cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CFD simulation of a floating offshore wind turbine system using a variable-speed generator-torque controller

Abstract Prediction and control of rotor rotational velocity is critical for accurate aerodynamic loading and generator power predictions. A variable-speed generator-torque controller is combined with the two-phase CFD solver CFDShip-Iowa V4.5. The developed code is utilized in simulations of the 5 MW floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) conceptualized by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration (OC3). Fixed platform simulations are first performed to determine baseline rotor velocity and developed torque. A prescribed platform motion simulation is completed to identify effects of platform motion on rotor torque. The OC3’s load case 5.1, with regular wave and steady wind excitation, is performed and results are compared to NREL’s OC3 results. The developed code is shown to functionally control generator speed and torque but requires controller calibration for maximum power extraction. Generator speed variance is observed to be a function of unsteady stream-wise platform motions. The increased mooring forces of the present model are shown to keep the turbine in a more favorable variable-speed control region. Lower overall platform velocity magnitudes and less rotor torque are predicted corresponding to lower rotor rotational velocities and a reduction in generated power. Potential improvements and modifications to the present method are considered.
Clinical and histological observations on cuprizone toxicity and scrapie in mice.

SUMMARY Histological examination of the brains of 81 mice killed after being fed for one to 150 days on dry meal containing 0·5% cuprizone (biscyclohexanone oxaldihydrazone) showed spongiform encephalopathy, with extracellular vacuolation, gliosis and astrocyte hypertrophy, that was closely similar to that of mouse scrapie. This spongiform encephalopathy developed much more rapidly than in scrapie. Mortality was up to 80%. Animals that survived beyond about 60 days showed clinical and histological evidence of some adjustment or resistance to the cuprizone.
Genetics and Cell Morphology Analyses of the Actinomyces oris srtA Mutant

Sortase is a cysteine-transpeptidase that anchors LPXTG-containing proteins on the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall. Previously, sortase was considered to be an important factor for bacterial pathogenesis and fitness, but not cell growth. However, the Actinomyces oris sortase is essential for cell viability, due to its coupling to a glycosylation pathway. In this chapter, we describe the methods to generate conditional srtA deletion mutants and identify srtA suppressors by Tn5 transposon mutagenesis. We also provide procedures for analyzing cell morphology of this mutant by thin-section electron microscopy. These techniques can be applied for analyses of other essential genes in A. oris.
Internal Hernias: Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management

Since the introduction of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 1994, the incidence of small bowel obstruction due to internal hernias has been noted to increase. Several technical measures have been reported to decrease the incidence of internal hernia, including an antecolic Roux limb, closure of mesenteric defects, counterclockwise rotation of the Roux limb with right sided orientation, division of the omentum, and minimal to no division of the mesentery at the jejunojejunostomy. In patients who present with an internal hernia, symptoms are often nonspecific and radiologic imaging may be helpful for diagnosis. Multiple CT findings have been described that support the presence of an internal hernia. However, negative imaging results cannot exclude an internal hernia, and one must maintain a high index of suspicion in a symptomatic patient. Internal hernias are potentially life-threatening, and must be managed operatively. Diagnosis and repair should not be delayed due to the possibility of bowel strangulation and increased risk of morbidity and mortality.
Abstract 657: N-Myc and STAT Interactor knock out in the mammary epithelium prompts hyper-proliferation

N-Myc and STAT Interactor (NMI) is an evolutionarily conserved protein that is widely expressed in fetal and adult tissues. Early studies implicated its role in regulating the activities of transcription factors (such as MYC, STATs, BRCA1, TIP60 etc.) critical to tumor progression and metastasis. However, the functional relevance of these regulatory activities of NMI remains unknown. Recent findings from our lab have revealed that NMI protein expression is decreased by 70% in primary tumor specimens from patients with metastatic breast cancer. Most recently, we have found that lack of NMI expression in breast cancer cells confers resistance to chemotherapy by blocking autophagy-induced cell death. Thus the status of NMI expression in breast cancer patients may be an important clinical consideration. Additionally, our functional studies have demonstrated that loss of NMI expression allows manifestation of TGFβ and Wnt driven EMT that results in increased invasion and metastatic dissemination. Overall, we have noticed a profound impact of NMI on multiple developmental signaling pathways that are essential for mammary development as well as tumor progression. To further elucidate the biological role of NMI, we have created a genetically engineered mammary specific Nmi knock out model. We observed that in normal murine mammary tissue Nmi is expressed in the mammary epithelium during all stages of mammary development. However, it9s expression is strikingly induced at the onset of pregnancy, implicating an important role of NMI in mammary ductal development and/or lactation. Remarkably, the Nmi knock out mice exhibit distinctly increased number of alveolar structures (30% more than in control mice) during lactation. Moreover, these Nmi-/- mammary glands also show 20% more proliferating mammary epithelial cells (MECs) compared to respective littermate controls. In addition, 3D-alveologenesis of Nmi knock out MECs is highly responsive to induction by growth factors such as TGFα and FGFs when compared to MECs from littermate controls. Hyper-proliferative phenotype has been implicated as one of the key factors for breast cancer initiation as well as progression. Overall, our work describes a direct evidence for the role of NMI as a key regulator of mammary epithelial cell proliferation. Citation Format: Hawley C. Pruitt, Brandon J. Metge, Sarah K. Bailey, Lalita A. Shevde, Rajeev S. Samant. N-Myc and STAT Interactor knock out in the mammary epithelium prompts hyper-proliferation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 657.
High-field side scrape-off layer investigation: Plasma profiles and impurity screening behavior in near-double-null configurations

