cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calculation of Magnetic Field for the Submicron Ferromagnet

In this article,based on the equivalent magnetic charge model,an analytic expression was derived exactly describing magnetic field distribution of rectangular ferromagnet magnetized sufficiently in one direction.By analysing the spatial magnetie field emanating from a single ferromagnet,two-dimensional magnetic field distribution of ferromagnet with different thickness and width was obtained.And as result,applicable thickness and width range of ferromagnet and thickness of isolation layer is summarized.Then magnetic field distribution of magnetized FM1 on FM2 is summarized.It is usefull for study of coupling between FM1 and FM2 in a ferromagnetic layer(FM1)/isolation layer(NM)/ferromagnetic layer(FM2) sandwich structure.
Two reduced nocturnal temperature regimens for early-weaned pigs

Two experiments, each consisting of three trials and using 3- to 4-wk-old newly weaned pigs, were conducted to evaluate the effects of two reduced nocturnal temperature regimens on weaned pig and subsequent growing-finishing performance and nursery energy (propane and electricity) use. In Exp. 1, nursery treatments were 1) a control temperature (CT) regimen of 30 degrees C constant air temperature lowered 2C degrees/wk and 2) a regimen for pigs in pens with hovers (MRNT-H) in which the temperature from 1900 to 0700 beginning 1 wk after weaning was lowered 6 C degrees from the 0700 to 1900 temperature setting, which was 3C degrees lower than CT. The nursery temperature treatments in Exp. 2 were 1) CT and 2) a 10C degrees reduction in air temperature (MRNT10) from 1900 to 0700 from CT beginning 1 wk after weaning. In addition, within each temperature, diet sequences of 1.2% lysine for 3 wk followed by 1.0% lysine vs 1.15% lysine offered continuously were evaluated. In Exp. 1, there was no effect (P greater than .1) of temperature on feed intake but ADG decreased (P less than .001) in two of the three trials for MRNT-H vs CT and feed/gain worsened (P less than .05) in all trials. In Exp. 2, there was no difference between MRNT10 and CT for ADG and feed/gain. No interaction was observed between nursery diet and temperature regimen for weaned pig performance. There was no effect (P greater than .1) in either experiment of nursery temperature on subsequent growing-finishing performance. Overall energy savings comparing the MRNT-H and CT treatments were 68 MJ per weaned pig. Energy savings for Exp. 2 were 79 MJ per weaned pig. Application of cyclical temperatures in a controlled manner can result in energy savings of approximately $50 per pig weaned under the conditions of these experiments.
Lipid-Lowering Therapy and Apheresis: Indications and Outcomes

The estimated number of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients worldwide, based on 1:200–1:500, is 14–35 million people. For a significant percentage of these patients, present-day pharmacotherapy, consisting of statins alone or in combination with other lipid-modifying medications, is unable to sufficiently reduce plasma cholesterol levels.
Thermotropic liquid–crystalline properties of 4,4′-dialkoxy-3,3′-diaminobiphenyl compounds and their precursors

ABSTRACTA series of 4,4ʹ-dialkoxy-3,3ʹ-diaminobiphenyl compounds were synthesised by three-step procedure that involves alkylation, nitration and reduction reactions. Their chemical structures were characterised by FTIR, 1H and 13C spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Their thermotropic liquid–crystalline (LC) properties were examined by a number of experimental techniques including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), polarising optical microscopy (POM) and variable temperature X-ray diffraction (VT-XRD). The 4,4ʹ-dialkoxy-3,3ʹ-dinitrobipheyl compounds, precursors to the diamine compounds, were also examined for their thermotropic LC properties. POM studies of focal conic textures and VT-XRD of the 3,3ʹ-diaminobiphenyl derivatives having flexible alkyl chains (C6–C12) exhibited the smectic A (SmA) phase independent of the length of alkyl chains. Similarly, the 3,3ʹ-dinitrobiphenyl derivatives containing alkyl chains C7, and C9–C11 exhibit the SmA phase, those contain...
Agent-based simulation of Muscovy duck movements using observed habitat transition and distance frequencies

Abstract This paper presents an agent based model simulating animal tracking datasets for individual animals based on observed habitat use characteristics, movement behaviours and environmental context. The model is presented as an alternative simulation methodology for movement trajectories for animal agents, useful in home range, habitat use and animal interaction studies. The model was implemented in NetLogo 5.1.0 using observed behavioural data for the Muscovy duck, obtained in a previous study. Four test scenarios were completed to evaluate the fidelity of model results to behavioural patterns observed in the field. Results suggest the model framework illustrated in this paper provides an effective alternative to traditional animal movement simulation methods such as correlated random walks.
Cross Layer Optimized Iterative ARQ Receivers for OFDM with Carrier Frequency Offset

