclear. The myelosuppression observed was generally mild and without clinical consequence, although it was difficult to differentiate between myelosuppression versus disease progression. Pts continue to be followed to evaluate durability of observed responses, long term effects on anemia and intramedullary manifestations of the disease.
Variation in tonsillectomy rates by health care system type

Abstract Objective To analyze variation in tonsillectomy procedure rates between health care system types around the world. Study design International database analysis. Methods The 2015 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Health Statistics surgical procedures database was used to ascertain tonsillectomy procedure volumes for 31 countries. Each country's health system type and structure were classified by overall system type, and by health care regulation, financing, and provision methods. Each system type and structure variable were compared using the rate of tonsillectomy procedures per 100,000 citizens. Results 10.5 million tonsillectomy procedures completed between 1993 and 2014 were analyzed. Overall, social health insurance system types had higher total tonsillectomy rates versus other health care system types (p Conclusions The volume of tonsillectomy procedures is associated with a health care system's overall structure, regulation, financing, and provision methods. International health care systems with state mediated provision, regulation, and financing had lower tonsillectomy rates versus systems with private provision, and societal regulation or financing. Further study is needed to determine differences in indications for tonsillectomy between countries, but these results underscore potential variation in health care delivery in different systems.
Fetal Transplantation for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Patients with neurodegenerative diseases currently have few treatment options. However, neurotransplantation represents one potential treatment avenue. Animal studies using lesion-induced models of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease have shown that transplantation of appropriate fetal tissue can improve motor and cognitive deficits. Clinical trials of transplantation for Parkinson’s disease and, recently, Huntington’s disease have demonstrated limited success in controlling symptoms, with some patients exhibiting greater improvement than others.
The thermal effect on the blood flow response to electrical stimulation

BACKGROUND Wounds, especially in the elderly, can be life threatening. One modality which allegedly increases blood flow (BF) as an aid to heal chronic wounds is electrical stimulation. This technique applies electrical current (ES) across wounds. However, while many studies show positive findings, others do not. The purpose of this investigation was to investigate some of this inconsistency in results by determining the effect of environmental temperature on the circulation of the skin which may negate the effects of electrical stimulation in a clinical setting. MATERIAL/METHODS Ten people with no wounds, controls (C), and 12 people with wounds (W) were examined in a thermally neutral or cool room (20 degrees C) and a warm room (34 degrees C) to observe the effect of reducing sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity on the response to 5 and 15 mA sine wave biphasic ES delivered by 2x2 cm surface electrodes. RESULTS C and W subjects showed a greater BF in the skin in a warm room. In group C, after 30 minutes of stimulation at a current of 15 milliamps, BF increased significantly (p<0.05) but by an average of only 4 flux in the cool room. In the warm environment, BF increased significantly (p<0.01) by 19.3+/-7 flux and increased further during the 60 minute recovery phase. In the W group, BF during ES increased much more during stimulation in a warm room compared to a cool room. CONCLUSIONS The results show that local vasoconstriction due to exposure to a warm global temperature greatly increases the response of the skin the ES.
Functional Assessment–Based Interventions for Students With or At-Risk for High-Incidence Disabilities: Field Testing Single-Case Synthesis Methods:

This systematic review investigated one systematic approach to designing, implementing, and evaluating functional assessment–based interventions (FABI) for use in supporting school-age students wit...
A Schema Theory Approach to the Reading Process

Reading performance and performance in a schematic concept formation task involving stimuli resembling physical configurations of words were examined in a college sample of initially poor and initially good readers. The initial level of reading performance was more related to the individual’s subsequent performance in the concept formation task than to rate of progress in reading performance. The results appeared sufficient to support further investigation into the nature of processes common to performance in both tasks. Various methodoligical advantages of a schema theory approach to the reading process are discussed.
Distributed mixed ℒ 2 /ℋ ∞ control synthesis for spatially invariant systems

It is well-known that ℋ∞ synthesis guarantees robust stability in the face of worst-case disturbance while ℒ2 synthesis is more adapted to deal with transient performance. We consider a mixed design framework that can integrate optimal transient performance and robustness for discrete spatial invariant systems. The ℒ2-norm corresponds to the spatial coordinate while the ℋ∞ corresponds to the time frequency. It is shown that the problem reduces to the sum of an infinite number of optimal ℋ∞ problem involving Youla parameters. These problems are solved by infinite number of Hankel operators. An illustrative example is provided.
Oxidase catalysis via aerobically generated hypervalent iodine intermediates

