cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Climate legacy and lag effects on dryland plant communities in the southwestern U.S.

Abstract Climate change effects on vegetation will likely be strong in the southwestern U.S., which is projected to experience large increases in temperature and changes in precipitation. Plant communities in the southwestern U.S. may be particularly vulnerable to climate change as the productivity of many plant species is strongly water-limited. This study examines the relationship between climate and vegetation condition using a time-series of Landsat imagery across grassland, shrubland, and woodland communities on the Colorado Plateau, USA. We improve on poorly understood inter-annual climate-vegetation relationships by exploring how the responses of different plant communities depend on climate legacies (>12 months) and lag behind shorter-term (3–12 month) changes in water availability. Our results show a prolonged drying trend on the Colorado Plateau since the early 1990s that was punctuated in several years by intense droughts. In areas that experienced sustained dry conditions or a drying trend, vegetation greenness (a proxy for production) increased linearly when conditions were interrupted by wetting events. In contrast, in areas that experienced sustained wet conditions or a wetting trend, vegetation greenness was weakly or not related to wetting events, indicating that production may saturate if vegetation experiences sufficient water availability. Shrubland and woodland communities had stronger relationships with climate at long lags (6–12 months) and many maintained greenness under sustained water deficit, whereas grassland communities had stronger relationships at short lags (3–6 months) and lost greenness even in periods of short-term drought. The results of our study show the importance of identifying climate legacies and lags when assessing indicators of ecological drought, which can be used to improve forecasts of which plant communities will be vulnerable under future climate change.
Assessment of Cardiovascular Parameters with the CareTaker Device during Meditation

1.1.Introduction: Cardiovascular parameters like heart rate variability and blood pressure can now be measured with minimal physical impact and were used to study a group of volunteers who practice meditation. 1.2.Methods:Volunteer subjects were instructed to wear a tiny digital artery pressure sensor designed to measure blood pressure and heart rate. Subject were observed during a general rest interval and then instructed to meditate. The individual meditation practice was accompanied with either reverse abdominal or a form of non-specific breathing technique for about 15 minutes. Cardiovascular parameters were compared prior to and during meditation in the same subject. 1.3.Results: The comparisons between rest and meditation in each subject generally showed greater variance of blood pressure and heart rate variability with the latter. A spectral analysis showed the emergence of a low frequency parameter with meditation and is consistent with previous observations of LF during various forms of meditation. The subjects practicing RE had a large shift in LF compared to practioners of non-RE meditation. 1.4.Summary:In this exploratory study of experienced meditators, an LF HRV increase, generally considered to be a marker of autonomic balance in the literature, emerged more prominently in one group. The social context of the subject may influence the degree of shift in the LF and the type of practice of meditation, possibly related to the breathing technique used during meditation.
Cultural Penetration and Punctuated Policy Change: Explaining the Evolution of U.S. Energy Policy

Punctuated equilibrium theory (PET) suggests that the policy process is characterized by long periods of incremental change and short periods of punctuated change. The impetus for the latter is usually a focusing event that breaks open policy monopolies, allowing for major changes in legislative decision making. While a burgeoning body of literature, a shortcoming in the PET literature is that it has yet to explain why focusing events and subsequent breakdowns in policy monopolies sometimes fail to result in punctuated policy. We integrate theories on cultural change with punctuated equilibrium to explain why focusing events do not always result in the dramatic policy changes that we might expect. Specifically, we use the context of national energy policy and the lexical database, Google Ngram Viewer, to trace punctuating energy-related events and the occurrence or lack thereof subsequent policy change from 1952 to 2000.
A survey on Arabic Optical Character Recognition and an isolated handwritten Arabic Character Recognition algorithm using encoded freeman chain code

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is the process of identifying text in an image and convert it into a digital form. Several approaches have been attempted to accurately recognize characters in printed Arabic language. This survey focuses on OCR in handwritten Arabic language. We will describe the general difficulties in Arabic language text, the main process of a typical OCR system and some enhancements to Arabic OCR systems. We will also describe a novel approach for identifying handwritten isolated Arabic characters using encoded Freeman chain code. Several handwritten Arabic characters were trained and tested, and the preliminary experimental results are promising.
The kinetics of plasminogen activation by thrombin-cleaved pro- urokinase and promotion of its activity by fibrin fragment E-2 and by tissue plasminogen activator