New experiments on Alcator C-Mod reveal that the favorable impurity screening characteristics of the high-field side (HFS) scrape-off layer (SOL), previously reported for single null geometries, is retained in double null configurations, despite the formation of an extremely thin SOL. In balanced double-null, nitrogen injected locally into the HFS SOL is better screened by a factor of 2.5 compared to the same injection into the low field side (LFS) SOL. This result is insensitive to plasma current and Greenwald fraction. Nitrogen injected into the HFS SOL is not as well screened (only a factor of 1.5 improvement over LFS) in unbalanced double-null discharges, when the primary divertor is in the direction of B×∇B. In this configuration, impurity ‘plume’ emission patterns indicate that an opposing E × B drift competes with the parallel impurity flow to the divertor. In balanced double-null plasmas, the dispersal pattern exhibits a dominant E × B motion. Unbalanced discharges with the primary divertor opposite the direction of B×∇B exhibit excellent HFS screening characteristics – a factor of 5 enhancement compared to LFS. These data support the idea that future tokamaks should locate all RF actuators and close-fitting wall structures on the HFS and employ near-double-null magnetic topologies, both to precisely control plasma conditions at the antenna/plasma interface and to maximally mitigate the impact of local impurity sources arising from plasma-material interactions.
Optical demonstration of a medical imaging system with an EMCCD-sensor array for use in a high resolution dynamic X-ray imager

Use of an extensible array of Electron Multiplying CCDs (EMCCDs) in medical x-ray imager applications was demonstrated for the first time. The large variable electronic-gain (up to 2000) and small pixel size of EMCCDs provide effective suppression of readout noise compared to signal, as well as high resolution, enabling the development of an x-ray detector with far superior performance compared to conventional x-ray image intensifiers and flat panel detectors. We are developing arrays of EMCCDs to overcome their limited field of view (FOV). In this work we report on an array of two EMCCD sensors running simultaneously at a high frame rate and optically focused on a mammogram film showing calcified ducts. The work was conducted on an optical table with a pulsed LED bar used to provide a uniform diffuse light onto the film to simulate x-ray projection images. The system can be selected to run at up to 17.5 frames per second or even higher frame rate with binning. Integration time for the sensors can be adjusted from 1 ms to 1000 ms. Twelve-bit correlated double sampling AD converters were used to digitize the images, which were acquired by a National Instruments dual-channel Camera Link PC board in real time. A user-friendly interface was programmed using LabVIEW to save and display 2K × 1K pixel matrix digital images. The demonstration tiles a 2 × 1 array to acquire increased-FOV stationary images taken at different gains and fluoroscopic-like videos recorded by scanning the mammogram simultaneously with both sensors. The results show high resolution and high dynamic range images stitched together with minimal adjustments needed. The EMCCD array design allows for expansion to an M×N array for arbitrarily larger FOV, yet with high resolution and large dynamic range maintained.
Nonlinear Parametric System Identification Using Hard Excitations

This paper presents a new approach for the parametric identification of nonlinear systems. The approach is based on subjecting a nonlinear system to a strong high-frequency excitation and monitoring its influence on the slow modulation of the system’s response which occurs near its natural frequency. The identification procedure is outlined and numerically implemented on a Duffing-type system with unknown quadratic and cubic nonlinearities. The proposed technique is then implemented to identify the nonlinear parameters of three different experimental systems. Results demonstrate that the proposed approach predicts the nonlinear parameters with good accuracy.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Orchestrating Early Embryonic Divisions

In Caenorhabditis elegans, the syncytial germ line generates oocytes that undergo ovulation into the spermatheca, where they are fertilized. The fertilized embryos then undergo two meiotic divisions, followed by mitotic divisions before its deposition outside of the uterus. This series of events is depicted in the image, from germ line syncytium (top) to embryos (bottom). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Case 26-2017

A 63-year-old woman with dermatomyositis presented with fever, hypotension, hypoxemia, and pancytopenia. Chest imaging revealed consolidations in the dependent portion of the bilateral lower lobes and bilateral ground-glass opacities. Diagnostic tests were performed.
Meta-analysis: In Practice

