cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using market intelligence for the opportunistic shipping of fresh produce

Abstract The main goal of this paper is to develop an opportunistic shipment policy that increases a farmer's commercialization reach within a secondary market with minimal or no capital investment, once a base market has been established. Basically, the operation would consist of sending fresh produce items into a secondary market (from the base) whenever momentary price differentials allows two-market transactions with a high probability of profit. A theoretical model is developed that maximizes potential operational revenues based on arbitrage opportunities existent within two-market structures. Ultimately, the validity and applicability of this model is demonstrated through the application of a case-study. The results of the case-study show that using the decision-making strategy defined by the proposed theoretical model cannot only increase the long-term profits of two-market operations but can also lower the profit variability, in comparison to only commercializing in a single base market.
Do Local Relative Factor Supplies Affect Local Relative Factor Prices

This paper examines whether local relative factor supplies affect local relative factor prices across US states. Using data on relative wages and relative labor supplies across the US, I find that state specific relative labor supplies significantly impact state specific relative wages across the US. Moreover, in an effort to reconcile my finding with that of Hanson and Slaughter (2000), I rerun their model and I prove that their interpretation is incorrect, and that in fact, differences in relative labor supplies across states determine relative wages and industry production techniques.
Component-Based Software Architecture Design for Network Intrusion Detection and Prevention System

A computer network intrusion detection and prevention system consists of collecting network traffic data, discovering user behavior patterns as intrusion detection rules, and applying these rules to prevent malicious and misuse. Many commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products have been developed to perform each of these tasks. In this paper, the component-based software engineering approach is exploited to integrate these COTS products as components into a computerized system to automatically detect intrusion rules from network traffic data and prevent future potential attacks. The component-based software architecture of this kind of system is designed, COTS components are analyzed, adaptor components to compose COTS products are developed, and the system implementation is illustrated.
The association of solderability testing with board level soldering performance automatic optical inspection (AOI)

The authors address the issue of agreement of visual board-level solderability with visual methods after solder-dipping or wetting-balance methods. A description of visual dip-and-look solderability test methodology along with wetting-balance principles and their use in solderability assessment for components is presented. The specific dip-and-look visual requirements, wetting-balance measures, and board-level solder-joint criteria used are discussed along with the strategy employed. The authors describe the experimental technique used, including the equipment, materials, and the details of the component sample preparations. Dip-and-look visual solderability assessment and wetting-balance measures are compared with actual board-level soldering performance. The ability of the various assessment methods to predict board-level defects is also explored. Recommendations in this area are given. >
The structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for anxiety disorders in men and women.

Background The anxiety disorders exhibit high levels of lifetime comorbidity with one another. Understanding the underlying causes of this comorbidity can provide insight into the etiology of the disorders and inform classification and treatment. Objective To explain anxiety disorder comorbidity by examining the structure of the underlying genetic and environmental risk factors. Design Lifetime diagnoses for 6 anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, animal phobia, and situational phobia) were obtained during personal interviews from a population-based twin registry. Multivariate structural equation modeling that allowed for sex differences was performed. Setting General community sample. Participants More than 5000 members of male-male and female-female twin pairs from the Virginia Adult Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders. Main Outcome Measures Parameter estimates for best-fitting model. Results The full model, which contained 2 common genetic, shared environmental, and unique environmental factors plus disorder-specific factors, could be constrained to equality across male and female study participants. In the best-fitting model, the genetic influences on anxiety were best explained by 2 additive genetic factors common across the disorders. The first loaded most strongly in generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia, whereas the second loaded primarily in the 2 specific phobias. Social phobia was intermediate in that it was influenced by both genetic factors. A small role for shared environmental influences was observed owing to a single common factor that accounted for less than 12% of the total variance for any disorder. Unique environmental influences could be explained by a single common factor plus disorder-specific effects. Conclusions The underlying structure of the genetic and environmental risk factors for the anxiety disorders is similar between men and women. Genes predispose to 2 broad groups of disorders dichotomized as panic-generalized-agoraphobic anxiety vs the specific phobias. The remaining associations between the disorders are largely explained by a unique environmental factor shared across the disorders and, to a lesser extent, a common shared environmental factor.
On the rationality of the post-announcement drift

This paper demonstrates that a post-announcement earnings drift, which is often advanced as an example of market irrationality, can arise even if traders act rationally on their information. Specifically, we show that in the presence of share supply variations which are unrelated to information, there is a positive correlation between the unexpected component of current public signals and future price changes. Such a correlation arises from the fact that while prices reveal private information that cannot be found in public signals, non-information based trading distorts the information content of prices relative to the implications of both private and public information. Under these circumstances, markets may appear semi-strong inefficient and slow to respond to earnings announcements even though information is processed in a timely and efficient manner. Our findings correspond well with previously documented empirical evidence and suggest that the robustness of earnings-based "anomalies" may be rational outcomes of varying uncertain share supply.
Sheet bowing in thermoforming