The development of sustainable oxidation chemistry demands strategies to harness O2 as a terminal oxidant. Oxidase catalysis, in which O2 serves as a chemical oxidant without necessitating incorporation of oxygen into reaction products, would allow diverse substrate functionalization chemistry to be coupled to O2 reduction. Direct O2 utilization suffers from intrinsic challenges imposed by the triplet ground state of O2 and the disparate electron inventories of four-electron O2 reduction and two-electron substrate oxidation. Here, we generate hypervalent iodine reagents—a broadly useful class of selective two-electron oxidants—from O2. This is achieved by intercepting reactive intermediates of aldehyde autoxidation to aerobically generate hypervalent iodine reagents for a broad array of substrate oxidation reactions. The use of aryl iodides as mediators of aerobic oxidation underpins an oxidase catalysis platform that couples substrate oxidation directly to O2 reduction. We anticipate that aerobically generated hypervalent iodine reagents will expand the scope of aerobic oxidation chemistry in chemical synthesis. Oxidation chemistry is critical to introducing molecular complexity during chemical synthesis. Development of sustainable oxidation chemistry demands strategies to harness O2 as a terminal oxidant. Access to hypervalent iodine compounds — a class of broadly useful chemical oxidants — from O2 increases the scope of aerobic oxidation chemistry that can be achieved.
Precarity, Inequality, and the Problem of Agency in the Study of the Life Course

Although long neglected, the themes of inequality and the differentiating consequences of structurally organized constraints and opportunities for individuals have recently become a major theme of scholars in aging and life-course studies. Beyond the evidence of intracohort patterns of cumulative dis/advantage in health and resources, recent societal trends of increasing inequality have added another dimension of theoretical interest and practical urgency to these concerns. These trends have been noteworthy both for the dramatic increase and for their planetary breadth, affecting Asia and Europe as well as America. Both researchers and popular writers have observed the growing importance of the precariat, an emerging subpopulation with tenuous connection to the primary economy encompasses individuals of every age. At the same time, individual agency and related concepts such as "choice" and "decision-making" continue regularly to appear as featured terms in studies of life course and related fields. Such concepts accord a strong explanatory force to the individual, and continue to be widely accepted as unproblematic and legitimate. This article examines the relevance of these two domains of life-course scholarship in analyzing an urgent contemporary problem-struggles associated with the "transition to adulthood" and the situation of young adults. Young people confronting this transition have been the focus of both the celebration of agency and of the growing attention on inequality and adversity and its effects on vulnerable periods and key transitions in the life course. Their situation provides an opportunity to resolve some of the tensions between perspectives that emphasize agency and those that emphasize inequality.
Surgical Management of Pulmonary Mucormycosis in Third-Trimester Pregnancy.

Background Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection that carries a high mortality. Given the rarity of this disease, its management has not been well established. Case Description We report a 36-year-old female presenting with right middle and lower lobe pulmonary mucormycosis during the third trimester of pregnancy. Diagnosis was established using chest computed tomography followed by bronchoalveolar lavage and lung biopsy. Prompt initiation of amphotericin B and right middle and lower lobe lobectomy resulted in maternal survival and fetal viability. Conclusion This favorable outcome is attributed to extensive communication between treatment teams in addition to comprehensive surgical planning.
“We Are More Than Crime Fighters”: Social Media Images of Police Departments:

Currently, about 96% of U.S. police departments have adopted social media, nearly 94% of which have implemented Facebook. Unfortunately, researchers have not paid much attention to police use of social media. The study serving as the basis for this article entails a careful analysis of 14 of the most popular police Facebook pages and analyzes posts during a 1-year period. The study documents 5 major themes and 24 noteworthy subthemes, and then applies a two-step cluster analysis to identify four principal types of police Facebook social images: crime fighter, traditional cop, public relations facilitator, and mixer. The well-established diffusion of innovations literature is employed to provide justification for the timeliness of the study, and the work of Rogers and subsequent scholars building upon it serves as the principal theoretical framework for this study. Public policy implications for policing are discussed, along with appropriate directions for further research.
Comments on ''reduction of cobalticytochrome c by dithionite''