An optimized Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) iterative receiver for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) transmission, suitable for application in double selective multipath channels with Carrier Frequency offset (CFO) is presented. The receiver is an optimized Maximum Aposteriori (MAP) Turbo processor that exploits information from all available transmissions. The system uses an embedded pilot structure for initial channel estimation. We show that this configuration achieves performance very close to a system without CFO. Therefore, the proposed scheme represents a very efficient adaptive platform for OFDM ARQ with high values of CFO wherein the traditional adaptive approach based on code combining presents an error floor on the packet error probability.
Parametrizing Physics-Based Earthquake Simulations

Utilizing earthquake source parameter scaling relations, we formulate an extensible slip weakening friction law for quasi-static earthquake simulations. This algorithm is based on the method used to generate fault strengths for a recent earthquake simulator comparison study of the California fault system. Here we focus on the application of this algorithm in the Virtual Quake earthquake simulator. As a case study we probe the effects of the friction law’s parameters on simulated earthquake rates for the UCERF3 California fault model, and present the resulting conditional probabilities for California earthquake scenarios. The new friction model significantly extends the moment magnitude range over which simulated earthquake rates match observed rates in California, as well as substantially improving the agreement between simulated and observed scaling relations for mean slip and total rupture area.
Cold Days in the cold war on the Hungarian–Serbian border

Tibor Cseres's 1960 novel Cold Days (‘Hideg Napok’. Budapest: Corvina, 2013), and its 1966 film adaptation directed by Andras Kovacs, are two fictionalised treatments of an act of mass violence during the Second World War, that give us a rare glimpse of the political and ethnic fault lines that were covered over during the cold war between Hungarians, Jews and Serbs. This reading of both texts, their reception, and their afterlives in the post-socialist period, focuses on the trope of ‘recognition’, which functions within the texts as the fabric of loose ties that binds a community together, but is also vital to its destruction. On the meta-textual level, it corresponds to the waves of acknowledgement, denial and polarisation that haunt acts of interethnic violence, and the centrality of artistic expressions like Cold Days in navigating these waters. Lastly, parallel conversations in Holocaust Studies, Lukacs’ aesthetics of film and recent public debates throughout the region give us a new context to unde...
Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Premature Infants Leads to Worse Necrotizing Enterocolitis Outcomes

Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe intestinal disease of premature infants with high mortality. Studies suggest a causative relationship between red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and NEC; however, whether RBC transfusion leads to worse outcomes in NEC is unknown. We sought to determine whether RBC transfusion was associated with an increased risk of surgical NEC and mortality. Methods In this retrospective study, 115 patients were enrolled with NEC Bell's stage 2A or greater from 2010-2015. Patients were classified based on the timing of RBC transfusion before NEC: ≤72 h, >72 h, and no transfusion. Variables including gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), feedings, and hematocrit levels were analyzed. Outcomes were surgical intervention for NEC following RBC transfusion and mortality. Results Twenty-three (20%) infants developed NEC ≤ 72 h after RBC transfusion, 16 (69.6%) required surgery with a mortality rate of 21.7% (n = 5). Seventeen (15%) infants developed NEC > 72 h after RBC transfusion, 12 (70.6%) required surgery with a mortality rate of 23.5% (n = 4). 75 (65%) patients developed NEC without RBC transfusion, 17 (22.7%) required surgery with a mortality rate of 4% (n = 3). Lower GA and BW were significantly associated with RBC transfusion and the need for surgical intervention. RBC transfusion ≤72 h before NEC was associated with surgical NEC (pairwise adjusted P Conclusions Infants of lower GA and BW were more likely to receive an RBC transfusion before NEC, which was significantly associated with surgical intervention and an increasing risk of mortality. Judicious use of transfusions in premature infants may improve NEC outcomes.
Racial disparities in the incidence and survival trends in women with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) analysis.

6085 Background: The incidence of oral tongue cancer (OTC) in the United States is increasing in women. To better understand this phenomenon, we examined thetime trends and racial disparities in in...
A Eulerian Method for Analyzing Above-Core Hydrodynamics and Sodium Spillage During a Hypothetical Core Disruptive Accident

An implicit finite difference method has been developed and incorporated into the ICECO code for analyzing hydrodynamics in the above-core region induced by the upper internal structure, and sodium...
The femininity-money incongruity hypothesis: Money and femininity reminders undermine women’s cognitive performance

Women are often stereotyped as poorly equipped to deal with money matters, compared to men, yet very little research has examined the underpinnings and consequences of such gender stereotypes. Draw...
Cultural Differences in Family Affection and Coping Abilities for Missionary Kids

While the current literature has indicated parental affection as a potential buffer to common stressors missionary kids experience, the majority of the literature is based on European American samp...
Cochlea-sparing acoustic neuroma treatment with 4π radiation therapy.