Sheets to be thermoformed are often heated unevenly, with a higher temperature above the sheet. This results in upward bowing of the sheet, and this is caused by thermal expansion. We combine the analytical solution for the temperature gradient in a slab heated by radiation with a relationship developed from the cylindrical geometry of the sheet as it bows. We thus derive a dimensionless equation for sheet bowing as an implicit function of time for both top and dual heating. We thus uncover a new dimensionless group which we call sheet bowability. We find good agreement between our theory and our new top-heated sheet bowing measurements. We provide a worked example so that the engineer can see how to apply our results. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Structuring and Adjusting Content for Students: A Study of Live and Simulated Tutoring of Addition

This study examined how six experienced teachers acquired information about students’ knowledge and used that information to adjust their instruction while tutoring. Each teacher tutored five simulated students and one live student in the algorithm for whole number addition. A diagnostic/remedial perspective in which the teacher forms a detailed model of the individual student’s knowledge and misconceptions was assumed in the early stages of the study, but did not describe adequately the tutoring of the teachers. Diagnosis was not their primary goal. Rather, each teacher appeared to move through a curriculum script—a loosely ordered but well defined set of skills and concepts students were expected to learn, along with the activities and strategies for teaching this material.
Generating Early Favorites in Decision Making. Are Simple Heuristics Involved

The prevalence and importance of purposeful information structuring among people making complex decisions or solving challenging problems is well established. Similarly, many researchers have found that this purposeful structuring follows and supports an early favorite decision candidate. It has been shown that decision makers often choose the alternative they earlier in the decision process isolated as a promising candidate. However, our knowledge of how early candidates are generated is sketchy at best. We generate and test the predictive power of a set of simple decision-making heuristics for generating early favorites. We show that the predictive power of these simple heuristics is moderate at best. This suggests that other processes and biases may be of equal if not greater importance, notably affect based reasoning and application specific biases (e.g. base rates).
Mannosyl Transfer in Cryptococcus laurentii

Abstract A particle-bound enzyme from the fungus imperfectus Cryptococcus laurentii var. flavescens (NRRL Y-1401) mediates transfer of mannosyl units from GDP-mannose to endogenous primer. The enzyme requires divalent cations for activity. The pH optimum is 7.5 and the apparent Km for GDP-mannose is 0.14 mm. A polysaccharide fraction that is associated with the enzyme was found to be similar to a polysaccharide fraction that can be isolated from intact cells or from cell wall preparations by ethylenediamine extraction and fractionation with Cetavlon. Both polysaccharide fractions contain mannose, galactose, arabinose, xylose, and glucose; both are soluble in the presence of Cetavlon. In contrast, an acidic polysaccharide produced by the organism contains mannose, glucuronic acid, and xylose and is Cetavlon-insoluble. The radioactive reaction product that is obtained from GDP-mannose-14C remains particle-bound, but is solubilized with ethylenediamine. The solubilized product is Cetavlon-soluble and nondialyzable. Complete hydrolysis releases mannose as the only 14C-monomer. Structural analyses of acetolysis products of the enzymatic product reveal that mannosyl residues are newly linked to nonreducing ends of the enzyme-bound primer, resulting in α-1,2- and α-1,3-mannosyl-mannose bonds. Comparison of electron micrographs of whole cells or cell wall preparations before and after ethylenediamine extraction suggests that a polymer similar to the enzymatic product resides in the cell wall.
André Michaux and French Botanical Networks at the End of the Old Regime

Abstract This paper situates Andre Michaux's American career in the larger context of contemporary French botanical institutions. An extensive set of botanical gardens in metropolitan France included the Jardin du Roi (1635) in Paris and several dozen other gardens spread throughout the provinces. A complementary system of botanical gardens and horticultural stations arose outside the Metropolis in the colonies. In the 1750s, French authorities established spice cultivation in the Indian-Ocean settlements on Ile de France (Mauritius) and Ile Bourbon (Reunion). By the 1770s and 1780s, royal botanical gardens had spread to Cayenne, Guadeloupe, and Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in the New World. In the 1780s, the Ministry of the Navy undertook several botanical transfers from the Indian Ocean to the Americas with the aim of implanting commercial cultivations in the New World. Andre Michaux's expedition to North America formed part of this larger network. Had the French Revolution not intervened, the American garden...
Evolutionary Basis of Attraction