A reported rate of solvation of the electron, 1.8 x 10/sup 10/ (55 picoseconds) in 6.2M aqueous sodium hydroxide, appears to be incorrect. Results of pulse radiolytic experiments indicate that the solvation time for the electron in 6.2M NaOH is less than 15 picoseconds. The peak of the absorption spectrum is at 675 nm and not at 750 nm, as was reported. The peak of the solvated electron in water is at 715 nm, and the spectrum shifts toward the blue in the presence of high concentration of salts. The peak reported at 750 nm is similar to that of the ..beta..- naphthol singlet. 9 references, 2 figures.
Static charging by spray electrification

The production of large amounts of static electrification and high potentials through the spraying or bubbling of water and possibly other liquids as an independent mechanism in its own right and quite distinct from the electrolytic processes discussed in Chap. I, must be accepted as an experimental fact. It was discovered in consequence of observations of Elster and Geitel 54 in 1890, on the intense electrification and static sparks occurring in association with certain waterfalls in the Austrian Alps. The phenomenon was investigated by Lenard 12, reported in 1892, and named by him Wasserfall-Elektrizitat, Waterfall Electrification, or better in English Spray Electrification. He observed that the finer mist carried aloft by updrafts was predominantly negatively charged, while nearer to the water surface, there appeard to be some positively charged spray. The water appeared to be the source of the phenomenon, negative charge being carried away on the finer mist produced by the shattering of water and by bubbling of the water surface. Studies later carried on in the laboratory led him to conclude that pure water was endowed with an electrical double layer at a water gas interface. The double layer was inherent in the water and independent of the nature of the gas. It consisted of an outer negative layer with, on the average, one extra electron to 104 or 105 water molecules and of a thickness of about 5 ×10−7 cm. Deeper in the liquid resided a positive layer. Introduction of electrolytic ions into pure water appeared to cause positive ions to be drawn up into the double layer in different amounts and to different depths depending on the valence and type of ion. Numerous and varied experiments confirmed this action such as the cataphoresis of small gas bubbles in an electrical field, the bubble being suspended by spinning the water in a horizontal tube at high speed. Collecting spray produced by bubbling of very dilute solutions of NaCl under some conditions, yielded Na2O deposited on the cathode and nothing on the anode, the electrons or OH− ions in the finer negative spray leaving no residue but the positive Na+ ions at the cathode on neutralization yielded NaOH. This initial picture has been confirmed in its broad outline, but has been modified in detail by later work.
Scalar Fields in Particle Physics and Cosmology: Selected Introductory Topics

These lectures were presented to an audience of students of experimental high energy physics, and are informal in tone and introductory in nature. It was felt that the audience had been familiarized with the Standard Model of Particle Physics, at least in outline, through countless previous lectures: in fact, all aspects of the Standard Model have been admirably covered in the six previous NATO ASI’s of this series, the proceedings of which provide an invaluable source of information.
Using GridWorld to demonstrate artificial intelligence concepts

The GridWorld case study is a collection of java classes that simulate a simple world environment. It is available for free from The College Board and is primarily used as a required part of the high school AP Computer Science curriculum. It provides a graphical environment in which students can experiment with different types of objects and observe how programming changes will affect the behavior of those objects. It is also very similar to the Wumpus World described in the commonly-used Artificial Intelligence textbook, "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach" by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig in chapter 7 describing knowledge-based logical agents. This world is a cave which has rooms with connecting passageways. An agent must find hidden gold while avoiding bottomless pits and a man-eating wumpus. The agent must use senses to gather information and utilize propositional logic to successfully navigate the world. I will present a GridWorld implementation of Wumpus World that I use in my senior-level Artificial Intelligence course.
Polysaccharides, Modified Polysaccharides and Polysaccharide Blends for Biodegradable Materials

Bacterial and fungal polysaccharides were explored as biodegradable materials. Chemical modification of these polymers were studied in an effort to enhance certain mechanical properties such as tensile strength and to reduce water solubility. Reactions studied included crosslinking and specific substitutions to functionalize the polymer chains. Polymer blends of polysaccharides with bacterial polyesters were also evaluated.
Stability of Risk Status during Preschool.