Abstract Purpose This study investigates whether 4π noncoplanar radiation therapy can spare the cochleae and consequently potentially improve hearing preservation in patients with acoustic neuroma who are treated with radiation therapy. Methods and materials Clinical radiation therapy plans for 30 patients with acoustic neuroma were included (14 stereotactic radiation surgery [SRS], 6 stereotactic radiation therapy [SRT], and 10 intensity modulated radiation therapy [IMRT]). The 4π plans were created for each patient with 20 optimal beams selected using a greedy column generation method and subsequently recalculated in Eclipse for comparison. Organ-at-risk (OAR) doses, homogeneity index, conformity, and tumor control probability (TCP) were compared. Normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) was calculated for sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) at 3 and 5 years posttreatment. The dose for each plan was then escalated to achieve 99.5% TCP. Results 4π significantly reduced the mean dose to both cochleae by 2.0 Gy (32%) for SRS, 3.2 Gy (29%) for SRT, and 10.0 Gy (32%) for IMRT. The maximum dose to both cochleae was also reduced with 4π by 1.6 Gy (20%), 2.2 Gy (15%), and 7.1 Gy (18%) for SRS, SRT, and IMRT plans, respectively. The reductions in mean/maximum brainstem dose with 4π were also statistically significant. Mean doses to other OARs were reduced by 19% to 56% on average. 4π plans had a similar CN and TCP, with a significantly higher average homogeneity index (0.93 vs 0.92) and significantly lower average NTCP for SNHL at both 3 years (30.8% vs 40.8%) and 5 years (43.3% vs 61.7%). An average dose escalation of approximately 116% of the prescription dose achieved 99.5% TCP, which resulted in 32.6% and 43.4% NTCP for SNHL at 3 years and 46.4% and 64.7% at 5 years for 4π and clinical plans, respectively. Conclusions Compared with clinical planning methods, optimized 4π radiation therapy enables statistically significant sparing of the cochleae in acoustic neuroma treatment as well as lowering of other OAR doses, potentially reducing the risk of hearing loss.
UAPD: Predicting Urban Anomalies from Spatial-Temporal Data

Urban city environments face the challenge of disturbances, which can create inconveniences for its citizens. These require timely detection and resolution, and more importantly timely preparedness on the part of city officials. We term these disturbances as anomalies, and pose the problem statement: if it is possible to also predict these anomalous events (proactive), and not just detect (reactive). While significant effort has been made in detecting anomalies in existing urban data, the prediction of future urban anomalies is much less well studied and understood. In this work, we formalize the future anomaly prediction problem in urban environments, such that those can be addressed in a more efficient and effective manner. We develop the Urban Anomaly PreDiction (UAPD) framework, which addresses a number of challenges, including the dynamic, spatial varieties of different categories of anomalies. Given the urban anomaly data to date, UAPD first detects the change point of each type of anomalies in the temporal dimension and then uses a tensor decomposition model to decouple the interrelations between the spatial and categorical dimensions. Finally, UAPD applies an autoregression method to predict which categories of anomalies will happen at each region in the future. We conduct extensive experiments in two urban environments, namely New York City and Pittsburgh. Experimental results demonstrate that UAPD outperforms alternative baselines across various settings, including different region and time-frame scales, as well as diverse categories of anomalies. Code related to this chapter is available at: https://bitbucket.org/xianwu9/uapd.
The “Totality” of the Substance

Tathatā (Thusness) has been referred to as the “essence of all phases and aspects of existence in their totality.”5 The Chinese t’i (body) translates here as the primal “body of existence,” suggesting the universal substratum that underlies all “aspects of embodiment in their totality.” Later in the text the word tzu-t’i (Jap: jitai) is used as connoting the sheer potentiality to act which resides in the “hidden” essence of all existence. It is in this sense that t’i is translated now as the substance, namely, as the “hidden” aspect of an ever-self-disclosing and self-embodying Tathatā. Thus substance connotes Tathatā, i.e., the essence in its aspect of primordial “non-manifestation”: substance is the essence as unmanifested. As such, however, the unmanifested is there to manifest itself, that is, the essence of the unmanifested is to manifest itself. The truth of this statement implies, therefore, the inherent and essential ordination of Tathatā to act towards manifestation. In view of this ordination to act, the substance can be envisioned as connoting three complementary aspects: (I) the substance “as such”; (II) the substance “as agent”; (III) the substance “as patient.”
Prevention of Osteoporosis by Physical Signals: Defining a Potential Role for Nondrug Strategies in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Injury and Disease

Stephen Jay Gould’s commentary on Darwinism emphasizes the vital importance of an organism’s ability to adapt effectively to changing signals arising from the environment. Pressure, gravity, waves, temperature, light, electric, and magnetic fields make up an omnipresent physical presence since the beginning of time. It should be no surprise, therefore, that the capacity of biologic systems to adapt to physical signals is a common attribute for essentially all life, including bacteria, yeast, plant, and animal cells, and that the cellular machinery responsible for sensing and responding to mechanical signals evolved during billions of years of exposure to a range of physical challenges. The evolutionary success of any organism has always been based on its ability to accommodate, acclimate, and adapt to changes in its immediate temporal and spatial environment. It should not be difficult to recognize that the primacy of vertebrates through the past 500 million years has been achieved through highly orchestrated adaptation to physical signals. Thus, if physical signals could be harnessed to prevent or reverse the age-, injury-, or disease-related deterioration of the musculoskeletal system, it would diminish dependence on pharmacologic agents prescribed for these goals.
Dispersion, stability and size measurements for cellulose nanocrystals by static multiple light scattering