The practice of meta-analysis is concerned with the details of implementation of a research synthesis that ensure the validity and robustness of the results from that synthesis. In this article, selected topics are discussed that represent current intellectual themes in the practice of meta-analysis, such as, (a) the role of decisions and judgments, particularly judgments about similarity of studies; (b) the importance of sensitivity analysis to investigate the robustness of those decisions; and (c) the role research synthesis plays in the process of scientific discovery. Brief illustrations of the role meta-analysis plays in explanation, program evaluation, and in informing policy decisions are presented.
The Arbitration Seesaw: Federal Act Preempts General Law Thereby Restricting Judicial Review

Within the past three decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has teetered from its position that “the purpose of Congress in 1925 [for enacting the Federal Arbitration Act] was to make arbitration agreements as enforceable as other contracts, but not more so,” and, through judicial interpretation, it has tottered to a position whereby “the Court has abandoned all pretense of ascertaining congressional intent with respect to the Federal Arbitration Act, building instead, case by case, an edifice of its own creation.” Consequently, arbitration contracts, once subject to review under the common law doctrines of unconscionability and public policy as applied to all contracts, now appear exempt from such review and are enforceable absent such legal concerns. This results in the proposition that all contracts are equal, but some contracts are more
Photoremediation of heavy metals from aqueous environments onto ZnO coated fibrous polyethylene terephthalate nonwovens

This work explores the photoremediation of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions on to nonwoven polyethylene terephthalate substrates modified by nanoscale atomic layer deposition coatings of ZnO. Removal of Cr6+ is observed to increase with ZnO thin film thickness up to 500 atomic layer deposition cycles (∼90 nm) with a maximum Cr6+ removal of 67% after an exposure of 540 J/cm2. Instead of reducing Cr6+ to Cr3+, this work shows that the mechanism for removal of the Cr ion from solution is by sorption and photoreduction of the metal onto the ZnO surface. Additionally, mixed solutions with Cr6+ and As3+ ions were tested for simultaneous photoreduction and photooxidation, showing that mixed ion solutions may better utilize photogenerated electrons and holes, simultaneously. The reported demonstration and analysis represents a facile route for reclamation of toxic components in an aqueous media.This work explores the photoremediation of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions on to nonwoven polyethylene terephthalate substrates modified by nanoscale atomic layer deposition coatings of ZnO. Removal of Cr6+ is observed to increase with ZnO thin film thickness up to 500 atomic layer deposition cycles (∼90 nm) with a maximum Cr6+ removal of 67% after an exposure of 540 J/cm2. Instead of reducing Cr6+ to Cr3+, this work shows that the mechanism for removal of the Cr ion from solution is by sorption and photoreduction of the metal onto the ZnO surface. Additionally, mixed solutions with Cr6+ and As3+ ions were tested for simultaneous photoreduction and photooxidation, showing that mixed ion solutions may better utilize photogenerated electrons and holes, simultaneously. The reported demonstration and analysis represents a facile route for reclamation of toxic components in an aqueous media.
Effect of Cation Concentration on Electrorheological Activity of Amorphous Alumino-Silicates

Many materials have been shown to demonstrate electrorheological (ER) activity, defined specifically as materials (most commonly fluids) which undergo a dramatic increase in resistance to flow (i.e. apparent viscosity) with applied electric fields. Until recently, the most common ER fluids consisted of suspensions of nonconducting particles in nonconducting liquids with significant amounts (5–20%) of an activator (the most common and effective being water) adsorbed onto the particles.1 Such materials became known as “wet” or hydrous ER fluids. Because of the possible instabilities of the water layer, these hydrous fluids were severely limited for any large scale applications.2 Essentially any particle with sufficient amounts of water adsorbed onto it could form an ER fluid, suggesting that the ER activity was not a primary function of the particle chemistry. The function of the water in creating ER activity is still unresolved.
Retrospective, nonrandomized analysis of subcutaneous anterior transposition versus in situ decompression of the ulnar nerve of military service members.