Thrombin hydrolyzes the Arg156-Phe157 bond in pro-urokinase (pro-UK), two residues from the activation site, generating a two-chain form (thromb-UK) believed to have little activity and that is resistant to plasmin activation. The kinetic constants for thromb-UK against synthetic substrate (S2444) were found to be essentially identical to pro-UK. Against native plasminogen, thromb-UK had a lower Michaelis constant (KM) and a higher (2-fold) catalytic efficiency. However, this difference with pro-UK was nullified by carboxypeptidase B (CpB) treatment of thromb-UK to remove the C-terminal arginine on the A- chain. Plasminogen activation by thromb-UK was substantially promoted by fibrin fragment E-2 but not by other fibrin derivatives, a phenomenon previously observed with pro-UK. Similarly, clot lysis by thromb-UK was promoted by tissue plasminogen activator because their combined effect was synergistic. Fibrinogenolysis in plasma occurred at 80-fold the concentration of thromb-UK as pro-UK, reflecting the 90- fold greater plasmin resistance of thromb-UK. Addition of a CpB inhibitor to the plasma enhanced fibrinogenolysis by thromb-UK and pro- UK by approximately 16%, consistent with the promotion of both forms by certain C-terminal lysines. In conclusion, CpB-thromb-UK corresponds functionally to a plasmin resistant form of pro-UK, indicating that the catalytic site of the single-chain pro-UK is unaffected by thrombin cleavage. The effect of CpB indicates that the C-terminal Arg of thromb- UK slightly enhances its affinity for plasminogen. Thromb-UK has potential plasminogen-activating activity at surfaces where C-terminal lysines, functionally comparable to fragment E-2, are found.
Enabling fast charging – A battery technology gap assessment

Abstract The battery technology literature is reviewed, with an emphasis on key elements that limit extreme fast charging. Key gaps in existing elements of the technology are presented as well as developmental needs. Among these needs are advanced models and methods to detect and prevent lithium plating; new positive-electrode materials which are less prone to stress-induced failure; better electrode designs to accommodate very rapid diffusion in and out of the electrode; measure temperature distributions during fast charge to enable/validate models; and develop thermal management and pack designs to accommodate the higher operating voltage.
Nonreciprocal Flat Optics with Silicon Metasurfaces.

Metasurfaces enable almost complete control of light through ultrathin, subwavelength surfaces by locally and abruptly altering the scattered phase. To date, however, all metasurfaces obey time-reversal symmetry, meaning that forward and backward traveling waves will trace identical paths when being reflected, refracted, or diffracted. Here, we use full-field calculations to design a passive metasurface for nonreciprocal transmission of both direct and anomalously refracted near-infrared light over nanoscale optical path lengths. The metasurface consists of a 100 nm-thick, periodically patterned Si slab. Owing to the high-quality-factor resonances of the metasurface and the inherent Kerr nonlinearities of Si, this structure acts as an optical diode for free-space optical signals. This structure also exhibits nonreciprocal anomalous refraction with appropriate patterning to form a phase gradient metasurface. Compared to existing schemes for breaking time-reversal symmetry, our platform enables subwavelengt...
EFFECT OF ANTIHYPERTENSIVE CLASS ON VISIT-TO-VISIT OFFICE BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY AND ITS EFFECT ON ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY

Visit-to-visit office blood pressure variability (VVOBPV) is a proposed mortality risk predictor, but whether its association varies with the type of antihypertensive medication prescribed is unknown. VVOBPV was analyzed as a predictor of all-cause mortality in >10 years of electronic health record
Synthetic Cannabinoid Intoxication Presenting as Malignant Catatonia: A Case Report

The use of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) has been steadily increasing in recent years and represents a new class of substances of abuse. Despite they elicit cannabimimetic effects similar to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), they have stronger affinities to the endocannabinoid system and cause greater psychiatric and medical effects. Case reports of catatonia following SC use have been sporadically described in the literature, but the underlying mechanisms behind these symptoms are unclear. In this article, we present a case of a patient who presented in a state of malignant catatonia following SC use, and we discuss the possible underlying mechanisms behind this association.
Therapist turnover and client non-attendance

Abstract Objectives Although turnover, defined as when a therapist leaves his/her organization, occurs frequently in public mental health organizations, its impact on clients is understudied. This study examined the effects of turnover on client engagement among youth receiving services in one public mental health agency. Methods Data were abstracted through a retrospective chart review of 76 clients who initiated outpatient trauma-focused treatment with 30 therapists between June 2013 and January 2016 at one agency in Philadelphia. Client demographic information, client session attendance, and therapist for each session was abstracted from each chart. The dependent variable (i.e., client engagement) was operationalized as client attendance to scheduled sessions. Mixed-effects regression analyses were used. Results Youth who experienced therapist turnover were 86% more likely to miss a future scheduled therapy session. When exploring this effect by diagnosis, youth without a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnosis were more likely to miss a scheduled session following therapist turnover than those with a PTSD diagnosis (p Conclusions Therapist turnover is a strong predictor of client engagement among youth receiving trauma-focused treatment, and a PTSD diagnosis may be a protective factor against missing sessions. Implications for treatment planning in the face of therapist turnover are discussed.
Foreign Policy Analysis

Why do states adopt certain foreign policies? Most foreign policy analysis relies on structuralist reasoning to answer this question. Realist theory emphasizes a nation's position in the international distribution of power. A second approach focuses on domestic factors, and stresses a country's political institutions. The future of foreign policy analysis lies in finding ways to incorporate politics and choice into theories that identify constraints on state behavior. Three main solutions have been proposed: theories that focus on how international pressures affect competing domestic coalitions, rational choices theories that analyse ‘two-level games,’ and constructivism.
T-Type Calcium Channels and Management of Pain