The study of beauty has many facets with research clearly showing us what biological indicators account for the perception of attractiveness and the subsequent societal implications. Conventional thinking asserts that standards of beauty are formed from a gradually learned subjective process that is a product of the media; however, research conducted over the past decades contradicts these widely held beliefs. Theoretical and empirical work has attempted to understand physical attractiveness through evolutionary models of signaling. It is the fundamental assumption of evolutionary-based theories that physical attractiveness is largely a reflection of reliable cues to health, quality, and reproduction. Studies on both the animal kingdom and humans suggest that those human traits that are considered attractive function as markers of biologic condition and reproductive potential. In particular, human beauty standards are thought to reflect our evolutionary past and emphasize the role of health assessment in mate choice. Although studies do show variable results, overall, a link, albeit weak in some instances, has been illustrated between attractiveness and perceived health, actual health, and reproductive status for men and women. This chapter explores the research behind evolutionary theories that have proved to be powerful tools in exploring the fundamentals of beauty ideals.
Coordinating Liquid and Free Air Cooling with Workload Allocation for Data Center Power Minimization

Data centers are seeking more efficient cooling techniques to reduce their operating expenses, because cooling can account for 30-40% of the power consumption of a data center. Recently, liquid cooling has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional air cooling, because it can help eliminate undesired air recirculation. Another emerging technology is free air cooling, which saves chiller power by utilizing outside cold air for cooling. Some existing data centers have already started to adopt both liquid and free air cooling techniques for significantly improved cooling efficiency and more data centers are expected to follow. In this paper, we propose SmartCool, a power optimization scheme that effectively coordinates different cooling techniques and dynamically manages workload allocation for jointly optimized cooling and server power. In sharp contrast to the existing work that addresses different cooling techniques in an isolated manner, SmartCool systematically formulates the integration of different cooling systems as a constrained optimization problem. Furthermore, since geo-distributed data centers have different ambient temperatures, SmartCool dynamically dispatches the incoming requests among a network of data centers with heterogeneous cooling systems to best leverage the high efficiency of free cooling. A light-weight heuristic algorithm is proposed to achieve a near-optimal solution with a low run-time overhead. We evaluate SmartCool both in simulation and on a hardware testbed. The results show that SmartCool outperforms two state-of-the-art baselines by having a 38% more power savings.
Popular Sources, Advertising, and Information Literacy: What Librarians Need to Know

ABSTRACTSponsored content, also known as native advertising, is a relatively new form of advertising in which corporate sponsors fund articles in periodicals and often exert significant control over the editorial process. This model is a dramatic reversal from past practice; throughout the 20th century, allowing advertisers and sales departments to dictate editorial content was considered unethical by most observers both inside and outside of journalism. Because the information literate student is one who can navigate both library databases and the open web, this article urges academic reference and instruction librarians to gain a deeper understanding of how advertising impacts the popular sources their patrons use.
White-Skinned Gods: Thor Heyerdahl, the Kon-Tiki Museum, and the Racial Theory of Polynesian Origins

Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 performative experiment, to sail a raft from Peru to Polynesia, was lauded as a feat of ingenuity and endurance. Largely undertreated is the racially motivated theory undergirding Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki project — that the first settlers in Polynesia were a race of bearded, white-skinned supermen who remained deities in both South American and Polynesian mythology. Contemporary commemorations, however, emphasize feel-good stories of human achievement over Heyerdahl’s racist performance.
Modulation of postjunctional α-adrenergic responsiveness by local changes in temperature

In canine cutaneous veins, local moderate warming (37 degrees-41 degrees C) augments the responsiveness to postjunctional alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation but depresses that to postjunctional alpha 2-adrenergic activation. Moderate cooling (37 degrees-24 degrees C) has the opposite effect. The effects of warming and cooling on alpha 1-adrenergic responses are buffered by a large receptor reserve, allowing for the predominance of alterations in alpha 2-adrenergic responsiveness.
Invited: Status of Silicon Solar Cell Technology

Major progress in solar cell technology leading to increased efficiency has occurred since 1970. In this time period, cell efficiency has increased by about 50%. Technical approaches leading to this increased output include surface texturizing, improved antireflection coatings, reduced grid pattern area coverage, shallow junctions and back surface fields (e.g., n+-p-p+ structures). The status of these developments and their incorporation into cell production is discussed. Future research and technology trends leading to further efficiency increases and substantial cost reductions are described.
Computational Mechanistic Study of Stereoselective Suzuki Coupling of an α-Cyano-Activated Secondary Alkyl

Palladium-catalyzed cross-couplings of secondary alkyls are promising tools for the stereoselective formation of carbon–carbon bonds. We report a computational mechanistic study of the stereoselective Suzuki coupling between (S)-2-chloropropanenitrile and phenylboronic acid, following a recent experimental report on related α-cyanohydrin triflates (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 2524). Added Lewis base helps accelerate SN2 oxidative addition, leading to the experimentally observed inversion of configuration. Undesired β-hydride elimination side reactions are reduced by the activating cyano group’s inductive effects, by cyano-PdII coordination, and by excess boronic acid. The catalyst ligand’s trans influence and steric bulk also affect the rate of β-hydride elimination, suggesting design rules for alkyl cross-coupling ligands.
Transient Simulations of Spouted Fluidized Bed for Coal-Direct Chemical Looping Combustion