Static multiple light scattering (SMLS) is used to provide qualitative information on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) suspensions as a function of the methods used to disperse the dry CNCs and, in some cases, to estimate the equivalent size for primary particles and their aggregates. The methods were validated by measuring the mean diameter of several sizes and concentrations of silica particles which are approximately monodisperse and spherical, both of which significantly simplify the analysis of SMLS data. The results indicate that uncertainty in the silica density contributes to differences between the estimated SMLS diameters and those determined by dynamic light scattering. Suspension stability, sedimentation kinetics, and particle size as a function of dispersion method were evaluated for CNC suspensions by measuring the intensity profiles of light transmitted through the sample as a function of time, and applying sedimentation or light scattering theories. The results demonstrate that SMLS is a useful method for monitoring CNC dispersion for samples that are too concentrated to study by DLS. The sedimentation analysis provides qualitative information on the presence and size (equivalent diameter) of CNC aggregates/agglomerates and evidence for formation of a stable phase that forms during concurrent sedimentation and dispersion of CNC aggregates for unsonicated suspensions and is hypothesized to be a gel phase.
Modeling thermal effects in the time domain

Modeling thermal transfer from fluid to a solid surface is well understood. However, the mathematical description of this behavior includes transcendental functions in the frequency domain. This precludes some kinds of modeling in the time domain. In some simple geometries, however, it has been shown that a continued fraction expansion of the transcendental functions is possible that allows for a finite bandwidth solution in the time domain. This paper will explore the use of these methods for time domain modeling of thermal-acoustic systems.
Addressing the challenges of implementing safety instrumented systems in multi-product batch processes

Abstract Adapting the requirements of IEC 61511 to a batch system can be frustrating, particularly for multi-product units. While a Safety Instrumented System (SIS) for continuous operation is often a straightforward detect-decide-act loop, implementing a SIS for a batch system may involve multiple safety functions, time- or state-dependence, intricate calculations, or complex installations. Relationships between the SIS elements and the basic process control system (BPCS) must be tightly managed, providing both for the safety of the unit and its ability to operate without spurious trips or other hindrances. These issues are further complicated when multiple products requiring different functions or setpoints are produced in the same SIS-protected batch unit. This paper will discuss the challenges particular to the design, operation, and maintenance of a SIS in multi-product batch operations and present practical options for successfully resolving the concerns. A key insight into successful adaptation is treating the batch SIS as a “permission” system for the BPCS to operate. Although many items can be addressed through clever engineering practices, sustainable success relies on proactive, robust management of the safety lifecycle.
East-West German Transborder Entanglements through the Nuclear Waste Sites in Gorleben and Morsleben

This article examines the porosity of national borders using the examples of two nuclear facilities at Gorleben and Morsleben located at the West German municipality in the state of Lower Saxony as...
¿Serán vulnerables los bosques tropicales secos a los cambios climáticos, y cuáles serán sus efectos sociales?

Tropical dry forests provide societies with many valuable ecosystem services. These forests are characterized by alternating rainy and dry seasons. Changes to rainfall regimes are likely to negatively impact the internal dynamics of dry forests; at longer timescales, climate change may shift the geographical borders of dry forests. Society should establish policies and management practices such as reforestation with drought tolerant tree species to adapt to these changes now.
Spatially dispersive nonlinear transmission line experimental performance analysis

Spatially dispersive nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs) have attracted interest as pulsed RF sources. The characteristics of these sources need to be further evaluated and understood to optimize their design. This paper presents the performance of a spatially dispersive nickel-zinc (NiZn) NLTL for two experiments. The first experiment evaluated the RF power and frequency generated as a function of the primary dielectric medium for SF 6 compared to the previously implemented Royco 602 transformer oil. The second experiment evaluated the RF power and frequency generated as a function of the ferrites' loss tangents, initial permeabilities, and dimensions. The NLTL's performance is presented for each experiment across a range of operational input voltage levels and ferrite bias conditions. Experimental primary dielectric performance results demonstrate approximately 4X increase in RF power at frequencies above 1.2 GHz for replacement of oil with SF 6 . Experimental ferrite performance results show output frequencies from 0.9 to 1.39 GHz and peak RF powers >2X higher for the higher permeability and larger volume ferrite.
EXoO-Tn: Tag-n-Map the Tn Antigen in the human proteome