T-type Ca2+ channels exhibit small, transient currents that are relatively insensitive to dihydropyridines and exhibit “window current” in the physiological range for voltage. A role for T-type Ca2+ channels in nociceptor sensitization was reported in 2001, an effect confirmed in studies using Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 knockout animals. The Cav3.2 channel is involved in both central and peripheral termini of primary afferent neurons and is now considered an important player in the processing of pain. The analgesic effect of T-type calcium channels has been tested in different pain models. In addition to neuropathic pain reduction, the inhibition of T-type calcium channels is efficacious in formalin injection into the hind paw, which models an acute inflammatory pain. T-type Ca2+ channel blockers also produce a dose-dependent reduction in IBS-induced pain in a rat model of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). T-type Ca2+ channel antagonists present obvious advantages over opioid analgesics; they directly act on the cytoplasmic membrane of neurons and most likely from the extracellular side. Therefore their antinociceptive effect may not cause profound drug tolerance and dependence.
Sustainability of aggregates in construction

Aggregate consists of manufactured crushed stone and sand created by crushing bedrock, and naturally occurring unconsolidated sand and gravel. The infrastructure created using aggregate is a major contributor to our current standard of living. Maintaining our lifestyle, passing that lifestyle on to our progeny, and supporting others to achieve developed nation status, will require huge amounts of aggregate. This chapter describes the aggregate industry and sustainable aggregate resource management, including the complex environmental, societal, and social issues associated with the exploration, mining, processing, transportation, and recycling of aggregate resources, and the reclamation of mined-out aggregate deposits.
Robot Grasping for Prosthetic Applications

Neurally controlled prosthetic devices capable of environmental manipulation have much potential towards restoring the physical functionality of disabled people. However, the number of user input variables provided by current neural decoding systems is much less than the number of control degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) of a prosthetic hand and/or arm. To address this sparse control problem, we propose the use of low-dimensional subspaces embedded within the pose space of a robotic limb. These subspaces are extracted using dimension reduction techniques to compress captured human hand motion into a (often two-dimensional) subspace that can be spanned by the output of neural decoding systems. To evaluate our approach, we explore a set of current state-of-the-art dimension reduction techniques and show results for effective control of a 13 DOF robot hand performing basic grasping tasks taking place in both static and dynamic environments.
“I wanna be the king of sounds”: Otaku and Japanese Transnational Migrants in Brooklyn Reggae Culture

ABSTRACTThis article examines the participation of transnationally migrating Japanese in Brooklyn’s reggae culture. I propose that to understand Japanese migration, it is important to consider the relevance of personal commitments to a model of information exchange that foregrounds embodied learning and direct engagement with skilled specialists, practices that otaku captures. Reggae migrants see otaku as integral to the Japanese national persona. In light of this, the article conceptualizes otaku and demonstrates how Japanese settling in Brooklyn creates avenues for cultural heterogeneity and undergirds the expression of alternative Japanese identities through reggae. Furthermore, I argue that Japanese acceptance in Brooklyn is evidence of socially and historically contingent politics of difference and cultural participation. The article is useful to interpreting cross-cultural music exchange.
Analysis of Cervical Spine Injuries in Elderly Patients from 2001 to 2010 Using a Nationwide Database: Increasing Incidence, Overall Mortality, and Inpatient Hospital Charges.

Background Cervical spine (C-spine) injuries cause significant morbidity and mortality among elderly patients. Although the population of older-adults ≥65 years in the United States is expanding, estimates of the burden and outcome of C-spine injury are lacking. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2001–2010 was analyzed. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes identified patients with isolated C-spine fractures (ICF) and C-spine fractures with spinal cord injury (CSCI). Annual admission and mortality rates were calculated using U.S. Census data. Results A total of 167,278 older adults were included. Median age was 81 years (interquartile range = 74–86). Most patients were female (54.9%), had Medicare coverage (77.6%), were treated in teaching hospitals (63.2%), and had falls as the leading injury mechanism (51.2%). ICF occurred in 91.3%, whereas CSCI occurred in 8.7% (P Conclusions In summary, C-spine fractures among U.S. older adults constitute a significant health care burden. ICFs occur commonly, C2-vertebra fractures are most frequent, whereas CSCIs are linked to increased hospital-resource use and worse outcomes. The incidence of C-spine fractures and mortality more than doubled over the past decade; however, proportional in-hospital mortality is decreasing.
Plastic scintillation enhancement through UV emission nanoclusters

Scintillating dyes in polymer blends is a common tool used in radiation detection and its modifiability is a desirable attribute for different applications. Through nanocomposite loading, nanocrystals are generally employed to enhance scintillation either through radiative or non-radiative energy transfer. In this work similar methods are pursued with focus in the UV region through UV emitting nanocluster such as ZnO and CdS. A wide range of UV emission nanocrystals are selected and combined with different polymer and dyes demonstrating both quenching and enhancement. Preliminary results show not only dependency of the wavelength but also the polymer medium indicating different energy transfer paths. Compared to samples without nanocrystal the light yield was increased throughout different combinations.
Utility of CD123 immunohistochemistry in differentiating lupus erythematosus from cutaneous T cell lymphoma