Chemical-looping combustion holds significant promise as one of the next generation combustion technology for high-efficiency low-cost carbon capture from fossil fuel power plants. For thorough understanding of the chemical-looping combustion process and its successful implementation in CLC based industrial scale power plants, the development of high-fidelity modeling and simulation tools becomes essential for analysis and evaluation of efficient and cost-effective designs. In this paper, multiphase flow simulations of coal-direct chemical-looping combustion process are performed using ANSYS Fluent CFD code. The details of solid–gas two-phase hydrodynamics in the CLC process are investigated by employing the Lagrangian particle-tracking approach called the discrete element method (DEM) for the movement and interaction of solid coal particles moving inside the gaseous medium created due to the combustion of coal particles with an oxidizer. The CFD/DEM simulations show excellent agreement with the experimen...
The Pre- and Early Postnatal Microbiome: Relevance to Subsequent Health and Disease

With the advent of the Human Microbiome Project, wherein new high throughput technologies are employed to evaluate the taxonomy and function of microbes residing in various regions of the body, there is increasing recognition of the scope and clinical significance of the intestinal microbiota. The total number of bacterial cells residing in human intestine far exceeds the number of host cells. More than 3 million genes have been identified in this microbiota, which is more than 100-fold of our own human genes. Although commonly thought to be related to disease as pathogens, the majority of microbes of the intestine are commensals and symbionts that benefit the host in terms of nutrition, development of the immune system, and postnatal maturation of the intestine. They perform helpful functions that cannot be performed by the human host itself. This review aims to summarize recently emerging knowledge on the intestine microbiome in the antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods. We will limit our discussion to the fetal microbiome, the effects of cesarean delivery versus vaginal delivery, and the relationship of the microbiome to necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis, and the developing brain.
Cell Count, Rate of Flow, and Protein Content of Cervical Lymph in the Rat.

SummaryThe quiescent anaesthetized rat exhibits a free flow of lymph from the cervical lymphatic trunks. A method of collecting cervical lymph in the rat is described. The average rate of flow is approximately 40 mg/hr, the lymphocyte count averages 7,065/cmm, and the average protein content is 3.07 g %. These figures are compared with similar data for thoracic duct lymph.
Parental Identification, Couple Commitment, and Problem Solving among Newlyweds

The rapidity of the social and economic changes that characterized industrial and post-industrialized societies in the last century was accompanied by corresponding changes in family structure and relationships. The transitions from rural to urban-industrial and from an industrial to the current post-industrial information based society have all been associated with fundamental alterations in family composition, values, and goals.* By the late 1960s the “baby boom” generation, seeking greater social equality and personal freedom, tended to put off marriage for longer periods and were more likely to live together prior to marriage (8; Lindsey, 1990). Between the 1960s and 1970s the divorce rate doubled, the number of children born out of wedlock rose dramatically, and there was a proliferation of single female-headed households (Cherlin, 1992).
Conclusion: The Ortonesque

A few weeks before his death on 9 August 1967, Orton had finished typing a new version of What the Butler Saw, and he was getting ready for his next play, tentatively called Prick Up Your Ears. It was to be an ‘historical farce set on the eve of Edward VII’s coronation in 1902’. Orton already had an excellent epigraph from Sheridan’s The Critic: ‘Where history gives you a good heroic outline for a play, you may fill up with a little love at your own discretion: in doing which, nine times out of ten, you only make up a deficiency in the private history of the times’ (Lahr, p. 22). Orton’s Edwardian play was never written, so he never managed to fill it up with a little love at his own discretion. The artifice of the Edwardian era appealed to Orton, since it offered the possibility of reviving the Restoration comedy of manners, as practised by Congreve, Wycherley, Etherege, and others. Orton was alert to manners, and the appropriate style accompanying them, as a mask for morals. This was his most fundamental irony because the vulgarity, greed and lust of his characters are always peeping through no matter how elegantly they express themselves.
Shining light on neurosurgery diagnostics using Raman spectroscopy.