Tn antigen (Tn), a single N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) monosaccharide attached to protein Ser/Thr residues, is found on most solid tumors yet rarely detected in adult tissues, featuring it one of the most distinctive signatures of cancers. Although it is prevalent in cancers, Tn-glycosylation sites are not entirely clear owing to the lack of suitable technology. Knowing the Tn-glycosylation sites will spur the development of new vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics of cancers. Here, we report a novel technology named EXoO-Tn for large-scale mapping of Tn-glycosylation sites. EXoO-Tn utilizes glycosyltransferase C1GalT1 and isotopically-labeled UDP-Gal(13C6) to tag and convert Tn to Gal(13C6)-Tn, which has a unique mass being distinguishable to other glycans. This exquisite Gal(13C6)-Tn structure is recognized by OpeRATOR that specifically cleaves N-termini of the Gal(13C6)-Tn-occupied Ser/Thr residues to yield site-containing glycopeptides. The use of EXoO-Tn mapped 947 Tn-glycosylation sites from 480 glycoproteins in Jurkat cells. Given the importance of Tn in diseases, EXoO-Tn is anticipated to have broad utility in clinical studies.
Cellular Therapy for Ischemic Heart Disease: An Update

Ischemic heart disease (IHD), which includes heart failure (HF) induced by heart attack (myocardial infarction, MI), is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide (Benjamin, et al. Circulation 139:e56–e66, 2019). MI occurs at an alarmingly high rate in the United States (approx. One case every 40 seconds), and the failure to repair damaged myocardium is the leading cause of recurrent heart attacks, heart failure (HF), and death within 5 years of MI (Benjamin, et al. Circulation 139:e56–e66, 2019). At present, HF represents an unmet need with no approved clinical therapies to replace the damaged myocardium. As the population ages, the number of heart failure patients is projected to increase, doubling the annual cost by 2030 (Benjamin, et al. Circulation 139:e56–e66, 2019). In the past decades, stem cell therapy has become a promising strategy for cardiac regeneration. However, stem cell-based therapy yielded modest success in human clinical trials. This chapter examines the types of cells examined in cardiac therapy in the setting of IHD, with a brief introduction to ongoing research aiming at enhancing the therapeutic potential of transplanted cells.
Mapping glacial landforms on the Chirripó massif, Costa Rica, based on Google Earth, a digital elevation model, and field observations

The Chirripo massif in the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica, is one of a few sites in Central America that preserve evidence of past glaciation. We mapped glacial landforms in this area using Google Earth high-resolution imagery and a 30-m Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM). Prior field observations, field notes, photographs, and landform maps were used to check and refine the delineated landform boundaries. The composited map includes lateral and terminal moraines, tills, glacial valleys, glacial lakes, nunataks, aretes, and horns. Glacial extents during three proposed stages were mapped in the Valle de las Morrenas, a major north-facing valley on the massif, based on previous reconstructions. The mapped glacial features cover roughly 22.1 km2, representing the minimum extent of the mHornaximum glaciation during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This refined map provides an important dataset to help reconstruct Quaternary climate change in this tropical highland.
Machine Learning for Predictive Modeling of 90-day Readmission, Major Medical Complication, and Discharge to a Facility in Patients Undergoing Long Segment Posterior Lumbar Spine Fusion.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case control study. OBJECTIVE To develop predictive models for postoperative outcomes after long segment lumbar posterior spine fusion (LSLPSF). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Surgery for adult spinal deformity is effective for treating spine-related disability; however, it has high complication and readmission rates. METHODS Patients who underwent LSLPSF (three or more levels) were identified in State Inpatient Database. Data was queried for discharge-to-facility (DTF), 90-day readmission, and 90-day major medical complications, and demographic, comorbid, and surgical data. Data was partitioned into training and testing sets. Multivariate logistic regression, random forest, and elastic net regression were performed on the training set. Models were applied to the testing set to generate AUCs. AUCs between models were compared using the method by DeLong et al. RESULTS.: 37,852 patients were analyzed. The DTF, 90-day readmission, and 90-day major medical complication rates were 35.4%, 19.0%, and 13.0% respectively. For DTF, the logistic regression AUC was 0.77 versus 0.75 for random forest and 0.76 for elastic net (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). For 90-day readmission, the logistic regression AUC was 0.65, versus 0.63 for both random forest and elastic net (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). For 90-day major medical complications, the logistic regression AUC was 0.70, versus 0.69 for random forest and 0.68 for elastic net (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). CONCLUSION This study created comprehensive models to predict discharge to facility, 90-day readmissions, and 90-day major medical complications after LSLPSF. This information can be used to guide decision making between the surgeon and patient, as well as inform value-based payment models. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Botulinum Endopeptidase: SAXS Experiments and MD Simulations Reveal Extended Solution Structures That Account for Its Biochemical Properties.