The current study investigated the stability of children's risk status across the preschool year. A total of 1,102 preschool children attending Title 1 schools ( n = 631) and non-Title 1 schools ( n = 471) participated in this study. Using averaged standard scores for two measures of language, print knowledge, and phonological awareness administered at the beginning of preschool (Time 1) and midyear (Time 2), children were classified as at-risk or not at each time point. Prevalence rates were determined for four categories of risk status: (1) always at risk, (2) only at risk at Time 1, (3) never at risk, and (4) only at risk at Time 2. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that the best predictor of children's risk status was their level of skill in the respective literacy domain at the beginning of preschool. These results suggest that children with stable risk can be identified early and may benefit from the early provision of extra instructional support within a response-to-instruction framework.
Evaluation of media and light source effects on the growth of Botryococcus braunii for biofuel production

Burning of fossil fuels is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the USA as well as other parts of the World. Increased greenhouse emissions not only cause the global warming but also pose threat to public health. This has led to increased interest in the production of renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel source that is obtained from renewable biomass, such as canola, soybean, corn, palm, sunflower, and algae. The green alga Botryococcus braunii shows great potential for biodiesel production due to its ability to produce high amounts of hydrocarbon. In this study, we investigated culture media (starter mix, miracle-Gro, and commercial fertilizer) and light sources (yellow, white LED, and pink/blue) effects on the growth of B. braunii for the production of biomass and hydrocarbons. The test results indicated that starter mix media under pink/blue light source with the light intensity of 24.3 μmol/s and photoperiod of 12 h light: 12 h dark at room temperature (22–25 °C) were found to be best condition. The highest optical density (OD680) value (1.853) was obtained on day 23 of the incubation period. Variation of the dry biomass expectedly showed similar characteristics to the optical density.
PA 14-8-2371 Impacts of a patient decision aid on prescription opioids for use in adult emergency departments

Background Between 1999–2016 in the U.S., more than 200,000 drug overdose deaths occurred involving prescription opioids. Emergency departments (EDs) contribute to the problem; 42% of opioids prescribed in EDs are misused. Interventions aimed at providers decrease rates of ED opioid prescribing but little is know about how to reduce patient demand. Objectives To evaluate feasibility of patient decision aid (PDA) on use of prescripedopioids among sample of adult patients in one Maryland and one West Virginia ED; to determine impact of PDA on patients’ knowledge, decisional conflict, preference for opioid, and storage and disposal practices. Methods Participants were randomized to intervention group (IG, N=65) or control group (CG, N=59). After triage and before seeing treating clinician, IG participants completed PDA and CG participants completed time-matched Health Risk Assessment (HRA) on iPad. Data were collected at enrollment (baseline), after completing PDA/HRA (post-test), after seeing treating clinician (discharge), and 6-weeks after discharge (follow-up). Findings. From baseline to discharge, no significant difference emerged between IG and CG in patient comfort with the three different pain treatment options (opioid, non-opioid, and no prescription) or in knowledge scores. IG patients reported significantly greater reduction in decisional conflict about pain medication preference, and felt more informed about options. No difference emerged in proportions who received opioid prescription between study groups, or in shared decision-making about their prescription. Among 16 patients who were discharged with opioid prescription and got it filled, 31% stored with latch/lock and 25% disposed inappropriately. Conclusions and Policy Implications While the PDA was well received by patients and easy to integrate into busy ED settings, it did not significantly reduce prescribing. Patients’ decisional conflict and feeling informed were significantly positively impacted. More work is needed to identify effective ways to reduce demand and educate patients about opioid safe use, storage and disposal.
Cushioned-Density Gradient Ultracentrifugation (C-DGUC) improves the isolation efficiency of extracellular vesicles