Surgical excision of brain tumors provides a means of cytoreduction and diagnosis while minimizing neurologic deficit and improving overall survival. Despite advances in functional and three-dimensional stereotactic navigation and intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging, delineating tissue in real time with physiological confirmation is challenging. Raman spectroscopy is a promising investigative and diagnostic tool for neurosurgery, which provides rapid, non-destructive molecular characterization in vivo or in vitro for biopsy, margin assessment, or laboratory uses. The Raman Effect occurs when light temporarily changes a bond’s polarizability, causing change in the vibrational frequency, with a corresponding change in energy/wavelength of the scattered photon. The recorded inelastic scattering results in a “fingerprint” or Raman spectrum of the constituent under investigation. The amount, location, and intensity of peaks in the fingerprint vary based on the amount of vibrational bonds in a molecule and their ensemble interactions with each other. Distinct differences between various pathologic conditions are shown as different intensities of the same peak, or shifting of a peak based on the binding conformation. Raman spectroscopy has potential for integration into clinical practice, particularly in distinguishing normal and diseased tissue as an adjunct to standard pathologic diagnosis. Further, development of fiber-optic Raman probes that fit through the instrument port of a standard endoscope now allows researchers and clinicians to utilize spectroscopic information for evaluation of in vivo tissue. This review highlights the need for such an instrument, summarizes neurosurgical Raman work performed to date, and discusses the future applications of neurosurgical Raman spectroscopy.
The Scaffold Protein Muscle A-Kinase Anchoring Protein β Orchestrates Cardiac Myocyte Hypertrophic Signaling Required for the Development of Heart Failure

Background—Cardiac myocyte hypertrophy is regulated by an extensive intracellular signal transduction network. In vitro evidence suggests that the scaffold protein muscle A-kinase anchoring protein β (mAKAPβ) serves as a nodal organizer of hypertrophic signaling. However, the relevance of mAKAPβ signalosomes to pathological remodeling and heart failure in vivo remains unknown. Methods and Results—Using conditional, cardiac myocyte–specific gene deletion, we now demonstrate that mAKAPβ expression in mice is important for the cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload and catecholamine toxicity. mAKAPβ targeting prevented the development of heart failure associated with long-term transverse aortic constriction, conferring a survival benefit. In contrast to 29% of control mice (n=24), only 6% of mAKAPβ knockout mice (n=31) died in the 16 weeks of pressure overload (P=0.02). Accordingly, mAKAPβ knockout inhibited myocardial apoptosis and the development of interstitial fibrosis, left atrial hypertrophy,...
Phosphorus Additives and Albuminuria in Early Stages of CKD: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background Little is known about the effects of phosphorus additives on patients with kidney disease. Study Design Randomized, double-blind, crossover trial. Setting & Participants 31 adults with early stages of presumed chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥ 45mL/min/1.73m 2 ; urine albumin-creatinine ratio sex-specific cutoff points: men ≥ 17mg/g, women ≥ 25mg/g). Intervention Higher versus lower phosphorus intake for 3 weeks. Higher phosphorus intake was achieved by the addition of commercially available diet beverages and breakfast bars to diet. Outcomes Change in 24-hour urine albumin excretion and plasma fibroblast growth factor 23 level. Measurements Two 24-hour urine collections and a single fasting blood draw at the end of each period. Results Mean baseline values for phosphorus intake, 24-hour urine phosphorus excretion, and estimated glomerular filtration rate were 1,113±549 (SD) mg/d, 688±300mg/d, and 74.6±22.0mL/min/1.73m 2 . Median urine albumin excretion of 82.7 (IQR, 39.6-174.1) mg/d. Although phosphorus intake from study products increased by 993mg/d ( P P =0.004). Higher phosphorus additive consumption increased 24-hour urine phosphorus excretion by 505 (95% CI, 381 to 629) mg/d ( P P =0.1) or fibroblast growth factor 23 level (higher vs lower: 3.4%; 95% CI, −5.9% to 13.6%; P =0.4). Limitations Small sample size, short duration of intervention, changes in background diet during the intervention. Conclusions A 3-week consumption of higher phosphorus food additives did not significantly increase albuminuria. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.
Linear motion system cable elimination via multiphase capacitive power transfer through sliding journal bearings

Electrical loads that slide on moving gantries or rails are common in industry and automation, e.g. assembly lines, spindle heads, x-y tables, etc. These systems often use insulated linear bearings to support mechanical movement during the intended process and a flexible wire-way or cable track provides an electrical connection to power moving parts. This paper proposes eliminating the cable connection by using the capacitance of the linear bearings to transfer power between stationary and moving parts, i.e. the bearings/rails form the coupling of a capacitive power transfer system. This is enabled by a 3–5 MHz, 3 phase, resonant inverter capable of driving AC current through the bearing-rail capacitance where it is ultimately rectified on a carriage for final use. The high switching frequency enables smaller bearing coupling capacitance to be used with lower developed voltages. The inverter uses 650V Gallium Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) in a 3 phase configuration to extend switching frequencies to multi-MHz, thus enabling power transfer levels towards 102-103 watt levels. The brushless and wireless excitation of a sliding electrical load, using linear plain bearings sliding on conventional 1 inch diameter anodized shafting serves as a demonstration application. Experimental tests at 3.66 MHz demonstrate 111.9W power transfer to a sliding carriage load.
The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans - A Versatile In Vivo Model to Study Host-microbe Interactions