Development of antidotes against botulism requires understanding of the enzymatically active conformations of Botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) light chain (LCA). We performed small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to characterize the solution structures of truncated light chain (tLCA). The 34-37 A radius of gyration of tLCA was 1.5-times greater than the averaged 22-23-A radius from the crystal structures. The bimodal distribution of interatomic distances P(r) indicated the two-domain tLCA structure with 129-133 A size, and Kratky plots indicated the tLCA partial unfolding in the 25-37 °C temperature range. To interpret these data, we employed molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning. Excellent agreement between experimental and theoretical P(r) profiles helped to resolve conformational subpopulations of tLCA in solution. Partial unfolding of the C-terminal portion of tLCA (residues 339-425) results in formation of extended conformations with the larger globular domain (residues 2-298) and the smaller unstructured domain (339-425). The catalytic domain, buried 20 A-deep inside the crystal structure, becomes accessible in extended solution conformations (8-9 A deep). The C- and N-termini containing different functional sequence motifs are maximally separated in the extended conformations. Our results offer physical insights into the molecular basis of BoNT/A function and stress the importance of reversible unfolding-refolding transitions and hydrophobic interactions.
Triage of Patients With Rib Fractures : Patient's Age and Number Don't Tell the Whole Story.

BackgroundMost triage guidelines for blunt chest wall trauma focus on advanced age and multiple fractured ribs to indicate a high-risk patient population that should be admitted to an intensive car...
Helping Optimize Language Acquisition (HOLA) Online Parent Training Modules for Latinx Parents of Toddlers at Risk for ASD: Protocol for a Pilot Funded by the Organization for Autism Research.

Background: Culturally competent parent training in evidence-based intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can provide young Latinx children from underserved communities with early interventional support while they wait for professional services, thus reducing the impact of intervention delays. Providing parents with brief bilingual training in Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is a strategy that can overcome these barriers and is inexpensive to disseminate. Brief PRT training has been shown to significantly improve joint attention, expressive language, responsivity, and adaptive skills in young children with ASD. However, it is unknown whether an interactive, culturally competent online parent training in PRT is effective in a Latinx population. Objective: To this end, we will recruit 24 children (16-36 months old) at risk for ASD and their parent(s) from East and South Los Angeles and provide them with a series of 6 online learning modules in their choice of Spanish or English. Methods: This pilot study will utilize a single-group, pilot, pre-post design with follow-up assessments 6 weeks later. Linear mixed-effects model analysis will be used to explore most parent-reported and coded outcomes. Results: Brief online parent training in evidence-based treatments has the capacity to increase access to culturally competent early communication interventions for young children at risk for ASD. Conclusions: The results of this trial may have particular salience in additional underresourced communities where children have limited access to interventions prior to entering school.
Художня символіка втраченого інтер’єру каплиці Греко-католицької духовної академії у Львові

This paper looks at the artistic design of the chapel of the Greek Catholic Seminary in Lviv that was created after the earlier church was destructed in the military events of 1918. Articles in press written after the ceremony of the consecration, the records of greeting speeches of the church leaders who attended the ceremony, and the essays of art critics provide an important insight into the iconographical programme of the chapel and its functioning as the scared space. Rare photographs of iconostasis and photo-fixations of different stages of the interior decoration supplement the narrative sources. Fragments of the iconostasis are stored in the funds of the National Museum in Lviv. These are the works of Petro Kholodnyi the Elder that managed to survive through the destruction of ‘risky’ artworks of 1952. The wall paintings were bleached during the Soviet period, and currently, they cannot be seen, which complicates the research. In this essay, I seek to reveal the initial intentions of the chapel’s patrons and to highlight how the restored interior serves their educational and ideological purposes. I shall discuss the use of symbols of early Christian or Ukrainian origin through the methodological lenses of Yu. Lotman’s theory on construction of interior spaces, semiospheres and their boundaries, A. Lidov’s concept of hierotopy. I shall address the use of particular symbols and signs and their role and provide explanatory texts from the Bible in order to trace their origin. Particular attention shall be paid to the patron’s understanding and articulation of the main purposes of sacral art and to the impact their understanding might have had on the artistic style. Thus, I shall focus on the use of the elements of Byzantine style in decoration of the chapel, for this style was of primary importance for church leaders and artists involved.
Conditional gene knockdowns in sea urchins using caged morpholinos.

Abstract Echinoderms are important experimental models for analyzing embryonic development, but a lack of spatial and temporal control over gene perturbations has hindered developmental studies using these animals. Morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MOs) have been used successfully by the echinoderm research community for almost two decades, and MOs remain the most widely used tool for acute gene knockdowns in these organisms. Echinoderm embryos develop externally and are optically transparent, making them ideally-suited to many light-based approaches for analyzing and manipulating development. Studies using zebrafish embryos have demonstrated the effectiveness of photoactivatable (caged) MOs for conditional gene knockdowns. Here we show that caged MOs, synthesized using nucleobase-caged monomers, provide light-regulated control over gene expression in sea urchin embryos. Our work provides the first robust approach for conditional gene silencing in this prominent model system.
The Identification and Impact of Abnormal Spirometry Patterns on Exercise Capacity in Pediatric Patients with Fontan Palliation