Ultracentrifugation (UC) is recognized as a robust approach for the isolation of extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, recent studies have highlighted limitations of UC including low recovery efficiencies and aggregation of EVs that could impact downstream functional analyses. We tested the benefit of using a liquid cushion of iodixanol during UC to address such shortcomings. In this study, we compared the yield and purity of EVs isolated from J774A.1 macrophage conditioned media by conventional UC and cushioned-UC (C-UC). We extended our study to include two other common EV isolation approaches: ultrafiltration (UF) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) sedimentation. After concentrating EVs using these four methods, the concentrates underwent further purification by using OptiPrep density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGUC). Our data show that C-DGUC provides a two-fold improvement in EV recovery over conventional UC-DGUC. We also found that UF-DGUC retained ten-fold more protein while PEG-DGUC achieved similar performance in nanoparticle and protein recovery compared to C-DGUC. Regarding purity as assessed by nanoparticle to protein ratio, our data show that EVs isolated by UC-DGUC achieved the highest purity while C-DGUC and PEG-DGUC led to similarly pure preparations. Collectively, we demonstrate that the use of a high-density iodixanol cushion during the initial concentration step improves the yield of EVs derived from cell culture media compared to conventional UC. This enhanced yield without substantial retention of protein contaminants and without exposure to forces causing aggregation offers new opportunities for the isolation of EVs that can subsequently be used for functional studies.
Factors associated with women's desire for control of healthcare during childbirth: Psychometric analysis and construct validation.

The desire for control of healthcare is a significant moderator of outcomes related to childbirth. Researchers have shown that a sense of control of healthcare during childbirth is strongly correlated with postpartum maternal well-being. The aims of this study were to examine (a) the psychometric characteristics of an instrument to assess women's desire for control of healthcare during childbirth, and (b) examine desire for control in relation to parity, medical complications of pregnancy, and women's choices of childbirth providers and setting. The study design was cross-sectional using two different samples totaling 385 pregnant women. In Sample 1, (n = 193) we conducted an exploratory factor analysis to reduce the initial item pool. In Sample 2, (n = 192) we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the final 12-item instrument and examined factors related to the desire for control. Results of the analysis in Sample 1 were supportive of a single-factor structure reflecting women's desire to influence the childbirth healthcare environment and decision-making. The final 12-item instrument had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93). CFA in Sample 2 was supportive of the single-factor structure with good model fit. The desire for control was directly correlated with an internal locus of control. Nulliparous women reported a lower desire for control compared with multiparous women. The desire for control among women with self-reported medical complications of pregnancy was comparable to that among women without pregnancy complications. The desire for control was a predictor of choosing midwives (vs. obstetricians), home or birth center (vs. hospitals), and professional labor support (e.g., doulas). Implications for future research on the impact of desire for control on maternal health outcomes are discussed.
Discovery of the first molecular ion in the Universe

After 30 years of searching, the helium hydride ion, the first chemical bond that was formed in the Universe, has finally been detected outside the laboratory, in the interstellar medium. It was seen in planetary nebula NGC 7027 using the GREAT spectrometer aboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.
Breakthroughs in Designing Commercial-Level Mass-Loading Graphene Electrodes for Electrochemical Double-Layer Capacitors

Summary Since the first exploration of graphene as an electrode material for electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) in 2008, great effort has been made to develop high-performance graphene-based electrodes with commercial-level mass loading up to 10 mg/cm2 or thickness up to 200 μm. However, a thick electrode usually possesses a long diffusion distance for electrolyte ions and a low accessible surface area, leading to gravimetric capacitance degradation, especially at high current density. In recent years, novel techniques have emerged to solve these issues and have brought significant breakthroughs for graphene-based EDLCs. An ultra-high areal capacitance (>2 F/cm2) has been achieved at a large graphene mass loading (>10 mg/cm2) without sacrificing gravimetric capacitance. This article reviews this recent significant progress and emphatically discusses challenges and strategies for highly efficient graphene electrodes to achieve high values for three types of capacitance (gravimetric, volumetric, and areal) at commercial-level mass loadings from the viewpoint of materials design.
Relationship Between Fetal Behavioral States and Auditory and Visual Stimulation

Our goal was to investigate the relationship between fetal behavioral states (fBS) and noninvasive recording of fetal auditory and visual evoked responses (AER, VER). AER, VER and No-Stimulus (NS) data were recorded using a 151- channel SARA system. Interfering cardiac signals were removed and fBS was determined according to Nijhuis criteria for each recording and classified into quiet, active and transition states. AER and VER were scored for presence of an evoked response (ER). We observed that with increased gestational age (GA), the incidence of quiet sleep state decreases whereas the transition state increases and pure tone auditory and visual stimulation does not influence the fetus sufficiently to cause a shift in states. On the other hand, the presence of fetal ER to auditory and visual stimulus is closely related to the given fBS.
Cardiometabolic risk in survivors of childhood cancer who received hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT)

6532 Background: Evidence suggests that survivors of childhood cancer are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes with even higher risk in those who received HCT. The...
Clinical Guideline Highlights for the Hospitalist: The GOLD and NICE Guidelines for the Management of COPD.