AIMS Histopathological overlap between lupus erythematosus and certain types of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is well documented. CD123+ plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) are typically increased in lupus erythematosus, but have not been well studied in CTCL. We aimed to compare CD123 immunostaining and histopathological features in these conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS Skin biopsies of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE, n = 18), lupus erythematosus panniculitis (LEP, n = 17), mycosis fungoides (MF, n = 25) and subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma (SPTCL, n = 9) were retrospectively reviewed and immunostained with CD123. Percentage, distribution and clustering of CD123+ cells were compared between CLE and MF and between LEP and SPTCL using χ2 and two-tailed t-tests. A higher percentage of CD123+ cells was observed in CLE than MF (P < 0.01), more frequently comprising ≥20% of the entire infiltrate (P < 0.01) and forming clusters (P < 0.01). Similarly, LEP showed a higher percentage of CD123+ cells than SPTCL (P = 0.01), more frequently comprising ≥20% of the infiltrate (P = 0.04) and forming clusters (P = 0.01). Basal vacuolar change or dyskeratosis was observed in all CLE cases and in 48% cases of MF cases (P = 0.05). Plasma cells were readily identified in 76% cases of LEP but in none of the SPTCL cases (P = 0.01). Adipocyte rimming by lymphocytes, hyaline fat necrosis and fibrinoid/grungy necrosis did not significantly differ between LEP and SPTCL. Dermal mucin also failed to distinguish between groups. CONCLUSIONS CD123 immunostaining is helpful in differentiating CLE from MF and LEP from SPTCL, but should be interpreted in conjunction with clinicopathological features and other ancillary studies to ensure accurate diagnosis.
Isochoric heat capacity measurements for 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (R123) at temperatures from 167 to 341 K and 1-chloro-1,2,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (R124) from 94 to 341 K at pressures to 35 MPa

Molar heat capacities at a constant volume (C v) of 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (R123) and 1-chloro-1,2,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (R124) were measured with an adiabatic calorimeter. Temperatures ranged from 167 K for R123 and from 94 K for R124 to 341 K, and pressures were up to 33 MPa. Measurements were conducted on the liquid in equilibrium with its vapor and on compressed liquid samples. The samples were of a high purity, verified by chemical analysis of each fluid. For the samples, calorimetric results were obtained for two-phase (C (2) v), saturated liquid (C σ or C′ x ), and single-phase (C v) molar heat capacities. The C σ data were used to estimate vapor pressures for values less than 100 kPa by applying a thermodynamic relationship between the saturated liquid heat capacity and the temperature derivatives of the vapor pressure. Due to the tendency of both R123 and R124 to subcool, the triple-point temperature (T tr) and the enthalpy of fusion (Δ fus H) could not be measured. The principal sources of uncertainty are the temperature rise measurement and the change-of-volume work adjustment. The expanded uncertainty (at the 2σ level) for C v is estimated to be 0.7%, for C (2) v it is 0.5%, and for C σ it is 0.7%.
Producing Men and Masculinity in the Factory

This chapter is the second of three parts of the ethnography of the textile factory. This chapter focuses on men and masculinities at work. The social construction of middle-class and working-class Tunisian masculinities is central here. This chapter engages with the concept of patriarchy, including recent critiques of this concept. This chapter considers the theory of hegemonic masculinity to men concerning the laboring process. The labor disciplining that is exerted on male workers including masculinity shaming and status is here explored.
“Sometimes I Do Not Understand Exactly Where the Difficulties Are for My Students”: Language, Literacy, and the New Mainstream in Community Colleges:

Objective: To inform efforts to boost college completion and professional preparation for the linguistically diverse New Mainstream, we explored language and literacy demands, and how faculty conce...
NeuPart: Using Analytical Models to Drive Energy-Efficient Partitioning of CNN Computations on Cloud-Connected Mobile Clients

Data processing on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) places a heavy burden on energy-constrained mobile platforms. This article optimizes energy on a mobile client by partitioning CNN computations between in situ processing on the client and offloaded computations in the cloud. A new analytical CNN energy model is formulated, capturing all major components of the in situ computation, for ASIC-based deep learning accelerators. The model is benchmarked against measured silicon data. The analytical framework is used to determine the optimal energy partition point between the client and the cloud at runtime. On standard CNN topologies, partitioned computation is demonstrated to provide significant energy savings on the client over a fully cloud-based computation or fully in situ computation. For example, at 80 Mbps effective bit rate and 0.78 W transmission power, the optimal partition for AlexNet [SqueezeNet] saves up to 52.4% [73.4%] energy over a fully cloud-based computation and 27.3% [28.8%] energy over a fully in situ computation.
GT3-Nano based radioprotector drug promotes rapid recovery from 153Sm-EDTMP induced myelotoxcity