Hypothesis The objective of this study was to compare the subjective and objective midterm functional clinical outcomes of subcutaneous anterior transposition (SAT) vs. in situ decompression (SD) of the ulnar nerve for the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome. Methods The US Military Health System was queried to identify all cases of ulnar neuroplasty (Current Procedural Terminology code 64718) between 2006 and 2010. Patient charts were reviewed to identify cases of isolated SAT and SD, and demographic and surgical variables were collected. The primary outcome variable was the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score. The inclusion criteria were isolated primary SAT or SD and adult active-duty service members with a minimum 6-year telephone follow-up. Terminal follow-up was determined by a telephone interview. The exclusion criteria were revision procedures, trauma, cases that included other procedures (eg, medial epicondylectomy, submuscular transposition, arthroscopy, or fracture fixation), non–active-duty service members, patients without a minimum 6-year telephone follow-up, and patients who had incomplete medical records or could not be reached to complete the survey. Results A total of 65 SD and 67 SAT patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, with a 72% telephone interview response rate. The average age was 32.3 years for all patients, with an average follow-up period of 6.5 years for SD patients and 6.3 years for SAT patients. SD patients had a lower mean Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score than SAT patients. No difference in reoperation rate was found. Conclusion The active-duty cohort reported positive outcomes and a low reoperation rate at 6-year follow-up both after SAT and after SD. SD patients had mildly superior clinical outcomes compared with SAT patients.
Do Gutter Guards Affect Mosquito Production in Roof Gutter Habitats

ABSTRACT Roof gutters on houses that have become inundated with leaf litter and cannot drain properly are an often-overlooked man-made container habitat that is suitable for mosquito larval develop...
François Lamy’s Cartesian Refutation of Spinoza’s Ethics

Francois Lamy (1636–1711), a Benedictine monk and Cartesian philosopher whose extensive relations with Arnauld, Bossuet, Fenelon, and Malebranche put him into contact with the intellectual elite of late-seventeenth-century France, authored the very first detailed and explicit refutation of Spinoza’s Ethics in French, Le nouvel atheisme renverse (1696). Regrettably overlooked in the secondary literature on Spinoza, Lamy is an interesting figure in his own right, and his anti-Spinozist work sheds important light on Cartesian assumptions that inform the earliest phase of Spinoza’s critical reception in the seventeenth-century. I begin by presenting Lamy’s life and the contentious state of Spinoza’s French reception in the 1680 and 1690s. I then discuss a central argument in Lamy’s refutation, namely the Cartesian objection that Spinoza’s account of the conceptual independence of attributes is incompatible with the theory of substance monism. Contrasting Lamy’s objection with questions put to Spinoza by de Vries and Tschirnhaus, I maintain that by exhibiting the direction Spinoza’s views on substance and attribute took in maturing we may accurately assess the strength of Spinoza’s position vis-a-vis his Cartesian objector, and I argue that, in fact, Spinoza’s mature account of God as an expressive ens realissimum is not vulnerable to Lamy’s criticism. In conclusion, I turn to Lamy’s objection that Spinoza’s philosophy is question-begging in view of Spinoza’s account of God, and I exhibit what this point of criticism tells us about the intentions of the first French Cartesian rebuttal of the Ethics.
Fault line Selection of Single Phase Grounding Fault in Small-Current Ground System Based on Reactive Current

It is difficult to select fault line accurate when single phase grounding faults occur in small-current ground system. The manuscript proposed a novel fault line selection scheme base on reactive current. According to theoretical analysis, the variation of current after the occurrence of single phase short circuit is mainly composed of capacitive current. The variation of capacitive current is induced by the change of line capacitor. For the line of faulty phase, the variation of reactive current is larger than that of normal line. Based on this principle, the novel fault line selection scheme is proposed. To research the reliability of the proposed scheme, a typical small-current ground system model is built in PSCAD. Effect of transmission line, arc suppressing coil and grounding resistance are researched in simulation. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can select the fault line with a high reliability.
Screening Pediatric Patients in New-Onset Syncope (SPINS) Study:

Objectives. The primary objective is to determine the frequency of history findings associated with cardiac syncope. Second, to determine the frequency of abnormal electrocardiograms (EKG) in patients presenting with typical vasovagal syncope. Methods. Retrospective chart review from January 2006 to April 2017 of children aged 5 to 18 years presenting to the emergency department with a chief complaint of syncope. Target population was all patients with first episode of syncope and a documented EKG. Excluded patients were those with head trauma, drug intoxication, current pregnancy, seizure, and any endocrine problem. Patients with cardiac causes of syncope were identified by an abnormal EKG or echocardiogram. Specific history findings (past cardiac history, chest pain, palpitations, syncope with exercise, absence of prodrome with syncope) were compared with those with and without cardiac etiology of syncope. The possibility of missing a patient with cardiac cause of syncope based on specific history findings was identified. Results. Of the total 4115 visits of patients with chief complaints of syncope, 2293 patients (55.7%) met the inclusion criteria. Nine patients (0.39%) were identified with cardiac etiology of syncope. The remaining were determined to be of vasovagal origin. All patients with cardiac etiology of syncope were found to have one positive specific history findings. A total of 1972 patients were identified with absence of specific history findings; no patient had a cardiac etiology of syncope. Conclusions. This study identifies screening questions to identify cardiac syncope. Implementing these standard questions could potentially decrease resource utilization and time for evaluation as well as guide follow-up.
Optimization of the interconnect resistance contribution for STT-MRAM technology