Reduced exercise capacity and restrictive lung physiology are common in patients after Fontan palliation (FP). However, there is paucity of data regarding the association between specific spirometry patterns and key exercise parameters in this population. This is a single-center, cross-sectional, study correlating pulmonary function and exercise parameters in children with FP. Patients who were ≤ 18 years of age and underwent a comprehensive cardiopulmonary treadmill exercise stress test (CPT) and spirometry at the same time, were included. Patients were categorized as (i) normal or (ii) abnormal based on the results of spirometry. The abnormal group was subdivided into (a) restrictive, (b) obstructive, and (c) mixed patterns. Demographic and key exercise parameters were compared between groups. Our study included 82 patients who underwent CPT at 13.6 (IQR, 11.3–15.4) years of age. A reduced exercise capacity (%VO2 ≤ 85%) was noted in the majority (n = 50, 61%). Spirometry was abnormal in 47 (57%) patients [restrictive (n = 25, 30%), obstructive (n = 12, 15%), and mixed (n = 10, 12%)]. The abnormal spirometry group had significant lower %VO2 (77% vs. 92%, p = 0.01) and METS (8.4 vs. 9.6, p = 0.02). Subgroup analysis revealed that obstructive (p = 0.04) and mixed (p = 0.02) patterns were associated with a significant decrease in % VO2. Majority of the children demonstrated an abnormal spirometry pattern post-FP. Abnormal pulmonary function was associated with the reduced exercise capacity. Identification and treatment of the abnormal lung function may improve the exercise capacity in these patients and improve the morbidity.
Nonoperative Management of Blunt Hepatic Trauma: Comparison of Level I and II Trauma Centers.

INTRODUCTION Most blunt liver injuries are treated with nonoperative management (NOM), and angiointervention (AI) has become a common adjunct. This study evaluated the use of AI, blood product utilization, pharmacological venous thromboembolic prophylaxis (VTEp), and outcomes in severe blunt liver trauma managed nonoperatively at level I versus II trauma centers. METHODS American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) study (2013-2016), including adult patients with severe blunt liver injuries (AIS score>/= 3) treated with NOM, was conducted. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics, severity of liver injury (AIS), use of AI, blood product utilization, and VTEp were collected. Outcomes included survival, complications, failure of NOM, blood product utilization, and length of stay (LOS). RESULTS Study included 2825 patients: 2230(78.9%) in level I and 595(21.1%) in level II centers. There was no difference in demographics, clinical presentation, or injury severity between centers. Angiointervention was used in 6.4% in level I and 7.2% in level II centers (P=.452). Level II centers were less likely to use LMWH for VTEp (.003). There was no difference in mortality or failure of NOM. In level II centers, there was a significantly higher 24-hour blood product utilization (PRBC P = .015 and platelets P = .002), longer ventilator days (P = .012), and longer ICU (P< .001) and hospital LOS (P = .024). The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was significantly higher in level II centers (P = .003). CONCLUSION Utilization of AI and NOM success rates is similar in level I and II centers. However, the early blood utilization, ventilator days, and VAP complications are significantly higher in level II centers.
Values affirmation replication at the University of Illinois

A replication experiment involving values affirmation in introductory physics failed to reproduce positive results.
Placing Bets on ADW Legality: An Inquiry into Off-track Horse Gambling

Part I of this note will describe the federal regulation surrounding interstate gambling. By tracing the federal legislative history of interstate gambling, a visible disconnect between several federal regulations will highlight how federal legislation has lagged behind the technology enabling interstate gambling.13 Part II will then analyze the discrepancies in specific state legislation leading to uncertainty surrounding ADW operations. Based on these considerations, Part III will describe a future roadmap on how to clarify federal and state legislation for ADW systems, while also proposing a mandated withdrawal system from the total ADW handle to ensure funds are appropriately distributed to all parties involved in the industry.
The Scope for Manipulation of Fermentative Digestion in the Rumen to Improve Ruminant Production

The scope for improving fermentative digestion in ruminants is examined in relation to factors that are critically important for efficient utilisation of pasture by ruminants. The priority objectives of any manipulation of the rumen of sheep and cattle are: (1) to maintain or increase feed intake, and improve the extraction of nutrients from feeds, (2) to improve availability of specific nutrients for particular physiological processes, and (3) to improve the overall balance of nutrients (for each physiological process) so as to ensure their efficient utilisation.
Chapter 3 LEC GaAs for Integrated Circuit Applications