286 Introduction: We have developed GT3-Nano, a bone marrow and spleen targeting (BMST) liposome loaded with γ-tocotrienol (GT3) and demonstrated its efficacy in minimizing bone marrow suppression resulting from external beam radiation. In the current report, we report efficacy of GT3-Nano in aiding prompt and complete recovery of bone marrow from myelosuppression induced by bone targeted endotherapeutic agent 153Sm-EDTMP.153Sm-EDTMP (Quadramet®) is widely used as an effective therapy for bone pain palliation caused by skeletal metastasis of cancers of various origins. Myelotoxicity limits its use in palliative setting. Reducing myelotoxicity will allow wider and repeated usage of the agent in controlling bone metastasis in a therapeutic rather than palliative setting. Methods: 90 nm liposomes formulated by standard extrusion method using succinyl PE, DSPC, cholesterol, mPEG-DSPE and DOTA-Bn-DSPE (69:39:1:10:0.1) as lipid constituents. GT3 was loaded passively and the incorporation efficiency into BMT-Liposome was determined by radioisotopic tracing with 3H labeled GT3. For synthesizing 153Sm-EDTMP, 110 μL of 500 mM EDTMP in NaOH was added to 30 mCi of 153Sm. After the pH was adjusted between 10-11, mixture was incubated for 30 mins at 65 oC. Reaction was monitored by TLC on Whatman 3MM filter paper with ammonium hydroxide: ethanol: water = 0.1:2:4 (v/v/v) as eluent. The final product pH was adjusted to 7.4 by addition of 500 mM pH5 sodium acetate buffer. Each mouse (C57/BL6) received 1.5 mCi of 153Sm-EDTMP intravenously and 6 doses of 40 mg/kg GT3 was administered over 2 weeks. Blood was collected on days 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, and 99. Results: Dynamic light scattering methods indicated that the average hydrodynamic size of liposomes was about 90 nm with low poly-dispersity index. Radioactive tracing studies with 3H-GT3 indicated that about 100% of GT3 can be incorporated into BMT liposome at 13, 17, 20, and 26 mol% of initial GT3 composition in the lipid mixture. 1.5 mCi of 153Sm was intravenously administered to two groups of mice (n = 5 per group). SBMT-GT3-LIPO pre-treatment did not prevent the depletion of WBCs and lymphocytes and, as in untreated controls, the WBC and lymphocyte counts drop to 15% of baseline at day 4. Recovery of WBC is delayed until day 7 for both the SBMT-GT3-LIPO-treated and the control group. The nadir continued to day 14 for the control group, while WBC counts of SBMT-GT3-LIPO started to recover at day 14. We found that the recovery of WBCs in the SBMT-GT3-LIPO-treated group was faster and reached 88% over 99 days. In the control group, WBC counts in the control group reached 44% at day 21 and did not improve further until day 99. Conclusion: GT3-Nano is an effective radioprotectant drug for reducing myelotoxicity caused by 153Sm-EDTMP treatment at 40 times the usual human dose by weight in a mouse model. The result implies that using GT3-Nano we can aggressively treat patients with 153Sm-EDTMP while minimizing myelotoxicity.
Joint Capacity Modeling for Electric Vehicles in V2I-enabled Wireless Charging Highways

Wireless Charging Highways (WCHs) have been introduced by industry and academia to enable charging-while-driving for electric vehicles (EVs) and to combat range anxiety. While detailed planning and performance evaluation of such systems are crucial due to high cost and long life expectancy, most existing works assume a perfect communication environment. In this paper, we introduce a joint capacity model that takes into account both power and communication resources for WCH construction planning, and optimal day-to-day operation. The vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication and grid power capacities, along with the EV’s average service rate are formulated following technology requirements, EV speed-density characteristics, and the EV’s energy needs and consumption. In addition, a two-dimension Markov chain-based model is designed to capture the WCH power and connectivity dynamics. The proposed model can be used to calculate the system’s Quality of Service (QoS) and profit, provide design insights, and assess the impact of speed regulation, or admission control on the WCH lane. Finally, the performance of the proposed model is evaluated using real US highway data with the results demonstrating its ability to accurately capture the service provision dynamics, and to identify trade-offs between system parameters.
Production of sustainable, low-permeable and self-sensing cementitious composites using biochar

Abstract This article presents a novel route to produce cementitious composites with multifunctional characteristics using biochar. Biochar was chemo-mechanically modified to produce a super-hydrophobic carbonaceous powder (SHCP). This SHCP was then used as a partial replacement up to 15% by weight for Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in paste and mortar samples. It was observed that such a use of SHCP results up to 70% reduction in the rate of water absorption of the mortar samples. The studied biochar contained around 80% by weight of carbon. As result, using SHCP also increased the electrical conductivity of the mortar samples up to 23%. Accordingly, the mortar samples containing SHCP showed self-sensing (i.e., piezoresistive) characteristics as observed by the linear correlation between the fractional change in resistivity (FCR) and the applied stresses. This utilization of SHCP further resulted in a lower carbon footprint of the paste and mortar samples compared to the control batch, due to the reduced OPC content as well as the sequestration of the carbon present in biochar. Finally, it was also observed that SHCP can accelerate cement hydration due to its fine particle size distribution.
Electrochemical detection of flavin mononucleotide using mineral-filmed microelectrodes