Abstract STT-MRAM has emerged as versatile memory technology, capable of serving a broad range of memory applications. A key figure of merit for the STT-MRAM device is the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio (TMR), which distinguishes between the high resistance (“Off”) and low resistance (“On”) state. In an Integrated Circuit (IC), the MRAM device is fabricated in back-end-of-line process and is powered using a MRAM Vertical Interconnect Access (M-VIA) structure. The series resistance from M-VIA structure, however, adversely impacts the TMR reducing the sense margin. Thus, to improve the TMR/sense margin of MRAM device, reduction of series M-VIA resistance is necessary. We present a combination of ab-initio & TCAD simulations to estimate the M-VIA resistance contributions. Advanced interconnect metals, which include Co, Ru and W, are studied with TiN as barrier metal. The role of barrier metal and geometry is systematically investigated. These simulations provide potential pathways to reduce the M-VIA resistance contributions, allowing for a high density MRAM array.
Imaging living obligate anaerobic bacteria with bilin-binding fluorescent proteins

Fluorescent tools such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) have been used extensively as reporters in biochemistry and microbiology, but GFP and other conventional fluorescent proteins are restricted to aerobic environments. This limitation precludes fluorescence studies of anaerobic ecologies including polymicrobial communities in the human gut microbiome and in soil microbiomes, which profoundly affect health, disease, and the environment. To address this limitation, we describe the first implementation of two bilin-binding fluorescent proteins (BBFPs), UnaG and IFP2.0, as oxygen-independent fluorescent labels for live-cell imaging in anaerobic bacteria. Expression of UnaG or IFP2.0 in the prevalent gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B. theta) results in detectable fluorescence upon the addition of the bilirubin or biliverdin ligand, even in anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, these BBFPs can be used in two-color imaging to differentiate cells expressing either UnaG or IFP2.0; UnaG and IFP2.0 can also be used to distinguish B. theta from other common gut bacterial species in mixed-culture live-cell imaging. BBFPs are promising fluorescent tools for live-cell imaging investigations of otherwise inaccessible anaerobic polymicrobial communities.
Management Considerations for the Surgical Treatment of Colorectal Cancer During the Global Covid-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic requires to conscientiously weigh "timely surgical intervention" for colorectal cancer against efforts to conserve hospital resources and protect patients and health care providers. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Professional societies provided ad-hoc guidance at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic on deferral of surgical and perioperative interventions, but these lack specific parameters to determine the optimal timing of surgery. METHODS: Using the GRADE system, published evidence was analyzed to generate weighted statements for stage, site, acuity of presentation, and hospital setting to specify when surgery should be pursued, the time and duration of oncologically acceptable delays, and when to utilize nonsurgical modalities to bridge the waiting period. RESULTS: Colorectal cancer surgeries-prioritized as emergency, urgent with imminent emergency or oncologically urgent, or elective-were matched against the phases of the pandemic. Surgery in COVID-19-positive patients must be avoided. Emergent and imminent emergent cases should mostly proceed unless resources are exhausted. Standard practices allow for postponement of elective cases and deferral to nonsurgical modalities of stage II/III rectal and metastatic colorectal cancer. Oncologically urgent cases may be delayed for 6(-12) weeks without jeopardizing oncological outcomes. Outside established principles, administration of nonsurgical modalities is not justified and increases the vulnerability of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed already limited health care resources and forced rationing, triage, and prioritization of care in general, specifically of surgical interventions. Established guidelines allow for modifications of optimal timing and type of surgery for colorectal cancer during an unrelated pandemic.
The Affect of Patient Sex and Graft Type on Postoperative Functional Outcomes After Primary ACL Reconstruction

Background:Graft choice in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and postoperative rehabilitation may affect strength recovery differently in men than women and therefore affect a timely...
Nucleation and early stage crystallization in barium disilicate glass

Abstract Barium disilicate is one of the glass-ceramic systems where internal nucleation and crystallization can occur from quenched glass upon heat treatment without requiring nucleating agents. The structural origin of the nano-clusters formed during low temperature heat treatment is of great interest in gaining a fundamental understanding of nucleation kinetics in silicate glasses. Here, we present experimental investigations on the low temperature heat treatment of barium disilicate (BaO•2SiO2) glass. Several experimental techniques were used to characterize the structural nature of barium disilicate glasses that were heat treated between the glass transition temperature, Tg, and the peak temperature of crystal growth, Tcr. The data show that small amounts of crystallites including BaSi2O5 as well as other higher Ba/Si ratio phases are formed. Moreover, unlike that reported for lower BaO content (BaO
Deep learning extended depth-of-field microscope for fast and slide-free histology