We demonstrate a method using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host to study microbial interaction. Microbes are introduced via the diet making the intestine the primary location for disease. The nematode intestine structurally and functionally mimics mammalian intestines and is transparent making it amenable to microscopic study of colonization. Here we show that pathogens can cause disease and death. We are able to identify microbial mutants that show altered virulence. Its conserved innate response to biotic stresses makes C. elegans an excellent system to probe facets of host innate immune interactions. We show that hosts with mutations in the dual oxidase gene cannot produce reactive oxygen species and are unable to resist microbial insult. We further demonstrate the versatility of the presented survival assay by showing that it can be used to study the effects of inhibitors of microbial growth. This assay may also be used to discover fungal virulence factors as targets for the development of novel antifungal agents, as well as provide an opportunity to further uncover host-microbe interactions. The design of this assay lends itself well to high throughput whole-genome screens, while the ability to cryo-preserve worms for future use makes it a cost-effective and attractive whole animal model to study.
Increased AMS Ion Source Efficiency and Ion Currents by Modifying SNICS Cathode Material and Geometry

Abstract A series of tests have been conducted at the Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution's National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry facility (NOSAMS) to investigate the effect of sample well geometry and cathode material on C− extraction efficiency and beam currents. Ion current production tests were performed on aluminum cathodes that were prepared by drilling sample wells with various diameters (O), ranging from 0.50 mm to 1.50 mm, and depths ranging from 1.3 mm to 4.3 mm. Cathodes with sample well diameters of 1 mm and 0.75 mm had marginally better C− current, while current for the larger sample wells was lower but more consistent. Depth tests showed an obvious difference in ion beam currents, with shallow wells outperforming the deeper wells. Efficiency tests were first conducted on Al cathodes to find an optimum diameter. Cathodes with O of 0.50 mm, 0.75 mm, and 1.00 mm were drilled to a depth of 2.3 mm, hand pressed with approximately 250 μg of Alfa Aesar graphite, and then run to exhaustion. The best performers were cathodes with O of 0.75 mm, measuring as much as 16.5% efficiency compared to 13% from the 0.50 mm and 15% from the 1.00 mm cathodes. Cathodes with Zn inserts were then prepared in the same manner, with a 0.75 mm diameter, and showed further improvement, increasing the ion source efficiency to as much as 27%.
Maximizing College Savings through the Selection of Low-Cost 529 Plan Portfolios

Parents and grandparents saving for descendent children and grandchildren’s college expenses seek to leave as large a nest egg as possible. As with most investments, the objective is to reach a high terminal value without taking excessive risk. In the case of college savings funds, a larger terminal value will expand the set of options available to the college-bound student. State and federal governments have worked together to make saving for college less onerous through the creation of tax-advantaged 529 plans. Analysis of the entire universe of 529Ps with 10 years of data reveals that a significant factor in differentiating between better and worse 529P investment performance is their expenses and their loads. Among the 529Ps with the lowest 25% of expenses, the authors find significantly better returns, lower standard deviation, and no appreciable impact on risk as measured by beta. Selection of 529Ps without loads also increases returns without increasing standard deviation or systematic risk. Risk-adjusted returns using standard deviation, negative return variance, or beta all demonstrate the value of avoiding high expenses and load/commission fees. Morningstar star ratings were also found to be higher, and downside capture ratios were found to be lower for the lower expense 529Ps.
Global Cleft Lip and Palate Care: A Brief Review

In the last decade, surgical care has gained new attention as an “indivisible, indispensable part of health care” (Meara et al. 2015; Kim 2014). No longer limited to short-term interventions, improving access to equitable surgical care is both a movement that is gaining traction and a career path that is earning acceptance (Chao et al. 2015; Dare et al. 2014; Leow et al. 2010). In the last decade, several key initiatives have launched access to equitable surgical care onto social and political agendas: The Bellagio Essential Surgery Group (Luboga et al. 2009), Disease Control Priorities II and III (Jamison et al. 2006, 2015), the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (Meara et al. 2015), WHO’s Global Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (Bickler and Spiegel 2010), and World Health Assembly resolution 68.15 on surgical system strengthening (Price et al. 2015). Throughout this evolution, reconstructive surgical care for patients in resource-limited settings around the world, including cleft lip and palate care, has remained a priority to many private and governmental organizations, and now stands to benefit from this new focus. As the political landscape changes for access to safe and affordable surgical and anesthesia care worldwide, those that provide reconstructive care for children must understand the context in which this arena is changing as well as what is both possible and expected for the future.
Molecular Probes and Genome Homology