Abstract Microelectrodes with tip diameters of tens of micrometers have higher resolution and faster response times than traditional large electrodes with diameters of millimeters or centimeters. The response of the microelectrode can be improved with a thin film that has an affinity to the analyte of interest, flavin mononucleotide (FMN). FMN is an electron transfer mediator in biological systems. Previously, we have developed two methods of detecting FMN. We have shown that a bare carbon fiber microelectrode can be used to detect flavin and, in a follow-up study, we demonstrate that a thin film of hematite on a large glassy carbon electrode improves flavin detection. The technology for depositing minerals onto carbon microelectrode surfaces needs to be improved and applied to multiple minerals. We selected maghemite and hematite as minerals to deposit because of their affinity to redox active compounds. Our goal was to develop a technology to deposit a thin film of minerals (maghemite and hematite) to the bare carbon microelectrode tip. First, we optimized deposition conditions; then we compared the performance of these microelectrodes. The maghemite-filmed microelectrodes only improved the sensitivity of the microelectrode toward FMN at low concentrations as compared to the bare carbon fiber. Alternatively, hematite, deposited at the same conditions as maghemite, increased the sensitivity by 20-times, the limit of detection (LOD) by 7-times, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) by 7-times, compared to the bare carbon fiber microelectrode. Ultimately, a hematite film, deposited at pH 5 and −0.4 V Ag/AgCl, achieved a sensitivity of 14.1 ± 1.6nA/μM between 0.1 and 20 μM, an LOD of 0.018 μM, and a LOQ of 0.063 μM.
Robot-mediated interventions for teaching children with ASD: a new intraverbal skill.

Socially assistive robots (SAR) have the potential to impact therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by supporting clinicians in increasing learning opportunities presented to individuals. Recent research on robot-mediated intervention (RMI) delivery has predominantly addressed social deficits in ASD with positive outcomes. Current literature has minimal focus on teaching children with ASD a skill not known apriori by the individual. Furthermore, it is unclear how to integrate robots in clinical settings because current RMIs do not adhere to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) protocols. In this work, we investigated whether an RMI could be utilized to teach children with ASD a completely new language and communication skill they could not exhibit at baseline. We utilized a standard ABA assessment tool to first identify appropriate skills to teach children with ASD. We then developed, implemented, and evaluated an RMI intervention that followed standard clinical operating procedures in ABA and targets participants' unique skill deficits. We examined the effects of the RMI training on teaching wh-question answering. All sessions were conducted with the SAR as the primary therapist using evidenced-based ABA human teaching protocols. All participants acquired the wh-questions answering skill within seven sessions, which is in line with their typical acquisition rates.
Topic Modeling in the Voynich Manuscript.

This article presents the results of investigations using topic modeling of the Voynich Manuscript (Beinecke MS408). Topic modeling is a set of computational methods which are used to identify clusters of subjects within text. We use latent dirichlet allocation, latent semantic analysis, and nonnegative matrix factorization to cluster Voynich pages into `topics'. We then compare the topics derived from the computational models to clusters derived from the Voynich illustrations and from paleographic analysis. We find that computationally derived clusters match closely to a conjunction of scribe and subject matter (as per the illustrations), providing further evidence that the Voynich Manuscript contains meaningful text.
Advancing the Large-Scale Implementation of Applied Behavior Analysis

Behavior analysis is a major contribution to all who strive to improve society. The principles of behavior analysis, and applied behavioral programs and interventions, are empirically relevant for improving our behavior in the home, school, community, and work settings. In this article, we argue that large-scale implementation of behavioral science will require attention to variables beyond those currently targeted. We encourage expanding the unit of analysis to include larger groups (e.g., the whole school, community, or family). Further, we build from experience implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports to suggest that large-scale implementation of applied behavior analysis across cultural and organizational contexts will benefit from the careful articulation of the core features of applied programs and interventions, as well as the implementation of specific practices with flexibility to achieve these core features while honoring the cultural standards of the host environment. We further emphasize the importance of implementing organizational systems and specific intervention programs to achieved sustained and scaled implementation. We close by acknowledging the strong value in using measurement and data-based decision making to assess the fidelity of implementation and guide continuous improvement.
Expert elicitation on paths to advance fuel cell electric vehicles