Microscopic evaluation of resected tissue plays a central role in the surgical management of cancer. Because optical microscopes have a limited depth-of-field (DOF), resected tissue is either frozen or preserved with chemical fixatives, sliced into thin sections placed on microscope slides, stained, and imaged to determine whether surgical margins are free of tumor cells-a costly and time- and labor-intensive procedure. Here, we introduce a deep-learning extended DOF (DeepDOF) microscope to quickly image large areas of freshly resected tissue to provide histologic-quality images of surgical margins without physical sectioning. The DeepDOF microscope consists of a conventional fluorescence microscope with the simple addition of an inexpensive (less than $10) phase mask inserted in the pupil plane to encode the light field and enhance the depth-invariance of the point-spread function. When used with a jointly optimized image-reconstruction algorithm, diffraction-limited optical performance to resolve subcellular features can be maintained while significantly extending the DOF (200 µm). Data from resected oral surgical specimens show that the DeepDOF microscope can consistently visualize nuclear morphology and other important diagnostic features across highly irregular resected tissue surfaces without serial refocusing. With the capability to quickly scan intact samples with subcellular detail, the DeepDOF microscope can improve tissue sampling during intraoperative tumor-margin assessment, while offering an affordable tool to provide histological information from resected tissue specimens in resource-limited settings.
The interactive effect of event centrality and maladaptive metacognitive beliefs on posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth.

OBJECTIVE Event centrality, the extent to which a traumatic event becomes a reference point for understanding the world and one's role in it, is related to both posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Given that higher event centrality is associated with both of these seemingly disparate postevent trajectories, research on potential moderators of these relationships is needed to better understand the conditions under which event centrality relates to one or both outcomes. Maladaptive metacognitive beliefs (i.e., beliefs about thinking, Wells & Matthews, 1994, 1996) might be one individual difference factor that influences the degree to which event centrality is related to PTS symptoms and PTG. METHOD In a laboratory session, undergraduate students (N = 149) completed self-report measures of event centrality, maladaptive metacognitive beliefs (negative and positive), PTS symptoms, and PTG. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling in order to account for shared variance between PTS symptoms and PTG. RESULTS As predicted, the positive relationship between event centrality and PTS symptoms became increasingly stronger as maladaptive metacognitive beliefs increased (i.e., both positive and negative metacognitive beliefs). The positive relationship between event centrality and PTG was stronger as maldaptive negative, but not positive, metacognitive beliefs decreased. CONCLUSIONS Study findings suggest that treatments designed to reduce maladaptive metacognitive beliefs could lead to reductions in PTS symptoms and increased opportunity for PTG among those with highly central traumatic events. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Cardiac Sex Disparities are Established Prior to Gonad Formation

Sex disparities in cardiac homeostasis and heart disease are well documented with male-female differences attributed to actions of sex specific hormones. However, recent studies implied sex chromosomes might act outside of the gonads to function in non-hormonal manner. How these two pathways contribute to cardiac sex differences remains unknown. Here, we performed both transcriptional and proteomics profiling to define the molecular differences between male and female mouse hearts. We demonstrate that, contrary to current dogma, cardiac sex disparities are controlled not solely by sex hormones, but also through a sex chromosome mechanism. Using Turner syndrome (XO) and Klinefelter (XXY) mouse models, we find that the sex chromosome pathway is established by X-linked gene dosage. We also show that cardiac sex dipartites occur at the earliest stages of heart formation, a period before gonad formation. These studies provide new insights and resources for studying sex-biased cardiac disease states.
Rise in Northeast US extreme precipitation caused by Atlantic variability and climate change

Author(s): Huang, H; Patricola, CM; Winter, JM; Osterberg, EC; Mankin, JS | Abstract: Extreme precipitation (EP) in the Northeastern United States increased abruptly after 1996, coinciding with warming Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs). We examine the importance of internal variability and external forcings (including anthropogenic and natural forcings) to these EP and SST increases by using the Community Earth System Model large ensembles and an optimal fingerprint method to isolate the effects of different forcings on 1929–2018 Northeast EP and North Atlantic SSTs. We find that external forcings have significantly influenced both Northeast EP and North Atlantic SSTs, with a time of detection in 2008 and 1968, respectively. Beyond SST changes attributable to internal variability of the Atlantic, anthropogenic aerosols and greenhouse gases are important drivers of SST changes, first detected in 1968 and 1983, respectively. Greenhouse gases are the only anthropogenic forcing exerting substantial influence on EP, first detected in 2008. We therefore attribute the 1996 EP shift to both unforced Atlantic variability and anthropogenic forcings.
The Crop Clamp – A non-destructive electromechanical pinch test to evaluate stalk lodging resistance