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the major findings for research effort that have significantly affected the GaAs materials applied to the fabrication of high-performance gallium arsenide (GaAs)-integrated circuits. It describes the basics of liquid-encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) growth and method that differs from other growth techniques. An analysis of the defects present in LEC materials is presented in the chapter, together with a description of techniques to reduce the incidence of twins and dislocations in GaAs crystals. The primary defects observed in LEC materials include dislocations, twins, surface Ga inclusions, and microdefects. Preferential etching x-ray reflection topography and optical, infrared, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to characterize these defects. The chapter also discusses the use of LEC GaAs in integrated circuit fabrication, including data on the qualification of GaAs crystals for device processing, the results of ion implantation, and the performance of digital ICs on LEC substrates.
Probabilistic Loop Scheduling Considering Communication Overhead

This paper presents a new methodology for statically scheduling a cyclic data-flow graph whose node computation times can be represented by random variables. A communication cost issue is also considered as another uncertain factor in which each node from the graph can produce different amount of data depending on the probability of its computation time. Since such communication costs rely on the amount of transfered data, this overhead becomes uncertain as well. We propose an algorithm to take advantage of the parallelism across a loop iteration while hiding the communication overhead. The resulting schedule will be evaluated in terms of confidence probability—the probability of having a schedule completed before a certain time. Experimental results show that the proposed framework performs better than a traditional algorithm running on an input which assumes fixed average timing information.
The past, present and future of securities arbitration between customers and brokerage firms

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is, for all practical purposes, the sole arbitration forum for resolving disputes between broker-dealers, associated persons and their customers. Over the years FINRA and its predecessors have amended the arbitration rules to provide fair procedures and to reduce the influence of the securities industry. In addition, the SEC must approve FINRA's arbitration rules upon a finding that the rules are consistent with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act and its rules. FINRA has worked hard to increase investor confidence in the arbitration process, although doubts persist because of its mandatory nature.This paper recounts the evolution of the FINRA arbitration forum as a consequence of the Supreme Court's 1987 opinion in Shearson/American Express v. McMahon and increasing recognition that investor confidence requires a fair alternative to litigation. As predispute arbitration agreements have become universal, the forum has adopted a comprehensive set of procedural rules, with some sacrifice of arbitration's original virtues of informality, efficiency and speed. With the all-public panel option, customers have less reason to complain about industry bias.This history also shows that brokerage firms, which long campaigned for mandatory securities arbitration, have not hesitated to expend their considerable resources to create an arbitration forum that served their purposes, sometimes with little regard for maintaining investor confidence in the forum. Charles Schwab is only the most recent example. Indeed, the securities industry should breathe a sigh of relief over Schwab's defeat. If the firm had been permitted to enforce its class action waiver, detractors of mandatory securities arbitration would certainly have increased the pressure on Congress and the SEC to eliminate mandatory arbitration of customers' disputes with their brokerage firms.
EMPIRICAL LIKELIHOOD METHODS FOR THE GINI INDEX: EMPIRICAL LIKELIHOOD METHODS FOR THE GINI INDEX

Summary The Gini index and its generalizations have been used extensively for measuring inequality and poverty in the social sciences. Recently, interval estimation based on nonparametric statistics has been proposed in the literature, for example the naive bootstrap method, the iterated bootstrap method and the bootstrap method via a pivotal statistic. In this paper, we propose empirical likelihood methods to construct confidence intervals for the Gini index or the difference of two Gini indices. Simulation studies show that the proposed empirical likelihood method performs slightly worse than the bootstrap method based on a pivotal statistic in terms of coverage accuracy, but it requires less computation. However, the bootstrap calibration of the empirical likelihood method performs better than the bootstrap method based on a pivotal statistic.
Simulations of Macromolecules in Protective and Denaturing Osmolytes: Properties of Mixed Solvent Systems and Their Effects on Water and Protein Structure and Dynamics

Abstract Rarely is any solution simply solute and water. In vivo , solutes, such as proteins and nucleic acids, swim in a sea of water, salts, ions, small molecules, and lipids, not to mention other macromolecules. In vitro , virtually all solutions contain a mixture of aqueous solvents, or “cosolvents” [i.e., solvent(s) in addition to water], that can alter the dynamics, behavior, solubility, and stability of proteins and nucleic acids. We have developed models for a number of cosolvents, including the denaturant urea and the small chemical chaperone trimethylamine N ‐oxide (TMAO). This chapter examines the models for these two cosolvents in the context of experimental data. The direct and indirect effects of these molecules on water and protein are studied with molecular dynamics simulations. These observations and conclusions are drawn from simulations of these molecules in pure water and as a cosolvent for the protein chymotrypsin inhibitor 2. Urea‐induced denaturation occurs initially through attack of the protein by water and hydration of hydrophobic protein moieties as a result of disruption of the hydrogen bonding network of water by urea. This indirect denaturing effect of urea is followed by more direct action as urea replaces some waters involved in the initial hydration of the hydrophobic core and subsequently binds to polar residues and the protein main chain to compete with the intraprotein hydrogen bonds. In the case of TMAO, we find that it encourages water–water interactions, thereby stabilizing the protein as a result of the increased penalty for the hydration of hydrophobic residues.