Abstract While fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) fueled by hydrogen produced using low-carbon processes could considerably reduce carbon emissions from transportation, FCEVs are produced at low volume, are expensive to manufacture, and lack widespread refueling infrastructure. To inform advancement pathways for FCEVs, we conducted an expert elicitation on vehicle costs and performance at anticipated production volumes, governmental actions to advance FCEVs, anticipated sales of FCEVs equipped with an automated driving system (ADS), and anticipated infrastructure deployments. Between 2020 and 2035, experts assessed a three-fold decline in fuel cell system costs to $60/kW and over an order of magnitude increase in production volume to 225,000 systems/year. Levelized costs of driving were assesed at $0.25–$0.90/mile and $0.17–$0.65/mile in 2035 and 2050, respectively. FCEVs could constitute a considerable share of ADS-equipped vehicle sales depending on cost and performance trajectories of automated driving technology and electric vehicles. Experts identified regulatory and incentive-based policies as important governmental actions to advance FCEVs and recommended hydrogen, fuel cells, and technology deployment activities each receive at least 20% of government research and development funding. Medians of experts' U.S. refueling station deployment assessments were 500 and 2,000 stations cumulative in 2030 and 2040, respectively. The middle 50% of respondents anticipated 2030 cumulative FCEV deployments in China of 100,000–1 million.
Developing Guidelines for Implementing Transit Signal Priority and Freight Signal Priority Using Simulation Modeling and a Decision Tree Algorithm

Transit signal priority (TSP) and freight signal priority (FSP) allow transportation agencies to prioritize signal service allocations considering the priority of vehicles and, potentially, decreas...
Hosting Services on an Untrusted Cloud

We consider a scenario where a service provider has created a software service \(S\) and desires to outsource the execution of this service to an untrusted cloud. The software service contains secrets that the provider would like to keep hidden from the cloud. For example, the software might contain a secret database, and the service could allow users to make queries to different slices of this database depending on the user’s identity.
SOVIET TERRITORIAL CLAIMS IN THE ARCTIC AND THEIR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS

The increasing importance of the Soviet Arctic for navigation in connection with a northward shift of resource development and the strengthening of the Soviet icebreaker fleet with nuclear-powered icebreakers and modern conventional icebreakers has focused attention on the issue of freedom of navigation in the Soviet sector of the Arctic. The Soviet sector, defined in a 1926 decree as extending from the mainland to the North Pole, comprises the Northern Sea Route, which the Soviet Union regards as an internal shipping route, and seas of the Arctic Ocean that it views as historic waters. Because of differences in the interpretation of international law, there is ambiguity regarding the right of innocent passage through the Soviet Arctic by vessels of other nations. The growing significance of Arctic shipping operations raises the timeliness of the issue.
A New Approach to Unraveling Tangled Adhesive Tape for Potential Detection of Latent Prints and Recovery of Trace Evidence

Occasionally, crumpled adhesive tape strips are encountered in criminal cases involving rape, murder, kidnapping and explosives (bombing). Such tape is usually submitted to a crime laboratory for the detection of latent prints, to establish a physical match with other strips or roles of tape, or to be examined for associative evidence, such as hair, fibers, or paint, which may be adhering to the tape surfaces. To achieve these objectives, it is often necessary to unravel the tape without affecting the potential latent prints which may be present on the adhesive or nonadhesive surfaces. This paper describes a new technique, using a solvent consisting of a blend of aliphatic and halogenated hydrocarbons, to unravel tangled tape which, unlike existing freezing or heating methods, minimizes disturbance of latent prints. This procedure was used on various types of commercially available adhesive tapes bearing latent prints, which were subsequently detected by crystal violet, cyanoacrylate fuming, and fluorescent dye stain development procedures. This simple technique proved to be very convenient and successful in unraveling various types of adhesive tapes for the detection of latent prints and possible recovery of trace evidence.
Infrared spectra of high polymers

Infrared spectra of polyethylene terephthalate and three of its deuterated analogs have been obtained in the region of 70 to 3600 cm-i, polarized spect,ra having been obtained down to 330 cm-l. On the basis of analysis of the predicted spectrum, and with the aid of data from benzene and substituted benzenes, a complete assignment of the spectrum has been made. This assignment suggests a modification of the proposed chain structure of this polymer. It also leads to the conclusion that the changes in the spectrum which occur upon crystallization of the polymer are not associated with different isomeric forms of the -OCH2CH20portion of the chain, but rather with changes in the symmetry and resonance characteristics of the substituted benzenoid ring framework.
Sentence Accent in Information Questions: Default and Projection

Les As. examinent les principes formels et pragmatiques qui gouvernent le placement de l'accent de phrase dans les questions WH, dites informationnelles, en anglais. Ils proposent une analyse permettant de rendre compte de la structure prosodique de ces questions avec les memes mecanismes utilises pour decrire le placement de l'accent dans les phrases declaratives. Ils montrent ainsi que les questions WH ne contiennent pas un accent de focus, mais un accent etablissant ou ratifiant un theme, qui apparait dans les contextes declaratifs aux cotes de l'accent de focus. Les principes restants concernent le placement de l'accent par defaut et la projection de l'accent
Lagrange: A Well-Behaved Function

This paper outlines the biography and achievements of Joseph Louis Lagrange (1736‐1813) and includes a detailed explanation, with examples, of the Lagrange Multiplier method for optimizing multivariate functions subject to constraint. The Lagrange Multiplier is widely used in chemistry, physics, and economics, in particular. The paper considers the origin of economics’ use of the multiplier and provides a concrete example of how it is used in microeconomic theory. While the focus is on the multiplier’s application to microeconomics, the intended audience includes all teachers and students who encounter any of Lagrange’s contributions. Since Lagrange’s contributions to mathematics are numerous, so too are those who might benefit from learning more about the man and his time.
Greasing the wheels of secretory transport.