GUIDELINE TITLE Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: Diagnosis and management1 RELEASE DATE: December 5, 2018 with update July 2019 PRIOR VERSION(S): NICE guideline CG101 June 2010, 2004 FUNDING SOURCE: Department of Health and Social Care, United Kingdom TARGET POPULATION: Patients age 16 and older with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) GUIDELINE TITLE: Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (2019 Report)2 RELEASE DATE: November 14, 2018 PRIOR VERSION(S): 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2008, 2001 FUNDING SOURCE: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) TARGET POPULATION: Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
The Trinity High Explosive Implosion System: The Foundation for Precision Explosive Applications

This article is set during the 1944 and 1945 final push to complete Project Y -- the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos -- and focuses primarily on overcoming the challenge of creating and demonstrating a successful convergent explosive implosion to turn a subcritical quantity of plutonium into a critical mass. The critical mass would then efficiently yield kilotons of trinitrotoluene (TNT)-equivalent energy in about a microsecond, demonstrating the implosion atomic bomb concept. This work culminated in the Trinity atomic test near Alamogordo on July 16, 1945. This implosion effect demarcated the approach to explosive science and technology the Laboratory has followed ever since, including development of high-explosive synthesis and formulation, small and large test and diagnostic facilities, shock dynamics theory, high-explosive system design engineering, and three-dimensional implosion modeling and simulation using some of the fastest computers in the world. This work also ushered in a period of broader application of precision high explosives in conventional munitions, demolition, mining and oil exploration, and space travel.
Effects of applied voltage on water at a gold electrode interface from ab initio molecular dynamics

Electrode–water interfaces under voltage bias demonstrate anomalous electrostatic and structural properties that are influential in their catalytic and technological applications. Mean-field and empirical models of the electrical double layer (EDL) that forms in response to an applied potential do not capture the heterogeneity that polarizable, liquid-phase water molecules engender. To illustrate the inhomogeneous nature of the electrochemical interface, Born–Oppenheimer ab initio molecular dynamics calculations of electrified Au(111) slabs interfaced with liquid water were performed using a combined explicit–implicit solvent approach. The excess charges localized on the model electrode were held constant and the electrode potentials were computed at frequent simulation times. The electrode potential in each trajectory fluctuated with changes in the atomic structure, and the trajectory-averaged potentials converged and yielded a physically reasonable differential capacitance for the system. The effects of the average applied voltages, both positive and negative, on the structural, hydrogen bonding, dynamical, and vibrational properties of water were characterized and compared to literature where applicable. Controlled-potential simulations of the interfacial solvent dynamics provide a framework for further investigation of more complex or reactive species in the EDL and broadly for understanding electrochemical interfaces in situ.
Does Firm Life Stage Affect Investors’ Reactions? Evidence from Earnings Announcements

Prior literature documents that corporate decisions are influenced by firm life stage, yet whether firm life stage affects investors’ reactions is not well understood. Using a cash flow-based life stage classification, this study finds that investors’ reactions to earnings announcements differ by firm life stage. Introduction and decline stage companies exhibit three-day cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) around earnings announcements that are at least 112 bps lower than firms in growth, maturity, and shake-out stages. Specifically, introduction and decline stage stocks exhibit less positive reactions to positive earnings surprises and more negative reactions to negative earnings surprises relative to companies in other life stages. Lottery stocks’ excess returns around earnings announcements (Liu, Wang, Yu, and Zhao 2020) also vary based on firm life stage. Our findings suggest that noise/retail traders’ overoptimistic expectations for introduction and decline stage stocks are met with disappointment when value-relevant earnings news is released. This study demonstrates that firm life stage has real implications for stock price reactions to earnings announcements in financial markets.