Abstract Given the ever-increasing world population, maize plays a pivotal role in global food security. A major obstacle facing farmers is stalk lodging (the breakage of the stalk before harvest), which leads to substantial losses in annual yields. Weather, disease, and pest damage are major contributors to stalk lodging. Traditionally, evaluating a stalk’s tendency to lodge was achieved with a ‘pinch’ test: pinching the stalk by hand to estimate its transverse stiffness. This test is inherently qualitative, and results vary from person to person. To combat these problems, a portable, battery-operated, non-destructive device for precisely measuring the transverse stiffness of maize stalks, known as the Crop Clamp, has been developed. The device is capable of recording over 100 measurements per hour and has been validated against laboratory tests.
Phase stability of novel HfNbTaTiVZr refractory high entropy alloy under ion irradiation

Abstract HfNbTaTiVZr refractory high entropy alloy (RHEA) fabricated by arc melting shows the single-phase body-centered cubic (BCC) structure. Radiation-induced amorphization (RIA) is observed at 2 displacements per atom (dpa) at 298 K while the specimen remains its crystal structure at 423 K. The critical amorphization temperature (Tc) is likely within 298–423 K. RIA is mainly attributed to the accumulation of Frenkel pairs caused by elastic collisions under ion irradiation and the large atomic size mismatch in the studied RHEA facilitates the amorphization process. RIA of RHEA is for the first time reported and the finding challenges the current understanding of phase stability of RHEAs upon irradiation.
Deformation gradient tensor decomposition for representing matrix cracks in fiber-reinforced materials

Abstract A new method is presented for the representation of matrix cracks in continuum damage mechanics (CDM) models for fiber-reinforced materials. The method is based on the additive decomposition of the deformation gradient tensor into ‘crack’ and ‘bulk material’ components, analogous to the additive strain decomposition of the smeared-crack approach. The potential improvements to the accuracy of CDM models that utilize the presented method are demonstrated for a single element subjected to simple shear deformation and for a unidirectional open-hole tension specimen. The presented method avoids load transfer across matrix cracks and eliminates the prediction of spurious secondary failure modes that occurs when conventional strain-based CDM models are used in geometrically nonlinear finite element analyses involving large shear deformations.
Vibrational Properties of the (✓2X✓2)R45°W(100) Surface*

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the vibrational properties of the surface, which is exhibited by clean W(100) at low temperature. The vibrational eigenfrequencies, eigenvectors, the spectral densities and correlation functions have been calculated. The chapter identifies the influence of the geometrical factor from the variation of surface force constants on the surface vibrational properties. The changes from the bulk vibrational spectrum are caused by geometrical factors. The force constants are adjusted both within the surface layer and between the first two layers by fitting recent total energy frozen phonon calculations. The changes in the surface vibrational spectrum are identified. For the reconstructed surface, the spectral densities show prominent low frequency features characteristic of the soft surface, the mean squared atomic displacements are anisotropic and are enhanced significantly over those for the bulk, and there are significant inter-site correlations. Vibrational correlation functions are important in interpreting high energy ion scattering data from these systems, and they play a central role in describing surface atomic diffusion.
Blanket/first wall challenges and required R&D on the pathway to DEMO

Abstract The breeding blanket with integrated first wall (FW) is the key nuclear component for power extraction, tritium fuel sustainability, and radiation shielding in fusion reactors. The ITER device will address plasma burn physics and plasma support technology, but it does not have a breeding blanket. Current activities to develop “roadmaps” for realizing fusion power recognize the blanket/FW as one of the principal remaining challenges. Therefore, a central element of the current planning activities is focused on the question: what are the research and major facilities required to develop the blanket/FW to a level which enables the design, construction and successful operation of a fusion DEMO? The principal challenges in the development of the blanket/FW are: (1) the Fusion Nuclear Environment – a multiple-field environment (neutrons, heat/particle fluxes, magnetic field, etc.) with high magnitudes and steep gradients and transients; (2) Nuclear Heating in a large volume with sharp gradients – the nuclear heating drives most blanket phenomena, but accurate simulation of this nuclear heating can be done only in a DT-plasma based facility; and (3) Complex Configuration with blanket/first wall/divertor inside the vacuum vessel – the consequence is low fault tolerance and long repair/replacement time. These blanket/FW development challenges result in critical consequences: (a) non-fusion facilities (laboratory experiments) need to be substantial to simulate multiple fields/multiple effects and must be accompanied by extensive modeling; (b) results from non-fusion facilities will be limited and will not fully resolve key technical issues. A DT-plasma based fusion nuclear science facility (FNSF) is required to perform “multiple effects” and “integrated” experiments in the fusion nuclear environment; and (c) the Reliability/Availability/Maintainability/Inspectability (RAMI) of fusion nuclear components is a major challenge and is one of the primary reasons why the blanket/FW will pace fusion development toward a DEMO. This paper summarizes the top technical issues and elucidates the primary challenges in developing the blanket/first wall and identifies the key R&D needs in non-fusion and fusion facilities on the path to DEMO.
Vitamin levels in low-birth-weight newborn infants and their mothers