Ever since George Palade's pioneering studies of zymogen secretion from pancreatic acinar cells, the underlying molecular mechanisms of vesicle-mediated protein transport have captivated cell biologists and biochemists. A watershed meeting on “Phosphoinositides and the Golgi”, held at the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland (March 13–14, 2001), provided reinterpretation and striking new insights about the functions of this phospholipid class in intracellular protein trafficking.
Microflora of Black and Red Pepper

Dilution cultures of 30 samples of ground black pepper yielded an average of 39,000 colonies of fungi per g, with a range of 1,700 to 310,000 per g. Total numbers of colonies of bacteria from 11 samples averaged 194,000,000 per g, with a range from 8,300,000 to 704,000,000 per g. A variety of fungi grew from nearly all surface-disinfected whole peppercorns that were cultured. Thirteen samples of ground red pepper from the United States yielded an average of 1,600 colonies of storage fungi per g and an equal number of other fungi; five samples from India yielded an average of 78,900 colonies of storage fungi per g and 169,400 colonies of other fungi per g. Among the fungi from both black and red pepper were Aspergillus flavus and A. ochraceus, some isolates of which, when grown for 8 to 10 days on moist autoclaved corn and fed to white rats or to 2-day-old Pekin ducklings, were rapidly lethal to them. Aflatoxin B(1) was isolated from one of the samples of corn on which A. flavus from black pepper was grown. Among the bacteria isolated from ground black pepper were Escherichia coli, E. freudii, Serratia sp., Klebsiella sp., Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Streptococcus sp. No cultures of Shigella or Salmonella were found.
NK cell therapy in cancer and transplantation

NK cells have unique properties including memory. Although initially described as MHC unrestricted killers, NK cells have several families of receptors that directly recognize MHC Inhibitory receptors to protect “self” expressing normal tissue from being killed by NK cells and protecting against autoimmunity. Therefore, for NK cells to kill and produce cytokines they must encounter activating receptor ligands in the context of “missing self” that occurs with malignant transformation. The second property of inhibitory receptors is to educate or license NK cells to acquire function. This is best demonstrated in the mouse and in humans by enhanced function on self inhibitory receptor expressing NK cells when in a host expressing cognate ligate. In contrast, NK cells without inhibitory receptors or with non-self inhibitory receptors are relatively hyporesponsive. Understanding the biology of NK cells will translate into strategies to manipulate NK cells for therapeutic purposes in cancer and transplantation.
Auditing a collection of races simultaneously

A collection of races in a single election can be audited as a group by auditing a random sample of batches of ballots and combining observed discrepancies in the races represented in those batches in a par- ticular way: the maximum across-race relative overstatement of pairwise margins (MARROP). A risk-limiting audit for the entire collection of races can be built on this ballot-based auditing using a variety of probability sam- pling schemes. The audit controls the familywise error rate (the chance that one or more incorrect outcomes fails to be corrected by a full hand count) at a cost that can be lower than that of controlling the per-comparison error rate with independent audits. The approach is particularly ecient if batches are drawn with probability proportional to a bound on the MAR- ROP (PPEB sampling).
Central cholinergic involvement in behavioral hyper-reactivity.

Abstract The present experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that behavioral reactivity to changes of environmental stimulation varies concomitantly with changes induced acutely by pharmacological and chronically by morphological manipulations of acetylcholine in the central cholinergic system. Acute reduction of acetylcholine levels was achieved by cerebroventricular injections of hemicholinium-3 at five dosages and chronic reduction by electrolytic lesions in the septum. Significant and quantitatively equivalent hyper-reactivity occurred when animals were exposed to a variety of stimulus changes at peak effect times for the two experimental treatments. Such concordance of behavioral effects was not observed during non-contingent shock stimulation, when septal animals were significantly hyper-reactive and hemicholinium-3 animals were not. These findings may be interpreted in terms of results of recent multivariate analyses showing that several independent behavioral factors constitute the septal “syndrome”: a particular factor, e.g., reactivity, may be related to a neurochemical substrate which is not shared by other factors. The present experiments revealed a highly precise relation between acute changes in acetylcholine levels and dose effect trends in hyper-reactivity, i.e., hyper-reactivity followed hemicholinium-3 injections (IVt) which reduced acetylcholine and returned to control levels when acetylcholine recovered. Under conditions of chronic acetylcholine reduction (septal lesion) initial hyper-reactivity disappeared with time, an observation consistent with the “imbalance” hypothesis about interactions between transmitter systems which assumes that changes in one system may be followed by compensatory changes in a related system.
Methodological issues affecting estimates of bleeding risks and consequences after venous thromboembolism

Methodological issues affecting estimates of bleeding risks and consequences after venous thromboembolism -