The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) offers a unique opportunity to put to test landmark concepts and technology advanced in experimental tumor virus systems in recent years. The principal concept resulting from exploration of the viral etiology of cancer is the demonstration that, at least in vitro, viral genes remain in the malignant cell after the initial infection of the normal progenitor cell. This concept has been elaborated so that we know that specific viral DNA sequences containing defined genes are integrated into the cellular genetic composition and that these viral genes are expressed in the malignant cell. This concept must occupy a central position in the elusive quest for proof of causation between virus and human cancer.
Immunological Approaches to Reverse Multidrug Resistance: The Concept of Molecular Targeting

Cytotoxic chemotherapy has achieved some cures in primary tumors and even in metastatic disease that are not amenable to effective treatment by surgery or radiation. However, despite initial responses many tumors eventually fail chemotherapy because classical chemotherapy is inadequate to deal with a large tumor burden in many kinds of cancer, and dose intensification which might lead to better results is often hindered by inherent toxic side effects of present chemotherapeutic agents. In particular, both intrinsic and acquired drug resistance remain major impediments to more effective cancer therapies [1].
Beteiligte am MC-Wertschöpfungsprozess

Innerhalb und im Umfeld des MC findet eine Vielzahl von Wertschopfungsaktivitaten statt. Dabei besteht nicht nur eine starke Interdependenz zwischen den verschiedenartigsten dieser Aktivitaten, sondern haufig sind auch Akteure in mehreren unterschiedlichen Bereichen tatig. Im einfachen Fall handelt es sich dabei um Disintermediation. Dieses bereits aus dem EC bekannte Phanomen lasst Anbieter zur Ausdehnung auf benachbarte Wertschopfungsstufen tendieren. Dabei konnte es sich etwa um einen Inhalteanbieter handeln, der seine Inhalte selbst aufbereitet und sogar uber ein Portal bereit stellt. In anderen Fallen haben technologische, historische oder Grunde der Marktmacht zur Diversifizierung von Firmen gefuhrt. Typische Beispiele sind Unternehmen, die beim Endkunden uber hohen Bekanntheitsgrad als Endgeratelieferanten verfugen, ihr tatsachliches Kerngeschaft aber als Infrastrukturlieferanten betreiben.
Surgical Treatment for Cardiac Sarcomas

In this chapter we have presented some cases of cardiac sarcomas and outlined the general approach and surgical treatment of this condition.
Use of Venous Pco2 in Determination of Death by Neurological Criteria in Children.

Abstract Background Compare the increase in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (P co 2) from venous blood samples with that of arterial blood samples during apnea challenge test in determination of death by neurological criteria. Methods Prospective nonrandomized cohort study in tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit. Patients older than 37 week’s gestation admitted to PICU with irreversible brain injury at the time when attending physician will perform apnea challenge test as part of brain death examination from October 2015 till September 2017. Interventions None. Results The primary outcome was to measure and compare the increase in P co 2 from venous blood samples with that from arterial blood samples during apnea challenge test. A total of nine apnea challenge tests from seven patients (ages five months to 17 years) were included in the study. P co 2 in venous blood sample increased less than that in arterial blood samples (venous, 26.1 mm Hg; S.D., 10.1; 95% confidence interval, 18 to 34 mm Hg; arterial, 33.9 mm Hg; S.D., 12.0; 95% confidence interval, 24 to 43 mm Hg) (P = 0.02). Conclusion Postapnea challenge test P co 2 of 60 mm Hg along with increase of 20 mm Hg in venous blood sample correlated to P co 2 greater than 60 mm Hg along with increase of greater than 20 mm Hg in arterial blood sample. Further studies are warranted to assess if current recommendations for determination of death by neurological criteria in children can be modified to allow for use of venous blood samples as an alternate to arterial blood samples.
Quantification of vibrissal mechanical properties across the rat mystacial pad

The mechanical signals transmitted by a whisker depend critically on its geometry. We used measurements of whisker geometry and mass to quantify the center of mass, mass moment of inertia, radius o...
Shock Tube Study of Nitric Oxide Addition on Ignition Delay Time of n-Dodecane/Air Mixture

In engine applications, small concentrations of very reactive chemical species such as nitric oxide (NO) can have a very important impact on the onset of combustion. The small amount of NO can come from various sources including EGR, residual gas, and vitiated oxidizer streams. Combustion of distillate fuels and their surrogates with NO addition affects many practical propulsion and power systems and is of particular interest in gas turbines. As part of our efforts to understand these phenomena, shock tube ignition delay times have been studied for n-dodecane/air mixtures with the addition of 500 ppm and 1000 ppm NO over temperatures of 1083–750 K, near 30 atm and ϕ = 1. Laser absorption was used to quantify in situ fuel and NO concentrations. The current ignition delay time measurements should provide needed targets for NO addition model development and refinement.
Concomitant KRAS and BRAF mutations in colorectal cancer

BRAF and KRAS are two key oncogenes in the RAS/RAF/MEK/MAP-kinase signaling pathway. While previously considered mutually exclusive, concomitant mutations in both KRAS and BRAF genes have been identified in colorectal cancer (CRC). The clinical outcome of these patients remains undetermined. We present the clinical course of two patients with CRC harboring mutations at codon 12 of KRAS and BRAF non-V600E mutations. More research is needed to determine the clinical-pathological effect of these simultaneous mutations of KRAS and BRAF in CRC on disease course and treatment outcome.
Spontaneous Rupture and Entanglement of Human Neuronal Tau Protein Induced by Piconewton Compressive Force.