The cord blood of 50 normal-birth-weight neonates (more than 2,500 grams) and 50 low-birth-weight neonates (less than 2,500 grams) and the respective mother's blood were analyzed for folate, vitamin B6, riboflavin, nicotinate, pantothenate, thiamin, biotin, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and beta-carotene concentrations at parturition. No mothers had received supplemental vitamin intake. Except for vitamin A and beta-carotene, maternal vitamin levels were lower than those of neonates in all instances. Vitamin levels in the blood of low-birth-weight neonates were the same of those of normal-birth-weight infants except for significantly lower folate, vitamin B12, and pantothenate levels.
δ-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides: III. Mechanism of Porphobilinogen Synthesis

δ-Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase catalyzes the condensation of 2 molecules of δ-aminolevulinic acid to a pyrrole, porphobilinogen. This synthesis requires an aldol condensation, the elimination of the elements of water, and the formation of a Schiff base. Our data are consistent with the following mechanism as catalyzed by the enzyme of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. One molecule of δ-aminolevulinic acid forms a Schiff base with the enzyme. This is followed by a nucleophilic attack, by the enzyme-δ-aminolevulinic acid anion intermediate, onto the carbonyl carbon atom of a 2nd δ-aminolevulinic acid molecule. The resulting aldol loses the elements of water, and the free amino group of the 2nd molecule of the substrate displaces the amino group of the enzyme by a transimination or transaldimination, thus forming porphobilinogen. Although both levulinic acid and ethyl levulinate form Schiff bases with the enzyme, only the free acid acts as a competitive inhibitor of δ-aminolevulinic acid. The affinity of the substrate for the enzyme is dependent on the ease of forming a Schiff base, and is also dependent on the formation of an ionic bond between the carboxyl group of the substrate and a positive charge on the enzyme at a particular distance away from the Schiff base linkage. Furthermore, the formation of heterologous pyrroles was demonstrated between levulinic acid or from its ester with δ-aminolevulinic acid. Since these pyrroles can only be formed if the levulinic acid or its ester is in Schiff base linkage with the enzyme, one can predict that the molecule of δ-aminolevulinic acid which gives rise to the acetic acid side chain in porphobilinogen is the molecule which was in Schiff base linkage with the enzyme, whereas the other molecule was either at another site or came from solution.
Teaching business skills to women

Purpose – There is currently a debate between NGOs and academia on the effectiveness of training microcredit recipients. One side suggests that merely supplying credit will stimulate entrepreneurial business. The other side proposes that training microcredit recipients in business skills will improve business performance and probably have other important effects. This study was undertaken with the cooperation Vietnam Women’s Union and PeaceTrees Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of business training programmes for women microcredit recipients in rural areas of Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach – Using a questionnaire administered to 120 women business owners in several communes in Quang Tri Province, data were collected in 2012 on their business training programmes, perceptions of their business performance, motivation, factors for success, and several other indicators. Findings – The findings suggest that business training can improve microenterprise performance and has a nu...
Methadone maintenance counseling: Definition, principles, components

Abstract Counseling has been a major service component of methadone maintenance since its inception. Yet, there is no consensus about what methadone counseling is or how it should be practiced. This paper proposes a definition of professional methadone counseling as a specialized modality of addiction therapy and rehabilitation. Five principals of methadone counseling are reviewed: (1) coordination of care, (2) use of the counseling relationship, (3) attention to the stage of recovery, (4) structure and flexibility, and (5) facilitation of patient resourcefulness and social recovery. Fifteen components of methadone counseling are also reviewed. These include interventions focused on (1) the initial phase of treatment, (2) the treatment itself, and (3) the work of rehabilitation. General counseling issues are considered, such as counselor education, the role of the counselor in the program, the methadone controversy, as well as the impact of HIV disease and “crack/ cocaine”. In closing, the advantages of the proposed model are stressed.
Identification and Significance of Dysmorphic Versus Isomorphic Hematuria

AbstractHematuria may be of glomerular or nonglomerular origin. Dysmorphic erythrocytes are found in the urine of patients with glomerular bleeding, whereas isomorphic erythrocytes characterize nonglomerular or urological hematuria. Urine specimens from 100 patients with microscopic hematuria were collected: 50 had a known glomerular pathological condition and 50 had urological disease. Scanning electron microscopy of the urine specimens showed a marked difference in morphology between dysmorphic and isomorphic red blood cells. This differentiation can be made with a simpler instrument, the standard Coulter counter. Accurate prediction of glomerular versus nonglomerular hematuria was made in 97 of the 100 patients by Coulter counter analysis. The test is rapid, simple and readily reproducible. A permanent graphic record of the red blood cell morphology can be obtained for each patient. Identification of glomerular versus nonglomerular hematuria can be of practical use in the clinical management of patients.