Mechanical force vector fluctuations in living cells can have a significant impact on protein behavior and functions. Here we report that a human tau protein tertiary structure can abruptly and spo...
ROBUST EARLY FOLLOW-UP MAY ALLOW EARLIER AND SAFER HEART FAILURE DISCHARGES

Despite significant pharmacologic advances, the 30-day mortality rate after hospitalization for heart failure (HF) is increasing. Some have hypothesized that decreased lengths of stay, and less “stability time,” the number of hours a patient is observed on their discharge medication regimen
Not a Perfect Storm - Covid-19 and the Importance of Language.

Not a Perfect Storm Many commentators have described the Covid-19 pandemic as a “perfect storm,” evoking a sense of unpredictability. But myriad biologic, environmental, social, and political force...
Optimal sensor placement in a hospital operating room

Building ventilation systems are responsible for providing a favorable thermal condition, as well as maintaining acceptable indoor air quality. Thus, ventilation rates are extremely high in hospita...
Charity for and by the poor: Franciscan-indigenous confraternities in Mexico, 1527–1700: by Laura Dierksmeier, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press/Academy of American Franciscan History, 2020, 238 pp. (ISBN 9780806166285)

Confraternities, the most important form of lay organization in colonial Latin America, have long garnered the attention of many students of the period. Yet, until recently in Spanish America, thos...
Tyrosine phosphatase STEP is a key regulator of glutamate-induced prostaglandin E2 release from neurons.

The neuron-specific tyrosine phosphatase st riatal- e nriched p hosphatase (STEP) is emerging as a key regulator of excitotoxicity, which is involved in the pathogenesis of both acute and chronic neurological diseases. However, the intracellular mechanisms that are regulated by STEP to confer neuroprotection against excitotoxic insults are not well understood. The present study investigates the role of STEP in regulating neuronal release of the proinflammatory prostanoid prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which is associated with a wide range of pathological conditions. The findings show that glutamate-mediated activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor in STEP-deficient neurons leads to rapid and sustained increase in the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), a signaling molecule involved in the production of inflammatory mediators. Such sustained p38 MAPK activation increases the activity of cytosolic phospholipase A2, which catalyzes the release of arachidonic acid, the initial substrate for PGE2 biosynthesis. Sustained p38 MAPK activation also induces nuclear factor-κB–mediated increase in expression of cyclooxygenase-2 that is involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostanoids, resulting in enhanced biosynthesis and release of PGE2 from neurons. Restoration of STEP function with a STEP mimetic (TAT-STEP-myc peptide) significantly decreases the activation of p38 MAPK–mediated cytosolic phospholipase A2/cyclooxygenase-2/PGE2 signaling cascade. This study identifies an important mechanism involved in the neuronal release of the proinflammatory mediator PGE2 after excitotoxic insult and highlights for the first time the immunomodulatory ability of a neuronal tyrosine phosphatase.
A Selected Bibliography of the Publications of Harvey Starr

War Coalitions: The Distribution Of Payoffs And Losses (Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath, 1972).
Complementary Two-Particle Correlation Observables for Relativistic Nuclear Collisions.

Two-particle correlations are a widely used tool for studying relativistic nuclear collisions. Multiplicity fluctuations comparing charge and particle species have been studied as a possible signal for Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) and the QCD critical point. These fluctuation studies all make use of particle variances which can be shown to originate with a two-particle correlation function. Momentum correlations and covariances of momentum fluctuations, which arise from the same correlation function, have also been used to extract properties of the nuclear collision medium such as the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio, the shear relaxation time, and temperature fluctuations. Searches for critical fluctuations are also done with these correlation observables. We derive a mathematical relationship between several number and momentum density correlation observables and outline the different physics mechanisms often ascribed to each. This set of observables also contains a new multiplicity-momentum correlation. Our mathematical relation can be used as a validation tool for measurements, as a method for interpreting the relative contributions of different physics mechanisms on correlation observables, and as a test for theoretical and phenomenological models to simultaneously explain all observables. We compare an independent source model to simulated events from PYTHIA for all observables in the set.